Chapter 2: THE MESSENGER

We remained by the burning sea for a long time. The life, energy, and peace I felt continued to grow. It was like a rush of joy that did not pass away, but rather increased toward a certain fullness of joy. I knew there was nothing on earth that could compare to this, yet it seemed vaguely familiar.

"You are experiencing the joy and strength that man knew before the Fall," the Lord explained. "You are only beginning to experience what is actually a normal life for man, the way I created him to live."

As the flames of the sea swept over me gently, I began to recognize the feeling. It was what I had started to call "the Emmaus Road burning heart." It is the way our hearts burn when we walk close to the Lord and He personally teaches us. I began to think of Adam, who had walked with God in the Garden, and Enoch, who had walked with God so closely that he was translated straight into Heaven.

The Lord again answered my thoughts. "When I walked with Adam, I taught him about the creation and his purpose for cultivating and maintaining it. I also gave him the freedom to be creative as he cultivated it. He was created to bear My image. To bear the image of the Creator, one has to be creative. In this we had great fellowship.

"True creativity can only be found by those who walk close to Me. It is a relationship with Me which few have experienced, but one I cherish very much. Some walk very close to Me, even though they do not know My name. They do not know that I was made flesh and walked on the earth. The time has come for all who seek Me and My ways to know My name and to know My ways, which were revealed when I walked the earth.

"When Adam walked with Me, he was in harmony with the creation and felt the energy and strength you now feel. He was so full of life that he lived almost a thousand years after sin entered him and the discord of sin entered his soul. Great power is in life, but all life will lose its power if it does not stay close to Me.

"Enoch yearned for what Adam had lost. He walked with Me, and I began to teach him like I did Adam. He discovered the source of life, walking with Me. The life became so great in him that he would have still remained on the earth if I had not brought him up to dwell with Me here. He was too full of life to die, so I had to take him up."

"I am still learning about life," another voice behind me said.

I turned and saw a man standing far away in a beautiful green meadow. His voice seemed to be much closer than he actually was. He began to walk toward us in a way similar to the Lord's walk-resolute but unhurried. As he approached I noticed that his face was the same color as the sky, the torch, and the Lord's face. He also wore a garment similar to the Lord's. He walked up and took the torch out of my hand.

"I must bless you before you go-I must bless the torchbearers. The purpose of every movement on the earth is to compel men to do what I did-to walk with God until they are more at home in the heavenly realm than on earth. Man was created to dwell on the earth with his body while his spirit soars into the heavens."

"Are you Enoch?" I asked.

"I am," he said as he reached over and touched my heart.

"The fire burns, but what you lack is discipline and endurance. You walk adequately for short periods. Now you must learn to walk with endurance. You must resolve to walk each day in the domain over which the Lord has given you to rule. He has given you authority, but you must walk with Him in your domain. Only then will you be fruitful and multiply as you are called. Your domain is your garden. The path of life always leads to unity and harmony- with God first, and then with all that is His. This takes strength and endurance because the whole creation is now in discord and opposes unity."

Enoch then took the torch and touched it to my heart. It caused a great rush of energy and power and then a joy that almost could not be contained. When he pulled it away, the fire continued to burn inside of me, and the energy continued to surge in waves throughout my body. I knew I had felt this before.

"The Lord makes His messengers flames of fire. You cannot walk with God, or fulfill His purpose for you on the earth, unless you keep this fire burning in your heart. Lukewarmness is your deadly enemy. You must not let the fire wane by drifting from His presence. This fire which now burns in your heart must be given fuel each day. Its fuel is the atmosphere of Heaven, which is the breath of God. What He breathes upon lives, and what He does not breathe upon dies. Seek this life and pursue it. If you do, you will leave a trail of life where the River of Life will break out and flow. If you walk as you are called, you will help restore true life to the earth."

Enoch then took my face in his hands and looked into my eyes. He was the very definition of graciousness. He seemed to be so saturated with joy and love that I felt he was the most like the Lord of anyone I had ever met. I felt that anyone who saw him would spend his life trying to be like him. I then realized the main reason he was looking into me was so I would look into him. I did. Then he released me and walked back in the direction from which he had come.

"Enoch has a special investment in you," the Lord said, as we both watched him go. "He prophesied the coming of the mighty ones who are soon to be released on the earth. From the time he was allowed to see them, he has waited for this time. You are called to help awaken these mighty ones to their destiny. When they are awakened, they will have the heart of Enoch. Their might and strength comes from this torch which Enoch first picked up and other faithful ones have kept alive on the earth.

"From among those coming, there will arise many like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, and John. There will be as many as a thousand like each of the great messengers in the age that is now ending.

"After each of the torchbearers departed the earth, they left their mantles of authority to be picked up by others. These have been divided just as Mine were at the cross. When one has a part of a mantle and comes together with one who has another part, their authority will be magnified. Many of these mantles were hidden and kept for this time. These have been reserved for those who will be My messengers in the last days.

