The Vision by Rick Joyner:
Meeting the Evangelist
While hearing these words, I felt compelled to look up toward one of the thrones beside me. Immediately I saw a man I recognized. He had been a great evangelist when I was a child, and many felt that he had walked in more power than anyone since the early church. I had read about him and had listened to some of his recorded messages. It was hard not to be touched by his genuine humility, and the
obvious love he had for the Lord and people. Even so, I also felt that some of his teachings had gone seriously awry. I was surprised, but also relieved, to see him sitting on a great throne. I was captured by the humility and love that still exuded from him.
As I turned to ask the Lord if I could talk with this man, I could see how much the Lord loved him. However, the Lord motioned for me to continue walking, and would not permit me to speak with the evangelist.
"I just wanted you to see him here," the Lord explained,
"and to understand the position that he has with Me. There is much for you to understand about him. He was a messenger to My last day church, but the church could not hear him for reasons that you will understand in due time. He did fall into discouragement and delusion for a time, and his message was distorted. It must be recovered, as well as the parts that I have given to others which were also distorted."
Knowing that everything here happened in perfect timing with all that I was meant to learn, I began to think about how seeing this man must be related to what we had just talked about—the potential of power to corrupt.
"Yes. There is a great danger in walking in great power," the Lord responded. "It has happened to many of My messengers, and that is part of the message they are to give to My last-day church.
You must walk in My power, and even much greater power than
these experienced. But if you ever start to think that the power is my endorsement of you, or even of your message, you will open the door to
the same delusion. The Holy Spirit is given to testify only of Me. If you are wise, like Paul, you will learn to glory more in yor weaknesses than in your strengths.
"True faith is the true recognition of who I am. It is nothing more and nothing less. But you must always remember-even if you abide in My presence and see Me as I am-you can still fall if you turn from Me to look back at yourself. That is how Lucifer fell. He dwelt in this room and beheld My glory and the glory of My Father. However, he began to look at himself more than he looked to us. He then began to take pride in his position and power.
Many of My servants who have been allowed to see My glory and be entrusted with My power have fallen in the same way as Lucifer. If you begin to think that it is because of your wisdom, righteousness, or even your devotion to pure doctrine, you will
stumble too."