River Dream

RIVER DREAM was posted by Pastor Dave Huizenga on the website of Sunshine Community Church on October 4, 2005. Posted under "Prayer Thoughts", the article is no longer available online.

October 4, 2005

Acts 2:17, 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams..."

In 1999 I had a prophetic dream concerning West Michigan. For various reasons, I have only shared the dream with a few people. Today, it seemed right to take a risk and share the dream here. Since the dream takes some space to explain, today you'll just see the dream. In future weeks, we'll unpack its possible meanings.

I found myself in a land full of West Michigan water activity! There was a wide river running in bends and curves all through a beautiful, green, tree filled land. Along the edge of the river as far as one could see was a wooden walkway with periodic piers and view points jetting into the river. There were scores of people longing to get in the water: watching, waiting, walking aimlessly. In the river were swimmers and boaters all of whom were filled with joy. The people on the water were radiant with clear, crisp light – there were cries of laughter and the warm sense of community.

I was not in the river. I was walking along the edge of the river with a rather short, roundish, plump man whose face revealed he was suffering from physical deformity. His head was very large, his hair was scant and patchy, and his mouth was unusually giant - protruding from his face in caveman fashion. I asked the Lord why I was not in the river and he told me I was to be the caretaker of this man. "Who is this man?" I asked the Lord. "He is your father," I was told. My heart burst with love for this man as I held his arm and led him to the piers and view points at the edge of the water. He stared into the water with such intense, inward longing. I had the sense that there was so much life inside this man, but he couldn't enter into the joy of the river because of his deformity. It became clear that I had a calling to help the man somehow find how to get into the river.

The dream shifted suddenly and I became aware that the man who was "my father" suddenly became "my offspring." He didn't change at all in appearance or character. We walked together, me holding his arm as a nurse walks alongside an unsteady, unsure patient. Entering a river's edge marina, we sat on a bench in a "fisherman's" room filled with hanging nets, glass water floats and the smell of moisture.

On a table before us was a beautiful array of different kinds of vials: golden and silver, ornate with jewels and simple. I became suddenly aware of a small group of "Dutch" looking teenage girls who had been watching us as we entered. They were talking amongst themselves and at once moved toward "my offspring" and me. A tall, spiritually alive teen broke from the group toward us and mumbled out loud, "I wonder…" She took from the table a vial I hadn't yet seen, but was obviously different than the rest. It was very simple construction - wooden "bookends" held together with a dowel. Miraculously clinging to the dowel in the center was a kind of translucent, wonderfully aromatic oil. I asked the Lord what this oil was and He said it was the "anointing of the Holy Spirit."

The teen dipped her finger in the oil and anointed "my offspring" on the forehead. Immediately, "my offspring" began to transform before our eyes. He grew beautiful dark hair and his face formed into a handsome yet angelic form. His body grew in stature and strength. Finding renewed vigor, he sprang to life, landed on his feet, ran out of the marina. Without hesitation, as a child racing toward the ocean with intention of flinging his body in the quaking waves, "my offspring" dove into the river. Joyous sound broke out all around.

This portion of RIVER DREAM was posted by Pastor Dave Huizenga on the website of Sunshine Community Church on October 26, 2005. Posted under "Prayer Thoughts", the article is no longer available online.

October 26, 2005 - River Dream

Thank you so much for your response to the weekly prayer thought last week. Many of you had great insight to the "river dream."

Today, I'd like to reflect on the reality of the river running through the dream. Is the river a biblical principle? Absolutely:

This river in Revelation is a picture of the return of Christ and the new heaven. It's a glorious picture of life running through God's new heaven. The symbol of the river feeding the trees whose leaves are for the "healing of the nations," shows that the river has significance for today. The heavenly river has streams of living water flowing from within all God's children through the presence of the Holy Spirit [see John 7:38-39].

The river in the dream is the flow of the Holy Spirit in Christ's body. The river is accessible and free. The people in it are filled to capacity with love, joy, peace, etc. Yet, there are many people longing to step into the river - waiting, watching, longing. These people want all that the Father has given them in Jesus, but something keeps them from jumping freely into the flow of the river filled with life.

Are you familiar with the love, joy, peace, and freedom of the river of life found in the Holy Spirit? Are you one who stands on the shore: watching, waiting, longing? Are you playing in the river with the joy of intimacy with Christ? Where are you?

To Be Continued...

This portion of RIVER DREAM was posted by Pastor Dave Huizenga on the website of Sunshine Community Church on November 16, 2005. Posted under "Prayer Thoughts", the article is no longer available online.

November 16, 2005 - "River Dream" Part 3

I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ~Revelations 3:20

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to establish with us an intimate relationship. In the "River Dream," I am tending to first "my father" and then "my offspring." It is clear that these two individuals represent the people in my father's generation and in my children's generation who do not have an intimate walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am helping them, walking with them, serving them in order to direct them to the freedom of life found in the river of the Holy Spirit that, "overflows like a stream of living water from within."

The truth is, we can't have an intimate walk with Jesus Christ except by pursuing the Holy Spirit. We can study the Bible until we're blue in the face; we can attend thousands of church services; we can do good work after good work; but we will not have intimacy with Christ until we yield to the Holy Spirit. The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards said it this way, "A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only - without religious affection (Edwards way of describing "intimacy") has never engaged in true religion." [taken from "Excerpts from Religious Affections" handout].

Today, I invite you to invite the Holy Spirit to saturate you with Himself as He draws you closer to Jesus Christ who draws you into intimacy with the Father. It isn't found in a book...its found in a surrendered heart and like the dream, results in freedom to run and jump into the river of life.

To Be Continued...

This portion of RIVER DREAM was posted by Pastor Dave Huizenga on the website of Sunshine Community Church on November 30, 2005. Posted under "Prayer Thoughts", the article is no longer available online.

November 30, 2005 - "River Dream" Part 4

Ephesians 5:18 ~ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

If you have not read the "River Dream" yet, I encourage you to do so. It is attached to this email. In this dream, the anointing oil that was put on the forehead of the deformed man I was "caring for," was described as the "anointing of the Holy Spirit." Notice how the oil's vial "was different than the rest. It was very simple construction - wooden "bookends" held together with a dowel. Miraculously clinging to the dowel in the center was a kind of translucent, wonderfully aromatic oil."

Here are some quick observations:

The fact is, the only way effective ministry happens is through the Holy Spirit. The only way to have intimacy with the Father and the Son is through the Holy Spirit. If the church doesn't yield to the Holy Spirit, the church doesn't know intimacy with Christ…So, lets not get drunk on wine (or any other man made achievement) let's be filled with the Spirit.