“Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy ... and be turned into another man.” (I Samuel 10:6)

Introduction

The following article is the result of a prophetic dream given to Paul Cain on November 2, 1992, the night before the election. In the dream Paul was told that Bill Clinton was about to be elected president and was given some of the Lord’s reasons for allowing it. Paul was also shown the headlines that would appear on five specific U.S. newspapers the day after the election. These were given as a sign that the rest of the details of the dream were true. Paul was in Hawaii and called me about the dream the morning after he received it. He then wrote the details and mailed them to me, having it postmarked the day before the headlines would come out (the letter was written at 10:30 a.m. on November 3rd). The headlines all appeared on November 4th just as the dream foretold. The headlines were:

“LANDSLIDE” - USA Today

“A NEW BEGINNING” - Charlotte

“CLINTON TRIUMPHS” - Dallas

“CLINTON WINS” - Little Pock

“REUNITED STATES” - Atlanta

We were able to confirm the headlines within a couple of days and all of them were accurate (The Atlanta Constitution headline actually read “Clinton Seeks Reunited States” instead of just “Reunited States”). The Lord gave these specific headlines because they have prophetic significance. Revelations concerning our government and the U.S. church continued to come to Paul for several days after the dream. We incorporated the specific details of the dream, the revelations that Paul received and the interpretations in a comprehensible format.

The dream, the revelations and most of the interpretations came by what we consider to be clear and specific revelation. Some of the interpretations did not come on as high a level so we prefaced those with “we believe” to indicate this.

We did submit the entire revelation to a roundtable meeting of 24 leaders who have national or international influence in the church to seek their judgment of the word, and their input was of great value. We now offer this word to the general body of Christ with great confidence in the source and content of the message, but still submit it like all prophetic statements, as one that must be judged.

This word challenged some of our basic views of the political landscape of America. We felt that these changes were liberating and will lead to a more Christlike perspective. That is our prayer for you—that you would see with the Lord’s eyes, hear with His ears, and understand with His heart. RJ.

A Call to the Church

As the psalmist understood, “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:6).

Regardless of what we feel about his politics, Bill Clinton could not have been elected without God allowing it. Therefore, we must now ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord want Bill Clinton to be president and how should we respond to him?”

We will answer the latter question first. Romans 13:1 tells us how the church should respond: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

If we believe in the integrity of the Scriptures we must believe that Bill Clinton is the Lord’s choice for our next president. Even though we might debate why God “appointed” him, we cannot debate that he did. The Lord stated to Paul Cain in his dream that it was His intention to use Clinton for good and not for evil, but it will depend on how the church responds to him.

This is not to imply that Mr. Clinton is presently on the right side of every important moral and political issue. We did not elect a pastor or a theologian—we elected a public servant.

God has often “elected” leaders who were of questionable moral stature, but would change them. Abraham lied but God still used him. Moses was a murderer but God still chose him. King David was both a murderer and adulterer, but God still loved him and used him. The Lord loves and intends to use Bill Clinton. The Lord does not see him as he is, but as the man he will become. This is why the church must respond to Mr. Clinton’s election by obeying the Biblical command to pray for him.

Paul reiterated this in his first letter to Timothy (2:1-2):

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

“THE MOST AMAZING AND WONDERFUL ASPECT OF THIS DREAM WAS THAT PAUL CAIN SAW THE LORD PUTTING HIS SPIRIT UPON BILL CLINTON AND CHANGING HIM INTO ANOTHER MAN, JUST AS HE DID KING SAUL IN I SAMUEL!”

Why did the Lord choose Bill Clinton? Because He intends to put His Spirit upon him and make him into a new man. He is going to give him the power of the Holy Spirit to lead this country. What some people in the church regarded as a defeat is actually a blessing from the Lord. If the church will pray for this it will come to pass.

“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). If a man has wrong beliefs but has humility, he can change. The Lord showed Paul Cain that some of the characteristics in Bill Clinton that were interpreted as “waffling on the issues” were really a genuine openness and desire to do what is right and fair. The Lord said that he was “a listener.” The ability to listen to others, especially those with opposing views, is a demonstration of humility—and God will give His grace to the humble. Because the Lord has given Bill Clinton the gift of humility to listen, we must pray for the Lord to surround the president and other leaders with those who speak His Word and His counsel.

In many ways it is better to have wrong doctrines with humility than to have the right doctrines with pride. If a man with wrong doctrines has humility the Lord can change him. Bill Clinton has a humility that the Lord can reach and use. Some who stood on the right side of the issues did so with a pride that the Lord had to resist.

