Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Visionary Revelation
Today, I have decided to share with you an e-mail I received from Encounters Network by the James Goll. James Goll is a prolific Christian author. I learn so much every time I hear from him or read one of his books. This article is about how God speaks to us and reveals His will in our life. It is a bit long, but I hope you enjoy this message. As I re-read this while preparing it to post, I could feel the Spirit of the Lord move. Enjoy!
James W. Goll
Introduction to Visionary Revelation
Visionary revelation is manifested in three different ways: visions, trances, and dreams. This lesson will cover an overview of materials on visions and trances.
Visions are closely associated with dreams, but visions occur during the time when the individual is fully awake and conscious. Dreams and visions are signs of God's last day outpouring of His Holy Spirit. God reveals Himself to man through the use of the eyes of His heart by granting dreams and visions. God greatly desires to communicate to us through the eyes of our heart (Ephesians 1:17-18), but we must first recognize this faculty within us and the importance it can have as we present it to Him to be used by Him.
Since Christianity is a heart-to-heart, or spirit-to-spirit relationship, we would expect to see this faculty used much in our relationship with God. However, it is not often used as it should be among Western Christians, because we have been trained to live out of our mind rather than our heart. We have put logic on a pedestal and neglected the value of "seeing in the Spirit." So now, let's consider developing our capacity to discern God's voice through the benefits of visionary revelation.
Developing One's Capacity to See in the Spirit
A. Jesus Our Model
1. John 5:19-20 - Our Lord Jesus set the example as He did nothing of Himself, unless it was something He saw the Father doing.
2. Matthew 13:34 - Jesus turned everything in life into a parable, and parables become relatable picture language to communicate the needed message.
B. Scriptures on Looking
Read the following scriptures and ask the Lord for your capacity to see into the things of the Holy Spirit to be increased.
1. Daniel 6:10
2. Habakkuk 2:1-3
3. Revelation 4:1-2
4. John 8:38
C. Suggestions on Becoming Open to Seeing in the Spirit
1. Be still outwardly and inwardly. Learn to quiet your soul before God.
2. Enter a biblical story using vision. Simply see what you're reading and pray over the scriptures, asking the Spirit of revelation to open them up to you.
3. Focus intently on Jesus and the eyes of your heart will be enlightened and faith will be ignited (see Ephesians 1:18-29).
4. In intercession for others or whatever circumstance, see the person for whom you are praying and allow Christ to enter the circumstances.
5. Ask God to speak to you when you're awake and when you're asleep (see Psalm 127:2), then record a summary of it.
6. Speaking in tongues (praying in the spirit) opens up communication with the Holy Spirit and allows images to arise within.
7. Quiet prayer and meditation opens you up to reflective insights which can form a vision.
8. In times of praise and worship, the eyes of your heart may be opened and you can see what you're singing. Praise magnifies the Lord and He is enthroned by the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3 and 9:11).
Levels of Vision
A. Internal Vision
1. Zechariah 1-6; 4:1 - Zechariah's night visions were most likely received this way (internal visions), as the prophet was awakened in preparation for the visions.
2. Daniel 7:1,13-14 - These profound visions were called "visions in the mind."
3. When the face of a friend or relative pops into our mind, then we know we must pray for them. These snapshot picture forms of revelation from the Holy Spirit are used to urge us to pray.
B. External Vision
1. Elisha saw the hosts of God encompassing the city of Dothan in II Kings 6:17. He then prayed that the servant's eyes would likewise be opened.
2. Stephen gazed into Heaven and saw the heavens open and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God in Acts 7:55-56.
C. Visions While in a Trance or a Dream
1. Peter received a vision while in a trance (see Acts 10:10-23).
2. Paul received a vision in the night as he slept (see Acts 16)
The following is a partial listing of visions recorded in the Old Testament prophetic books.
A. Isaiah
1. Vision of the Lord and His glory - Chapter 6
2. Vision of the valley - Chapter 22
B. Jeremiah
1. Almond rod - 1:11
2. Seething pot - 1:13
3. Two baskets of figs - 24:1-2
C. Ezekiel
1. Glory of God - 1:3,12-14,23
2. Vision of the roll - 2:9
3. Man of fire - Chapters 8-9
4. Coals of fire - 10:1-7
5. Dry bones - 37:1-14
6. Jerusalem and the temple - Chapters 40-48
7. Visions of waters - 47:1-12
D. Daniel
1. Secret vision - 2:19
2. Four beasts - 7:1-8
3. Ancient of Days - 7:9-27
4. Ram and the goat - 8:1-14
5. Angel - Chapter 10
6. World powers - 11:2; 12:4
7. Man clothed in linen - 12:5-13
E. Amos
1. Grasshoppers - 7:1-2
2. Fire - 7:4
3. Plumb line - 7:7-8
4. Summer fruit - 8:1-2
5. Temple - 9:1-3
F. Zechariah
1. Horses - 1:8-11
2. Horns and carpenters - 1:18-21
3. High priest - 3:1-5
4. Golden candlestick - Chapter 4
5. Flying roll - 5:1-4
6. Mountains and chariots - 6:1-8
G. There are No Recorded Visions in the Books of the Following Prophets:
Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi.
