DREAMER OR VISIONERS

Dr. D. K. Olukoya

John 3: 8 says an interesting thing about the Holy Spirit. It says, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” It simply means that immediately you get born again and get filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for the powers of darkness to trap you. They can hear the sound of your movement, but they will not know where you are going or where you are coming from. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit.

The greatest detective in the world is the Holy Spirit. No matter how clever you are, or how hidden a thing is, the Holy Spirit will bring it to light, and before Him no man can hide. Acts of Apostles 2: 17: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see vision and your old men shall dream dreams.”

Here, we see two categories of people; the young men and the old men. The young men are supposed to see visions while the old ones are to dream. That is, visions to the young and dreams to the old.

A DREAMER

A dreamer has a lot of disadvantages. His greatest disadvantage is that he has to sleep before he collects information. For example, if a situation that requires urgent spiritual attention is happening at his place of work, he would fail woefully because there would not be time for him to go somewhere and sleep to receive a revelation. Unfortunately, 90 per cent of Christians who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit these days can be classified as “glorified dreamers.”

When you are moving below the level that God wants you to move, you will not be able to withstand the storm and waves that will come against you.

WHY VISIONERS ARE BECOMING DREAMERS

Why is it that those that God expects to be visioners are dreamers? You may think that it is impossible for everybody to see visions. In the Bible, we have the story of where Moses was praying for some people and the Lord took part of the spirit which was upon Moses and distributed it upon the elders and they began to prophesy. But there were two men who were not in that meeting but their spirits were there. Even though they were not physically present at the venue of the meeting, where they were they were following what was happening in the spirit and they caught the overflow of the anointing. Immediately the overflow got to them, they too began to prophesy.

Somebody ran to Moses and said, “Moses, stop them. They are not supposed to be prophesying like the rest of us.” Moses said, “Would to God that all of you are prophets, then there would not be problems again.” Would to God too that all those who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit are visioners instead of dreamers, there would be less problems.

Most times, dreams lack clarity. Sometimes, some people come to me to say, “Man of God, I saw myself at the back of a Mercedes Benz or with a brother sitting beside me. I was wearing a white gown, that looked like a wedding gown but I was not sure and the brother too, was wearing something that looked like a wedding suit, I wonder if God is telling me he is my husband.” I always tell them that they should be serious because they are not going to get married in the dream. These are the problems with the dreamers.

A lot of people have been confused by some people who rub charms on their eyes and claim to see visions. Sometimes the person rotates and dances under the influence of smoke, incense and drumming, circulating all over the place. Immediately the person begins to circulate, demons possess the person and use him as a point of contact to release the information already decided in witchcraft meetings about people in the congregation. They collect these evil prophecies thinking they are the words of God to them.

The reason many people fall victim is because they are spiritually lazy. If they can discipline themselves and wait more on the Lord, they would find that seeing vision is not a big deal like many people think. Many believers who are supposed to see visions are not seeing anything.

A lot of people have lost their money, cars and other things to so-called visionaries. How can a person build a house for 2 million and a so-called prophet would say he should sell it to him for 50,000.00 because he can see vision?

A man went to a church where a woman was commanded to go into the spirit to find out what was wrong with him. The woman danced round the place and when she finished, she said that the man was having problems because he was being fried in the same pot used for frying bean cakes. They tried to bring him out of the pot but could not. The man ran to the church. I made it clear to him that he had entered into some evil covenants by allowing a possessed woman to prophesy upon him. So, he had additional problem to the one that took him there.

Ignorance about the Holy Spirit causes all kinds of riots in the spirit world. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit is a person most believers do not know.

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead. He is a person and not a thing. Many people have no problem visualising God the Father and God the Son but when we talk about God the Holy Spirit, they get lost. Many people think of God the Father as one old man sitting somewhere and looking at all of us. God the Son is easy for them to identify. Many people know that He is Jesus, the One who came to the world as the man of sorrow, man of Galilee, man from Nazareth, etc.

The Holy Spirit is not easily identified by many. But He is really a person, and since He is a personality, He can speak to you, open your eyes, and open your ears. He is the executive agent of God on earth today. When Jesus was going away, He said to His disciples, “If I do not go, the Holy Spirit will not come. I go but I will send you another comforter. This means that Jesus is a comforter, but He said, “I will send another one, that is the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is not just speaking in tongues, which is a manifestation that you have received His baptism. He is more than that. He is not just an experience, a feeling or an emotion. The kind of spirit that you cannot control cannot be said to be the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is a person who can give information, who can guide and direct you.

