AMERICA'S FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD...CIRCA 6TH CENTURY A.D.

AMERICA'S FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD...CIRCA 6TH CENTURY A.D.

When was the first Christmas message printed in America? It had to come with European Christians, but who were the first Europeans in America? Did they come with Columbus, or did they come earlier with the Vikings; or even earlier with a band of Irish monks? The Navagatio, Saint Brendan’s account of his travels across the Atlantic, certainly predates the Viking voyages by some 400 years and establishes Irish visitors as early as the Sixth Century A.D., but no evidence had ever been found to support that claim. That lack of hard evidence led author Timothy Severin to duplicate the voyage of Brendan in 1977, in a leather-covered boat built to Brendan’s specifications, but unfortunately, that did little to convince the sceptics.

However, while the sceptics argued that possibility and probability do not offer proof, startling discoveries were being made in the New England states of New Hampshire and Vermont that altered the entire subject. A complex of ancient stone buildings, burial tombs, and oracle chambers, which had been under study for some time, were revealed to be Celtic — not from the time of Brendan, but as far back as 800 B.C.!

The evidence was overwhelming. Scores of inscriptions found at the sites were identified as Ogham — a system of cypher used by the Celts over 2500 years ago. Using the science of epigraphy — the study of ancient carvings on stone — Dr. Barry Fell, Harvard professor and president of the Epigraphic Society, not only identified the inscriptions, but translated them. Some identified graves, while others, taken from an oracle chamber, contained religious writings, and still others concerned land boundaries. Together, they indicated a Celtic settlement in America when that form of Ogham was in use, sometime after 800 B.C.

Further, great standing stones, surrounding one of the sites, are geometrically aligned for viewing such celestial events as the summer and winter solstices and seasonal star and lunar patterns. The parallel to Newgrange and similar structures in Ireland is remarkable. In addition to local Indian words and place names with Celtic roots, the defining and dating of pottery, tools, and implements found at the site, also confirm the settlement to be Celtic, matching items produced in the Celtic regions of western Europe during the Bronze Age.

The conclusion that a Celtic society existed in America before the time of Christ is indisputable, but what has that to do with a Christmas Card? Well, Dr. Fell released a book on his initial discoveries, entitled America B.C., and a sequence of events followed which immensely added to the evidence of another group of early settlers, and the Christmas Card they left behind.

Ida Jane Gallagher, a native West Virginian working as a free-lance historian in Connecticut, forwarded to Dr. Fell an article that she had received from the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The article described a stone carving in Wyoming County, West Virginia, similar to the ones she had photographed in New England. Discovered by two amateur archeologists in 1964, the carving was examined in 1970 by a Geological survey team, who concluded that the inscription — whatever its meaning — was the work of early Indians or aborigines, and of no significance, since many such undeciphered carvings existed, whose origins are shrouded in mystery. The find was forgotten for a decade until archeologist Robert Pyle learned of its existence from his assistant Tony Shields.

Shields, a former Wyoming County resident, told Pyle of carvings near his home that were similar to old runic writings. When he produced photos of the carvings as proof, an excited Pyle estimated that they had been carved between 500 and 800 A.D. Beginning in March 1982, Pyle and Shields recorded every detail of the carving in eighteen separate visits. Convinced of its importance, Pyle gave the story to a local newspaper; the editorial and photo that subsequently appeared was clipped by a reader who sent it to the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce magazine. They, in turn, sent it to Ida Jane Gallagher. She immediately arranged to visit the site.

In November 1982, Pyle led a small group up a steep bank in West Virginia to a rock ledge, and Gallagher took her first look at the 10-foot inscription carved on a recessed portion of a cliff face beneath a natural rock overhang. Convinced that it was a major find, she contacted Professor Fell, and he agreed to attempt a translation.

When Dr. Fell saw the petroglyph, he immediately recognized it as an advanced form of the Ogham script he had seen in Ireland and on the New England carvings. He began a translation from Ogham into Old Irish, from Old Irish into modern Irish, and then into English.

The message thus deciphered read:

At the time of sunrise, a ray grazes the notch on the left side on Christmas Day, the first season of the year, the season of the blessed advent of the savior Lord Christ. Behold he is born of Mary, a woman.

