The Narthex
Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 5:16 a.m. – I woke to this song:
Amazing Grace / Grace Like Rain / Todd Agnew
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, they're washed away
I also woke from A Dream: I was at my home church on Brown Street in Akron, Ohio where I attended church from 1950 to 1977. They were having a dance in the area outside the doors to the sanctuary on the left side of the church building. I think it is called a Narthex. The church sanctuary was at the top of a set of stairs. The Narthex was a small area with a standard size window on the side, as well as it contained an area for people to hang up their coats. I was thinking that if there was a larger group that we could have met in the fellowship hall next door.
There were men and women dancing with each other and there were women dancing with other women. I was thinking about how, back in that time period, that women could dance with other women, hold each other’s hands, show affection and that no one would think anything of it.
There was this one girl who seemed very needy. I think she danced with me once and then she attached herself to another woman. Again, in the dream, I was thinking how this was more like a young girl in need of a mother’s affection than anything else.
Then, the girl had to go home, so she got ready to leave. It was just about ready to get dark outside and I was concerned about her walking home in the dark. Someone else said that he or she thought that the girl would be ok walking home, but I looked again and saw that it would easily be dark in a few minutes, so I told her I would drive her home. I asked her to wait for me.
I ran back into the church to get my purse and keys. Someone handed me my driver’s license, so I put that in my wallet. Then, I went back outside, got in my car and began to drive, because it appeared that the girl had begun to walk anyway. Then, I saw her peeking out from behind a large trash bin on the left side of the road, so I signaled and pulled over to the left. The curb appeared to be uneven. I motioned for the girl to get into the car, and I checked to make sure the car door was unlocked for her. I saw that the red color was showing and that meant it was unlocked.
The girl got inside the car. She was fuming!! She was so angry that her entire body was expressing her emotion. Then, I woke up. I had the feeling the girl had just been raped. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Ephesians 1:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
My Understanding:
I believe that this Narthex is symbolizing the church in the west, i.e. in the USA, and that it is smaller than it should be. It also represents these “heavenly realms,” as it is an entrance hall to the sanctuary (our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ or heaven itself). The dancing symbolizes praise to God, worship, etc. for the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ Jesus. My thinking about how innocent certain behaviors were back in that time period, I believe, is a symbol of God’s grace in our lives in choosing us to be holy and blameless.
This girl in the dream could have been me in my past or it could be any woman or man who is looking for love from other people instead of from the Lord. Nonetheless, she is a believer, but she is needy and is hurting for love, so she went back outside into the world and began walking in darkness again and ended up behind a trash bin. The girl could also be representing a good portion of the church in America, since she was one in about 20 or 30 people at most, that were in the Narthex. So, she could represent 4% of the church or women in the church in America.
Someone in the church did not see the danger of her going back into the world and walking in the darkness because he didn’t see that it was getting dark outside. I see this as an attitude that permeates our church here in America – we don’t see the dangers of the world outside and so we don’t warn people of those dangers and, in fact, many leaders in the church are saying “It’s ok, don’t worry, be happy.”
I saw the danger so I went to help. I didn’t have the ability to do this myself. Someone, namely Jesus, had to hand me the keys and my “driver’s license” so that I was going in his power, because he is the one who is above every title that can be given. Yet, the girl decided to keep walking in darkness and so she was “raped”, i.e. taken advantage of, by the world. I do believe that is a picture of today’s church. Instead of waiting on the Lord, they are walking with the world and they will suffer the natural consequences for their actions. Yet, our Lord is going after them, using his servants, and he is the one who has unlocked the door with His blood (the red on the door indicating it was unlocked) and he is motioning for us to enter in.
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that everyone of your children who are looking for love in the wrong places will realize that you are motioning for them to enter in to your fellowship, your grace, your love, your mercy and your healing. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 5:16 a.m. – I woke to this song:
Amazing Grace / Grace Like Rain / Todd Agnew
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, they're washed away
I also woke from A Dream: I was at my home church on Brown Street in Akron, Ohio where I attended church from 1950 to 1977. They were having a dance in the area outside the doors to the sanctuary on the left side of the church building. I think it is called a Narthex. The church sanctuary was at the top of a set of stairs. The Narthex was a small area with a standard size window on the side, as well as it contained an area for people to hang up their coats. I was thinking that if there was a larger group that we could have met in the fellowship hall next door.
There were men and women dancing with each other and there were women dancing with other women. I was thinking about how, back in that time period, that women could dance with other women, hold each other’s hands, show affection and that no one would think anything of it.
There was this one girl who seemed very needy. I think she danced with me once and then she attached herself to another woman. Again, in the dream, I was thinking how this was more like a young girl in need of a mother’s affection than anything else.
Then, the girl had to go home, so she got ready to leave. It was just about ready to get dark outside and I was concerned about her walking home in the dark. Someone else said that he or she thought that the girl would be ok walking home, but I looked again and saw that it would easily be dark in a few minutes, so I told her I would drive her home. I asked her to wait for me.
I ran back into the church to get my purse and keys. Someone handed me my driver’s license, so I put that in my wallet. Then, I went back outside, got in my car and began to drive, because it appeared that the girl had begun to walk anyway. Then, I saw her peeking out from behind a large trash bin on the left side of the road, so I signaled and pulled over to the left. The curb appeared to be uneven. I motioned for the girl to get into the car, and I checked to make sure the car door was unlocked for her. I saw that the red color was showing and that meant it was unlocked.
The girl got inside the car. She was fuming!! She was so angry that her entire body was expressing her emotion. Then, I woke up. I had the feeling the girl had just been raped. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Ephesians 1:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
My Understanding:
I believe that this Narthex is symbolizing the church in the west, i.e. in the USA, and that it is smaller than it should be. It also represents these “heavenly realms,” as it is an entrance hall to the sanctuary (our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ or heaven itself). The dancing symbolizes praise to God, worship, etc. for the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ Jesus. My thinking about how innocent certain behaviors were back in that time period, I believe, is a symbol of God’s grace in our lives in choosing us to be holy and blameless.
This girl in the dream could have been me in my past or it could be any woman or man who is looking for love from other people instead of from the Lord. Nonetheless, she is a believer, but she is needy and is hurting for love, so she went back outside into the world and began walking in darkness again and ended up behind a trash bin. The girl could also be representing a good portion of the church in America, since she was one in about 20 or 30 people at most, that were in the Narthex. So, she could represent 4% of the church or women in the church in America.
Someone in the church did not see the danger of her going back into the world and walking in the darkness because he didn’t see that it was getting dark outside. I see this as an attitude that permeates our church here in America – we don’t see the dangers of the world outside and so we don’t warn people of those dangers and, in fact, many leaders in the church are saying “It’s ok, don’t worry, be happy.”
I saw the danger so I went to help. I didn’t have the ability to do this myself. Someone, namely Jesus, had to hand me the keys and my “driver’s license” so that I was going in his power, because he is the one who is above every title that can be given. Yet, the girl decided to keep walking in darkness and so she was “raped”, i.e. taken advantage of, by the world. I do believe that is a picture of today’s church. Instead of waiting on the Lord, they are walking with the world and they will suffer the natural consequences for their actions. Yet, our Lord is going after them, using his servants, and he is the one who has unlocked the door with His blood (the red on the door indicating it was unlocked) and he is motioning for us to enter in.
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that everyone of your children who are looking for love in the wrong places will realize that you are motioning for them to enter in to your fellowship, your grace, your love, your mercy and your healing. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!
