The Quiet Corner

A Word for 2005

*All scriptural references are New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

January 01, 2005

With the dawn of each New Year, I am both thankful and amazed at the ongoing expansion of collective revelation that is available to the Body of Christ, through words shared abroad and from many different streams. It is then as we piece-together the various words forthcoming, that we stand to gain tremendous insight into what is transpiring about us.

I Corinthians 12:13 reminds us that “…by one Spirit we were all baptized…and have been made to drink into one Spirit.” As well, Ephesians 4:16 reminds us that “…from the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies…by which every joint does its share, causes the growth of the body…”

In light of my thoughts thus far, it is in the Spirit of Ephesians 4:16 that I wish to offer you a word I feel the Holy Spirit has given me for the Body of Christ at large, for 2005.

As I pen the thoughts that follow, Gigi and I are deeply grieved, saddened and shocked by the enormity of the carnage in south Asia following the Tsunamis of December 26. Without question accordingly, there are deeply significant spiritual implications of what has transpired herein. I have reserved and contained commentary on this disaster, to an article I penned on October 2, 2004, which was a prophetic precursor inspired by dreams of Tsunamis sometime prior. The article was entitled accordingly, Tsunami.

Though I have largely contained my thoughts relative to the Tsunamis, to my article of October 2, 2004, I will yet offer that I believe this disaster is an unquestionable prelude to unprecedented revival throughout Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The natural mind would surely reel at such a comment. To think that God Himself would first allow for such devastation, and secondly, use such devastation to ultimately spark revival, is preposterous. However, upon my last observation, God still prefers not to confine his trans-finite ways to finite thinking. Isaiah 55:8 reads accordingly: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.”

Mel Tari, an Evangelist to Indonesia, released a book in the mid-1970s entitled: Like A Mighty Wind. The book chronicled a sweeping revival in Indonesia, which, if I recall correctly, encompassed primarily a period between the mid-1950s thru the late-1960s. To date this book is one of the most powerful accounts of revival that I have read. It reads like the Book of Acts—on espresso. Having read the book in 1982, I was certain for some unexplainable reason, that this account but chronicled a birth pang in Indonesia, and that one day during my lifetime, Indonesia would be once again set ablaze with outrageous revival. I do believe that in very short order, we will witness this blaze ensue—despite the surrealistic carnage we are viewing presently on many news networks following the Tsunamis of December 26, 2004.

I have long believed, and with very strong conviction, that significant natural occurrences and natural disasters quite often represent a symbolic prelude to significant spiritual activity. Though my personal conclusion is largely rooted in the patterns I have witnessed and personally experienced over a 24-year period, my conclusion is substantiated in scripture. I Corinthians 15:46 reads accordingly: “The spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” In this context, what follows is what I believe to be the Holy Spirit’s answer to my recent prayer for a specific word for the Body of Christ in 2005.

Alaska has in decades past, represented many prophetic preludes to significant spiritual activity in this nation, and abroad. In my Tsunami article, I offered reference to significant natural events occurring many decades ago, which I believe ultimately fueled the Charismatic Renewal, which began in the 1960’s. Over the past 10 years or so, Juneau Alaska namely, has been experiencing a most unusual bout with Bald Eagles. In fact, not far from Juneau, on Kodiak Island alone, an estimated 3,000 or more Bald Eagles currently make their home. Several recent Naturalist and Wildlife journals have also documented a very sharp upturn in the Bald Eagle population, which is making a substantial comeback following near extinction of not more than a few decades ago. The year 2004 alone represented an unusual acceleration in the multiplication of this magnificent bird.

The Bald Eagle has become an icon within the prophetic community—a phrase or label that inadequately denotes what is actually the Lord’s restoration of the prophetic ministry to the Church. In simple terms, Prophets are the eyes of the Body of Christ. In like manner, Bald Eagles are the eyes of the animal kingdom. Bald Eagles can reach speeds upwards of 200 mph in a vertical dive. They also have vision that is 8 times more acute than human beings. For example, they can spot a fish at a distance of 2 miles.

(My growing fascination with the Bald Eagle began with an encounter with one, on 09/09/99, in the mountains of northeastern North Carolina. I will reserve commentary on that experience for another article).

Over a period of several years, the Bald Eagle has presented a most unusual problem for Juneau Alaska and the Greater Juneau region. The eagles ongoing build nests within radio transmitter, transformer and power line towers, as well as power sources that control telephone lines. Very often the eagles will meet with electrocution when touching a given power line. This often results in substantial power outages throughout Juneau and Kodiak Island. The general activity levels of the eagles cause other eagle-induced power outages as they go about their “housekeeping” activities within their enormous nests.