According to the translation, the carving was a solar calendar bearing a Christmas message! But how could a Christmas message be carved in America, in an Irish script, between 500 and 800 A.D.? Was there a mistake? The small group decided to verify the translation. Calculating the difference between the Julian calendar (used until the 16th Century) and today’s Gregorian calendar, they met at the petroglyph just before sunrise on December 22, 1982. Quietly they waited as the sun climbed in the east, spilled over the mountains, and streamed its rays toward the cliff face before them. They watched in amazement as the first shaft of sunlight funnelled like a flashlight beam through a 3-sided notch in the cliff overhang and struck the center of a sun symbol on the left side of the panel. As they watched in awe, the beam pushed the shadow from left to right, slowly bathing the entire message in sunlight like a prehistoric neon sign announcing yet another Christmas, as it has done for centuries. Before their eyes, they had received a message across the ages.

Subsequent visits showed that the phenomenon only occurred at the winter solstice; and at other times of the year the sun only partially lit the message. In 1985, the distinguished Celtic scholar, Professor Robert T. Meyer visited the site and responded to a question regarding its authenticity in these words:

Nobody could have faked this sort of thing unless they had a very deep knowledge of Celtic philosophy, for this is very archaic, and probably from the sixth or seventh centuries. This, for Celtic scholars, is probably at least as important as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls . . . because it shows that Irish Monks, I suppose, came here, I would say, about 1500 years ago.

Since that time, other Ogham carvings have been discovered in West Virginia at Bears’s Fork in Fayette County and Horse Creek in Boone’s County; as well as at Red River Gorge in Kentucky; Shell Rock Canyon, Colorado, and Newfoundland!

As for the Wyoming County petroglyph, it remains for all to see: America’s first Christmas message, left between 500 and 800 A.D., by Irish Christian missionaries. We may never know the identity of the person or persons who carved the message, but the fact that it exists, provides important proof of the old claim that Irish monks sailed to America to spread the gospel long before Columbus and the Vikings. An Irish monk named Brendan wrote of that in the Sixth Century, but no one believed him. Now, in view of the earlier settlements found in New England, it should be obvious that the Irish had the map all along.

A Prophecy for Appalachia

 

A Prophecy for Appalachia

 
By MICHAEL EDDS
www.greatawakening.blogspot.com

Appalachia has been the object of ridicule for many, many years.  We have borne the "Beverly Hillbillies" stereotype for too long.  The real ignorance is among those who verbalize such bigoted nonsense.  We have a rich heritage of God in this beautiful and historic region.

The largest ethnic group in Appalachia is the Scots - Irish, who left their native land by the thousands long ago.  Due to generations of atrocities by the English in their motherland, they did not settle in the English Tidewater of Virginia.   They chose the wild, mountain wilderness of Appalachia to call home.

As early as the 1500's, great awakenings swept through Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Marvelous awakenings occurred during the summer Presbyterian "Sacramental Services" (communion services).  June marked the beginning of these high holy days. Thousands were swept into the Kingdom of God.  The Scots-Irish immigrants brought that same faith and heritage of revival with them to Appalachia.  The Sacramental Service was the forefather of the unique Appalachian phenomena - the camp meeting.

The Second Great Awakening in 1801 exploded in all its divine glory in Appalachia at a Scots - Irish Presbyterian communion service at Cane Ridge, Kentucky.  In this backwoods log church, one-tenth of the population of Kentucky came by foot, wagon and horseback to the astonishment of the pastor of the church, Barton Stone.  Between 20,000 to 30,000 not only came but stayed for seven days!  Even the Governor of Kentucky attended.  The heavens were rent and God came down!   Thousands of lives were radically changed by the New Birth.   Miraculous signs, wonders, and healings were common place.  At least a thousand fell to the ground under the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgetting their denominational allegiances, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist labored together.  The Awakening swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and throughout the South.  What is called the "Bible Belt of the South" today is nothing more than a residue of this Great Move of God.  God turned horse thieves, murderers, drunkards, adulterers and sinners into men and women of great piety.  The Awakening changed the very fabric of Southern society.  It still is the foundation of culture in the South today!!

Some historians have stated that the Second Great Awakening bypassed West Virginia.  THIS IS NOT TRUE!!

