Pierced by His Arrows – Psalm 38:2
Dreams of a Hindu Priest
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." - Acts 2:17
Y esterday morning I was sitting at my desk when my wife and daughter walked over to me with the strangest look on their faces. Immediately my heart jumped as I feared something was wrong. My wife gently prompted my daughter to tell me what happened just minutes before at the breakfast table. "Daddy," she said in a quiet whisper. "Yes," I quickly responded. "I just got my prayer language," she beamed with unbelievable joy.
What makes this mind bending for me is the invisible and historical framework which surrounds its occurrence. Shortly after graduating from Oral Roberts University in the early 2000's, I went through a personal theological reformation. Although there were various reasons for this reformation, it was due to a few eye opening events that occurred my senior year.
The events served as a catalyst for me to search for a new "brand" of Christianity. My theological pendulum swung away from unilaterally led, totalitarian structured organizations preaching a gospel centered on money and miracles. I could not personally reconcile the “gospel” I was hearing with the one I read in the Scriptures. Although I was only a few years old in the Lord, I knew I needed something different.
It was during this time that I found another "brand" of Christianity that was seemingly more centered, gospel rich and theologically honest. However, my new "brand" discouraged and passively mocked the gifts of the Spirit due to the many public abuses of prosperity preachers unashamedly pushing their heretical indulgences to the masses. Although my new "brand" was not officially committed to die hard cessationism, I was led to believe that the public use or display of certain spiritual gifts recorded in the Scriptures was a liability to the unity and mission of the church.
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit. - 1 Cor. 14:1
Wanting to be accepted by the leaders of my new brand, I reluctantly followed their advice, and tucked the Holy Spirit and his gifts away for private use only. Eventually, the "private use only policy” led to my limited use and eventual non-use of the gifts the Holy Spirit. Although I still declared the gospel in power every Sunday, the signs, miracles and wonders that biblically accompany the Good News faded from my life. As the gifts faded, sadly so did my interest in preaching, teaching, or practicing them in any capacity.
So, when my five year old daughter began praying in the Spirit without my wife or I encouraging, leading, or manipulating her to want the gift in any way - my mind instantly exploded. The fire and purity of His presence radiating from her praying in the Spirit melted my heart. In that moment my faith soared and a flood of repentance raged through the dusty corridors of my heart.
In no way do I presume to be an authority on the gifts of the Spirit. All I know is what I have read in the bible. In John 14:15-17, Jesus said, "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him."
At a point in my life, I stopped looking for Him. I was influenced by people who recognized him via religious jargon, saturated with big theological words designed to impress rather than impart the reality of the Holy Spirit. Surround yourself with people who recognize him and the full expression of his work as recorded in the Scriptures. We don't get to pick and choose the parts of the Bible we would like to believe according to our experience. That is the very definition of experiential theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity - he is good, he is God and he is with us.
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." - Acts 2:17
