Few months ago at our
women’s study group of Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, one of our ladies
shared a special visitation of the Lord in a dream. It was preceded by some struggles
the day before, after which she felt God guiding her to completely surrender
herself to Him. She felt peace washing over, went to sleep and then just before
waking up, she experienced a special, heavenly dream. In the dream, the
atmosphere was great, heaven-like and felt like a holiday, it was like a gathering
and a fellowship where everyone was enjoying each other’s company. She felt
deeply fulfilled, deeply loved, deeply blessed, and did not want to leave; it
was like a special flavor of something heavenly. She was allowed to be in the
presence of Jesus, although the face she could not see clearly. There were some other women there, too, but she did not experience feelings of
jealousy or envy; there was a connection of how great He was, and total acceptance
that we are all connected to Him and all have Him in our own way. At the
end, she said to Jesus, the way you say to a friend after spending a really
nice quality time together: “I am so glad that I met you!” The vision shared at
the group ministered heavenly scent to us, and it was also a reminder and a picture of us all nearing to Jesus together.
Sometime later during the
spring, we had a ladies’retreat. We agreed with this sister that we get
prepared and spend some time in prayer together at the retreat, longing to
experience Jesus in new ways and have some spiritual breakthroughs. After
arrival, we took then nearly two hours in His presence and prayer, which went
by really fast. I used readings from the “Spirit blessings” by Arthur Bruk and
Sylvia Gunther as promptings, to which we both responded in prayer, letting it
flow freely and also pressing in regarding things topical for us. Towards the
end, I had a feel that Jesus was standing right in midst of us two, and I felt
warmth coming from His face towards us. As we later talked, the other sister
affirmed the same sense, and she was adding that it was like basking in the
light of His face. We both raised our heads as if to catch some tan in the
sunlight! It was a special and memorable encounter.
During the month of June,
I went to my office at the university pretty often as I was doing a summer
course and also some things related to my doctoral studies and articles. On
several occasions I took time to worship, using the song “Worthy is the Lamb,”
as in my spirit, I was beholding Jesus high lifted up and shining His rays on
me. It felt at times that I needed this praise as I need oxygen to breathe. As
I praised, I felt strengthened and empowered for the day ahead. And during
worship, I was reminded of godly visions that I have had before, which gave me
inspiration that exceeded the daily concerns.
Entering into the presence of Jesus is worth fighting for and worth waiting for, to encounter His divine touch. The enemy of our soul would like to steal these moments of glory, even steal the memory of them, and prevent us writing it down and sharing it with others. Jesus is a Person, not just idea, story, or principle. It gives us taste of heaven when in some way, we can grasp the radiance of His face. It brings heaven down on earth and gives us a foretaste of what is to come. We are empowered to overcome and see visions of greater things. As Max Lucado puts it, taking about the face of Jesus, “What would person look like if he had never sinned? If no worry wrinkled his brow and no anger shadowed his eyes? If no bitterness snarled his lips and no selfishness bowed his smile? If a person had never sinned, how would he appear? We’ll know when we see Jesus.” While we cannot see His face clearly yet, but we can choose to draw near to Him and be changed from glory to glory: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (1.Corinthians 3, 17-18)
Entering into the presence of Jesus is worth fighting for and worth waiting for, to encounter His divine touch. The enemy of our soul would like to steal these moments of glory, even steal the memory of them, and prevent us writing it down and sharing it with others. Jesus is a Person, not just idea, story, or principle. It gives us taste of heaven when in some way, we can grasp the radiance of His face. It brings heaven down on earth and gives us a foretaste of what is to come. We are empowered to overcome and see visions of greater things. As Max Lucado puts it, taking about the face of Jesus, “What would person look like if he had never sinned? If no worry wrinkled his brow and no anger shadowed his eyes? If no bitterness snarled his lips and no selfishness bowed his smile? If a person had never sinned, how would he appear? We’ll know when we see Jesus.” While we cannot see His face clearly yet, but we can choose to draw near to Him and be changed from glory to glory: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (1.Corinthians 3, 17-18)
