Prior to this dream my wife Amy had come into the bedroom at 9:30 AM and was rustling around wrapping a Christmas gift to share this morning and kindly agreed to wait till a little bit later so I could get more sleep. I finally fell back asleep and had the following dream:
WE 10:30 AM
1) We were at some funky little storefront type church and they were wrapping up a service. Johannah (17 y/o daughter) jumped on the electronic keyboard and started jamming... just wailing on the keys and brought an energy and liberty into the room. It seemed to awaken the people that had started to leave. They lingered to listen and had big smiles. Everyone who remained seemed jazzed by the sound she was making. There was an unidentified lady locking up but she wasn't rushing us out of the building & seemed rather pleased by Johannah's playing.
2) We got into a vehicle. I was at the wheel and Johannah was riding shotgun with my brothers Ted and Scott in the backseat. Riding down the road a car started tailgating from behind and I was trying to get into the right lane but a car to my right was riding parallel with us so I sped up and passed the car and did a quick right turn into a residential area. We parked at some kind of trail that was grassy and led into the woods. They walked ahead and I kicked back for a moment under a tree and noticed this artwork that somebody had nailed to the tree. It was a multimedia collection of various pieces of artwork from different phases of my life. It included paintings by my deceased mother in law Dorrine, a great artist who did lots of oil paintings of beautiful nature scenes. There was also artwork by my daughters Cassidy and Johannah & it included art from the Grateful Dead scene as well. A poem I had written somehow tied together all the artwork that someone else had hung on the tree. I was pleased to see that other people were enjoying this artwork I had put together in the past.
3) I then caught up with my brothers and Johannah at this house where we were all staying. It was very spacious. I was resting in a bedroom there when I started singing a song. My older brother Ted looked through the doorway and gave a sly smile like he enjoyed that I was freely singing it without a care. I continued singing and woke up...
Death has lost it's sting
Fear has no place here
This is why we sing
Love is drawing near
See the glory of our Lord
His victory everywhere
Walk on through the door
His presence fills the air!
The atmosphere of Heaven
Is permeating earth
A portal has been opened
We are in reBirth...
1) Johannah's name means "God has given His grace." A great grace has come upon the generation that is coming up right now. It also has been greatly attacked by the forces of darkness. They are very anointed and gifted in the arts and will be used to usher in a mighty global movement of the Spirit. Notice that at the end of the service she jumps on the keyboard. That reminds me of the parable Jesus taught about those at the end of the day receiving the same reward as those who started before them, concluding that "the last shall be first." The Kingdom is contrary to the world, the best wine is saved for the last, like at the wedding of Cana. The unidentified woman in the dream represents the older church giving place to the new generation. She then shut and locked the doors and we went on our road trip adventure.
2) Vehicles in dreams usually symbolize a ministry. Out of the church realm a ministry has been activated to take us to the RIGHT place that God has prepared. Empowered to travel we have mobility in the world. Rather than giving into the pressures of the world (the tailgater) we are being led to a residential more serene dimension to reside peacefully in Him. Under the tree of LIFE we can abide, at the wooden cross of Calvary where we die to self and yield the fruit of His Spirit. Under the shadow of that Tree comes the most beautiful art. Dorrine (Amy's mom, a devout believer) is in our root system now beaming down from heaven as one of the Grateful Dead in Christ this Christmas Day as our girls ascend... a new generation at the Experience Arts School in music, dance, spoken word and a multitude of creative new expressions. Johannah is actually playing her guitar singing Bang the Drum Slowly (by Emmylou Harris) as I write this. I also see a reLaunch of my scribal career in zoetry (ZOE poetry of LIFE more abundant)!
3) In this house God has prepared a place of rest and connection in true brotherly love. I am grateful to be sharing Christmas with my elder brother, our first one since Christmas 2008. It jumped out at me that he peered at me as I was singing through a doorway.
Numerous prophetic voices have declared that this year of 2014 (the Hebrew year 5774) will be a season of open doors and new opportunities.
So be it! Like It says in Revelation 3:
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia (brotherly love) write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.."
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.."
1 Cor 15 (NKJV)
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.."
1 Cor 15 The Message
54-57 In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:
Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!"
While documenting this Dictionary.com popped on my phone with the "word of the day":
Advent
Noun
A coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season. The coming of Christ into the world. The period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world. Second Coming.
WHEN ADVENT IS A DAILY COMING of CHRIST into your life/world EVERY DAY IS CHRISTMAS & everyday an ADVENTure! :-)