THE SWIRLS

 

© Morris E. Ruddick

 

Dedicated to the Memory of Shane Stemple

September 13, 1985 --- November 6, 2006

 

“Have you entered the treasury of snow or have you seen the storehouse of hail which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? For the LORD has opened His armory, and brought out the weapons of His indignation; for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts.” Job 38: 22,23; Jer 50:25

 

On October 24, 1996, our 30 year-old daughter Trisha Stemple was brutally murdered. Trish, a beautiful young mother of two, was the administrator for an overseas disaster response ministry and loved the Lord with all her heart. Now, ten year later, on November 6, 2006, Trish's 21 year-old son Shane, our grandson, was killed getting out of his car on a freeway.

 

The “why” and “if only” questions that bear on the unexpected tragedy of losing a child and then a grandchild involve answers that will only be adequately grasped when we reach eternity. The interim requires a bedrock faith and trust in the Lord, knowing that we live in a fallen world and that there is a battle that rages around us.

 

Yet, beyond that place of pain and grief, as a prophetic intercessor, in both instances I asked the Lord for an understanding of the context of what was taking place in the heavenlies. The answers I sought are foundational to why the SIGN ministry exists: to understand the times and know what to do.

 

In both instances as I prayed, I realized that the context involved an incredible level of spiritual activity in the heavenlies. When Trisha was killed, the Lord also clearly showed me a serious flaw operating in the Body that plays into empowering the enemy's schemes. I wrote a post for SIGN within days following Trisha's funeral and then reposted it in 2004. It was entitled “Misguided Tongues.” It is still pertinent and can be seen at: http://www.strategicintercession.org/articles/MisguidedTongues.htm

 

After Shane's death, the Lord spoke a very clear word to me about “ spiritual swirls ” in describing the same heightened spiritual activity that was recognized surrounding his mother's death. Likewise, as the evil one has used the misguided tongues of those called into God's service, so the enemy has taken great advantage of the blindness that the Church has for the significance of the days the Lord has decreed to corporately compensate for the evil that rages in this world. The times demand that we better understand the elements of this spiritual dynamic that we will refer to as “the swirls.”

 

Background

Each year the Jewish high holy days precede the counterfeit celebration of Ramadan. The high holy days outlined in the Bible conclude with Yom Kippur, the day-of-atonement. Corporately across the entire Jewish community, Yom Kippur is a time of soul-searching and repentance.

 

It is no accident that at the time that the great counterfeit religion corporately conjures up a heightened level of spiritual activity at Ramadan, that the Word of God has outlined a sequence of celebrations and cleansing. The Lord has always provided the means by which His people can avoid the spiritual backlash created by the frenetic machinations of God's enemies. Similarly, it is no coincidence that Halloween falls in this same time frame. Many ancient European traditions hold that Halloween began as one of those liminal times of the year when spirits connect with the physical world and when magic is most potent.

 

God's means of making His people to be the head and not the tail has included the provision needed to compensate for the Chaldeans and Jihadists, along with all the sorceries that run rampant in a fallen world. So, as the Church increasingly becomes reacquainted with its Jewish roots, the times call for a reevaluation of the casual way we have regarded seasons the Lord has set aside to corporately realign His people spiritually. In like fashion, we need to recognize the potential and purpose of the spiritual swirls that manifest during seasons marked by the crazed passions of the enemies of the Lord.

 

The Swirls

Spiritual swirls bring chaos. They are illusive and major on white being called black and black white. They bring forth the premises that misalign perceptions so that evil is called good and good evil. Swirls mask and shift realities and create illusions and distractions. They hover around anything good tied to Israel, can be counted on to show up whenever a move of God is manifesting or when the enemy's camp is being broached. Swirls can be very subtle and entice on a level that diverts agendas moving toward God's best into something far less. Yet, God brings order out of chaos, which is the truth by which “swirls” will be defeated.

 

Dealing with the swirls will mean that the Body will have to take a hard step into maturity. The swirls are not only fed, but greatly empowered by the misguided tongues and myopic goals of far too many who are in leadership among the anointed. They bear significantly on how we define “success.” Confronting the swirls will take us beyond ethics. Ethics and righteousness cannot be overlooked, but ethics are not enough. Dealing with the swirls will take us beyond simple faith. Again, faith is essential and will be a significant part of dealing with this dynamic. But simple faith alone will not be enough.

 

Addressing the swirls will begin by hearing the voice of the Lord at a level that is combined with the power of His truths. The pivot point to compensating for this force being released against us will be when the Church begins corporately following the pathway that results in the release of the manifest power of God.

 

Discerning the Swirl

Discerning the swirls might be best illustrated by describing a rite known as whirling dervishes conducted by a Muslim sect. A dervish is a dancer who stands between the material and cosmic worlds. The dance is part of a mystical ceremony in which the dervish rotates in a precise rhythm. The dancer represents the earth revolving on its axis while orbiting the sun. The purpose of the ritual whirling is for the dervish to empty himself of all distracting thoughts, leading into a frenzied trance or ecstasy that conjures up a power that is released into the operations of its adherents.

