Sid: I tell you I am so excited about the interview this week; I was, as a friend of mine likes to say, I was minding my own business at church and trying to worship God and a woman walks up to my wife and shoves a book in her hand and says “I think you should read this.” And service was over and we got home and so my wife didn’t even look at the book. I take a look at it and I start reading it and I didn’t want to put the book down because for the first time; I mean there are many people that are saying “This is the moment that God is having such mercy on planet Earth; this is the moment to draw close to God; this the moment to hunger for God. This is the moment for intimacy; this is the moment to press into God. All of these words with most people it’s just words meaning okay somehow they’ve managed to have this breakthrough, but I don’t know what they’re saying; I don’t know how I can get that breakthrough for myself. And this is the first book that I have seen that is actually a practical guide for a breakthrough not just for the superstars. Because we’re in a new period in history in which thee Superstar will function and that is the Messiah; the one new man; the body of Messiah. That means that just as in the first church the least Christian walked in signs and miracles and heard God but we have in what is called 21st century American Christianity is not remotely close to what I read in the Bible. But I found a tool for you and I have the author on the telephone; his name is Gary Oates from Dallas, Georgia. He was raised Southern Baptist; he was on the staff of Campus Crusade; got filled with the Spirit; has been an Independent Charismatic Church Pastor and now is traveling the nations. And when I… I have to tell you Gary when I read your book my first thought was “Is this authentic?” And then I looked at the back page of the book and I saw a bunch of my friends that tell me they were eye witnesses to what God’s been doing with you. People like Randy Clark who’s probably seen more miracles per square inch than any human I know. This is what he says about your book. “This is one of the most exciting books I’ve read in a long time I can verify this story; I am a witness to what Gary has written and more.” And then perhaps my favorite person to interview Heidi Baker; I mean this is a woman that feeds orphans supernaturally in Africa and moves in all of the gifts of the Spirit and just has such child-like faith. She says “I couldn’t not put this amazing book down I laughed and cried as the Holy Spirit touched me through these anointed stories; if you want a deeper life in the Holy Spirit this book is for you.” Now Gary you were a charismatic Christian coming from a very evangelical fundamental type of a background. You were doing what a charismatic Christian does; but there was one moment according to your book that required a step of obedience that opened up a brand new door of intimacy with God. Tell me about that.
Gary: Well, in June of 2002 we were ministering in Brazil and the church worship was incredible the presence of God was so strong in the room. God spoke to me and He said “Take your shoes off your standing on Holy Ground.” My first reaction was “Well, I don’t want to do that it was a dirty dusty concrete floor and I had on clean socks and so I resisted.” And a couple moments later God spoke again and He said “Take your shoes off.” And I realized that this God I better do this and reached down and I take my shoes off quickly and thanked God I did because I believe that what followed would not have happened had I not taken my shoes off.
Sid: Let me interject something I have talked to people that have had distinct impressions while sitting in a church here in a America where the floors are good enough to eat off of run around the church and the thought was “Oh, everyone will look at me; no one else is doing it I’m not going to do that.” Could you put that almost in the same classification?
Gary: Well, yes in a way because often times you know God is speaking to us; we’re wanting to go to the next level; we’re wanting to experience more of Him, but yet we’re not willing to do the simple thing that He asks of us. And when we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit God can then entrust us with more when we’re faithful in the small things.
Sid: Okay, so you got your feet dirty; you respected God by honoring His word; what happened?
Gary: Well, I continued worshiping the Lord and I opened my eyes and I looked up on the platform as there was some dancers up there during the worship time and God opened my eyes to see angels; three angels dancing around two of the dancers.
Sid: Now were these like bright lights or were they really visible beings?
Gary: Well, I saw them as transparent; I saw them they were dressed in white; they were white flowing robes. And I didn’t see them just like I would see a person but I could see through them and they were dancing around these other dancers. Individual dancers over the side each one of them had a large angel that was arched over them and everywhere the dancer went the angel would move with them and I was amazed at what I was seeing.
Sid: Had you ever seen anything like this before?