Greek Words for Visionary States
The following are ten different Greek words that each describe a different aspect of visionary revelation.
A. Onar - Matthew 1:20; 2:12,13,19, 22; 27:19 - It is a common word for "dream." It is a vision seen in sleep as opposed to waking.
B. Enupnion - Acts 2:17; Jude 8 - It is a vision seen in sleep. It stresses the givenness, almost surprise quality of what is received in sleep.
C. Horama - Matthew 17:9; Acts 7:31; 9:10,12; 10:3,17,19; 11:5; 12:9; 16:9-10; 18:9 - It is translated "vision." It can refer to visions of the night or sleeping experiences, as well as to waking visions.
D. Opasis - Acts 2:17; Revelation 9:17 - This can signify the eye as the organ of sight, an appearance of any kind, even a spectacle.
E. Optasia - Luke 1:22; 24:23; Acts 26:19; II Corinthians 12 - It is translated "vision." It has the sense of self-disclosure, of "letting oneself be seen."
F. Ekstasis - Mark 5:42; Luke 5:26; Mark 16:8; Acts 3:10; 10:10; 11:5; 22:17 - We derive the English word "ecstasy" from this. It literally means "standing aside from oneself, being displaced or over against oneself," and ordinarily there is a sense of amazement, confusion and even extreme terror.
G. Ginomai en pneumati - Revelation 1:10; Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1; Luke 1:41 - This is translated "to become in Spirit." This refers to the state in which one could see visions and be informed or spoken to directly by the Spirit.
H. Ephisteni, paristeni - Acts 23:11; 27:23; Luke 1:11; Acts 10:30; 16:9 - This simply refers to the fact that some reality stands by in the night or in the day.
I. Blepo and eido - Revelation 1:2,11; Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36 - It means "to see" or "to perceive." These words are used to mean "see" in the normal outer sense, yet are also used to refer to seeing in the spiritual sense.
J. Apokalupsis - Revelation 1:1; I Corinthians 14:6,26; II Corinthians 12:1,7; Galatians 2:2 - Translated "revelation," it literally means disclosure, divine uncovering or revelation.
Let Us Learn to Use the Supernatural Tools the Lord Has Given Us
Let us each pray that the eyes of our heart will be enlightened that we might see. Dr. David Yonggi Cho has stated, "The language of the Holy Spirit is dreams and visions." Watchman Nee said, "The picture is the Holy Spirit's memory." Let us learn to use the natural and supernatural tools the Lord has given us and see what God is doing.
Blessings and Peace,
For more on this subject, see James W. Goll’s study guide on Dreams and Visions and the book, Dream Language by James and Michal Ann . Once at this site click on Resources and then On-line store
James W. Goll
Introduction to Visionary Revelation
Visionary revelation is manifested in three different ways: visions, trances, and dreams. This lesson will cover an overview of materials on visions and trances.
Visions are closely associated with dreams, but visions occur during the time when the individual is fully awake and conscious. Dreams and visions are signs of God's last day outpouring of His Holy Spirit. God reveals Himself to man through the use of the eyes of His heart by granting dreams and visions. God greatly desires to communicate to us through the eyes of our heart (Ephesians 1:17-18), but we must first recognize this faculty within us and the importance it can have as we present it to Him to be used by Him.
Since Christianity is a heart-to-heart, or spirit-to-spirit relationship, we would expect to see this faculty used much in our relationship with God. However, it is not often used as it should be among Western Christians, because we have been trained to live out of our mind rather than our heart. We have put logic on a pedestal and neglected the value of "seeing in the Spirit." So now, let's consider developing our capacity to discern God's voice through the benefits of visionary revelation.
Developing One's Capacity to See in the Spirit
A. Jesus Our Model
1. John 5:19-20 - Our Lord Jesus set the example as He did nothing of Himself, unless it was something He saw the Father doing.
