This isn’t one of my usual, bubbly, happy-go-lucky posts. I’ll tell you that upfront.

In fact. I’m hesitant to even share this. As I’m writing, I’m not even sure what all will come out onto this page. I’m being obedient to what God has told me to say and to write, so here I am.

I’m a dreamer. I dream often; every single night.

I can tell when I am supposed to pay attention to a dream or just chock it up to a random, subconscious moment. I usually take note of all unusually detailed dreams, ones that seem to have God’s fingerprint on them.

Easter Weekend I had taken some time away to get quiet before God about some things He laid on my heart concerning my future and Friday night I had an interesting dream:

I remember standing at the door of a large sanctuary and watching a caricature of a king walk by me. He had on a majestic robe and crown. He almost looked, cartoon-like. Unreal. I remember realizing that this “king” only had one eye. But I was the only one who saw it. From the outside looking in, his eyes were fully in tact. I wondered why no one else could see that something was off about this man. For some reason, I went in the bathroom to place something in my eye, perhaps making up for the fact that he only had one.

In the large sanctuary tables and chairs were set up, banquet style, in honor of this king. There was a program for him, people went on stage to entertain him with song/dance. I was confused. Then, all of a sudden 3 large thrones were shoved out onto the stage. They were Egyptian-like. One of them had the head of a some deity. They obviously weren’t of the one true God.  I looked around thinking, this isn’t okay.  Soon, the king motioned for me to “say something.” I grabbed the mic and stood on the steps of the stage only to realize that half of the room was empty. Where had everyone gone? Those who remained were asleep or uninterested at the round banquet tables.

So I didn’t say anything. Because I felt like no one was listening. I remember realizing that this king had to choose someone to marry at the end. And the whole time I was worried. I knew that this “king” was really an imposter. That this man we were praising had an agenda of some sort, and any minute the real darkness underlying this whole thing would be revealed.

Come back to me and live!
⁵ Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel;
don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba

You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed.
You treat the righteous like dirt. (vs.7)

 

How you hate honest judges!
How you despise people who tell the truth!
¹¹ You trample the poor,
stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent.
Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses,
you will never live in them.
Though you plant lush vineyards,
you will never drink wine from them.
¹² For I know the vast number of your sins
and the depth of your rebellions.
You oppress good people by taking bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

“They told themselves that they were really honoring God and pleasing Him by their observance of the feasts and sacred assemblies, but God was offended by their religious ceremonialism, disconnected from the heart and justice towards one another.

[God] thought their feast days, their sacred assemblies, their burnt offerings, their grain offerings, their peace offerings, and their songs were nothing as long as there was no justice or righteousness in their dealings with others.

 

It is easy to separate our religious ceremonies from the way we treat others, and to think that God should be happy if we give Him “His due” without regard to justice and righteousness towards others. God won’t have it. He says, “Keep your annoying religious ceremonies, and let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

 I believe my dream represents the American church.  

We have exalted churches/programs/sacrifice/service and placed them as pedestals on our platforms in place of God Himself. We have not spoken through the filter of the Holy Spirit, but rather the filter of our opinions, our political beliefs, and our fleshly hearts. We have brought them into our sacred spaces and made them law.  We exalt the wisdom of those who have a skewed perspective, so we choose to see what they see instead of seeing what God sees. We have turned a literal blind eye to injustices around us and to anything that doesn’t look, sound, or act like us.  

We could have the perspective of an all-knowing, all-seeing God, but we would rather exchange His exposing light for blurred vision that makes us feel comfortable.   We choose not to see because it makes us uneasy. We cry out for revival constantly but it will not come until we care for what God cares for.  

Until we see what He sees.

Until our hearts break for what makes His heart breaks.  

Look up. Look around. Stepping down from the high places of privilege that we sit in.  

Christianity is not a country club.

It is not white picket fences and two car garages.

It is not neat and cute.

It is not the “American Dream”  

It is about a God who looks high and low.

He wasn’t afraid to kneel in the dirt or come in the form of a baby. He wasn’t afraid to love a demon-possessed woman. He sat with the lowest of the low. He let someone who would later betray Him be apart of His inner circle. He spoke loving truth to a woman during a time when racial and ethnic tensions were high.   If there was a line, He fearlessly reached across it every time.  

I’m in tears as I recognize my own entitlement. Who am I? To so arrogantly operate in a privilege that Jesus Himself didn’t take for His own?  

This isn’t an angry message, just one that I hope brings us to our knees.  

In this time, I hope you realize that our patriotism, our President/politicians, and our misplaced ambitions is not what keeps this Nation a float.  

It is the grace and mercy of Jesus. May we build our lives on that truth.

May we wake up from the drunken stupor and numbness of comfort and awaken to the fact that He is truly the only One we will ever need.   Lets allow this time to uproot our idols.

To repent for making our agendas our little gods; easy to manipulate or control because we made them.

 To come back to the foundation of the radical lives that we must live as followers of Jesus Christ.   He is enough. He is enough. American church, let Him be everything.  

Church, I’m with you. Convicted and challenged to make sure my heart is aligned with His. I tried to make sure that I wrote to you, straight from His heart to yours.

I only share this because He told me to. That’s it. And also because I love. the. church.

Love ya’ll Deep,

Resources used:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Amo/Amo-5.cfm (small insertion made for a typo)