Pouring Out

Joel 2:28-29

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

I want us to look at what happens when you dream dreams and have visions since these are listed here as marks of the Spirit if you will. This is perhaps the most quoted verse in all of Scripture to the Pentecostals. For something so widely promised even unto all flesh, it sure seems awfully narrow-minded. You know such an experience is almost like speaking in tongues. You either have them or like many you do not. See, King Nebuchadnezzar once had a dream. Unlike Martin Luther King, he didn't have these too often. In fact, he appears almost as an enemy of the Lord in the face of Daniel and the rest of his people. Note that he was terrified; his sleep was disturbed and he likely did not feel too well. For what it is worth, it should be seen that the call of God disturbs. No, I do not believe he particularly cares for your belief statement, your doctrinal interpretation, or even the possibility of offending you. For king Nebuchadnezzar, it was very much so. Second, hearing a word from the Lord means getting into his presence for however long, whatever it took. How some of us should rather seek him today.