 The
Vision
By
Late Demos Shakarian
(Founder/1st
International President)
In
1952 God told me to start a Fellowship for men who would meet in
small and large groups in cafes, hotels and public places to
fellowship and minister spiritually one to another. To attempt to
accomplish this, we organized a group and met in Clifton’s Cafeteria
in Los Angeles every week for a whole year. Interest and attendance
was so small that it appeared that we would be forced to give up a
ministry I was sure God called me to do. God was so good and gave me a
vision in my home while I was on my knees the night before I was going
to stop the meetings.
God said to me, “I am the One, Demos, who alone can open
doors. I am the One who removes the beam from unseeing eyes.”
“I understand, Lord Jesus. And I thank You.”
“And now I will let you see, indeed.”
With that the Lord allowed me to rise to my knees. Lifted me
almost, as though the power which had pressed me to the floor was now
bearing me up. And at that moment, Rose, my wife came into the living
room. She stepped around me and walked over to the Hammond organ in
the corner. She said not a word, but sat down and began to play.
As the music swelled through the living room, the atmosphere
grew brighter. To my amazement the ceiling seemed to have disappeared.
The cream-colored plaster, the ceiling light - they were simply gone,
and instead I found myself staring up into the sky, a daytime sky
although it must have been pitch dark. How long she played while I
gazed into the infinite distance I don’t know. But all at once she
stopped, fingers still resting on the keys, and began to pray aloud in
tongues. She paused a moment, then spoke in English:
“My son. I knew you before you were born. I have guided you
every step of the way. Now I am going to show you the purpose of your
life.”
It was the Spirit’s gifts of tongues and interpretation,
given together. And as she spoke a remarkable thing began to happen.
Although I was on my knees, I felt as if I were rising. Leaving my
body. Moving up, away from the living room. Down below me I could see
the rooftops
of Downey, California. There were the San Bernardino Mountains, and
over there the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Now I was high above the
earth, able to see from the west to the east.
Whether
the world was turning, or whether I was traveling around it, I do not
know. But now beneath me the continent of South America. Then Africa.
Europe. Asia. I could see people on the earth - millions and millions
of them standing shoulder to shoulder. Then, just as a camera can zoom
in at a football game to show first the stadium, then the players,
then the very laces on the football, my vision seemed to move in on
the millions of men, I could see tiny details of thousands and
thousands of faces. Everywhere it was the same. Brown faces, black
faces, white faces - every one rigid, wretched, every one locked in
his own private death.
“Lord!” I cried. “What is the matter with them? Lord,
help them!”
Afterward Rose told me that I said nothing. But in the vision
it seemed to me that I wept and pleaded aloud.
Suddenly Rose began to speak. Humanly speaking, of Course, she
had no way of knowing that I was seeing anything at all. But what she
said was:
“My son, what you see next is going to happen soon.”
The earth was turning - or I was moving around it - a second
time. Below me again were millions upon millions of men. But what a
difference! This time heads were raised. Eyes shone with joy. Hands
were lifted towards heaven. These men who had been isolated, each in
his prison of self were linked in a community of love and adoration.
Asia. Africa. America - everywhere death had turned to life. And then
the vision was over. Today...
THE VISION IS IN THE PROCESS OF FULFILLMENT.
There
are many thousands of chapters meeting in over one hundred and
sixty countries
ministering one to another, but the greatest harvest is yet to come.
You can be a part of it...
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