During the time of the great Cane Ridge revival, Presbyterians were meeting in the farm house of William Poage in Hillsboro, Pocahontas County, Virginia (West Virginia).  Meetings were held in homes before the church building was erected.  On one special night in 1801, many had gathered at the Poage home to hear the testimonies of two young men who had come from the Great Cane Ridge Awakening.  Traveling by horseback and buggy, 20 young people and their pastor, Rev. William Wilson, from Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg came also to hear these men.  As the young men began to tell of the wonders that they experienced at Cane Ridge,  the Holy Spirit fell upon the hearers.  The Glory of the Lord filled the Poage home.  The saints of God wept, shouted, fell under the power of the Holy Spirit and sang the glories of the Lord.  The Second Great Awakening had arrived in Hillsboro!!  As the believers left that cottage prayer service, the power of God swept throughout Hillsboro and Pocahontas County.  The pastor of Old Stone Church and his young people headed over the mountain for Lewisburg shouting, singing and praising God.  The Awakening hit Old Stone Church and Lewisburg like a hurricane.  From there, the Second Great Awakening swept all over West Virginia!  Thousands were converted.
  

Appalachian people have either lost or forgotten their rich spiritual heritage.  We have bought into the cultural inferiority complex imposed upon us by today's dominant culture.  NO MORE!!!!  Appalachian people have responded to every great move of God in unprecedented numbers!   We must understand and recapture our rich spiritual heritage. God is about to visit us again!

As I stood on the site of the old Poage farm, I pondered the holy things that had taken place there.  I felt a residue of Divine Presence still remaining.  I wept and offered up a prayer to the Father to "do it again, Lord!"  Finney once said, "The Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us or forsake us."   We have abandoned the God of our fathers.  Like the prodigal son, we must repent and make our way back home to Him.

The Holy Spirit is now hovering and brooding over Appalachia.  The very heavens above us are heavy with His Presence.  Heaven is about to rain down upon us! God is going to visit Appalachia once again!  As the old prophet said, "I hear the sound of abundance of rain!"  God has not forgotten you, oh Appalachia!

"In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines ... will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias."  Joel 3:18

God Smashes a Moonshiner's Still

"GOD SMASHES A MOONSHINER'S STILL" Among the most remarkable eccentric, itinerant, Methodist preachers that ever lived in the New River Valley, was Robert Sawyers Sheffey, who was born in the county of Wythe, Virginia, July 4, 1820, and died in Giles County, Virginia, in 1902. He was a son of Henry Sheffey, of Wythe, and came into the New River Valley some time in 1859, where he married for his second wife a Miss Stafford in what is commonly known as Irish settlement, in Giles County, where Mr. Sheffey located.  Mr. Sheffey declared war on the devil, sin and especially the moonshine trade, which was destroying lives, families and communities.

For reasons of his own, Robert Sheffey never united with the  Methodist conference, but continued throughout his career as a Methodist circuit rider, going from place to place, and wheresoever his inclinations led him. He was eccentric beyond description. That he was a pious devout Christian and Godly man was never doubted. He was a man of wonderful faith in God, and was usually most eloquent in public prayer. When troubles and difficulties surrounded him his oft repeated statement was, "I'll go and talk to the Lord about it."

One thing about this good man which was most remarkable, that his prayers for specific things were not only not in vain, but what he asked the Lord for, he in some way or some how always seemed to receive it. So often were his prayers answered, and his highest hopes and aspirations gratified, that people who knew him well and were disposed to do evil things were frequently alarmed for fear he would call down vengeance from heaven upon their guilty heads, and many believed that if he should ask the Lord to smite them with pestilence or death it would be done. The eccentricities of this man led numbers of people to express doubts as to his sanity. Some of these expressions reached Mr. Sheffey, and he often publicly repeated what he had heard, and his only comment was, "Would to the Lord they were crazy on the same subject that I am."
 

Many and interesting are the stories and anecdotes told of this preacher and of his conduct; some of which will here be related, and from which it will appear that while his eccentricities often appear therein, yet the great and strong faith of the man is also exhibited. Many years ago, Mr. Sheffey had a regular preaching place on East River in Mercer County,  West Virginia, near the residence of Mr. Anderson Tiller, at whose house, he made his stopping place, and where he was always carefully looked after and entertained. It was known that Mr. Sheffey was exceedingly fond of sweet things, and especially of honey. On an occasion, when on a preaching tour, he went to fill his appointment on East River, and became as was usual the guest of his brother, Tiller. Being on a Sunday morning and late in the summer season and while at the breakfast table, Mr. Tiller remarked to Mr. Sheffey that he regretted that he had no honey for him, that his bees had done no good, had not swarmed and that he feared they had frozen out in the winter or that some insect had destroyed them, and that the season was too far spent to have any swarms. Mr. Sheffey arose from the table and went down upon his knees, and told the Lord that the brother's bees had not swarmed, and that there was no honey in the house, and he implored the Lord to have the bees swarm. Scarcely had his petition ceased when the swarms came with such rapidity that Mr. Tiller was unable to procure rapidly enough sufficient gums to save the swarms. The truth of the incident is vouched for by the best people in the neighborhood of where it occurred.


