Fortunately, I am blessed to be a part of a wonderful wives of veteran's support group with a very knowledgeable and gifted leader. She recommended that I find someone to check on Glen and that I get away for a couple of days. My first thoughts were, “Where could I go?” Then the next thought was, “Would it be possible for me to spend time in Peter & Rebekah Laue's (Stretcher Bearers for Christ) Upper Room?” I had only heard of the Upper Room briefly twenty years earlier from my friend, Darcy. She had spent time there and she had shared how God had worked in her life during that time.

I then called my friend, Vimmie, who has been good friends with Peter & Rebekah for many years. I learned from Vimmie that Peter & Rebekah were recuperating from life threatening injuries. At that moment I thought staying in the Upper Room would be out of the question; and I was disappointed. However, Vimmie said "Let me call them, share with them your situation, and see what they say.” The next thing I knew, Vimmie calls me back and says, "Yes, you can stay in the Upper Room!"

Peter had ministered to me for a couple of hours in their living room previously twenty years ago the day before I left for The Minirth Clinic in Dallas, TX. Knowing a tiny bit of Peter & Rebekah's Stretcher Bearers for Christ Ministry, I just knew the Upper Room would be saturated with the Holy Spirit!

The morning I arrived at the Upper Room it was peaceful and quiet. I played some worship music on a CD player that I found there. This was just what I needed! I began looking at all of the pictures and prayers on the walls. These things all ministered to me as well as Peter's writings and Rebekah's prophetic paintings.

The following morning I took the time to look at the spiritual prescription bottles sitting on a shelf. I chose one that most fit my life at the moment. This prescription bottle was labeled "Strongholds are Coming Down!" I took the lid off. Inside was one of Peter & Rebekah's newsletters folded very small so it would fit in the prescription bottle. I began to read about Peter's experience with strongholds coming down in his life. He wrote that he had not always been militant and confrontive. He used to dodge all threatening issues, tasks and people. I was relating with what he spoke of. Peter said that all changed one day during an encounter with the Lord Jesus. He had adopted St. Francis of Assisi as his role model as a child. St. Francis was an instrument of peace. Peter wanted to be a peacemaker because he was afraid to confront. He began having a dialogue with Jesus about this. Jesus did not want Peter to have St. Francis as his role model. Jesus told him, "I am to be your role model. You are to be conformed to my image. Nothing is lost when people forget St Francis, but everything is lost when people forget me." Peter told Jesus he was afraid to confront as Jesus had confronted the Pharisees and turned over the money changers’ tables. Peter went on to say that it's not his personality or nature to confront people. Peter was afraid people would hate him if he confronted as Jesus did. Jesus said, "I know, Peter, but I want you to have My personality, My nature. That way My children will see Me in you. That's all that matters. You can trust Me. I only want the very best for you." That was the end of Peter's dialogue with Jesus, and that day he repented. He stopped looking at St. Francis as his role model and invited Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah into his heart just as he had invited Jesus, the Lamb of God, into his heart years earlier. A number of strongholds were broken that day.

I have the gift of mercy. My nature is that my heart hurts emotionally when other people hurt for any reason. I try to treat them with kindness; and then I want to help them if I can. I usually try really hard to avoid confronting people. My past attempts at confronting usually did not turn out well. However, after reading Peter & Rebekah's newsletter on Strongholds Coming Down, I felt the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart. He was encouraging me to take this stand against strongholds too. I knew if I made the same commitment as Peter did, that there would be no going back to being a wimp. I wanted to be a warrior. I sat right there on the couch in the Upper Room and accepted Jesus Christ as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in my heart just as I had accepted Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God when I was at a Christian Youth Camp in the 7th grade.

In the same newsletter I had been reading, Peter had written about a dream he had where he had seen a rock wall with an ordinary stick lying near the wall. He was prompted to pick it up and beat vigorously on the wall in a vain attempt to cause it to crumble. Nothing happened! Then he saw a lion's paw at his feet. He dropped the stick and picked up the paw. He proceeded to touch the wall with the lion's paw, and as he did, the wall began to crumble. Peter awoke weeping and trembling as he experienced new authority, purpose, power, and confidence streaming into every fiber of his being. In lieu of a lion's paw he has acquired a real sword, which he now uses in spiritual combat.

