Heaven Encounter

I was suddenly hit by a wall of light and my veins bulged as anticipation filled my chest. I felt the Savior's breath flow down my back . I felt his love fill my heart. His tingles filled my feet and his words fill my mind. I looked around and I was in a white room and before me was a throne made of white marble i stood in a chalky white substance like grounded up limestone. Ashes swept past me but it was a sweet fragrance that filled my nose not the smell of sulfur like you would have expected. I heard the words Holy, Holy, Holy as the ashes swept by my face. I heard a voice in my head say that those were the ashes of all of the martyrs who had been burned at the stake. And even thought there flesh was dead it still praised the lord because he was so awesome and great.

I looked up and I saw two colours rushing towards me a blue water flooded my sight and a great fire came from the side and threw me off of my feet onto my back. As I lay on a ground a light appeared above my chest and started to pulsate and it emitted waves off light. The fire and water was still around me and I looked up trough the light and I was gazing upon the face of the father but it was like I was looking up through water, and ripples were appearing out of the top. A hand came through water, fire, and light stopped and right above me. I grabbed the hand and shivers vibrated down my arm and my arm came alive. I felt as if I had been electrocuted yet I felt no pain at all. The hand pulled me out of the substance that had crowded around me and I stood to my feet.

I was once again alone in the white room but now there was no longer a throne room. I looked around and I noticed something was different to my right a pool of crimson was forming a looked at it and I realized it was slowly growing my gaze was drawn to the center where it was bubble and my gaze was fixated upon it. It grew slowly at first but then it began to rapidly grow I could not take my eyes off of it and soon the whole room was covered in the liquid. It began to rise and it got to the point where it came up to my feet and the second it touched my toes I was paralyzed not with fear but with a compassion for the lost, the hungry, the broken, the weak, the defenseless, the mourners, and the sick in spirit. I felt the fathers heart for each one, my ears rang as each prayer to the lord was perceived by my mind. I felt their pain and tears formed in my eyes.

Soon sobs filled the room as my voice echoed off of the walls as my heart cried out for Justice to come and have its way. A holy fire filled my body and I began to dance in the crimson rose colored water. Every time I moved ripples transpired over the surface in the room. The ripples turned into waves and crashed against the walls. Shaking the room. I threw my head back and yelled as loud as I could. A wind hit my face and a rushing sound like water met my ears.

Suddenly my body felt warm I opened my eyes and realized that I was now submerged in the liquid I held my breath afraid of what might meet my lungs if I let go of the air I had just received. Would I suffocate if I released my breath? What would happen to me? Reluctantly I let go of the breath that I had held so dear and to my surprise i was met with the most amazing feeling ever the most refreshing breath I had ever breathed came to my body. I realized that breathing through the rose colored water was much better then what the world had to offer.

Suddenly the ground shook and a crack appeared in the ground by my feet and suddenly out of the redness a cross shot up as all of the water disappeared the cross was dripping with the remains of the water. The cross stood tall and strong I forced myself to walk towards it and I struggled with every step but I knew I had to get there. Every step I took I felt resistance but I kept going a inner drive filled my heart as I desired my body to move forward it did. I at last made it to the foot of the cross as I reached the base I fell to my knees and leaned my head onto the wood.

The second my forehead touched the wood. Light filled my mind I lost all comprehension of what I was feeling and doing. I saw flashbacks of my entire life the bad and the good every trial I had faced flew through my mind but the one thing that remained the same in every picture was that Jesus was standing right beside me smiling. Even though I couldn’t see him he could see me and he was with me and I knew right then that he was so proud of me and the person I had become. He died for me. He knew me before I was born. He choose me first because he knew that I would choose him. He saw the end of my life before it even began. He knew every mistake I had ever made and was going to make. He knew every good thing I was going to do, every miracle I was going to see and every life I was going to change and effect, every nation I would impact and every thought I would ever think. He is my daddy and he loves me with a overwhelming passion. He loves me so much that he died for me and that he can’t wait to see me as I join him in his heavenly kingdom.

Suddenly I opened my eyes and found myself kneeling by the side of my bed with my head up against my mattress and my hands clasped together I opened my hands and there was a envelope. I opened it up and inside was a piece of paper that said I am your and you are mine. Who you are, is Whose you are since I am in you are in me and I love you. Go to sleep and dream of me, not only of me but with me and your dreams will come to pass, and your destiny will surpass all that you thought could be possible. A tear fell from my eye and landed on the paper and the paper suddenly burst into gold dust. I smiled looked up and on my bed was a rose. And beside it another note, it read; Come away with me my beloved to a place where your heart will find rest and be satisfied. I created you and I made your heart and you will only ever be truly satisfied if you have me.

Baptism

There is no feeling like it. I can’t even begin to describe how I felt inside. My tummy was all turned in knots, and my head fluttered with thoughts bouncing around in my brain. Everything in my life had lead to this moment. The roar of the crowd filled my ears as I climbed the steps. One step then two then three. When I got to the top I looked around the lights were shining on me. Every eye that wasn’t gazing upon the Father was now turned in my direction waiting for my body to be submerged under the water.

