Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision (mental sight), and make it plain (explain, make clear) upon tables, that he may run (move quickly) that readeth it. The principle is to understand in order to fulfill or apprehend what we have seen from God. The first step is to write the vision down. The second step is to make it plain. Yet we often do not understand our visions and dreams. What keeps us from "making it plain?"

I believe one of the devices loosed against us is fear. The powers of darkness have tried to corner the market and claim ownership of any type of "mental sight" through labels of "mind reading," "fortune telling," "witchcraft," "divination," "psychic hot lines," etc. Powers of darkness have tried to DOMINATE any SUPER-natural occurrences and take credit for anything our natural mind can’t explain or control. For example, a STRATEGY of the NEW AGE movement: is to put evil motivations, evil fingerprints on any form of power, specifically God’s gifts and enablements and tools, so the CHURCH won’t touch them! Actually hell’s propaganda has done a thorough job! Since the powers of darkness have tainted and counterfeited God’s tools, we won’t even touch the words or terms they have stolen!

We shy away from terms like "trance," "meditation," "deja vu," "visualize" and "mind power," even though God dealt with Peter’s prejudice in a trance and God saved Paul’s life instructing him during a trance. "Meditation" simply means "to ponder, study, consider" and therefore is not a word "owned" by darkness. David said, I will mediate on thy precepts. "Deja vu" is simply a French word meaning "having already seen or experienced," which definitely could describe insight from our God who knows the end from the beginning! The term "visualize" means to see or form a mental image. This goes on in our minds continually whether we are aware of it or not. The only time we cannot see is in darkness. The only time we cannot get a "mental sight," that Habakkuk spoke of, is when our minds are darkened or dysfunctional.

The Word says, "without a vision the people parish." We must see the target to set our aim. Mind power is confirmed in the Word, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." It is not the terms that are powerful evils; rather, as always, the intent of the heart of the user. We cannot be threatened by terms, jargon and verbiage that the enemy has tried to usurp. Neither can we passively just use alternative words and give ground because we do not want that passivity to creep into our whole lifestyle, ending in denial of any of God’s SUPER-natural enablements.

I believe another reason we have not interpreted dreams and visions and made them plain is that we simply have not realized our inheritance. God gives us complete packages and provision but all the benefits are only appropriated according to our faith. For example, He promised us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit would come. Although many have received that comforter in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, still many do not function in all the gifts He brings, e.g, word of knowledge, working of miracles, gift of healing or a gift of faith, etc. He will only do so according to our faith. In Ephesians 2:8 it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith. "Saved" is the Greek word, sozo which means "restore to health" as well as "rescue from judgment." Yet many of us do not receive the whole package of healing and health, rather, the parts of salvation that we can embrace in faith. Likewise, the Word promised dreams and visions as a part of our spiritual inheritance. According to our faith, be it unto us both to have dreams and to understand them and make them plain.

Making it plain requires an "ear to hear," and that begins with understanding the nature of dreams. A dream can be like a rose, just simple beauty that blesses our lives with obvious hope or encouragement. We get the gist of it and there is no complex, hidden treasure in symbolism. Or a dream can be intricate with many distinct aspects to be examined, like studying each unique petal of a single rose. The details or events of a dream can be simultaneously literal and symbolic, or a mixture of both. Like a flower blooming, the timing of a dream can be both a bud for present impact and a promise of full bloom for the future. Like a flower’s fragrance, a dream can be for the benefit of one or many. Sorting out these particulars is part of "understanding." As we diligently take our dreams to the Lord, He will cause us to know when the rose is a simple rose to add to our own bouquet or someone else’s, or when the rose oil needs to be pressed out of each petal until we have a treasured perfume of purpose and destiny.

Those who have a journal full of dreams have an "ear," an established path for receiving dreams. There are many in the Body of Christ that have such an "ear" for dreams and visions and greatly desire to "make them plain" and are now developing an "ear to hear." An "ear to hear" involves both 1) motivation and 2) activation.

(1) MOTIVATION:

We must approach interpretation with a motive God can bless. Some dreams are traumatic or dramatic spotlights on others and some people pursue interpretation like an "ambulance-chaser," simply excited, wanting to know all the gory details. Similarly some dreams are indictments against others, and some people seek interpretation to confirm inside information or suspicion or accusation. Sometimes dreams are so bazaar that we are simply curious, but curiosity is not a motive God will bless and build upon. Curiosity is about information rather than commitment. God’s blessing always pivots on commitment and relationship.