In the closing weeks of December 2004, and as I prayed for a specific word for the Body of Christ at large, I was vividly reminded of the unusual problem occurring in Juneau due to the strong presence of the Bald Eagles. As I was reminded of such, I was also given what I believe to be a prophetic analogy, which follows.

The immediate problem presented by the power outages in Juneau, is that all electronic activity suddenly comes to a screeching halt. Imagine then for a moment, what this looks like in the context of an average home. Suddenly one cannot carry on a conversation on the phone. Suddenly one cannot even carry on a conversation on a cell phone that is tower-based. Suddenly one cannot view television. Suddenly one cannot access the Internet. Suddenly one cannot listen to their hi-fi stereo. And suddenly, one finds ones’ self sitting in silence, often times–in the dark.

The average American lifestyle is grossly permeated by technological gadgetry and undue reliance therein. As well, the noises generated by such, to include noise and associated activity levels generated by our reliance upon automobiles, largely consumes our daily lives. We Americans are strongly influenced by audio/visual technological and subsequent sensory overload. This influence has unduly and gradually yet very subtly infiltrated the lives of the average American Christian. In fact, we feel quite uncomfortable when we cannot simultaneously watch television, listen to our MP3 players and access the Internet—at the same time. Though I stand to incur sharp rebuttal with this comment, I strongly believe that the proposition and subsequent diagnosis of “ADD” (Attention Deficit Disorder) is very often not more than the psychological conditioning which comes about by being raised in a society that is consumed in a reliance upon audio-visual and technological gadgetry. As a pastor, I have observed attention-span patterns within congregations over several years. I have found that on the average, most people who claim and/or adopt the ADD diagnosis shift their focus approximately every 7 minutes. The vast majority of these “shifters” are men. Would you care to know how often, on the average, a commercial is aired on television? Every seven minutes.

As many of you may recall within the exceptionally prophetically relevant movie The Matrix, “Neo” agreed to attend a critical meeting with “Morpheus.” Neo was initially propelled to meet with Morpheus in response to a gnawing and restless feeling deep within his soul, that there was much more going on in the world about him than that which constituted his personal daily experience. He had a nagging feeling that he was living within a vain and repetitious bubble of life, which resulted in an empty void of purpose and fulfillment in his life. When he finally met Morpheus, Morpheus offered Neo the option of taking “the Red pill,” or “the Blue pill.” Irrespective of the application of the respective colors within the movie, blue is a prophetic symbol of revelation. One of the pills offered to Neo would open his mind to shocking, startling, and terribly painful yet vital—truth. The other pill, should Neo have chosen such, would completely erase Neo’s memory of ever having met with Morpheus. Neo would then live the remainder of his life running on a figurative and constant wheel within a hamster’s cage of a lifestyle, and attempting to ignore the deep gnawing in his soul, which told him there was something much greater to life than his present existence. Neo ultimately chose the pill that opened the door of profound revelation of who he was, and the horrendous war being waged around him.

I wish to prompt you to return again to the mental image of the Alaskans in Juneau, who, within the course of but a few seconds, have gone from a flurry of sensory overload and activity, and into sudden silence and stillness. This picture, I believe, is that of a very specific call to the Body of Christ in 2005, to renew the practice of intimate one-on-one time with the Lord, and once again learn to recognize His “still, small voice” in the midst of utter and total chaos.

Every calendar year within the life of the Believer, in a general sense can be considered another year of preparation. However, within the context of 2005, I believe that the specific element of preparation being imparted is that of the renewed discipline of daily, secret, quite, intimate and intense times of complete stillness and silence before the Lord—in our figurative prayer closets, and that with absolutely no distractions of any kind. This discipline by the way, is not to be confused with the discipline of Worship, which I believe should often entail extravagant release of emotion and celebration before the Lord.

As you may recall, in I Kings 19:11-12, God visits and imparts revelation to Elijah. However, He does so in an unexpected way, and in a way that if demonstrated in our day, would also be unexpected–some 2000 years later. This excerpt of scripture reads as follows: “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

It is the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit beckoning each of us in this hour, that will speak peace, mental and emotional stability, rest, focus and resolve to us in the midst of what is now an hour of world chaos, not unlike that described on the mountain on which Elijah stood, just prior to the “still small voice.” And it is critical, at this very moment, to begin re-cultivating a portion of each day, for the express purpose of sitting before the Lord, in silence and stillness, that we might hear the still small voice, and in so doing receive vital, daily and personal sustenance, affirmation and instruction for our lives. We can no longer afford to be governed by the sensory chaos about us, and by second-hand revelation from those who are truly contending for daily interaction with the still small voice of God. We must begin to hear this voice for ourselves, daily.