A Mandate

Like King Solomon, Bill Clinton is now overwhelmed by his responsibilities and will cry out to God for wisdom to rule this great people—and the Lord is going to give it to him. If the church accepts her Biblical mandate to pray for our leaders, he will not only have God’s wisdom to confront some of the most important issues of our time, he will carry out God’s policy with a depth of conviction that will surprise even his most vehement detractors.

The Lord revealed to Paul that, just as the very first test of Solomon’s wisdom was concerning the issue of life, this will be a primary issue confronting Mr. Clinton, not just with abortion, but also with euthanasia. The prayers of the church can have a great impact on the outcome of the critical moral issues facing this nation, regardless of any election results, or Supreme Court appointments. As the Lord explained through Isaiah, He is over all three branches of government:

“For the Lord is our Judge (judicial), the Lord is our Lawgiver (legislative), the Lord is our King (executive)” (Isaiah 33:22).

The Lord is calling His church to look to His government, not the world’s government, as the source of power. The Lord is calling His people to repent of their unbelief and their complaining spirit, and to believe that He is the One who rules. The reason for much of the degeneration of morals in America is not the government’s fault, but the church’s, for complaining instead of praying, fearing instead of believing. When the church stops complaining about the government and starts repenting of her own sin, the Lord will begin to move in spite of the most resistant government leaders.

The Lord said that He was giving us a new president who is better than we deserve. He represents a reprieve from a New World Order that the church is not prepared to face at this time. If we do not stop complaining we will end up with something to grieve about, not just complain about.

An Enemy in the Church

Many who may appear to be on the right side of moral issues have a spirit of intolerance that is potentially more dangerous than the moral issues they so vehemently oppose. This spirit of intolerance is a combination of unrighteous judgment, spiritual pride and a spirit of control that will not tolerate differences in others. When this spirit has gained influence in a political or religious movement, the most tyrannical governments in history have been the result. This spirit has been gaining influence in the church in America through political movements that have been seeking to mobilize the church.

Most Christians are well aware that many of the left wing political and social movements are a serious threat to our religious liberty and moral foundations. But the Lord did not address those in His warning to Paul Cain—He warned that the extremism and spirit of intolerance now found in many elements of the right wing’s political and social movements are potentially just as dangerous to both our religious liberty and moral foundations. Morality instituted by compulsion can only be maintained by increasing control and fear. If we only change the externals without changing the hearts, there has really been no change at all. Extremes on both the right and left wings have historically only resulted in increasing oppression and bondage.

Of course, laws do have a place in restraining fallen men and regulating behavior, but there is a point at which laws cannot provide the remedy. Abortion is now “out of the bag” and it is going to take far more than laws to get it back in. Even though the last two presidents were supposedly anti-abortion, and they made a number of conservative appointees to the Supreme Court, abortion has continued to dramatically increase. Nothing short of a profound change in the moral fabric of the country will now restrain abortion. The goal of ending abortion is certainly righteous, but much of our strategy to end it has proven to be ineffective and in some cases counter-productive. The Lord wants to give His church a higher strategy. In many ways the Church has been expecting the government to do her job. This must now change.

There are many in the “religious right” political movements who have made great sacrifices and stood with courage against the corrupting tide of evil. This is certainly commendable and it has resulted in some noteworthy accomplishments. It is right that we should hate sin, but the spirit of intolerance that has gained influence in the church and in some of the right wing political movements has pushed them across the line into extremism causing them to sow hatred and division between people. The Lord gave Paul Proverbs 6:16-19 to illustrate His view of the disease that is infecting the church and the country:

“There are six things which the Lord hates, yes seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Let us carefully examine each one of these. If we are going to be on the Lord’s side it is imperative that we love what He loves and hate what He hates.

The Lord Hates Haughty Eyes

To be haughty is to be proud. Regardless of how much we may protest the inferences that “the religious right” is self-righteous, self-righteousness has crept into the movement to such a degree that the Lord Himself is about to oppose it. The Lord calls the church to stand up for certain issues, but we must heed the apostolic exhortation:

“Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted “ (Galatians 6:1).

Instead of seeking to restore those who are in error in a spirit of gentleness, the enemy has influenced many Christians to confront those in error with an attitude of spiritual pride, resentment and even hatred. This will not accomplish the purpose of God, but instead will actually increase the dominion of the evil one.

There is not a single Christian who does not stand except by the grace and mercy of God. We will all reap what we sow—if we want to reap grace we must learn to sow grace at every opportunity. If we want to receive mercy we must sow mercy whenever we can. Those who do not repent of their self-righteousness will have the grace of God that is sustaining them removed, so that they will come under suspicion and begin to fall into the same moral problems for which they have been accusing and condemning others.