At a meeting being held by Mr. Sheffey at Jordan's Chapel, now in Summers County,  West Virginia, Dr. Bray, a physician in the neighborhood together with his wife, were present at Sunday morning service and had with them a nursing infant child, which was taken suddenly ill about the close of the service. The mother became alarmed and grief stricken about the condition of her child, and in her hysteria she cried out that her child was dying. A large number of people were present and gathered around the mother and child supposed to be dying, when Mr. Sheffey appeared and being informed of the cause of the trouble, said, "Brother give me the little child," and taking it in his arms he fell upon his knees, and in a most earnest prayer to God asked for the life to the little child and that it might be restored to its mother. Arising from his position on the ground, he handed the child to its father, remarking, "here brother is your little child well and all right;" and so it was!!


Mr. Sheffey had a right good vein of humor in his makeup, and he occasionally exercised that faculty to the discomfiture of people. Some thirty years ago, there lived on the upper waters of Brush Creek, a Christian gentleman by the name of Robert Karr, a member of the Methodist Church, at whose house Mr. Sheffey was entertained, when on his preaching tours in that neighborhood. He had a protracted service in the neighborhood of Mr. Karr, which had continued some weeks, and which Mr. Karr had not attended, and whose non-attendance Mr.Sheffey had observed, and taking his brother Karr to task about his want of interest in the meeting, inquired why he did not attend. Mr. Karr replied that he had a good reason, and being pressed by Mr. Sheffey to give his reason, he finally said, "Well, I don't just exactly like your way;" whereupon Mr. Sheffey with a ha! ha! said, "Neither does the Devil."


On the occasion last mentioned or a similar one, while Mr. Sheffey was holding a meeting at Mr. Karr's, early one Sunday morning, a young man rode up to the house and delivered to Mr. Sheffey a message from his wife that his little son, Eddy, was very sick, and that the doctors had said he could not live and for him to come home at once. Mr. Sheffey made no response to the message, but went off a distance to some high granite boulders on the top of the highest of which he went to the Lord in prayer, and continued to pray until the time had arrived for him to meet his congregation at the church. On reaching the pulpit, he related to his congregation the message he had received, and then said, "I have talked to the Lord about this, and Eddy is not going to die." Eddy Sheffey lived and became a bright, intelligent, useful and honored citizen.


Mr. Sheffey had wonderful faith in God's providences, his care for his people in providing for their wants, physical as well as spiritual. It is told of him that on one occasion he met a man in the road on a very cold day, and that the man had on no socks, and that Mr. Sheffey observing this took off his and gave them to the man. After riding some distance he stopped at a house to warm his feet, and that the lady of the house said to him that she had knit for him some nice pairs of socks which she wished to present him. Another thing may be mentioned of this man, and that was the tender care of his horse and of other animals. He could not bear to see them suffer, not even a bug if turned on its back, and he has been known to dismount from his horse and turn it over. If he found what appeared to him to be a hungry animal or dog, he would give it his lunch rather than eat it himself. The story is told of him and another preacher who were out in some wild mountain district, that on leaving the house where they had been entertained, the woman put a lunch in Mr. Sheffey's saddle-bags telling them that they were not likely to meet with their dinner that day, and that she had provided a lunch that they might not suffer from hunger. Off the preachers went on along the mountain pathway during the morning hours and until about noon, proposed to eat the lunch. Mr. Sheffey informed him that he had no lunch, that he had just met two very hungry looking dogs to which he had given the lunch. 

"Sheffey Wages War Against the Moonshiners"

If there was a man beyond any other that believed that the whiskey traffic was one of the Devil's strongholds it was Mr. Sheffey. He assailed this traffic when opportunity offered and often in public prayed for its overthrow and destruction. He was often appealed to by good people to pray the Lord to remove still-houses and liquor manufactures. On the upper waters of the Bluestone, many years ago, was a whiskey distillery operated by a man and his son. Mr. Sheffey stopped in the neighborhood at the home of a good Methodist family. The good woman of the house told him of this distillery, and that it was ruining and wrecking the lives of many of the young men in the neighborhood, and requested him to pray for its removal, which he promised to do. The lady inquired "how long will it be before we may expect our prayers to be answered;" "about twelve months," was his reply; and sure enough within the twelve months the distillery was closed up, and the owner and his son in jail on charge of defrauding the government.


