I had a dream last night that held a powerful message for us today that I wanted to share. In the dream I was at some kind of a celebratory dinner that I was hosting. I was there as the founder of The 7000. Attending the dinner were friends and supporters that I felt connected to. I felt safe in a warm supportive environment.
One of the people attending was a minor celebrity (a character from a car restoration reality show on TV). He took the mike and began to challenge and complain - he complained that at one point I had mentioned him being in my hotel. I explained that this was vision casting- me casting vision about how great it would be for us all to be together doing great things. I knew in the spirit that there were more complaints and that the celebration was actually a revelation. My safe and supportive feeling evaporated and I felt unsafe and challenged. Unusually, I stopped the dream at that stage as I felt there was a strong message and warning there.
What could this all mean? I feel there was application to everyone who has a destiny calling over their lives. A hotel represents a place for celebration and getting together for conferences etc. In the spirit it represents a ministry that has people from abroad coming to stay, rest and be refreshed. It has international reach, reputation and impact usually interpreted to be a ministry or calling similar in nature. The celebrity represents those around us who have a calling and a destiny but have invested this into their ego and celebrity status. There may be a genuine calling and destiny on our celebrity, but this is not focussed and submitted to Jesus to abide in Him and manifest this through obedience. Rather the godly calling is channelled through a fabricated identity - the competitive identity that meant that he resented being at "my" hotel for "my" event. Although not articulated, the implied challenge was why would it not be "his" hotel or "his" event? This competitive spirit will protect what is "mine" and lust for what is "yours". In nice Christian circles it will damn you by faint praise.
The other point to note is that this grievance did not arise at the celebratory dinner. It arose when the vision was shared. It was then harboured or was festering for some time in feigned camaraderie and companionship.
There is a spiritual reality here. When godly vision is shared, there will be a spiritual reaction to it. This is because when you share a godly vision you are speaking the Word - there is a spiritual force released when we speak and declare the Word. Like a tuning fork from Heaven it resonates and impacts in the physical realm.
When Jesus spoke we are told that people's hearts burned (Luke 24:13-35). Another reaction was for the demonic to manifest (Mark 5). This did not just happen with Jesus either as the same thing happened to the disciples (Acts 16:16) who were confronted by a servant: She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” I have had similar reactions to my declarations - some are drawn like moths to light and others respond badly. As Jesus said: Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me. Luke 10:16
The point is that the declaration of vision is a supernatural manifestation of Kingdom. It is a heavenly "tuning fork" in the ears of the listeners. They have no choice but to respond. We are not just chatting - we are declaring Kingdom and this sound resonates in the present world and in the supernatural world: "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name." Malachi 3:16
One ungodly reaction we see can be a manifestation of the spirit of Joseph's Brothers. Joseph received a godly vision and shared it with his brothers. Their hearts were not strangely warmed but were seized by a competitive spirit. They rose up to kill and destroy the vision by destroying their brother. Do not be surprised when you start to share about your calling and destiny and the response is similar. The competitive spirit rises to kill off the upstarts. We have declared in The 7000 that it is about Kings releasing Kings, not a King finding subjects to usurp. (Sometimes we need to consider when to share and when not to share also.) So much of the reaction in religious circles is competitive and protective. An evil spirit that promotes the current silo structure of the Church.
Another response is illustrated by the ungodly King Cyrus the Great. Nehemiah had a destiny to restore Jerusalem and its walls. He shared this vision with the King and received a great response:
"Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."...And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests." Neh 2
We have to be accountable in relation to the visionary words and teachings we share. First, we must remain in Him and abiding in Jesus so that we do and say what He directs. When we do this, we know that the words we speak are a righteous standard and therefore a spiritual "bomb". The prayers of the righteous avail much and our words of destiny and calling have a reaction in the hearers. For some they will fight, shout and contend or try to kill you, like Joseph's brothers. For others, the response will be to back your vision and fund you to make it happen.
Be careful - how are you responding to someone else's words of destiny or calling? How do you react if they get a prophetic word in your "space". Can you celebrate with winners or are you better at commiserating with sufferers? God wants us to be champions of what He is doing in others. Calling out their destiny when even they cannot see it. David in a cave on the run with a price on his head was the anointed King of Israel - let us see that in others. Like Nahum speaking to David, let our words pierce through blindness and bondage.
Likewise, pray for and expect "Cyrus-like" people to come around you - remember the Blessing that makes rich and adds no sorrow. Do not be swayed by false camaraderie and people puffing you up as they may be nursing their grievances and just waiting, like Joseph's brothers, for the pit to push you into.
Finally, it is not networking and ministry that moves things forward. In John 8, Jesus tells us that it is the truth that sets people free.
“...If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Later He tells the Pharisees that : " ...yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you."
My word finds no place in you. We must make a place for His word. We must align ourselves with Him to hear destiny and vision words and then speak them out. We must also be aligned with Him to hear the words and ensure that they find a place in us.
My challenge to believers is to be aligned with Him - that is to operate in our identity. We are to respond as Prodigal Sons restored not from the pigpen or what I call the Outhouse. Set aside covetousness and fabricated identities and find your identity and future in Him. Speak about Him and have it recorded in Heaven. Speak about Him and have it be a supernatural "bomb" on earth. Call out vision and destiny. Repent for expecting a crop of Joseph's brothers just because that has been your experience. Expect the Blessing to bring you some Cyrus-like people who are keen to see you fulfil your calling and destiny.
Ensure that you are a celebrator of vision and the person people want to call to share with when they win.
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