Wheelchairs and Headaches

Wheelchairs.... (sigh) They might be the bane of anyone who operates in the gift of healing. My partner and I dropped off a little old lady at a nursing home. As I made the gurney after the call I noticed a couple of residents nearby. They were sitting in wheelchairs in the sun, holding hands. God showed me the word "HEALING" in my mind and it wouldn't go away. Then he showed me a scene of the man in the wheelchair getting up. After seeing all this, I still had some small doubts. But I knew if God wanted me to pray for him, then he’d be receptive to it and he should be healed.

After trying to dismiss it, I walked over to the man, whose name was Larry, and asked what happened to him that put him in the wheelchair. He said he had dystonia, and explained that he has poor control of his muscles. I told him that God asked me to come over and pray for him, but that I was trying to argue with God about it. Larry said “You shouldn’t argue with God, you might cheat someone out of their blessing.” I said, “Yeah, I know, people keep telling me that”. I asked if I could pray for him and he agreed.

I don’t know why, but I always close my eyes when I pray. Don’t ask me to pray for you when I’m driving. After we prayed, he stood up. I didn’t expect that. No, it wasn’t a miraculous healing (yet). He was able to stand before we prayed, but with difficulty. He wanted to check to see if his condition was any better. He said he was a little better. I’ve never done this next part, but I said “how much better are you?” He said, “I don’t know, but I’m not as bad as I usually am.” So I said, “OK, let’s pray again.” I’ve never asked someone to check their healing status after praying for them either, but I think Larry’s been down this road before. It seemed like he knew what to do.

We prayed again, I think I had more faith the second time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stick around to see the results; it was time for me to leave. He thanked me for being brave enough to pray with him and I wished him well. One of these days I’m going to stay long enough to know someone I prayed for was completely healed. I can’t wait to write that story. A couple of nights ago, My wife and I watched a video of Todd White doing his thing healing dozens of people. It gave my faith a much-needed boost. When I went to bed I felt like I could go out and pray for anyone and expect them to be healed. I didn’t feel quite as confident when I was faced with a man in a wheelchair today.

A few days ago I was at Safeway. As I stood in the check-out line I closed my eyes and saw an image of the woman in front of me, who worked in the bakery. Then I saw the word “headaches”. I’ve done this enough times now, so I walked over to the bakery. I motioned for her to come over and when she got within a few feet I asked if she wanted to tell me about her headaches. As usual, she was shocked and asked how I knew about them. I said, “God told me, and he doesn’t want you to have them anymore, He wants you to be healed from them.” Tears of joy began flowing down her cheeks as she explained how bad they were and how often she had them. She told me about the conversation she had with God that morning. We prayed and we both cried. I told her I’d come back some time to check up on her.

Yesterday, I was at Walmart. God seemed to tell me I was to pray for a boy, about 8 years old in a wheelchair. He had a tracheostomy and was on a portable ventilator. His name was Sam. I waited for him and his mother to get through the check out line then I approached them. After introducing myself, I asked if I could pray for him. His mom said, “sure.” I prayed for him and spent a few minutes talking with them afterward, then I left. I didn’t see a miracle.

When we are praying and asking for healing, I think it’s easy to be intimidated by equipment. Many people don’t have the faith to expect someone in a wheelchair to get up and walk. Try going to an ICU and praying with boldness for someone in a coma with a lot of IV lines and monitoring equipment attached. John Wimber said that hospitals are possibly the hardest place to pray for healing. His faith seemed to wilt every time he entered one. It’s encouraging when I realize that the hospital is where God asked me to begin. I’m starting in a place others wouldn’t. No doubt, God knows something about my future that I haven’t found out yet. My faith isn’t where it needs to be. I have the task of overcoming 47 years of skepticism and doubt and that doesn’t happen overnight but I’m gradually getting there. It helps watching other people Like Todd White at work. It builds faith. It also helps to be obedient when God speaks – He’ll always do what He says. I think I still need some more work in that part of my life .

Below is a link to a short video of Todd White on the streets of Phoenix, healing a group of young women and demonstrating God's love.

http://www.xpmedia.com/lqqwqovSVahW

When God Doesn't Heal

This is a sensitive subject. I’ll try to handle it with care. A blog dedicated to prayer and healing must address the times when people are not healed. There’s so much to learn. This isn’t a comprehensive discussion. The issues are large and my understanding isn’t. Some questions will never be answered. I hope to learn more on the subject and write about it in the future. For now, I’ll share a few things I have learned.

I was talking with a woman I met at a bus stop a few days ago. Like many of us, she was angry at God. She told me of the hardships in her life, the untimely death of her mother, and then the death of her father, a man I sensed she deeply hated. She felt as though her mother deserved to live a long life and her father deserved to either suffer or die young. In her mind this was unfair, and she didn’t like God’s plan, which she thought was wrong.

My brother died a year ago, after his 3rd brain tumor was determined to be inoperable. My dad died of pancreatic cancer 8 years ago. I prayed for both of them to be healed but they weren’t. I prayed for the outcome I wanted. At the time I was in a growing relationship with God and I was able to accept their deaths. I also believed then, that it was impossible to know God’s will. When John and Pat weren’t healed, some of us came to certain conclusions. I think a few believed that God doesn’t heal anyone, because He didn’t heal either of these two wonderful men. In our eyes, they deserved it more than anyone else.

I think this is typical of how a many of us view the subject of healing. It leaves us with some possible views about divine healing. One view is that God is arbitrary in healing. He heals who He wants, without any way of us knowing who gets healed or why. I’m reading a book on healing and the author holds this position. He believes in divine healing and has compiled a mountain of scientific research proving that it happens. (I’ll write about that in a future post) But he believes we can know nothing in advance; that healing cannot be accurately predicted, or duplicated in a lab. A fundamental idea behind this view is that God is largely unknowable; an anonymous force that is beyond our understanding.

This view can be taken one step further. We may claim that if God allows bad things to happen to good people He is unjust. If He is capricious and arbitrary then He is also unfair. This view still maintains that God exists, but that He is in some way evil. If we go one step further in this line of reasoning, we can say that some people simply recover for unexplained reasons and others don’t. Those who recover weren’t healed by supernatural means. This view makes God irrelevant and implies that He doesn’t heal anyone. This belief would lead us to the conclusion that if in fact, He exists He is uncaring and indifferent.

Recently I’ve been learning about a plan and a healer that look very different from these models. If you’re reading this, you probably believe in divine healing, but for the sake of those who don’t, we need to ask the questions, how and why does God heal in the first place? In the answer to these questions, we should find some implied reasons why He doesn’t heal.

How God Heals
When God heals he uses faith to accomplish the work. In healing we receive an act from God that is activated by the faith of someone; it may be the one healed, the one praying or an unknown person. There are dozens of healings recorded in the bible and in many of them it is taught that the faith of someone brought the healing. Personal merit is never a basis for healing. (Matt 9:22, Matt 15:28, Mark 5:34, Mark 10:52, Luke 8:48, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42, Acts 14:9)

If faith is the agent of healing, a lack of it will prevent healing. Jesus rebuked his disciples (and no one else) for their unbelief in failing to cast out a demon. (Matt. 17:17) He did heal the individual, because He had faith greater than theirs. But we must be cautious here. Although it may be true that healing doesn’t happen because of a lack of faith, we should never accuse or blame someone for it. Building faith is a gradual process. Hearing testimonies of healing and reading about them in scripture can create faith in us for healing. Condemnation will destroy it. I have very little faith for healing right now. I’m trying to build faith by being around those who are successful in healing and reading testimonies. I’m also receiving revelation from God through dreams and visions about it. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Rhema (spoken) word of God. (Rom. 10:17)

Our part in healing is faith. God’s part is extending grace. The apostle Paul wrote, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, not of works.” (Eph 2:8) I used this verse because the word “saved” in the Greek is the word sozo. It refers to a changing, healing and redemption of the complete person - body, soul and spirit. The same work of grace in saving us from the penalty of sin also heals us emotionally and physically. We never earn healing. Grace is undeserved favor. The merit of the person praying or being healed doesn’t matter.

This is a stone of stumbling to some. One of the most pointed comments in the gospels is the one Jesus made about the ministries of Elijah and Elisha. He reminded the religious leaders that though the covenant people (the Jews) had many widows and great famine, God chose to send His prophets to two outsiders, Zarephath and Naaman. (Luke 4:26-27) The Pharisees presumed that they had earned God’s favor through their own works. They knew little of grace. We can’t presume to know whom God wants to heal. He is gracious to all. (Psalm 145) When I prayed for my brother and father I was in a wrong mind-set, believing they deserved to be healed, when in fact no one does. We must be willing to receive God’s grace in healing. If we come to God on the basis of merit for healing we may hinder the process.

Why God Heals
I believe one reason God heals is to reveal His character to us. The nation of Israel learned that one of God’s names is Jehovah Rapha; The Lord, who heals. (Exodus 15:26) God reveals his character through His names in the Old Testament and His names tell us how He interacts with us. Divine healing is an act of mercy and God wants us to know He is merciful. The Lord’s healing also reveals Him as God of compassion, love and kindness as well. (See Deuteronomy 13:17) When we see someone miraculously healed of a terrible affliction, we must conclude that God is good, even if our own experiences don’t bear that out.

From this, we should conclude that God heals to reveal His mercy and love. If He doesn’t heal someone perhaps it’s a situation in which that will not be revealed. The disciples of Jesus asked him why a certain man was born blind. (John 9:1) It was a sincere question. Their assumption was that someone’s sin was responsible for it. Jesus told them that the man was born blind so that God would be glorified when he was healed. If God is to receive the credit for healing, we can also conclude that if God is not glorified in healing, it probably won’t happen.

