A Prophetic Journey

A Wake-Up Call

2012-02-14T02:36:00.000-08:00

By Hazel Holland
9/26/01

As I was watching the evening news several days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, I was startled to see a particular snap shot of New York City and the bay. It was identical to the scene I had been shown in a very vivid dream that I received five years ago back in December of 1996.

At the time God gave me the dream I didn’t fully understand it and felt no anointing to write about it like I had other dreams I had received around that time. It wasn’t until 1999 that God began to give me the interpretation of this dream and prompted me to share it with my intercessor friends. Some of them encouraged me to try and post it on several prophetic web sites so that a wider audience might be reached. Unfortunately those web sites informed me that this word was either too long or too negative.

Since the recent terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, on September 11, 2001, the Lord has impressed by to send this word out again. I believe God is bringing us an urgent call to REPENT. God is calling us as “priests unto the Lord” to hear the cry of His heart for His children. We are being called to stand in the gap and intercede for those who are asleep. It is time for God’s children to fall to their knees in crisis intercession!

In the dream I was an observer, standing on the shore of a sandy beach with my back to the ocean. Stretched out in front of me were hundreds of people crammed together on the beach. They appeared to be either sitting or lying almost on top of one another as they relaxed in the summer sun. In the background off to the right stood the outline of a large sprawling city. Its distant skyscrapers reached up like grasping fingers to the heavens, while the water of the bay lapped at its feet.

Suddenly a long, black missile appeared to drop out of the blue sky, headed straight for the city. Within seconds the doomed city exploded in a huge ball of fire. No one present on the beach saw the attack or heard the explosion.

As I watched in horror and stunned disbelief, another missile unexpectedly came from the right. Instead of flying vertically towards the earth as I had seen the other missile do, this one flew horizontally a few feet over our heads. Instantly pandemonium broke out. But before the startled people could run very far, another missile tauntingly zoomed over our heads from the opposite direction.

From the moment the first missile appeared over the beach, I saw a manifestation of God’s sovereign power displayed in the sky that immediately removed my fear of death. Blazing in large, gold, flashing letters above me were the words, “Jesus is your High Priest!” This same message appeared in several different languages, one of them being Spanish.

Although God was sovereignly intervening to assure us of His Son’s intercession, no one but I saw the writing in the sky. Totally ignoring the fearful sound of the screaming missiles, I called out to the fleeing people, begging them to stop running and look up! But no one heard my pleas. No one paid any attention to my words. Panic had gripped their hearts. They were beside themselves with fear as they stumbled over one another, running hysterically in every direction. I stood there alone, my eyes focused on God’s words in the sky. With tears of thankfulness in my heart, I lifted up my hands in praise and thankfulness to God as I interceded for the people. Immediately I woke up and knew that God had given us a word of warning, along with a message of hope.

Interpretation

Although I had this dream in the middle of winter, I believe the season of the year in which I witnessed these events was summer. Summertime always reminds me of harvest time, because of the abundance of produce during this season of the year. As I reflected on these thoughts, the Lord brought the following words of Scripture to my mind. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).

As I read these words of the prophet Jeremiah in context, I saw that he was weeping and mourning over the devastation and horror that he experienced as he watched his people become crushed and destroyed by the enemy. God had told Jeremiah to prophesy to His people that He would take away their harvest because they refused to repent of worshiping worthless idols. God would remove His protective hand from them, and cause their enemies to triumph over them, because they had corporately as a nation forsaken their Spring of Living Water (Jeremiah 8, 9). In tears of anguish Jeremiah cries out, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).

I believe God is calling many of His children like He called Jeremiah to weep and mourn and intercede for our nation so that we return to the Spring of Living Water.

The Church at Ease

The people in this beach scene who appear to be so focused on their own comfort and pleasure, reflect the attitudes of many of us within the Laodicean church of today. Unfortunately, much of the theology of our western world today appears to be self-centered and self-seeking. We want God to bless us, prosper us, heal us and protect us. Instead of seeking His face to know what is on His heart, we are more inclined to seek His hands with a list of things that we want Him to do for us.

