THE VISION
THE VISION AS TOLD BY DEMOS SHAKARIAN (1952)
In the middle of the night as Demos prayed kneeling on the carpet in his living room, he received a vision.
“My son, I knew you before you were born. I have guided you every step of the way. Now I am going to show you the purpose of your life.”
Although I remained on my knees, I felt as if I were rising and moving up, away from the living room. Down below me I could see the rooftops of Downey. There were the San Bernardino Mountains, and over there the coast of the Pacific. Now I was high above the earth, able to see the entire country from west to east.
Although I could see so far, I could also see people on the earth – millions and millions of people standing shoulder to shoulder. Then, just as a camera can zoom in at a football game to show first the stadium, then the players, and then the very laces on the football, my vision seemed to move in on these millions. I could see tiny details of thousands and thousands of faces.
And what I saw terrified me. The faces were set, lifeless, and miserable. Though the people stood so close together, shoulders touching, there was no real contact between them. They stared straight ahead, unblinking, unseeing. What a shudder of horror, I realized that they were dead…
The vision changed. Whether the world was turning, or whether I was traveling around it, I didn’t know. But now beneath me was the continent of South America. Then on to Africa, Europe, Asia. Once more the startling close-ups occurred, and everywhere it was the same. Brown faces, black faces – every one rigid, wretched, each locked in his own private death.
“Lord!” I cried,” What’s the matter with them! Lord, help them!”
“My son, what you see next is going to happen very soon.”
The earth was turning – or I was moving around it – a second time. Below me again were millions upon millions of men. But what a difference! This time heads were raised. Eyes shone with joy. Hands were lifted towards heaven. These who had been so isolated, each in his prison of self, were linked in a community of love and adoration. Asia, Africa, and America – everywhere – death had turned to life.
And the Vision was over. I felt myself returning to my living room…
A NEW WAVE OF REVIVAL: THE VISION INTENSIFIES
Towards the end of his life, Demos Shakarian anticipated a New Wave of Revival. He describes this move of God in his prophetic book, The Vision Intensifies.
He wrote: “FGBMFI have been the thread going through the charismatic movements all over the world.“
I see a time when God will set us apart, and release a NEW MIGHTY OUTPOURING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
It is time to GET OUR EYES OFF THE PAST! It is time to stop talking about how much we have accomplished, and start prayerfully seeking God on WHAT HE WANTS TO DO NOW and WHAT HE WANTS FOR THE FUTURE! Charismatic leaders around the world see FGBMFI as Established, Organized, Completed.
Today is today, Today is The Day, Yesterday is over! Everything that has gone before is done and everything that is to come depends SOLELY on our obedience to God.
CALLED TO OBEY
We are to focus on what God is going to do … in the future. We are to ask our Heavenly Father for His help in focusing only on Him and His Mandates for our lives.We are to obey His Commands to love, His Commission to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and His Call to make disciples and to prevail over the gates.The mandate from God is that we BREAK THE CHAINS OF BONDAGE in the world. Our mandate is to DESTROY THE ISOLATION OF LONELINESS, and LINK THE WORLD TO GOD!
PEOPLE SET FREE
We are to set people free – God showed lonely people in chains.
His vision is people, not buildings and chapters.
GOD ALONE CAN CHANGE OUR WORLD.
All we can do is to prepare ourselves to serve as God’s vessels.
No WORLD is too large that we cannot
LINK PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST!
No chains are so thick that we cannot BREAK THE BONDAGE OF THE CAPTIVES!
EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
His Vision is God’s Holy Spirit changing lives.
It is ONLY through the same Holy Spirit that God will take us POWERFULLY into the FUTURE.
Miracle healings. Speaking in tongues. Powerful deliverances. Men and women who not only could TALK about God, but also DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF GOD in their own lives and in meetings, etc everywhere.
Ordinary people becoming extraordinary through the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
AND HOW WILL THIS NEW WAVE OF REVIVAL UNFOLD?
THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD!
THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD!
THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD!
The Vision is God’s Holy Spirit changing lives.
PREPARED PEOPLE
He is going to have a people … a powerful people willing to participate in this final hour of end time spiritual history
We are to be READY for the NEW ANOINTING from God. A NEW WAVE OF REVIVAL is about to EXPLODE within the body of Christ.
This is a special time, and God is seeking a special people.
God is seeking a PREPARED PEOPLE to serve Him in POWER.
We must once again become yielded, obedient, PREPARED vessels … willing to do what He wants us to do.
We are to focus on what God is going to do in the FUTURE. We are to have an understanding of the PRESENT TRUTH, PRESENT TIMES and PRESENT TRENDS.
And He wants us PREPARED TO PARTICIPATE IN His plans.
He only needs vessels who are PREPARED and willing to OBEY to set those spiritual CAPTIVES free!
Everything that is to come depends SOLELY on our obedience to God.
SET APART TO BE HIS DISCIPLES.
So I shared from my heart what God has been speaking to me. “I see a new wave of holiness.” The room became quiet. Holiness is not a popular subject even in ‘religious’ circles. I said: “I see a new wave of repentance.” You could sense men squirming in their seats. “Repentance is a good theme for Gospel rallies,” I could imagine them thinking, “but we are spiritual leaders.” Well, God told me to share what He had placed on my heart, so I continued: “I see a time when GOD WILL SET US APART, and release a new, MIGHTY OUTPOURING of His Holy Spirit. It is time to give the devil a few more black eyes. I tell you, Jesus is more real to me today than He’s ever been before!”
“the Spirit of God conveyed to Demos the message, ‘I do not want a big centralised organisation . . . of course, come together on occasion to inspire and encourage each other, to light a fire bright enough for many to see. But for your day-in, year-out work, I WANT YOU [TO BE] SMALL, LOCAL, SENSITIVE TO ME. I do not want uniformity. I will never come to TWO MEN or two places in just the same way. Give Me outlets for My infinite variety’. ”
WORLD, CITIES, NATIONS, KINGDOMS
God says THE WHOLE WORLD. ALL FLESH!
GOD ALONE CAN CHANGE OUR WORLD
We are to have a deep concern for every nation and every race.
God has shown a WORLD SET FREE a world where men and women are NOT ALONE, but are UNITED IN THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, arms raised to heaven, praising and adoring Him.
Yes – the FGBMFI was a good idea, and God blessed it.
Our work is not over, it is just beginning!
WE HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING YET!
OUR VISION IS NOT IN THE PAST,
IT IS IN THE FUTURE!
And He wants you PREPARED to PARTICIPATE in His Plan
But THE WORLD? Yes, the World! Not 1.5%, but everyone.
ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE WORLD!
OUR PRAYER
“Heavenly Father, We thank you for all that you have done-through our lives, and through the ministry of the fellowship. But whatever has been accomplished to date… we know it is only a glimmer, a glimpse of the future, of what is STILL to be done thought the power of Your Holy Spirit. Lord we stand ready and willing to serve. We are willing to pray, to fast, and to seek Your will in our lives, no matter what the cost. You are Lord. You are Master, and it is YOU ALONE we shall serve. Heavenly Father, forgive us if sometimes our eyes have focused on men, on chapters, or on buildings. We ask that you will help us FOCUS ONLY ON YOU and Your mandates for our lives. We realise YOU ALONE are our hope-and without the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing we can do will ever save one solitary soul. Lord, we ask that You use us as vessels to help fulfil your vision. Allow us to break the BONDAGE OF SIN in the lives of our neighbours, and in the lives of millions of people around the world. Help us melt the ice cold death of Satan from lost souls, and transform them into children of LIGHT through Your saving grace. Lord, we give You ALL the honour and the glory for the revelations You have shown us, and thank You, in the name of Jesus Christ, for what You are about to do to change the face of the world. Amen.”