WHY THE RAVEN
In the forefront of the vision at Turning Point Ministries is the call to prepare the way for the Holy Spirit. The raven was the first bird to be sent out by Noah on the ark, the dove was the second (Genesis 8:6-12). The raven, known to be a carrion bird, searched the mountaintops for what remained of creatures destroyed in the flood. The dove sought the fresh vegetation in the lower regions as it sprung back to life. The raven represents the confrontation of death and the subsequent disposal of corruption. The dove represents the Holy Spirit reigning in the garden which flourishes again with dead things taken away (Gen. 2:15, 1 Cor. 3:9). We yield to His leading and clear the way for Him to move and work by revelation, education, and restoration. Through the teaching of the Word of God and discipleship, we are tearing down the dead things that man has built and succumbed to so that the Lord can build His house again, individually and corporately (Psalm 127:1).
Another facet in the vision that God has given us for the ministry is the commission to feed the people of God by the Word of God in a time of refuge. When He showed us the image of the raven on the branch, the Lord said, “You feed and strengthen the prophets.” This is a direct reference to the ravens that fed the prophet Elijah meat and bread at the brook where the Lord had led him when he was in exile during a drought (1 Kings 17:2-6). For those in a time of drought of God’s power and presence, our ministry is a safe place to drink of Living Waters and be refreshed by the Holy Spirit as Elijah was refreshed by the brook. In this place of restoration, we feed and strengthen the ministers of the Kingdom by the meat of the Word - past the elementary doctrines, as well as by the bread of the Word with the Holy Spirit confirming the teaching with signs and wonders (Mark 7:27, Hebrews 5:12).