On another occasion he was on Wolf Creek, near Rocky Gap, when he was informed by the mother of a family with whom he was stopping, of the existence of a distillery in the neighborhood that was proving a great evil and requested Mr. Sheffey to pray for its removal. Mr. Sheffey then and there went to the Lord in prayer, and asked Him to destroy the evil, and if necessary send fire from Heaven to burn it up, and that very night an old dry tree near the distillery took fire, fell on the shanty and destroyed the whole thing. The whole neighborhood firmly believed Sheffey's prayer brought down that fire, which rid the neighborhood of the evil.

During a revival meeting, many of the moonshiners had gathered in the back of the church.   They had come to see if Sheffey would dare to speak against them and their vile trade.  Knowing that they were there, Sheffey rose and stood behind the pulpit.  He said, "I know that there are moonshiners here tonight.  God knows who you are!  I have prayed a prayer concerning you.  In that prayer, I asked God to do one of three things tonight....that you repent and get saved, or that you will leave town, or else that He will strike you dead!  The choice is yours!" Knowing that Sheffey had the reputation of getting exactly what he prayed for, several moonshiners ran to the altar and the rest ran out of the door and left town that very night!

Traveling through a community, Brother Sheffey came across a distillery. Approaching the owner, the old circuit rider warned him to shut the business down or else God would cause an oak tree to fall upon the buildings and smash it to pieces.  The wicked owner laughed him to scorn and said, "Old man, there isn't an oak tree within miles of here!  What can God do about that!  Get out and leave me alone!"   That very night, a violent storm hit that region.  A powerful wind came down upon a mountaintop miles away, uprooted a large oak tree and carried it a great distance and dropped it right on top of the distillery completely destroying all of it!

Mr. Sheffey's hostility and open expression against the liquor traffic and the traffickers, often brought down upon him, not only the curses and hatred of these people, but once at least, a pounding upon his head. He was preaching in Bland County, and during the service was interrupted by some crude young men under the influence of alcoholic spirits, which led to their severe censure and arraignment by the preacher.   This offended and enraged them so that they took position at the outside of the church door, and as Mr. Sheffey went out they clubbed and beat him severely. These people were indicted in the Court of Bland County, and Mr. Sheffey summoned as a witness for the Commonwealth. He did not appear, and compulsory process was taken against him, and on his appearance in Court he endeavored to avoid testifying. The young men were convicted, when Mr. Sheffey with tears in his eyes, and a prayer on his lips implored the court to allow them to go unpunished, that they knew not what they did; that he had forgiven them, that he had asked the Lord to forgive them, and now asked the Court to forgive them, which in a measure it did.

Once while traveling to Wytheville, Virginia, he noticed a low hanging limb with a large hornets nest on the outskirts of the town.  As he entered the town, his attention was drawn to numerous men coming in and out of a very large house.  He approached a young man coming out of the house and  inquired what was the cause of the comings and goings at this home.  With vulgar sarcasm, the young man remarked that Sheffey must be rather stupid to not know that it was a house of prostitution.  After the young man left, Sheffey hailed two young boys to come to him.  He offered them a fifty cent piece for their help.  He told them of the hornets nest on the edge of town.  He asked them to carefully get the nest, plug the opening and bring it to him.  A little while later, the young boys came with the nest.  After paying them their reward, he walked up a side alley and gently opened a window on the first floor of the home.  He cast the hornets nest into the room and shut the window.  Smashing to the floor, the nest released a swarm of angry hornets.  All of a sudden, a panicked mob of men and women burst through the front and back doors of the house.  Sheffey had cleaned house!!

As has already been stated, Mr. Sheffey went to the Lord about everything he did, even about small things, which sometimes brought him into ridicule by some classes of people, but that did not in the least deter him. He believed that the Lord controlled the actions of animals as well as men, and in verification and illustration thereof the following story is told by a gentleman living a few miles south of Pearisburg, Virginia. Mr. Sheffey stopped at his house over night, and by Mr. Sheffey's direction his horse was turned on pasture. Mr. Sheffey, having an appointment for the next day and anxious to get off early, requested the gentleman to have his horse ready for him. The man went out very early to get the horse which he was unable to do, even summoning help, still the horse would not allow himself to be caught, nor would he be driven into the stable yard or lot. Finally the man gave up the effort to secure the horse, went to the house and informed Mr. Sheffey of the situation, and he went out with the man into the field where the horse was grazing, and requested the man to wait until he told the Lord about it. Down upon his knees he went and told the Lord of the inability of the man to bridle the horse and requested that He put it into the mind of the horse to stand and be bridled, and on rising from his knees he said to the man "you can now bridle the horse," which he immediately did. Many other such things occurred in the history of this man, which for want of space cannot here be related.