It’s actually God’s character that we are discussing, and unlike ours, His character never changes. (Malachi 3:6) If we believe that God performed healing and miracles in the past, but He doesn’t do it today, we are essentially saying that God has changed His character. In effect we are changing the names of God, because His names describe his character. Scripture teaches that God’s character and His names never change. If God healed people in large numbers during the ministry of Jesus, and He certainly did, then we must conclude He is willing to do it today, even if our own experience doesn’t bear that out. This is one reason why I changed my opinion about healing and miracles. I’m not prepared to say that God doesn’t heal and He’s changed who He is, merely because I haven’t seen healing personally.

Healing Delayed or Lost
When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethsaida (John 5) he saw the man later in the temple. Jesus warned him about the effects of sin saying; “you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” The issue of sin was between the sick man and the Lord. We should leave it that way. The Holy Spirit can reveal any issues to the individual and it’s their responsibility to surrender and submit to God’s will. Healing is a work of grace and good works cannot obtain it. Nevertheless, sin and rebellion open the door to the enemy. Satan and his demons are the source of sickness and injury. Many of the illnesses Jesus healed people of were demonic in origin. We invite trouble when we live in sin.

Paul warned the church in Corinth about judging their brothers in the body of Christ, then taking communion in an unworthy manner. This made them guilty of the blood of the Lord and brought judgment on them. By judging others, we bring judgment on ourselves. The result was that many had become sick and some had died. (1 Cor. 11: 27-31). I suspect we don’t take this admonition seriously enough. It’s likely that the judgmental attitude many of us have has a greater impact on our health than we think.

There are other things that may contribute to lost healing. One is continued attack from the enemy. This should be suspected if a person is healed once, but the problem comes back. We should have a heightened suspicion in the absence of a clear medical diagnosis. At times we may see a resolution of symptoms, but there isn’t a removal of the cause. The fruit is removed, but the root remains. Permanent healing may occur when God reveals the root of the problem. Prayer for divine revelation of demonic activity is often helpful in discovering and removing spiritual sources of sickness. I’ve read testimonies of recurrent episodes of cancer that were permanently healed once a demonic source was removed.

We shouldn’t assume someone hasn’t been healed if we don’t see instantaneous results that are clearly evident. The Sryian General Naaman wasn’t healed immediately, he had to wait a while. First he had to go to the Jordan River. Then he had to dip himself 7 times in the water. Finally he was healed. (2 Kings 5) The blind man Jesus healed in Bethsaida had what is called a progressive healing. Jesus prayed for him once and he was able to see better. He prayed again and full vision was restored. (Mark 8:25) It’s worth noting that Jesus used many different (and strange) methods to heal people. God often has specific instructions that must be obeyed as a condition for healing. If they aren’t, the healing probably won’t happen. Some healing is immediate, some isn’t.

My Experience
The first true miracle of healing I received took 24 hours for me to notice. I had a shoulder injury and a man prayed for my back, not knowing what my injury was. It was the following evening when I realized the pain was gone. I’ve heard testimonies of healing that occurred as many as 6 years after prayer was begun. If we pray for people to be saved and we understand that it may take years for that to happen, we shouldn’t be surprised if healing isn’t always immediate either.

In the last year I’ve had occasion to pray for many patients with terminal diseases. My initial approach was to ask God for healing without hesitation. I know some of us believe that God wants to heal everyone. I guess in a way, He does. It’s not His desire for us to die, for mankind to be under a curse, or for sin to destroy our lives with disease. In the beginning, God’s desire was for us was perfect health and close fellowship with Him. But our actions have limited what He does now.

I’ve come to the sober realization that not everyone is going to be healed. That prompted me to ask God why He won’t heal, when He does at other times. On one occasion I was told the person I wanted to pray for didn’t want to be healed and didn’t believe in divine healing. She was ready to die. Fair enough, He won’t force someone to be healed who doesn’t want it. We can’t blame this on God.

He has also shown me images of dragons, demons, serpents, skeletons, flames and the like when I have asked about other people. On these occasions He told me not to pray for them. He revealed to me that these people are firmly in the camp of the enemy and they aren't coming out. And that He would neither be glorified nor would His character be revealed if these people were healed. Once again, we can’t blame God if he won’t do something that is contrary to His own character.

On several occasions I wanted to pray for healing and God said He wouldn’t heal, but He showed me heavenly visions when I asked why the person would be allowed to die. In these cases, I took solace in the fact that this person’s soul and spirit were soon to be going to a much better existence. I can’t fault God for this either.

God doesn’t need to give me deep theological statements about why some of us are healed and some aren’t. Maybe I’m too easy on Him. One day I’ll probably ask for more information. But I do know this - He is the sovereign King of the universe and He’s a lot wiser than I am. I think much of our misunderstanding about healing (and the absence of it) comes from a poor understanding of the healer himself.

What I have learned is not to presume anything before I pray. I’ve learned to ask Him first, “What do you want to do in this situation?” Many of us are frustrated and give up on prayer because our prayers aren’t answered according to our desires. God never promised He would give us everything we ask for. He did promise to give us everything we ask, when we ask according to His will. (1 John 5:14) I think this is where we often fail in prayer. We must first come to Papa and ask Him what the plan is, then pray accordingly, whether we like the answer or not. When we do this first, we are going to receive what we ask for. Praying without knowing God’s desire in the matter is a bit like throwing darts blindfolded. Why bother? Isn’t it better to see the target?

I don’t think its coincidence that most of the people in history with successful healing ministries were strongly gifted in the prophetic. These folks hear and see what their Father is doing. Success in divine healing requires knowledge of what God wants to do. This is something prophets in general do well, and it’s an ability we must develop if we ever hope to see people healed.

I need to make a few confessions. I have a lot of faith to pray for people. But my belief that they will actually be healed is pretty small. Right now I’m limited by my unbelief. I tend to pray and run. I don’t want to ask anyone if they feel better after I pray for them because I don’t want to risk being disappointed when they say, ‘no’. On the other hand, all Jesus asked me to do is to be a faithful servant. My job is to reveal a situation for healing when a person may not know it, and pray for them. He didn’t ask me to verify every healing with x-rays or keep score. I need to remember that.

In this season I’m running into many people with headaches and I’ve heard some encouraging testimonies. God keeps pointing them out to me and I’ve actually seen some people who said they’ve been healed. When I receive a word of knowledge and pray according to it – I have a lot of faith that the person will be healed. Some day I’ll have the faith that terminal cancer patients will be instantly healed when I pray for them. But it’s a growing and maturing process.

I also get into situations where I’m asked to pray for people and no one has received any revelation from God about it. I must confess I’m not as comfortable praying when I don’t know what God wants to do. I have a lot less faith in these situations, and I don’t expect great things to happen. I think this is a bad thing. I rely heavily on the Rhema words spoken to me by the Holy Spirit and not enough on the Logos (written) word. The bible says God wants to heal, and I need to simply believe it. I think a balance is best.

It's worth mentioning that Jesus said He did not pray for the whole world, but only for those the Father had told him were His. (John 17:9) Jesus prayed only for the specific people and situations given to him by his Father. He operated at an amazing level of hearing and knowledge. I don't always hear that well. Fortunately, my wife prays in tongues more easily than in English. In doing this, she’s always praying according to God’s will, even though we don’t necessarily know what it is. I pray according to revelation and she prays as the Spirit of God leads her and that makes us an effective team.

One thing God keeps telling me is that Jesus did nothing except what his Father revealed to him. (John 5:19) Many of us believe Jesus was successful because of his divine omniscience. But if he retained it, why did he need to ask the father what to do? Jesus never had a prayer that went unanswered because He always checked in with Papa first. It’s a tough assignment, but the rewards are incredible. I think more of us would see miracles and be less frustrated in prayer if we always asked our Father what the game plan was before we uttered a single word in prayer. That’s the direction I’m going in. I’ll let you know how it works out in future messages.

A Vacation With God The Healer

We were on the plane from Philadelphia to Seattle returning home from vacation as I reflected on the divine appointments God arranged over the last week. My wife has family and friends who are struggling a lot. Some of the relationships we had with them were broken. Most of her friends and family had little interest in God. We were visiting for a week and anxiously hoped God would show up and change the atmosphere. We prayed for softened hearts and open doors for months before the trip. My wife had a couple of dreams the week before the trip that seemed to indicate the doors were open.

I learned something the first day we were there. If you plan to work with God while on vacation, go to a prayer meeting first. We both had shoulder and neck pain we were hoping to get healed. We went to a prayer meeting at a small town fire station our first night in town. I didn’t know the words to most of the songs, so I closed my eyes during worship. God showed me images of the speaker, a man named George. First he was in a school desk that grew bigger and bigger. There were more images of him, then an image of Dutch Sheets, then Bob Jones, then the word ‘Apostolic’. I really wasn’t expecting this. It took a long time for me to get up the courage to get up. I approached George and told him I thought God had a message for him. We led the group in prayer for him as God moved him to a new level of ministry.

Later, I asked George if he would impart to me a spiritual gift. (Romans 1:11) He replied ‘sure.’ He said, “you argue with God.” I tried to convince him I only did what everyone else did. I said, yeah, don’t we all? He said, “You question what God tells you and then dismiss it.” I confessed my guilt. He prayed for me and said, “Let the first impression you receive be the one you accept. It is from the Lord. Do not question it.” I knew this was a problem I had to overcome. Other prophets had told me the same thing. Later George asked if anyone had back pain they wanted prayer for. My wife and I had him pray for us. I wasn’t really having back pain – it was a shoulder injury that had been tormenting me for months. Nothing happened immediately, but 24 hours later the pain was completely gone.