Over the past few years, and with an increasing sense of urgency, especially in light of the addition of the catastrophic events of December 26, 2004 in south Asia, I am personally convinced beyond any doubt that we are very near the End of the Age as described in Luke 21:8-26, which reads: “Take heed that you not be deceived…The time has drawn near…when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately…Nation will rise against nation…there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven…When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near…There will be signs…on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear…”

One obviously does not have to be a student of Eschatology to recognize the timely relevance of the aforementioned excerpt of scripture.

Luke 21:8-26 is but one of several excerpts of scripture that prophecy an all-consuming fear that will plague mankind as End-Times events unfold. In this context, does “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” ring a bell? GAD is simply another word for the “fear” that has been prophesied that will plague the unsaved. It is already being sown among us. In addition, if we are not careful as members of the Americanized Church; as we continue to allow pop-psychology to infiltrate our churches, we too will fall-prey to the collective diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

As Jesus came very near to the end of his earth-bound life, and as the agony in his awareness of his fast approaching execution began to bare-down on his mind and emotions, he removed Himself from all outward activity and retreated to the Mount of Olives, also called the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:41 reads “…He was withdrawn from them [His disciples] about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed…” This practice of Jesus’ is a profound model for what should be our resolve to press-in to a renewed devotion to time alone with the Lord—daily.

Olive branches have long symbolized peace. And in the same way that Jesus withdrew Himself on the Mount of Olives to pray, we too can find the “peace that surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7), even in the midst of world chaos, as we enter our figurative prayer closets. We simply cannot afford to compromise in this area of our lives any longer. We must have daily moments of complete stillness and silence, that we can hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us—personally.

The thoughts and emotions that weighed heavily upon Jesus as He approached His final hours before his crucifixion were not unlike what is known in the military as “The Fog of War.” The Fog of War is the confusion that invariably ensues in the heat of battle. As a former Navy sailor who has “faced the elephant” (a phrase coined in the Vietnam war, to denote those who’ve experienced combat first hand) I can tell you that confusion, as the result of gruesome sights, deafening noises and impending danger, does create a tremendous “fog” of psychological and emotional confusion. However the promise in Philippians 4:7 stands true—through the fog: “…By prayer…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds…”

Throughout scripture, the very early morning hours of the day appear to be the common focus of major and pivotal figures with respect to time alone with God. Consider another excerpt which bares example to Jesus’ practice: “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He [Jesus] arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there (Mark 1:35). And even long before the earthly life of Jesus, this pattern of early morning prayer was gracefully modeled by King David: “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to you, and I will look up” (Psalm 5:3).

I have often likened the practice and the experience of early morning prayer and quiet-time as that symbolic of climbing a mountain—coming closer to the face of God with each step. In this light I can think of no more colorful representation of this process than that represented in Moses as he regularly ascended Mount Sinai to seek the face of God: “…Be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain (Exodus 34:2). Later in this chapter we observe the result of Moses’ time with God: …It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai…that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him” (Exodus 34:29).

Moses’ encounter is also a profound representation of the purist form of ministry we can engage in within our lifetimes—the very ministry unto the Lord. And once we have served Him in this way, within the context of a given day, everything else that transpires within the course of the day as it unfolds bares His trademarks and semblance (“his [Moses] face shone”).

It is my belief that the vast majority of personal prophecies we receive are conditional. By this, I mean that we must meet a certain condition in order to see these prophecies fulfilled in our lives. At the very core of these conditions is that of hearing the voice of the Lord, for ourselves, each day, with respect to what it is we must do to lay the groundwork for the fulfillment of such prophecies over our lives. As we ascend the figurative mountain of prayer, as did Moses, and that each day, our ministries will begin to unfold before us in such ways that will be so natural that we will only recognize the fulfillment of such as we look back in retrospect.

Framed and behind glass, on the wall next to the doorway in my bedroom, is a reminder that plagues me with conviction each time I find myself rushing passed it—early in the morning. It is an excerpt from one of many books I have read of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was martyred for his faith in Nazi Germany. This excerpt reads as follows:

“The entire day receives order and discipline when it acquires unity. This unity must be sought and found in morning prayer. It is confirmed in work. The morning prayer determines the day. Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weaknesses and lack of courage in work, disorganization and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our conversation with other men [and women] all have their origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer.”