 

The key word in this activity is conjure. To “conjure” means to summon a devil or spirit by magical or supernatural power. It is a means of spiritual conveyance that sends ripples of its impact into its enthusiasts. It is a religious rite that coincides with the activities used in black magic and sorceries. It can involve invoking a spell or a power to influence. Yet, the swirls representing the most damage to the purposes of God are ones birthed in the heart of hell, that worm their way and attach themselves within ministry circles. When embraced, the fruit will be hypocrisy, Judas-type infiltration, misguided decision-making and alliances with evil from within the ranks of leaders anointed for God's service.

 

Understanding the Times and Knowing What To Do

We are entering a time in which closely adhering to the principles and ordinances of God's Word, as well as conforming to the models outlined in the Bible will not be an option. In some cases, it will be the fine line that determines the difference between life and death. Basic Christianity begins with ethical precepts: doing right and doing good. The first steps in Christian maturity involve learning to operate by exercising our faith. Operating in faith on a basic level requires a grasp of basic principles of God's Word.

 

However, moving into the maturity required for these times will involve a transition into a place to where faith is much more than the outcome of our human efforts. The maturity needed for the days upon us will incorporate a convergence between an ongoing clarity in hearing the voice of the Lord; and operating in a flow, directed by the Spirit of the Lord. This level of constant clarity of hearing God's voice and flowing in His Spirit will be marked and guided by the principles, ordinances and models outlined in God's Word.

 

Jesus gave us the principles, the model, the pathway and power for change with His teachings on “the Kingdom,” which within the context of the Jewish world from which He came, merged the spiritual, community and practical principles of business and work. It was the pathway and power that would revolutionize and set in motion the restoration of a fallen world.

 

Taking this pathway and exercising this power resulted in a handful of His followers turning the world of its day upside down. It also set in motion a spiritual backlash and “swirls” that resulted in an erosion of both the Kingdom principles and the biblical Jewish foundations so pertinent to this pathway of power.

 

Understanding the “swirls” will address the feeble condition of the Body of today as a whole, along with our need to face the realities needed to begin moving back into the place of power that in one generation set in motion the pathway to turning the world upside down.

 

The quiet of the neighborhoods of the West is an illusion that masks what is currently taking place in spiritual places. The Church in its present condition is largely anemic to deal with the power coming against us. But it doesn't have to be. The same advancements in communications that have allowed the enemies of the Lord to band together and mobilize is available to the Church---and assuming there is a casting down of our sacred crowns and our illusions of success; this “coming together” of the Body will restore both the pathway and power that set the early church in motion.

 

Confronting the Swirl

Confronting this force coming against us begins with consecration. It will involve a corporate response to the spiritual big picture. From there will manifest the requirement to recognize God's favor in the face of overwhelming adversity and the significance of the strategy of suffering. Overcoming the unleashing of the enemy's corporate power will entail a grass roots focus and genuine servant leadership that has the authority to discern and uphold the Kingdom standard in the face of compromise. It will then come to recognize and begin repossessing the gates of our full inheritance.

 

Consecration and the Power and Judgment of God . Consecration involves a time before the Lord that revisits and upgrades our priorities and pathways. The significance of what lies before us is such that we as a Body must prepare our hearts in a level of corporate consecration unlike any time before in this generation. The Lord is mobilizing a band of believers across this world, who will strategically turn the tide of the swirls and this force coming against us. More of the same harder will not be enough. This consecration will unleash the power and judgment of God akin to what was operating in the early Church.

You have not passed this way before. So, consecrate yourself, for the Lord will do wonders among you. Joshua 3:4-5

 

The intensity of the battle will require more than our best human efforts and the methods that may have brought results a mere decade or two ago. Again, it is going to take this mobilized band of believers globally to stand as one against the enemy's assaults. Yet, as in the days of Jehoshaphat, God will again and again intervene with His power and judgment to turn the tide, as we stand as one before Him.

O Lord God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this force coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. So all Judah stood before the Lord. 2 Chron 20:12

 

The Corporate Response to the Spiritual Big Picture . The transition needed is nothing short of the Body once again operating according to the principles of the Kingdom that Jesus entrusted to those who led the early Church. It is the power of God that operates beyond human effort. David had a glimpse of this Kingdom dynamic when he described the interaction between the “angels” who wield the power of God to carry out God's plans; with the cooperation of the hosts---those operating now together with that great cloud of witnesses spoken of in Hebrews who are beyond the constraints of time---who are united in orchestrating this divine realignment underway; for the purpose of setting in motion the “works” that will bear on the restoration of the dominion that belongs to the Lord alone.

Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion . Psalm 103: 21,22

 

We who are called by His Name are ambassadors of Life. It is the Spirit who gives Life; and they that know Him MUST know Him in both Spirit and in Truth. The battle that rages in spiritual places is a battle between the forces of Life and the forces of death. Jesus said we would be known by our fruit. Ushering in God's Kingdom will not be marked by human effort, but rather the power of God. There will be no room for leaders with baggage or like Judas, those who are secretly enticed with evil alliances and power. The way of the Kingdom will be a new pathway for many; but will be marked by the power and judgment of God. The principles of the Kingdom demand more---which is where real faith begins and the Power of God lies.

