Great Expectations

On the 15th of this month I dreamed Josie and I were trying to get somewhere we’d never been before. It was near Knoxville. I was beginning to get discouraged thinking we weren’t going to find it when suddenly I looked up and saw it. It was an old river boat that had been restored and turned into a restaurant. It sat on the river. It was called BOATHOUSE. It was about to open and a line was already forming. The restaurant was buffet style, and thus…all-you-care-to eat.

I interpret dreams similarly to how I edit writing. I recall and write the dream in its entirety, or however much I can clearly recall. I pray and invite Holy Spirit to help me understand and get the right meaning and message from the dream. Then, I look at the dream again and I edit out the unimportant peripheral fillers. Jesus taught in parables and used many metaphors to relate truths. However, the meaning of His talks was frequently missed. Even his own disciples would occasionally approach him afterwards and ask for help in understanding His message. But that is exactly what God is looking for. He wants us to be humble enough to ask. And He wants us to seek for meaning.

Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.”

And just as Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples to go, but also instructed them where NOT to go. His own earthly ministry had parameters that He attempted to stay within. Plus, He warned His disciples about specific people/places that would afflict their soul with leaven. This is a ministry of Holy Spirit. He leads us. He helps our focus to see the right things by not seeing the wrong, unnecessary things.

Likewise, Holy Spirit especially helps me find the figurative Easter eggs by highlighting the important things, persons, emotions, colors, numbers, names, etc. Not every person, or item in the dream is pertinent to the message of the dream. If we’re not careful we’ll get confused in the overload, the over-abundance of what we’re trying to digest. That’s why short dreams can pack as much as longer, content-rich dreams.

Sometimes our spirit is cooperating with Holy Spirit and editing out non-essentials while we’re still in dream-state. Sometimes Holy Spirit will even help us with interpretation and understanding while we’re in the dream. I think that’s probably more typical when we’re walking in the Spirit and exercising our spirit man habitually, while we’re awake.

When people ask me to pray with them about understanding a dream they’ve had, I like them to send me the dream, written out or in a recorded voice memo. This allows me to pray over it and then read/listen to it. God will oftentimes help me to become like a plastic surgeon and I’ll feel led to do nip-tuck surgery on it and remove the unnecessary fat, and distractions. This allows the message and meaning to be found and not remain hidden in the weeds, or crowd, so to speak.

Anyway, the dream I am sharing here has already had the nip-tuck surgery and only the highlights remain.

After waking, I immediately prayed over this dream so I wouldn’t lose it but would remember it well and I’d be able to write it down and subsequently understand it. Quickly, Holy Spirit highlighted the importance of Knoxville and brought John Knox to my mind. John Knox is an iconic figure in my mind for two reasons: 1. Revival 2. Intercession. Knox is a father to the Presbyterian Church. That wineskin—Presbyterianism—has been used in many of America’s greatest revivals and revivalists. Knox was used as a firebrand for revival, reformation, awakening especially in his homeland (Scotland). Knox is also famous to us because of his pleading intercession for his place. His prayer was “Give me Scotland, or I die.” What a grand prayer coupled with unyielding desperation.

Hence, the stage was now set for my dream and the understanding of it. I was going to a place of revival, intercession, and even desperation. Along this journey, I—who represent those being called to this place, and this kind of life—grow weary with waiting, wondering if I’m going to find it. But then the encouragement pops up and I see it on the horizon.

The name was BoatHouse.

More Interpretation: BoatHouse is a house of prayer. Almost all houses of Prayer with an identity linked to the tabernacle of David have “house” as part of their name/label. This HOP also represented a prayer movement as it was on a river. Rivers are distinct bodies of water because they move. Furthermore, the place was a Restaurant…to symbolize hunger. Even the type of restaurant and its setting speak of hunger, and desire. Think about the river in Ezekiel 47 and the incrementally deeper dimensions it possessed and it’s easy to naturally relate to the all-you-care-to eat restaurant. How deep do you want to go?

So, again, this ultimately speaks to what we’re on the brink of. In the dream, it was just opening. But it was already creating hunger and excitement—a line is forming.

This dream is about revival and it’s about prayer. It’s about going deeper. It’s about going somewhere we’ve never been before. And yes, it’s a dream of encouragement.

Last Tuesday night I had a dream. I’ve spent the last several days praying over it.

In the dream, I was on a university campus. I looked up and noticed an elevated train car that was detached or off-the rail. I called in and reported it. Then a bit later in the dream, the same cable car was next-in-line and nearing its time to go. I and others observed the detached problem, this off-the-rail situation, still existed and hadn’t been corrected. I tried to call in to the dispatch again, but while I was on the phone the car took off and promptly crash landed.

