But, Lord, I'm A Southern Baptist

A Dream Interpreted

I had a dream in 1979 that stuck in the back of my head for 18 years. I knew at the time that the dream was from God. But through those years it had never made sense to me. In April 1997 I discovered its meaning.

In my dream, my father and I were praying together. During our prayer, we heard laughter. We turned to find six people sitting in folding chairs, and one woman sitting in a wheelchair. The six people were laughing, while the woman sat quietly. Her head was full size, but she had the body of a baby. I walked to the woman, picked her up, sat down in the wheelchair and held her, as my father prayed over us.

God revealed to me that this woman represents the church. Her head is right; she has on the helmet of salvation; she has knowledge of Jesus; but her body has not matured. My holding the woman was significant in that God was showing me that He would use me one day to strengthen the church, to build up the body.

Shortly after I was filled with the Spirit, I went to a missions convention, where I told God that I was willing to go to the foreign mission field. "LORD, WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME, I�LL FOLLOW." I was determined to pack my bags within 10 minutes and head for Siberia, if that�s what God wanted me to do. But God responded very plainly to me by saying, "I WILL MAKE YOU A MISSIONARY TO THE CHURCH IN AMERICA!"

I now have a burning desire in my heart to help keep the Church in America strong. The United States gives 99 percent of the missions money, provides 100 percent of missions technology, and commissions 95 percent of the world�s missionaries. So, if the Church in America suffers, the whole world suffers.

My mission is to minister with all my heart, soul, mind and strength to the Church in America, and to encourage the church body to seed the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. A saving knowledge of Jesus Christ keeps the Body strong. But a Spirit-filled Body supplies POWER and ANOINTING to bless the world. When we are born again the Kingdom begins to live in us, but when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we begin living in the Kingdom. When God filled us with His Holy Spirit, He was not just "blessing" us, He was "anointing" us to "live out" Kingdom principles.

Likewise, the revival that is sweeping our country is not about blessing; it is about anointing�God anointing His people to do the work of the ministry.

I thank God that He has given me back a love and passion for the ministry to His Body.