The Shepherd’s Rod 2000

INTRODUCTION

The general theme for this year’s Shepherd’s Rod continues to be highlighted with issues related to the preparation necessary to confront the times ahead. Quite frankly, there were many themes we anticipated were going to be addressed in the revelations released on this sacred day that were not. Instead, in His infinite wisdom, the Lord has disclosed greater insights into His heart and the great truths that He desires for His Church to embrace to equip and prepare her..

Since the economy, military confrontations, and weather patterns were not addressed in this year’s revelations, we can infer the Lord is giving an additional year of preparation before the great events prophesied in these areas take place. We can also conclude the general patterns established in the previous years involving the economy and weather patterns will continue throughout this year. Though there will be tremors in the economy, the great shaking was not revealed for the coming year.

We will continue to see “pockets” of severe weather in various geographic regions continuing the same pattern from previous years. A hard winter will be experienced in certain areas as the “Polar Bear” weather systems continue. Without question, prayer and intercession turned away or greatly diminished many of the catastrophic events originally intended by the enemy for the previous year. Nonetheless, we mourn with those that were affected by the storms, droughts, fires and earthquakes. We are admonished to continue, even escalate the repentance, prayer and intercession in the days ahead with the hope we can obtain additional time crucial to our preparation.

Things will be happening at a rapid pace this year. In many respects the coming year will have notable parallels that existed in 1955-56. Various of the natural and spiritual events of ‘55/’56 will coincide with the coming year. As the apostle once wrote, “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Let us press on in like manner.

I-55

Bob was awakened at 1:55 A.M. and instructed that– spiritual dreams will begin to escalate announcing “tomorrow” and communicating our incorrect perceptions of important scriptures.

Dreams and open visions will be more abundant this year to prepare us for the “tomorrow’s labor” and begin to awaken within us inaccurate impressions of the scriptures. Doctrine is not founded on dreams and visions, only on the inerrant Word of God. However, the spiritual revelations imparted through the dreams and visions will identify areas of inaccuracy prompting a thorough evaluation of the Scriptures to discover the Truth.

“In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, That He may turn man aside from his conduct, and keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol (Job 33:15-18)

To the world and the unsaved, the dreams will reveal Christ as Savior. Even the unredeemed will begin to have dreams and open visions displaying their need for the Savior. Those with spiritual understanding will be able to respond to these “unsaved ones” by interpreting their revelations, opening the door for evangelism. Spiritual hunger and awareness will be imparted to many that are lost , beginning a quest for the One able to satisfy their longing.

As Phillip was sent to the Ethiopian Eunuch as a witness of the Truth, so shall many be equipped to respond to the individuals with whom the Lord will grant this yearning. An emphasis will be placed on personal evangelism this year even though “large nets” will be cast in certain areas. “Fishermen” will be called, set apart and specially anointed for this purpose. They will not “fish” with a net but with a single rod in one-on-one evangelism.

So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:27-31)

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding will also be entrusted to reveal how to escape the things that are on the way. These revelations will provide insight, comprehension, and living understanding of the difficult times ahead. This divine instruction will aid in the preparation for those willing to heed His counsel.

THE SEVENFOLD SPIRIT OF GOD

And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; (Isa 11:2-3)

Isaiah 11:2 prophetically foretold the ministry of the promised Messiah. For the Church to do the work that He did, fulfilling John 14:12, this same manifestation of the Spirit must also rest upon her. It is no small responsibility for someone to be anointed with the Sevenfold Spirit of God. Much prayer and preparatory refining must usher the release of this powerful spiritual reality. Careful adherence to the leading of the Spirit must also follow in the administration of these mantles of the Spirit’s attributes. For those who have been so prepared, the Seven Spirits of God will become a reality this year and the years to follow. The Church has seen very few willing to pay the price and endure the persecution to carry the Seven Spirits of God. Even so, this generation will produce “dread champions” anointed with the Sevenfold Spirit of God. An invitation is being extended to whosoever will.

