East Gate Christian Center

 June 16, 2013 (Father’s Day) experienced by Roger Smith

As we worshipped at Eastgate I began to imagine Jesus riding on His horse, hard and fast, dressed in white and with his sword at his side.  I and everyone in the whole church were also mounted and riding fast in a group towards Him (perpendicular to Him).  Our army began to sweep around in a big arc to merge with Him (and those already joined with Him) as He passed by. 

My imagery and a later conversation with God discussing the vision conflict so I assume that I was interfering a bit with my imagination with what God was actually showing me or that I am new at interpreting these kinds of things and do not understand it all yet.  As I talked with others about it I began to tell of the vision differently and I think that is because Holy Spirit was showing me the Truth, overriding my imagination.

I originally pictured us running down the demons and grabbing them to throw them into the Lake of Fire.  I remember there being no mercy or grace in our actions as these are the ones who are truly the enemy of God, and we are the warriors carrying out His will.

However, as I began to share this with others I heard me saying something different although I didn’t recognize the difference until now, when I checked my notes to write this vision down.  This is the part I think the Spirit wants me (and anyone else who senses this) to get.   We are riding hard and suddenly we stop and have arrived.  I ask God, what are we doing?  Weren’t we charging into battle?  Where are all the demons, where is the enemy?  He gently and excitedly told me that we were riding into victory and the enemy fled, he cannot stand to be in the presence of the King, ever since His ascension from the grave. 

My own interpretation of this as I shared this with Linda, my Sunday night small group, and Pastor Steve was that we are in the 3^rd heaven and the battle never happens there.  The enemy dwells in the second heaven and therefore he is defeated just by the presence of Christ and His church (by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony).  We just have to show up on the scene because darkness cannot stay in the presence of the light.

July 7, 2013, Sunday morning worship, imagery experienced by Roger Smith

I began to imagine God as a lion, similar to the imagery of the Chronicles of Narnia.  I could not tell if the lion was the Father or Jesus.  At first I just buried my face into his mane and reveled in His greatness, His love, His power, and His gentleness.  Next, I was on His back, riding speedily along, experiencing the thrill of being transported by my God.  At that point the knowledge of what was going on was deposited in me, kind of like having dialog but not as clearly as having a conversation.  I became aware that it was not really just me but it was me as a part of the bride of Christ being carried by her groom.  As we pass the heavenly hosts we have the privilege of announcing His presence.  The Lord brought to my attention that all the creatures, the elders, and the angels are bowing down and worshipping Him as we arrive but we are not bowing down.  We are His bride and He does not want us to bow because of the nature of our relationship with Him.  In our intimacy with Him He elevates us to a place of honor because He has made us one with Him and one with the Father as they are one.  We are adopted as His children and just like the president’s children do not have to show all the formality or protocols of all other people.  They are free to enter their father’s presence without having to gain permission.  We get to eat at the Father’s table every night, even after the servants have all gone home for the day.  He shares His business with us and invites us to join Him in His work.  The servants are assigned work and expected to fulfill the expectations put on them by their boss. We are invited to join Him to do the things we see Him doing and to say the things we hear Him saying.

I concluded, as I wrote it down during the service, which we can dwell in the 3^rd heaven where the status of being the victor is always ours because in that place it is already done.  We have the freedom to do battle in the 2^nd heaven because God gives us that freedom but it takes a lot more effort and focus and that territory currently belongs to Lucifer.  I hear Him say that we are in a new season of learning how to see what our Father and Groom are doing and learning to walk in that and transitioning out of old covenant thinking. 

Jesus ushered in the New Covenant at the end of His earthly life.  He demonstrated old covenant and how to fulfill that old burden but He welcomes us into the New Covenant where we take His presence through the robe of Holy Spirit and the ring of authority as sons.  And in this new kingdom lifestyle even our shadow begins to heal people as He prepares us to be able to manage that kind of ministry.  It is coming, it is already our inheritance.

The grave clothes we've worn for so long, God, that we are ready to lay on the ground and forget about - no, I say not yet. God is showing me a vision, maybe I'm far off, gone even, but I can see it. Clear as the shoes on my feet. This army is rising up, and it reeks of death, smell it from a mile away. This isn't the army we wanted to be, not even a little bit, but I see it. Dark, maybe I've lost it. Going places, blending in, so that we may infiltrate the enemies camps. We don't want the peons in the enemies soldiers at the ground level, we are blending in, so that we can make it to those calling the shots, I say we are on your scent Satan, and coming for you. Lop the head off that coward. This is an army this is us .  Ugly at best, but well trained, and out to kill. Blood is what we seek, I want the enemy’s head on a platter - better yet on a post to display for the world to see, his man is defeat. And it’s like as we, a people, this body, when we realize this calling when we step into it I see it, the tremble in the enemy. I can see the fear in his eyes, the fear of defeat we've lived under for so long, he is realizing it is his haha. Like I look across the battlefield and I lock eyes with him, I can see it the fear. he won't admit it and he sure doesn't want to let on to what he's feeling ha, so as I'm locked eyes with Satan I do not tremble one bit, rather my mouth begins to taste it, I can taste this victory, ha yes I can. And my eyes do not move from his, deadlocked I drag my thumb across my throat, and I watch Satan swallow one big gulp, hard to swallow for him ha he doesn't like the taste of defeat, but I swear on all that I am that's all your going to taste satan. And this army we aren't waiting for you to make the first move Satan, ha no, we charge, I see us, charging him. And he is taken back, not sure what to do. But I tell you Satan, it doesn't matter what you do, your ours . We've got your scent, and were not stopping until you've been defeated. But not just beat, I call forth the slaughtering on the enemies camp. I can see dancing on the blood of the slaughtered enemies. Blood never tasted so good. ha war.

