Okay...here goes.
First, it's a very biblical concept that God can and does speak to people through dreams. Then...it's obvious that not every dream we have is a divine communication. God forbid!
So here is my list of questions to ask whose affirmative answers might lead us to believe that a particular dream is from God. (Not that every dream has to have all of these elements to qualify...but if it has some of these, it may indeed be.)
Does it have biblical persons, images (such as an angel) or references within it?
Do you sense the presence of God about you during or after the dream?
Is the dream especially vivid and impacting on your heart, thoughts or emotions?
Is there a "voice" of intuition or a presence of a person interpreting symbolic images in the dream to you during or after the dream?
Does a "voice" speak to you in the dream and say the kinds of things to you that God Himself might say?
Does it have people in it who are servants of God in your view?
Do you have a sense that this dream is somehow important, but you're not sure why?
Have you ever had this same dream before?
Has this dream actually come to pass?
Are the actions in the dream the kinds of actions that the scripture calls us to perform as we obey God?
Have the symbolic images in the dream also occurred in other dreams that you've had?
Do the people you've shared the dream with have any kind of "inner witness" from God's Spirit that the dream is from the Lord?
If you can say "yes" to several of these questions, then I suggest that you be alerted that God may be speaking to you, write it down, pray about it, share it with a few trusted believing friends and ask God to somehow make clear to you that He is communicating to you through this dream.
Terri recently had a dream. We were able say "yes" to six of the above questions regarding this dream. It included some specific guidance for us and we immediately obeyed this counsel. Already we have had one clear event beyond our control take place that is a fulfillment of a promise from God embedded in the dream.
Almost two years ago, our son, Sam had a dream about a couple in leadership in our church. He shared it with them at the time and everyone kind of forgot about it. Suddenly in the last three months, three of the four specific elements about their lives in this dream have transpired without any attempt to make the dream come to pass. They have been truly encouraged in the Lord through this dream now and we are all the more alerted to Sam's prophetic gifts.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Friday, February 9, 2007
My Disciple Dream
Two nights ago I had a spiritual dream. (Terri and I have been blessed from time to time throughout our journey to receive some deeply impacting and sometimes very important dreams from God. Sometime I'll talk more about the qualities of a true spiritual dream vs. one of the "pizza" variety!)
Anyway...in this dream I was with Jesus and in the company of His disciples. It was strange in that it was somehow set in both a 1st century and 21st century context simultaneously...almost as though time had been "bent". The details of the dream didn't seem as significant as the feelings I experienced in being involved with Him and His band.
I felt the wonder, excitement, adventure, danger, nobility, passion and the awareness of the divine purpose of being with Jesus on "His mission". There was a daily/hourly sense of depending on the Father's invisible hand of provision, guidance and protection and He was coming through on His end of the relationship...sometimes in dramatic fashion. The "ministry team" was walking together in unity, humility, courage, sensitivity, love for God and others and the power of the Holy Spirit. We were humbled by the honor and privilege of being friends of Jesus and the Father. The sacrifices that we were called to make and the sufferings and hardships we were encountering could not even come close to being compared to the joy and blessing of serving God as the "junior partners" of Jesus. It was a brief taste of what it must have felt like to actually be walking with Jesus when He was on the earth. It was also a taste of what it really is like to know, love, walk with and minister with Jesus here and now--even though He is not physically present with us. Still...He has sent us another Helper to live within us and Who works among and through us. He, the Spirit of God, communicates to us the heart and mind of the Father and the Son.
What an honor it is for us to have a friendship with God in Christ Jesus the Lord!
Anyway...in this dream I was with Jesus and in the company of His disciples. It was strange in that it was somehow set in both a 1st century and 21st century context simultaneously...almost as though time had been "bent". The details of the dream didn't seem as significant as the feelings I experienced in being involved with Him and His band.
I felt the wonder, excitement, adventure, danger, nobility, passion and the awareness of the divine purpose of being with Jesus on "His mission". There was a daily/hourly sense of depending on the Father's invisible hand of provision, guidance and protection and He was coming through on His end of the relationship...sometimes in dramatic fashion. The "ministry team" was walking together in unity, humility, courage, sensitivity, love for God and others and the power of the Holy Spirit. We were humbled by the honor and privilege of being friends of Jesus and the Father. The sacrifices that we were called to make and the sufferings and hardships we were encountering could not even come close to being compared to the joy and blessing of serving God as the "junior partners" of Jesus. It was a brief taste of what it must have felt like to actually be walking with Jesus when He was on the earth. It was also a taste of what it really is like to know, love, walk with and minister with Jesus here and now--even though He is not physically present with us. Still...He has sent us another Helper to live within us and Who works among and through us. He, the Spirit of God, communicates to us the heart and mind of the Father and the Son.
What an honor it is for us to have a friendship with God in Christ Jesus the Lord!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Oh Atlanta!
Last weekend Terri and I were the guests of Don and Linda Munn, who pastor Restoration Church of God, and their great spiritual family in the North Atlanta area. They are some of the most hospitable folks we know. We stayed in their home and joined them in watching the Colts beat da Bears after our times of ministry were over. Their two adult kids and their spouses are working closely with them in the church's ministry, so it's a very cool family affair for them. We share a lot in common with this blessed family.
