When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest, "I'm thunder in the desert: Make the road straight for God!" The Message

Diane Bahler Dbahler5@aol.com October 30, 2000

A couple of years ago the Lord gave me a vision of a church. This church was filled with the army of the Lord. They were wielding all of the weapons of their warfare - the Word, worship, praise, dancing, banners flying. Their weapons were going off all over the place. The problem was they weren't hitting much. Then I saw a small group of prophetic intercessors in a corner. They were watchmen on the walls and the Lord gave them the vision to see the enemy, where he was coming from, where his strongholds were, what weapons would defeat him. As they received the vision and strategy from the Lord they would send a messenger to share it with the various leaders in the church - some were teachers, some evangelists, some worship leaders, some pastors and preachers, etc. The leaders received the information and then began to use it to direct their particular divisions and soon the entire army began to work in harmony with a single vision and their aim became deadly. They were no longer scattered and firing their weapons - no matter how powerful - ineffectively. They had become a unified, efficient fighting force that was able to sling stones with both the right and the left hand as one mighty man.

What follows is not a "prophetic word" in the sense of what we have come to think of as prophetic words. I believe one of the jobs of the prophet is to help the body have a SINGLE EYE so that they can become an effective fighting force. For too long the Body of Christ has suffered what has mostly seemed like defeat in this country while the enemy has seemed to gain at every turn. I don't believe it is because our weapons are not powerful - they ARE - powerful to bring down strongholds and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The problem with gaining the victory, I believe, is that we are not unified in our vision and strategy. We have not applied our prophetic vision practically and with unified purpose.

I believe that what is below is a new expression of the prophetic gift God is releasing to help the body begin to see the enemy and see the strategy to defeat him. We must ALWAYS remember that our struggle is NOT with flesh and blood. It is ALWAYS against the spiritual forces of wickedness. So even though I am going to speak very plainly about Al Gore, this word is intended to facilitate the battle against the spiritual forces that seek to USE him to bring forth the DEVIL'S agenda. I believe that one of the reasons the Church has not gained the victories within our government system is because we have come against its leaders with a spirit of arrogance and self righteousness instead of tears and intercession on their behalf.

IN ALL THAT WE DO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MAN AL GORE AND PRAY FOR HIS SALVATION, DELIVERANCE AND HEALING! He may have become the battleground but the battle must also be FOR him. He is one of God's precious lambs and the Lord desires to see him set free from the influence of the enemy as much as the "other 99." WE WILL NOT WIN THIS BATTLE IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER HEART.

With that said, I want to speak very plainly about what I am seeing about Al Gore and the incredible importance of interceding in an effective way so that he does not become the next president of this country. I truly believe this may be one of the most important elections in the history of this country. I believe as a nation we are on the threshold of either the greatest revival in history or tremendous destruction.

Here is why I believe that if Al Gore is elected, the outcome will be destruction:

I spent the past weekend in Tennessee, Gore's home state. While there it came to my attention that Gore is from Carthage, Tenn. I felt a stirring in my spirit at the time but I didn't really think too much more about it until today when the Lord told me to look up Carthage. I believe He was using the name to illustrate the spiritual dynamics of what is being played out with the Vice President from Carthage. Here is what I found:

Carthage was an ancient city and state on the northern coast of Africa. It was the SEAT OF A SEA POWER dominant in the western Mediterranean until its defeat by Rome in the second century. There were three wars waged by Rome called the PUNIC WARS. Rome finally defeated Carthage and annexed its territory. PUNIC means of or pertaining to ancient Carthage or its people. A second meaning is HAVING THE CHARACTER OF TREACHERY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CARTHAGEANS BY THE ROMANS. Punic is the west Semitic language of ancient Carthage, a dialect of the PHOENICIANS. Phoenicia was an ancient maritime country consisting of a group of city states of SYRIA, extending from the Mediterranean Sea eastward to the LEBANON MOUNTAINS. The God of the Phoenicians (or Philistines) was DAGON - a FISH GOD. It was the temple of Dagon that SAMSON brought down on the heads of the Philistines.

What is God saying in all this? I am sad to say that every time I look at Al Gore I see a snake. His words are filled with pride, flattery and outright lies - all characteristics of the serpent Leviathan and the spirit of Antichrist. I am NOT saying that Al Gore is the antichrist. I AM saying that there are POWERFUL demonic principalities that are working through him to bring about their own agendas which will bring DESTRUCTION to America instead of REVIVAL. I truly believe the Lord has shown me that if Al Gore is elected President they will use him to BETRAY America and hand her over to her enemies. There will be GREAT CARNAGE (gore) - DESTRUCTION.

This may be hard to take but if this destruction comes it will not be the fault of Al Gore - IT WILL BE THE FAULT OF THE CHURCH FOR NOT STANDING IN THE GAP ON HIS BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF AMERICA. The Lord issued a call for the Church to pray for Clinton. God's purposes for this country were delayed because of our failure to do so. God has given us grace to try again. IF WE FAIL TO HEED HIS CALL THIS TIME, HOWEVER, JUDGMENT WILL COME . I'm telling you as plainly as I can, the Church MUST REPENT OF OUR DIVISION AND OUR LUKEWARMNESS OR PERISH.