BATTLE

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

the halfhearted battle will surely be lost. pick up your weapon and rise church.rise risen, rise fallen rise. to go where no one else will go. ha. we are the risen. we are the risen. ha ha ha. death where is your sting. ha. all I see is blood ha. wipe the blood from my eyes to gather myself in this battle. taste the blood running down my face into my mouth ha ha ha. I've tasted this before I've felt this. blood drunk again.  no other thing has ever given me this feeling. the battle is the only place I can feel this way. not only drunk but I can feel the power along with it ha the strength. ha ha ha. its like I can't feel anything else but the battle. like its all I know. I don't know defeat. I can't taste defeat. all I taste is blood. and it tastes good. ha the battle is my strength. it is what I am. it is all I am. fight. ha war. what else is there. there is nothing else. ha risen. not the fallen but the risen. we are it. oh god send me god send us. not someone else. its us. let us go. we will go. I can taste it. blood is the taste of victory it is the what we live off. we live off victory. what does defeat taste like? my tongue will never again know that taste. this is it. nothing else. surrender to the battle at hand this is it. this is it. ha ha ha. the pain we've felt reminds us this is real. we carry with us scars to battle, the reminders of past. but they will not rule us anymore. these scars made us who we are. the remnant. like they've toughened us in places where no one else could stand to go. we will go there's a calous ha from battle. we will go there ha because we can taste the victory already in places others fear to tread for fear of death and failure. bit we can't even fathom failure anymore. and death? ha death I laugh in your face. you have no sting. we are victory. this is what we are. bring it.

HAHAHA

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

hurt, pain, anger, betrayal, bitterness I feel you all . all boiling up inside of me like a deadly cocktail, just like its waiting to be consumed but not only that, its waiting to consume me, all of me. it wants to take over all of me, everything I am and every could be, like its not so much concerned with what I am now, but rather what I could become. what we could become. it'd be much easier to stop us now, before were assembled is what its thinking. and a big part of me is just like whatever who cares, consume me, I'm so tired im done . beat down dog tired and done with this whole mess, I can't do it anymore, its just too much, I can't take it anymore, let someone else do it, I don't wanna be a footsoldier anymore, just let me do something else, easy like everyone else hahaha, like I'm just saying I don't have it in me, I don't know what you ever saw in me. just eating away at me. gnawing at my flesh, ripping the meat off my very bones as I decide to wave the whit flag of defeat. ha but as all this is happening its like I can taste it, foul and making me want to gag on the slightest hint of it, vile in its very nature. defeat.  ha and I spit in your face. Satan I spit in your face, you'd like it wouldn't you, but ill no longer even entertain this notion of defeat. victory and nothing less, hahaha if I have to drag this dead body I will, because this flesh has no hold on me any longer.

WAR

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

tired. beat down. backs bloodied and bruised from being tread on for so long. trampled on like we were part of the dirt we were being smashed into. like somehow we've accepted this. we are no better than the ground haha. being run down and crushed for so long. my heart says rise. as if my mind doesn't know what that means anymore. but I don't let my mind lead. I tell my muscles rise up rise. but nothing changes. what is this, what have I become? like I'm stuck, is this my grave? then a thought feels into my mind. your muscles have atrophied. your done. its over. give up. this dirt has become your grave. deal with it . then something takes over me. I tell my mind to shut up. I lead with the heart. this isn't atrophy hahahah ill tell you what this is. a deep slumber. put down to rest for the strength needed for this battle is great. resting among the dead. but not dead. rising up for the battle at hand. haha trampled on for so long, like my body is now numb to pain. all it knows is this war. nothing else. there's nothing more. march.

RESOLUTION

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

we burn our bridges to past things, but what if they weren't meant to be burnt? what if we've severed ties to things we weren't supposed to? severed ties to people we weren't supposed to. so now the bridges that we burnt to move forward are the very things that are holding us back? so unknowingly we've gotten ourselves stuck in a stagnant mess we call life. ha no more. rebuilding bridges and crossing them to do what we should have done in the first place. so ignorant we've become. so if we just ignore the problem it'll go away, or that's what we believe and tell. ourselves just so we can sleep at night. I call out to a people willing to rebuild the bridges we've burnt, no matter how much it hurts to look that person or place or thing in the face and get resolution. enough is enough. we've been living broken for so long we've forgotten what it feels like to be whole. resolution. this is it.