Gary: No nothing like this.
Sid: But had you not taken, and this was so important Mishpochah, had Gary not taken that step and I guess the operative word Gary is obedience.
Gary: Yes.
Sid: Had he not been obedient to the little inconsequential I mean it sounds inconsequential to me Gary.
Gary: Yes.
Sid: Taking my shoes off in a dirty room; I don’t want to do but it’s so what what difference does it make? But for some reason it was you little step to cause God to I guess this might be called the gift of discernment where you could see in the invisible realm.
Gary: Yes, well my prayer had been before I went to Brazil to minister that God would open my eyes; that I would begin to see things from His perspective not just my own and that He would open my eyes to see the ministry of angels.
Sid: Well, what were these… why were these angels dancing with the human dancers that were worshiping God; what was going on in your opinion?
Gary: Well, I believe that the dancers were cooperating with what’s happening in Heaven and the angels manifested themselves around the dancers because we were worshiping God. It was moment of worship and of course the angels are worshipers of God and so I saw both what was happening in Heaven, the angels dancing before the Lord but also in the natural on the earth of the dancers dancing before the Lord.
Sid: What happened next?
Gary: Well, I looked up and above the platform was full of worshiping angels; they were playing instruments, dancing, they were singing it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. And I began to thank God for all that He was doing; I raised my hands to the Lord tears were just beginning to come down my cheeks. And I said “God I just want more of You; I want more of You!” And right then I felt myself getting bigger and taller and it was like I grew to 15 feet tall and I was looking down over everyone else worshiping. And I was awed by what was happening and then I started going up; now actually my spirit was leaving my body. My body was on the floor but my spirit was leaving my body and went up into the top of the tent. Now this church met in a large tent that seated 3,000 people. From that perspective I was looking down over the people worshiping God. And to be honest with you it was like fear began to grip me and I started resisting what God was doing.
Sid: I’ve heard other men of God say that and others listing to you say “Why would he do that?” but put yourself in such a unique situation and find out it’s not so simple is it Gary?”
Gary: No, especially when you’ve never been there before; I’d never experienced that it’s a whole new realm of the spirit. And so because of that I was resisting I starting coming back down and I thought no I messed up. And I began to cry out “God forgive me for up is better, up is better.”
Sid: (Laughing)
Gary: And right when I said that I started going back up again and this time really fast and just like Superman went right through the top of tent way up into the sky. And I was looking down over the city; I could see the top of tent it was glowing with the glory of God. And God gave me zoom vision; but it was like a hole opened up in the top of the tent; I could see right down into the tent with people worshiping God. And I want to tell you the sensation that I felt is very difficult to describe because I was not limited to a physical body; it was like nothing was impossible. There were no limitations on me; again fear gripped me but it was a fear of the unknown; it was a fear of the supernatural because I’m the kind of guy that likes to have everything in a box. You know I like to have all my ducks in a row and I was way out of my box I was way out of my comfort zone; and again I started resisting what God was wanting to do. I started coming back down; I realized right then that I was the problem; I was the one that put the ceiling on how far I went with God. I honestly believe that God would have taken me all the way to the throne room had I not resisted.
Sid: Hmm.
Gary: And as I started back down I was just again I was just crying out to God; oh God forgive me forgive me I know I know I messed up again. And I came all the way back down just inside the tent. And I raised my hands to the Lord; it was my spiritual arms; it was like they went a mile up into the sky and I was looking up. And as I was looking up I saw Jesus coming down; he was wearing a robe; the presence…
Sid: Was He transparent like the angels?
Gary: No I didn’t see Him as transparent I saw Him as just as I would see a person; just as I would look at you. And He had His hands extended outward toward me; and He came all the way down and He took my hands and He held my hands real tight as if to say I’m not going to let you go. And I was overcome.
Sid: Oh were out of time we’ll pick up right here on tomorrow’s broadcast Mishpochah but I’m going to have Gary pray sometime this week a prayer of impartation that you would move in this realm.
Tags: its supernatural, Sid Roth
Tags: its supernatural, Sid Roth