2. Matthew 13:34 - Jesus turned everything in life into a parable, and parables become relatable picture language to communicate the needed message.
B. Scriptures on Looking
Read the following scriptures and ask the Lord for your capacity to see into the things of the Holy Spirit to be increased.
1. Daniel 6:10
2. Habakkuk 2:1-3
3. Revelation 4:1-2
4. John 8:38
C. Suggestions on Becoming Open to Seeing in the Spirit
1. Be still outwardly and inwardly. Learn to quiet your soul before God.
2. Enter a biblical story using vision. Simply see what you're reading and pray over the scriptures, asking the Spirit of revelation to open them up to you.
3. Focus intently on Jesus and the eyes of your heart will be enlightened and faith will be ignited (see Ephesians 1:18-29).
4. In intercession for others or whatever circumstance, see the person for whom you are praying and allow Christ to enter the circumstances.
5. Ask God to speak to you when you're awake and when you're asleep (see Psalm 127:2), then record a summary of it.
6. Speaking in tongues (praying in the spirit) opens up communication with the Holy Spirit and allows images to arise within.
7. Quiet prayer and meditation opens you up to reflective insights which can form a vision.
8. In times of praise and worship, the eyes of your heart may be opened and you can see what you're singing. Praise magnifies the Lord and He is enthroned by the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3 and 9:11).
Levels of Vision
A. Internal Vision
1. Zechariah 1-6; 4:1 - Zechariah's night visions were most likely received this way (internal visions), as the prophet was awakened in preparation for the visions.
2. Daniel 7:1,13-14 - These profound visions were called "visions in the mind."
3. When the face of a friend or relative pops into our mind, then we know we must pray for them. These snapshot picture forms of revelation from the Holy Spirit are used to urge us to pray.
B. External Vision
1. Elisha saw the hosts of God encompassing the city of Dothan in II Kings 6:17. He then prayed that the servant's eyes would likewise be opened.
2. Stephen gazed into Heaven and saw the heavens open and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God in Acts 7:55-56.
C. Visions While in a Trance or a Dream
1. Peter received a vision while in a trance (see Acts 10:10-23).
2. Paul received a vision in the night as he slept (see Acts 16)
The following is a partial listing of visions recorded in the Old Testament prophetic books.
A. Isaiah
1. Vision of the Lord and His glory - Chapter 6
2. Vision of the valley - Chapter 22
B. Jeremiah
1. Almond rod - 1:11
2. Seething pot - 1:13
3. Two baskets of figs - 24:1-2
C. Ezekiel
1. Glory of God - 1:3,12-14,23
2. Vision of the roll - 2:9
3. Man of fire - Chapters 8-9
4. Coals of fire - 10:1-7
5. Dry bones - 37:1-14
6. Jerusalem and the temple - Chapters 40-48
7. Visions of waters - 47:1-12
D. Daniel
1. Secret vision - 2:19
2. Four beasts - 7:1-8
3. Ancient of Days - 7:9-27
4. Ram and the goat - 8:1-14
5. Angel - Chapter 10
6. World powers - 11:2; 12:4
7. Man clothed in linen - 12:5-13
E. Amos
1. Grasshoppers - 7:1-2
2. Fire - 7:4
3. Plumb line - 7:7-8
4. Summer fruit - 8:1-2
5. Temple - 9:1-3
F. Zechariah
1. Horses - 1:8-11
2. Horns and carpenters - 1:18-21
3. High priest - 3:1-5
4. Golden candlestick - Chapter 4
5. Flying roll - 5:1-4
6. Mountains and chariots - 6:1-8
G. There are No Recorded Visions in the Books of the Following Prophets:
Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi.
Greek Words for Visionary States
The following are ten different Greek words that each describe a different aspect of visionary revelation.
A. Onar - Matthew 1:20; 2:12,13,19, 22; 27:19 - It is a common word for "dream." It is a vision seen in sleep as opposed to waking.
B. Enupnion - Acts 2:17; Jude 8 - It is a vision seen in sleep. It stresses the givenness, almost surprise quality of what is received in sleep.
C. Horama - Matthew 17:9; Acts 7:31; 9:10,12; 10:3,17,19; 11:5; 12:9; 16:9-10; 18:9 - It is translated "vision." It can refer to visions of the night or sleeping experiences, as well as to waking visions.
D. Opasis - Acts 2:17; Revelation 9:17 - This can signify the eye as the organ of sight, an appearance of any kind, even a spectacle.
E. Optasia - Luke 1:22; 24:23; Acts 26:19; II Corinthians 12 - It is translated "vision." It has the sense of self-disclosure, of "letting oneself be seen."
