* God's Destiny for America * (Dream)

The day before I had this dream I was asking the Lord to give me a "groaning of prayer for others." I was answered powerfully that night and shown a longing of God's heart for this nation.

All too often I find that Christians are uncertain of their privilege to release righteousness in the human institution of government. This seems to be a particularly strong area of uncertainty for Christians in our nation where we have the slogan, 'separation of church and state.' It seems that some Christians believe this statement more than they believe the Bible. I believe this dream is the word of the Lord regarding God's heart for America, as well as His heart for every Christian's role regarding human government.

June - 11 - 2009
Yesterday on my drive back from the dentist, I asked the Lord to give me the same groaning of prayer for others that I have for myself. I found a principle from Romans 8:

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Rom. 8:26

I didn't feel a response when I prayed so I just left it in His hands to accomplish it if He wanted to. I was very tired that night, but I couldn't fall asleep. I began to pray since I couldn't do anything else. A little while later I found myself praying for the nation in my sleep. I had a dream which greatly troubled my spirit for the fate of this country.

Dream:

I was in a poorly lit hallway which looked like a hallway in the Oregon capitol, however it felt to be a building representing all of the government here in America. There was a large crowd of people in the hallway who I began to speak to,

"If the founding fathers of this nation saw the way it has become today (specifically the government), they would be ashamed. They would say, 'Beelzebub is running this nation!' But that's not what this nation was founded on, and that is not what we want! We want to return to the original principles this nation started with!"

It all felt very inspiring. I could see everyone drawing in, their interest was perked and they were pressing in, longing for what I was saying. I continued,

"This nation was founded on Christ and was set up to be a nation for the spreading of the Gospel. I believe there is a whole lot more than two people in this nation who want to see it change!"

Now when I proclaimed that this nation was founded on Christ, people began to shrink back. They seemed to be looking around awkwardly not wanting a nation built on Christ. Almost everyone left & returned to the business of the capitol. They were attending committee hearings and talking to legislators. I knew they were trying to change laws based on their own wants, not God's desires. I responded to this unexpected decline in support with a dismayed, "Oh. . ." I looked out and there was just a handful of people left. ". . . I guess there is only two." This was the only thing I could think to say. However, all of the few people seemed very interested in what I was saying. There faces seemed to glow from a deep inner light. I changed my messaged a little,

"You are the light and the salt. You must not give up. Keep speaking and doing what you are doing!"

It felt like a desperate charge to stay at it, specifically to pursue changing the government through natural methods like lobbying, petitions and introducing righteous laws. So this small squad of freedom fighters went back into the committee rooms to speak up in spite of all the other voices.

Thoughts:

When I woke up, I was still praying for the nation. I found myself weeping for the sake of this nation's destiny and for the people, because their hearts have chosen a way that is against God. A soberness came over me that if things did not change, judgment against America would come. I realized that the barrier of mercy holding back judgment is not as big as I thought. (Ezekiel 22:30)

Many people say, "things are supposed to get bad at the end of the age, so why restrain the evil? Why pray for a failing system? Why change laws that are prophesied to be evil at the end of the age?" But Jesus said that we are called to be salt and light.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Should we who are called to be the only source of flavor and illumination of the darkness, stop shining because of what Jesus said at the end of Matthew (Chapter 24) and deny what he began His teachings with in Chapters 5-7? I believe many well meaning and sincere Christians have abdicated their role as salt and light. This has led to them being trampled by men. They have allowed the evil influence of the world to trample down their witness and influence, instead of letting "the God of peace trample Satan under their feet" where he belongs! We are the light of the world. The world around us, including the government needs our light to shine into it and release the kingdom of God.

Since so many people question the Bible's stance on Christians having much to do with the world besides evangelism, I want to make a strong case for this. (Despite the stance I am taking in this entry, I believe the best way to accomplish this change in law and culture is through prayer, fasting, and evangelism. I am only addressing an error that I have encountered with many people I have met.)

Romans 13 is one of the best examples. In reference to governing authorities, Paul says they are "a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil." Romans 13:4
How, if God doesn't care about the 'worldly institution' we call government, does He call it a minister of God? I have heard some say that government will be evil if the people are evil and good if they are good, thus people get what they deserve. This thinking is somewhat true, but that just reaffirms the role of Government as a 'God ordained institution.' Since there is truth in this, what could be more evil than for righteous men and women to do nothing when their 'government' is slaying the innocent and oppressing the poor (or making laws that say it is okay for the citizens to do the same)? As it says in Romans 13 it ". . . brings wrath on the one who practices evil." How can the government punish evil if it does not know what evil is? How can it know what evil is, if the light and salt of the world doesn't make it known?

