|
Position for an Open Heaven |
|
|
|
|
Written by Dr. James Goll
|
|
Thursday, 18 September 2008 |
Position for an Open Heaven
- Praying for Portals of Revelation Around the World ~
by James W. Goll
 One
of the most consistent ways that the Lord speaks to me is through
"dreams." Once again, by the grace and faithfulness of God, the Holy
Spirit gave me a very vivid instructional dream. The dream was filled
with color and emotions but no words. I do feel that this dream has
meaning for me in a personal manner and yet contains truths that are
for the body of Christ. So let me unfold it.
I was attempting to
stand in a room where there was a low ceiling. It was an old room
filled with religious senses all around it. It was a room representing
the church in its present condition and, in particular, the over all
condition of the church where I live in Greater Nashville, Tennessee.
I
was standing on the outer edge of the room and I kept trying to stand
up. As I would do this – my head would butt the ceiling – I could
actually feel the weight of the stone ceiling on my head in the dream.
I kept trying to raise the roof off by standing up but it was not
working. Then something like a giant heavenly can opener came down from
above and cut a huge hole in the stone roof. The hole appeared in the
center of the room. I then moved from the outer edge to the center of
the room and as I did – I looked up.
The Sky Was Filled with the Promises of God!
There
was now a brilliant “open heaven” stationed right over my head. The sky
was blue and there were beautiful clouds hovering. I could feel the
warmth of the sun upon my body. The atmosphere was filled with faith,
hope, love and life.
I then proceeded in the dream back to the
edge of the room where the ceiling was still intact, and yes, still
quite low. Again, I had to crouch down to get under the low ceiling. I
attempted to “stand up right” only to feel the weight of the ceiling
suppressing me once again. So I stepped back into the center of the
room. What a contrast!
Oh, there was clean air to breathe. There
was light and no darkness. There was a sense of purpose and destiny
fulfilled. I was now positioned correctly under an open heaven enabling
me to achieve the purposes of God. I was centered and walking in the
light.
Interpreting the Experience
As I
woke up, I had several “knowings” as a result of this dream experience.
Again, there were no audible words in this dream. But the feeling
dimension was very alive! I did feel a word dropped inside of me though
as I woke up – “Get Positioned for an Open Heaven”.
God wants us
each to be properly aligned in this hour with Him and His purposes. He
wants to lift the lid off the can but we must position ourselves
properly as this occurs. We must move from the side issues to the
central ones. We must be centered on Him.
Walking in open
heavens deals more with His work versus ours. Our efforts to push
through and even “stand uprightly” are acknowledged, but it is truly
His work from above that creates a sustained place or open heavens for
His presence. He has the ability to break through even the hardest of
places, circumstances and low ceilings. Again, in the dream, the Lord
saw my efforts and acknowledged them, but then He did the work that I
could not. I find it quite interesting that it is more about His work
from above than our work from beneath. He does respond, however, to our
efforts. But we do not create an open heaven – He does. He is the
creator – I am not. I am a responder to His great love and initiative.
Yet, what goes up must come down!
Below you will find a short
excerpt for my study guide Revival Breakthrough in it I give some basic
Biblical teaching on Open Heavens, so – “Get Positioned for an Open
Heaven!” Get into Kingdom Alignment for such a time as this. Step out
of the shadows of the side edges and move into the center of His word,
will and ways. Be centered in Him – after all being “centered in
Christ” is the best place to be!
__________________________
I. Blowing The Roof Off The House
A.
Making Jesus At Home In Your House - Read Mark 2:1-5 slowly as a
parable. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring personal applications to your
life.
1. Mark 2:1 - Is Jesus at “Home” in your house
- family - congregation- city? What would you need to do to have Him be
more than the “honored guest” who occasionally shows up?
2.
Mark 2:2 - When Jesus is “in His temple” - people will gather and
revelation will rest on the word of God. May God’s house be full to
overflowing and may the crowds gather once again to hear the word of
the Lord!
3. Mark 2:3 - Some became dissatisfied with the
crowds as they were. Four men became desperate for a “break through” on
another level. Through the heat of the day, they carried their
paralytic friend on a stretcher to the house where Jesus was. They
worked hard to carry this “dead weight” possibly at a distance. It cost
them something to get him there, but they wanted more!