Although the once famous city of Laodicea had hot springs, a natural source of water that took care of people’s physical needs, it did not satisfy their spiritual needs. We in the church today are in much the same spiritual condition as that church back in John’s day. We have forgotten the Living Spring! We fail to come to Him to have our thirst quenched (Isaiah 55:1). Instead we have chosen to rely on empty cisterns—the pleasures of this life. As a result, our love [agape] has grown cold and indifferent because we are not filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 24:12).

The dream reveals that many of us in the church are so preoccupied with our selfish desires that we are oblivious to the real needs of others around us [the people in the city]. The urgency of the hour is upon us. While many of us in the church have had our guns pointed at one another, instead of the real enemy of our souls, the real enemy has been busy gathering troupes into his kingdom.

The destruction of the city that goes unnoticed by the people on the beach illustrates the spiritual blindness and deafness that is causing many in the church to be self-sufficient and preoccupied with the cares of this life. Spiritual pride has blinded us to the true condition of our hearts. We are devoid of the Spirit, yet we know it not!

This message of warning given by the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, Jesus Christ is given in love. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” God is pleading with us to repent—to change our minds—to stop resisting the Spirit’s work. In essence, God is calling us to stop living for God by our own righteousness and to start living for God by the Spirit’s power (Revelation 3:14-22).

Unless we wake up, turn around and repent, we will not “see” the missiles of the enemy coming upon us until it’s too late. When we are faced with the taunting attacks of the enemy, we will fail to look up and see the hand of our Intercessor and Deliverer, Jesus Christ. Paralyzed by fear we will run blindly for cover, unaware that we are still clothed in our own righteousness. We have not received His clothing [His righteousness] to cover our nakedness. Unless we put on the wedding garment of Christ’s righteousness in exchange for our own filthy rags, He will not know us.

The good news of this beach scene is mercy! God is revealing His mercy in the midst of the roaring of the enemy. God is “holding back the four winds of the earth” [strife] until He has sealed all His children (Revelation 7:3). The fact that the missiles didn’t hit their intended target on the beach [the church] is because God is sovereignly in control, not Satan. Jesus Christ is interceding for His people and He is calling us to join Him in crisis intercession for He is not willing that any should perish.

The Doomed City

As I thought about the outline of this city I had been shown against the blue sky, there was not a dark cloud in sight that would indicate that an attack was coming. Judging by the height of its towering skyscrapers, glistening in the sun, the city appeared to be strong and indestructible. No one would have imagined that it was soon to be devoured in a roaring inferno. For those who perished in the flames, the summer ended, the harvest was passed.

What is God saying to us by this tragic word picture? I believe He is showing us the Enemy’s wrath that will be unleashed when God removes His hand of protection. I believe this doomed city is also a warning of how God’s wrath will finally fall on those who refuse His offer of mercy and grace. I believe the Lord is giving us both a literal and a spiritual application of what this city by the sea represents.

Two years ago in 1999 when I first shared this dream with some of my intercessor friends, I was hit with a very heavy prophetic shake that reduced me to deep groaning and loud ho-ing that lasted for over an hour. At that time I felt sure this dream was a warning to intercede for the people of a city on the East Coast of the United States, quite possibly New York. It seemed that the anointing of the Holy Spirit seemed to fall heavier upon me when I spoke about the East Coast as opposed to the West Coast. But I sensed that the West Coast was not except.

For the past several years, every time I have visited beach cities on the West Coast, like San Diego or Newport Beach, I have been hit [actually doubled over] with periods of loud ho-ing [cries of intercession] that have not been understood by most people. Now I know that God has been giving us a warning to intercede and cry out for these cities to repent because they are possibly going to become future targets of terrorist attacks.

Spiritual Babylon

I believe that through this surprise attack that I was shown in this dream God is bringing us a message that has a dual application—both literal as well as spiritual. We all know the literal and devastating results of how commercial airliners became guided missiles in the hands of terrorists. To some degree or other we are all experiencing the grief, pain and shock of being victims of this cowardly attack. We all know that God loves the people of New York City as much as He loves the people in every city. His unconditional love is for all peoples, whether they ever accept His Son or not. But that is not the main focus of this dream. What I feel led to concentrate on at this time is the spiritual application of what this city represents.

