A Lion Encounter at Soaking
Oh how He loves us and loving us even now! I first heard this statement from James Jordan of Father Heart Ministries, Taupo, New Zealand, several years ago; and it went deep inside of me and deeper still. More and more I am being convinced that love is having its perfect work inside of me. Love will penetrate us and elevate us to live out our lives and purpose for the kingdom, with great Joy and abandonment.
Some months ago, while facilitating a Soaking Encounter in St. Augustine, I had an encounter, which I shall never forget. Lately, more and more spiritual accounts of encounters with a Lion are being spoken or written about. Most likely there have been and are others taking place too. Every time since, when others see this Lion, the description is much the same, yet the experience varies. And when I read or hear about them, I am taken back to that first time and more passion and intensity increases in me; this happened just recently.
This encounter began with seeing the mane of a horse and then I recognized the horse to be a horse that my family had when I was young. One day, when riding High and Mighty, as he was named, I was unable to stop him; he was hungry and was focused on the barn ahead. I pulled back on the reigns and spoke to him and he kept going, entering into the barn, where his feed was in the trough. As he entered, I ducked down through the entrance, and fell to the ground, and he stepped on the little finger, of my left hand; and it broke. At the time, I did not know it was broken but it hurt very much. My family laughed and I felt stupid, rejected and had a fear of riding again. This was indeed, not a great experience for me as a teenager.
I heard the Father tell me what had happened then will not happen again, when riding. This brought me much comfort and healing to that incident. Love cast out and replaced the fear. He explained to me that my understanding of authority now, and who I am in Him, and the confidence, I now have, is firm in Him. I felt enormous peace; Father had healed a place in me that I did not know needed healing; and how perfectly loving that is of Him to do!
I heard the Father tell me what had happened then will not happen again, when riding. This brought me much comfort and healing to that incident. Love cast out and replaced the fear. He explained to me that my understanding of authority now, and who I am in Him, and the confidence, I now have, is firm in Him. I felt enormous peace; Father had healed a place in me that I did not know needed healing; and how perfectly loving that is of Him to do!
I then noticed that the mane no longer looked the same; the mane began to move, as if it was breathing. And there was no wind blowing; which seemed a bit strange. This was no longer the same mane; it had become the mane of a lion!
King Jesus, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
A lion, with a very commanding presence, had entered the room and now stood before me. A look of vengeance was radiating from him; yet I felt a passion that I have felt many times before. Even with this vengeance in His gaze, I felt such enormous peace and rest. How can that be? When I looked into his eyes, he had the most intense and ferocious, yet loving and passionate gaze, that looked right through me, with such love, such strength, such courage, and majesty. His gaze was beautiful, yet ferocious.
He knew my thoughts and spoke this to me; He said clearly, ‘This ferocious gaze is not directed at you My love, it is directed towards all that is against you, and the passion in my gaze is the extravagant and outrageous love I have for you, that will never end!’
Then he sat down; his presence overtaking the room. The lion was huge and I was certain at one point that this lion was 15 feet long, no, it is more like 9 feet, I thought. I went back and forth about the size in my mind. Either way, I’m thinking, this is enormous!
The lion, of great beauty, was now embracing me and everyone present there; though they were not aware of the lion, they were conscious of a divine presence.
I was amazed at the mane; it sparkled, with shimmering light and it was moving like alive itself, and one strand at a time! And I felt His mane comforting me, as I was now leaning into Him. I actually fell to sleep, which I never do at soaking; after all, I am the facilitator!
When sharing with everyone later, which we do, as we gather back in one room together, I remember saying these two numbers to everyone in the room, as a description. I came home that day, still pondering this and researched the size of an average male lion. The largest size is surprisingly 9 feet and with the tail, it measures 15 feet long and it stands 4 feet high, not including the head. The standing height is the height of an average, adult man. This is simply, still amazing to my mind to comprehend.
Since this particular encounter took place, for there have been more than one now, I was reminded of previous experiences that I also had. They are becoming clearer to me; and I am recalling others. One in particular, when I was in Toronto, my only trip there, thus far: I was lying on the floor, having just been prayed for, and I had my arm in a suspended place; and then realized I had my arm around the neck of the most beautiful and comforting lion. I was not afraid, for he was with me. I tucked this experience into my heart and hoped it was so.
Now, with more experiences with Father and my becoming more and more convinced in my heart that I am loved, and without a doubt His child, not part of an army of believers; but personally a part of a precious family, created by God, I recognize what existed all along and I see my journey more clearly!
Now, with more experiences with Father and my becoming more and more convinced in my heart that I am loved, and without a doubt His child, not part of an army of believers; but personally a part of a precious family, created by God, I recognize what existed all along and I see my journey more clearly!
Love is the Most Excellent Way!
Love received will remove hindrances and cause us to rest in Him, who has completed the work of righteousness. The more convinced we become in love, the more lovable we know we are and the more we trust, in this Love, we are more determined to stand, more assured in who we are, with more mercy for ourselves and others. His voice becomes clearer; compassion rises, along with direction. Declarations of Truth are spoken with boldness, seasoned with love that shatters the resistance of lies and deception.
Love, the weapon of God’s mass destruction against that which is against those for who He died!
Deborah Fisher
‘I Have Seen I Am’ by Jonathan David Helser, is a song with passionate impact for the listener, that describes the experiences many are having of late, with this Lion. (Listen on this website, under Music.)