F. Ekstasis - Mark 5:42; Luke 5:26; Mark 16:8; Acts 3:10; 10:10; 11:5; 22:17 - We derive the English word "ecstasy" from this. It literally means "standing aside from oneself, being displaced or over against oneself," and ordinarily there is a sense of amazement, confusion and even extreme terror.
G. Ginomai en pneumati - Revelation 1:10; Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1; Luke 1:41 - This is translated "to become in Spirit." This refers to the state in which one could see visions and be informed or spoken to directly by the Spirit.
H. Ephisteni, paristeni - Acts 23:11; 27:23; Luke 1:11; Acts 10:30; 16:9 - This simply refers to the fact that some reality stands by in the night or in the day.
I. Blepo and eido - Revelation 1:2,11; Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36 - It means "to see" or "to perceive." These words are used to mean "see" in the normal outer sense, yet are also used to refer to seeing in the spiritual sense.
J. Apokalupsis - Revelation 1:1; I Corinthians 14:6,26; II Corinthians 12:1,7; Galatians 2:2 - Translated "revelation," it literally means disclosure, divine uncovering or revelation.
Let Us Learn to Use the Supernatural Tools the Lord Has Given Us
Let us each pray that the eyes of our heart will be enlightened that we might see. Dr. David Yonggi Cho has stated, "The language of the Holy Spirit is dreams and visions." Watchman Nee said, "The picture is the Holy Spirit's memory." Let us learn to use the natural and supernatural tools the Lord has given us and see what God is doing.
Blessings and Peace,
For more on this subject, see James W. Goll’s study guide on Dreams and Visions and the book, Dream Language by James and Michal Ann . Once at this site click on Resources and then On-line store
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Prophetic Perceptions (Part I)
Prophetic Perceptions (Part I)
11/4/10
Perception is first defined in Webster’s New World dictionary as the act of perceiving-comprehending, understanding, apprehending. Second, it is defined as the result of perceiving; insight, knowledge, observation. Third, it is defined as the power to perceive; discernment, sagacity; acumen, judgment. It is interesting to study these different definitions and relate them to a study of prophetic prayer. Note that perception can be an act (verb), a result (noun) or a power to perceive (noun).
I look at these definitions and see that a prophetic prayer doesn’t happen on its own. We must act. We must put forth effort to perceive into the spiritual world. (act) Once we have done this, with Gods’ grace and love we will have learned something. (a result) We will gain insight or knowledge we need. The something is often a knowing about a situation or a sense that A or B is the right direction for our life. Finally, Webster’s defines perception as the power to perceive. This definition is at the heart of our discussion today. I tend to think of the gift an established, respected, prophet has-the power to perceive into a spiritual realm-as one of the offices listed in Corinthians (1 Cor.12: 28 NIV). I have been learning that it is not only those called to be prophets that actually have that power to perceive into the spiritual realm. We all do. I have been seeking that power in my life for some time. I never really thought about it as being power, but rather, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at perception some more to better understand prophetic prayer.
Kim Clement, defines perception as the ability to have insight and foresight (Clement, 2005 pg. 63). Let’s look at the definitions of insight and foresight to better understand spiritual perception.
Insight is related to our field of vision. Vision, however, is not limited to physical seeing. Vision includes the ability to discern the true nature of a situation. It is an intuitive knowing of things hidden from physical sight. Paul prayed that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened (Eph. 1: 18 NIV) Insight is the ability to know certain things because you see into invisible spiritual realms. It is the result of having our understanding enlightened by the Lord.
Foresight is the ability to perceive and identify events before they occur. It is the discovery and distinguishing of the nature of events before they have come into existence. It is the ability to look forward in time. (Clement, 2005, pg.176) It is a new way of seeing and hearing from the Lord.
Our natural sight actually limits our ability to perceive in the spiritual realm. A person must let go of their dependence on physical sight to move into the realm of insight. This is a realm many people fear or distrust. Often people discount their prophetic gifts as part of an overactive imagination. However, what one must remember is God loves you! He will not play mind games with you. He will not use your mind to harm you or others. He is incapable of doing that for He is love. One way to know you are walking in the prophetic is the hope His message brings. There is no selfish or self-centered desire in prophetic visions. Those who pursue prophetic vision with an uncontrolled desire are not operating in the true gift of the prophetic. Rather, they are seeking answers based on carnal desires.
