The Firmament is Filled with the Glory

On Sunday morning, the praise team began singing "God Almighty Reigns."  I saw angels approach the back of the church.  In their arms they held what looked like thick golden rolls of carpet. They opened the back doors and with a flourish rolled out the presence of the Lord under the worshipper's feet.  There was a thick spread that moved along everyone's ankles towards the front of the church. 

Then I saw Jesus reach down and lower his hands above the aisles on either side at the front  of the church, at the stairs to the stage.  I saw him cut his wrists and his blood began to flow, bright red from the ceiling to the floor at the front of the the aisles.  Before the blood hit the ground, however, it transformed from red into a golden flow, creating waterfalls on both sides of the front of the church.  His glory was full of redemption and rushed to fill the front of the church and moved back to meet the golden carpet laid out by the angels.

 The worshippers crowded to the front to  move closer, crowded together, heads thrown back worshipping at the feet of Jesus.  They sang halleluia over and over and the Spirit began to swell and the glory of the Lord filled the firmament created last week.  It expanded the space created from worship the previous week, forcing it out and up in every direction.  Again I saw fear and demons pushed out of the worship space leaving behind true sanctuary.  I felt like the spirit filled firmament was like a picture of heaven as the worshippers called, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come,"  continuing to worship at the feet of the Lord.

The Presence

I love being in the pool, the feeling of weightlessness and pressure, the push and pull, the movement, the refreshment, it all brings a certain sense of freedom that I cannot seem to find on land.  While I was swimming on Saturday, the Holy Spirit brought the back image of the firmament at the church (see previous post).  I saw fear being pushed outside the firmament, as the demons had been earlier in the week.   I could feel the Spirit's presence in every push and pull of the water, at the same time fear was being pushed out of the sanctuary.  There seemed to be connection, or a reminder that the presence of the Lord doesn't always thrust itself upon us, there is a gentle pull or push, a gentle pressure, a guide, a swelling.  We can quiet ourselves and let our spirit recognize the weight of His Spirit and guidance.  I feel that the more attention we give to Him, the more in tuned we become with our God, our awesome God who was and is and is to come. 

The Firmament

During worship today, I saw a swelling above the worshipers.  As worship began to build it pushed up towards heaven.  I could see the spirit welling up from the floors during the song "Church Arise."    During the song the next song it talked about ties of love and I saw Jesus lower golden cords that passed through the firmament and connected to the hearts of the worshipers, connecting to our hearts.  I could see the glow of the Spirit resting on the top of the firmament, and begin to penetrate it to flow down on the worshipers, even as it rose from the floor.  During "Waiting Here for You,"  the firmament began to swell even further, pushing out from all sides of the church and higher towards the heavens.  Demons began being pushed outside on the left and right, those that were in the sanctuary, and those that were inside people.  They could not stand the worship and were forced to leave.  The atmosphere was thick with the presence of the Spirit.  There was victory and action resulting from the fast on Thursday and the atmosphere laid by the worship team.

God's Dreamer

Tuesday of this week, I woke with a migraine that wouldn't stop.  I loaded the kids into the van for our extended trip to school (we are currently in a hotel due to an extensive pipe leak at our house.)  On the way to school, I asked if the kids had slept well.  (They are all currently sleeping in the same hotel room with one bed and a blowup air mattress.)  My daughter, Ashlyn, related that she had not slept well because of a nightmare that she had. 

She began to describe how a terrifying bounty hunter had come to the school in her dream and threatened to cut off the heads of students.  She continued to tell how he began to use the heads as volleyballs... it was at this point that I cut her off, wondering where she would come up with something so graphic.  My head was splitting and I didn't want her brothers to have those images in their heads.

