Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
During worship a couple of Sunday’s ago I had a vision. I saw an altar in our church and an angel came with a burning coal and placed it on the altar. In the scripture we know altars are places that are designed and set apart for worship unto God (Gen. 22:5-10). Abraham built four altars during his life at special moments and each altar was significant in that it revealed an aspect of worship that brought Abraham more fully into his calling and purpose. I knew the vision was speaking of something the Lord desires for us to enter into.
A few days later I had a dream in which our church was gathered in an upper room. We then got into a multi passenger van and we were going to visit someone. We were going so fast in the van that we arrived at our destination in 1/3 of the time that it would normally take. It was a very scary ride. I was not even sure we would arrive alive. Several times I wanted to stop the driver and take over, but thankfully I didn’t. Then the dream shifted back to the upper room; there were people outside looking to come in. The dream ended with the worship team prophetically singing,“You have faith, you have faith, you have faith…”
As I was considering the dream I thought about John Kilpatrick’s church, which has recently experienced a fresh move of the Holy Spirit. In particular, I was thinking about the name of his church, The Church of His Presence. I was considering how this is the bottom line for church as far as I am concerned, the Presence of the Lord. He is the most important thing there is. I also was thankful for what the Lord has done in Becky’s life and mine since we visited the underground church back in the spring. We have experienced a very real renewal in our personal relationship with Him, a return to our first love. He is the most important person in our life and we have enjoyed growing in that over the past few months.
While I was pondering all of this, the Lord spoke to me – He told me, “The altar was worship and revival, and part of the calling for the church is to be a spring of revival.” I remembered words concerning revival we have received. I began to think about a revival that will lead to a national awakening, I believe that is on the Lord’s heart. I thought of the cost of revival on a church body. I thought of how God does not desire to pour new wine into old wineskin as you lose both the wineskin and the wine (Matt. 9:17). I thought of ways we could be a part of revival and continue to be a local church where the family is cared for and not become just a ministry that diminishes when the wave of revival subsides. I was thankful for the Holy Spirit River that has been so graciously given to us. We have become a new wineskin as a result of this grace; we are called to be a Father’s House.
In the dream the upper room speaks of our church family meeting together (Acts 1:13). The van ride speaks of acceleration and the wild and dangerous ride of revival. However, the church (wineskin) was not destroyed by the new revival (wine), but prospered.
Later in the day, I happened to be reading the scripture where the disciples said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5-10). It revealed to me that the vision, dream and the renewal of our first love are all connected.
I saw a strategy to do the things we know He has called us to do – labor in the field (evangelism and missions), tend the sheep (church life) and prepare His evening meal (revival/awakening, see John 4:7-42). I believe the Lord has given us the faith to do all of this as the prophetic song was proclaiming in the dream. The key is to continue in a loving relationship with Him – He will always be more important than everything and everyone. Altars are first and foremost for His worship. It is all for Him and His glory. So practically, right now the thing we should do is focus on worshipping and loving Him, while simply doing what He has set before us to do.
Many Blessings, BW