A sister prayed that God should show her the secret behind her problem. As she was praying, she saw a man of God who came to her and commanded that the wedding ring on her finger should be removed. He was so aggressive and he forcefully removed the ring from her finger, and immediately she woke up. When she woke up, the physical wedding ring on her hand was twisted like paper. This confirms the fact that a person who cannot see, would put on the material of his enemy without knowing. Such a person would use the material of his or her enemy to decorate his or her self without knowing it.

When you cannot see, you will wear things manufactured by your enemy, drink medicine prepared by your enemy and eat his food because you cannot see beyond your nose. God does not want us to operate like that. Some people come to counseling crying and saying, “I don’t know why I invested in this business. I didn’t know that the person is a dupe.” I always asked if they asked the Holy Spirit about the investment before they went ahead. They did not ask because they cannot even hear from Him. So, they end up suffering.

You must get close to the Holy Spirit and begin to talk to Him like a friend and companion. This is why we pray for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit becomes your friend then seeing visions would not be a big thing. Visions are just one of those things that He shows His friends. The Holy Spirit is now the one operating the plan of God on earth. He is the one that can reveal the hidden treasures of the kingdom of God.

God’s Holy Spirit is the most valuable asset of Christian living. So it is wrong to regard the Holy Spirit as just speaking in tongues, or shaking or twisting. It is more than that.

HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE

In the book of Genesis, we find the Holy Spirit doing the work of creation. In Exodus, we find Him empowering people to do great things. In Judges, He gives power to fight battles. In 2nd Kings, you see the Holy Spirit giving double portion of powers. In Jeremiah, you find Him as the Spirit of fire. In all the books of the Bible, you find the Holy Spirit doing one thing or the other.

The question is, are you really ready to surrender your life to the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do with you? If your answer is yes, may I caution you that He would be your senior partner, He would not take second place. He would be the one giving the instructions. If you are not ready to carry out His instructions, then you are not ready yet to receive Him. That is, you want to remain a dreamer.

Some people plan to fail, they plan to remain in a particular level all their lives. Such people are not interested in the mountain- top life, so they do not surrender to the Holy Spirit. But immediately you open up to the Holy Spirit and say, “Holy Spirit, I surrender myself to you. Reveal yourself to me,” and you do it honestly, things will begin to happen. It may mean your abstaining from certain things.

The Holy Spirit may ask you to stop doing certain things. He might ask you to stop using your make-ups, jewelry, etc. He may ask you to re-organize your life pattern. He may ask you to do extensive night vigils or go to places you do not want to go. The problem is that a lot of people are afraid of being led by the Holy Spirit, therefore, they have become occasional vessels in His hands.

LIKE THE WIND

The witch has not been manufactured, neither the familiar spirit that would trap a person filled with the Holy Spirit. Just like the wind is mysterious in action, so is a person filled with the Holy Spirit. He or she cannot be controlled by the powers of darkness. Just like the wind is powerful in movement, the movement of someone filled with the Holy Spirit is also powerful. Just like the wind is invisible in action, the same thing would happen in your life once you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as the wind is penetrating in action, you too would be like that when you are filled with the Holy Ghost.

Beloved, are you ready for the Holy Spirit? Do you really want to leave the department of the dreamer and become a visioner? If your answer is yes, then you must open up to the Holy Spirit. The beauty of a life filled with the Holy Spirit is that the powers of darkness may see you but would not be able to predict your action. If you operate like the wind, you cannot be trapped. But there is a very bitter word of lamentation which can be used to describe the present- day Christian Hosea 7:8-9

We thank God for the Bible for it makes us to understand that there is no age limit in getting filled with the Holy Spirit. If a child is ready, God will fill him up, likewise an adult that is ready. Whoever is ready gets filled up. God can never be partial.

PRESENT -DAY BELIEVER

Hosea 7: 8 –9: “Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.”

Many people have mixed themselves up with the world. Some have mixed themselves up with what we call spiritual nonentities, while others are unturned bread, that is, they remain in the same department every year. Anyone who looks at the spiritual state of the present church would know that a lot is wrong. Many people come to services yet there is no change in their life style. Many put up a different attitude in the church and a different attitude outside. Many come to meetings and receive miracles but they do not come across the God of miracles. They have miracles but do not have the miracle worker.

Many people have a lot of people around them that would never follow them to church because their life style does not glorify Jesus. How can a person convert his neigbour’s wife when he is busy making passes at her? How can a person convert someone he is drinking alcohol with? It gives me a lot of concern when I realise that some people will not get to heaven because they do not want to, not that heaven is not open. It is, but they just do not want to go there.