Rebekah interprets Peter's dreams as well as painted this prophetic dream. The stick is symbolic of man using his own strength and wisdom to tear down strongholds. The rock wall represents giants that imprison us, such as hate, hurt, pride, fear, lust, greed, legalism, and man's traditions. In the painting there is a sword issuing from the lion's mouth. It is the Sword of the Lord, which is the Word of God. The lion portrays Jesus Christ as revealed in the book of Revelation 5: ... “Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed ... "

I had seen a picture of this particular prophetic painting before when I stayed in the Upper Room. My friend, Vimmie, had shared the picture with me. There was also a poster of this painting in the Upper Room as well as cards with this picture on it. After I had accepted Jesus Christ in my heart as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, I immediately got up and went into the kitchen where the poster was framed sitting on the kitchen counter. The name of the picture is The Sword of the Lord - Strongholds are Coming Down. Under the prophetic picture there is a prayer which I proceeded to pray out loud.

Let everything that is hidden be revealed! Expose all hypocrisy, especially that which is hidden in my own heart. Expose all rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft. Expose all pride, that subtle monster that hides in most of us. Expose the greedy who exploit the needy, and the strong who oppress the week. Expose all lust that masquerades as love, and begin with me. Expose and tear down every man­made idol of success and self-gratification. Expose satan, the accuser of the brethren, who tries to hide in all of us. And Lord Jesus, be the advocate for all who have been falsely accused. Lord, vindicate the insane who have been judged without a jury, and begin with me. And Lord, then let the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar through me.

At the end of my weekend in the Upper Room I went downstairs to take Rebekah my sheets. She asked me how my weekend was. I briefly shared that I had accepted Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! Rebekah was thrilled and asked me to go in the living room and share with Peter. I shared my whole story of me opening the prescription bottle and finding the newsletter on Strongholds are Coming Down. I continued to share everything I had experienced in the Upper Room. Peter said he thought he had another poster of Rebekah's prophetic painting, Strongholds are Coming Down. He went upstairs and when he came back he put the poster in my lap. I looked down, and for the first time I saw the white outline of the Lion's head painted on the sword. All the times before when I had looked at that particular picture, I had only seen the sword hitting the rock wall. For some reason God never allowed me to see the outline of the Lion's head until Peter handed me the poster in the living room!

Seeing the Lion's head with the sword coming out of the Lion's mouth had a profound effect on me the day after I had accepted Jesus Christ as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! {Even though I had read about the Lion's head in Peter & Rebekah's Strongholds are Coming Down newsletter previously, I still did not see the outline of the Lion's head on the sword until Peter handed the poster to me.}

If you are interested in seeing a picture of Rebekah's prophetic painting of Strongholds are Coming Down, you can do so by logging in on the internet at www.stretcherbearers.com. Then click on CONTENTS. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on The Sword of the Lord - Strongholds are Coming Down on the right side of the page. There are two Strongholds are Coming Down. I recommend clicking on the second one.

Later that afternoon after I was packed and out of the Upper Room, I had an opportunity to help Rebekah & Peter before I left which blessed me immensely! When I finished, Peter called me into the living room. He had a wooden cutting board on his lap and had been cutting something. Peter explained that the company that had made their bronze medallions of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah had gone bankrupt. They were unable to get the mint to make more. He presented me with the first paper medallion of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah with the head of the Lion of Judah on the front and St. Francis of Assisi on the back of the medallion. He also gave me a pamphlet telling how he had come to accept Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and encouraging others to make this same decision. I will always have these things as a reminder of my weekend in the Upper Room and the decision I had made. I have the paper medallion propped up on my fireplace mantel at home. I had been blessed by everything Peter had given me that weekend! He also gave me three DVD's of his testimony that had been filmed and recorded at TBN in Albuquerque.

A few days ago as I was scrolling on my Facebook Newsfeed, I ran across an article by Jeremiah Johnson, a prophet. God had shown him the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The name of Jeremiah's article is: Man Sees Jesus in Vision: 'Many Will Be Offended At My Return'. It was dated 12/10/18; and I also saw it on the Charisma magazine, Prophetic Insight From Charisma if you are interested in trying to find it on the internet.

Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. I am so blessed to see God in many places each day, and I am grateful to Peter & Rebekah for allowing me to spend a few days in their Upper Room.

Pam Rayburn

Merry Christmas from the Rayburns








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All writings by Peter, the Lord's Scribe and Storyteller and all paintings by Rebekah, the Lord's artist are copyright free.