Channeling…got your attention. Definitely a word we need to recapture.

Last night I had a very engaging dream. Weird, provoking and once again putting tension on ethics and understanding.

Here is the first part…

The young lady had attended a class on “Chaos: Channeling the News.” I knew who she was. She was a bright young voice with a full future ahead. What I saw happen, was this class was doing something weird to her that I could not explain. When I called her over to talk she had one of those “paper games” we had as children where you would fold paper to fit over your four fingers and come up with an answer. She came up to and showed me this. IDAHO is what it said. Then she used the word like this. IDAHO= I don’t act hurt openlyI know this young lady. This dream would be totally out of character for her.

I decided in the dream to do some research. I began to examine this class. Billed as a class in journalism and life sciences I began to study it. What I initially understood would not have turned many heads. (Classes such as ““Oh, Look, a Chicken!”-Embracing Distraction as a Way of Knowing” or “Cyborg Anthropology” would catch people’s attention quicker. By the way-those are real college classes.) But there was something wrong. What I noticed was some of the students had developed a glazed look in their eyes.  My friend still had clear eyes, but there was something “goofy” happening.

In the dream I first began to examine the class and the roots of it. It “seemed” okay, dealing with a good cross section of news channels, politics and philosophies. But something “felt” wrong.

I asked my young friend and she said “you ought to go this weekly seminar with me.” So, we made an arrangement for me to go to the meeting. The next few days allowed for me to study and figure out what I could.

That Thursday I met my young friend and we visited the seminar. It was a low key setting in one of the smaller conference rooms. I took a seat near a window. Even though I was near an old style radiator I felt a “breeze.”

The professor came in. His name was Kane. Professor Kane. He had an endearing way about him, but I started to pick up “something” as he spoke. I listened. The room got “colder.” As I watched the students young and old, I noticed they were caught up in something I could not explain. And then he came to this part in his speaking. He had just finished talking about changing the world and now he said “following a short coffee break, we will start with ‘channeling the news.’”

A short coffee break. My young friend was talking to a couple of other students. I grabbed a coffee and a young man asked me, “first time here?” I replied, “yes” and he said “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

We returned to our seats. Professor Kane began to speak about channeling the news, changing what was happening in the world. He called up a young lady. He said to her, “channel the news.” As he said this she spoke she started to sound like a newscaster. Others began to join in with what she was saying. She started recitation of the daily news and the others joined her.

I pushed back in my mind and I could feel the tension in the air. I could feel the strength of their words and then their clothes all began to look the same.

I quietly walked out of the room and when I did, I was no longer in the building but in a news station. The words “The Center” were over the door.

I awoke from the dream.

My first thoughts were about my young friend. In the natural, she is a very strong young woman with a bright future. And even though many know my thoughts on much of the education provided I do not think it was about colleges or universities.

Part 2
I fell back asleep and a new part of the dream appeared. There was excitement on the campus as what they were “saying” was “happening.” They would talk anarchy and it began. Martial law and it started. Overwhelmed financial systems and it started.

I awoke the second time.

So what did all this mean to me? I spoke to the Lord about it. I think there are two trains of thought here. Religion and “channeling the news” addressed below.

Religion
I believe that the concern I had was over the religious thinking that requires each person to think alike. I struggle with the clone mentality. (I don’t want to be a clone!)To not show how they are or what is going on in them. The IDAHO thinking of the dream of not being hurt openly or showing it. Legalism folks!

Religion and religious thinking leave no room for individuality or personal understanding. It desires all toe the line. It does not allow people to “go through” something, but causes them to deny it to others, less they be judged.

Religion is cold and impersonal. As was the room.

It predicates all things on performance and getting there versus grace which requires no work other than believe and accept the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Channeling The News
What are you saying? Are you believing a lie and speaking that lie into existence. Are you joining the party line? Getting caught up in the thinking of those who are not walking in the light?

The dream revealed that people can create that which does not have to be truth. Certainly anarchy, collapsed financial systems and martial law are not on God’s to do list for 2014 or any year after.

