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Visions of My Call and Work in the Ministry
By Robert Burgess

    Early on in my Christian experience, after I had been saved out of a life of sin, and delivered from an lifestyle of Professional Music, I began to experience very profound dreams and visions.  At first I didn't know what to think of them, some of them were rather scary, but they were very real.   The first vision I ever had, I was standing on a street corner waiting it seemed, for the traffic to clear so I could cross.  All at once there came a speeding vehicle out of nowhere and collided violently with another larger vehicle in the street.  The wreck was so terrible, I remember saying to myself; "No one could possibly  survive this kind of accident."  But, to my surprise, a young man scrambled out of the tangled vehicle unharmed; then the Lord spoke to me saying; "Now watch what happens."  The man proceeded to practically run over to the curb of the Street and get a wooden Box, or something that looked that way, and He climbed up on it and began to "Preach."  I watched in amazement as a crowd quickly gathered around this man, and the more they came, the more fervently he Preached.  Then the Lord Jesus spoke again saying; "And as the man preached, he waxed strong in the Spirit."  I stood there for a few moments wondering who this man was, and what manner of man he was.  Then the vision changed, and I was in the back seat of a vehicle of some sort, surrounded by various kinds of Musical Instruments, Guitars, Fiddles, etc..  I looked to see who it was that was driving, and there was no one at the wheel, I was all alone in this vehicle, and yet it seemed to be speeding quickly down the highway with a mind of it's own.  All at once there was a screeching of brakes and a tremendous collision.  I immediately sat up (sweat was running off me like rivers)  and cried out "Oh Lord, please don't let this happen to me;" He answered; "It already HAS."

    From this early vision I began to realize what Prophetic dreams and visions were all about.  I came to see of course, that I was the man, the vehicle I was in, spoke of my "Way of Life" which, before coming to know the Lord was a life filled with Musical Instruments of every kind.  That was my main occupation before I collided with the Lord's vehicle in this "Cross road" where "Two ways Met.." His, and mine.  Of course the vision came to pass exactly as the Lord said it would; just one year after coming out of the world and getting saved and Filled with the Holy Ghost, I began Pastoring a small Independent Assembly of God Church in Lyman, Washington.  As I began to preach, sure enough, I found that I "Waxed stronger and stronger in the Spirit of the Lord" until the little church grew too small for the growing congregation.  We moved from our little storefront church building into an old Church of God of Prophecy building, and as we did, we found ourselves also moving from Glory to Glory, Faith to Faith, in different realms of the Spirit and of Truth.

The Native American Ministry

    After a few more years of Ministry, the Lord began to lead me in amongst the Native Americans; one of whom is a dear Brother who lives in Chiloquin, Oregon..  His name is Brother Joe Hobbs; He is a Klamath-Modoc and has ministered widely across the USA and Canada..  One year, I believe it was about 1983, I was asked to speak at one of their Annual Campmeeting Services; my message was entitled; "One Step Beyond."  I used this title to illustrate that it was time for the Church to begin to move into the deeper truths of the Word, and to possess them in a personal way.  There was a minister there that night who was supposed to be the main speaker, but for some reason the Lord had spoken to Joe and others that He wanted me to Minister that night.  This didn't go over too well with the preacher, and what's more, he didn't like how the people received this Word with gladness. To make a long story short; the next night, being his night to minister, this preacher got up and systematically tore apart everything the Lord had spoken the night before.  I couldn't believe my ears hardly, it was pathetic, but what could I say or do??  Now the next year I was again asked to speak, and as I went into my room to seek the Lord for a Word for that night, I was caught up in the Spirit into the following Vision:

Vision of "Hanging up Meat" with Joe Hobbs

    In the vision, I was hanging up meat with Brother Joe, and I remember saying to him; "Now Joe, remember we must hang this up as high as possible, because the last time we did this, something came along and tore it all down."  In my mind's eye, I could see an evil beast like a bear, or a giant wolverine come smelling along and reaching upward with one swoop of his paw knocked everything down which we had worked so hard to hang up.  End of Vision..  Next thing I knew, I was immediately back in my room, and asking the Lord what all this meant.  He said to me "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Mat 6:20-21)."  I said "But Lord, what does this mean?"  He answered me; "If you can communicate my Word by my Spirit, and speak from your spirit to the spirit of man within those to whom I shall send you, then nothing, or no one, will ever be able to break through and "Rob them" of my Words again.  However, if you only communicate to them by your natural mind's abilities and soulish 'Powers of Persuasion,' then someone else with a better 'Gift of Gab' will come along eventually, and persuade them otherwise, until finally, My people won't know what to believe."   I began to realize that the Holy Spirit desires to communicate "one on one," through the Ministry to the people, and to impart Spiritual Revelation and Understanding into their spirit man, whereby no "Thief" will ever able to take away from them.
    "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer 31:33)."
 

A Vision of Jimmy Swaggard

    In the late summer of 1986, I had a vision of a Great Storm; In the vision I was hiking in the Mountains, and all at once the wind picked up and began to blow fiercely, until it sounded so loud, screaming like a freight train..  It got stronger and stronger,  I had never witnessed anything like this; Huge trees were being blown over and broken down like matchsticks, even big rocks were flying through the air at tremendous speed.  Hidden behind a huge boulder, I watched as trees, limbs, rocks,  debris of all kinds were whisked by me by the howling winds.
    All at once I heard a man's booming voice, He was Prophesying fervently; I looked, and up above me, in what was like a small valley between to large peaks, and there stood a little cabin.  It looked like an old miners shack, or where a trapper may have lived; there was a very large tree which had fallen down upon it, nearly breaking it in half, the windows were broken out by the flying rocks, and the door stood halfway open, hanging on one hinge.  I looked for where the voice was coming from, and over on one of the peaks above the cabin, there stood a man of God Prophesying against the little building. 

Although I have never met him, or had anything to do with this man before (or since), I recognized him to be the Prophet David Terrell;  he was lifting up his voice fervently unto God, and Prophesying such strong Prophecies against this little old shack  Suddenly a face appeared at the door of the little cabin, it was Jimmy Swaggard, and he was anything but happy.  Such a look of consternation was upon his face as he listened to the Word being spoken out against him; and I could tell that the Lord was commanding him to "Come out" of that place, and if he refused, there would be big trouble..
    Slowly I watched until he came out and away from there, but he was very angry, almost "Livid" with rage against Bro Terrell; but as I continued to watch the scene unfold it seemed like after a while, as he continued to listen to the Word being Prophesied,  Bro. Swaggard began to "Soften" and change his countenance, until finally he too, began to Prophesy (Something I have never heard of Him doing).  As Brother Jimmy prophesied, his spirit began to change even more; they two stood Prophesying back and forth to one another for quite a while; then slowly, I began to sense the Spirit of Prophecy welling up from within me, and I knew the Lord wanted me to say something.  I jumped up at the first opportunity and began to speak; although I cannot now remember it all, the words I said went like this; "For the people who are called by my name shall, in these last days, be known very plainly..  For they shall be very strong, and do exploits; Yeah, My name shall be highly exalted among them, as no other name has ever been before.  For in these days I will arise in them, and will walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people..  I will cause that even the Street shall be built, and the Wall, even in troublous times, Saith the Lord.  And I the Lord, shall Shake all Nations with the passion of my fury, until they shall look unto me and seek dillegently  to be saved from my great wrath, for this is the Day of the Lord;  Saith the Almighty."

End of Vision

    The Great storm was, of course, given to represent the great stormy circumstances which would prevail in the late 80's around the Ministries; first, of Jim Bakker, and finally, Jimmy Swaggard..  When I tried to share the vision and the interpretation with other Ministers, I was met almost entirely with either much Tongue-in-cheek or, with outright denial from nearly everyone.  When I explained how the Lord showed me Jimmy Swaggard coming out of that "Old Order Structure," they said; "That will never happen, why he is "Mister Assemblies of God Himself;" He  gives over 14 Million Dollars a year to the Assemblies."  I said; "I don't care, the Lord showed me him coming out, and that it would be under very negative and hostile circumstances."