Terri shared with the ladies on Saturday evening on the theme of becoming women who are fully alive and conducted a really "hot" time of personal ministry. I shared with the guys on what it means to live as royal priests (a vital New Testament that is very neglected) in this fallen world, which nevertheless, has been radically engaged by the age to come through the incarnation of Jesus and all that came with it. I also shared the elements of my coming to faith as an 18 year old pseudo-intellectual-hippie-jock. We ended the evening with a time of men crying out to God for a greater expression of the kingdom of God among them as a spiritual family and the joyful honor of sharing Jesus with their friends and co-workers who are "not-yet" believers.
On Sunday morning we both shared out of the Scriptures on how God uses the injustices of life to inspire our becoming more like Christ and then, out of that framework, on the essentiality of offering those who have sinned against us the unconditional forgiveness, for Christ's sake, that frees our spirits from resentment and bitterness. This truth is conveyed in the first half of Hebrews 12. (It's such an honor when Terri and I get to work together in preaching, teaching and conducting personal ministry--her presence and gifts always makes what I do much more impactful. And...she's better looking too--a helpful distraction for God's glory!) We also prophesied a bit to the church body and its members and felt very warmly received and appreciated. They, like so many other congregations, are on the journey of learning to "do church" in new and creative ways.
Radius is beginning to ramp up...more to follow.
Terri shared with the ladies on Saturday evening on the theme of becoming women who are fully alive and conducted a really "hot" time of personal ministry. I shared with the guys on what it means to live as royal priests (a vital New Testament that is very neglected) in this fallen world, which nevertheless, has been radically engaged by the age to come through the incarnation of Jesus and all that came with it. I also shared the elements of my coming to faith as an 18 year old pseudo-intellectual-hippie-jock. We ended the evening with a time of men crying out to God for a greater expression of the kingdom of God among them as a spiritual family and the joyful honor of sharing Jesus with their friends and co-workers who are "not-yet" believers.
On Sunday morning we both shared out of the Scriptures on how God uses the injustices of life to inspire our becoming more like Christ and then, out of that framework, on the essentiality of offering those who have sinned against us the unconditional forgiveness, for Christ's sake, that frees our spirits from resentment and bitterness. This truth is conveyed in the first half of Hebrews 12. (It's such an honor when Terri and I get to work together in preaching, teaching and conducting personal ministry--her presence and gifts always makes what I do much more impactful. And...she's better looking too--a helpful distraction for God's glory!) We also prophesied a bit to the church body and its members and felt very warmly received and appreciated. They, like so many other congregations, are on the journey of learning to "do church" in new and creative ways.
Radius is beginning to ramp up...more to follow.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
We Love the Midwest Minister's Fellowship!
Back in 1992 Howard Cordell, a pastor in Blue Springs MO, pulled a small cadre of fellow pastors together to help form a new minister's group that would take seriously Jesus prayer in John 17 for unity among his followers. I was asked to join this leadership team at that time and have been serving along side of Howard and these dear men since. This was rather remarkable in that two years earlier, our church, Kansas City Fellowship (so called at the time), had become the focus of a local controversy, that quickly escalated into an international controversy, regarding our group's growing "prophetic" ministry. Locally, a rift had been created among many "charismatic" believers and congregations over this debate and, although John Wimber's Vineyard movement had stepped in to help discern and sort out the issues, our group was still reeling from the storm and continued to be viewed by local believers with significant suspicion. (In my view, we did have some fundamental flaws in our spiritual culture that needed correcting--our elitism and lack of accountability not being the least of the problems!)
Not long after the formation of the Midwest Minister's Fellowship (affectionately known as the MMF) Howard and company initiated a public reonciliation meeting between the leaders of the MMF and our church. It was a beautiful end to that difficult season in our city's spiritual history. Sadly, the reconciliation didn't get the "press" that the controversy had fueled--imagine that!
Since then, the MMF has quietly gone about it's business of creating a platform for church leaders in our region to meet each other and build friendships across the organizational lines. More and more diverse groups of Jesus-followers are enjoying the goodness of the MMF's services. In our monthly meetings we worship, fellowship, learn from godly teachers and eat together. We also host a yearly retreat and, what some call, the best dang golf tournament in town. Behind the scenes, the MMF is regularly involved in helping churches, ministries and church leaders in crisis. We help place pastors in pastor-less churches, offer non-binding arbitration for groups in conflict, financially give to hurting ministries, support the marriages and families of ministry leaders and participate with other ministries who are inspiring region-wide friendships, prayer and unity. Additionally, we offer these kinds of services without charge. Our leadership team is made up of volunteers. I really feel that this feature is a great glory to the Lord. Our sponsoring churches and ministries have made this possible by giving their leaders time and support to engage in such kingdom-enhancing activities. I like to say that one of the greatest contributions made by the MMF has to do with "the bad things that haven't happened" because we have gotten to know, love and trust each other. (And we have known first hand about the "bad things" that can happen when church leaders don't!) If nothing else came from the MMF's ministry, which isn't the case at all, then it would have been worth the effort.
