Testimony Time: MIRACLES, DREAMS, SIGNS & WONDERS....

[Laela]

Acts 2:17
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams

Has anyone here ever experienced or witnessed a Miracle IRL? Do you believe that God speaks to you in your dreams and have you experienced any Dreams that have changed your life for the better? Do you often dream of dead loved ones? How are other ways you believe God speaks to you? No need to get into details, but I believe blessings will come from sharing your experience.

When I dream a dream, esp one that's troubling or hard to understand, I put it into God's Hands and tell it to my husband. He sometimes can interepret, other times my mom does. If a person I know is in the dream, I recognize that I may need to intercede and say a prayer specifically for them. If it's a faceless entity, I pray for revelation.

A weekend ago, I had a dream that had a last name on a name plate hanging on a wall, and never thought more of it. The very next day, in church service, a man testified and he had the same last name I saw in my dream --spelled to the letter! See, I believe in acknowleging God all the time, even when things are bad or not going well. This man's testimony came right on time: He'd fallen from a bucket at his job and the spirit of fear came on him, so that he never wanted to go back up in that bucket. After that fall and while recuperating, he prayed and asked God to remove that spirit of fear..he didn't want it. It was a job he was good at and he didn't want fear to keep him from doing what he loves. So when he finally recuperated, he went back to work and went up in the bucket again. Folks around him asked him if he wanted to do this again. He said he was sure. He recalled that slowly, as he ascended he thought he'd expererience fear, to grip him, but it never did. When he finally made it to the top, he realized that spirit of fear had been removed, that God had answered his prayer and he thanked God for that.

What I got from his message was for me. I'd been going through some challenges and what I thought was not fear really was! So I prayed about it, and cast my cares to the Father. I've learned casting my cares, burdens or anxiety onto God isn't something to do once in a while, but continually -- like praying. It's an act of faith and a lesson learned. I thank God every day for the miracles, the dreams and the signs he uses minister to His Children. That man may have no idea how many people his testimony was for, but God knows.

I hope others share their testimonies.... there are times we are compelled to do so, and obey the Holy Spirit when we do. Someone is waiting to receive the blessing...

God bless~

 

[aribell]

This might seem like a negative thing, but the Lord did reveal something to me through it. Dreams for me can be times of experiencing the Lord in a way, or also times of spiritual warfare. A week or so ago I was really delving more deeply into the things of God and understanding more and praising more and gaining devotion and victory. I also started strongly interceding against spiritual warfare and I knew that there would probably be some kind of backlash for it and tried to pray against it. Well, one night I had a dream. It was very simple. I met a man--dressed all in black, incidentally, who seemed friendly and for some reason I just took a liking to him and for whatever reason I was eager to be friends or to connect with him. He was just chatting and mentioned, "My son went to XYZ high school." And me, wanting to connect, said, "Oh! I went to XYZ high school too." And I reached out, and in reaching out I got a very subtle feeling that I was being too eager, but I touched him nonetheless and immediately sensed that I ought not to have done that. I just kept thinking, "I shouldn't have touched him." Well, I woke up and I had become sick during the night. I hadn't been sick at all before, hadn't been around any sick people, and had been getting proper rest, so there was no cause for it. I immediately knew it was something spiritual and it was connected to me touching that man in my dream, but I couldn't quite figure out why. Well, anyway, knowing that its cause was spiritual I began to pray right away, rebuking the spiritual attack, saying that I would not be ill, that the sickness would not develop further, and that I would be well. Lo and behold, after that, I felt right as rain by lunchtime.

Later on I kept thinking about my dream and why my reaching out to touch him provided a spiritual way of attack. And then I got it. He was a deceiver in the dream, but I wasn't paying close enough attention. I even ignored my intuition against reaching out to him. The way I finally knew he was a deceiver was when I suddenly remembered that I went to an all girls high school. (how could I have forgotten that!) He told me his son went to that high school, and had I not been so busy wanting to connect and be friends I would have recognized that obvious lie. My own thoughts and desires had gotten out of whack such that I was paying more heed to them than to the truth. He was a deceiver cloaked as a friend, and when I embraced him by touching him, I allowed something pernicious to be introduced into my being.

