I would like to share a dream I had recently that I believe speaks to the true state of the Western church. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He didn't stop communicating with individuals when the cannon of Scripture was complete. He often spoke via dreams when he wanted to communicate with men. He still does this. In the Bible, right after God gave a dream, the scripture states that they "woke up." Well, I woke up. Here is the dream for your consideration.
In my dream, I saw a grand European ballroom with a great dance taking place. Jesus was the guest of honor and the saints were mixing things up, dancing with each other. When it came their turn to dance with Jesus, each person would curtsey politely to Him. It was a delightful, joyous scene. I thought it especially poignant that Jesus seemed to be leading in every dance.
After I awoke, I was thinking, "Is the reception following the Wedding Feast of the Lamb?" No. That wasn't it. As beautiful as the scenes in the dream were, something was nagging at me that I missed the point of the dream. I prayed this over for two days quietly waiting for an understanding.
What kept coming back to me was the curtsies people were giving Jesus. Finally, it occurred to ask my ballerina wife if there was any significance in the act of performing a curtsey as it relates to dancing. She told me that it was a polite way to acknowledge someone who was probably a social equal.
When she said this, down deep in my spirit a scripture thundered, "Every knee shall BOW, ...and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is LORD!" (Ph. 2: 10). The sheer ferocity of it startled me.
In my dream, the saints were giving Jesus loving, polite curtsies but His Word says we are to bow before Him in His Lordship. Bow used here comes from the Greek word KAMPTO meaning to bend the knees. A curtsey is a slight lowering of the body, specifically the head, and even the knees bend a bit, but not completely. When you bow, you are laid low before someone. A curtsey is more for someone you regard as an equal.
He is my understanding. The curtsies represent the attitude of the Western democratically influenced church towards the Lordship of Jesus. We like Him, like His company, and want to be with Him. But we do not acknowledge Him as our Sovereign Master.
I believe the Lord is calling the church to go from standing in His presence to bowing low before Him prostrate as we behold His majesty in the splendor of His grandeur and greatness. He is LORD, MONARCH, RULER OF ALL, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS. God has to humble himself to behold his creation. Cannot we humble ourselves before the One from whom "the heavens and earth flee away?" We need to see Him as the Royal Monarch that He is and begin to treat Him as such. Yes, He is Jesus our heart's desire, our beloved Savior. He is also absolute LORD.
Our view of ourselves is too high and our view of Christ is too low. We are the creation. He is the Creator. We are the worshipers. He is the recipient of our worship.
We, the church, will not come into our promised inheritance of being His race of kings and priests until we first recognize Jesus as THE KING and THE HIGH PRIEST. The Gospel story is His dance thrown for His honor on our behalf. A curtsey is only half of a bow. Go all the way to the floor in adoration and acknowledge Him for who he really is...LORD OF ALL!
Be blessed,
Bryan Hupperts
COPYRIGHT 1997