The Seven Spirits of God work together in pairs. The spirit of wisdom and the spirit of understanding work in harmony with one another. The spirit of counsel and might work in unison as do the spirits of knowledge and reverential fear of God, all in harmony with the manifestation of the Spirit of the Lord. The “gifts” are manifestations of the Spirit operated by the will of the Spirit when the need arises. The Seven Spirits of God are “mantles” placed upon the believer to operate in full measure. We do not possess the gifts, rather, the gifts are manifested according to need. All nine gifts of the Spirit can operate within a believer filled with the Holy Spirit. However, the Seven Spirits of God are measurably greater manifestations of the Spirit taking the mature and purified believer deep into the mysteries and power of God.

The emphasis for this year will be on the spirits of wisdom and understanding, although all seven will be in operation in given measures. For the release of the mantle of wisdom and understanding we must pray and ask for it to be released to us. Equipping and instruction will result, helping us to appropriately understand the Biblical offices and administration. We must earnestly desire these mantles and pray for the maturity and character to be worthy of them.

Ephesians 1:17 corresponds with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. The term for revelation and for understanding are synonymous with one another. The word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discerning of spirits work hand in hand with the spirit of wisdom and understanding.

The spirit of wisdom is the supernatural ability of God that comes upon our spirits to see Jesus as He is and receive a spiritual understanding and knowledge of the word of God that enables us to know what to do, when to do it and how to do it in every situation; thus, maximizing our usage of God given talents in order to affect His plans and purposes. It will also reveal the manifold and unsearchable wisdom and secrets of God and the things in heaven. It means a deeper intimacy into the affairs of God; the cherished relationship with God that will enable us to know Him in all of His intimacy.

The Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and the Bride is to be seated with Him in heavenly places. Therefore, that places the Bride at the right hand of the Father with Him. In this place, the Lord can communicate in a moment of time insight that would take many hours and even months to unfold otherwise. If we will learn the art of waiting on God, we will discover the mysteries of the kingdom through these mantles.

The spirit of revelation is a comprehension of the things of God. Understanding is perceiving with the mind providing insight with perception. Wisdom and Understanding means the insight into the true nature of things with the ability to discern mode of action with a view to their results. The first is theoretical while the second is practical; the ability to not only know the things of God but also the application of them practically. Revelation is the comprehension imparted into our spirits from the Holy Spirit and transmitted into our minds. It is the voice of God speaking to our spirits and informing our minds of that which God is going to do; the unfolding of hidden secrets to us by the Holy spirit; the revealing of mysteries and insight into the future.

Daniel 1:17 and 5:11-12 conveys that Daniel was anointed with this same spirit and how it functioned in his life. As with Daniel, it will enable us to understand the meaning and the acts of God in the unveiling of Himself. Humility is a vital attribute in the operation of the spirit of wisdom and revelation. We must humble ourselves as a child in order to fruitfully bear these sacred spirits, even disclosing the secrets of Christ’s Divinity and the deep things of God. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, (Rom 16:25)

The spirit of wisdom and revelation will enable us to understand the deep mysteries and purposes of God that are kept hidden. Paul continually revealed mysteries of the kingdom with this anointing and mantle of the Holy Spirit. He flowed in this anointing. When the spirit of wisdom is resting upon you, even while meditating upon the scriptures, suddenly deep truths are instantaneously imparted. It will even cross reference to other passages showing the application between various truths of scripture. When the spirit of wisdom is resting upon you, God will share things that will take place in nations, regions, cities etc.. He will even expose to you secrets and insights of an upcoming year.

This spirit provides knowledge of the Godhead and allows us to know God more affectionately, leading to intimate appreciation of God Himself; the inner beauty of the Lord is His grace and Glory. Likewise, we must adorn the inner man with meekness and humility. The inner beauty of God is His grace; the beauty of holiness. The spirit of wisdom and revelation will give us the comprehension of these aspects of God.

THE EYE OF GOD

Bob also saw the “Eye” of God illustrating to him the seven eyes of God. Bob was told the church will begin to see His Spirit direct them by the “eyes of God” through those anointed with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” These will not judge by what their natural eyes see nor by what their natural ears hear. Rather, with righteousness He will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth by releasing the insight His eye provides and the understanding conveyed from His Heart.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (Ps 32:8)

“For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel– these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.” (Zec 4:10)

Divine counsel and instruction will proceed from the very heart of God as He continues to prepare us for the notable events imminently ahead. More importantly, this Truth, when embraced, will allow us to walk more closely with Him, even as Enoch walked until finally we “are no more” and all that can be found is the Spirit of Christ living in us.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your trust in the Lord Jesus and you’re love for all Gods people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you. In my prayers I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of Him. I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your heart’s, so that you will understand the hope to which He has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance He has promised His people, and how surpassingly great is His power working in us who trust Him. It works with the same mighty strength he used when he worked in the Messiah to raise him from the dead and seat Him at His right hand in heaven. (Eph 1:17-20)

Revelations 5:6 describes the Lord having seven horns depicting His COMPLETE power and seven eyes illustrating His COMPLETE knowledge. He is the fountain of all wisdom and the source of all knowledge.