I’ve been having pregnancy dreams for almost a year. I’m usually transporting pregnant women. My daughter and wife have been having a lot of them too. Something has been growing inside all of us. It isn’t babies. God keeps telling me over and over He will heal people if I continue praying for them. I have His promise of a healing ministry. It’s been incubating for about 11 months. I know there’s another part to it and that would be evangelism. God loves people and wants them physically healed. But healing from God involves the soul and spirit, too. Deliverance, repentance, salvation and discipleship are also part of the healing process. The second night of our vacation I had 2 dreams. In the first I watched a baby being born. In the second, I picked up a newborn baby and took it to my ambulance to transport it to a larger hospital. I’ve been waiting for this dream for a long time. I know what it means. It’s the birth of a new ministry. The wait is finally over.

We went to the New Jersey shore on the hottest day of the trip. We spent time relaxing on the beach and walking in the waves. We saw dolphins a little ways off shore. It was nice to be away with my sweetie. We enjoyed out time together. But I couldn’t stop thinking about praying for people. We spent the afternoon cruising up and down the boardwalk. We shopped and ate and talked about our vision for the future. And we prayed for just about everyone we saw with a physical affliction. I saw a woman about 70 years old. She had obvious right side paralysis, probably from a stroke. I asked if I could pray for her, and she was delighted.

We were sitting on a bench when I saw a woman about 30 years old pushing a stroller. She was walking with tremendous difficulty. My heart was breaking for her. As I watched her walk away I leaned forward, closed my eyes and said, “come on Lord, let’s do this!” I saw an image of an album cover from the band “Styx”, then the words “Classic Rock”. I saw the woman park her stroller by the bathrooms and go in. I got up and walked over to the bathroom area and began to wait and pray, and then I saw a man in a wheelchair with a leg immobilizer. I asked him what happened. He told me about a car accident and how his broken arm and leg were held together with metal rods and screws. He was glad to let me pray for him. I turned around when I was done and she was right behind me. I gave her a smile and asked how she was doing. She said fine. I asked if she liked the band Styx and she said yes. I asked if she liked classic rock and she said yeah, how did you know? I said that God told me and He wanted me to pray for her to be healed. She said it wouldn’t be the first time. We prayed. I made some declarations for her financial prosperity and some other things God showed me. I felt His presence grow stronger while we prayed. I went away marveling at His mercy and compassion. We prayed for about a dozen people that day. God gave encouraging words to a few more. Some were surprised, but everyone received it well. I didn’t see any miracles but healing can be progressive. Even if nobody was healed, we got to sow a lot of seeds.

The couple who led my wife's old bible study group hosted a get together for us. The pool party got out of hand quickly. An F-1 tornado touched down a few miles away. Two of the dads and myself got trapped with the kids under the balcony as 60 mph winds, heavy rain and hail pelted us for 15 minutes. Lightning struck all around us. It was kinda crazy. As quickly as it came - it left. The sun came out and we went back to grilling and hanging out with friends. The host, Bill has a torn ligament in his knee. He's going in for surgery soon. Everyone gathered around him to pray for healing at the end of the night.

We were hoping to give prophetic words to my wife's family while we were there. We had an afternoon of explaining prophecy and revealing God’s plan to a few of her relatives. We also gave words of encouragement to others. Ministering to unbelieving family members is very hard. I’d say it’s impossible without God’s direction. We were amazed at how receptive they were. God must have been plowing the ground for some time before we arrived.

We drove to the airport for the flight home and arrived early. The last time I flew out of Philly, I missed my flight because of car accidents on the freeway. It was close to rush hour, but we zipped along without a single slow down. God needed me to be on this flight. I was standing in line at a coffee stand when the Holy Spirit showed up. I felt His presence and knew He wanted to tell me something. I closed my eyes and saw the word “migraines” and saw an image of a slightly overweight woman about 50 with short brownish blonde hair. Then I saw an image of Kathleen, a receptionist I know from a local hospital. I looked around wondering who to pray for and didn’t see anyone like the person in the image. I did see a short woman in front of me and asked her if she had migraines, but she said no.

I went to the gate and waited to board the plane.

I continued looking around and still didn’t see her. On the flight to Seattle, I read the book Power Healing by John Wimber. After about an hour in the air I noticed a woman like the one in the vision standing in line at the bathroom. I got up and asked if she had migraines and she said, yes. I asked her name and she said Kathleen. I told her about the vision at the coffee shop and said I believed God wanted to heal her. She sat in my seat as we prayed for her. She told her husband what had happened. I got a word for him, too. I asked him if he had prostate cancer. He said no. I felt certain it was an accurate word and thought maybe it was for the future. I wrote a note to his wife telling her that if he developed prostate cancer in the future they should pray for healing. I rested the remainder of the trip. God showed me many visions every time I closed my eyes. I love Him so much.

I’m writing about these things to encourage you to look for similar opportunities in the everyday things you do. Everywhere we go God is waiting with mercy and grace, healing and encouragement for many who don’t know it yet. We can all prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:31) We can all be used to heal others. (Matthew 10:8 ) It does take time to develop compassion for others, to hear what God is saying and to grow in spiritual gifts. But we seem to be in a season where God is bringing acceleration in gifting. Working with God isn’t a chore; it’s really a lot of fun.

If you'd like to read another story about an adventure in praying for people on a plane, read this story:
http://beritacalvary.blogspot.com/2009/06/healing-at-35000-feet.html

Judging Prophecy

At times I will post prophetic words I receive that are relevant to healing. There is a warning in the bible about prophetic words: "Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:20) I 'll do my best to carefully judge what I post. You should do the same. At times I may post something that disagres with someone. Please leave feedback in this case. Ask yourself if a prophetic word seems loving or not. Does it seem self-serving? What is the attitude of the one who gave the word?
Phophecy is meant to encourage those who hear it. (1 Corinthians 14:3) If a prophetic word is not encouraging in some way, we have a right to question it. Prophecy is also intended to reveal the mind of God in a matter. God doesn't speak anything contradictory to his revealed nature. If a word of prophecy doesn't line up with the word of God, it becomes suspect.

Revival and Reformation - Our Future

This is a discussion that doesn't deal primarily with medicine or healing, but the church. However, divine healing is (in my opinion) to be a normal function of the church. This post has much to say on that issue. Some of this post is prophetic, some I stole from men and women I respect. Much of it is simply my heart's desire for things I'd like to see changed and some is just plain speculation. Read it with discernment.

Raising Up Prophets
We know there’s a growing company of prophetic voices in Olympia and in other areas. The interest in Gateway’s School of the Supernatural and now Revival Town’s school are evidence that God is raising up prophets in our area….why?He needs the prophet to declare his plans for the future; to bear witness to the truth, to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, to work in miracles, signs and wonders; in short – to change the spiritual landscape. The growing company of prophets is a sign that change is coming. The ground has been plowed, the seeds planted, we are in the season of rain. The workers are being called to bring in the harvest, which is soon approaching.

Revival in Olympia
On September 3 2008, I received a visitation from messenger from God. I’m not sure if it was an angel or Jesus himself. I didn’t see the one who spoke to me. I heard an audible voice that said:

“I will pour out my Spirit says the Lord. I will visit Olympia in 15 months. I, the Lord will raise up Olympia in 15 months.”I woke up and wrote down the words. My digital clock read 3:21As I drifted off, the voice returned. There was only sound, no images. Kim Clement was leading worship with a large congregation. He was playing the song “Sacrifice is Beautiful.” He would chant and the congregation echoed his chant. Yeshua! Yeshua! Messiah! Messiah!These words were spoken by the same voice as the first words: “Do not leave, stay where you are. In 15 months it will come to pass.”

We have less than 6 months before the Holy Spirit is poured out on Olympia. Revival is coming quickly. It’s an odd thing to know that a major work of God is headed your way. People have been praying for it. The church has been waiting for it and my question is what are we doing to prepare for it?

I feel compelled to do a couple of things. One is to get the word out. People need to know what’s going to happen. Another is to enter a season of fasting and prayer. Fasting seems to make the issues of the world and my flesh small, and God’s voice much louder. We need to hear God’s voice clearly in this season. He's been bringing to mind the fact that Jesus first went into the wilderness to fast and to be tried by His enemy. He did no miracles or preaching until this was done. Once He gained victory over the enemy in His personal life - He took it and walking in the power of the Spirit, made it public. My experience lately with prayer is keeping my heart tuned in to God’s voice wherever I go. Fasting has made God's presence a constant reality. I’m too busy most days to hang out in my closet on my knees. I ask Him a lot of questions during the day and think about the answers I get. When I'm sleeping the revelation continues through dreams. That’s how I ‘pray’. God told me the other day there’s nobody in the world more dangerous than someone who walks in the power of the Spirit and commits themselves to prayer and fasting; they’ll move mountains. We need to be this kind of people.

I’ve also decided to get out of the boat. I think the church at large needs to get out of its comfort zone, too. The Lord said He’d meet me if I stepped out of the boat. Not before – but after. God is anointing people for an assignment. He’ll use just about anyone who’s got the right motives. The anointing isn’t for our entertainment – it’s for an assignment. You have to agree to take the assignment, and then you’ll receive the anointing.

Kim Clement prophesied that there would be a people who would enter into fasting, prayer, worship, dance and other forms of warfare that will break the power of darkness in our land. There’s a group of people in our region who will pursue victory and break the stronghold over Olympia this year. I plan to be one of them. We can use more help.

