Dripping Fire: A Vision of Revival

Dripping Fire

       Wow, it's been a long time since I've written anything. Probably because I let the habit slip, but more likely because I was getting to a part of my personal story that I thought people might have a challenge believing or accepting. So let me catch you up.

        I started telling you my story about how I'm a cradle Methodist. (For you non-Methodists, that simply means I was born into a Methodist family and was part of the church since my birth). Then I told you how I fell away from the church and lived for over twenty years, wandering in the desert (part 1 and part 2).

        I continued with my story on how I came in from the desert and started back to church with my family and how I had theological and doctrinal differences with my wife - who is charismatic but couldn't explain that to me.

        I took a break from my own personal story to share with you a history of the Wesley brothers, John and Charles. I shared how they struggled in their ministries until they both had heart-warming experiences in 1738 and then started to move with Holy Spirit power.

        Finally, I shared my own heart-warming experience and my charismatic quest from December of 2016 until early January of 2017.

        So this is where I return to what happened next.

        On Saturday, January 28, 2017, I met with a group of men for breakfast and spiritual accountability. My friend Bob had joined us that morning, after a long absence, and so afterward Bob and I stayed back so that I could share my story and experience from December. Bob and I talked for over an hour and I was so happy to have a friend to share my experience. Not only that, I was happy to have a friend who was happy about my experience. Bob told me stories from his childhood and youth in the Nazarene church where the Holy Spirit was regularly encountered in gatherings. His encouragement to me? "Pentecostal is not a dirty word."   

        When I got in my car to leave, I took a moment to thank God in prayer - for the opportunity to share with a friend and for his warm welcome of my sharing. As I concluded my prayer, with my head bowed and eyes closed I had a vision. The first vision that I recall ever having.

        Before I describe the vision I had, let me share a passage of scripture from Joel 2:27-28 (NASB) -
 

27 “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,

And that I am the Lord your God,

And there is no other;

And My people will never be put to shame.

28 “It will come about after this

That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

        In my vision, I was walking along a forest path. I looked down and saw fire dripping from my right hand, setting the edge of the path ablaze. I turned to look over my right shoulder and saw a trail of fire just off the right edge of the path behind me. I also noticed that on the path were flaming footprints. I looked down and saw that my feet were on fire, too. Everywhere I walked, I was spreading the fire.

        At first, I wasn't sure about the interpretation of the vision, but on the drive home I suddenly heard the word "drip torch" in my mind. Wild-land firefighters use drip torches to intentionally start fires. I think the Holy Spirit was showing me how he was going to intentionally spread His fire. I went home and immediately started searching online for pictures of firefighters using drip torches when I found the image above. It is my "artistic" rendition of a photo of a firefighter working a prescribed burn in Great Smoky Mountain National Park in March of 2016.

        Up to this point, in my personal prayer time, I had been praying for personal revival, revival in my family, my church, my community, my state, my country, and the world. It wouldn't be until the end of February that I would learn that many churches in Texas have been praying and prophesying revival in Texas. But I'll write more about that in a future post.

        What is revival? I think it's more than just a weekend outreach event that happens once every few summers. I think it's a lifestyle change where one has a personal encounter with God, Jesus or The Holy Spirit and through that encounter has a life change that moves one to be a "new man", as Paul describes in his letters.

        Well the next morning, I went to church with my wife and family. The same church where I had my heart strangely warmed.  Just before the sermon, the pastor called for people who had experienced a breakthrough or felt that they were entering a new season in life, to stand and be prayed for. Before I could respond, Michelle grabbed my hand and shouted at me to stand up. So I did.

        I held her hand in my left and held out my right as if receiving a gift from God and closed my eyes. Soon, I could feel my granddaughter also holding on to my left hand. Then I felt other hands on my shoulders and my breath was taken away. On my right was a man praying in my right ear. I don't remember the specifics, but it was about blessing and fullness. Over my left shoulder, I could hear another man whistling and praying in tongues.

        With my eyes closed, I saw a blank, black screen and shortly an image of a face appeared. It looked like a black-and-white negative of a photograph, so the image had blonde hair and dark skin. Out of the negative image, I saw the beard of a man appear. It was salt-and-peppered, much like my own and the beard looked real. Soon I saw the whole face, as if I were looking into a mirror. It was my face, but not quite mine, as I saw it change into the face of Jesus. I could feel myself smiling at seeing his face. 

        You may recognize the picture below - it was painted by a young girl, Akiane Kramarik. The original version was painted when she was 8 years old, but has since been lost. I had seen the earlier version of her painting and it reminded me of what I saw in my vision, yet not quite. However, as an adult, Akiane took on a art job that lead her to painting a new version - the one below, titled "Jesus". When I saw this painting for the first time, I cried. It was the face I had seen in my vision.

Jesus by Akiane Kramarik

        Then I looked down, still with my eyes closed, and saw toes, followed by the whole right foot. I could see what appeared to be a piercing scar in the top of the foot. It was like I was looking down at my own right foot, stepping out. However, I knew it was not mine, but Jesus' foot.

        I looked back up to see Him smiling at me and he waved His arm to reveal a curtain that was behind Him. As the curtain opened, I saw the arm of a chair, made of multiple giant cantaloupe-sized pearls. I think it was a Queen Anne chair. It was pale green in color, had an oval shaped back. But what was really unusual, were the giant pearl arm rests.

        Still in my vision, I became aware that people were continuing to pray over me and felt someone holding my right hand. I felt tears running down my cheeks (but maybe it was just my allergies).

        I told my family about my vision over lunch and my wife thought that Jesus was telling me to "step out", just as he has taken the first step. She also thought I have might have seen the throne of God. I have reflected much on this chair since and there are some interesting realizations: the chair was empty. Jesus wasn't sitting in it nor was Papa God. Several folks have told me that this might be my chair. As Paul states in Ephesians 2:5-7, that God has raised us up with Christ and seated us in heavenly places

       Please don't think that I'm bragging about what I've seen, nor think that I'm more special because of what I've seen. I believe we all can experience wonderful things from our loving Father, His Son Jesus and Holy Spirit. I think we're all called to step forward and live in the power that God offers all who believe in Jesus. I believe I had these visions because God loves me and is encouraging my faith to grow. He wants me to know what He is doing. For example, a revival in Texas. In John 15:15, Jesus tells the disciples that they are no longer servants but friends. And that unlike servants, friends know what the master is doing.

        I have hesitated to write about and share these things because of what others may think of me. But I am no longer afraid. You may not believe me. You may call me crazy, and before December 2016, I would probably have sought out some therapy, but this is real. God is real. His love is overwhelming. I will leave you with this: read the Gospels and the Book of Acts and look at the love that Jesus poured out. Search your own past for moments that you can't explain - other than, there is a God. Go and document what you encountered in your dreams, visions, thoughts - these are all creative ways our God communicates with us. Finally, if you have questions, I'm here to listen.

        Next time? Bring your floaties, 'cause we're heading to the deep-end of the pool.

~~Ken