THE FIVE NATURAL SENSES

These spiritual revelations will also be discerned through the five natural senses. The sense of taste, smell, sight, sound and touch will become increasingly sensitive to the realm of the Spirit providing additional illumination of the times and seasons ahead and the things that we ought to do in preparation for them. The sweet fragrance or incense of Christ will be discerned by many sensitive to this spiritual reality signifying the manifest presence of the Lord. The five natural senses will become sensitive to spiritual reality.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. (2 Cor 2:14)

A significant portion of scripture is dedicated to revelations through dreams and visions. In this present generation spiritual revelations have also occurred in abundance; still, our understanding has been significantly limited. The Lord is now promising a ten fold increase in our level of insight and understanding concerning the revelations that will be coming from the very throne of God. The interpretations will begin to discern the Truth. Dreams and revelations will go before the “Sent Ones” preparing the “way of their coming”. Spiritual preparation will be made by the Holy Spirit through supernatural revelations that will prepare the hearts of those He desires to receive His messengers and their message. The revelations will be a “Divine set-up” expressing
the Lord’s endorsement and anointing upon these ministers.

Peter was instructed concerning the Lord’s strategy through a spiritual trance disclosing the Lord’s “Divine set-up” involving the household of Cornelius. This insight gave Peter the absolute assurance of what he was to do and the faith to see it accomplished. Additionally, Peters limited perception of the scripture was clarified. Likewise, Cornelius and his household were prepared through a vision for the visit of Peter and the eternal message that he would bring.

Now {there was} a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the {Jewish} people and prayed to God continually. About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had {just} come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. “Now dispatch {some} men to Joppa and send for a man {named} Simon, who is also called Peter; he is staying with a tanner {named} Simon, whose house is by the sea.”

When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all {kinds of} four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again a voice {came} to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no {longer} consider unholy.” This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. “But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” (Acts 10:1-20)

The unbelieving and rebellious that have continually rejected the Lord will also experience dreams, but of a dark and sometimes horrifying nature. One dream after another will bombard those that repeatedly reject Christ and separate themselves from Him, thus driving them to the edge of insanity. It is going to be a dangerous time to be apart from God and isolated from His canopy of protection.

Insanity is defined as: a deranged state of the mind; a mental disorder; unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding; extreme folly or unreasonableness; something utterly foolish or unreasonable. To those that are perishing the gospel seems foolish and absurd because of this condition of the heart resulting from the continual rejection of the Truth.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they {go} to the dead. (Eccl 9:3)

Except for the grace of God, all men would be lost in their insanity. Thankfully, the redeemed are delivered from this condition and find rest for their soul; the unredeemed will find none from the spirit of the world. There will be no rest for the wicked but abundant rest for the “beloved”. This will begin to exhibit the distinction between the truly saved and the world. The world will wear their insanity on their faces finding fear in every circumstance, while the peace of God will be explicitly visible upon the Church.

True repentance is approaching; remorse derived through divinely granted repentance of the secret and unknown sins of our soul as revealed to us through dreams and revelations; “with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,”(2 Tim 2:25)

The divine insights will not merely unveil the sins of our soul but also joined with the conviction necessary for true repentance. Divinely granted repentance can be defined as a spiritual view of error and regret for having embraced it, creating a willing admission of the truth. When the rich young ruler came to the Lord asking what he must do to be saved, he perceived that he was living in righteousness. However, the Lord probed deep within this young mans soul and pointed to the sin of greatest detriment to him. He embraced the sin of greed.

Thankfully, the Lord is promising to not only point out the issues of our soul but also release the conviction to respond with repentance for those willing to experience this refining work necessary for intimacy with Him.