As I thought about this tragic word picture—this prosperous looking city so clearly outlined against the blue sky with not a dark cloud in sight that would indicate that an attack from the Enemy was coming, I knew God was showing us spiritual Babylon. Judging by the height of its towering skyscrapers, glistening in the sun, this city by the sea appeared strong and indestructible. No one would have had any idea that it was about to be devoured in a roaring inferno. The summer ended for those who perished in the flames. The harvest was past for those who were taken by surprise.

I believe this city symbolically represents spiritual Babylon—a union of the world’s religious and political systems that opposes God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is spoken of in the last book of the Bible—the book of Revelation.

The word “Babylon” means confusion, and dates back to the time of the Tower of Babel where shortly after the flood, people began to build a city with a tower that reached to the heavens (Gen. 11:1-9). Their object in building this city and tower was to make a name for themselves. However, God interposed and defeated their design by confounding their language and scattering them over the face of the earth. Hence the name Babel, means "confusion." Seeing “Babylon” in the context of “confusion” helps us understand why this false system of worship spoken of in Revelation is in opposition to God’s kingdom of righteousness. It is designed to make a name for itself, instead of worshiping and glorifying God’s name!

I believe the Lord is saying to the church and to our nation that whenever we try to make a name for ourselves instead of lifting up His name, we are destined for confusion! I believe God is using this word picture to send out a warning message to those of us who are still living in spiritual Babylon. He is revealing to us the dark places in our hearts that He wants to immerse in His River of Mercy. Although Satan is coming with all the fury of hell to take captives, God is also coming with all the power of His love to release captives from spiritual Babylon.

Although we may have literally left the “city,” the city is still very much alive in many of our hearts. Like Lot’s wife we are still clinging to our idols. Our focus is still centered on ourselves instead of on those who do not know Jesus Christ. Unless we heed the call of His Spirit and come out of spiritual Babylon, we will eventually be destroyed along with those who are caught up in her false system of worship.

The Scriptures clearly teach us that spiritual Babylon will eventually be destroyed by fire when those who once supported her, turn on her, and bring her to ruin by withdrawing their support. “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord who judges her” (Revelation 17:16; 18:8).

Just as Lot and his family were warned to leave Sodom before it was consumed by fire, and Christians were warned to leave Jerusalem before it was destroyed in AD 70, so God is calling His children to come out of spiritual Babylon. “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins…” (Revelation 18:4). “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Urgent Call to Repentance

This word picture of unexpected destruction is an urgent call to repentance. God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8). However, He knows that many of us in the church today, like the people in Jeremiah’s day, are caught up in the world’s religious systems, and are involved in many subtle forms of idolatry. We have forsaken the Spring of Living Water, and instead are relying on polluted water. We have a form of godliness, but many of us have no Holy Spirit power. If we choose to remain in our sins [in Babylon] we are going to perish in our sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”(Romans 6:23).

In a similar way that sudden destruction took the people in this coastal city by surprise, so sudden destruction will take people who are at ease in the church by surprise, along with many in the world. “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Then Paul adds, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day… So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled… putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Thessalonians 5:3-9).

In Wrath Remember Mercy

Just as redemptive judgments fell upon Judah because of her rejection of God, so they will eventually fall upon those of us who continue to cling to our idols, who continue to be clothed in our own righteousness. Having a profession of godliness, but denying the Spirit’s power and the all-sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice will not protect us in the days ahead unless we are sealed by the Spirit of the Living God.

In the same way that God called the prophet Habakkuk to pray on behalf of his people who had been unfaithful, God is calling many intercessors in the body of Christ to do the same today. As we remember God’s fame and stand in awe of His marvelous deeds, let us cry out to God, “Lord… in wrath remember mercy”(Habakkuk 3:2)! Although Habakkuk saw that God was sending the Babylonians—a nation more evil than Judah—to take them captive, he knew that they [the Babylonians] would “exhaust themselves for nothing.” For he remembered God’s promise: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:13-14).