I believe the lesson to take from that is that we will be deceived when we begin to follow our own mind and hearts and become dull to the truth. And also that even when outwardly you can't necessarily tell the difference with respect to whether someone or something is good or bad, if it is of Satan, there will always be a lie somewhere. He is fundamentally a deceiver. If you notice traces of dishonesty, deception, distortion of the truth, that is Satan's mark. We might find an idea, or a person, a movement, a group attractive or something we're drawn to. But if there's any kind of distortion, deception, dishonesty, deceit, we need to turn and walk in the other direction. Otherwise, we will introduce pernicious spiritual elements into our lives that will make us spiritually ill.

 

[Sharpened]

I stood before a brick building with a dull metal door. The odd thing about the door is that it had no doorknob, just a rounded tab where it would be. I said, “Why would someone make a door without a doorknob?”

A firm hand took hold of my right shoulder and I was spirited inside the building.

There, church was being held, some standing with hands palms-up. Before I had time to process more, the grip spun me around to face the door once again.

Metal scaffolding as high and wide as the door supported a huge bolt about the size of my arm where the knob should have been. A large nut held the bolt in place.

A male voice, full of gentle authority, said, “They have locked everyone out. How are people supposed to get in? How am I supposed to get in?”

Startled awake, I went over it with my spouse. The only thing I could grasp at the time was how His Spirit was not welcome at those “family country club” type assemblies in our area. Now, I understand it as man’s wisdom locking out any one who does not fall in line with whatever doctrine that church practices [the traditions of men (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:8, Colossians 2:22)].

Many have not truly invited Him into their midst:

Revelation 3:14-22 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: “These things said the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ And know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

“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. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches.”

 

[Laela]

Thank you both for sharing..

and wow @ these powerful dreams...

I believe there are more to be heard... don't front. don't hide.

God bless~

 

[ElegantElephant]

Laela: thanks for this post! It was exactly what I needed today. God bless you!!

 

[Laela]

^^ Glad to hear it ElegantElephant !

Have a blessed day!

 

[Laela]

I'm enjoying Mary Welchel's encouragement this week on Dreams. Coincidentally, I also got a word on dreams yesterday from Jentezen Franklin. Rather than start a new thread, thought it's more appropriate to post them here. I hope this also blesses others...good timing for me, and Amein~

When Your Dream Dies
Monday, August 1st, 2011
MARY WELCHEL

Everyone experiences the death of a dream. Whether it's a life-long dream or smaller disappointments, we all have to watch some dreams die. Sadly, some never find the road back from broken dreams and they live in defeat. But it's not necessary to do so.

Often that journey offers opportunities for growth like no other time in our lives. That is when we are most likely to look up; to recognize our weakness and inadequacy; to pay attention to what God has to say to us.

I journaled my way through an eighteen month period in my life quite a few years ago, as I made the journey from brokenness to acceptance to—at last—victory. In retrospect as I re-read those journal entries, I discovered a pattern of sorts—steps and stages that I went through on that road back. There were setbacks and failures, but gradually, day by day, God brought me to a place where I was no longer obsessed by that broken dream and the pain began to turn to joy.

For ten years I pursued my dream, determined to find what I thought would make me happy. But when I came to the end of my rope, I knew I had to make a decision: Would I continue this fruitless pursuit of a broken dream or would I relinquish the control of my life to Jesus Christ?

Often we want God to bless our dreams when he wants to replace them with something better. We hold up our carefully constructed plan for our lives and say, "Dear Lord, I've got this all figured out real good, right down to the minute. I'm sure you'll agree it's a good plan. So, please Lord, bless my plan." But you know, he's waiting for us to give him a blank piece of paper and trust him to write the plan for us.

When I recognized that I had to relinquish my dead dream and go with God, or else live my life in futility and frustration and out of sync with God, I made the first step, which was to let go of that dream. Mind you, the dream was not evil, but I had made it the idol of my life. And so it had become a real stumbling block for me. It was a painful decision, but I sure wish I had made it long before I wasted those ten years.