Some people are unserious with everything in life, including matters of heaven. This is the reason many present- day Christians are still afraid of demons, charms, incantations, enchantments, etc. They cannot withstand these things because there is sin in their lives and they know that the devil can see it. There are also many people who attend church services but lack simple faith in God. They bind the spirit of headache with paracetamol in their pocket, yet they want the miracle. Many come to meetings but they find it very difficult to conquer sin.

A man prayed in agony to God to change his life. In fact, he cried to God to give him the power to live a holy life. Suddenly, a voice sounded from heaven and said, “You have to wrestle. You must fight your flesh and conquer it. Don’t expect me to conquer your flesh for you.” You have to determine in your spirit that your flesh shall not overcome or dominate your life. It is a personal decision. It is so easy for a lady who allows herself to be put in the family way to say, “It is this man that messed up my life.” But she has forgotten that she gave him her full co-operation without which it would not have been possible.

Many people cannot hear God’s voice. To many, God is unreal. They just come to the church to gamble; therefore, satan is killing many people prematurely. Many do not have independent faith, they have become spiritually static. Many would drink concoction, take injections, drink holy water, use anointing oil, and also do deliverance at the same time; they have become gamblers because the Holy Spirit has no free flow in their lives.

The Holy Spirit you receive should not be just to speak in tongues or to pray when you are scared at night. It is to communicate with Him as a friend. When the Holy Spirit becomes your friend, it is then He will open your eyes and you can see things for yourself. This is why it is very important to pray that whatever is breaking down your communication with the Holy Spirit should be melted away.

The Bible dispensation can be divided into three:

1. The period of the tabernacle: This was the period when the Israelites built tabernacles in the wilderness. Then, God was inside the tabernacle and not in their lives. So, they messed up. Anytime they wanted to see God, they entered into the tabernacle. Nobody knew much about the devil then. That is why in the Old Testament, you do not see much about the devil. He was able to operate in hiding. But when you get to the New Testament, you see the Man of Galilee who came around and began to expose the devil.

2. The dispensation of the Son, i.e. Jesus Christ: He came physically, did His redemptive work and said, “I am going away but I shall come back. I will send you the Holy Spirit who will be staying with you and teaching you all things. He shall be your friend.” As a Christian, if you are not close to this Friend that the Lord has given us, you will have problem.

3. The dispensation of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the executive agent of God’s programme on earth now.

HINDRANCES TO VISION:

• Demonic activities: If you are involved in demonic activities, forget being a visioner. You will become a permanent dreamer.

• Unconfessed sin: If you have unconfessed sin in your life, forget the school of the visioners. You will remain a dreamer until you confess all your sin.

• Lack of true repentance: When you have not truly repented, forget the school of the visioners because you will still be a dreamer.

• Unforgiveness: If there are some people that you can never forgive, forget the school of visioners.

• Pride.

• Fear: If fear is in your heart, you will remain in the school of dreamers.

• Unbelief and doubt.

• Lack of concentration: Some people’s minds roam around. They do not really follow anything through. Such remain in the school of dreamers.

• Refusing to release yourself totally to the Holy Spirit.

• Refusal to honor your parents: This will also land you in the school of dreamers.

The choice is yours now. Joshua said to the Israelites, “Choose you this day whom you shall serve, whether the idols your father were worshipping in the wilderness or the Lord God.” He also made a confession. He said, “But as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.” Personal choice.

You must depart from the school of dreamers. Your eyes must open so that you can receive divine revelation. Remember it is a matter of personal decision. If you decide to put an end to blind Christian life, God will open your eyes. If you say, “Enough of spiritual life of the valley,” God will catapult you to the mountain-top. It is necessary to confess any hidden sin that can hinder you to the Lord. God has promised to fill all the vessels that are ready. So, readiness is the condition.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Oh, Lord, manifest your presence in my life, in the name of Jesus.
2. Let the rain of the Holy Spirit fall upon me now, in the name of Jesus.
3. Oh Lord, let your mantle of power fall upon me, in Jesus’ name.
4. Holy Ghost, fill me, in the name of Jesus.
5. Holy Spirit, open my eyes, in the name of Jesus.
6. I refuse to operate in spiritual blindness, in Jesus’ name.
7. I remove myself from every evil spiritual bus- stop, in the name of Jesus.
8. I reject every arrow fired against my spiritual life, in the name of Jesus.