ORCHARD OF GOD,
STAND BARREN BEFORE GOD--
FOR IT IS A GOOD THING.

Prophetic Word Given Sunday evening 10/11/98 by Cheryl Cranston,
contributed through "The Elijah List"

Fall leaves, from far away, are beautiful.

Fall leaves, close up, are mottled, black and ugly.

They hang by nothing for they are getting ready for a gentle autumn wind to blow them away until, at last, the three stands barren, naked, yet taller showhow, since shedding its clothes. And the Spirit of God teaches the church in the splendor of creation.

From afar, the orchard is beautiful. Beautiful because the trees live? No. Beautiful because the trees are ready to spring forth with new life? No. The orchard is beautiful because it is getting ready to die.

And the Spirit of the Lord would say to the church: You, my church, are an autumn orchard. There are mottled areas that close-up are unattractive--marred by the enemy and influenced by the world. But at this appointed time in history I am removing every nutrient that has fed these ugly things, and as sure as you stand as trees planted in my orchard, those things will die; they must die. And their death is a beautiful sight in my eyes. For as I have created the autumn splendor to amaze and delight the eye, so my eye, church, is delighted to gaze upon my autumn orchard.

Stand up, orchard of God. Stand up before your Creator. Rise up and embrace the autumn breezes of my Spirit that will come to blow away the dead leaves.

For the weight of these things have wearied you. As the leaves fall, so you will be released to stand taller and rise to new heights.

Orchard of God, stand barren before your Creator--for it is a good thing. You will be barren, without clothes, but you will not die when winter comes. You will tremble, but you will not die. For your God has been faithful to clothe every flower in His creation--how much more will he clothe those whom He has called.

Rise up you teachers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, apostles and prophets, for the Lord is making you new clothes. They will not be like the former garments, for the latter rain is greater than the former rain. They are garments of white that are sturdier than the garments of the past. They are not made from material that tattters and frays after one or two washings. They are garments that will endure many washings--made from the finest wool--the essence of God--whose very hair is white like wool.

And these new sturdy garments will last through the journey. For you are going on a great trip, my church, a trip that will take you to the book of Acts and beyond. Clothed in these garments you will see the anointing fall--and the dead will rise, the lost will be saved, delivrance will come, the blind and sick will be healed.

Orchard of God, know this. This is a corporate adventure-not an individual one. For no longer will only a few walk in my anointing while the other trees shirk back. No. It is a corporate adventure.

And know this--not one tree left in the orchard can remain clothed in old leaves. For those that remain in this orchard--trying to stand still and remain stagnant to preserve the old garments--will be clearly seen among the barren trees and exposed--having its trunk shaken by the very hand of God--for God disciplines those He loves--and God loves this church. The orchard must be uniform and every tree must be as one.

Orchard of God--come forth and be shaken. Come forth and let the mottled leaves fall in my presence, taking new garments even this night--travelling clothes that will take you to the book of Acts--and beyond. For I said you would do even greater things than I did, for My Name's sake.

This night, the Spirit says: Orchard of God, die to the former things, that the latter things may reign.

To the book of Acts--and beyond.