Interpretation:

An epoch of cessationism is coming to a close. This epoch has existed similarly to that of the Silent Years, those 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. The OT didn’t end, it gave way to the New; It handed the baton of revelation off to a new day, a new epoch. But the silence, that is what ended. During that era, there were purists who arose and defended the truth by refuting the fake, the imposters. However, eventually their relevance ended and their epoch was no longer necessary. John—the voice—had arrived. Hence, the silence was over. Jesus—the One—had arrived. The Cessationism of the day came to a crashing halt. God didn’t need their legal services. Thus, continuing with the message of cessation would only prove them to be blind, hardened fools. We are now at a similar juncture. Those who are purist, defenders of truth, and disdainers of fake…their moment is up and it would behoove them to recognize “the real” does exist and fighting against a manifestation of truth will lead them to an off-the-rails trajectory. The thing they’ve fought against is what they will become if they cannot humble themselves and give way to the new. They have said things such as…there is no more revival, there is no more real, there is no more power stuff, there is no more prophets and prophecy, there is no more tongues. But, turns out, God isn’t dead. And “yes” is His reply to the prayer of Psalm 85:6.

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

The setting of the dream was a university campus. A university campus should be understood as the site of emerging leaders, voices. It is the place where the future is becoming today. It is the literal and symbolic place where children become adults. And, quite literally, this is where God has chosen to launch a new move, another day of outpouring. Testimonies and naysayers cannot coexist, it’s like trying to mix oil and water. This is the day of the testifiers.

SILENT NO MORE

Silent no more. The critiquing ministry of the critical critics is no longer required. If you’ve been on that cynical commuter car, please get off and join the joy of God being alive and well. At times, I’ve been on it myself. The showmanship, the egos, the exaggerations, the silliness, the error, and the lack of accountability has frustrated me. Nevertheless, God is big enough to handle things. Whether I approve or not, He is up to something bigger than I even imagined.

The elevated train speaks of a high-minded ministry. There are many among us who exalt the mind. They possess no ethereal qualities. They are uplifted by their own hypercritical theology, philosophy, and logic. They are low on spirit. They are like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25. This is no time to devalue the oil, but there they are being virgins, having lamps, and thinking they’re ready.

One more point: in the dream, I called in to report the issue. This was in the dream because I was being instructed to pray about this. Later in the dream I was calling in about it a second time because—I believe—there are folks on the off-the-rails cable car that God is giving opportunity to exit before they perish.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

Last night I had a dream. Here it is…

My preparations for a wedding kept getting interrupted. I was ultimately trying to do a wedding in the waiting area at an airport. Once there, it was decided to turn the wedding into a church service. When we started the service, many more people came to attend the wedding.

I remember taking up an offering. Then, as soon as the offering was received it was said that it was time to board our flight. And, we only had 10 minutes before our flight.

Here is some interpretation from this dream…

• More people came in just before departure: this speaks of a harvest revival just before the end. The word “harvest” appears 80 times throughout the books of the Bible (Genesis-Revelation).

James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.

Also, Isaiah 49 (the whole chapter) is a clear picture of ingathering along with bride/wedding talk.

Isaiah 49:18 Raise your eyes and look around; All of them gather together, they come to you. As I live,” declares the Lord, “You will certainly put them all on as jewelry and bind them on as a bride.”

• Taking up an offering: again, the harvesting revival. The message of repentance and purity is the real preparation for the wedding. We—our lives—are the offerings. Just as John was a forerunner to Jesus, revival and the message of repentance will be preached as a forerunner to the next coming of Jesus.

Revelation 19:7-9
Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Notice in the Scripture above…the bride makes herself ready. Bright. Clean. Clothed in righteous acts.

Folks, stir yourselves and be encouraged. We’re going to a wedding. It won’t be long.

This will be beginning as soon as January and it will last all the way into December of 2023.

Matthew 7

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

So, This word, basically, is another word about separating just as Jesus foretold about the endtimes. This emphasis will be about separating wise builders from foolish builders. This wisdom doesn’t come from reading books on leadership. And it doesn’t come from studying and emulating mega ministries. This wisdom comes by being humble and asking for it. Furthermore, it comes by being close to Jesus and obeying His leading.

Now, Let’s get into this word.

• Snow is like sand. It won’t stand, it won’t withstand, nor will it endure against natural changes and challenges.

Examples of snowman ministries:

Those established on gifting.

—Singing is a gifting

—Preaching is a gifting

and there are other giftings, of course.

Also…

Those established on (entangled in) Politics.

• False Prophets will not drag the church as significantly in ‘23 like they did in ‘19. Their influence will fall like sand, or like melting snow.

Watch: Idolatry is a warming snow. Jesus is the only answer.

Some will fall because of pet doctrines they have idolized more than Jesus. Various idolatries will come crashing, with penalty.

Some ministers will fall to their unchecked fascination with homosexuality. God will deal with their repeated unholy dalliances.