I truly forgot about the incident until Thursday morning.  Ashlyn had a doctor's appointment at Duke Children's Hospital, and so I had taken the day off of teaching to take her. (At this point the Esther fast had already begun, and I am certain the Holy Spirit prompted this:)   As we left the hotel, I asked her if she had slept any better the next night.  She told me again that she had not, because she had the same nightmare.  As we drove to the hospital, now that we were by ourselves, I asked her to describe it again.  She went on to describe how the Bounty Hunter had come to her class at school and they were on lockdown.  She said he was threatening to cut off the last person's head in every line.  She described how he went upstairs in the school, to where her older brother, Braden was.  The Bounty Hunter proceeded to cut off Braden's head.  She said she was screaming in the hallway, when her younger brother, Caedmon came out in the hallway.  She described how the Bounty Hunter taunted her and asked if Caed was her other brother.  When she said yes, he cut off Caed's head.  She then relayed how he went to my classroom to do the same to me.  She said that before he came in, the Bounty Hunter cut off her head.  She was able to relay the events that followed, even though in the dream, she was dead.  She said the Bounty Hunter entered my room, but that I looked at him and said, "In Jesus' name, you are gone!"  When I asked her what happened next, she said the Bounty Hunter disappeared.  She said that I began praying and crying over my children, then suddenly Jesus came and reattached their heads.  She said that I held my children and wept over them.

I immediately apologized to her for not hearing her dream out the first time around.  I explained to her that when we had prayed over her dreams after the first one, how Jesus had revealed healing, protection and restoration to her.  Without prompting, she said, "Mommy, the Bounty Hunter was Satan, wasn't he?"  Ashlyn is eight years old.  Her name means, "God's Dreamer."  Out of the mouth of babes... this child didn't know I was fasting, praying for her protection, for our family's protection, for the protection of our church body.  She had no idea that the fast this week was designed to pray specifically for protection from Satan. 

It is at times like these that I am completely overwhelmed by His presence, His protection, His promises, His love, His grace, His salvation, His reality.  Thank you Jesus for your confirmation and your spirit.  May our children always recognize your presence and action. 

The Dragon

Yesterday, after having a very eye opening conversation with my daughter (see next post), my mind returned to the vision in the church from Wednesday.  The church was empty, but the membrane was still in tact, holding the water of the the spirit.  It continued to drip through the slits on the right and flow more steadily through the opening on the left.  Suddenly a wild dragon burst through the back of the church.  It's intent was total destruction.  The dragon saw the membrane across the top of the church and was convinced that it would destroy the "atmosphere" God had created.  Bent on madness and wrath, the dragon attacked the membrane, ripping it to shreds, completely convinced that it was gaining victory in its attack.  Completely beyond the creature's understanding, the gashes and tears created by it's massive claws and wild thrashing caused the membrane to collapse.  The result was like a dam being crushed, the water of the Holy Spirit came crashing down like a raging waterfall on the dragon.  The bewildered creature disintegrated into a fine mist and was gone. 

In this way, victory was released into the church.  The entire sanctuary became flooded with the spirit. The call to fast this week was for protection from Satan.  Although I had already been fasting, I had not gotten a chance at this point in the day to read the scripture attached to this fast:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 

I believe the spiritual groundwork has been laid for people who will hear and see to walk in a better awareness of their relationship with our mighty, victorious King, Jesus.

The Dagger

I was sitting in the darkness, near the back of the church, listening to the praise team practice.  I saw a vision of a membrane pulled taught above the inside ceiling of the church.  I saw the Lord pull a dagger from his side and lean over.  On the left hand side, he punctured the membrane three times, and on the right, he pushed the dagger through and slit the membrane open several feet.  Above the membrane was water...cool, refreshing water, filled with and provided by the Holy Spirit.  It began to seep through the cuts less on the left and more on the right.  I let my body lean back in the chair and I saw myself open my mouth and take in the water.  The refreshment of the Spirit was deep and filled my body and a strong sense of peace entered in.  I could feel the weight of the Spirit in the darkness as the praise team continued to worship.  I can see that the refreshment remains dripping down for anyone who would choose to receive it.