The Baby
On October 1 2008 I received another message from an angel. It was in the form of a dream without images. I heard an audible voice that said: “You are on the right and true path. Stay on course. Keep doing things exactly the way you have been doing them.” On October 15th, I received another angelic message. It came at the end of a series of 3 dreams. The first dream was about a pregnant woman who was about to deliver her baby. She was in the emergency room at St. Joseph’s hospital in Tacoma. She didn’t deliver immediately, so they moved her out of her room. They rolled her bed down the hallway and out of the ER and left her there. I heard an angelic voice at the end of the dream say that the baby’s name is Emanuel. I woke up, wrote down the dream and went back to sleep and immediately had another dream about a pregnant woman. I slept for about an hour and right before I woke up I had a 3rd dream. This was another dream without images. I knew I was with a woman who was pregnant and was about to deliver. I heard an angelic voice speak to the baby. The angel said: “This is God’s desire – for you to be born and to be separated from your mother.”

I’ve spent a lot of time asking God about these dreams. The pregnancy dreams represent the approaching birth of a new work of God. He is preparing new wine to be poured into new wineskins. The baby (or new church) will be delivered in an unexpected location. Not in a delivery suite, as we would expect, but in a hallway – a common location where people travel from one place to another. The angel said the baby’s name would be Emanuel; that Jesus will be the center of this new work. The twist is that the angel said it was God’s desire for the baby to be separated from its mother.

This I believe, represents the split we will see develop in the church as a result of the things that will take place in the coming revival. The mother represents the established church that will give birth. The baby is the new body of believers coming from the revival. The new church will have its development in a different location from its mother (the established church). God wants us to know in advance there’s going to be a problem between them. We know God wants unity in the church. Sometimes prophets speak of what God wants; sometimes they speak of what will happen, in spite of God’s true desire for the situation.

Multiplying and Dividing
Several things will be at the heart of the division that grows in the church. Prophets have said the people who will be reached will be the most unlikely type of people in our eyes. On October 10th 2008, I received an angelic message. It was another dream without any images, just a voice speaking. The messenger said: “You are ministering to desperate people.” Many, but not all of the people God will reach aren’t going to seem very ‘churchy’ to us. These desperate people will be gang members, criminals, alcoholics, drug addicts and the homeless. We’re also going to reach gays, lesbians, pagans, witches, new-agers, and atheists in large numbers. How would most churches deal with a huge influx of these people? Some will have the grace to welcome them warmly – most will not. To be fair, most of these people would be scared to death of coming to church anyways. I believe God has a different plan for them. There will be a different type of church developing, an orphan of sorts that will do it’s own thing in its own place.

The coming revival has been described by prophets in different ways. Matt Sorger called it the ‘Clearwater Revival’. His emphasis was on the character of the people God will use; people of pure hearts who’ve had their character refined in the fire of trial and testing. He emphasized that God is not going to let the flesh contaminate his work any longer. People who are out to build a name for themselves beware, God is tired of it.

(Clearwater Revival ) https://www.mattsorger.com/teachings.aspx?id=60

Kim Clement has prophesied much about this revival; it will be one of unbelievable and unprecedented miracles, signs and wonders. Bob Jones’ wife Bonnie was taken into heaven and shown a room full of body parts. She was told that they were parts that God will give to people who are missing them. Prophecies about different angels that will be used to usher in this revival are piling up like leaves in October.

(Bonnie's Vision) http://www.bobjones.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=110343&page=Prophetic20Words

(Kim's Prophecies) http://www.kimclementvault.com/prophecyread.asp?num=344

I see God pushing us further and further in the direction of the supernatural – and away from the theology and practice of the denominational church. Last fall, after the Lakeland outpouring cooled off, I had a discussion with one of the local Assembly of God pastors about it. He said the reason it went sideways was because of the false doctrine being taught. He specifically mentioned the teaching about female angels, the appearance of gemstones etc; things he couldn’t find in the bible. I think his remarks reveal how many in the church view the supernatural. We’re afraid of it. This mind-set will be a major cause for division in the future. Even those who formerly embraced the working of miracles, signs and wonders will switch camps. Some who rejected them (like myself) will embrace them. Few people will remain neutral.

Greek or Jew?
There are two mind-sets in the family of God. Some seek knowledge; some prefer signs and wonders (1 Corinthians 1:22) Most, but not all Christians are strong on doctrinal knowledge. But what we know of the supernatural isn’t very deep. Some of what we think we know is probably off-base. Contrary to what your pastor will tell you, our greatest need in the church isn’t a sound knowledge of the bible. The church has been led for centuries by two of the five types of leaders in the church - the pastor and teacher. These offices tend to focus on developing theology, reading and writing books and applying those truths in everyday life. From their perspective we need more knowledge. Our understanding and experience of God reflects that intellectual bent. There’s nothing wrong with sound doctrine – but for centuries we’ve been devoid of the prophet and apostle and the power these positions function in.

There’s been a power outage in the church for a couple of thousand years. Our leaders have tried to explain the lack of signs and wonders with the teaching of cessationism. “God just isn’t into healing or miracles anymore, all you need is the bible.” Frankly, a lot of people are comfortable with it until they get really sick. As a church we see occasional flashes of God’s power but it’s rare, and poorly understood…that’s about to change. The greatest lack in the church right now is a better understanding of the powers of the Almighty. In the coming season you won’t have to search 'youtube' to see His power displayed – it’ll be going on in your own back yard.

What happened in Lakeland and what’s presently going on in Redding is a small taste of what will happen in many places in the coming season. We’ll see things that are even more absurd and ridiculous in the future. Kim Clement prophesied about the absurd things God is about to unleash. Check out his prophecies from the last year or so. These things are going to happen – and they are going to make people question their validity and the credibility of those involved. Will we embrace the foolishness of God? And are we up to the task of defending these experiences in a mature manner?

The New Church
Church pollsters know what’s happening – people are losing their desire to be associated with the church, but not with God. The influence of and interest in main-line denominational churches will continue its decline. There are many good shepherds and sheep in these churches. But there are prevailing attitudes that hinder growth. Many have their bags packed and are standing in line waiting for the rapture. It’s hard to be motivated toward kingdom building when you believe the game is over and the enemy has won; their hope is in the millennial kingdom. I believe in the coming kingdom, but I also believe God hasn’t abandoned the ship just yet. (This is a recent change in my thinking)

We in the church have taken a stand against many things – but we don’t make it well known what we are for. Our critical, conservative attitudes have alienated us from society and few people feel loved by us. That’s why they aren’t beating down the church door to get in. Our judgmental appearance has done much harm, and it’s probably too late to be repaired. The coming revival will add some new faces to the main-line churches but most of the harvest will come from fields outside their reach.

The established main-line church will also have a hard time with the miracles, signs and wonders being manifested. Here’s what they’ll say: “An adulterous generation seeks signs and wonders and in the last days false prophets will rise up working false signs and wonders. We aren’t going to fall for it.” They won’t be able to find some things in the bible so they’ll dismiss it as heresy or as works of the devil. Even some charismatic leaders will speak out against it. God is drawing a line in the sand. What we see in the days to come will force everyone to take a stand. Most of the established church will reject it. On August 21st of 2008, I had another dream without any images. I received a message in which angel said, “Those who will follow the Lord will follow, those who won’t will be left behind. It’s time to decide.” When I heard the message, I looked at my clock. The time was 11:59.

The external appearance of the church is changing. It isn’t a new roof or a nicer stained-glass window. We’ve tried to keep God inside the stained-glass box long enough. He isn’t a genie we can summon at our convenience. He’s going out into all the world and there’s little we can do to stop Him. In the coming days there will be a greater presence of alternative church settings. We’ll see the glory of God in house churches, we’ll see the Spirit moving in coffee shops, malls, shelters, pubs, city parks and anywhere people hang out. The church of the future will be found almost anywhere and be open to anyone. The church of the past brought people into a building to meet God. In the future we’ll show that God is at work where we live, work and play. The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, how much less a building made with hands?

We will become Jesus to our community. In the past we’ve made church into a sub-culture and removed people from their natural relationships and spaces. In the future we’ll see ministry develop through the every day relationships we already have. In the past we’ve built mega- churches to entertain, programs to keep people busy and super-ministries to glorify individuals. Some will hold on to this model – but their long-term growth is limited. The future is in a different kind of church. That’s the message of the baby that was delivered in the hallway. The new church is very much about location.

The apostolic and prophetic offices will be another cause for division. God is going to re-establish the authority and influence these offices had centuries ago. But the majority of the church doesn’t accept them now. Catholicism recognizes the hierarchy of Rome. Most protestant denominations recognize a similar hierarchy using different names; senior pastor, assistant pastor, worship pastor, youth pastor, missions pastor etc. The other leadership model is one of deacons, elders and bishops. In both models there’s still a hierarchy. God actually intended the church to have a leadership structure without vertical positions. One in which the leaders functioned in equal authority but in different different gifts. This is a different concept than the idea of vertical positions. Referring to structures of govenment, Jesus told his disciples that the Gentiles lord themselves over one another, but it was not to be so in the church. (Matthew 20:25) We haven't taken His direction seriously. In the new church the five-fold model of Ephesians 4:11 will become the norm.

A stronger apostolic and prophetic presence will create more animosity among those who don’t believe in their validity. That’s the large majority of the church. As much as these offices are needed to help steer the church in the right direction, most of the church will resist. We can expect a huge outcry against the increasing presence of these offices, and that will bring turmoil. It’s going to get very ugly. Debates will rage for years, life-long friendships will end, people who held leadership positions will be asked to leave or quit voluntarily. Some will find the new wine suits them just fine, others will bitterly complain.

The charismatic church has the greatest potential to carry the coming revival to the nations of the world. But it has a well-deserved reputation for immaturity. We are known for seeking shows of power and exhilarating experiences while remaining biblically ignorant. We are famous for indulging ourselves in holy laughter while the world remains in the pain and bondage of sin. There’s nothing wrong with God’s fireworks, and God is looking for enthusiastic people who are young in spirit. But He desires us to develop mature character. We’ve sought God’s power for its entertainment value, or to manipulate innocent people and we’ve embraced weird doctrines that make the cults look like bible scholars. The Charismatic church needs to grow up. There’s too much at stake. A balance of sound teaching and working in the gifts of the Spirit would please God greatly. This should be our goal.