Eventually the day of calamity would come on the nation invading Judah (Habakkuk 3:16). Eventually God would win and the enemy would loose. Therefore, in spite of the dismal outlook, Habakkuk still chose to rejoice in the Lord, and live by faith (Habakkuk 3:17-19; 2:4). We in the church are called to do the same. “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith”(Romans 1:17). We are being called by the Spirit to live by faith in Christ’s finished work for us.

Just as Jeremiah, Habakkuk and many other prophets stood in the gap for their people, so God is calling forth an army of intercessors in the body of Christ today to stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of those who are at ease in the church and the world. We are being called to “wake up” and see the fields are ready for harvest. The promise that the “earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” is a promise for us today. The Amen tells us that all of God’s promises are yes.

In order that we may be found in Him when He shall appear, let us buy gold—faith and love refined by the heat of trials so that we can become rich. Let us put on Christ’s robe of righteousness so that we aren’t naked. Let us receive the eye salve of the Spirit so we can see. Let us acknowledge and confess our true spiritual condition. Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the church and REPENT!

We are called to be sons and daughters of the Light—sons and daughters of the day! Let us arise from our Laodicean slumber. Let us get on our faces and REPENT! Let us be led by the Spirit to boldly declare the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!”(Romans 10:14-15).

His Beloved Daughter

2012-02-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

By Hazel Holland

(Originally written February 13, 2008)

I was rummaging through the archives in my file cabinet today when I came across an unfinished “letter” of sorts that I had written many years ago. The carbon paper I had used to make a more readable copy had become almost indelible. As my eyes began to scan the writing, now faded by time, my heart was strangely moved... I began to weep as I recognized how far I had come in my journey toward freedom in Christ.

I completed the letter today that I was unable to finish back then... and I want to share it with you now. I sense the Holy Spirit wants to use my healing from brokenness to bring healing to the wounds you may have received at the hands of a loved one or friend...

“This is your fifteen year old daughter”, the therapist stated as he pointed towards the empty chair. “Now what are you going to tell her?”

I stared blankly at the vacant chair. I wasn't prepared for this kind of question... I couldn’t speak. I was too choked up. She was too real. She was me…and I was fifteen…alone and afraid.

“Thank God, I don’t have a daughter! This is just pretend...” I was trying to calm my racing heart. "But why does it feel so real...?”

She stared back at me, and I saw her confusion and helplessness. She really did need me. She really did need someone to be her friend, and tell her that she was living in a dream—a fantasy—not of her own choosing. I hated to intrude. But I must. She must get the chance I waited forty years to find…

“Daughter that I never had, but always dreamed of having… I give you the wisdom and folly of my years. They are my gift to you. May you succeed where I never knew I could. May you win where I never had permission to fail…”

“Daughter, I want you to know that you are very precious because you are you!” I never knew that when I was fifteen. I didn’t know that I was more than just “OK”…that I was actually precious, because I never received that message in growing up. Because I was neglected, I learned to neglect myself. Because I was rejected, I learned to reject myself.

Instead, I learned that my feelings were not to be trusted…my feelings would always lead me astray. My feelings were foolishness! So without realizing it I tried to ignore and repress the God-given means by which I could come to know myself, my God, and the world around me. I lived my life to please others, but never pleased myself. And then I discovered I never could… There was always more that I should have done… I never learned that I am not responsible for making others happy…or unhappy. They do that quite well without my help. But I am responsible for me. The way I choose to express myself now, and live my life in this world does affect others around me—either positively or negatively.

Because of the trauma and pain of my adolescent years I learned to distrust my feelings—especially when it came to relationships with men. Because I never felt accepted and loved, I was always searching for that special “someone” who would meet those neglected, but legitimate needs. Back then I didn’t recognize the victim role I was playing, and so I continued to play it right on through adulthood. And for every “victim” there is a “rescuer”. My needs for acceptance, love and security were so great that I felt unable to make wise choices. So they were made for me by the “other” person who always seemed to know that I was the “right one” for him! After all…shouldn’t I be grateful that someone even loved me at all?

