Visions and dogs and such Thursday, November 29, 2007 |
Last night I got the chance to spend some time with a couple mature in Christ and humble in stature (always a good combo in my book). A winding conversation led to the comment from the husband (_____ (his wife) receives visions from the Lord). A death stare from wife (that only a husband can appreciate), followed by an awkward silence from the wife, led me to say "Hey, I'm ALL IN for visions from the Lord...mind sharing a few?" The response is immediately "I used to have them, but they began to really scare me so I asked the Lord to stop giving them to me..."
Ughhhh...my heart sinks...not good. "_____, can I encourage you to consider that there is GOOD STUFF for all of us in the Body by you receiving these visions?"
"But they've never really been received well by the people I've felt I'm supposed to tell them to."
"That makes sense...do you mind sharing a few with me anyway?"
So begins a FANTASTIC 45 minutes of conversation recapping faithfulness that has occurred over the last THIRTY years in this woman's life. Can't capture it all here, but some highlights are below...
1. She received a vision of water pouring out all over the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati (many years ago), and she went to her pastor, who was telling his congregation they must move from the Hyde Park area because it was dead. She implored him to stay, saying God was preparing to pour out his Spirit in this area, and to ask God for some of that outpouring. The pastor told her NO. Soon after he announced the congregation would move to the suburbs, where all the action was (insert vomit in the mouth here). That day she had a vision of their church in the suburbs being overwhelmed with violent water and drowning. Shares said vision with the pastor, which is met with a "DO NOT SPEAK OF THIS AGAIN...WE ARE MOVING."
So fast forward...church sells property, buys land, begins construction, and IT FLOODS WITH WATER (literally). Come to find out they bought land on a freakishly high water table, and no matter what they do, anytime they dig the holes are washed in by water. Basement? Floods on the spot. Foundation holes? Wash in over and over again. Instead of repenting, the pastor comes to her and accuses her (HER!) of bringing this on them. Church closes soon after.
2. Another church, years later. She's on the board, and can tell things aren't right. One night she receives a vision of the church overrun by dogs, with the command to go to her Pastor and tell him this..."If you do not submit to the Lord's authority over this church it will GO TO THE DOGS in two years." Weird. She says "Lord, that's weird." The reply? "Be obedient." So she meets with the pastor, shares vision and message, and is basically shooed out of the office and told to mind her own business. Bad move Mr. Pastor. She and her husband leave the church. Ready? Two years TO THE MONTH later they're driving by the church, and see a large sign saying the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has bought the building and is turning it into a kennel. The church has died and the building has literally gone to the dogs. AWESOME!
I can't make this up. We had to leave, so I encouraged her to consider the value her gift has, and to repent and ask the Lord to return to giving her these visions (She prayed two years ago to stop receiving them and hasn't had one since). Agreement on this? When one asks to stop receiving something from the Lord, is an attitude of repentance correct? I really felt for her, because she so clearly loved the Lord and was humble in him, but years and years of obedience met with nothing but rejection had taken its toll on her. Thoughts?
Ughhhh...my heart sinks...not good. "_____, can I encourage you to consider that there is GOOD STUFF for all of us in the Body by you receiving these visions?"
"But they've never really been received well by the people I've felt I'm supposed to tell them to."
"That makes sense...do you mind sharing a few with me anyway?"
So begins a FANTASTIC 45 minutes of conversation recapping faithfulness that has occurred over the last THIRTY years in this woman's life. Can't capture it all here, but some highlights are below...
1. She received a vision of water pouring out all over the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati (many years ago), and she went to her pastor, who was telling his congregation they must move from the Hyde Park area because it was dead. She implored him to stay, saying God was preparing to pour out his Spirit in this area, and to ask God for some of that outpouring. The pastor told her NO. Soon after he announced the congregation would move to the suburbs, where all the action was (insert vomit in the mouth here). That day she had a vision of their church in the suburbs being overwhelmed with violent water and drowning. Shares said vision with the pastor, which is met with a "DO NOT SPEAK OF THIS AGAIN...WE ARE MOVING."
So fast forward...church sells property, buys land, begins construction, and IT FLOODS WITH WATER (literally). Come to find out they bought land on a freakishly high water table, and no matter what they do, anytime they dig the holes are washed in by water. Basement? Floods on the spot. Foundation holes? Wash in over and over again. Instead of repenting, the pastor comes to her and accuses her (HER!) of bringing this on them. Church closes soon after.
2. Another church, years later. She's on the board, and can tell things aren't right. One night she receives a vision of the church overrun by dogs, with the command to go to her Pastor and tell him this..."If you do not submit to the Lord's authority over this church it will GO TO THE DOGS in two years." Weird. She says "Lord, that's weird." The reply? "Be obedient." So she meets with the pastor, shares vision and message, and is basically shooed out of the office and told to mind her own business. Bad move Mr. Pastor. She and her husband leave the church. Ready? Two years TO THE MONTH later they're driving by the church, and see a large sign saying the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has bought the building and is turning it into a kennel. The church has died and the building has literally gone to the dogs. AWESOME!
I can't make this up. We had to leave, so I encouraged her to consider the value her gift has, and to repent and ask the Lord to return to giving her these visions (She prayed two years ago to stop receiving them and hasn't had one since). Agreement on this? When one asks to stop receiving something from the Lord, is an attitude of repentance correct? I really felt for her, because she so clearly loved the Lord and was humble in him, but years and years of obedience met with nothing but rejection had taken its toll on her. Thoughts?