 

God's Favor in the Face of Adversity . Despite the bondage and oppression of God's people in Egypt, the preparation for the exodus was characterized by an unusual favor not only among the Egyptian people, but at the level of those who served Pharaoh. So it will be as we transition into drawing the line and taking a stand against the forces coming against us.

Moreover Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people, so that the LORD gave His people favor in the sight of the Egyptians . Exodus 11:3

 

Suffering as a Strategy . Biblical suffering is not the result of the messes we create for ourselves, but rather the swirls and pressures that confront us when we're on the right path in terms of God's purposes. Suffering is a byproduct of the clashes that result when the enemy and his minions attempt to undermine our efforts to build God's Kingdom. Becoming a believer during the days of the early Church involved risk and suffering due to its impact on the depravity and oppression prevailing across governmental, economic and religious spheres.

 

Responded to correctly, the way of suffering actuates the power of God that facilitates the role of world-changers. It is the narrow corridor bordered by Life and death, the delicate passage of which can tip the balance toward Life. There is a significant difference in defensively trying to beat off the enemy and that of “taking up the sword of the Lord” and moving onto the offensive. Scripture tells us that God worked unusual miracles at the hands of Paul. That is because he understood this level of spiritual maturity and the power that is released when we face and embrace the dynamic of suffering as a potent strategy.

 

The Grass Roots Focus and Servant Leadership. Jesus came and reached out to everyday people. He modeled a very unusual form of leadership by the world's standards---servant leadership. The God-centered entrepreneurial community prototyped by Abraham and outlined in the Torah stood against the oppression and self-serving orientation and corruption that was the typical form of leadership in the world that existed in those days and the world we live in now. God-anointed leadership will always have a grass roots focus, servanthood as its orientation; and be fearless in making a difference in confronting the oppression and evil running rampant in this world.

Gentile rulers lord over them and their great ones wield their authority. Not so with you. Let him who is the greatest become the least, and the leader as the servant. For I am among you to serve. Luke 22:25-27

 

Upholding the Kingdom Standard in the Face of Compromise . The power of the swirls is heightened by corner-cutting and falling short of the standards of God's Kingdom that were outlined by Jesus. Blind spots, serious soul issues and compromise have no place among those at the forefront of the battles before us. Psalm 15 refers to “speaking truth in our own hearts.” The authority and power of God is NOT for those who operate with “issues” or misguided motives. Such are matters to be taken care of in individual prayer closets. As the Body begins confronting the swirls, the Lord will be raising up a generation of leaders who will not fall short of the Kingdom standard. Simultaneously, the Spirit of the Lord will be addressing those leaders who are dead wood, compromising or simply operating according to falsehoods.

 

Repossessing the Gates and the First Born . Colossians 1:18 refers to Jesus as the “ firstborn from the dead .” Death is the enemy of Life. The early Church entered the gateway through which life was restored to the dead. Today's persecuted church has similar reports. Confronting the swirls will involve recognizing and repossessing the gates of our inheritance. The restoration of His Kingdom begins in this world. Scripture clearly outlines the premise of dominion---which bears on exercising the authority to make a difference as a light in the darkness within the fabric of society. We have entered a time in which nothing less than the standard of “life from the dead” should be acceptable. We stand at those gates.

This is the generation of those who seek You, who seek Your face - even Jacob. Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, You are the King of glory . Psalm 24:6-10

 

I once heard a leader from the Messianic Jewish community comment that Israel will never make that step toward its destiny until well-to-do Western Messianic Jews have a greater love for Israel than they have for their comfortable lifestyles, BMWs and nice homes. So it is with the Church. The swirls will only increase until the Western church begins recognizing the gravity of the battle. Coexistence with the evil running rampant outside the peace of our neighborhoods should be repugnant to our sensibilities.

 

Two thirds of the world lives under the dominion of some form of oppression or corruption. The swirls are the precursors taking their positions against our unstable foundations. The archenemy of the Lord is raising his head in an attempt to close the gap represented by that part of the world where God's Light still remains as a beacon in this creeping darkness. In days past, many of us have heard reference given to “cheap grace.” Similarly today, we desperately need the power of God, but because of our “conditions” for embracing the power, it wanes when the sacrifice appears too high. God's Love is unconditional. Our response can be nothing less. We have the answers. The issue involves the cost and the pathway.

 

Lord, You turn my mourning into joy. You comfort me, and make me rejoice from my sorrow. (Jer 31:13) By Your word O Lord, I have stayed far from the paths of the destroyer. (Ps 17:4) Lord, You equip me with every good thing to do your will, working in me that which is pleasing in Your sight. (Heb 13:2) You strengthen me with all power, according to Your glorious might. (Col 1:29)

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Morris Ruddick is the author of “The Joseph-Daniel Calling” and “God's Economy, Israel and the Nations,” each of which address God's mobilization of the economic and community dimensions of His Word. They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.

 

2006 Copyright Morris Ruddick — info@strategic-initiatives.org

 

Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For more information on SIGN, check: www.strategicintercession.org