Maybe…just maybe…if I never had to choose then I would never have to lose… Did it work? No! Three marriages and three divorces later I realized that I had left my fifteen year old on an emotional roller-coaster. I would have to go back and get her before I could put my life together…really for the first time. I could no longer avoid facing the trauma of my childhood and working through the painful experiences of growing up…

“Daughter, I abandoned you…just like I had been abandoned!” I am sorry that I ignored your silent cries to be loved. Please forgive me for pushing you away when you needed to know that you mattered..." I never knew there was any link, until now, between the fifteen year old I rejected and the broken relationships I have been through… Going back is painful. Remembering brings tears. But refusing to see and go back to where I stopped growing spells more heartache and tragedy…

“Daughter, you are beautiful! I know that…even though I have never seen you…or have I? Was I afraid to admit it because you reminded me so much of myself? Men will often notice your beauty on the outside before they ever see it on the inside. And that’s ok. You have both. Some only have one… Don’t put yourself down for the one, or be swept away by the other… Get to know yourself…your likes and dislikes. Both are important. Then you won’t have to cover up the “missing parts” you see in others with some of your own “spares”… You are a whole person when you realize that you do not need someone else to make you happy…and you enjoy your own company.”

We all have strengths and weaknesses. And we all need one another in a very real way to help us grow. When I share with you from my strength it does not make you feel weaker, but stronger, because I share with you as an equal. It gives you then the courage to share from your strength. But if I should come to you as a superior talking to a lackey (sorry for the English expression), I would leave you in your weakness and in your dependency… You would see me as the “rescuer” and yourself as the “victim”.

“Daughter, I give you the freedom to be your own person…to make decisions and choices…whether right or wrong. I give you permission to make mistakes. We all make them if we are to ever grow into healthy adults. Don’t let the fear of making a mistake lead you to let someone else make it for you, and then give you all the credit for making it!”

“Daughter, there is no Prince Charming after all—except the one you will recognize inside of you! Love yourself in a healthy way. Give yourself pats and strokes. Don’t wait for someone else to notice that you are “special”. Give yourself the first hug, and you’ll be surprised how many others will follow… There are many loving people out there, and there are also many “takers”. You will be able to tell the difference if you listen with your heart… Trust your judgment. It is good as anybody else’s and probably much better for you…”

“Daughter, continue to risk being open and taking chances. That way you’ll never get bored, or old, or set in your ways. Life is not easy, but it is a challenge worth taking. Life is not always fair. And sometimes we have to snatch joy out of the path of pain…”

“Daughter, you are loved…not only because you are part of me, but because you are made in God’s image. I have chosen to love you, because I am finally learning to love myself. Learning that He loved me before I ever chose to love Him back has freed me to receive His heart for you. Becoming more aware of who I am in Him has given me the courage to embrace your soul in all its gentleness and sensitivity, and discover my own.”

“Daughter that I now have, and always dreamed of having… I give you the wisdom and folly of my years… They are my gift to you. You will succeed where I never knew I could. You will win where I never had permission to fail. Thank you for coming back… In loving you, I have begun to love myself…because you see, dear one, it is me that I see when I look at you…”

Inner Healing of Damaged Emotions

2008-03-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

By Hazel Holland

For the next several years after the early morning visitation I avidly pursued reading everything I could get my hands on that had to do with the subject of restoration and forgiveness. I desperately wanted to know how I could receive more of God’s love in my life so that I could more effectively share it with others.

The summer of 1994 became another turning point in my life. Although I was rejoicing in the assurance of salvation, I still suffered at times from haunting recollections of early childhood traumas. Although I had worked the twelve-step program for codependants for a number of years, I still didn’t know how to fully trust God with my longings for intimacy and love. Although I admitted that I was powerless to control my own life and needed to depend on God, I still tried to take care of these feelings myself at times by denying that I was “hungry.” My top priority in life continued to be, “I will not hurt now or ever again!” I realized that as I looked back on my life my determination and strength lay in my “hiding” and not in my “resting” in the Lord.

Believing that God could totally heal me from my past emotional wounding, I went forward for prayer when the invitation was given at a mid-week prayer service at the Anaheim Vineyard. Four beautiful Christians whom I did not know laid hands on me and prayed earnestly for the healing of my childhood memories.

