Broken Axels and Drivelines I

Part I

I had a dream that we were driving out of a torn up parking lot in our 4×4 all terrain vehicle. Some cars we saw were disabled and stuck in the dirt. Other vehicles were untouched. You could tell that the big equipment just went around the “untouched” vehicles. The cars had been parked there for ever, and never would go anywhere any way. The active vehicles that were (going places) were the most effected by it all.

As we were granny gearing out of the lot in four-wheel drive, I said, ” Lord how are we going to get out of this?” The Lord said, “Faith is what brought you here. Faith is the vehicle that will get you out.” I realized that the “vehicle” we had was equipped to do the job. We kept going until we were out of the parking lot. As we drove out, I saw a young man on his knees in the dirt; he was hot and sweaty and trying to get out, but his drive line and axle was broken. He looked at me with despair in his eyes. I promised my self, “When we get out of this we’ll come back for him …”

It had been a year since I had the dream. The dream came true, in that we were called to come out of the city we were dwelling in, and thankfully, the warfare that went along with it. We were finished with our mission and that was prayer. To pray, teach, and host prayer and intercession for the area and the eastern seaboard. Our leaving was a HUGE leap of faith. We obeyed God into the unknown, and he was faithful all the way. We were given a four-day notice that we were to leave the city by the Holy Spirit. In less than an hour after those instructions, God gave us our new assignment.

We prayed for that  young man, throughout the year after we left, and those he represented. I asked the Lord, “What is happening to them?” The Lord showed me that there was a “spirit of disparagement”, working against him and those who were trying to move on with an upward call of God on their lives. The root of disparagement is doubt and unbelief. First our faith begins to wane in trials like this, then goes our joy. Then our strength. These have lost their joy believing that God has done this thing to them. And they have despaired in it, and hopelessness has settled in.

When you are built up in your faith it is like an all terrain vehicle, it will drive you out of ruts and off the beaten path.

In dreams your car often speaks of where you are going in your life. We can have a lot of ideas and dreams under the hood, but if our drive line and axle is broken those ideas and dreams will go no where. If we believe God, our works confirm it. Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words?” We can confess our faith, but walking it out- proves we believe.  I have heard people talk about being called to foreign missions, yet they never study the culture or even try to understand the language. It makes you wonder, do they really believe their call?

What faith action do we take when despair is trying to settle in?

Philippians 4:6-8

Philippians 4:1-8 (Amplified Bible)

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

… So we were crying out for this young man, and who he represented, in the Spirit; and the Lord showed me something: I saw why God tells us over and over again to pray for one another, and to encourage one another- As we prayed I began to see a vision of the scene in the dream. The scene changed and I could see the same young man, I saw in the dream. Again, he was on his knees beside the car sunk into the dirt. But he wasn’t despairing any more. He was digging in the ground with great strength and determination, and I saw the Angel of the LORD and he was standing over the car, and he was waving a brilliant sword over the young man and the car.

And I heard God say to him, ” If you dig out enough room for it, I will restore what has been broken, and you will drive out of this.” I realized if he didn’t take the effort by making room for the power-train to be worked on, then the car could never be fixed. I saw that the presence of the Angel warred back oppressive forces that was making it (almost) impossible for the young man to function. It was as if he had been encased with a thick heavy darkness at times, and he couldn’t see to do anything. But I saw this Angel standing and it held back the darkness, where the young man could see, and work, and his strength and stamina returned to him, and he literally began to dig out room to work under the car.

It was like God was saying, if you do that, I will replace it, and it will be all that you need to get out of this sink hole you are in. Just do that.

I thought of the scripture that says, what ever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might. What ever challenge comes up; work it! Focus on it, and God will provide whatever equipment you need to accomplish victory. Soon, over all, this vehicle is going to pull itself completely out of every rut and on to open highway! As long as the young man did not give up, but kept plugging along, this whole experience would bring him into another place, with better equipment to handle challenges as he moves toward the upward call of God. I also, saw the mercy of God do for Him what he could not do for himself, he was so down but the Lord lifted him up in spirit through our prayers. We must pray for one another. This is love in action.

I remembered the scripture in Mathew 13:44-

“..the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field …”

So this is the Word of the Lord, “Don’t GIVE UP! See your enemy has lied to you, and blinded your eyes. But I am not going to leave you stranded here in this condition, I have interceded for you, I have stood in the gap, DIG! Seek me and you will find me. I will increase in you; faith, wisdom, understanding, vision. And the Lord said, “I will replace in you a new and better power-train then you have ever had before”.

I thought of the scripture in Hebrews 11:6 that says- Those who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

When we go to him searching for answers, we are saying, ” I believe that you ARE God. When we do this diligently, we are saying, “I know that you are faithful and true and because of that I am not going to be satisfied with my circumstances, until I am living in the promises of God.” This search taps us into the vision where we see what God has in mind for us. It is our own search and it builds up our faith, we begin to see His plan unfold in our lives. But first the old strongholds need to be broken down and cleared out, so that we do not continue to implement man-made doctrines and ideologies in God’s work. We stop doubting God’s integrity and embrace the fact that He is true to His word.  In the upheaval of Him plucking up to replant we ride through it in faith, to move on to higher levels. How much the enemy would love to get us stuck in a mindset contrary to the truth of God’s word, and what he wants in our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

This is the Fathers heart towards His Children and it is the voice of God that is in the land today preparing His children to reign with him. John the baptist did just that in the Spirit of Elijah, and the Spirit of Elijah in the prophets of God must not ever be shut down for that anointing is what turns the heart of the fathers towards their children, and the hearts of the children towards their father. It makes straight the paths of the Lord, in teaching, preaching, declarations, and intercessions, for repentance, renewal, reform, and finally one day, the millennial reign of Christ. No wonder Jezebel hated Elijah, and it is no secret that  spirit is behind many of the attacks against God’s prophets today.

Jeremiah 1:10  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

The torn up Parking Lot is an upheaval that speaks of that day when God has given over to the destroyer, the things that our dead. That take up good ground, DEAD WORKS. If we are firmly planted in them, it can completely turn our world upside down. A functional power-train is what we need to overcome many things; broken dreams, broken lives, loss of vision, despair, discouragement, it speaks to all of us in different aspects of our lives; places that we have parked ourselves in, and have not moved on.  However,  if God’s people continue to persevere, they will see His faithfulness, He so much wants to show them. He knows the difference between the indifferent and uncaring,  and the broken and despairing. The latter will not be forgotten.

James 1:1-5 (The Message)

The double minded man is unstable in all his ways…

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believing, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. 

A new drive-line. I saw this thing God gave to the young man and it was like Gold. He said buy of me Gold tried by fire. It will last. A work that will remain, and stand in judgment in the last day. If you have gone so far to be broken in faith and left in despair, to the point that you’re not even moving around like you use to in your Christian life; don’t give up on the Pearl of Great Price! SEEK and ye shall Find. DIG! It’s time for renewal, it’s time for upgraded equipment, the things that are not working for you anymore, never really belonged. Your life is about to change in a substantial way. Not end!

NEXT: Broken Axels and Drivelines II