To say God doesn't want to influence government would be to say that God doesn't want to influence your family, that it doesn't matter if the father of a family rules as a Godly leader, and it doesn't matter if the mother partners alongside him as a uniquely designed helper who brings order and direction to the home. After all, the "world is in the power of the evil one," why should we be alarmed when the devil snatches our children from the protective nest of our own home? Doesn't Jesus himself say this will happen to our families in Matthew 10:34-36? Why resist what Jesus said would happen? I am writing this from the perspective of human reasoning. However, family also is an institution which has been set up by God for the teaching of our children about the Lord and His ways (Genesis 18:19). In the same way, government is meant to accomplish this role, only it primarily accomplishes it through the "sword" which God gave it to bear against the "one who practices unrighteousness."

Let's go back to the example of the family. What parent in their right mind would not cry out to God if their children began to run from their childhood faith. After being taught what is right and wrong their whole lives, they began to see that the government doesn't have the same values as their parents. Let's say they begin unashamedly looking at pornography as soon as they turn 18. What if they begin having sex outside of marriage with someone they met but hardly know. They choose to abort their children which they conceived out of marriage, but never tell you about it (because they don't have to). Or what if they start drinking until they are drunk every night as soon as they turn 21. Or enter into a homosexual relationship claiming they were born that way, and if you judge them, then you are racist and they will take you to court.

What if you lived in Thailand, where the legal prostitution age is 15 years old and your child ran away to work in the well paying 'legal' business. Would your heart be broken? Would you pray for them? Would you weep when you found out? Would you be upset if the police wouldn't get your son or daughter and return them home because it's not against the law. Would you seek to change the laws through any means possible so that this type of thing would be stopped before your child destroyed their whole life!?

Most people are saying at this point, "of course we would pray for them!" If this is so, then why would people claim, it is not a Christian's role to influence the government's blessing on these activities, which it deems safe and proper at the appropriate age. Sure some of the things I listed are 'personal choices' that seem to only hurt the person who commits the sin. But is there really a sin that doesn't hurt more people than the one who sins? However, sins like abortion, are terrifying sins which murder the most innocent, weak, and helpless humans on the earth. This is a people group which has no ability to even speak in their own defense. Unless you consider the report of an ultrasound recording the child in the process of an abortion as an attempt to call for help. The 'fetus' tries to run to the other side of the womb and escape the ripping force of suction being thrust toward it and avoid the painful death that it is legally experiencing. For the sake of proof that they feel pain, click here. If you are a skeptic there is also a video of a doctor who did an abortion at 12 weeks and shows the ultrasound here (graphic).

I'm not trying to be sensational. I am serious; the unbelief of the church regarding this truth may soon lead to the downfall of America and our beloved 'freedom of religion' we now enjoy. If you study communist Russia and China where 20 million and 77 million people died through cultural cleansing and mismanagement, you will have an object lesson in religion free government. I believe this will be the fate of those who opt out of the sacred duty of bringing Godly accountability to our government.

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4

So Again I say to all Christians, pray for America to have Godly leaders and laws. Vote based on the word of God and His standards of righteousness. To those God leads, get involved and make your voice heard in the legislative process. As one who spent a session working at a state legislature, I know they listen.

If you are interested in praying for then nation , here is a great resource.

* God Cleanses His People * (Dream)

October 15th, 2009


Dream:


This dream began with me declaring, "Soon, God will cleanse His People! He will completely cleanse their thoughts and actions."


When I said, "their thoughts," I knew it was everything that went with our own way of thinking, that would be cleansed. Human perspectives, evil and good. Human attempts to understand and be wise. It was our very self nature and self made wisdom.


I was then looking at myself, I was full of darkness inside. Then something like a cloud began to fill me from the bottom to the top of my being. I saw it fill me all the way to the top of my head. I knew this cloud was God filling me with Himself. I knew that as He filled me, He was replacing my thoughts and actions with His thoughts and actions. In a moment I was being absolutely renewed. This was to show me what He soon intends to do for all of His people!




My Thoughts:


This experience was a tremendous feeling. In my life, I struggle so hard to be free of my thoughts and actions and to choose God's ways. But this cleansing will be a miraculous work done by God, based on his ability, not mine. It will be a supernatural work of grace. Upon waking from this dream I was filled with hope that I will not be desperately bound to my foolish and human way of thinking forever. Here on earth, God is going to take His people and truly transform them.


It was also known that when this cleansing takes place we will finally be able to serve God and accomplish His will. Up until this point we have mostly blundered in our own strength, falling to our own perspectives and impulses. I now firmly believe a victorious church is going to arise on the earth!


Verses:


In the word of God, thoughts and actions often seem to be paired together as they were in my dream. A distinct separation is made in Isaiah between God's thoughts & actions and ours.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts. Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8

Also James 4:8 makes the call for our thoughts and actions to be cleansed very clear.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:8

(Other verses that show this distinction: Genesis 6:5, Isaiah 59:7, 65:2, 66:18, Micah 4:12, Matthew 15:19)


However, in the dream it was clear that God would be the one who cleanses His people. It is going to be a divine work. Perhaps a worldwide revival of some sort.