Even as Pharaoh was given an intense dream that troubled his soul, so shall many in the world be given dreams of true revelation requiring the spiritual discernment of the church to provide the insight and understanding.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Gen 41:15-16)

The secrets of the Lord are delegated to those who fear Him and can share them in Godliness and the wisdom necessary to accomplish Divine purposes. Like Joseph and Daniel, secret insight and understanding will be released allowing the proper interpretation and application of the revelations given to the “Pharaohs” of this generation. Joseph and Daniel were deliverers for their day and a light in the midst of great darkness. Likewise, many in this generation have been prepared for a similar purpose and will begin to see their destiny unfold this year through the leading and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. (Ps 25:14)

It has been written of Joseph that in him were “the elements of a noble character– piety, pure and high morality, simplicity, gentleness, fidelity, patience, perseverance, an iron will, and indomitable energy.” These are the attributes necessary to be used by the Lord in this manner. The Lord is looking for character to anoint, and foremost among them, humility and faithfulness.

“There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans {and} diviners. “{This was} because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.” (Dan. 5:11-12)

It is important to note that neither Joseph nor Daniel attempted to impart their “carnal” and presumptuous interpretation of the revelations. Rather, they each sought the Lord for His appropriation of the dream’s meaning. Man’s word will fail but the Lord’s word cannot fail. We must cease from attempting to apply formulas and human thinking in the understanding of spiritual realities. Spiritual revelations are spiritually discerned through prayer and applying the tools furnished through the Holy Spirit and the Word.

HIGHWAY I-55

This portion of the vision was also given to signify Isaiah 55 and the natural highway, Interstate 55 running through the heart of this country. There will be an awakening on I-55 characterized by the Lord’s Divine favor. Geographically, I-55 extends from southern Louisiana to Chicago, Illinois. Along this highway divine favor will be released providing the insight and the understanding to build “The Highway to Heaven”.

I-55 will have a “shaking” and a “visitation of favor”. Even as this highway runs through the heart of our nation, so shall divine favor touch the heart of the people in concurrence with a great “shaking”. An I-55 corridor will begin , providing the unveiling of the “Highway to Heaven” outlined through Isaiah 55.

1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2 “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.

3 “Incline your ear and come to me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, {according to} the faithful mercies shown to David.

4 “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 “Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.”

6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

9 “For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding {in the matter} for which I sent it.

12 “For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap {their} hands.

13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, and it will be a memorial to the LORD, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:1-13)

In 1991 the Lord also gave Isaiah 55 as an emphasis for that year’s Shepherd’s Rod revelation. It

has now been an eight year cycle since then and the Holy Spirit seems to be re-emphasizing a

new beginning on the construction of a Highway to Heaven. To build this Highway man must reject his own thoughts and ways to embrace the Lord’s. The Church has attempted every method known to man to reach the world with “this gospel” referred to in the great commission. It is now time to yield our thoughts, ways, methods and formulas and do it the Lord’s way.

One of the most important issues with the Lord this year is discernment. It is imperative we cultivate the spiritual understanding of God’s “ways” enabling us to discern the His voice in the various issues of life. We must also be able to discern justice and righteousness in our relationships with our fellow man, especially as peacemakers in resolving disputes and conflicts among others.

Our admonition is to seek the Lord from a heart of repentance and meekness while He may be found that we may obtain mercy. It is at this place that we will receive the impartation of wisdom to understand His thoughts and ways. His ways are Heavenly ,not earthly, and the “Highway to Heaven” is His Higher Way of Holiness.

The Church has been guilty of spending money for that which is not “bread” and wages for that which does not satisfy. We must now incline our ear to the Lord and listen carefully that we may enter into the covenant yielding the faithful mercies shown to David. We can afford to waste our spiritual “currency” no longer.

