Visons?

For months youtube kept suggesting that I watch videos about why people left Bethel and Hillsong. I never clicked on any of them. I tried blocking some of them. I told my husband that these videos were surely divisive and that I didn't want to support them. But then I had a question about visions. Mind you, my "vision" wasn't a dream or waking vision. It was just something that happened to me and I wondered what I should take from it. Was God stopping me from writing about worship because I was wrong? Or was the devil fighting me, because what I stumbled upon needed to be said? 

So I prayed, "God, give me something good to watch" while I turned on my tv. Up popped a video:

Unpacking Doreen's vision with Pastor Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith

https://youtu.be/f9MtKZsh1U0

So I watched it. Of course, not all visions are from God. I have had visions and dreams that were so obviously playing on my fears that I never questioned whether they were from God or not. When God appears to you, you will know. There is no confusion.

1 Corinthians 14:32-33 BSB – The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,

1 John 4:1 ESV - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

  

I pray that you do not need to know that there are false visions. Deciphering visions is not necessary for following God. There are only two ways to handle confusing visions when they come. 

1 Pray. Pray that God will show you through His word what He wants for you. Trust that God will make it clear if you need to know.

2 Read. You can ask God where to read, or you can look up all the places in the Bible where it talks about something you are confused about. 

So, this is the next video that started playing:

Ex-Bethel Student Tells All: Lindsay Davis Testimony

https://youtu.be/winCHM9yuY4

I felt like my eyes had been opened. 

Before I watched these two videos on Tuesday night, God put it on my heart to write about the kind of congregational singing that I long for. 

On Monday morning, I had peeked at my notes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together before heading out on a prayer walk. I read a beautiful passage about singing God's Word in unison. I traveled out to my favorite sitting rock and started writing on my phone. A snake came up to me with its head raised, and its forked tongue out. As I do when a snake visits, I ran. 

So, as I prayed all the way home, l wondered whether this meant that I should not post about worship. Did God send the snake or was the devil scaring me off? Or was it both? I know that the devil is not able to do anything beyond what God allows the devil to do. 

 

Job 2:6 NIV - “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.” 

So, whenever we have spiritual warfare, we don't need to worry about what the devil is trying to convince us of. We can instead focus on how God is growing us, moving us, and changing our hearts through our difficulties. I prayed for God to continue to cleanse my heart and reveal any hidden errors I was making. 

Later Monday, I called my dear prayer partner. I shared what had happened and that day and the Bonhoeffer quote. We laughed and discussed dreams and visions.

I get the sense that many people see and hear things that they can't explain. We need to talk them through with people who can bring godly perspective and know that we are not alone. We need to know who God is and to learn to listen only to His voice, but we also need to learn what voices not to listen to.

Isaiah 30:21 NASB - Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

John 10:27 ESV - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 

There is a lot of distraction going on all around us. If we follow Jesus, then we can't be listening to the other voices. We all need to know the voice of Jesus for ourselves. When cheap imitations come around, will you even know that they are false? Who is Jesus? Do you know how to hear his voice?

Hebrews 12:27-29 NIV - The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."