There are similar promises described in the prophets. I believe we are in the age of history when we will experience the reality of these promises being fulfilled. There is one main verse I would like to bring your attention to, which describes the heart of this.

Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts.

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. . .

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."

So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:1-3, 16-18

I believe this dream is from God and is a promise of hope to His body, that HE will cleanse them and make them pure to serve Him. This wonderful event will happen soon and will be a relief to so many of us who have longed to be free from the body of death!


David H.

* Hard Times Coming- Be Intimate With Jesus * (Dream)

8/11/2009
In this dream there was a large gathering of Christians taking place. I was in a room with a youth group, seemed like 7-10 year olds. A friend of mine was there and encouraged me to share. He told me, "You usually have a word from God in your heart, you should share it with these people."

I was caught off guard. I didn't know I had a word to share! But he was already gone before I could tell him otherwise. Next moment, I am passionately sharing my heart.
"In the days to come, hard times will come. There's going to be trouble, and it will be dangerous!"

I then fell to the floor on my knees with my hands up, as if begging everyone in the room to listen to me. I declared with extreme sincerity in light of the hard times coming. "...and the thing that is very very very very very Very Very Very Very very very very important, is to become intimately acquainted with Jesus!"

With this, I meant a deep prayer life and a conscious knowing of His voice(knowing what it sounds like and when you've heard it). This intimate acquaintance is a very personal knowing of who the Lord is and having a personal awareness of Him in every moment. There was a sensation of Jesus being a dear friend that you recognize by having spent generous amounts of time with Him. It was understood that this intimate knowledge of Him only comes by spending time with Him in prayer.

Also, if we waited for the hard times before we sought out and grew in this intimate acquaintance, it would be too late. The depth of intimacy required to survive these hard times needs to be grown now, during times of peace. We must take action to become good friends with the Lord now. It felt that there is a window of time that we have before things get a lot harder. I also knew, if we don't make use of this window of time, we will likely loose our lives in the hard times ahead.

After saying all of this, a young girl who was startled by the pronouncement of hard times coming, wanted to know more. She Asked . . .
"What kind of trouble will we face!?"

I knew it was many things, but one answer was quickly given to me. I saw the little girl amidst large evergreens. She was in hiding to save her life. I said in response to what I saw, "the government will track you."

I had the sense that she might be safe in the woods, but the government could find her if it wanted to. It was some kind of technology which could sense people separately from animals and recognize their identity. It could also do this using some form of long range scanner.

Thoughts:

I don't have any doubt that this will happen. Often when I have dreams with a warning of bad things coming they are conditional. If the church will respond and pray God will turn back the terrible thing that was mentioned. However, this dream did not feel conditional. It seemed matter of fact and clear. There will be a day when the government will track Christians in order to kill them. This has happened repeatedly throughout history and will happen in the greatest measure during the end times (which we are in) than it ever occurred before.

So what are the preparations necessary for this terrible persecution by our own government? Should we store up water, food, and weapons to defend ourselves. Some feel this way. I'm sure there are things you could do which would bring a benefit for a season. Have a storage of supplies, learn to garden, and become more self-sustaining.

However, I will not say what you should do naturally, not in this posting. It seems to me that the one thing we are called to do first and foremost, is to get to know Jesus. That is the only course of action declared in this dream. Spend time with the Lord until you can say that you know Jesus better than you know your spouse, parents, or your brothers and sisters. That is the kind of intimacy we will need in the days to come. All other preparations will flow out from that point.

I found an article regarding this phrase: Intimate Acquaintance with Jesus, there were two paragraphs that I felt brought out the true heart of this dream. The article is based on Jesus' talk with Pilate before being crucified found in John 18:34.

"As we move from information about things to acquaintance with persons hearsay has no place. If you were to ask me what it is to love a woman and be loved by a woman, my answer might sound somewhat self-conscious and rather awkward. Still, I profoundly know, unshakably know, in my heart what it is to love and be loved by a woman. However awkwardly I might convey this to you, neither of us would be helped by consulting a textbook on gynecology. Information of any kind, however sophisticated, is never a substitute for intimate acquaintance with a person

. . . . . .The same question is put to us. "Do you say this on your own, or did others say it to you about me?" Our Lord means, "Do you have firsthand, intimate acquaintance with me, or are you merely mouthing whatever you've absorbed unknowingly from your environment?" He expects you and me to reply, "Of our own, on our own accord;" and having rendered this reply once to render it again and again as we seize him afresh and follow him forever."
Quote by: Dr. Victor Shepherd (Link to full article)

Blessings, David H.