When you get spiritual insight, you are no longer controlled by your natural vision. You are living 2 Corinthians 4:18 where Paul addresses natural sight. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what we see is temporary, and what we do not see is eternal.” An example of this from my own life is my current status as unemployed. In the world’s view, I am living a low-income life and desperately need employment. Through the prophetic prayers of friends I have been reassured this is not true. The Lord is employing me as I tend to my elderly parents and neighbors. I am busy learning more about the Lord and service to Him. My bills are paid and God has provided for all of my needs. I worry about the future when I start thinking like the world. I wonder how I will be able to help my daughter go to college or how I will fund a life after retirement. I find peace and truth when I live in the prophetic. God prophesies goodness to me. He shows me the way out of my troubles. God is good all the time!
(To Be Continued)
Prophetic Prayer
Prophetic Prayer
One type of prayer that I believe has been hidden from our sight for many years is prophetic prayer. Prophetic prayer is different from other forms of prayer in that this type of prayer relates to our future rather than our present or our past. God loves His people and wants to hear from them. He wants us to learn to listen to Him and to see Him. Gods’ heart aches for His people. He sees the struggles, triumphs, and failures we encounter on a daily basis multiplied by an infinite number, as we are all His creation. God is omniscient which means all knowing. If we, His people, can see and hear the pains of the world, how much more does God our Heavenly Creator hear the cries and know the hurting hearts of His people. Prophesy is one way the Lord responds to our cries. He also helps us discern the path we need to take to walk out of our troubles and circumstances. He directs us to advance His kingdom on earth through prophetic prayer. Prophetic prayer is one critical way to develop our ability to hear from the Lord. It removes the barrier of time from our conversations with God. God is the Alpha and the Omega. Time is a creation of man. The Spirit of God does not move in time the way we do. Prophetic prayer allows us to have a memory from the future (KC) which guides us and leads us on our God given path in this world.
God created great curiosity in us as part of our character. This curiosity is what has lead men and women through time to discover and invent new ideas and items that were unknown to people at the time. It allows us to adapt to changes we encounter in life and it spurs on our desire to learn more about a topic or subject. Curiosity has also always been ignited by talk of knowing the future. Many people go to fortunetellers, psychics, or channelers to learn more about the future. What these people do not know is that these methods of learning the future are unnecessary and against Gods’ will. There are numerous scriptures that tell us to stay away from sorcery, yet sadly many Christians and non-Christians alike allow their curiosity to move them away from the Lord. ( bible ref) God has provided ways for us to know the future-a way to guide us in His ways. Prayer guides us. The Bible guides us. The book of Revelations is all about the future! Prophetic prayer is a way to enter into God’s presence and to know the future. Although we naturally would like clear and complete pictures of the future, God rarely gives us a full picture. He often shows us just what we need to keep seeking His face during our spiritual journey. He knows our curiosity and desire to know Him more deeply will keep us going. The gift of prophecy is Gods’ gift-given to us to allow a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Prophetic Prayer? Why now?
According to Prophet Kim Clement there are three guiding principles in how prophecy is being used by God today: First it is for the people of the worldwide church. Second, God desires to show His heart to His people, thus, prophecy must always be given in love. During Biblical times God used prophets to rebuke His people as well as guide them (Ezekiel 7:3). He can still do that, of course, but it is not His primary desire or use of prophecy at this time in history. Third, prophecy is to be used to present a promise of God to His people. God uses prophecy to speak promises to nations, states, and groups of people. He also uses prophecy to speak promises to individuals.
A gift of prophecy is typically used by the Lord to guide and direct a prophet He has raised up to encourage and exhort the body of Christ. I believe God wants me to share my heart about how regular, everyday people like you and me can benefit from better understanding prophesy and prophetic prayer on a personal level. The world has corrupted many spiritual teachings of Christ and usurped peoples’ interest in the spiritual realm. People who are seeking God are being misled into divination, witchcraft, and sorcery.
Have you ever “seen” something before it happened? Have you wondered why you knew something before it actually happened? These are small indicators of the prophetic gift within you. The world needs to hear more clearly from God during these times of upheaval and distress. He wants us to know how to see and hear from Him during our time here on earth. God wants us to know the difference between seeing the spiritual world as satan would want us to see it and seeing the spiritual world as God wants us to see it. God wants us to depend on Him and only Him for our future.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Welcome
Welcome to my new blog. I plan to share with you my musings and the things I have learned in my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a trained teacher and presenter so I will probably sound like a teacher. I have gone through trials and tribulations that many of you have not and I want to help you better understand where the Lord is when you are in pain or confronting adversity. I also want to share all that I have learned about prayer and healing. So, again, welcome.
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