God's Purpose in the Strange and Unexplainable

Over the years, I have seen strange and unexplainable things take place. I want to share one such experience because there seems to be a silence in certain segments of the Church regarding such things. It is actually healthy to process.

One cold winter morning, I was standing inside the construction project of a very large church in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. It was early morning before anyone had arrived. You could look out through the openings where the windows and doors would soon be placed. Completion was projected to take place in another four months.

Standing in front of a window opening, I looked out across the newly paved parking lot now under a covering of snow. The night before several inches of fresh snow had fallen and covered the area.

As I scanned across the parking lot, I noticed a set of human footprints that came from somewhere in the middle of the parking lot approaching the construction site and finally entering an open door frame not far from the window where I stood. Being curious, I exited the doorway and followed the footprints out into the parking lot. After about fifty feet the human footprints abruptly stopped and became large paw prints. I did a double take. Thinking this might be someone walking a dog, I looked around. There were no other tracks. It was a very distinct and abrupt transition from paw prints to footprints- like a change in form had taken place mid-stride. The tracks looked like a very large dog had made them. They were huge and wolf-like.

Immediately, I knew the Lord allowed me to see this unusual evidence for a purpose. The spiritual world was being manifest in the physical world. I began to pray for the church and its leaders and against the dark spiritual forces that were attempting to gain access to the ministry. I knew first hand the damage the presence of a wolfing spirit can bring to a flock of spiritual sheep, especially during a building project. The release of that prayer was why the Lord had me arrive on the church campus so early that morning.

So much of what we are doing in the church can be predictable. It is not evil, but it can become a masking presence to the reality of what we face in the spiritual realm. The predictable glaze over the eyes of many in the Church is being removed. We are about to see a greater demonstration of the spiritual realm crossing over and leaving tracks in our physical world. Some of these tracks are not as obvious as a wolf track becoming human in a fresh blanket of snow, but they are tracks none-the-less.

The footprints of darkness can be seen as a spirit of manipulation or control. It can be what Paul listed in Galatians as the fruit of our flesh. Instead of fruit they are tracks that lead into our circles of fellowship with the purpose of division and devouring.

When you see the evidence of these paw prints of darkness do not shrink back in fear, but ask God what to do with what you see. Your first line of defense is prayer. This is where the victory is secured and where the enemy is confronted. After you and others pray, at some point, if hearts are willing and the spiritual warfare has been properly waged, you will see another set of prints, not as evidence of an arrival, but of a departure.

When all of this takes place try to remember that greater is the One who lives within you than any unexplainable demonstration of darkness that might someday cross your path. This is such an incredible and exciting time to be alive if we are aware.