I took my first step toward a new beginning. Down the first step. The water was warm to the touch. The steam wrapped itself around my body like invisible fingers in anticipation, as if trying to get me to go under faster. The roar of the crowd dulled and I no longer heard the cries of my brothers shouting and praising that my life was already beginning to change. The only words I could hear were the voices of the saints on the platform beside me singing . Oh oh oh oh, Oh oh oh oh .Higher and Higher, Higher and Higher. With tears running down my face I looked up and the lights caught the drops of salt water running down my face. They were like diamonds to the crowd, falling and as they hit the water a tiny crown formed as the water splashed up. The light was so intense the feeling inside so gut wrenching. I knew now that there was no turning back.

But why would I? everyone was in the room was cheering me on, there could be no place better then kneeling in the water my life about the be fully surrendered to God. This was my public confession of faith and I didn’t care who knew it. A hand came to my chest and I heard a whisper in my ear. “Are you ready?” what kind of question was that. Am I ready? Am I ready to give my life in total abandonment to Christ? Am I ready to surrender my will to him? Am I ready to get rid of the old man and realize that the new man inside is better? Am I ready to say I am yours lord Jesus? Was I ready?

The only word that came to my lips was, Yes!! As I said this one last tear fell from my eyes trailed down my cheek and fell to the water below. With it went all my sin, all my shame, all guilt and sorrow, all the chains. Everything that was holding me back from intimacy with my father In heaven disappeared. Eric’s hand supported my back and he said. “Upon you public confession of faith I baptize you now in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” With that I felt myself falling back but it wasn’t scary. It was only the most exhilarating feeling ever. A warmness met my back I felt like I was falling through a bunch of silken sheets as my body moved to the bottom of the pool. The water enclosed me and wrapped me up and overtook my body. I felt as if the father was wrapping me in the softest blanket ever.

And then I felt my body begin to rise. My head shot out of the water and I seemed to fly towards the light. Next my shoulders came out and then my chest and then I stood standing in the pool the ripples from my explosion pushed waves of water over the edge. Then I did what any ordinary person would do who just had a 1000 pound weight lifted from their shoulders. I threw my arms in the air and I pushed as much air out of my lungs as possible. My throat tightened, my jugular strained, and my heart started pumping. My chest tightened, and my voice broke the silence.

A war cry went out to the armies of hell, to the old, toothless, lion who sits on his makeshift throne surrounded by lies. I yelled as loud and as long as my body would allow, I sounded my warning call letting the evil one know that he no longer held me in chains, that I was free and that I would be coming to smite him down. I would show up with many others, others who had been freed from his trap and we would break his gates down and set all of the captives free. We would heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, heal the broken hearted, and raise the Dead. There is no more victory for him because there can only be one winner and it wasn’t him.

I once again became aware of where I was. I was standing in a pool with my arms in the air I was out of breath and the smile on my face could not be erased. I turned and saw Eric there smiling as well. I gave him a great big hug and then I began my accent up the stairs. First one, then two, then three steps. I left the pool to the sound of a great roar, it was over I had been freed. The old man was dead and the new man was free. Free to wreak havoc on earth for the Kingdom of Heaven. Off to get dry and change my clothes what a great day to be Alive

True Scilence!

How often do we stop to sit and take in the silence? When we sit down and stop to listen is it really true silence? What is true silence? Do we even know what to looks like? Take a second to stop and listen to that so called silence. What is hidden in the noise of our lives? What is it you hear in the silence? Here is what I heard today.

The cooing of Pigeons, the clinking of pop bottles being thrown into the recycle bin. Tweeting and chirping of birds, the sounds of many cars in the distance. A distant radio on the deck of a porch, the creaking of someone walking up the stairs beside you. The croaking of frogs down in the creek. Jingling of keys on a key chain. The droan of an airplane flying overhead. The fluttering of pages as the wind flips the pages of my bible. The hum of an idle car, and the purring of the engine when life is released as the human puts his foot on the gas pedal. Voices, some talking some laughing, some loud and some quiet. A distant thud like the sound of a drum even though that is what it is not. The flapping of wings, the sound of the trash being thrown in the garbage bin. The clicking of my pen as I wait for the next sound. A Harley Vroooms off into the day. The barking of a dog, the sound of footstep behind me as the thud goes to a crunch as the feet change from asphalt to gravel. A cough from a man who’s lungs are agitated from a cold.

So is this silence? Or are these just the quiet voices of individual sounds that when mixed together create the dull roar of everyday sounds that we hear. How often do we stop to hear everyone’s voices. MY challenge to you today is to stop and acknowledge the sounds of our day to day lives. Take a moment to listen. To discover the silence. You may be surprised perhaps there is something hiding in the “silence” something you never heard before.