  About two more years went by before the Vision was finally fulfilled (or at least, partially so), and when it was, I noticed that many of those who had laughed the Vision off, now decided they wouldn't have anything to do with me.  I asked the Lord about it, and he said; "It is because they are afraid that I might show you something about them, like I did about Jimmy Swaggard."  This is one of the "Price Tags" of Prophetic Ministry, this is why many of the Prophets of old were Stoned, and Sawn asunder; because they are commanded to "Speak the Word" whether people like it, or NOT;  it is "Thus Saith the LORD."
 

Vision of a Large Communications Center

    Now in about the same time frame, I received yet another vision, which seemed for a long time, not to really have any fulfillment; until now.  In the vision, I found myself walking an old path through the woods toward home, one which I had walked countless times as a young lad.  I found that from time to time, I came to places where the trail was nearly impassible, because of the mass of downed trees which blocked the path almost completely.  I would nevertheless, climb through the tangled bodies of these trees, and through, over, and under, many branches, until I finally came out on the other side..  This must have happened at least six or seven times; and just as I was nearing the place I used to call home as a young boy, I found that there was something new in the Path I had never seen before.  It was a giant complex of some kind, with a woven wire fence all around it. People were walking in and out, punching time clocks with their ID cards in hand..  I looked to see if there was a way I could get around this somehow, but it was so large it would have to be several miles square..  So I walked up to what seemed to be an information window where a young lady was seated, and asked her; "How can I go around this place, I want to get home."  She said I am sorry, there IS no way around this installation..  I asked "What kind of place is this;" She said; "This is a Government Communication Complex."  I said; "What would you suggest I do, I really need to get home?"  She said; "Why don't you just come to work here," as she quickly got an application, and began to fill it out for me.  I asked; "But what kind of work could I do?"  She said; "You can do anything you want so long as your name is Charles Burgess."  I looked down at the application, and she had already written "Charles Burgess" instead of "Robert Burgess."  I said; "But my name is Robert Burgess not Charles, that's my Father's Name."  She said "Oh, I know that, but it CAN be YOUR NAME."  At this point, I began to see myself seated before a keyboard and monitor of some kind, typing out what the Lord called "High Priority Messages."  Then the Vision ended..

    The path to "home" has been littered by many obstacles over the years, many fallen "trees" have obliterated the path, nearly.   The tangled remains of these wrecked lives prevent others from coming on from behind, who would move ahead in this Kingdom Walk if possible.  As I said, these trials have happened over and over again since beginning this Journey "Home."  Time after time things have happened which were so discouraging, I was sorely tempted just to quit the Ministry altogether, but something kept urging me on, if I could just get "Home."   This was not a Military, or Private Installation, it was run by the Government (this was the Kingdom).  Now as to the secret of "Charles Burgess;"  If  I can only attain to having my "Fathers Name" I can do anything I choose in this Kingdom of God.   Paul said: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth ME."   This vision appeared to me many years before there ever was an Internet, or even before the age of the Computer; and over the years I have asked the Lord about it many times.  He always said; "Just be Patient...  And though the Vision Tarry, Wait for it, for it will surely come..."  But remember, the girl at the window told me "You can have any job you want, if you have your Father's Name;" this has taken me a long time to achieve, but with our God, all things are possible..    I have to believe, without any shadow of doubt or unbelief, that God was showing me the time I am now entering into, and the work that He would employ me at..   I praise God that He knows the future and understands our present..  If we make mistakes, God doesn't recoil from us in shock.  He, who is "The Same, Yesterday, and Today, and Forever," knew about it all along, and didn't change His mind about us, but always kept His Promises in spite of everything.  I Praise Him for His Wonderful Faithfulness!

Robert Burgess
2/3/2000

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