Look at what the Lord said in Luke 13: "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will ALL perish…" Then he told the parable about the fig tree that bore no fruit. "For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down."

I'm telling you -THIS IS OUR FINAL YEAR. If we do not bear fruit for our nation this year, we will be cut down.

Below are some of the strategies for intercession that I believe the Lord is giving us to get focused, efficient and victorious. The battle IS the Lord's but He will only give it to us if we are OBEDIENT. We can not continue to arrogantly think that we can go our own way and pray halfheartedly and God is going to continue to protect us. Remember, HE is the one who said it is better to cut off your arm or gouge out your eye than to have your whole body burn in Hell. He WILL allow destruction if that is what it takes to save us from Hell. But there is a better way:

1. ARISE. First of all we need to WAKE UP. In Isaiah 37 the King of AsSYRIA surrounded Jerusalem and mocked the God of Israel. "When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord." Hezekiah KNEW the potential for DESTRUCTION: "It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, O Lord, our God, deliver us from the hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God."

2. FAST AND PRAY. I believe there are times so serious that whatever we are doing needs to be laid down for a season so that we can focus in unity with one heart and purpose. Esther called for ALL of the Jews in the country to fast and pray for the deliverance of the nation. I believe we are living in such a time as this. I received a word this evening from a prophetess named Gloria Shepherd calling for a seven day fast NOW. I believe we are at such a serious crossroads in this country that the Lord IS calling us to a national fast - even if only a remnant responds it may be enough to turn back judgment and give us time for revival and to harvest the wheat. This is not a time for individual agendas and visions. An army is NOT a democracy. There are times when they must simply follow orders even though they don't have the field of vision that their leaders do. We don't ALWAYS have to have a "personal vision" or feel "personally led." Sometimes we need to become rank and file soldiers and obey orders without question. To go his own way can get a foot soldier killed on the battlefield and jeopardize the entire battalion.

3. SAMSON'S COME FORTH. This weekend while in Tennessee my 14 year old daughter and I climbed the highest mountain in the Smokey's. On the way up I saw a young father standing in the cleft of a rock holding his infant son to protect him from the wind. On the way down I asked my daughter to stand there in the cleft so I could take her picture. She went into the alcove and placed both hands outward against the sides forming a picture of Samson pushing against the pillars. Out of my mouth came the words: "You look like Samson." I had forgotten about that until today when I began to read about Carthage and the water god Dagon. I believe my daughter's generation represents a Samson Generation. They have had poor parenting, have had little respect for authority and have been spoiled by the abundance God has given them. The devil has worked hard to abort them or blind them. BUT I BELIEVE GOD HAS A REMNANT FROM THIS AGE GROUP THAT HE HAS HIDDEN IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK. IT IS NOW TIME FOR THEM TO COME FORTH AND TO PUSH WITH ALL THE STRENGTH THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN THEM TO BRING DOWN THE UNGODLY PILLARS SUPPORTING THE DEVIL'S KINGDOM IN THIS COUNTRY! It is interesting that the media keeps talking about how disinterested the young people of this country are in the elections and yet my daughter has a burning passion to pray for this election that I have never seen in her before. I truly believe it is going to be concerted intercession by this young age group that is going to bring down the temple of Dagon in this country.

4. PRAY FOR AL GORE. I hear a lot of calls to pray for George Bush - and I say yes to that too - but the battleground is AL GORE. PRAY FOR HIM! BLESS him - don't curse him. The devil and his purposes are EMPOWERED if we come in the wrong spirit. The TRUTH will be exposed and LIGHT will triumph over the darkness if we pray FOR Al Gore. Pray for his salvation, deliverance and healing. Whether he wins or loses the election, God's Kingdom will win and the devil's kingdom will lose if he is SAVED, DELIVERED AND HEALED. And regardless of whether he becomes president or not, our heart should still be to see him SAVED, DELIVERED AND HEALED.

5. AIM INTERCESSION AT THE MEDIA. I have found that if there is a Leviathan spirit and an antichrist spirit at work then there is usually a spirit of witchcraft nearby. I believe the media is rife with a spirit of witchcraft and manipulation. It was interesting that after all three debates the pundits declared Gore to be the winner for the most part and after all three debates they had to go back and shake their heads in amazement that the PEOPLE thought Bush was the general winner. Gore's lies go largely unchallenged by the media. But God has a way of exposing the TRUTH. When Haman wanted to kill Mordecai the book of the Chronicles just happened to fall into the lap of the king telling about Mordecai's heroism. God LOVES to hang "Haman" on his own gallows. If the media is building a gallows for George Bush, then they may find themselves hung on it.

This is what the Lord has given me. Some may think this is overly dramatic but I have never felt so serious about issuing a prophetic wake up call. We are in a new day and our obedience or lack of it will have consequences so serious that it staggers the imagination. PLEASE heed this warning.