Spirit-Filled Pastor: It’s Time for the Church to Saddle Up for Battle
Note: Click here for part one and part two of this three-part series.
Years ago, Gabi—who was on staff with our ministry—submitted a dream she had to us. In that dream, she was standing by a hillside, and from the righthand side, going down to the left, she saw two powerful horses running by—first one, then right behind it, another one.
It was pointed out to her in the dream that they were neither black nor white. After a short while, many horses were running down the hill. It was pointed out to her that there were saddles on the horses, but no one was sitting on them. She somehow knew the horses had a goal, as if they were going into battle. She felt strongly that she needed to find out what it meant and specifically to find out what the horses symbolize.
Little did she realize that just a few days before, I was sharing a message about preparing the bride. I quoted Jeremiah 12:5a, which reads, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?” The verse goes on to add a note about being wearied, too, in the “land of peace.”
Shortly after this, a word came forth from one of our leaders during one of our Friday night meetings:
“You have heard it said in times past that the Lord of the universe laid aside His glory and crown to walk among men, meekly and humbly, as a shepherd amongst His sheep. And during this time, many of you have grown weary in the waiting and have become entangled in things that have damaged you greatly, and you cried to the Lord, ‘How long, Lord, how long until the Lord hears my cry and delivers me from my afflictions?’ Know this, that even now the Lord is stirring Himself to visit His people. But this time it will not be with a shepherd’s crook but a sword. He is not riding on a donkey but on a great white horse, and His name is called ‘faithful and true’; and He is coming in the clouds with power to receive His bride, which has adorned herself and which is without spot, wrinkle or blemish.”
There was something specific God was speaking to us concerning these horses. We needed to understand what the horses represented in the first dream, and we needed to understand what God was saying about the horses through this prophetic word.
In the dream, the horses had no specific color. There were just two strong horses, and behind were multitudes of others saddled up and prepared to go into battle. Next, the Lord was saying that He Himself is coming on a white horse with a sword, preparing the bride. Luke 10:1-2 says we are to go before Him in every city and place that He is about to go. The pieces began to fit together.
I believe God was saying then as He is saying today: “Church, saddle up. Saddle up. The horses are going into battle, but where are my laborers who are going to ride on those horses? No longer entangle yourselves with the footmen, but get on the horses and fight the battle upon the horses of God.”
God wants to send laborers into every city and place where He is about to go or manifest Himself. The challenge is that the harvest is truly great but the laborers are still too few. Laborers are servants of the Lord. Serving is work and serving is sacrifice in the natural, but what a privilege and honor it is to serve God! We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices and to serve this generation. He anoints the sacrifice.
We must offer ourselves not in words only, but also in giving our lives to service as seed for the soils of souls. We must give our lives in total surrender to the Father’s will, and then He will consume us with His anointing and presence. God anoints the living, breathing temples of the Holy Spirit who have been bought with the price of the blood of Jesus. He wants to consume us as living sacrifices, and His glory will fill our temples.
As a corporate body of believers, when we gather in brokenness at the cross, saying, “God what is Your will for us? What is Your will for the corporate body?” then together we become a corporate, anointed structure of people who say, “God, not my will, but Your will be done.”
God is looking for individuals whose hearts are His and whom He can trust to do His will. Are we willing to be those servants and offer ourselves as living sacrifices? Are we individually willing to serve this generation who desperately need the Lord? To be those who are not settled in complacency but are willing to say, “Yes, Lord, here I am”? I believe God is searching the church to find for Himself those who have not compromised. He will illuminate the church to find those He can truly trust—those who are His bride, without spot or blemish.
We are that army that He is calling to be prepared. If we truly believe He is coming, then let’s do something about it. Let’s saddle up and go! And if we go, He will come. {eoa}
Doug Stringer is founder and president of Somebody Cares America and Somebody Cares International, a global network bringing hope and healing to communities through prayer initiatives, compassion outreaches and cooperative efforts. He is the author of numerous books, including In Search of a Father’s Blessing and Leadership Awakening: Foundational Principles for Lasting Success.
