Hi Mike,
Please... let me put a more corporate perspective on this?
I think you have missed an important detail, namely, that Dian was quoting from a (significantly) longer word which gave other angles to God's perspective on the whole; which word in full has been posted on SI, twice already, and shared with our brother Daryl in particular (at the time of the thread 'To all the Prophets').
I would like to aver, from the distance that I have - being a strong believer in the 'body ministry' aspect of SI in small, and the Church in large - that the claim it makes for those who do [i]not[/i] wish to fall away with the rest of the apostate church, is being confirmed by dreams such as provoked Carter Conlon to preach 'Beware of the Angry Watchmen'.
From his vantage point - if can call it that - he has also said (prior to the Angry Watchmen sermon - although I might have to do a lot of listening to find the exact one,) that he believes God [i][b]is[/i][/b] [u]calling out individuals and strengthening them in isolation[/u], as part of His plan to save to Himself a people (in America).
Further, it is not a stretch to claim that this (whole) word from Dian is completely in line with the spirit of what Sermonindex experiences, in that you yourself, Krispy, reformer, poet - others whose names I can't remember - have all given a similar testimony to Dian's, of varying degrees of awakening, rising up and leaving ... responding to the call of God in your hearts, just as in
[i][color=6633FF]For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved ...
Song of Solomon 2:11 - 16[/i][/color]
and
[color=0000FF][i] For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord...
Therefore He says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light."
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:8 - 10, 14 - 16[/i][/color]
Truly, I believe God is backing up His word with real people really being freed from bondages which have their roots in false gospels of various kinds.
Over the last few weeks, there have been big strong undercurrents, for the first time (in my awareness) dragging at the strongest bonds some of us have with each other. I try to be quick to close rank. But I recognise this may not be apparent. And it shouldn't mean the issues arising between us are being swept under the cybercarpet - which is fairly tempting at times - or not being allowed to do their work in us - which takes 3D real-time.
The matter of various kinds of relationships, though, is quite different from the ministries of the members of the body - to each other (Eph 4:16). While we have natural friends and natural relatives, our role in the body may [i]not[/i] touch on our relationships with either of these natural groups. (Perhaps this is obvious once it's pointed out.) But, for the sake of our [i]spiritual[/i] health, we do have to work at keeping the parts of the body in rest with each other. Something about knowing who is weeping and why, and who is rejoicing and why, and joining meaningfully in their situation.
In this thread, especially after the dreams you shared yesterday, I see that God has given you a similar kind of insight to Diane's (roadsign). Perhaps this is partly a result of similar experiences you have had; while - I can't quite explain - it's as if Dian's (Spitfire) has to [i]become[/i] the message [i]itself[/i] in a peculiar way. (I don't know if this is making sense on the page, but I perceive that how you all see things, comes out differently when you express it. Perhaps this is [i]my[/i] contribution...) Yet, some would say all of you are being 'prophetic'. To those (in Christ) who are not given this gift of [i]expression[/i], nevertheless the 'word' often comes as a confirmation to something they recognised, but couldn't put into words for themselves, and are [u]not[/u] called to put into words for the church.
We are all living through the same [i]era[/i], but we can see that God has given a degree of differentiation to the understanding which individuals contribute to the whole, and this may be partly a result of their individual unravelings of past misunderstandings, or, it may be a straightforward gift of the Spirit to see things that 'are', which others do not.
What to do with that insight, for the edification of the local church, or the whole Church, can be challenging for the individual, depending on the opportunities available to them. For instance, an elder like Carter Conlon can turn it into a sermon. Whereas another without that opportunity, might share it through prayer, but (either way), by the gift, God's intention is to strengthen [i]the whole[/i].
And then, we have Sermonindex, which has become such a [u]life[/u]-force for many.
Amen.