Healing came in a manner that totally overwhelmed me. I physically felt waves of Spirit power flow through my body. Robbed of my strength, I lay on the floor for an hour, powerless, but filled with wonder and joy, while the Lord performed a miracle of transformation in my mind and body. In that short period of time the Holy Spirit reached down inside of me, healed the core of my childhood pain, delivered me from my adult addictions, and restored me to wholeness in Him. I discovered that I was freed to live life with a new focus.

As the months went by I found myself being confronted with situations in night dreams with more people whom I needed to forgive. As I would speak forgiveness over people whom I knew wanted to harm me in these dreams, I would instantly become free from fear, and the people in my dreams would turn away from their original intentions to hurt me. God was teaching me through these dreams that living a life of forgiveness was the only way to live free from fear.

So forgiveness for me became an on-going choice—a daily lifestyle. I found that as I chose to live this way I wanted to spend more time in God’s presence, worshiping Him, sensing His nearness, and listening to His voice. Gradually I began to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart in ways I had not known before. Scripture tells us that He calls His sheep by name, and they know His voice and follow Him (John 10:3-5). I began to hear His voice like that. Intimately! Personally! And I began to trust that love…

He has proved Himself faithful time and time again over the last fourteen years since that evening when he laid me out in His presence, and miraculously began to heal my childhood trauma. He continues to remove the veils, and heal the wounding that has prevented me from being all that God originally designed for me to be in Him. He will do no less for you as you open up your heart to His Spirit, and let the relentless pursuer catch you in His embrace.

An Early Morning Visitation

2008-01-30T12:15:00.001-08:00

By Hazel Holland

Three weeks after I began earnestly seeking the Lord to understand His love for me to a greater degree, I was suddenly awakened at three o’clock in the morning. Puzzled as to why I was so wide-awake, I closed my eyes to go back to sleep when all of a sudden I heard someone calling my name. “Hazel, I love you! Hazel, I love you!”

Although I knew that the voice was only in my own head, it was so real that I opened my eyes and looked around the room to be sure I was alone. The kindness in the voice reminded me of a friend of mine whose hair I had done on a weekly basis years earlier. She had been a spiritual mom to me before she suddenly died of cancer.The voice kept calling my name and repeating the same phrase, “Hazel, I love you! Hazel, I love you!”

“Is that you, Lord?” I timidly asked as I remembered the story of young Samuel. As soon as I asked the question I knew it was God, and I began to weep. It seemed that I was taken up from my bed and suspended in space. Glorious light and swirling colors of the rainbow seemed to envelop me as I was surrounded by the overwhelming presence of the Lord. In His presence I experienced the most powerful unconditional love, acceptance and forgiveness that I have ever known. It seemed that as I lay there in His arms I was wrapped in the colors of His forgiveness. Liquid light seemed to bathe me, caress me and envelop me. I believe I experienced a glimpse of the heavenly ecstasy that awaits us all beyond the veil of this life. His love was so real I wept uncontrollably, but at the same time laughed freely.

After a while He took me away in the Spirit to many scenes in my life—scenes that I was not proud of, or eager to revisit. As we visited each one all He would say was, “I love you! I love you!” There was never any harsh word of condemnation or reproof for the sins I saw I had committed, or the sins that had been committed against me. His powerful love had wiped them all away. His unconditional love had broken the stronghold of condemnation over my mind. I was free from guilt.

As He brought me to the final scene, He showed me a classroom. Finally I sobbed out my heart to Him… “God, if people only knew how much you love them and have forgiven them they would come running to you with open arms. They’ve got to know! They’ve got to know!”

He gently replied, “Go, tell them!"

“Yes, Lord! I will tell them. I must tell them. They cannot miss out on knowing a God of love like You! The world must know. Give me the grace to tell them, Father.”

Then the visitation ended. As I opened my eyes I saw the time was only three-thirty. In half an hour God had supernaturally taken me through my whole life. I knew that my life was never going to be the same again, because God had prepared me to receive more of His heart. I knew the way He loved me was the way He loved everyone on the face of this earth —unconditionally. Not only did I know that I was forgiven, but those who had sinned against me were also forgiven. The whole world was already forgiven in Christ!