We have had a number of internationally respected leaders from around the country "touch" the spirit of the MMF and they are always blown away by the lack of competition, the attitude of servanthood, the sincere love and the "self-disinterest" of this ministry. The MMF isn't attempting to "take the city", govern all the churches and ministries or wow its participants with an ambitious "apostolic vision"--other than the Grand Vision of Jesus' kingdom already operating, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically, among us. It is a ministry that has known it's purpose to humbly serve and to "exist for others". I wonder what God might do with the MMF as it's journey progresses into it's next phases--when we discover more profoundly why God has created this ministry!
This last week, Terri and I had the honor to be the guest speakers at the MMF's yearly retreat. We all walked into an atmosphere that surprised us a bit. From "chord one" the manifest presence of God was thick in the room. Our worship experience was over the top--we all knew that we were touching the Father's heart and that He was touching ours. How could people coming from so many diverse situations be joined so immediately in the same spirit as one voice? It was truly amazing to me. It was in this atmosphere that we were privileged to teach, testify, pray for the ill and preach. We were able to really "be ourselves" among this great group of people and freely deliver what the Lord Jesus had placed on our hearts. (One of our greatest joys was that, for the first time in our 15 year history with this retreat, our whole Metro staff members and their spouses [minus one couple and one spouse] were able to come to the retreat this year. We really felt their support for our times of ministry. We all had a blast hanging out and bonding with one another. The late-night story-telling really rocked!) The "highlight" of the retreat?: Terri's penetrating testimony of our trial with her being afflicted by trigeminal neuralgia and her progressive miraculous & providential healing. It was stunning and deeply moving to everyone at the retreat.
What a marvelous experience we had--what wonderful comrades in Christ we have--Terri and I will always cherish our experience at the 2007 MMF retreat in our hearts. (www.mmfellowship.org)
Not long after the formation of the Midwest Minister's Fellowship (affectionately known as the MMF) Howard and company initiated a public reonciliation meeting between the leaders of the MMF and our church. It was a beautiful end to that difficult season in our city's spiritual history. Sadly, the reconciliation didn't get the "press" that the controversy had fueled--imagine that!
Since then, the MMF has quietly gone about it's business of creating a platform for church leaders in our region to meet each other and build friendships across the organizational lines. More and more diverse groups of Jesus-followers are enjoying the goodness of the MMF's services. In our monthly meetings we worship, fellowship, learn from godly teachers and eat together. We also host a yearly retreat and, what some call, the best dang golf tournament in town. Behind the scenes, the MMF is regularly involved in helping churches, ministries and church leaders in crisis. We help place pastors in pastor-less churches, offer non-binding arbitration for groups in conflict, financially give to hurting ministries, support the marriages and families of ministry leaders and participate with other ministries who are inspiring region-wide friendships, prayer and unity. Additionally, we offer these kinds of services without charge. Our leadership team is made up of volunteers. I really feel that this feature is a great glory to the Lord. Our sponsoring churches and ministries have made this possible by giving their leaders time and support to engage in such kingdom-enhancing activities. I like to say that one of the greatest contributions made by the MMF has to do with "the bad things that haven't happened" because we have gotten to know, love and trust each other. (And we have known first hand about the "bad things" that can happen when church leaders don't!) If nothing else came from the MMF's ministry, which isn't the case at all, then it would have been worth the effort.
We have had a number of internationally respected leaders from around the country "touch" the spirit of the MMF and they are always blown away by the lack of competition, the attitude of servanthood, the sincere love and the "self-disinterest" of this ministry. The MMF isn't attempting to "take the city", govern all the churches and ministries or wow its participants with an ambitious "apostolic vision"--other than the Grand Vision of Jesus' kingdom already operating, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically, among us. It is a ministry that has known it's purpose to humbly serve and to "exist for others". I wonder what God might do with the MMF as it's journey progresses into it's next phases--when we discover more profoundly why God has created this ministry!
This last week, Terri and I had the honor to be the guest speakers at the MMF's yearly retreat. We all walked into an atmosphere that surprised us a bit. From "chord one" the manifest presence of God was thick in the room. Our worship experience was over the top--we all knew that we were touching the Father's heart and that He was touching ours. How could people coming from so many diverse situations be joined so immediately in the same spirit as one voice? It was truly amazing to me. It was in this atmosphere that we were privileged to teach, testify, pray for the ill and preach. We were able to really "be ourselves" among this great group of people and freely deliver what the Lord Jesus had placed on our hearts. (One of our greatest joys was that, for the first time in our 15 year history with this retreat, our whole Metro staff members and their spouses [minus one couple and one spouse] were able to come to the retreat this year. We really felt their support for our times of ministry. We all had a blast hanging out and bonding with one another. The late-night story-telling really rocked!) The "highlight" of the retreat?: Terri's penetrating testimony of our trial with her being afflicted by trigeminal neuralgia and her progressive miraculous & providential healing. It was stunning and deeply moving to everyone at the retreat.
What a marvelous experience we had--what wonderful comrades in Christ we have--Terri and I will always cherish our experience at the 2007 MMF retreat in our hearts. (www.mmfellowship.org)
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