 WE COME AS DEATH

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

the graveclothes we've worn for so long god, that we are ready to lay on the ground and forget about hahaha no, I say not yet. god is showing me a vision, hahaha maybe I'm far off, gone even hahaha but I can see it. clear as the shoes on my feet. this army is rising up, and it reeks of death, smell it from a mile away. this isn't the army we wanted to be ha, not even a little bit, but I see it. dark, ha maybe I've lost it . going places, ha blending in, so that we may infiltrate the enemies camps. we don't want tfor he peons in the enemies soldiers at the ground level, ha we are blending in, so that we can make it to those calling the shots, ha i say we are on your scent Satan, and coming for you. lop the head off that coward. this is an army ha this is us .  ugly at best haha, but well trained, and out to kill. blood is what we seek, I want the enemies head on a platter ha better yet on a post to display for the world to see, his man is defeat. and its like as we, a people, this body, when we realize this calling when we step into it haha I see it, the tremble in the enemy. I can see the fear in his eyes, the fear of defeat we've lived under for so long, he is realizing it is his haha. like I look across the battlefield and I lock eyes with him, I can see it the fear. he won't admit it and he sure doesn't want to let on to what he's feeling ha, so as I'm locked eyes with Satan I do not tremble one bit, rather my mouth begins to taste it, I can taste this victory, ha yes I can. and my eyes do not move from his, deadlocked I drag my thumb across my throat, and I watch Satan swallow one big gulp, hard to swallow for him ha he doesn't like the taste of defeat, but I swear on all that I am that's all your going to taste satan. and this army we aren't waiting for you to make the first move Satan, ha no, we charge, I see us, charging him. and he is taken back, not sure what to do. but I tell you Satan, it doesn't matter what you do, your ours . we've got your scent, and were not stopping until you've been defeated. but not just beat, I call forth the slaughtering on the enemies camp I can see. dancing on the blood of the slaughtered enemies. blood never tasted so good. ha war.

WALLS

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

walls. they keep us at a distance from you god. walls. keep us at distance from people, at arms length, any closer and we may get hurt. the very walls protecting us haha hurting us. killing us slowly. crushing us, suffocating us. like a noose around our necks getting tighter because we won't let the walls go. closing in on us and we turn a blind eye.

SUGAR COATED SIN IS STILL SIN

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

so eager to accept defeat. so easy for us to align with a lie, and we refuse to even lend our ears to the truth . why? why are we so ready to accept something horrible, when the truth is right there, staring us in the eye? we would rather look through the truth and find a lie to believe. ha.  a sugar coated sin ha we would rather be glutenous on than get our fill on the truth. hahaha what's wrong with us? hahaha get our sustinance from the sin ha for a while, but in reality its rotting us from the inside out, but we refuse to acknowledge truth. live through a lie, our lives one big lie. that's ok though, ha we've made it ok. acceptable. good enough.  not anymore. I call forth truth. nothing less. ha might be enough to survive on for those not called to war, but we've been called warriors, we are warriors. we cannot gain our strength from a lie, we've been diluting ourselves. truth. ha what is a lie? - 

INFECTION

A word given by Craig Dailey to THE CHURCH

left unattended even the slightest cut becomes infected. we get these cuts over the littlest things, and push them to the side, because we think it is less painful than dealing with the cut. so then what? wi ignore them, maybe even forget about them. then we get another cut, and pretty soon we are full of painful cuts, walking around full of pain, but never willing to admit it. bury it, ignore it and forget it. so then, the little cuts that were really not a big deal to begin with, become to fester. they get infected, so now we are walking around, one big infection, full of open wounds, smiling saying everything is ok, like were fooling any one but ourselves. and what will become of these cuts, left untreated, now infected? amputate the affected limb? cut away the flesh that's infected beyond repair? I call forth healing in these areas, an absolute healing from the father, because I tell you I don't only want the cut healed and infection gone, I don't want Any scar tissue to remain. the scar tissue makes us callous. no longer defined by prior pain, but defining ourselves by our heavenly identities. but hold on, we can learn from this infection, so easy to spread. ha better yet I say we are the infection.  we are the diseased. this disease we are will spread like nothing this world has ever seen, taking cities at a time, like an unstoppable force ha, this is why Satan wants to take out this army, we are called to be the front runners of this infected army, growing stronger in numbers is what he can see, I don't think he cares too much for us haha he hates us, but good luck I say, there is nothing you can say or do, this infection is too strong, its like its on a cellular level, its consumed us wholly, leaving nothing that has been left untouched. its that deep, were infected down to the marrow in our bones, ha diseased. Satan you thought you had a hold on disease, using it to take us down, but I tell you this is what infected really looks like. turning the tables on our thought process.