Bonhoeffer was obviously onto something, as despite his horrendous suffering in Nazi Germany, every photo that I have seen of him includes a smile that radiates “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” That peace is awaiting you and I—in our prayer closets.

Many within the readership of this article are called very pointedly to prophetic ministry, above and beyond other areas of ministry and gifting you are involved in. You are Watchmen on The Walls. As such, you are charged with regular and extended periods on the figurative wall, that you can see the fast approach of events that affect the fortress in which you have been assigned (your respective church or ministry). The precious saints that constitute your church or ministry are dependent upon your eyes to see what is approaching the camp. That wall is calling, friends. And the watch most often occurs very early in the morning, late at night, or both.

I wish to close my thoughts by alluding to a phrase that a very important friend in my life once used in conversation with me, the phrase it this: “Rock Star Pastor.” Our decidedly Americanized brand of Christianity (my country) has largely generated the Rock Star Pastor mentality. This to say that we have grown mega-churches that are centered around one charismatic, photogenic and very animated individual who feeds an enormous flock. The most mature among we Believers are still prone to human frailties. One of the ongoing frailties that is also an integral part of these Rock Star Pastors, is the source and medium upon which they receive personal affirmation. In the past 18 months, two national surveys that I am aware of sought to determine the average time each day that a pastor spends in prayer. Both surveys revealed identical results. The average time in personal prayer that an American pastor spends each day is five minutes.

As we scurry about in a state of sensory-overload, stress and pressure from one day to the next, it is not possible to hear the still small voice of the Lord adequately, if we are devoting but five minutes each to prayer. This is not enough time to receive the personal affirmation we need to confidently face the pressures of each day. With this void in our lives, we therefore default to seeking affirmation from those in our midst. This is where the Rock Star Pastor finds his/her sustenance—through the overwhelming praise and accolades that can be electrifying in larger audiences. This dynamic can be addictive. It can then subtly begin to govern the Pastors’ medium of sustenance. And what began as a humble and daily diet of romance with the Savior, has grown out of control and into an unhealthy romance with fame and fortune—the Rock Star Pastor mentality.

Understand that I believe there are many mega-churches who are being led by men and women of God who do in fact spend their early mornings on figurative Mt. Sinai and the Mount of Olives. However, for each one that is healthy and sound, there are two that are not. And those that are not, among other things, cultivate an undue dependence upon themselves within their congregations. We should not be dependent upon any one human being for our daily revelation. This is our responsibility. We need leadership and we must submit to leaders in authority over us; however we must dig our own personal wells of revelation, if we are to survive the times that are suddenly upon us.

The number Five is a number that is symbolic of Grace. I therefore believe that the year 2005 holds for us a very special and specific element of Grace, which will enable us to be prepared for what unfolds in 2006. I believe this Grace has been given to us to prepare in a specific way, for what is in store for 2006.

Six is a number that is symbolic of Man. I therefore believe, and have believed for some time, that the year 2006 holds the potential for an epic demonstration of Man’s utter and total failure in attempting to manage world order, and specifically with regard to economics. I have long believed that 2006 holds the potential for a catastrophic blow to the American economy. It is my prayer that this potential will be thwarted through intercession. It is also my prayer that our government will intervene and intercept a potential economic disaster, long before the general public has the chance to overreact to such. However, irrespective of whether my hunch comes to fruition in 2006, now is the time to prepare, and to dig deep, our personal wells of intimacy with the Lord, that we can stand immovable like lighthouses in the worst of storms.

The Bald Eagles in Juneau Alaska are telling us something, loved ones. The Spirit of Prophecy Himself is calling us to a lifestyle of daily intimacy with Him in 2005. As such, I am convinced that He is imparting a heightened sensitivity to excesses in exposure to common and daily media such as televisions, cell phones, the Internet, MP3 players and car radios. I believe that if you have not begun to experience this gentle nudging within your spirit, you will very soon, as 2005 unfolds. You will find yourself developing an aversion to excessive exposure to audio/visual media. And you will also more so hear a still small voice, calling in the distance, beckoning and wooing you to Him, that He may in turn love you, heal you, equip you and affirm you as His son or daughter, each day, that you can greet each day with the focus and resolve of the noble warrior that He has called you to be.

David Davenport
MustPressOn@gmail.com