News and Updates
July 1, 2010
David Copeland · July 1, 2010
Newsletter · Volume: 10 Issue: 7
Part of the last days outpouring prophesied by Joel and preached by Peter on that Pentecost day involves dreams and visions. While dreams seem to occur at regular intervals in some people’s life (like mine) visions are often reserved for those considered mystics, those who seem to be out on the fringe. But according to Scripture, they should be a vital part of the function and life flow of the New Testament Church.
I have dreams regularly that I know are prophetic in nature; dreams in which I know beyond the shadow of a doubt God is speaking to me about situations in my life, ministry or someone I know. Visions are another matter. But I know I have had at least three distinct visions in my Christian walk I want to write about.
My First Vision
In 1977 I was 16 years old, part of a family singing group that traveled around the South East United States singing in local churches and special venues. I had completely committed my life to serve God in whatever way He saw fit when God began to stir something in my heart that would absolutely and completely rock my world.
In November 1977 I found myself with an intense hunger in my heart to seek Him and know Him in a greater way. I had asked Jesus to come into my heart the summer I turned 12. But something else was going on I could not explain. I was spending long hours in my parents garage in the afternoons, listening to Christian music, praying, and thinking about standing on platforms singing…. and even preaching.
One mid November night while showering I suddenly began to have what I can only call a vision. I was a Baptist kid at the time; I didn’t understand tongues, and prophecy or anything supernatural. But one night as I began to have this vision in the shower, I began to see myself standing in front of a huge mass of people of every race and nationality; there were African, Asian, East Indians, West Indians, American Indians, Chinese; people from every nation and color on the earth! The Holy Spirit was so thick in that shower I didn’t know if any water was even touching me! I saw myself in that vision preaching to this huge mass of people.
This vision happened again the next night, and the third night, just like it did the first night. I don’t know how long it lasted, or how long I was in the shower, but on the last night I was weeping almost uncontrollably over what I was seeing and feeling. In almost a fit of desperation I began to pray and say, “Father, I don’t know what you are trying to tell me, but I will do it even if it’s preach!”
The vision ended, and I haven’t had that particular one since. I didn’t tell anyone about what I saw or felt. In fact within a couple of days I forgot about it.
In two weeks the vision was confirmed by a man I had never met before nor have seen since. It also led to my first preaching opportunity in February of the following year. It was the biggest pulpit disaster ever been attempted by a human being. I preached on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It lasted three minutes. Three minutes that seemed like three years. I just knew when I sat down I had missed it and the vision was nothing more than something I had eaten for supper that had sent me into some kind of hallucination.
On the way home sitting in the darkness of the back seat I began to cry and swear to God I would never try preaching again. The preaching that night was so bad that when we pulled into me grandmothers driveway to let her out, she pulled a ten dollar bill out of her purse without ever looking back at me and said “Son, here’s some money to go buy you some books with; your going to need all the help you can get!”
Needless to say, I didn’t quit for good. But that vision has guided me when I didn’t know where to go or what to do. That vision has strengthened me when I thought I could not take another step forward. That vision has kept me, even when I had given up hope that God could ever use me again after so many failures in my personal life, in my marriage and even in raising my kids. That vision has encouraged me to push forward when everything in the natural looked like God had forgotten my name address and phone number!
I know the vision was from the Lord. It was not something I ate. Some wild-eyed preacher or mystic did not give it to me. It came after a long season of prayer and fasting, that a 16-year-old boy was not supposed to be doing. I should have been playing football or chasing girls; but I was chasing God! When you chase the face of the Father with all your heart, you will find Him on a way that will rock your world!
Thirty-two years later, I’m just now beginning to see some of the people and places I saw in that vision!
What is your vision? What is it that you absolutely know God has shown you about your life and about what He has called you to do?
Write your vision down.
Pray over your vision. Daily. Weekly, even spasmodically if that’s all you can do. The more we pray over a vision we know has come from the Lord the bigger it will become.
Hold on to your vision. Many have tried to talk me out of my vision. Many well meaning Christian people and some well meaning family members have attempted to talk me out of it. But they weren’t there, I was! They didn’t see what I saw or feel what I felt, I DID! I have to hold on until I see the completion of my vision!
Many people started with a vision that was a result of a visitation by God, but let people, circumstances, their personal failures and the world talk them into abandoning their God vision for another vision.
You can know your vision is from God when you must have God’s participation to make it happen.
Don’t abandon your vision! And don’t give up on your dream, no matter how impossible it seems!
With God, ALL THINGS are still possible!
David & Pam