A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it {will} be for him who walks {that} way, and fools will not wander {on it.} No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk {there} And the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isa 35:8-10)

The term “Highway” is derived from the language used by the prophet signifying the return of the Jews from captivity. The idea is there would be easy and uninterrupted access to their own land. According to scholars, “Highway” refers more particularly to a RAISED way and would be expressed by our word “causeway” or “turnpike.” It was such a way as was usually made for the march of armies by removing obstructions, filling valleys, and removing hills and other obstructions. It is used to portray the way of access to the blessings of the Messiah’s reign allowing the unimpeded flow of the Spirit to the Church. No impure person is to travel this route, mandating access to it through Holiness. This is the High calling of God to which the idolater is not allowed nor shall anyone be admitted, save the pure worshiper of God. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)

THE FOUNDATION STONES

In this vision, Bob saw an ancient foundation that had been covered with sand and debris. He began to remove the rubble as an archeologist would an ancient landmark concealed over time. As the foundation became apparent, all manner of precious stones could be seen built into this foundation. Emeralds, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones could be distinguished, brilliantly displayed in this ancient structure. Even the beautiful glistening stones provided by David for the construction of the temple remained in place as built by Solomon. The tabernacle of God is built upon all manner of precious stones. The Lord’s foundation stones are about to be rediscovered.

The Lord’s Divine nature and Holy Character is the only foundation upon which lasting ministry can be built. Each of these stones represent aspects of the Lord’s nature and character upon which His Tabernacle must be assembled. Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Pet 1:3-4)

Every provision for Life and Godliness is ours, provided we are willing to pay the price through the Spirits refining work to share in His divine nature and escape the corruption that is in this world according to it’s lusts. This provision is not merely necessary to allow powerful ministry, more importantly, it is necessary to walk closely with the Lord to see Him with an unveiled face being transformed into His very image. Without the foundation of Holiness, we will not be able to enter the intimate chambers reserved for the bride.

This is the foundation spoken of in Matthew 7:21-27. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and {yet} it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. “And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell,

It is the revelation of Jesus Christ and His divine nature and radiant character that is the rock upon which His everlasting Church must be grounded. Any other foundation is sinking sand. Many powerful ministries and anointed leaders have fallen in times past because they did not build upon this foundation. Being anointed with powerful gifts and knowing the Lord intimately are two separate and distinct issues. There is the possibility of great deception if this differentiation is not clearly recognized. Many can have powerful ministry gifts attracting large audiences and yet never even know the Lord intimately nor His thoughts and ways. In fact, Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that many can have tremendous success in ministry and not even know the Lord.

Conversely, there can be others who rarely if ever publicly minister, who nevertheless walk so intimately with the Lord they even know his “heartbeat” and most intimate secrets. We need and must function in both to become the Bride of Christ and the victorious army prophesied in scripture. To walk closely with Him and go deep into the things of God should be our greatest desire, even more so than the gifts of the Spirit, as wonderful as they may be. As splendid as His anointing for ministry is, it is no substitute for intimacy with Him nor can we allow ministry to interfere with our relentless pursuit to KNOW HIM as fully as He may be known.

“Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the {things of} gold, and the silver for the {things of} silver, and the bronze for the {things of} bronze, the iron for the {things of} iron, and wood for the {things of} wood, onyx stones and inlaid {stones,} stones of antimony, and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones, and alabaster in abundance. (1 Chr 29:2)

As David supplied Solomon with the precious glistening stones, so have our spiritual fathers provided valuable “jewels” they discovered through their insights to God that are to be used in the foundation for the end time generation. However, we do not live on the foundation but build upon it. The prior generations have provided us with priceless insights into the “ways” of God that will form a solid foundation in the scriptures used by this generation to construct a Tabernacle suitable for His Glory.

In Bob’s vision he noticed a variety of precious stones. However, the diamond was the one stone that seemed predominant and in abundance. A Diamond has withstood great pressure in its formation. Likewise, many have been going through great pressure and will emerge as a diamond, precious to the Lord and immensely valuable in kingdom purposes. The Light of God will shine upon these “diamonds” reflecting the seven Spirits of God even as the sun will strike a diamond displaying the seven colors of the spectrum.

THE TWO PYLONS

At 6:39 the Lord revealed two pylons driven in the ground connected by a wire. Between these two pylons sat a throne. Uniquely, growing across the wire connecting the two pylons and above the throne grew sweet peas.

Everything in the coming year will be done in one, two’s and four’s. One is represented by the throne. Two is representative of the two witnesses and four is the symbolic number for the Holy Spirit. At the time of our Lord’s crucifixion there was one witness on His left and another to His right. One accepted the invitation of Life and the other rejected it. One was a witness to His everlasting mercy and the other discovered eternal separation from God.

