The Ravens

On Sept 12th I had a prophetic dream. In this dream I stood at the edge of the sea and wondered if there was something evil in it. Just then 3 very large black birds stood up near the shore, walking towards the north. They were ravens, unusually large (about 3 ft tall). When they had stood from the water their faces were also facing north. End of dream.

In my dream ravens represent the cult-spirit, such as Jim Jone’s cult. North symbolizes spiritual, and the sea all the peoples on the earth. In Rev 13:1 we see that the beast comes out of the sea. My dream is about the spiritual warfare coming on the earth from satan, trying to deceive people to follow lies. There were 3 evil spirits symbolized by ravens just the same as the 3 demons which come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet in Rev 16:13.

A few days after receiving this dream I was led to pray about leadership. The Lord gave me 10 points that we should look for in a leader, and display when we are leading. This is not a complete list, but in looking at the items one should be able to spot when a person in authority is leading his people astray, as in a cult. Here are the points;

1. War only in the Lord. David would not harm or slander Saul, but only warred as the Lord led him. We must not take things into our own hands, even if a word of prophecy indicates that things are not as they should be.
a. Love our enemies and do them good

2. Let your own reputation seem contemptible in your eyes. King David danced before the ark without regard to “looking good” before the people.
a. Honor the Lord with all your heart
b. Do not be concerned with pleasing men

3. Know the limits of your role, and know your dependence on others is necessary. David was not the gate-keeper of the temple but delegated this to another. He also appointed others to lead worship though he was well-suited to do this himself. In regard to war, David depended on his mighty men and until they gathered around him he could not do the work of the Lord, to rid Israel of her enemies.

4. Find value in others.
a. Honor those under your authority by finding their purpose and setting them in place in your ministry, or by helping them start their own ministry.
b. A true leader will help find those who will surpass themselves, and mentor their growth so that the mentee’s works exceed the leader’s works

5. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit
a. Recognize when the Lord is speaking through others
b. Know that the Lord will speak through others, and not to you alone

6. Have a sound mind. Know and recognize the ways of the Lord.
a. Have discernment
b. Doesn’t confuse the need for faith with the dare from satan to prove yourself, or to have others prove themselves
1. don’t test the Lord

7. Would rather correct a wrong-doer than lose him
a. do not despise the weaknesses of others but seek to put them in a place to become strong

8. Love the flock more than yourself
a. Seek other’s successes at the cost of your own.
b. Let the needs of other interfere with the upward movement of your ministry’s success

9. Swear to your own hurt and change not (Ps 15:4b). Do not let keeping your word depend on the convenience of doing so.

10. Develop an eye for the enemy
a. do not become the comforter of the flock by offering false peace.
b. If you are not a watchman, find one in your ministry or church and raise them up.