Is that where you are today—at the decision point? Don't take ten years or ten days to decide to let go of your broken dream. Take it from one who knows: what you're really longing for will only be found when you can let go of your broken dream and give God permission to control your life.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Redeem Your Story: Exchanging Lost Dreams for New Beginnings was our Weekend Getaway theme this year. If you are interested in purchasing the audio recordings from the conference you can click here or call us at 1-800-292-1218.

Please prayerfully consider supporting our ministry financially. Any amount is appreciated. You can click here to donate or call us at 1-800-292-1218.[

 

[Laela]

When Your Dream Dies
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
MARY WELCHEL


Are you living through the aftermath of a shattered dream? I believe that's one of the most painful experiences in life—to let go of a dream that you have held dear.

I journaled my way through the death of my dream several years ago, and it's been revealing to see the process I went through. I think it's a similar process for most of us when our dreams die. After the first hard step of giving up the dream and giving God permission to control my life, I suppose I expected some instant feelings of relief and happiness. But I was suddenly brought face to face with the stark reality that at first the pain worsens and the hopeless feelings increase.

On the first day of that long journey back from my broken dream, I wrote in my journal:

Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."

On this first day of aloneness, I will let my heart take courage and to learn to wait. The weeks facing me seem lifeless, long and dreary. I have many fears, and I don't trust myself at all. I don't feel courageous or strong but just the opposite. But feelings must be ignored. For me, this is all very impossible. If I make any progress, there will be no doubt but that God did it for me. My objective is to be the woman God has purposed me to be. I don't understand why God let this happen. Why??? I really don't understand. But this too shall pass. God loves me. He has a plan for me and it is good. I will trust him today.

What I discovered was that the pain cannot be avoided. You have to walk through it. So often we are asking God to stop the pain, and that is an understandable reaction. But a more appropriate prayer is to ask God to teach us through the pain so that we will not suffer in vain. We truly must embrace the pain of this journey rather than run from it. There is no escaping it. But we decide whether the pain will result in something good in our lives or whether we will become embittered by it.

Jesus told us: ". . .unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24).

 

[Laela]

SOW INTO YOUR DIVINE DREAM THROUGH FASTING!

August Fast Tip

If you want to turn the dream God has given you into a reality, you must sow into it. And one of the most powerful ways to nurture your God-given vision is through prayer and fasting.

The Apostle Paul shared this important lesson: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:7-9, NKJV).

It does not matter what your intentions are for your future, the response is connected to what you are sowing. Your input determines your output. That is why living a lifestyle of prayer and fasting is so critical.

When you set aside time for prayer, fasting and reading God's Word, you are investing in the future God has planned for your life. Every moment spent pursuing God will strengthen your spirit and reap a life of purpose and blessings!

READINGS FOR YOUR FAST:Genesis 37; 41; 42
1 Samuel 4:11, 15-22
1 John 2:16

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/itinerary/

 

[Laela]

When Your Dream Dies
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
As written and presented by Mary Whelchel



All of us have to go through the death of a dream, and recovery is a grieving process. This process has to be experienced, but the great news is, God can use it for marvelous growth in our lives if we allow him to.

Jesus told us: ". . .unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24). Life comes from death, and you can find new life even from the death of a dream. I went through the painful death of a dream some years ago, and my journal reveals some of the lessons God taught me.

There were moments when I seemed to have a grip. Then I wrote:

I want to learn that God is enough. "Even if he doesn't" give me what my emotions say I need, I will trust him. I want to learn to love him more than anyone or anything else.

But there were other days when I really wanted to quit. On one of those days I wrote:

In a sense the days get harder. I wonder and worry and fear. The impact of the loss is more obvious. The temptation to call it quits is ever present. Now, I'm learning to walk by faith. There is nothing good on the horizon. Everything looks bleak. I don't feel God's presence.

One of the surprises on this journey back was that I had to make daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes momentary decisions to stay on the road. I can't even begin to count the number of times I came so close to giving up and going back into "control mode." At various points in many days, I had to reconfirm my initial decision to let go and let God take control.