What’s coming is going to change the face of the church forever. It’s going to challenge us all in what we believe. What we face is nothing short of a second reformation. There’s a tidal wave of change headed our way. The last storm in the church was about doctrine; the next one will be about power. It’s a time for action and more importantly a time for understanding. Those who’ll lead the revival will be those who’ll accept God on His own terms, regardless of their preconceptions. Change requires flexibility. I'm praying for a double portion of the Gumby anointing.

Apostles, Prophets and Quadriplegics

We got the dispatch information and drove toward his home. It would be a while before we got there so I closed my eyes and asked God to show me something about the patient we were going to pick up. I was excited wondering, did God want to heal him? The first thing I saw was the clear, unmistakable face of James Goll, with a big smile on his face. The image remained for a while and I asked God what it meant – then the image faded and I saw a pair of glasses on a white background. I thought perhaps this man had a call to be a seer prophet or an apostle. (See 1 Samuel 9:9) An image of Bob Jones appeared and he was also smiling. Then it faded and I briefly saw Stacy Campbell. The images turned into beautifully colored sunsets and sunrises and visions of the northern lights. Then I saw theses 2 words revealed. They were beautifully written in the handwriting of heaven: “Apostolic” and “Prophetic”. (See Ephesians 4:11)

I had wondered what I would do, and how would I know if God placed me alongside someone He had called to such a position. Today I found out. We drove to his home. He lives in a nice house on the water; I assume it might be his parent’s home. He’s been a quadriplegic for many years and doesn’t have a job. We put him on our gurney and loaded him for the long ride to the hospital. I was glad we were taking his ventilator. Many of my patients don’t like mine. Frank (not his real name) is dependant on a ventilator to breathe for him. He can be off it for a short period of time, but doesn’t have enough use of his respiratory muscles to breathe on his own for more than a half hour.

We settled in for the trip. I told Frank I that God showed me some things about him and asked if he wanted to know what they were. He said, “yeah”. I told him about the visions of James Goll and Bob Jones and explained who these men were and what their spiritual gifts and calling were about. I told him I saw the words ‘apostolic’ and ‘prophetic’ and that I believed God was calling him to these two positions in the church. I told him it was a high calling and a great honor and that God want to use him to shape and influence the culture around him for the kingdom of heaven. He took the news with amazement. He asked what church I went to. I told him about my church and what I liked about it.

We talked for a while and he told me about a near-death experience he had almost 24 years ago. It happened after he became a quadriplegic. He was in a hospital and during treatment he developed a collapsed lung and died. He went into heaven. I asked if he saw angels. He said, “Yes, I did. They told me God wasn’t through with me yet, and I had more things I needed to do first. Then I came back into my body”. He said he always wondered what it was he was supposed to be doing, but never really knew for sure. I told him I believed it was revealed to him today what his destiny was.

We left him in the hands of the folks at the hospital and I said goodbye to him. He thanked me for taking care of him. I can’t help but wonder what will come of it. I really like this guy. Even though he has a big disability, he has a great attitude and he’s a pleasure to be with. I don’t know if he’ll ever walk in the gifting God has called him to. Saul had a similar calling and threw it away. (See 1 Samuel 15:23) David had the same calling and made the most of it. (See 1 Chronicles 29:28) Only time will tell what Frank will choose to do. I leaned a great lesson; if I had not been curious enough to inquire from God about this man – would he ever have known what his calling was? God is calling many people in this hour to come up to a higher level. It’s people like you and me who can be the messenger to those who don’t know it yet. You might meet them in the most unlikely place. Are you curious about what God is up to? Spend time asking and He will amaze you with His plans for the people around you. The video below speaks to the matter of discovering who God says we are. Think about the meaning of the word apostle which means "one who is sent" as you listen to the song in the video.

Taking It To The Streets

I'm getting prepared. I'm not sure where I'm going yet, but I'm making plans for a trip. Summer is upon us rather suddenly this year. I like that and so does my wife. It seems like a few weeks ago we had snow in the driveway and now it's close to 90 every day. Things change suddenly.

I've been noticing a lot of people with health problems lately. I can't seem to get away from them. Every trip to the grocery store, gas station or Home Depot puts me next to someone with paralysis from a stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or something similar. I feel a tug on my heart that's growing more intense. I just want to walk up to everyone I see who has some sickness and asking if I can pray for them. Sometimes I chicken out, other times I approach them and ask if they want prayer.

At work I've been plagued with thoughts of going through one nursing home after another and praying for each resident to be healed. I visualize myself going from room to room praying with each person - sometimes thinking I don't care if it takes all day for this person to get healed - I'm staying here until it happens. Yeah, I know - its a big dream. But God makes dreams come true. He places his desire in us to motivate us to do the things He wants to accomplish. No, I haven't seen any miraculous healings in person yet. But it's coming. One day I'm going to pray for someone and they will be healed - suddenly.

God likes to do things suddenly. I believe He does it to catch the enemy off guard. It takes a while for the enemy to adjust to new things, just like it takes us time to sort out and get comfortable with something new. God can use this to His (and our) advantage. But we must go along with the changes and flow in the direction the Spirit wants to take us.

This Saturday I'm getting together with some folks who share a common vision. We all have a desire to see God's light penetrate the darkest recesses of our culture. We want to see his love poured out on the unsuspecting ones He is drawing to Himself. Personally, I hope to see hearts, minds and bodies healed. There are a lot of people God wants to reach with His love. Many of these people have no interest in what we call 'church'. They won't come to us, so God is sending us to them. For several years this group has set up a canopy of shade at community events and offered prophetic 'words of encouragement', prayer and dream interpretation to those who show up. I'm going on a spiritual adventure this summer; going where ever the Spirit leads me.

I believe God is going to do something suddenly this summer as we take to the streets. About a week ago I had a dream in the early morning, just before waking. I was driving my car in Olympia and suddenly something came down from the sky toward me. It was like a large bird swooped down and came to rest, hovering right above me. This was what I 'saw' going on in the natural realm, with my eyes. But there was something else going on. I can only describe it as happening in the spiritual dimension. When the bird descended, I became aware that I had received an invitation to attend the meeting for the prophetic street ministry. It was like a spiritual e-mail. When I opened it, I felt an incredible revival break out in my soul. I developed a much deeper passion for God and a wave of joy overpowered me. In the dream, I forwarded the e-mail to other people I knew.

The interpretation of the dream is simple. Vehicles represent ministry; that's the subject of the dream. God plans to change something about my ministry. It shows a similarity to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river when the Holy Spirit descended on Him, in the form of a dove. (see Matthew 3:16) This was the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. Immediately afterward he went into the wilderness to fast and endure temptation, then came out of the wilderness in the power of the Spirit, teaching and working miracles.

Most of what I do as 'ministry' is confined to my ambulance. It isn't really public. I believe the dream foretells a visitation from the Holy Spirit for me and others who will be taking our gifts and going public with them. I believe God will anoint those who desire to carry the glory and power of God in a greater measure this coming season. I believe it's an invitation to step out in faith with a little more boldness and 'go public' with what God has called us to do. If we do this, I believe God will back us up.

I have a feeling that this summer is going to be a hot one, literally and spiritually. I believe we're going to see the fires of a true, large - scale revival spread. This fall and winter we should see a great harvest. But revival starts inside each of us, and the message from my dream is that I have to get involved and commit myself to the work of God, then He will send fire down from heaven to make me burn with a passion for it.

I watched some videos this morning that encouraged me a lot. There is a 5 minute video below of Todd White praying with people for healing on a boardwalk. There is a second video interview of Todd describing the way to walk in kingdom power. If the short videos interest you, there is a longer video that's an interview with Todd about his life. (The link to the Extreme Prophetic video is posted below) He describes his transformation from a drug addicted criminal to a passionate, loving, street-healer. He tells about his early days of praying for people and seeing no fruit. Months and months of praying and not one miracle. Then suddenly, someone was instantly healed. He's been seeing miracles of healing just about every day since then. The video shows him at work on the streets. You and I can walk in that same power if we're willing to commit ourselves to trusting in the promises of God.

Todd White Interview (Extreme Prophetic):
http://www.xpmedia.com/3c7oQOPHK5Kx


This is a video of Todd on the boardwalk praying for a group of strangers:





This is a video interview of Todd discussing the secrets of walking in the power of the kingdom:

Command Me

God's been doing something unexpected. Last week I had 2 occasions to pray for people to be healed on the same day. One was a co-worker, one was a patient. As I felt God's presence show up, I began a dialogue with Him about what He wanted to do. "I want to heal", came His first words. I thought, "cool, let's do it." I asked God what he wanted me to do. He said "Command me."

Uhhh...did you say "command me"? I pretended like I didn't understand what God was saying, but I knew exactly what He meant. I was entering into a new phase of prayer, and I didn't like where it was going. I balked at His suggestion and we had a long discussion about it. The problem was my perception of our relationsip. I thought, "you're God, and I'm not. It's your job to be the boss. My job is to follow your lead and ask for healing. I don't command God to do anything, you are the one who commands me." So went my line of reasoning. The discussion lasted for several hours. God explained to me an important thing I was missing. When His presence (glory) shows up, He wants to do something. I can't assume I know what it is bacause I've been wrong before. It's up to Him to tell me what He wants to do and how it gets done. After He tells me what He wants to do, I ask, "what do you want me to do?" Usually He says "pray with them" or something like it. But God can tell me what ever He wants, He doesn't always heal in the same way. Jesus healed people in many different ways. God dosen't care much for our formulas.