In fact, even now some church leaders are guilty of the very sins for which they are condemning government leaders for tolerating. When these are exposed, the Lord wants us to understand that this is His judgment on arrogance, that He does resist the proud and gives His grace to the humble.

The Lord Hates a Lying Tongue and a False Witness Who Utters Lies

Some otherwise honorable Christians have fallen to the practice of distorting or embellishing facts in order to promote or demote certain politicians, or gain political advantages. The church is called to be the support and pillar of the truth, and such lying undermines the very foundation of the church’s authority. Revelation 22:15 reads:

“But outside (the gates of His city) are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

We see here that liars are included with the very ones that the “religious right” is standing against; lying is as evil in God’s eyes as the evil that they claim to oppose. In Christ the end does not justify using an evil means. Satan will not cast out Satan.

As Jesus said,

“. . . Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand, and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? ... If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”

(Matthew 12:25-28).

We cannot use evil means when trying to establish truth and righteousness—we must overcome evil with good.

The Lord Hates Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

The Lord does hate abortion; He is against perversion, the erosion of moral values and the destruction of the family. The church is called to stand up for the innocent and for moral values—the issue is not should we do this, but how?

In our stand we must guard against two extremes: on the one hand the spirit of intolerance has gained dominion in many religious political movements, but on the other hand we must also guard ourselves from the extreme of showing unsanctified mercy, which is to give approval to that which God hates.

We must hate sin, and stand strong without compromising our convictions, but we are not called to war against flesh and blood. We must stand against sin, but in a spirit of love, grace and mercy that will lead to the repentance and reconciliation of sinners, not their alienation.

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer...” (I John 3:15).

Some, in taking a stand against abortion and other injustices, have allowed hatred to enter their own hearts. This too is evil and murder in the sight of the Lord. Lives are lost because of abortion, but souls are lost because of this hatred. We have the power to demonstrate but if we will seek the Lord in humility He will give us demonstrations of power that will be far more effective.

The Lord Hates a Heart that revises Wicked Plans

One of the most startling things Paul Cain saw in the dream was that there is a satanic strategy to get the “religious right” movement to rally around the battle cry of “We have a devil in the White House.”

Instead of complying with the Biblical mandate of praying for the government (I Timothy 2:1-3), they will try to poison the people toward their leaders. Some respected Christian leaders will actually start to rejoice that they now have a perceived enemy in the White House because of the amount of money they can raise in their crusade to fight him. Such crusades will not be from the Lord and He will resist them.

The Lord Hates Feet that Run Rapidly to Evil

This may not just mean feet that run rapidly to do evil, but also those who run to see evil. If the church would spend as much time, energy and money on preaching the gospel, as it is now spending on politics and emphasizing bad news, there could be such a revival in America that we would not have to worry about changing laws—the people would be changed. This does not mean that we do not confront sin and address the important moral issues of our time, but we must do it from the perspective and the power of the cross, not political posturing.

The Lord Hates One Who Spreads Strife Among Brothers

The church must be healed of her own sin and divisions before she will have authority over others. The Lord wants to use His church to provide and uphold the highest social and moral standards, but not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit. The enemy has a strategy of using the church to create some of the greatest divisions in society, which will make the gulf between men and their God even greater.

Morality preached in a spirit of intolerance will bring division; morality preached in the Holy Spirit will bring healing and reconciliation. Judas was considered by many scholars to have been a political “zealot.” Whether he was or was not associated with the political zealot movement of his day, he was of its nature. It appears that his betrayal of Jesus was an attempt to force His hand to establish political authority. Human zeal, even for the right causes, will ultimately end in betrayal, not righteousness.

We Have a Higher Calling

One of the most astonishing characteristics of the Lord’s own ministry when He walked the earth was some of the company that He kept. It is amazing that the Lord could feel comfortable visiting sinners in their homes, but it is even more amazing that they would feel comfortable around Him! But they did feel comfortable with Him, even to the point where Jesus was called “the friend of sinners.” The Lord did not win their friendship by condoning their sin, but by loving them. The Lord did confront the sin, and upheld the highest standards of morality, but He did it out of compassion for the sinner.

The accusation of some Christian activist movements is that the church is asleep and her inactivity is allowing evil to spread. This is true. The church in general does need awakening, but if we do not go forth in the right spirit we will only multiply the very evil we are seeking to cast out. We must turn from the fatal pride of selfrighteousness so that sinners can feel our genuine love rather than feeling condemnation in our presence.