After tasting the goodness of God’s love through this supernatural visitation, I wanted Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life. This encounter with God that took place twelve years ago created in me a desire for greater intimacy and fellowship with Him. His unconditional love has broken the stronghold of condemnation over my mind. I am free from guilt. As I continue to experience the goodness of God in my everyday life, I continue to receive a repentant heart.

Please Put Your Words in My Mouth!

2008-01-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

By Hazel Holland

A few years before I attended a church where people raised their hands to praise God, I received a dream from the Lord that opened my eyes to the biblical precedent for worshiping God in this beautiful way. Having previously been taught to believe that openly expressing my feelings to God in corporate worship was wrong, because it could lead to emotionalism and therefore to deception, I was very much surprised by what God revealed in this dream.

In the dream I entered a building through a set of double doors into this large room. From the back of the room where I entered it looked very much like a large gymnasium that could double up as an auditorium for meetings. It appeared to be packed full of people who were standing up with their backs to me.

As I entered through the doors and turned right, an usher was waiting for me in the back corner. He walked up to me and proceeded to take me by the right arm and walk me down the side aisle in the hopes of finding a seat...or so I thought.

When we got to the front row he walked past it, still holding on to my arm as he led me to the bottom of the steps that led up to the front of the stage. Obediently, I followed his direction as he indicated that I should go up the steps. When I reached the top step, he turned to leave and I turned around to face the sea of faces.

Up until this point in the dream everything had been quiet. But when I turned to look at the room packed out with people I saw that they had their hands uplifted to God in praise and were singing some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. I was overcome by deep feelings of love toward God and I spontaneously raised my hands and began to join them in worship. Although in real life I had never raised my hands in worship to God, I couldn't help myself in the dream. Tears poured down my cheeks as I experienced His tangible presence.

We continued to worship God in this manner for some time. After awhile I opened my eyes and noticed that there was a bright beam of light coming from the ceiling that was directed on to me. Being in the spotlight made the features of the people in the crowd nearest to me rather blurry. It didn't matter that they were there, because I was so locked into God's presence that everyone else kind of faded away. I wanted to worship him forever like this as I was being immersed in his glory!

In the dream I finally became aware that at some point in time the worship would stop, and I was expected to speak to this auditorium full of people. Because the room reminded me of a large gymnasium I had a sense in the dream that these were college age students.

But as I continued to worship God and bask in His awesome presence (something I had never yet experienced in real life) I became aware of the fact that I had no notes and was unprepared for what I should speak about. In real life I would never have been caught off guard like this! But up there on that stage, soaking in His presence, I had no fear of what to say even though I had no idea what I would say.I remember thinking to myself, "OK God, I have no notes and I'm not prepared for what you want me to say. But I will trust you to give me the words you want me to speak. So please put your words in my mouth and I will tell them what is on Your heart."

Suddenly the singing stopped. A quiet hush came over the place. The moment had come for me to speak. The light beaming down on me continued to give me strength and great joy. As I opened my mouth to speak I suddenly woke up from the dream.

For the next two weeks I continued to bask in God's awesome presence that I had begun to get a taste of in the dream. I wanted more of Him. And so I began a spiritual journey to find out what was on His heart that He wanted me to share with His beloved children.

By nature I am shy...not the kind of person that naturally enjoys being up front in the limelight. I have always been afraid of public speaking for fear of making a fool out of myself. So to be placed in front of a roomful of people and be asked to give an impromptu speech or share anything about my life off the top of my head would cause me to break out into a cold sweat!

What I am saying is that for me to feel relatively comfortable up front in a speaking situation I would have to be in someone else's body! I guess the closest I can get to that in this life is to be in the Spirit so my flesh doesn't have control. Then my natural panic is dissolved by His supernatural peace.

Over the past twelve years God has been faithful to continually put His words in my mouth as He has called me in various situations to speak words from His heart into people's lives. As I have opened my mouth He has always been faithful to fill it.