Visions

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

–The Prophet Joel

But for so long, I received nothing.

Some people say those kinds of gifts ceased during the early New Testament Church.

Others say those gifts persist and remain to this day.

I wasnt sure what I believed for the longest time, but I figured if it were possible, I couldnt hurt to ask.

He gives good gifts to his children, so why not?

But for many years I received nothing. Not a single vision, no God-dreams, not even a hallucination (haha). But for so long, I was asking with the wrong motives. I wanted a vision because I wanted something special, something that could define me, that might give me value. 

It wasnt until after I started learning my own personal worth and value to my Heavenly Father as his son, and, just in general, as an image-bearer of the infinite, eternal Creator God, that He began speaking to me in new ways. It was no longer a gift to hold on to and define myself by, but instead it was a way to speak to, hear from, and interact with my Father in a whole new deep, personal, and intimate way.

Here, I just want to recount for you just some of the visions I have seen over the past year, that have really spoken to me, and I hope will speak to, touch, and inspire you too.

 

Who Shall Ascend the Hill of the LORD

I saw myself at the base of a grand hill. On that hill there was a city; the city was build up over the entire hill, and the gates to the city were at its base. The streets zig-zagged up the hill, and at the very top, set above everything else so that everyone could see it no matter where they were in the city, was the temple of the LORD, his holy palace. 

As I was in the streets of the city, a loud voice called me up from the streets to go up and enter the palace, and I was afraid. I was fearful partially because I did not know why I was called up (was I in trouble?), and partially because I was embarrassed because now the entire city knew that I was called.

 

Grasping at the Fringe of Jesus Robe

I was in the palace of the Lord, in a large room, seemingly made of white marble. Not only I, but many others were there, and we were all in rows bowed down before the Presence of the Lord.

And Jesus was walking by. 

I had always wondered what I might say ifwhenI stand before the Lord.

Would I boldly claim the blood of Jesus as my hope of salvation before the Lord?

Would I humbly admit my sinful state, and perhaps my humility, instead of arrogance, would save me?

Or perhaps before I could even say a think, would Jesus speak up for me as my Mediator between God and man, claiming me as one of his own?

Or would angels just simply read my name off from the book of life?

But in this moment, as I was prostrate before the Presence of the Lord Jesus as he walked by, I could not say a word. He is so beautiful, so holy, and I am such a woefully wretched sinner, that I was frozen, unable to dare speak a word in his sight.

But if he passed by me, I had no hope, for I know what I deserve, and I would be condemned. I have no hope apart from his mercy and grace.

The only thing I could do was reach out and grab the edge of his cloak as he walked in front of me. But I reached out towards him more out of a reaction to him as he walked by than out of calculation as to what I should do. I had no idea what to do, but I had to do something!

Maybe by reaching out and touching his holy Presence, maybe right then and there I would be consumed by wrath as the unclean tried to touch the Pure and Holy. But if I did not do a thing, I would be condemned anyway. So I reached out and touched him. After all, maybe perhaps he might just have mercy on me, having compassion the way he did for the woman who bled for 12 years who reached out and touched him in the crowd.

When my hand took hold of his robe, he stopped and turned to me. He looked on me with compassion and love, not hatred and wrath. He saw me, and reached down to pick me up to my feet. He dusted me off and put his cloak around me. He recognized me as a friend and a brother, as a son of God. And he said to me, Why are you down there in fear? Do not be afraid. The kingdom is yours. Come with me. I was exalted that day, not as a slave to sin, but as a son and heir, having a place in the kingdom of God.

 

The Triumphant and Victorious Return of Jesus the King

 

While at a church in Africa, singing and dancing and shouting, everyone was shouting so loudly, with all their might, shouts of Hallelujah! and just making a loud noise unto the Lord. This was definitely out of my reserved white American church comfort zone, but then I closed my eyes.

When I closed my eyes, and I saw that great Day: I saw the Day of Jesus return, appearing in the sky for all to see with all His glory. The shouts that I heard resounding from those in the church were the shouts of the saints all over the earth on that great day. 

These are the undignified shouts of complete and utter joy and elation, of excitement beyond compare, of victory and triumph, of justice of the righteous over the wicked, of their faith and all their unseen hope finally being proved right and true.

Then I realized, I am not to operate in a fear of man, worrying about what other people around me might think. But, as David said, It was before the LORD who chose me rather than [men]I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes but in that Day I will be held in honor (2 Samuel 6:21-22).

And in that moment when I saw heaven coming down to earth, I shouted, too, with all my might, for

I AM FREE!!!!!!!

 

Approaching the New Jerusalem

I saw that great city, the New Jerusalem. 

And I saw the African tribe of people I was with marching up to the New Jerusalem. 

Peoples from all around the worldfrom every tribe, every people, every nation, every tongue, every culture, every landwere coming to that great city.

And I was marching up to that city with the African tribe I was with, accepted as one of their own. As we marched, we sang a new song, a special song unique to our people. We were dressed in clothes unique to our people, singing the language of our own (although everyone could understand). 

And all the people in that great city stopped and looked up at us, acknowledging and recognizing and greeting us in the name of Jesus as we came to bring glory and honor and praise unto Him in our own unique waywith our own culture and traditions of dress and color, music and song, language, foodour everything!

And I saw the Presence of the LORD come out from that great city and envelop us in His glorious light, and we were welcomed into His Presence and into the peace of that great city.

Then I saw another thing:

After we had spent some good time in that city, resting and enjoying the Presence of the LORD, I saw us go out from that city once again. We were going back out to our own country to do the work which God had for us to do. But as we left, we sang another song, and the Presence of the LORD went out with us.

Then I saw one more thing:

I was up close to the wall of the New Jerusalem, the heavenly kingdom of God. I was building the wall up, the city of God, brick by brick. 

This is the work that I am doing now: building up the kingdom of God person by person, bringing them into the kingdom of God, making it strong.