I want to be clear-I am not prophesying or suggesting any of the above in any way, shape or form.

What I feel the dream is revealing is the ability or predisposition towards negativity and joining the pack when we do not understand our identity or the truth as brought to us through Christ. We are tuned into a channel and we are allowing the polluted river to “replace” the river we know that is in our hearts. A prophetic voice has choices.

My friend Mark shared this scripture with me this morning in a conversation. 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

My friend Pat posted this: Many of you are dealing with a lot of noise – distractions, pulls on your time and attention, mental ruckus – that is from the enemy. The Lord says, “My people have had enough! My people, I am providing you with noise canceling headphones to block out the enemy’s’ voice. Come to me, sit before me and put on these headphones and you will discover not only will the enemy’s voice be silenced but you will marvel at how clearly you hear Me.”

I do feel there is something cold and calculated we are to be aware of. The other part is what are you saying? What are you thinking? Are you investigating or just forwarding mistruths and misunderstandings? Is it applicable to where we are at or you are at? Who do we trust?

Everyone is subject to demonic influence. To think you are not is deception in itself. (Is not deception that which you are not aware of?) This dream clearly reminded me of the witchcraft and people’s susceptibility to it is.

As a “news junkie” I am very cognizant of what there is out there and what is going on. I read news from all sides, beliefs and ilk. Left, right, in-between, liberal, conservative and more. I am convinced of one thing. They are written by people. People God loves and made provision for. I recognize that are conspiracies, conspirators and people who agree with them. Godly discernment is important. So are the words of our mouth. (I think I should invent a “word muffler” or something. You may be interested in reading my book, The Drones Of Heaven.)

Final thoughts
I have meditated on this quite a bit this morning. It is clear to me that this dream set provides a couple of warnings, some encouragement and exhortation and ought to provoke some dialog and conversation about what we are called to do.

• Professor Kane-it is not lost on me that this may in fact be spelled C-A-I-N. It means “possession” or “spear”.
• Channeling The News-I think each of us must take responsibility for what we say, what we quote from and the extent of our research.
• IDAHO-What our behavior entails and how we act.
• Young Lady-I think the young lady is representative of a people, who want to believe, want to do good, but require discernment and maturity.
• Watching what we say-I continue to believe that there is a growing need to use more wisdom in our conversations
• Witchcraft-Too often people fail to recognize that there is a power, that while we have authority over it, unsuspecting people can operate under its influence.

I believe overall this dream points very clearly to our understanding of what God is saying versus what others say and how we process it. Too often I hear people talking of things that a little simple research would reveal the error or the inaccuracy of the statement. It is time for the body of Christ to stop being reflective of the world’s news and message and to become formative with the message of Christ and His Gospel. Be a thermostat and not a thermometer. We have been empowered to carry this message and not be like Chicken Little declaring the falling of the sky.

For myself personally I am feeling the need to overcome the messages of darkness, doom and gloom and conspiratorial agendas.

For instance, these two headlines.

• Study: ObamaCare to increase ER visits-one must decide A) What one believes and where God would have you to stand. (Not everyone will stand in the same place.) B) What will you say or declare? C) Is it true? (Conceptually I would love to see everyone cared for but I personally disagree with the law.)

You and I will have to decide what we are going to say or repost.

• Study: Marijuana Overdoses Kill 37 in Colorado On First Day of …-one must decide A) What is your first thought? What is God saying? Will you rejoice, mourn or research. B) What would you say or declare? C) Is it true? No! (It is a hoax.)This was reposted at least 25 times on my timeline on Facebook by leaders and believers in the church, on both sides of the political aisle.

Believers ought to always respond with grace, love and honor, believing the best. (1 Corinthians 13:7 Philippians 4:8) We ought not get caught up in the latest fad. I read the news all the time and speak what God would have to say about the circumstance or situation. People do not have to freeze, die or be murdered when the kingdom is being established by grace-filled, discerning, loving believers.