Here was what God told me: "If I tell you I want to heal, trust me, I will do it. If I want you to command healing - just do it. Walk over and put your hand on the injured place and command the injury to be healed. Moses commanded me. Elijah commanded me. I want you to command me." As I heard Him speak, I knew what He was referring to. Moses called down one plague after another upon Egypt until pharaoh had seen enough. But Moses had prior information about what God's will was in freeing the Israelites. He knew what God wanted him to do. So he commanded the Lord with confidence. (See Exodus 7) Elijah had a similar experience. In his showdown at Mt. Carmel against the false prophets of Baal, he called down fire from heaven. He commanded God, because he knew what God wanted to do. (See 1 Kings 18:38)

When God said, "command me." He was simply trying to change my perception of our relationship. I tend to see our relationship as servant and master, and in a sense it is. But its more than that. In John 15:15, Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." In the last year, God has asked me to come closer to him. To spend more and more time meditating on Him and His plans. He's encouraged me to ask the kind of questions I'd always been afraid to ask. He always answers my questions straight forwardly. He wants me (and you) to know the details of His plans for our lives. The key is being close enough to God to "know His business."

Make no mistake, our personal issues must be dealt with first. Moses spent 40 years as God dealt with his attitude. God is working out of me a lot of my issues, too. But as we grow in obedience to God, (as the servant) He treats us not as servants but friends. Let's go one step further. The bible actually describes our relationship with God in terms many of us don't feel worthy of. We are seated in the heavenly kingdom with Jesus and joint-heirs with him of that kingdom. (Romans 8:17 and Ephesians 2:6)

God has called us to rule both in this present age and in the ages to come. How are we to do this? My idea of ruling and enforcing God's will in my sphere is often a lot of whining, whimpering and begging God to do something. Its my Calvinist world-view coming to the surface. When I'm feeling down and defeated and it seems as though I've made a hopeless mess of things, its comforting to reflect on God's sovereignty. When I'm confused about why something happened, I lean of the fact that God does what he wants for his own reasons. The determinism of Calvinism can be comforting. But it leaves us powerless.

God wants us to interact with him as we rule with Him. That's the idea of being a co-heir with Christ. We need to seek the mind of the Lord, find out what He wants to do in a situation and declare what His will is. I'm learning that making declarations that are consistent with God's will is a powerful way to pray. I had a shocking example of this a few days ago.

My daughter asked me to proof read an essay she wrote for school. She's 16 and a decent writer, but she doesn't write at the level of an adult. As I read her essay I was stunned. I couldn't believe she had written the essay she handed me. It seemed like it had been written by someone working on their Master's degree. She strung together one complex idea after another in a very compelling argument. She cited many resources and used terms I'd never even heard of. What happened?

Declarations happened. I've been praying for God to give her wisdom, knowledge, and favor in her studies. Every night at her bedside I make declarations over her. Yes, I do ask for some things, but just as often, I make declarations of what I know God wants to do for her. God has been doing all the things I had asked for and declared - and I wasn't even aware of it until I read her paper. Funny thing - How many of us take these things seriously before God? I think He wants to do a lot more than we realize.

I knew about God's desire for me to command healing before He told me to do it. Kim Clement prophesied about us commanding God in this season. I wondered when the time would come for God to ask me to do it. In October of last year, Kim gave this prophetic word:

"Take this next week and I want you to begin to command Me. You say, how can we command the Lord? God says command Me. Do not pray, do not weep, do not beseech, do not repent. I want you to command. For this storm that you are in must be steered in the right direction. Therefore, I say command Me. And I will blind your enemies, I will blind your adversary, I will bring blindness to your problems. I will bring blindness to your adversary who is approaching you to take you and to shake you. God says, I will enlighten the eyes of this nation, I will bring light. In a twinkling of an eye there shall be a change. As I speak it and this is My word tonight says the Lord."
October 26, 2008 - Humble, TX

I believe its time for us to step up to a higher level. God is calling us to command healing and to declare his will. He has given us authority to represent Him. He is weary of our powerless life. (Aren't we?) If God tells you or I to pray or command healing - He's going to make sure it happens. We need to put fear and unbelief behind us.

I'm learning to deal with my fear and unbelief. I'm leaving a life of skepticism and starting to believe in divine healing. I'm starting over and I don't have that much faith. A few days ago I began reading the thickest book I've ever seen. It's about the life of John G. Lake. Almost 1,000 pages of sermons, testimonies of healing, and his personal diary. He had what was arguably the greatest healing ministry since Jesus. He walked in a closeness with God I can only hope to emulate. He has become my modern day role model. I study the way in which Jesus did ministry, so did Lake. I'm going to try to follow The Lord in the way Lake did. Reading about the miracles others have performed gives my small faith a big boost. I hope one day soon I'll be writing stories of God's love being displayed through healing on a daily basis.

I'm asking you to join me in this pursuit. It's my conviction that any of us can command healing, work in miracles, prophesy, or function in any of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Cor. 12: 8-11. It's the Holy Spirit who is operating through us, as He wills to do it. If He wants you to prophesy one day, heal the next, and give a word of knowledge next week, why would you want to stand in the way? Cooperating with God allows Him to bless others through us.

The Power of Dreams

I was walking through St Joseph’s hospital in Tacoma. It was packed with patients today. It was standing room only. Something strange was going on. None of the people I saw were being treated for medical problems. As I walked the hallways I kept seeing more patients everywhere I looked. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years. They were sitting in hallways and lobbies socializing. Some were in wheelchairs, some sat on the floor and others were standing as they talked in small groups. The noise of people talking and laughing created an atmosphere that was more like a wedding reception. I could tell they were all excited about the same thing. There was a joy I’d never seen in a hospital before. These patients weren’t here to be treated. They were here for check ups. Somehow they all knew that miraculous healings were about to take place. They wanted to have their conditions documented by their doctors before they were healed so there would be no question about how it happened. That’s when I woke up.

I was one of the coolest dreams I’ve ever had. I was excited for weeks afterward and I was willing to pray for anyone who was sick. I believe this dream was more than just wishful thinking. I can’t recall having any dreams in the last 25 years. I’m having them regularly now and many of them are like this one. If you stick around, I’ll explain why I believe it was a taste of things to come. I’d like to take you on an exploration of dreams; why we have them, where they come from, what they mean and how they shape our future.

World-Views
I took psychology classes in college because the human mind fascinates me. I learned a lot but I was a little disappointed. I learned about the different theories proposed by Freud, Jung, Skinner and others. But one thing bothered me; the different theories of psychology don’t form a cohesive, unified explanation of how the mind works. Instead, every theory proposed disagreed with the others. We were asked to review all the different theoretical models then pick the one we liked. There wasn’t much scientific research supporting any of them. Some experts have theories for dream interpretation. I didn't find any compelling methods among the ones I studied.

Another thing was missing from the field of psychology; they claimed to know nothing of the spiritual dimension. Some disciplines like behaviorism deny the possibility of the spirit. Even as an atheist, (during the 1980's) this bothered me. They relegate spiritual matters to experts in religion, or deny it altogether. We fall short in our attempt to study human behavior if we fail to account for all the components of our existence. If the spirit-world is real and dreams are connected to it, we should investigate that possibility.

I heard Chuck Missler report on an interesting discovery. Experts found that in attempting to divide particles of matter into smaller and smaller parts, at a point in the process the particles lose their location. You cannot infinitely divide the matter of our world.

What relevance does this have?

This forced experts to conclude that our universe is not analog, but digital. That has startling implications. It means that we live in a universe that's similar to a computer game. Our universe is really a replication or simulation created by another universe. The parent universe is analog and its a lot more real than ours.

We live in a world like the one portrayed in the movie “The Matrix”, that eerie world in which everything that seems real is only a cleverly devised simulation. There’s an invisible world we can’t see with our natural eyes it’s the real deal in every way that matters. Most of us are oblivious to it our entire lives, unless someone tells us about it. That eternal world is accessible every night when you go to bed as the physical world is put on hold and your spirit takes over. Just close your eyes and enter the eternal universe.

While you’re here you should take notes, your physical body doesn’t understand or want to participate in the spiritual universe. As soon as you wake up, the body will try to force the spirit back in its box and your memories of the eternal dimension will vanish. This is why we seldom remember dreams in detail. The apostle Paul said, “The spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit because these two are contrary to one another.” (Gal 5:17) When he taught on the reality of the invisible universe he said, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2:Cor 4:18) And how do we see the unseen? With the eyes of our spirit, which Paul mentioned in his prayer for his friends in Ephesus, “that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened.” (Eph 1:18)

The Foundation For Dreams
I’d like to establish a biblical foundation on which to build an understanding of dreams. Some scholars believe the book of Job to be the oldest book of the Old Testament. Although the events of Genesis pre-date Job, it is believed that Job lived before Moses. Some experts believe it's one of the oldest texts in the world. Even a few thousand years ago, men had a keen understanding of how God worked. Job’s friend Elihu reminds him of the diverse ways in which God speaks to us. Because we often fail to perceive God’s voice, He reveals secrets to us while we sleep:

For God may speak in one way, or in another,Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.I n order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:14-18)


Types of Dreams


Warning / Correction
In Genesis 31, Jacob had a dream in which an angel told him that God knew how his father-in-law, Laban had cheated him over the years. The angel told him to leave Laban’s land secretly. Laban was also warned by God in a dream not to speak harshly to Jacob about it.

Abimelech was warned in a dream not to sleep with the wife of Abraham or he would die. (Gen 20:3).

Joseph’s cell mates had divine dreams, one was promised freedom; the other was warned of his impending death. (Gen. 40:5).