My faith was small, but it was growing. The phrase that I heard God say to me in that still small voice inside my head was: "Can't you trust me?" At each of these subsequent decision points, as I would be ready to quit the fight, that question would ring in my head: "Can't you trust me?" It was the beginning of learning that the most important thing I can ever do for God is to demonstrate to him that I trust him.

Are you in that place today - you've let go of the dream but the pain seems to intensify? God knows and understands, and believe me, he has good plans for you. Don't give up; don't lose heart. Run to God for refuge. He will see you through and bring beauty out of your ashes, I promise.

 

[Sharpened]

Earlier this year, I had been pondering the sinner's prayer I had said when He called me out, realizing it did not go deep enough into addressing what His Walk entails. The words for this prayer came to me upon waking one morning:

Heavenly Father, the Great I AM and LORD of all existence, I come to you, a living sacrifice, for Your Will through me to be done.

Please, wash away my trespasses against Your Will and Nature as I forgive those who have trespassed against me.

I thank You for sacrificing Yourself through Your only begotten Son, Yeshua Hamashia, Christ Jesus, so that I may worship before Your Throne, cleansed and purified by the rebirth and refinement of my spirit.

All of my hopes, wishes, dreams, fears, worries, mind, body, will—my entire self I nail to the cross so I may be resurrected new in spirit, connected to Your Holy Spirit.

With the help of Your Holy Spirit, I will turn away from sin and set myself apart from this world.

For Your Kingdom is here among Your Children and may I be counted worthy among those who persist in obedience until You call me home. Amen.

I am surrounded by people who get words, visions, and dreams. Unfortunately the vast majority are warnings on the personal tip and for the Body. Few want to hear those or, thanks to the internet, may become obsessed with finding as many as they can. I am absolutely guilty of the latter.

 

[Laela]

When Your Dream Dies
Thursday August 4, 2011
As written and presented by Mary Whelchel

For me, one of the first lessons I learned in the grieving and healing process of a shattered dream was that the way to find relief and healing was by giving of myself to others. I began to see how totally self-centered my mind had been as I watched my dream die. There is a very strong temptation to curl up in the fetal position, close your door, shut everyone out, and throw a major pity party! My mind was consumed with my loss and I could hardly focus on anything or anyone else.

But as I began to spend time in God's Word and get back into a close relationship with the Lord, my sensitivity to others began to grow. And, really without consciously recognizing it, I began reaching out to help others in various small ways. Then I became involved in some ministries at my church, and one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was busy with things other than myself.

I see now how crucial that was to my healing and relief from the pain of the death of my dream. If I hadn't become involved in the lives of others, I wonder where I'd be today.

How about you? Are you in retreat mode right now? Well, you may need a short time for recuperation, but please, don't spend too much time there because the healing and joy you seek will be found as you get out of yourself and start focusing on others. Often we tend to think that we are only able to help others when we have it all together ourselves. But nothing could be further from the truth. We help others the most when we are able to empathize with them, and what better time to demonstrate true compassion than when you're wounded yourself.

I can think of so many people I know who are going through great pain in their personal life, but in the midst of it, are ministering with great effectiveness to those around them. And in the midst of giving to others, their own pain is lessened. In Proverbs we read that when we refresh others, we are ourselves refreshed. It goes back to the principle of reaping what you sow. If you need encouragement and help today on your journey back from a broken dream, then give it out to someone else. God will pour it back into your life in ways you've never imagined.

 

[Laela]

When Your Dream Dies
Friday, August 5, 2011
As written and presented by Mary Whelchel

Have you watched a dream die lately? Maybe your dream was a job you wanted but didn't get. Or a mate you've desired and haven't found. Perhaps it's a goal you haven't been able to reach, or a baby you haven't been able to birth, or a marriage that has been dissolved. Broken dreams are a part of life, and I've been talking about the journey back when your dream dies.

The pain cannot be avoided. We have to embrace it and ask God to turn it into something good. But I want you to know that the pain doesn't last forever. As I made my long journey back from a broken dream, there would come moments of joy and lightness of spirit. It took me by surprise; I think I believed that I would never be happy or lighthearted again. Having accepted that life could be dreary forever, these times of sheer delight brought hope and anticipation.

