Book excerpt: A Firefighter's Prophetic Journey is a fascinating, personal story of a man's dreams, visions, and encounters with God. For the first time, Hopper recounts his journey through the fires of life, in the physical and the spiritual, discussing in depth the prophetic lessons learned, the profound impact they had upon his heart, and how they have encouraged the faith of numerous individuals along the way. These are stories of ministry beyond the pulpit, outside of the Church, typically one on one with an audience of One. After a dramatic, visible encounter with the angel of the Lord in April of 1995, Hopper writes... "Ezekiel had an encounter with the Lord that left him speechless; he sat by the river Chebar for 7 days, astonished (Ezekiel 3). When Isaiah encountered the Lord in Isaiah 6, he said "I am disintegrating." Many others fell on their faces "like dead men." After Job complained to the Lord for over 30 chapters he finally said, my ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes (Job 42). When God appeared at Mount Sinai, the people told Moses to go talk to God and tell them what He said. They didn't want that much of God again. Moses said "The Lord has come near you to put the fear of Him in you that you might not sin" (Exodus 20). Peter experienced terror on the Mount of Transfiguration when he saw Jesus in His glorified state. Saul of Tarsus said "Who are you, Lord?" as he was struck blind. Do I dare compare myself to people in the Bible? Of course I do! That's what we SHOULD do!" With no Christian heritage in his immediate family, God drew Hopper to Himself through this journey of discovery...40 years experiencing the beauty of the Lord, beyond the works of men. As a memoir meant to inspire individuals who are walking through their own fires, these stories will reveal how the Lord does work in mysterious ways. The reader will learn how the path of true obedience faces controversy, can be quite painful in unexpected ways, and how the ministry of Prophet is not one of glamour and recognition. However, it's our walking through these fires that the Lord refines our hearts. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.