Pharaoh was warned in a dream about a coming famine lasting 7 years. (Gen. 41)

When Joseph learned that his wife Mary was pregnant, he considered leaving her, but an angel came to him in a dream and revealed that her pregnancy was a divine miracle and that he was to fulfill his marriage commitment. He was also warned in a dream of Herod’s plan to kill Jesus and to flee to Egypt. The accounts are from Matthew chapters 1 & 2.


Divine Provision and Protection
In Genesis 28, Jacob falls asleep by a river. God comes to him in a dream and gives him several covenant promises; to bless him all of his days, to make a great family for him, to give him the land promised to Isaac and Abraham, and a promise that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him. It is interesting to note that Jacob did not have a dream about God, but that God manifested his actual presence to Jacob while his body slept.

Calling/Gifting
God also manifested His presence to Solomon while he slept. Solomon had a conversation with God in a dream. God told him to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to rule over God’s people. In the dream God gave him wisdom greater than anyone who ever lived. He also received great honor, riches and a promise of long life if he would be obedient, because he didn’t ask for any of these things. Then Solomon woke up and realized all these things happened while he was sleeping. (1 Kings 3:5-15)

Strategies for Victory
Gideon was told to spy on his enemies. As he listened in he learned that one of them had been given a dream of a loaf of bread rolling down a hill and smashing their tents. The enemies interpreted it as a sure sign of defeat. Gideon went back to his camp and confidently led his troops to victory. (Judges 7:13-15)

Encouragement
King Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream concerning his own kingdom and all the world kingdoms to follow. It was revealed that his kingdom was the greatest of the kingdoms of man. He was greatly encouraged by this dream. (Dan. 2:36-45)

Direction in Ministry
Both the apostles Peter and Paul were given assignments from God in visions. (Dreams and visions are very similar. The main difference being that visions occur while we are a wake) In his vision, Paul saw a man from Macedonia praying. God told Paul and his friends to go there. Peter had a series of visions in which God showed him (symbolically) that the ‘unclean’ Gentiles he disliked were the ones God wanted him to reach next. (Acts 10:9-15 and 16:10)

The Prophet
God spoke to Aaron and Miriam about the way in which he would communicate to His prophets. “If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream, not so, with my servant Moses, who is faithful in all my house, with him I speak face to face, even plainly, not in dark sayings.” (Num. 12:6-8)

When the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel, he knew in advance all the details of the encounter. He knew where Saul would go after he left and all the people he'd meet. It's likely that God revealed some this information to Samuel through dreams or visions. (see 1 Sam. 9-10)

Both Daniel and the apostle John saw events that would take place thousands of years in the future; much of it was revealed in dreams and visions. God is able to transport us in the spirit to the future and show us things to come.

I've heard some wonderful testimonies about healing that people have received while they slept. Particularly in the area of inner healing for emotional trauma during childhood. Is it strange to believe that God is able to heal us regardless of whether we're awake or sleeping?

There are many other purposes for dreams that I haven't mentioned. Here are few examples of what God has done through dreams and visions in modern times:

Charles Spurgeon, the famous 19th century preacher was given an entire sermon in a dream. His wife wrote it down and he preached it to the congregation the following Sunday.

The city of Spokane, Washington was once called the healthiest city in the world, due to the healing ministry of John G. Lake. He was a millionaire who held an influential seat on the Chicago Board of Trade. While in prayer one night he had a vision from God that lasted 4 hours. In the vision he was given all the details of the next season of his life. Later he moved to Indianapolis, then to South Africa, where he had an incredible ministry in healing and church- planting. Later he moved to Spokane and started the healing rooms there. Records show that over 100,000 people were healed there in a span of 5 years. All of these things were revealed to him in the vision.

Dream Basics
Most of us spend a third of our life asleep. While our physical bodies require rest, our spirit doesn’t need it. It's always able to interact with the realm of the spirit. It’s when the body is asleep and there are fewer distractions that God can speak to us and perhaps get through. Even so, there’s a rebellious soul to deal with, and that’s why dreams are often symbolic. As much as we think we’d obey God if he just told us things plainly, the truth is our soul is rather stubborn and independent. God uses symbolic language to get our soul to cooperate. If we become curious about the messages in a dream, the soul will engage in a journey of discovery. Peter had to be shown his vision 3 times and argued with God about it repeatedly. I’ve done the same thing myself on more than one occasion.

I’ve learned that the major obstacle (for me) in hearing God’s voice is getting rid of all the distractions. Once my soul is quiet, I see and hear God much more clearly. But when our physical body is completely at rest, there are almost no distractions and revelation flows more freely. God is a Father who wants to share His secrets with us. That requires us taking time to listen without distractions.

Dreams come from different sources; from our own soul, from God or from his enemies. I’ve had all 3 kinds. Dreams from the enemy are often dark, with sickly colors. There are feelings usually associated with these dreams like fear, guilt, shame, or unhappiness. The subject matter often involves something evil. I’ve heard creepy, demonic voices in this kind of dream. At times it may be hard to discern the origin of a dream. I've had some that I wasn't certain about. God will tell you what you need to know, so ask.

Dreams from the soul are those odd dreams that often seem pointless. There may not be a particular “feel” to some of them. They aren’t very symbolic or inspiring. But some dreams from God can be dismissed as ones from our soul. I've mistakenly thought some of my dreams weren't from God, but after asking the Holy Spirit, about them a profound truth came forth. Always ask God about your dreams.

Divine dreams are usually different from soul dreams. I can sometimes feel the presence of God in them. The feelings we have in a dream may contradict the feelings we would normally have about what's happening. How you feel in a dream is one key to it's interpretation.

I had a dream in which I killed an older man who lived down the street from me. (Hang on- let me explain!) In the dream we were friends and we did a lot of things together. I never met him in real life (in the natural) but in the dream I knew he had to die so I poisoned him and left him to die. I had a slight sadness about it, which turned into a sense of peace. The emotions I felt were nothing like I would have felt in reality. As God gave me the interpretation, I understood the lack of remorse I felt. In describing our call to walk in a new type of conduct, Paul says we should get rid of the old man in our life and consider him to be dead. The ‘old man’ represents our former way of living. Killing the ‘old man’ was symbolic of getting rid my old ways and submitting to God’s plan. That’s why I wasn’t full of guilt or remorse. (See Rom 6:6, Eph.4:22, Col.3:9)

Divine dreams can also follow you around through the day in your thoughts. This is especially true if you write them down. It transfers them from the spirit world to the natural making them permanent. As they come to mind, and as you meditate on them you’ll gain insight into their meaning. You’ll also notice more divine appointments. You’ll have a dream about someone you haven’t talked to in a long time, then a day or so later you''ll ‘mysteriously’ run into them. Your dream may describe something that happened to them. I had a dream with 2 scenes in which I was in a shop helping a friend fix a car. We were removing the drive shaft which is necessary before you work on the transmission. In the second scene, I was helping him put a roof on one of his buildings. I saw him 3 days later and told him about the dreams. He said that 3 days ago he was in his shop putting a transmission in his son’s car and told me the roof collapsed on his shop earlier that day.

When God begins to speak to us in dreams, He establishes a set of issues relevant to us, and a common language. If you’re struggling with some form of rebellion against God, it’ll show up in dreams, often in repeated themes with different settings and people. When you deal with that issue and put it behind you the subject of your dreams will change. God is always trying to get us into the best relationship possible. As He shows us one problem, we begin fixing our end of the relationship.

We each have a unique dream language. It’s an environment and set of symbols that represent a world familiar to us. I have a lot of dreams that take place in hospitals and ambulances. My daughter is a swimmer. Most of her divine dreams have a pool as the backdrop. My wife is a graphic designer. Her dreams often involve computers. Your dream setting and language will be familiar to you. I can’t possibly do justice to the intricate work of interpreting dreams in this message. But I’ll pass along some things I’ve learned and mistakes I've made. Hopefully you'll find a few pearls of wisdom:

* If you aren’t having dreams from God – Ask! He is always speaking to us. He never quits. David said in the 40th psalm that God’s thoughts toward you are as numerous as the sands of the seashore. Wouldn’t you like at least a handful or two of that sand? Aren’t you curious to know his plans for you? Ask and you will receive.

A few dreams are easy to interpret and can be taken literally. But most are not. I’ve had a number of “message’ dreams in which I’ve heard an audible voice speaking to me. These dreams are rare and need no interpretation. I’ve had dreams in which I see myself praying for someone to be healed or something similar. These dreams also don’t require a lot of interpretation.

Most, but not all divine dreams are symbolic in some way. Some have symbolism that is easy to unravel; some have complexity that is impossible to figure out without God’s help. There are some books on dream interpretation and symbols. The book of Daniel is probably the best book to start with. The book of Revelation is helpful with symbols. As you plow through the bible trying to decode your dreams, you’ll find God saying even more. For other books, stick with an author who is prophetically gifted. They tend to be a lot more insightful. James Goll is my favorite.

Joseph and Daniel both had skill in dream interpretation. Because of it they were promoted to the position of highest power under the rulers in their respective lands. They both said dream interpretations came from God. If it worked for them it should work for us. (see Gen 40:8 and Dan 2:28) In every case where the meaning of a dream is not absolutely plain, ask God.

Names are significant. Look up the origin and meaning of the names of people in a dream. Sometimes the name is the key to the interpretation. Sometimes it's the ministry they are in that God is speaking about. if you have a prophetic calling you can expect to have dreams in which prophets are present. The same goes for evangelism and other callings.

Symbolic dreams are like a puzzle. Work on one piece at a time. Decode each person’s name or place or color and think of each as a separate idea. Then bring the ideas together to make a complete picture.

I had a dream in which I was on a computer registering for a prophetic conference in Corpus Christi, Texas….yup, I spent the next week looking online for the conference and didn’t find one. Then one day I asked God what the dream was about. And He told me. ‘Corpus Christi’ is Latin for the body of Christ. I wasn’t supposed to go to Texas. God was informing me I had a prophetic gift to be used for the body of Christ.