Some ministers are going to be tripped up because they’ve allowed their good looks, their hip style, or their ministry’s cutting edge culture to elevate them. Being pretty and using your pretty can be like building with snow. Meanwhile, God looks at the heart.

For those who have benefited from fandom of their persona and appearance as much as their obedience or sacrifice, their foundation will be found to be little more than a…

Others will see a crashing of their house of cards finances. Some have built cathedrals and palaces when God wanted them to stay smaller, more humble, and operate with a more manageable debt and overhead. Some are going to get into trouble because they bought (with large loans) when God wanted them to keep renting or minister from home(s), barns, online, or other unconventional means. Some bought, or will buy, property in expensive neighborhoods when God was (is) calling them to minister to a more needy (meek, modest) people, in a more affordable part of town.

Some will melt away because they built on the sand of branding. You can’t promote yourself beyond the favor (or lack thereof) of God. If it ain’t God’s time, it ain’t a vision statement, its just a…

Response:

• Circle your own wagons

• Don’t gawk at the maladies of others

Return focus to firsts:

1. First love/Jesus

Revelation 2:2-7

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

2. Foundational Truths. Back to The Basics. The Simple Gospel.

3. The Home. Your First Ministry.

The devil is a killer. The devil is a murderer. The devil is deadly. The devil is tragedy. The devil causes accidents. The devil is a disease. The devil is terminal. The devil is always bad for you.

The devil gives free taste tests. The devil offers the first episode for no charge. The devil will get you hooked. Then, he’ll shame you.

The devil throws parties. The devil is good at attracting crowds. The devil is usually in the majority. Most people find the devil appealing.

The devil likes going around incognito. You might be doing business with or dating the devil and not even know it until it’s possibly too late.

The devil answers false on true or false questions. The devil is a falsehood, a lie. The devil tells lies. The devil is a trickster. The devil will fool you if you listen to him. The devil is negative. But sometimes the devil is excessively positive. The devil isn’t good. Yet, sometimes he is too good to be true. The devil isn’t true.

The devil is a cheater. The devil is a fornicator. The devil is an adulterer. The devil is a tempter. The devil is single, or…soon to be single, again. The devil seduces. The devil lures. The devil teases.

The devil is pain. The devil is suffering. The devil is misery and he wants to be your company, so don’t answer his calls and don’t answer his knock-at-the-door. Ignore the devil. The devil is a bruise. The devil is a bad memory. The devil is a bad diagnosis. The devil will make you bleed.

The devil will worry you.

The devil can become scary in a flash. The devil is a terror that’s hiding in the bushes, shadows, under the bed, in the closet, or in the dark.

The devil will betray you. The devil will break your heart. The devil will hurt you. The devil is untrustworthy. The devil is a bag full of sadness.

The devil likes guns and all sorts of violent weapons. The devil is aggression. The devil isn’t orderly or lawful. The devil is rebellious. The devil breaks the rules. The devil makes excuses. The devil twists the story.

The devil brings fear, anxiety, and depression. The devil shoots invisible arrows at the mind. The devil is a horror movie that we pay to see. The devil is insomnia. The devil is a noise in the night.

The devil is suspicion.

The devil is paranoia.

The devil is a snake, a spider, a shark, a predator.

The devil has rabies.

The devil is unvaccinated.

The devil is contagious.

The devil loves politics.

The devil is ultra patriotic. The devil swears his allegiance to nationalism.

The devil is pride. The devil is sometimes loud and mean. The devil is quick-witted with cut-downs and exceptional at name-calling.

Sometimes, the devil is a fifth grader.

The devil is a train wreck, a car wreck, an airplane crash.

The devil is a rapist. The devil is an abuser.

The devil is a racist.

Sometimes the devil is a woman. The devil is a diva. The devil is a slut. The devil is a whore.

Sometimes the devil is a teenager. The devil is a know-it-all. The devil is disrespectful. The devil is disobedient.

The devil is algebra.

The devil is a problem.

The devil is condescending. The devil is haughty. The devil is arrogant. The devil swallowed pride and the devil is what he eats.

The devil is unsportsmanlike. The devil pouts. The devil complains.

The devil is unfair. The devil doesn’t play or fight fairly.

The devil is a sore loser.

The devil is an obnoxious winner.

The devil is a let-down. The devil is a hope thief.

The devil gives a suicide suggestion. The devil has a suicide solution. The devil leads persons to their demise, death, destruction. The devil is suicide.

The devil is sin.

The devil knows all the ways to get to Hell.

The devil is a rock star. The devil is a fallen star.

The devil is a sad song. The devil isn’t happy and he knows it.

The devil can’t swim. The devil can’t walk on water.

The devil is an underachiever. The devil’s finest hour will not be fine at all.

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.