In this dream, my family was looking forward to attending a city-wide worship gathering that was being hosted by a church in our area. On the day of the event, we arrived close to the start time expecting the church to be filled with Christians from all over the city. However, there were just a few people sitting in the seats and about fifty others were wandering around visiting with each other. With so many seats available, we were able to sit in the center section, close to the front.
While we were waiting for the meeting to begin, I looked at the platform at the front of the church and noticed that the entire platform was filled with chairs, music stands, instruments, sound gear and other equipment that was piled on top of one another in a tangled mess. Then I looked at a grand piano, which was located on the floor beside the platform, and noticed that there were a lot of papers strewn all over the top of it.
While I was pondering this, an acquaintance of mine walked over to the piano and began rummaging through the papers. After a few minutes, she stopped what she was doing and looked around the room. When she saw me sitting in the center section, she waved and motioned for me to come to her. The moment I joined her at the piano, she handed me some of the papers and told me that she wanted me to lead the worship along with her music team. Her request really concerned me, partly because it was already past the time for the meeting to begin and also because she expected the music team to use the equipment that was in a tangled mess on the platform. I expressed my concerns to her, but she brushed them off and told me that everything would be fine if I would just follow the music she had chosen. Then I looked at the papers she had given to me. When I realized it was sheet music, I told her that I can’t read sheet music. With a stunned look on her face she said, “How on earth can you play the piano and worship God without sheet music?” “God taught me how to play the piano and I worship Him from my heart,” I replied. Regardless of my response, she was still determined to use sheet music, so I returned the papers to her and went back to my seat.
By then, I knew that something was amiss, but we decided to stay and wait a little longer because we were still hoping to worship the Lord with the other believers that were gathered there.
While we waited, my daughter became so weary that she fell asleep. When I noticed that she was sleeping, I woke her up and told her that she needed to stay awake.
During the time we waited, a few people left because there was no worship, but most stayed and continued visiting with each other as if it was just a social gathering. When we finally realized that this was no longer a worship gathering, we decided to leave.
I had just begun to walk down the aisle toward the back of the room when suddenly, the glory of God filled the room causing me to fall face down on the floor. As I lay prostrate before the Lord, I was so overcome by His glory that I was totally unaware of anything other than God for a long time. When I became aware of my surroundings again, I heard the sound of people weeping and crying out to God in repentance, and I heard the sound of worship!
End of Dream
Comments:
This dream depicts a misconception regarding worship that is prevalent in Christian churches. What many churches presently call worship is not worship at all. It is mostly entertainment that glorifies people instead of God. However, this dream also depicts God addressing this misconception by revealing His glory to the church.
What is the glory of God?
The glory of God is the manifestation (uncovering, unveiling) of the nature, character and attributes of God. When God manifests His glory, He is allowing His character and attributes to be literally and clearly seen. In 2 Corinthians 4:6, it says that the knowledge of the glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. And, in Hebrews 1:3, it says that Jesus Christ is the radiance of the glory of God, He is the exact imprint of His Father’s nature and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. It is important for us to understand that Jesus Christ IS the manifestation of the nature and character of His Father – God Almighty.
Therefore, Jesus is going to come and manifest the glory of God to His Church! When He does, the burning, piercing light of His glory will expose sin and darkness in the hearts of His people. This will bring repentance and cleansing in His Church and our religious ways will be forgotten as, “…we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the His image from one degree of glory to another…” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Then people will finally worship God as He desires and to be worshipped.
How does God desire to be worshipped?
God desires to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. In John 4:23 Jesus said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
What does it mean to worship the Lord in spirit and truth?
First of all, worship is a matter of the heart. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” This is true love, and this is how God desires to be loved. A heart that truly loves God will also truly worship Him.
In order to worship God in spirit, we need to be passionately in love with Him. In order to worship God in truth, we need to really know God, both Biblically and experientially. The more we know God, the more we will love and appreciate Him. The more we love and appreciate Him, the deeper our worship for Him will be and the more He will be glorified. This is true worship, and this is how God desires to be worshipped!
When the Bride of Christ loves God as He desires to be loved, and worships Him as He desires to be worshipped, perhaps then, the prophecy in Isaiah 60:1-3 will be fulfilled:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
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