This image Bob saw could likewise be expressed as “1 0 1” with the “0” representing eternity. The symbol “101” is also a university expression for elementary level academics. Although many in the church are in the “school of Higher learning”,we remain on an elementary level before moving on the weightier subjects that will bring one to the greatest growth and maturity. The elementary teachings must not only be embraced but embodied in our lives.

The pylons representative in these visions further signify a promise of the Spirit to impart the Divine nature and Holy character of Christ necessary to be in the world yet not a part of the world. The “pylons” will provide a tower of strength and help in time of need by lifting us above the cares and affections of this world. It is the first step in the separation of the bride from the world as we are admonished in II Corinthians 6:17, “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you.

The sweet peas growing across the cable connected to the pylons are further indicative of the Lord’s timing for the introductory release of His Spirit in regard to this segment of the vision. In the south, sweet peas are planted during mid to late January with an anticipated harvest in late April and early May. The timing associated with this sowing and reaping correlates to the release of the Spirit and a harvest of spiritual fruit in the coming year.

Our lives are going to be transformed and altered by divine attributes symbolically portrayed by the sweet peas. This could be expressed as “Sweet P’s”. “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” The Lord’s fruit is sweet to the spiritual appetite of the Bride. This year there will be a special priority on His Qualities beginning with the letter “P”: Peace, Patience, Perseverence, Preparation, Provision, Power, Peacemakers, Passover, Pity, Praise, Pruning, Purification, and Psalms to name but a few.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (II Corinthians 7:1) The nine fruit of the Spirit are like pylons lifting the Christian above the defilement of flesh and spirit conferred through the spirit of the world. In the vision, two pylons were used to support a wire that contained sweet peas growing from one pylon to the next. The “pylons” were representative of the fruit of the spirit or the divine nature of Christ that separates the Christian from the unbelieving world. Each fruit of the Spirit provides a base of support that allows growth to take place in the Spirit and in the things of God.

A pylon is defined as a massive gateway; a tower that supports a long span of wire; a post or tower marking a prescribed course of flight for an airplane; a monumental mass flanking an entranceway or an approach to a bridge; any of various tower-like structures.

The Lord is providing, through the nine fruit of the Spirit “pylons” of support to provide a “bridge over troubled waters” . We must be separated from all defilement of flesh and spirit in order to engage in the highest purposes of heaven.

Rain is coming to the saved and unsaved alike as described in the books of Matthew and Hebrews: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. (Matt 5:44-45)

For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. (Heb 6:7-8)

The sweet pea is figuratively portraying a “sweetness” that is coming to the earth. It will be as a rain that will fall on the just and the unjust alike. As conveyed on the day of His crucifixion with the two thieves, one will embrace the sweetness of the Holy Spirit and another will mock it. The sweetness is coming nonetheless.

For those willing to accept it, the Holy Spirit is going to be providing “pylons” of cleansing that will be a gateway to the heavenly. Rain is often associated in scripture with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and teaching of the Word necessary to function in Kingdom purposes. The gentle “rain” will also display the Lord’s sweetness and tenderness toward the unredeemed. It will be an outpouring of His grace to the lost providing opportunity for all to accept or reject the reality of the cross, even as He gave the two thieves the same opportunity on the day of His crucifixion.

The Lord is desiring a consistent and perpetual relationship with man. One thief represented those who will know Him in the sweetness of His grace and the other represents those who enter outer darkness and eternal separation from God. In either case death ensues. By embracing the fruit of the Spirit, eminent death to self and the deeds of the flesh occurs. For those embracing the spirit of the world, it will be death to the working of the Spirit in their lives, separation from God and lost opportunity for relationship with Him.

The “pylons” will furnish the source of strength necessary to enter the gateway to heaven and perpetual relationship with the Lord by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has set before us both life and death. We are admonished to choose life and accept the provision that will cleanse us of all defilement of flesh and spirit in order to gain passage to the highway toward heaven. The Lord’s stipulations and requirements for intimacy with Him are clearly defined in the scriptures. We must share in the holiness of His Spirit and display the fruit of the Spirit to enter this most sacred of all relationships.

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; {so} you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; {so} you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend {it} on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore {it} says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:1-8)

Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. It is a mockery of the Cross to affectionately desire the deeds of the flesh while shunning the fruit of the Spirit.