As the journey back from brokenness continues, the realization that life can be good again is almost more than we can comprehend. It is a little frightening; sometimes we feel guilty being happy. Then we begin to understand that God has good days ahead for us.

Then after considerable time on this road back from a broken dream, we realize that we've come a long way, and indeed we have a perspective of the experience that we could never have imagined. The corner has been turned, and though we'll never forget the journey and the pain, we know that God has lifted the burden, opened our eyes, and started us now on a new path of joy and service.

If you're in the midst of the death of your dream right now, it will be difficult for you to believe that you'll ever have another good day or life will hold excitement for you ever again. But don't forget God's power and His promises. Isaiah 61 reminds us:

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, . . . to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Paul wrote in Galatians 3:4: "Have you suffered so much for nothing-if it really was for nothing?" I would echo his words and encourage you, wherever you are on this road back from a broken dream, make it count for good in your life. God is able to turn it into something truly worthwhile, but only if you will allow him to do so. Believe me, as one who held out for years and years, it is foolish to do so. He can replace your broken dream with a new one, better and more fulfilling than you'll ever believe.

 

[Sharpened]

A Peculiar and Unique Thing Happened...

A peculiar thing happened to me, some 15 years ago, that was different from every other experince in my 22 year Christian walk. On that unique day, June 22, 1994, the Lord strongly moved upon my heart to write down a prayer while I was praying it. I had never felt moved, prior to that day, to write down a prayer as I prayed it; It has never happened since.

I did not understand then why I was to write the prayer down, but today I do understand. His memory is perfect, mine is not. God wanted the prayer on paper so that I would later be able to understand what I had asked of Him. I would also like to note that the Lord timed this unique event in my life so as to occur while I was in a state of brokeness, due to many things that were "blowing up" all around me. Be encouraged, God wastes nothing...not even the painful things that crush and wound His saints.

During the 15 years that has passed since this prayer,I have simply referred to it when talking with the Lord, as "the June 22nd Prayer". He knows exactly what I am reffering to when I ask Him to bring it to pass. Sometimes I remind Him of it several times in one week...sometimes months will pass and I don't bring it up once.

There are many testimonies of the Lord's faithfulness that I may one day share concerning this prayer, but I must acknowledge that the Lord's complete fullfilment of this prayer is yet future.

I have never shared this prayer with another person, as it has always been a private matter between the Lord and me.Today He is asking me to share it with this forum. May it be used to bless someone.

Here is the June 22nd prayer, exactly as the Lord brought it out of me. I am only electing to delete one paragraph that I do not believe to be relevant to this forum:



6-22-94

Lord, I want to spend the rest of my life walking with you in an ever increasing degree of fellowship. I want to reach a point where you are my very life itself. I want to be pleasing to you in all that I do. I want to know your "father heart".

I want to do your will and allow you to express your love to a dying world through me. I want to be a vessel, approved by you as holy and blameless. Use me, oh God, to accomplish your work. I am yours to use as you will. Lead me in the way that I should go. Purify my heart each day in the refiners fire.

Father, you have promised to take care of me if I will but seek first your kingdom and your righteousness. I give you all that I am and all that I have, even as you gave me all that you had to give in order to reconcile me unto yourself.

I want to seek the Lord my God with my whole heart. I want to seek His face and His kingdom with all of my passion and strength. I want to know Him as Moses knew Him. I want to be transformed as I behold His glory. I want to dwell in His presence even on this earth and allow Him to make Himself known to me. I want to grow spiritually as I walk with Him. I want for Him to heal the brokeness of my heart and to give me purpose for living. I want to enter into the joy of the Lord as I have never known. I want to press into the throneroom of the Almighty and sit in His lap as a small child would seek out his father. I want to have relationship with Him that will exceed my wildest imagination. I want to be filled with His Spirit and dwell in heavenly places even while I dwell on this earth. I want to truely know the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. I will no longer settle for only knowing about Him.

I am willing to give up all that I have to attain this, my heart's desire. May these prayers come to pass, my precious Father.

Love,
Blane

 

[Laela]

Nymphe...only the Lord knows why, when, where and how concerning your message. Thank you for posting!