What Kind of Leaders Do We Want?

How would the church today respond to a strong leader who completely did away with all forms of pornography and perversion in our country, restored vision and hope to our children to such a degree that they stood up like an army for strong moral principles? Then this leader completely eradicated unemployment, restored the strength of our currency, eliminated the national debt and made our economy the envy of the world—all in just four years! Of course such a man would be almost worshiped. One man did all of this for a war torn and depression crippled country in about four years. The country was Germany and the man was Adolph Hitler.

Desmond Howard recorded in his comparative biography Napoleon and Hitler that “The national income (of Germany) doubled in four years, the national debt disappeared. Whereas unemployment had been 6 million in 1933, there was full employment and genuine job security by 1938" (page 108). The “Hitler Youth” movement almost completely eradicated immorality and rebellion, and gave such vision and purpose to the youth that they were the envy of the world.

Much of the church in Germany was so appreciative that some went so far as to call Hitler the German messiah. As one pastor expressed it: “Adolph Hitler is the voice of Jesus Christ, who desired to become flesh and blood of the German people and did become flesh and blood.” (The Nazis and the Occult, by D. Sklar, page 56).

Milton Meyer, in his book They Thought They Were Free, made an important observation about the rise of The Third Reich: “Fascism came as an ‘angel of light’ and German Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, welcomed Hitler as a gift from God. Nazism was seen as redemptive of a decadent society; and came as a puritanism to the majority sick of perversions and license parading as liberty.” Hitler was able to use the church in Germany as a springboard to power, because even though they wanted the right things, they did not discern the spirit of the one who had come to give those things. Of course, not all Christians were deceived by the spirit of Nazism, and there were a few such as Bonhoeffer who stood courageously against that diabolical power, but the overwhelming majority of Christians were deceived by it.

The religious right political movement is unquestionably seeking to be on the right side of the great political and moral issues of our time, but much of it has started to succumb to a wrong spirit. Like Germany so tragically experienced, we can accomplish certain moral goals, but if we do it in the wrong spirit we can open the door to a far more devastating evil. Satan does often come as “an angel of light.” It is the enemy’s strategy to use some of the leaders of the religious right and political right movements just as he did the church in Germany during the 1930's. The spirit of intolerance is one of the main footholds the enemy needs to promote his dark strategy. We must stand up for righteousness, but it will be a terrible tragedy if we do not do it in the right spirit and discern the spirit of those we promote for leadership.

The following are each of the headlines as seen in the dream and what we believe they represented.

A NEW BEGINNING

Isaiah 43:18-19 states:

“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

A great change is about to take place in our country if the church will obey II Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

The Lord showed Paul Cain that He wanted to use Bill Clinton to bring blessing to America, not judgment, but this word is conditional on how His people respond. If we will trust the Lord, humble ourselves and pray for our leaders, seek the Lord’s face instead of just political power, and turn from our own wicked ways—there will be a national new birth, a new spiritual beginning, and it will be reflected in our president.

In the text quoted from Isaiah it says that there will be “... a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” The Lord is going to make a way for His purposes to be accomplished through ways that we do not expect. The Lord is asking His people again, “Will you not be aware of it?”

People are going to change. We should not judge Bill Clinton solely by how he may appear at this time. We cannot continue to get our discernment from the news media. The Bill Clinton that the Lord showed Paul Cain in the dream is different from the media’s portrayal of him. We must start to see people as the Lord sees them. The Lord is about to do something new, and we can all participate in it.

The Lord once told a parable about obedience. One son said that he would not go into the field and work, but then repented and did it. The other son said that he would go, but he never went. Who did his father’s will? Of course, the first son did. In the past many who claimed to be for certain issues did not do much about them once they were in power. This includes Supreme Court appointees. On the other hand, some who have been against these issues in the past are going to be found doing more for the right cause than those who have always claimed to stand up for the right issues!

The religious right may be on the proper side of the issues, but such intolerance has entered some of these groups that it is pushing them further from the heart of God than their rivals who may hold wrong doctrines. It was for this same reason that the Lord warned the Pharisees that the publicans and harlots would enter the kingdom of God before they would. The same spirit of intolerance that caused the Pharisees to persecute Jesus can gain dominion over born again, Christian leaders as well, and has in some.

CLINTON WINS! — CLINTON TRIUMPHS!

