Recently in a vision I had I saw a large python crawling across the surface of a sofa. The sight of this snake did not engender fear, it did not induce panic, it actually provoked righteous anger in me and swift action. I did not hesitate, I just lunged forward in this prophetic experience, grabbed this snake by the head, and proceeded to forcefully tear it a part as my hands gripped each side of its mouth.
Once I had torn this snake in half, from end to end, what happened next was a shock. Out of this snake fell all kinds of various treasures. Specifically I saw these things: stacks of cash, stacks of hundred dollar bills, gold, silver, and a woman’s wedding band. Here’s what I believe the Lord to be saying to us through this.
SATAN IS STEALING MANY PEOPLE’S HOPES, DREAMS, & FUTURES
Since the beginning of the pandemic, through the election let down of late 2020 / early 2021, I’ve had the Lord remind me several times of what He said to the children of Israel through his prophet Jeremiah as they were beginning the long season of captivity and exile in Babylon. Here’s the portion of (Jer.29) that He’s been reminding me of:
(Jer.29:4-7)
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.â€
The money, the treasure, the capital to fund projects, as well as the wedding band in the snake represent the enemy’s strategy in this hour to steal the hopes, dreams, and futures of God’s people. The children of Israel were told to keep building, to keep planting, and to keep having weddings even though they were technically in captivity. The Lord told them to seek the peace of the city they were in, and even if they were in captivity the Lord promised them they would have the peace they sought. I believe the Lord is saying the same to the church right now.
The church in third world countries has understood and experienced what you might call “captivity circumstances' ' for a long time, but the western world has not been as familiar with it over the last several centuries. But now nations like England, Australia, Canada, and America are experiencing an increase in the yoke and burden of persecution and captivity as the spirit of marxism gains more ground, and more and more of our long-held freedoms are being challenged. In this blitzkrieg which has come from the enemy since the dawn of this new decade, millions of small businesses have ceased, children have suffered due to unscientific and totalitarian mandates being forced on families and the general society, and now we’re seeing people being forced to quit their jobs because the government no longer believes in “your body, your choice”. Greater than the immediate effects of difficulties like paying bills, not knowing where the rent money is going to come from next month, and the overall strain this is putting on marriages and families, the enemy is trying to devour our hopes and our dreams, and we cannot let him. We must stand our ground.
Jeremiah went on to say under the inspiration of the Spirit of God that God knows the thoughts that He thinks toward his people, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give his people a future and a hope (Jer.29:11). God told them that He was giving them a hope and a future, and to seek peace in the place of their captivity, and God promised that they would have it. All of this tells me that God was not only thinking these thoughts for them, but that He intended to indeed give them that hope and that future despite the conditions of their captivity. The Lord is telling us the same thing in this hour. He’s given you hope, He’s given you dreams, He’s given you assignments, and despite the change in atmosphere (being that of captivity from freedom) God still intends to give us these things as we stand our ground in faith and call upon his name.
I WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR YOUR SAKE SAYS THE LORD
(Mal.3:11-12)
11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.”
Now I know that there is a specific conventional blessing and promise here for national Israel and the Jewish people, but I contend that there’s something here for the church as well. The bible belongs to all of God’s people, and whoever reads it with the eyes and ears of faith can see and hear the Holy Spirit’s messages to God’s people at any moment and at any hour. I believe the Lord is saying to his people at this time that if you stand your ground and do the first works (part of the first works of our faith is continuing to give even when times are hard), that God will rebuke the devourer for our sakes (vs.11). The snake is the devourer who devoured the funds needs to keep ministry going, the capitol needed to keep serving the community through a business, and the wedding band for a young lady which represents the promise of our future, even the future of our children and the hope of their happiness and their blessed lives.
In the previous verses here in Malachi, I’m sure we all know the message: Don’t rob God. I believe the Lord is admonishing us once again to give unto the Lord what is due his name. Tithes and offerings are holy unto the Lord. The first fruits are holy unto the Lord. Even when the enemy is swallowing up your cash flow right before your eyes, give unto the Lord what is due his name, render unto Caesar what is due Caesar, and God will meet your needs, even if He has to work miracles to do it!
CONCLUSION
I have to tell you, this message is deeply personal for my family and I right now. This vision I had contains a message for the body of Christ, but it is also a personal message for me. Satan has tried very hard to devourer my ministry, my faith, my finances, and my hopes and dreams for the future with everything that has gone on in my life the last few years. Not just with the negative effects that our ministry has suffered from the pandemic and marxism, the same as everyone else, but also what happened prior to the pandemic with my mentor and the ministry we came out of in South Carolina. But I’ve found new strength recently, reflected by my lack of hesitation and strong action in the vision. God has renewed a fight in me that says I will not sit by and just let the enemy kill, steal, and destroy (Jn.10:10). I don’t care if it’s Babylon all around, God’s going to bless me. God’s going to give me peace as I seek it in my city. God’s going to bless the work of my hands and give my children a hope and a future. My children are going to get married to wonderful Christians, they’re going to have children of their own, and God is going to take care of them and their children as God has always taken care of me! This is my stand, this is my faith confession at this time, and I invite you to make it yours as well.
We’re not shrinking back in fear but we’re surging ahead with the Lord, choosing to not cast away our confidence which has great recompense of reward (Heb.10:35). Join with me in this hour and move forward with the calling, move forward with the vision, move forward with the hopes and the dreams that God has given you. And if you’ve suffered loss, if the enemy has stolen from you in this season, then take hold of him by the Spirit of God and demand that He return what He’s stolen sevenfold (Prov.6:30-31). I believe if we take our authority and deal with these challenges the way we’re called to in spiritual warfare, then I believe the enemy will cough up his spoils for those who stand in faith in this hour. Don’t just sit idly by and let the enemy take your stuff. Don’t just sit idly by and let the enemy take your dream. Rise up and crush the enemy’s head in this season, and his body will become food for you in the wilderness (Ps.74:14). That is the promise of our God for his people in this hour!
In His Service,
Stephen Powell