SWEET AND SOUR

This is going to be a year of the “sweet and sour”. For many, this year will produce “brokeness or bitterness”; “peace or trouble” based upon the decisions that we make. Isaiah 55 is a description of God’s way that we are admonished to follow. Even for the righteous there will be difficult circumstances to be confronted. For the righteous it will be a bitter circumstance intended to make them better; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. It will seemingly be a sour experience whose fruit will become sweet. Our responses will be dictated by the well we choose to draw from; we can draw from the well of the Spirit or from our carnal nature, thus establishing the fruit of our circumstances.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT / FRUIT OF THE CARNAL NATURE

Love Lust

Joy Grief/Sorrow

Peace Strife

Longsuffering Impatience

Kindness Cruelty

Goodness Evil

Faithfulness Unfaithfulness/Deceitful

Gentleness Rash/Rage

Self-Control Anger

RELEASING SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

One of the most notable promises given this year is the release of spiritual discernment on a greatly heightened scale. Universally, the church has been dreadfully lacking in spiritual discernment. Not only is spiritual sensitivity needed in rightly dividing the Word but also in discerning one another within the body and the revelations given to us by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is going to release the spiritual provision allowing us to rightly discern the Body. Words of knowledge will be released pinpointing our needs in the spirit, soul, and body of individual believers, and in the corporate church.

He who keeps a {royal} command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. (Eccl 8:5)

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Heb 5:14)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)

Spiritual discernment and a good foundation in Truth must be functioning to protect us from the great deception’s that will be prevailing in this generation. The Scripture foretells there will be those casting out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead that do not even know the Lord whose end is outer darkness. Sensitive discernment must be released to rightly discern the body. We are not admonished by Scripture to judge works, but fruit. John the Baptist came to his generation with one of the most important messages ever delivered to mankind, still very few possessed the spiritual discernment to recognize the divine deposit in him nor the eternal message he delivered.

The Lord is promising to release the impartation of greater discernment for those willing to embrace and cultivate it through prayer and meditation of the Word. The initial impartation will be a welcomed increase, but for those willing to apply themselves in such a manner, growth and maturity will result in far greater sensitivity.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; (Phil 1:9-10)

GET PAST THE PAST

We must get past the past. One of the greatest obstacles inhibiting spiritual growth is constant re-enactment of past failures. Grace is now going to be released to cleanse our conscience of the guilt from the past so that we can live beyond our failures and imperfections through the provision of His perfection.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. (Phil 3: 13-15)

Ministers will discover a special grace this year in the preaching of this message along with the anointing necessary to free the people from the tyranny of the past. Old wounds, curses and failures that have shackled many within the Church can be dealt with, providing freedom in the Spirit for those willing to receive this ministry. Expressing sincere forgiveness from the heart will be an essential aspect of moving beyond the past and forward to the High Calling of God.

“Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matt 18:33-35)

DIRECTION OF THE NORTH

In the vision, Bob was told that the major direction for this year will be North. He comes from the north as golden splendor; with God is awesome majesty. (Job 37:22)

Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion {in} the far north, the city of the great King.(Ps 48:2)

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. (Ps 75:6)

In this portion of the vision, Bob saw himself pushing a wheelbarrow due North extracting from it issues of the past as he proceeded. This symbolically portrayed our journey to the throne of God. The load was made much lighter and more easily accessed when we unloaded the cumbersome issues of the past. Periodically, some will be allowed to share past experiences as a testimonial to reveal to the lost the victory that others have obtained in Christ. Only in these circumstances will it be healthy and beneficial to revisit the past. A special grace will be allotted in these circumstances allowing an effective testimony to touch the hearts of a dying world.

Our destination is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. As we set our course for that destination remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. If we desire to reach our goal in the shortest possible time, we must do so without deviating to the right nor to the left. The spirit of the world will continually set obstacles that will lead only to cul-de-sacs, detours and dead-ends. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)

THE COLOR FOR THIS YEAR IS BLACK (DEEP DARKNESS)

Uniquely, the color emphasized in this year’s revelations was black. Like many of the issues addressed in this year’s Shepherd’s Rod, black has dual applications in Scripture. On the one hand, it can be an emblem of sin, evil and death. Conversely, black (thick darkness) can express the awesomeness of Divine visitation as described in Ps 18: He bowed the heavens also, and came down with thick darkness under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub and flew; and He sped upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. Then the channels of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils. (Ps 18:9-15)

The idea here expressed is that of awful majesty and power, as we are nowhere more forcibly stricken with the idea of majesty and power than in the fury of a great storm. This is a description of the majesty of God, derived probably from the manner in which He manifested Himself at Mount Sinai. Our Lord is a Loving and Compassionate God, but He is also Awesome and Powerful beyond description deserving our deepest reverence and piety. Understanding Him in this way will develop the Fear of the Lord that is so desperately needing to invade the hearts and minds of Christians. It will also be displayed to the obstinate and unbelieving world as judgement and Divine retribution.