Whatever may be said of this peculiar man and his eccentricities,  he was a man who walked with and knew his God.  The brilliance of his itinerant ministry lit up the dark hollows, valleys and mountaintops of early Appalachia and  covered and filled them with the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hello shook when he came to town.  He died in peace with God and man, and all who knew him revere his memory.  His mantle of ministry did not fall to the ground when he died.  Elijah's mantle fell upon Elisha at Elijah's departure.  Sheffey's mantle has been kept on hold until an  Elisha Generation would come along and pick it up.  That generation has come.  It is time to pick up this fallen mantle and finish what this old circuit rider started long ago!

Darkness Is Coming!!!

 

"A DREAM OF THE COMING DARKNESS"
by Michael Edds

In the fall of 2004, I had a dream. It was so real and terrifying that I had to get up from my bed. The following is an account of the dream:

“I was visiting my birthplace, a small village in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia. I pulled my car off the road and parked in front of the old Methodist Church. I got out of the car to stretch my legs. The day was absolutely pristine and picture perfect. The sky was cloudless, the sun bright, and the air fresh and crystal clear. I was admiring the beautiful flowers growing in people’s yards. Many were busy working in their yards and gardens on such a gorgeous day. There was such peace and serenity.

I turned and looked toward the southeast. I was astonished at what I saw. A billowing cloud of complete blackness was suddenly approaching the town. It completely blotted out all light and scenery where it advanced and covered. It approached the village limits, which was a river southeast of the community.

I made the comment, “Oh my God, the Darkness has come!” I sensed great evil and danger in it. I looked around to see if anyone else saw what I saw. To my amazement, people were oblivious to the approaching wall of darkness. They were still busy working in their yards and around their homes.

I made the statement, “They do not realize what it will be like when the Darkness comes. All of the sun light, beauty of nature and peace will disappear when the Darkness moves in. Everything in their lives will suddenly and drastically change.”

I turned to get into my car to flee the approaching Darkness. All of a sudden, six motorcyclists drove out of the blackness and across the bridge into the town. I gasped, "The advance guard of the Darkness has arrived!" These riders were on black motorcycles and dressed in black leather from head to toe.

I jumped into my car as they approached. They slowed down as they reached my car and the leader yelled out, “Don’t you dare leave!” I locked my car doors as he approached and floored the gas pedal. My tires squealed as I fled. The motorcyclists pursued me and tried to force me off the road. I swerved into two and caused them to wreck. The rest pursued me for many miles and shot at me.

After some distance, I approached some men working on the road and asked for help or to make a call for me to the police. The cyclist were no longer in sight. I started to get out of the car but heard a voice from above warning me to not to get out of the car but to drive on. Finally, I realized that I was running out of gas and stopped down the road to refuel. I pulled up to a gas station and started refueling. The dream ended with me praying for God’s protection while I refueled.

When I awoke, I was trembling with fear. I got up to settle myself.

The parts of the dream that stood out were:

1. The Darkness suddenly came upon the land.
2. Before it came, all was serene, beautiful and peaceful.
3. No one saw it coming.
4. An advanced guard came into the community first on a reconnaissance mission.
5. The Darkness then moved in and totally blotted out all light and beauty. Life drastically changed for people.
6. I fled for safety.

America is on the threshold of something cataclysmic that will radically change life, as we know it. A wall of Darkness is about to suddenly fall upon this land.

John 16:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit will tell us of things to come. He warns us in advance to prepare us for what is ahead.

Hebrews 11:7 records, “…Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household….”

An advance guard of this Darkness is already at work. People are living in a false sense of complacent security. I believe that the cup of iniquity is full in America, which will unleash divine judgment upon this nation. Something is about to shatter the hardness of this wicked nation’s heart.

God has revealed to me that a Great Awakening is about to burst forth upon the scene. This Awakening will give America and the world one last chance to repent. Most importantly, it will bring the Bride of Christ together. Historically, Awakenings have preceded calamity. This could happen again. However, the coming Darkness may actually precede the Final Awakening and be the cause of people turning to God, which would bring about the Awakening.

May God’s people listen to the warning of the Holy Spirit and move with Godly fear to the saving of their households and neighborhoods. God desires for us to prepare an ark of safety to which people can flee for refuge when disaster comes. Let us listen and quickly move. Darkness is coming!