In July I received a vision from the Lord concerning polluted waters and bad fruit. Before I share that vision, I would like to say that I love the church! I'm passionate about the church, and I'm more convinced than ever that the church is God's answer for the world.
Having said that, it is also important to recognize that we aren't where we should be, and the Lord is answering with a pure move of His Spirit in our day.
I will attempt to share this vision just as I received it and not add any of my own opinions to it.
The Lord and I were together in a great valley that stretched several miles in each direction from where we were standing. The Lord led me to the banks of this river and it was a relatively wide river with rapidly moving water. As we approached the banks, I began to notice a horrible smell coming from the water. Once we reached the edge of the bank, the smell was overpowering me and it wreaked like severely stagnant water and when I looked down into it, there was no life in this water other than tadpoles and leeches, but no vegetation or fish.
What I was seeing didn't make sense to me because this was an active, rapidly moving river and should have been full of life. I asked the Lord how this water could be stagnant but yet moving so rapidly. The Lord spoke to me and said that this water wasn't stagnant; it was polluted.
He then took me up the river to the mouth of it. The river was flowing out of the side of a mountain. Located at the corner of the valley and the mountain there was a very large factory. It was surrounded by a very high fence with razor wire across the top. The large door had a sign written across the top of the door that read "The Modern Church."
At all four corners were high watch towers with armed guards on each of them. The Lord spoke to me and said that these watchmen were looking for an enemy, but I thought it wasn't the enemy. I asked the Lord who they considered their enemy and He said that they were watching for any man or woman that would dare challenge the practices of the modern church.
He then told me that they were highly trained character assassins and they would stop at nothing to silence the voices of those that would speak out and challenge carnal practices of the modern church system.
We went behind the factory where the river ran beside it and there was a concrete ramp leading down into the water. There were people dumping barrels of substances into this water. Each barrel was labeled. I saw labels like: humanism, universalism, carnality, lust, sexual immorality, compromise, greed, fear of man.
He then led me down the river and we came upon a large fruit field. We crossed a bridge and approached the trees. These trees were some of the greenest trees I've ever seen, but when I approached them they were either void of any fruit, or the fruit was molded, rotten and infested by insects. The Lord told me that these trees were meant to bear good fruit, but the roots were tapped into contaminated and polluted water.
We then moved further down the river to a village. There were people walking around this village. The people were very trendy and modern in their style and dress. I walked up to a man with his back to me and touched his shoulder. He turned around and I stepped back because his eyes were whited out and he was zombified. Death was in his face. I began to declare to him that he was dead, but that I could lead him to life. He began to defend his position with all sorts of philosophies and nothing I said was impacting him. I asked the Lord why the man wouldn't hear me and He said because "he wouldn't endure sound doctrine." The Lord then told me that this man was the product of people eating rotten fruit and drinking from polluted waters.
The part that stood out the most about this encounter with this man was the fact that he was utterly convinced he was alive. He couldn't be convinced of his condition.
From here, the Lord then took me into the mountain where the river began. He took me past the factory and into a cave where the water was coming out. He took me up into the mountain and the water flowing through this mountain was the clearest, most beautiful water I've ever seen. This water was living and vibrant. The Lord spoke to me that this river was the pure movement of His Spirit. He told me that this river was where His power and anointing was found. He said that many people are looking for Him in the "valley of man," but He wasn't found there. He was found in the hill of the Lord.
He told me that He was issuing an invitation to His people to come and flow in this river. He said that even though the invitation was to all of His ministers, many wouldn't tap into it because of what was going to be required to flow there.
He then gave me the following requirements to stay in the pure river:
- Only say what He says with no fear of man
- Honor Him and love Him more than the praise of man
- Abstain from sexual immorality
- Never prostitute the gift He has given me for money
- Stay humble
- Always be a good husband to my wife and a good father to my children
He said if I would maintain these things in my life and ministry, He would allow me to flow in His pure river. He then said if I violate any of these things then I would no longer be able to stay in the mountain of God.
He then quoted Psalm 24:3-5, which says: "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He will receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
He said that many ministers begin their ministries in the clean river, but after time, find themselves in the valley. He warned me strongly that once you go down to the valley, though it's possible to make your way back to the mountain, it is almostimpossible because many times it will require public repentance and public humility. Many have trouble dealing with their pride to do that.
My prayer in this hour is that the true church of Jesus Christ would rise up with clean hands and pure hearts. There are two rivers flowing. Let's decide to flow where He is flowing.
Josh Fontaine is the founder of Christ In You Ministries based out of Tampa, Florida. Josh, his wife, Mimi, and their two children travel full-time, speaking in churches, conferences and prophetic presbyteries. Josh walks in the office of a five-fold ministry prophet and carries a fire for revival and the restoration of the prophetic office to be body of Christ. You can follow Joshua on Periscope under @Joshua_Fontaine or contact him at ciy-ministries@hotmail.com.
For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive CHARISMA MAGAZINE by email.