The bible says “It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search a matter out.” (Prov. 25:2) God conceals his plans in symbolic language to draw you into a closer relationship with Him so you come to him daily and ask, Hey – what are we doing today?

Always look up names, colors, places, objects, directions, numbers etc, in the bible – most things have a symbolic meaning and it’s the best place to start. I use a computer program with a Strong’s concordance number linked to each word and a searchable text. It makes the job a lot easier.

If you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, especially at the same time each night, look at your clock (I prefer digital). Everyone I know who takes dreams seriously gets bible verses from their clock. The numbers usually represent the chapter and verse, you just need to ask God which book.

My wife received a prophetic word that she was in a season of rest. She was having a hard time believing it. She'd been dealing with health problems in this so-called season of rest. She was waking up at 4:10 every morning for no reason. She finally asked God what He was trying to tell her. He told her to look in the book of Hebrews. Wanna guess what Hebrews 4:10 says? "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."

ALWAYS write down your dreams as soon as you wake from them. Middle of the night dreams are usually forgotten. Some people use a voice recorder or a word processing program on a laptop by the bed. I have note cards and a small flashlight on the nightstand. I copy the note cards to a daily spiritual journal. If you don’t write down your dreams, most of what God is trying to tell you will vanish with the dawn, as for me I want everything He can give me in those 8 hours while I’m sleeping. I hate it when I have a great dream and tell myself I'll remember it or I'll write it down later, then wake in the morning and it's gone forever. God rewards faithfulness. If we faithfully steward the things He has given us, we will receive more.

Record the interpretations as you get them. Some will come immediately, some in a week or two and some in 20 years. Extremely symbolic dreams are sometimes ‘locked’ with a time key. God doesn’t intend for you to solve the riddle until the exact time approaches. Work on these dreams over time and little by little the interpretation will start to appear.

Revelation from God is like a river – its going some place and hopefully taking you with it. Review your flow of revelation regularly. Find out where it’s going. I review my dreams about every 3 months. I’m surprised how many dreams I forget. When I take a look at the big picture, I always see a pattern developing that I wasn’t aware of.

Dreams will warn you of things to come and changes in the seasons of your life. Financial blessings or hardship, relationship problems, travel problems, and hassles at work are all fair game. God cares about every part of your life. You don’t have to be taken by life’s little surprises if you pay close attention to your dreams.

You may have ‘visions’ as well as dreams. There isn’t much difference between them. I classify something as a vision if I’m awake and a dream if I’m sleeping. I have a surprising number of visions. They're a lot like daydreams except for the content which usually involves your calling by God. Rules for visions are the same as dreams. And yes, all these things are valid for the times we live in. On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered those present, Peter recognized it as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.” (Act 2:17) I heard a report that thousands of Muslims are becoming Christians in the Middle East during this season. Most of them aren’t in contact with anyone who is a Christian. They’re having encounters with Jesus through dreams.

Most of the dreams you have pertain to you, not others. Seeing and interacting with people in your dreams doesn’t always require you to knock on their door the next day or fly to New York to see them. Relax…most interaction with people in dreams is symbolic, not literal.

I had a dream in which Luis Palau was present. I spent a few weeks trying to find out when he was coming to my area so I could see him. Eventually, God showed me it just represented an evangelistic calling on my life. If God wants you to travel or meet with someone, He’ll tell you – just ask.

Most people have a lot of dreams involving vehicles. Bicycles, cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, and spaceships you name it. They’re modes of transportation and they represent your spiritual mode of travel at the present. They can also represent your ministry. Anything powered by your own strength is symbolic of working in the power of the flesh. God wants us to work in the power of the spirit. Vehicles with more power indicate greater spiritual power.

Buildings represent our life, typically seen as a house. The kind of house and its environment describe the present or future conditions of your life from God’s perspective. I had a friend who told me of a dream in which he was shown a glass house that was beautifully decorated. The usual piano was prominently on display (he’s a piano player). We concluded that the glass house represented transparency before God and man. God was calling him to a life where he didn’t feel the need to hide anything.

Angels - At the risk of sounding weird, I should mention the subject of angels. The Greek word most commonly used in scripture angelos can be defined as 'messenger'. The bible is full references to them and they are usually seen delivering a message to someone who's scared half to death at their appearance. They often deliver messages in dreams as noted above. I've had a lot of dreams in which I hear an audible voice speaking a simple message. My wife also has them. On a couple of occasions we received almost identical messages a few days apart from an audible voice. We haven't seen the messengers, but the bible would support the idea that we've had a lot of angels hanging out at our place speaking to us at night. My theory is that these messages are important enough to God's strategy that He doesn't want to risk an incorrect interpretation. To make sure we get the right message, God sends an angel to deliver the exact words.

God’s revelation to us involves a series of dreams in which He reveals both a big picture and smaller details. We may have dreams in which we interact with an evangelist we know, a pastor, or a worship leader. These people represent our calling in the ministry they operate in. We may not function at the same level of authority or in the same amount of gifting, but we are given the same type of calling. God will likely reveal your spiritual gifts and your particular calling, how you will operate in that gift, the geographic location in which you'll operate, your level of authority, sphere of influence, measure of gifting, the impact your service will have, people who’ll support you, opposition you’ll encounter, your eventual successes, and the rewards waiting for you. Some people get a 'big picture' dream or vision in a single encounter. Mine came over a span of about 3 months. My entire scope of ministry, people I'd work with, places I'd travel to, problems I'd encounter and many other details were all revealed in my dreams. God wants us to know the plan in advance. We need to receive it and walk it out.

For some reason the church is rather ignorant of the way God speaks to us in dreams. We worry a lot about what will happen if we step out in faith and try to impact the world for God. We doubt our abilities and fear failure. We imagine terrible opposition or a lack of resources. The enemy kicks all our hopes and dreams to pieces before we ever get started. God can settle all these issues with us before we step out the bedroom door for our coffee in the morning. I’ve listened to literally thousands of sermons in my life. I’ve never heard one message in which the speaker discussed dreams as his main subject. I can’t recall a message in which dreams were even discussed briefly.

I have a theory about why this problem exists. There are 5 leadership ministry positions given to the church as described in Ephesians 4:11. How many prophets and apostles are on staff at your local church?

Not many?

Church leadership is comprised mostly of pastors and teachers. Prophets are the leaders who are the most gifted in supernatural revelation, and their 'office' in the church was taken away long ago. It's returning (slowly) and with lots of opposition. The majority of our leaders aren't into visions and dreams. They're good at teaching. So they tell us to read the bible, and if we really want to know the secrets of God we can learn Greek or Hebrew. The typical advice is to pray and listen for the "still, small voice".

I suppose It's not their fault. They're gifted in teaching and that's what they know best. When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. We need to support the development of prophetic ministry a little more. Yes, prophets have done some disservice in the past. They've also done a lot of good. We don't terminate the office of the pastor or teacher because people abuse those offices. We train them to mature in the gift. The people of God would benefit greatly if we'd wake up and start dreaming again. If God reveals His will to us through dreams and visions we need to change the way we think about it.

My Dreams
Joseph suffered a lot of hatred and envy from his brothers when He told them about his dreams. Please consider this as a word of encouragement for you. I’m not trying to boast about the things God has shown me. I’m nobody special, just another dreamer like you. I'll describe some good things God has shown me. He's also shown me my faults.

When I began having dreams, I was confronted with something I’d never read about or heard a lecture on, let alone imagined in my wildest dreams (which I wasn’t having yet). God was talking to me. And he had a lot to say.

The first dream in which God confronted me was sort of meeting in which He said, ‘I’ll show you some things, and you tell me what you see’. It reminded me of the call of Jeremiah (see Jer.1:11-13) I was able to interact as I wanted in the dream. I saw a series of images that were different organs of the body, like illustrations from an anatomy textbook. There were 2 of each organ, one healthy and one diseased. God happened to give me a test I had studied for. He picked diseases I could identify by sight. I saw cirrhosis of the liver, a brain tumor, esophageal varicies etc. I told Him what I saw each time. When the test was over He said, “I’m going to show you the medical conditions of some of your patients and if you pray for them, I will heal them.”

I can’t tell you how many dreams I’ve had since then in which I was in a hospital or my ambulance praying for people to be healed; not just patients either. I’ve had dreams in which I’m praying for co-workers, hospital staff, church members, family members and total strangers. In some dreams I’m reading books about people who had healing ministries years ago. In others I’m alone trying to hear the voice of God and discern what he wants to do. The ‘flow’ of my river is in the direction of prayer, healing and prophetic ministry. These dreams represent my sphere of influence and my calling. As I've been obedient to the revelation God gave me, I've seen an explosion of healing miracles over the last two years. You should expect a similar pattern of dreams to develop, in the area you are called to.

I have a lot of Facebook dreams. Some are words of knowledge for healing. Some are God's confirmation of whom He wants me to build relationships with. Some contain revelation about the Kingdom, which I turn into notes or post on blogs. I also receive burdens to pray for government leaders or groups of people through dreams. Many people learn about healing through books or videos. Most of what I know about healing has been taught to me through dreams.

Today I’m doing the things I saw in the dreams I had a few months ago. God is making my dreams come true. Through them I finally found out what my calling is and discovered my purpose for being on the planet. God has brought me through every experience of my life so that He could use me to heal people and demonstrate His love for them. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to finally know that. I’m waiting patiently for the day to come when I walk into the hospital and everyone there expects to be healed by God. Here’s the cool thing; I’m not a special case. God is willing to tell anyone their calling and purpose and show them their future just like He did me. And that means He’ll give you all the tools and information you need to do the things He’s planned for you long before you were born. Are you ready to have God make your dreams come true?