The Vision by Rick Joyner
His Beloved Bride
Episode 109
This sensation of being cleansed by His words was more wonderful than can be described, but it was familiar. I knew that I had felt this when listening to anointed preaching from one who had been in the presence of the Lord. It was not intoxicating, but the exact opposite. Instead of dulling the senses, it quickened them. In His presence, I felt that thousands of fragments of information which I had accumulated over the years were all tied together to give a deep and comprehensive meaning to everything He said. In this way, every concept became like a strong pillar of knowledge in my mind. Then it became a passion as I felt a deep love for each truth.
When He spoke, there was an energy released that enabled me to see each truth with a greater depth than ever before. His words did not just impart information, but life. This great illumination was similar to what I experience after I decided not to try and hide anything when I was
standing in front of the Judgment Seat. The more I opened my heart to His words to expose any darkness in me and to change me, the more power His words seemed to have in me.
The Lord did not just give information when He spoke, but somehow rearranged my mind and heart so that these truths would be the foundation for understanding, and the understanding released a love for the truth. For example, I had what I thought was a sound understanding of the church as the bride of Christ. As He talked about the ministries being sent forth to prepare His bride, I saw in my heart what seemed to be every church I knew. They immediately became much more than just a group of people; they became His Beloved. I felt a burning passion to help them prepare for Him. The repulsion of sin and harlotry with the world almost buckled my knees as I saw what it did to His people. I knew that I was feeling what He was feeling.
His cleansing truth poured over me. The cleanness I felt was more wonderful than I had ever believed possible. It was almost as if I had been living my life in a sewer and was now being given a hot shower. The power of cleansing truth gripped me so powerfully that I desperately wanted to carry it back to share with His people.
"I am about to release the power of anointed truth to cleanse My people," Wisdom continued. "My bride will be cleansed of all of her defilements. I am sending forth My messengers who will
be flames of fire, burning with zeal for My holiness and the holiness of My people."
As He spoke, I felt the depth and power of the message of holiness. I then knew without question the power of truth to accomplish this. A vision of the glorious bride whom He so deserves was burned into my heart. I passionately wanted to share this with His people so that they would become completely focused on getting ready for Him. I just could not comprehend doing anything again without this being my purpose.
He began to speak about the fortresses of truth and righteousness. While He talked, I saw the congregations with whom I was familiar and how they were struggling. I became burdened as never before for them to be empowered with His truth. I knew that they were weak because they were not walking in truth. The grief that I felt for them became almost more than I could bear.
"Why do they not walk in truth?" I blurted out.
"You are beginning to feel the burden that Nehemiah felt when he heard that Jerusalem was in distress because her walls were broken down," Wisdom explained. "I am imparting to My messengers the fire to see My bride cleansed, and I am also impartin to them the burden of Nehemiah to see the walls of salvation restored.
Then My people will no longer be in distress.
"You have seen My people as My army, My city and My bride.
Now you do not just see these, but you feel them. Only when My truth comes from the heart does it have the power to change men.
Living waters must come from the innermost being — the heart. Just as you felt My truth cleansing you, I am making My messengers flames of fire who will speak truth, not to just give understanding, but with the power to change men's hearts. The truth that I am sending will not just convict My people of their sin, but will cleanse them from their sin."
Even as He was speaking, a great zeal rose up within me to do something. Divine strategies began coming to me which I knew could help His people. I could not wait to begin. I now believed that even the driest bones were going to become an exceedingly great army! In the presence of Wisdom, nothing seemed impossible. I had no trouble believing that His church would become a bride without spot or wrinkle, or that His church would become a great city, standing as a fortress of truth for the whole world to behold. I had no doubt that His people, even as weak and defeated as they now seemed to be, were about to become an army of truth before which no power of darkness could stand. Feeling the power of truth as never before, I knew that His power was much greater han the darkness.