"It is true that spiritual authority multiplies with unity. One can put a thousand to flight, but two can chase ten thousand. The unity that these last-day messengers of power walk in will multiply the authority of the mantles they carry. The earth has never seen anything like what I am about to release through these messengers. They will walk in the fire of all who went before them. So now you must help them find their way and their mantles."

"Lord, here I feel I can do anything. Will I still feel this way when I return to the realm of earth?" I asked.

"No. When you return, this will all seem like a dream to you. The earth is under a shroud of fear and doubt which is growing thicker and darker. Even so, this realm is more real than the earth. But those in your time who break through the fear and doubt to walk in the power of life here will exhibit the greatest faith, and they will be trusted with the greatest authority.

"You may only vaguely remember what you see and feel here. Even so, the yearning for what you are now experiencing has been imparted to you, and this yearning will not go away. It is real and will lead you to reality.

"You can have all that you experience here again, but you, too, must grow up into it as you walk with Me on the earth. Only by this will you be wise and humble enough to be trusted on earth with the authority and power that you feel here. Wisdom and humility are more important than the power. Without them the power will corrupt you, and you will be used for evil. It is by your wisdom and humility that you will be able to help My messengers along their way."

I turned to see Enoch again and was surprised that he had gone only a few paces back. He was watching me with a very keen interest. He had a look of resolution which bordered on ruthlessness but was also combined with affection. Together this made him seem to be the very definition of rock-solid stability. I thought of how wonderful it would be to have had a mentor like him on the earth. The Lord once again answered my thoughts:

"You are called to be like him, as are all those I am sending to prepare My messengers of power. As you see My glory in Enoch, you will be changed by it. This is what you are called to be for other torchbearers, and they will be for you. You are not alone. Many others are called to this just as you are. However, you cannot be like him until you have walked with Me as he has. That is your whole purpose now-to walk closer to Me each day."

I then looked up at the clouds. They were as regal as the mountains. Each one seemed precisely in its place like those an artist would use to perfectly grace a painting. In no way did they hinder or block the light or the sky, but they framed it in a way which accentuated it. There was one directly above us which formed a perfect canopy. The clouds were so alive that personality exuded from them. They had purpose. I knew they were devoted to accenting the glory of everything that was around them as perfectly as they could, and they were doing this for us. The clouds were so wonderfully loveable that I wished there was some way to show them to every child on the earth.

The Lord let me drink this in and then continued. "I created man to be the torchbearer for all of creation. All men have this calling and were created to walk with Me and carry the light of life. Many are called, but few are chosen. You must now go and find those who have persevered to become My chosen ones. They will keep the fire and ignite in all men the fire that man was created to have.

"You will know these chosen ones by the fire that already burns in them. They will never be content with religious practices, for they yearn for Me and the reality of this realm. Because they seek Me, I will be found by them. I will give them their heart's desire-My fellowship. I will be their inheritance.

"I will also give them greater authority than I have yet entrusted to men on the earth. They will receive this because they will have the wisdom and humility to use it. When the Day of Judgment comes, their testimony will be that they walked with Me and their fire did not dim. These are My messengers that the whole creation has been waiting and travailing for. It is time for them to awaken."

The Lord then stepped out on the water, into the midst of the flames. I watched as He began walking toward the mountains. I knew I had to follow. As He walked out onto the burning sea, the torch became heavier. If I was going to continue holding the torch I would have to follow Him, but I was hesitant about trying to walk on the water. Finally I determined to step out without thinking anymore about it. When I did, I was able to walk on the sea as if it were a paved road.

The fire on the sea was hot, but it did not burn me. Instead, like the torch, it seemed to be imparting energy to me. As we walked, He turned and said: "You are here because you have learned to see. To see is to evaluate and to seek understanding. This is the eye of the child. As long as you keep it, I can teach you and I can lead you.

"Those who walk with Me grow in the strength which is in Me. I gave all men the capacity for this, to grow in both natural and supernatural strength. Those who do not walk with Me have a void in their souls for this supernatural strength. Those who do not walk with Me turn to the evil one for power to fill the voids in their hearts.

"I give My power to those who are wise and mature enough to use it. The evil one gives his power to those who are foolish and immature enough to be used by it. The time is coming upon the earth when all must choose to walk with Me or be taken over by the power of an evil greater than has yet to be known on the earth."

As we walked, waves of fire spread out from us on the sea as if we were a wind blowing.

When the Lord pointed in a direction, the flames intensified in the direction He was pointing.

I tried pointing, and it did the same. Then the Lord stopped and turned to look at me.

"I have a fire to cast upon the earth that has now been kindled. Pray for My fire to come. It will purify the earth. Pray for it to consume the chaff and to purify My chosen ones. I gave authority over the earth to man, and therefore I must be asked before I will move on the earth. This is the great purpose of those who walk on the earth, to know Me and My will. Then they can ask for My will to be done on earth just as it is done here in Heaven, and it will be done. What you will now see here is so you will know My will on the earth for your time."

Suddenly, I was standing in a valley.