A result of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was that sons and daughters would prophesy, those in the older generations would continue to dream and the coming generations would see visions. Instead of ending a period of prophecy, dreams and visions, Pentecost was only the beginning. This passage from Joel is what Peter used to tell the thousands of onlookers on the streets of Jerusalem what was happening.
What are you dreaming? How do you know a vision or dream is from God or it’s simply an idea you might have?
Sometimes dreams at night are given so God can warn us in order to turn us from our “actions and suppress (our) pride.” (Job 33:14-17)
A person may also be led by a vision.
God led Joseph in his dreams as a young man. The retelling of his dreams led to his being sold into slavery. (Genesis 37:20) Ananias was led to find and pray for Paul through a vision (Acts 9:10). Cornelius was told to look for Peter in a vision (Acts 10) and Peter was prepped for that meeting through a vision of his own (Acts 10:10). Peter called it a “visionary state.”
At night Paul had a vision of “a Macedonian man…standing and pleading with him, ‘cross over to Macedonia and help us!’” After seeing the vision they immediately made plans to set sail (Acts 16:9-10). In another “night vision” Paul was told not to fear but to keep right on preaching (Acts 18:9)
In Paul’s case, his visions had immediate implications. He was to act promptly.
Habakkuk’s case was a little different. Once he laid out his complaints to the Lord, he went up to his guard post on the lookout tower. He not kept watch over his city, he said, “I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.”
Then the Lord answered, “write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.” (Habakkuk 2:2) Sometimes “it delays.” So, “wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.” (2:3)
Sometimes it’s hard to know whether “the vision” has immediate results and we are to act on them or we are to wait. Knowing the timing may have something to do with what a vision is for.
God may use a vision for information. I woke from a dream in November 1996 where God told me, “you owe it to your church to pray for them everyday.” The timing on that one was immediate. I needed to pray for our little church in Napa and pray for people by name. Peter’s vision about food was not only informational but also transformational. It led him to believe differently about his non Jewish neighbors and drove him to minister to them.
God may use a vision for transformation. Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus was pretty transformational. It changed his life for good. God used it to get his attention, much like he is doing to get the attention of many people in a variety of cultures where they have been fighting against Him. It’s a case described in Job 33:14-17.
God may use a vision for inspiration. I’m living this one out right now. Sometimes God inspires you to keep on keeping on. Though Pentecostal power filled them in Acts 2, the disciples, after a time of prayer, were re-filled in Acts 4 with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. They were compelled then back to the streets to “speak God’s message with boldness.” (4:31)
All the Spirit had to do with me lately is tell me one word: intercessor. An intercessor stands in the gap between God and those he/she is praying for and doesn’t let up until an answer is given. I’ll share more about that two Sundays from now. But that one word, the re-defining of who God wants me to be, what He wants me to do, and where He wants me to go (Joshua 1:16), has inspired me to read as much as I can from those who have gone before me: Rees Howells-Intercessor, by Norman Grubb; Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle and his book Breakthrough Prayer (in our library); and now I’m reading Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA and his book, The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. That one word has also inspired me to pray as much as I can. This is more of a confession than a brag, but I have been praying for each of you, adults, kids, teens, babies, by name every day since July 1. I should have been doing this since I started with you. I feel as Samuel did: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23) I’ve been in sin. I have not been praying for you as I have been told.
Dreams and Desires
The catch when it comes to gaining new vision from God for your life is knowing whether that dream is coming from your mind or His. One of the problems Israel faced was that some prophets spoke “visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.” (Jeremiah 23:16)
The way we know we’re dreaming God’s dreams has a lot to do with what we focus us.
Bill Johnson says that “most of the misunderstanding comes because we don’t know which of our desires come from God and which are carnal. The very word desire is made up of the prefix de meaning “of,” and sire meaning “the Father.” Desire is, by nature, of the Father. But before we come to Christ our desires are corrupted because desire springs from what we commune with.” Don’t miss that. Desire springs from what we commune with. “If we commune with greed, our desires will be greedy. If we commune with pornography, our desires will be for perversity. If we commune with anger over a past hurt, our desire will be for revenge. But when we commune with the Father, our desires are pure.” (p144-145)
Bill asks, “what do you desire when you are praying?” Remember Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24) In other words, “what do you desire in that place of communion with the Lord?” You see, “we don’t think or dream independent of God, but because of Him.” (p145)
Sometimes we hear someone’s dream and we think they’re crazy. This one wasn’t my dream, but some people among us were dreaming about taking the Gospel through sports to Spain at the price tag of $20,000 during a down economic year. God has brought more than enough, bringing $22,000+. There are currently 20-30 students already signed up for each sport. EACH sport!!!
When “the God whose thoughts are as high as the heavens” is speaking into your thoughts, you’re going to have some dreams that seem…out there. Out where? As high as the heavens.
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways…. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) What if we were to commune with the One whose thoughts and ways are higher than ours? What “high as the heavens” dreams would we be dreaming?
What are you dreaming? What good purposes is He giving you? Are you inspired? I’ve been praying that God would, by His power, fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted (inspired) by your faith. (2 Thessalonians 1:11) What inspires you? What/who are you communing with? Where is your attention being drawn? What are you doing to be inspired? What are you doing to inspire others by the actions prompted by your faith?