Our motive has to be more than acquiring skill in interpretation. It is important for us to remember that the Pharisees who prided themselves in knowing and adhering to scripture, completely missed its fulfillment in the birth of Christ. These zealots of the scripture literally rejected its manifested fulfillment! It is obviously possible then to be educated in the truth yet miss its true essence. Likewise it is possible to be so intent upon learning to dissect dreams and visions that we miss their true essence, or to be so intent upon a learned skill that we disregard the Teacher. The desire for function rather than fellowship or the desire for information rather than relationship is as old as Adam and Eve choosing the tree of knowledge of good and evil rather than the tree of Life; but no good fruit comes from the desire to be independently powerful or in control rather than trusting God. Instead of pursuing dream interpretation as a gratifying skill, interpretation, like any other faith pursuit, must primarily be a pursuit of God and His wisdom, that we might know Him and thereby have an "ear to hear."

The enabling of an "ear to hear" involves recognizing the source of dreams. From where I am standing now, I believe there are four possible sources for our dreams: 1.) GOD most certainly can initiate a dream - Job 33:14 - 17 (And it can be awesomely impacting.) For God does reveal His will; He speaks not only once, but more than once, even though men do not regard it. 15 One may hear God’s voice in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while slumbering upon the bed; 16 Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, terrifying them with warnings 17 that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and cut off pride from him. 2.) The soul (senses, conscious mind) [including: will, emotions, imagination] can initiate dreams. 3.) The human spirit (subconscious) - [issues of the heart - memories, beliefs, values, etc.] can be the springboard of dreams. The soul and spirit can initiate dreams due to concerns, anxieties, stress, experiences, meditations or desires. And 4.) evil spirits can take advantage of doors that we open in the soul and spirit. I cannot find a biblical record of an evil spirit initiating a dream out of its own power. Rather I believe they take advantage of our own physical or moral or emotional breeches or pre-existing situations; and man can certainly create situations by willfully opening the door of his soul or household.

ACTIVATION involves RECOGNIZING the PURPOSE of a DREAM: The purpose of a dream from the soul or human spirit can be to reveal hidden anxieties or thoughts, or they can simply be our emotions or desires trying to gratify self. The purpose of a dream generated by an evil spirit is torment, fear and deception. But God’s purpose for dreams can be many: to reveal His will (Job 33:16); to give instruction (Job 33:16); to give warnings (Job 33:16; Matt 2:12); to stir us to repentance (Job 33:16); to bring us to deliverance (Job 33:16); to impart wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15); to reveal strategy - heaven or hell’s (Gen 20:6); to release prophecy & reveal destiny (Gen.37:5; 40:9-13, 41:25); to bring hope and restore health (Psa 126:1); to reveal Himself (Num 12:6); to give divine communiqués, an utterance of God (1 Sam 3:1, 3:7) in open vision or prophecy (4395 propheteuo’ NT meaning of prophesy is to give knowledge, teach, comfort and reprove.

Discovering the dream’s target and strategy helps clarify its purpose: Most often, Dreams are meant to ACTIVATE the Dreamer. God-telegrams are not sent randomly. He specifically targets particular dreamers with particular dreams and when we cooperate with Him, His purpose, whether it be prophecy, intercession, warning, healing, encouragement, deliverance, or healing, will be activated -- in us. Our spiritual insights and imparted wisdom in dreams are most likely aimed at self and are usually for our own benefit. A lady recently told me she dreamed that she was in a vehicle riding down the road. On one side was a tall building with a cross on top. There was a light on the cross, but the light went out. On the other side there was a red light beam from heaven and Jesus was standing there with His arms open in invitation. This dream obviously touched her deeply and rightly so. It was a call to godly rest and reassurance that purpose (the cross) is not high and unattainable, nor a matter of human works (building), rather purpose flows out of relationship with Jesus. The dream was to bless, settle and rest her own heart. But of course, as she embraces that revelation fully, her life will bless others and impart that Truth into all her relationships.

Even when other people are in the dream we should first consider self as the dream’s most likely target. It is important to realize that people sometimes represent a relationship or an authority or an attitude or a quality rather than themselves literally. For example, dreaming that your mother is with your family and you are moving to the new town and new job you have been considering does not mean your mother has to move with you. More than likely, she represents the Holy Spirit’s confirming presence in your decision to go. However, we can have dreams, that are not just targeting us. After having prayerfully considered the personal impact of a dream, if the dream still seems applicable to others involved, perhaps it should be shared with them. For example, I dreamed I walked up to a friend and told them we were moving to Alexandria. Even in the dream I thought it strange as the word A-lex-an-dri-a stumbled out of my mouth in broken syllables. My friend answered that they were moving to Kansas City. In reality, neither of us were then planning a move. I researched the cities, one ancient and one contemporary, and kept the information in my journal. Months later we did move to Coldspring, Texas. Remarkably, the descriptions of the ancient city had accurate parallels to Coldspring and that season of our lives. The dream was a confirmation for us, so I told the friends, expecting the dream to serve as a confirmation for a future move and season for them as well.