4. Mark
2:4 - They could not get near to Jesus due to the crowds. They could
have given up, but instead - they moved from the natural into the
supernatural to find their solution. Then hope came. We will tear the
roof off the house. So they proceeded upon the roof to tear it open
with their hands. Through great effort - they dug a big hole in the
roof (opened heavens) and lowered their friend into the presence of the
living Messiah.
5. Mark 2:5 - Jesus saw “their faith.” Whose
faith? All their faith together! Then he spoke to the paralytic - “Your
sins are forgiven.” This results in healing the body. May these words
echo through our lives today and the sick Body of Christ be raised up
to “wholeness.”
B. Opened Heavens
1.
Like in Genesis 28:16-17, we need the gates of heaven opened over our
cities, churches and families. (For more on this subject see the lesson
“Gatekeepers of His Presence” in this Study Guide.)
2. Like in
Mark 2:1-5, we need to “Blow the Roof Off” our thinking, concepts and
believe the Lord for extraordinary works of grace. Desperate times take
desperate measures. We need desperate laborers to arise who are not
content with life as is to tear the roof off in order to lower another
into the presence of Jesus!
II. THREE KEYS NEEDED
A. Prayer Opens The Way!
1.
Testimony of the Hebrides Island Revival in 1952. - Two desperate women
- Peggy & Christina Smith - 84 & 82 years old - were desperate
for a revival on their island off of Scotland. They began praying from
Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams
on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My
blessing on your descendants.” They reminded God of His word. Then they
began to claim Isaiah 64:1 - O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and
come down, That the mountains might quake at Thy presence. . .” The
oldest sister was blind, but she received a vision and proclaimed,
“He’s coming! He’s coming! He’s already here!” The Spirit of God fell
in a barn that night where seven young men were praying from Isaiah
62:6,7 where it tells us, On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed
watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who
remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; And give Him no rest
until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” Sure
enough God came. This began the great Hebrides Revival under the
preaching of Duncan Campbell. A spiritual radiation zone was created
and many souls were saved!
2. Testimony of Evan Roberts and the
Welsh Revival of 1904. - At the age of 13 young Evan began to seek the
Lord. At the age of 26 Revival came to his home town. He taught the
people to pray two simple prayers. “Send the Spirit now for Jesus
Christ sake.” The second prayer was similar. “Send the Spirit now more
powerfully for Jesus Christ sake.” Indeed, God’s Spirit came down and
100,000 souls were swept up into God’s Kingdom. Today, a cry is arising
- “More Lord!” Yes, there must be a youth revolution come as it was
with Evan Roberts. We must have a “trans-generational anointing” as it
was with Peggy & Christina Smith. It is time for prayer to arise
and to blow the roof off the house!
III. WHEN WE CARE FOR HIS PRESENCE
I
want to tell you a dream that has recently again gripped my soul. In
January, 1999 while I was having some forced rest due to a hernia
surgery - the Lord visited me with a piercing dream that is helping to
set my course of direction right now and I believe is a clear word to
His people in this hour.
In this dream, I was holding long
loaves of bread each wrapped in their own individual napkin. I was
holding these loaves of bread close to my chest right over my heart.
Then I got our youngest child's (Rachel's) blanket she has had since
birth. I now wrapped these loaves of bread in her dear baby blanket. I
held the bread close to my heart and just kind of rocked the bread as
you would a new born child.
Then I heard the words, "When My
people will care for, cherish, nurture and love the "Bread of My
Presence" like a parent does it's new born child - then revival will
come." I then found my self awakened out of the dream only to find my
arms were held out as though holding and rocking something. I then
heard myself prophesying out loud in the bedroom the same words I had
just heard in the dream as the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was
lingering over my body. The Lord was emphasizing these words by having
them be repeated twice!
This I know - He wants us to cherish,
care for and His Presence. Pray for His presence. Love His presence.
Nurture His presence - after all - isn't this what you have longed for
all your life? Isn't this what you were made and created for - to be a
carrier of most brilliant presence?! Isn't this the answer to the
church’s cry for more?
When will revival come? You got it! When
we get up in the middle of the night - do the night feedings, hold the
child close to our bosom and wash the child of new beginnings with the
love and compassion - then revival will come!
Join me this
week in PrayerStorm as we call forth an Open Heaven and Portals of
Revelation to be Opened across the face of the earth! May the church
around the world drink deeply from the wells of revival!
Let His Presence comes forth!
- Dr. James W. Goll
|
|