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, {and} not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. (Isa 54:11) Antimony is a black mineral that was ground into powder during ancient days and used for a variety of purposes. When mixed with water, this powder could be used for such things as mascara and other cosmetic purposes. However, when mixed with resin the powder was used as a seal to set stones in jewelry or used as a mortar to set foundation stones within a building. The stones of rebuilt Jerusalem, were beautifully laid in their black mortar presumably derived from this mineral. Prophetically, it speaks of Christians, as living stones, being sealed into their rightful place in the tabernacle of God. Some will be sealed for service this year and anointed to fulfil their calling and purpose.

Two days following the Day of Atonement, the Lord gave Bob a subsequent vision that provides additional insight into this portion of the revelations. In the vision, Bob saw the Lord forming a football team.. The team was divided into an offense and a defense. The captain of the offense was a well-known white leader of the church while the captain of the defense was a well known black leader within the church. Although both are powerfully anointed leaders of their team, neither could win the game without the other. The offense clearly was unable to be victorious without the support of the defense and likewise the defense without the offense. Bob then saw two prophets alternating duties at quarterback. However, the quarterbacks rarely ran with the ball, choosing instead to hand it to others more capable of carrying the ball for additional yardage. The quarterback would sometimes throw the ball down field to a receiver for even more yardage.

This vision emphasizes that our ultimate objectives will not be accomplished until we unite, crossing all barriers and functioning as one unit in order to defeat our enemies. The prophets will receive strategy and insight they will “hand off” to others able to take the revelations and expound upon them in great measure moving the team forward to the “goal” line. Oftentimes, they will even throw the revelation down field, foreseeing future strategies that will defeat the enemy. Presently, the church is in more of a “defensive” posture, relying heavily upon the defense to keep us in the game while the offense continues intense preparation until it’s appointed time. That is not to say that we have not been able to “move the ball forward offensively” achieving some victories. Instead, we have been more reliant upon the defense of “faith” and “praise” of which our black brother was the leader.

This year, we will continue to see a special grace to unite the black and white ministries. Most assuredly, we must realize that we cannot accomplish our goal without one another working in unity and harmony.

PSALMS 100

The principles outlined in this years Shepherd’s Rod predominately address being established in His righteousness and the price paid to walk closely with the Lord in affectionate companionship. This psalm is designed to describe the blessedness or the happiness of the righteous man living is such a privileged place. This is done “literally and figuratively, positively and negatively, directly and by contrast”, with respect both to his character and his condition while living on the earth and the eternal destiny in Heaven. Decisions made on this earth will influence not only our life here but also our place in Heaven. Therefore, we serve Him with gladness and come before Him with joyful singing, fellowship and service to God as the source of the highest joy that man could attain.

WATER FROM OUR OWN CISTERN

wife of your youth.
(Prov 5:15-18)

This final passage was given as an emphasis for this year. Unknowingly, we have allowed subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, influences from the spirit of the world enter our lives. The Lord views these as spiritual adultery. There will be a spiritual and natural parallel in the marriage relationship promoting purity in both. Marital partners cannot be allowed to give to others nor receive from others physical and emotional affections that are lawfully reserved for the marriage covenant. This application applies not only to the natural relationship of husband and wife but also spiritually through spiritual adultery and fornication. We must be pure naturally, spiritually, and emotionally.

The Body of Christ is like a wife to the Lord. It would be adultery for a woman to have her thoughts and affections upon anything other than her husband. So is it with the Lord. If our affections are upon the things of this world then they represent spiritual adultery to the Husband. We must be able to discern these offences and repent of them promoting purity of heart and soul within the bride. Thus, will we be on the glorious path to the promised union between Christ and His Bride.