I spoke with a mother who dreamed her sons were on a bridge over dangerous waters. She was upset with the traumatic events of the dream but wisely did not tell them the dream, knowing it would likely stir up fear in them, thereby putting them in agreement with harm. Rather she asked God to intervene and guard her sons against the hurtful relationships and circumstances (troubled waters) during their time of transition and change (crossing the bridge). Though the dream seemed to target her sons, the strategy of the dream was targeting her as an intercessor in behalf of her sons’ future.

ACTIVATION sometimes involves RECOGNIZING the PRIORITY or TIMING of a DREAM: I have an intercessor friend who knows most of her dreams are for intercessory purposes, providing insight either to intervene in her own life or others or groups like the church local. One of the first elements she has to gauge is the degree of urgency. There are dreams that urgently require interpretation and those that will bloom in time. In one of her dreams, interpretation was urgent for intercession. She dreamed a snake came into the church and tried to burrow into the foundation. When it could not succeed, the snake left its skin standing like a pillar in the front of the church. Unknown to her, the dream was an accurate picture of an on-going battle facing the leadership of the church. A strong-willed, opinionated individual had come into the church determined to undermine the pastors while using his gifts to become a "pillar" in the church. The intercessor interpreted the snake to be evil and thereby understood the dream to be a call to prayer that no evil strategies would succeed against the church. Even without the exact details, she recognized her uneasiness about the snake to be an urgent call for prayer for the church.

Sometimes intercessory dreams are part of God’s process rather than an emergency or crisis. In another dream the same lady dreamed that the carpet of her church was divided into squares, and the second square on the fifth row was particularly highlighted in the dream. In the second week of the fifth month of the following year, the church had a revival and received revelation that awesomely altered the way they "covered the foundational obedience" (carpet) regarding evangelism. There was no urgent need for interpretation ahead of time for this dream. In fact, the dream’s interpretation bloomed later to serve as a confirmation to the dreamer, the speaker and the church.

Through dreams God can reveal long-range plans concerning events or ministries or churches, etc. The insight these dreams carry could be future or could be systematically in progress, and need to be bathed in prayer long-term. God can also reveal individual’s hearts not for panic or crisis but for their ongoing maturing and equipping. These dreams enable the intercessor-dreamer to pray strategic prayers, agreeing with God’s plans and timing.

ACTIVATION requires PRAYER and OBEDIENCE. If the dream is targeting someone else, it is a wise rule of thumb to consider prayer as the first and likely the only action necessary. Wisdom waits for further direction rather than risk telling others traumatic dreams that might seem like a threat or accusation or judgment against them. We can defeat the dream’s purpose if we offend or intimidate the one God is desiring to heal or release.

However, there are times when loving obedience requires action beyond prayer. Another friend of mine had a dream about me. She had the dream two days before we were scheduled to minister together. The timing of the dream confirmed her decision to also share the dream, which activated a healing process in me. She dreamed that she and another minister had to help me up to the platform when it was my turn to speak. The problem was I had painful corns on my feet. In prayerfully considering the dream, I discovered that feet are a symbol of our walk or conduct. Shoes identify function and walk of life. Skin represents the natural covering, natural senses and sensitivities, outward man, flesh. Corns are skin that has grown hard due to the pressure of shoes or back problems. [Back problems being the source of corns could indicate too heavy of a load being carried or past issues that are unresolved or unhealed, which was the case with me. This dream revealed the crippling effect of "callousness and insensitivity," developed by my reaction to the pressures and stresses of ministry. I needed to recognize them and deal with them wisely - by either a change of heart or by changing shoes (changing lifestyle)! I realized the corns were indicative of the judgmental views and frustrated emotions that I had stockpiled from experience in the church-world. However, it was time for the corns to heal! It was time for me to practice what I preached and realize the opposite of stress is flow! And "flow" is a matter of choice, choosing to forget those things behind; quit rehearsing them and quit reacting to them or expecting them to recur! In the dream my friend was helping me to the platform. She was in the position of intercessor, facilitating healing and equipping. In this case the intercessory strategy of the dream went beyond prayer to sharing the dream.

So "making it plain" moves from writing it down, to understanding, to running with it in complete obedience! Therefore, let him that hath an ear - hear . . . and make it plain! Amen.

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