These two headlines reflect the will of the Lord for the Clinton Administration. Bill Clinton won and so can we. The reason that Paul was shown five headlines in the dream is because Bill Clinton represents grace from God, not judgment. (Paul has always believed that the number five represents “grace” in Scripture.) In the dream Paul was told that Bill Clinton was better than we deserved and that he may be viewed as the best president in America since Dwight Eisenhower. He will be compared to JFK because he will champion the causes of the oppressed and he will impart a new vision to the country. It is the Lord’s intention for Bill Clinton to triumph over the obstacles that the enemy will put in his place. The Lord wants to use Bill Clinton to move the country forward and not backward.

Just as many of the promises of God were invitations, rather than unconditional oaths. This is an invitation to both Bill Clinton and the church. Of course the Lord does not need any man to accomplish His purposes, but He has chosen to work through His church and governments. The Lord is calling both to participate with Him in something new, and in His triumphs.

LANDSLIDE!

Bill Clinton received an “electoral landslide.” In the natural a landslide is a major geological shift that results from mountains or hills collapsing. Over the next few years there are going to be other landslides in the political, economic and spiritual leadership of our country. Many who have been high will be brought low, and many who have been low will be brought up.

The Lord Jesus stated emphatically, “Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). The Lord is about to demote many of those who promote themselves. Those who genuinely seek the lowest place of service and esteem others as more important than themselves are about to be promoted. This will apply to nations, movements, even congregations and individuals.

Our destiny as a nation or as an individual depends on whether we humble ourselves or exalt ourselves. Even though the U.S. has been at the pinnacle of power and economic strength, we can go even higher if we will humble ourselves as a nation and repent. Or we can go very low if we do not.

CLINTON SEEKS REUNITED STATES

This headline reflects another important characteristic of the Clinton Administration— there is an anointing on our new president to work for the unifying of the country, regionally, racially and economically. The enemy is seeking to use the conservative church to bring further division in the country. But the Lord wants to use the conservative church even more than He wants to use the government. And He will if we will humble ourselves and submit to His plans and purposes for this administration. During the administration of JFK great racial and social conflicts arose and the same will be true during the Clinton administration. The Lord will exalt a humble church and use her to bring greater unity and freedom than any law or government ever could. As Leonard Ravenhill once said, “God bless and help the man in the White House, but the answer to our national dilemma is not there—it is in God’s house, if we clean it up.”

Summary

The church has more power through prayer than all three branches of our government put together. We have a mandate from God to pray for and support our government, regardless of what we think about the administration. It is the church’s mandate to help rescue the people of this land from bringing a curse upon themselves which will surely come if they curse the government and president in their misguided self-righteousness.

If we will humble ourselves the Lord will intervene in our country. We must not continue to worship at the feet of political movements, trying to get the government to do the church’s job. We must not continue to place inhuman expectations upon the presidential office. All men are but flesh and the Lord alone reigns supreme. It is time for the church to uphold the sovereignty of the One Who alone can really make a difference—the Lord Jesus Who is the King, the Judge and the Lawgiver.

It is not the call of the church to legislate righteousness, but to demonstrate it, and to preach it from the platform that God has ordained. This does not imply that the church should refrain from all political activity, but we are trying to convey what we felt was a serious warning to the church that it was being pushed into extremes from which there would be a fall. When we go beyond the realm of authority that has been appointed for us, we go beyond the limits of God’s grace and a humiliating fall will be the result.

The Holy Spirit will not share His place in the church with a political spirit. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” but many are seeking to lead the church into a carnal warfare that she cannot win because she does not have the weapons for it if the energy now being put into political activism were redirected into prayer and the preaching of the gospel, far more would be accomplished for righteousness and truth than will ever be established through legislation.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (I Timothy 1:5). Paul also wrote that “Love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:8a). If we have the right spirit we will ultimately come to the right means for accomplishing the purpose of the Lord. If we try to build on a foundation of issues and agendas without a solid foundation of God’s love, we are dooming ourselves and our agenda.

Many Christians felt a profound grief after the election of Bill Clinton. If the church will believe, and pray for him and all of his appointees, regardless of what their policies appear to be at this time, the Lord is going to give us great cause for rejoicing. As it was prophesied concerning Jesus, “His delight will be in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears...” (Isaiah 11:3). We too must learn to judge by the Spirit of the Lord and not by appearances. The Lord is much bigger than our government or any political party and if we will believe we will see His glory.

When Joshua was before Jericho, “...he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in His hand, and Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ And he said (to Joshua), ‘No, rather I indeed come now as the Captain of the host of the Lord.”’

The angel of the Lord, who is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, did not come to take sides— He came to take over! The Lord is not going to return as a Republican or a Democrat—He is bigger than that—He is coming to take over.