A dream about church foundations

12/21/22

The scene is in what feels like a church basement, like where potlucks would be held. It's not dark or stifling in any way. There is a small group of people around me, all of whom are familiar and trusted people. 

We are engaged in some sort of deliverance on behalf of a troubled man. This man is disturbed and agitated as we pray for him, but we don't seemed to be concerned about him as a threat to our safety. In other words, he's dangerous, but it doesn't bother us.

In fact, at one point he actually sort of hugs me from the back in such a way as to choke me, but I sort of casually tell him to release me and he does so immediately.

I then realize that there are 20 or 30 people at the perimeter of the large room observing what we are doing. I begin to address them in a teaching sort of way, explaining what we are doing and what's going to happen. I remember quoting Scriptures and explaining scriptural principles, moving around the perimeter of people as I speak. I remember feeling extremely comfortable with doing this, as if this is an opportunity to impart and edify.

As the small group of people continue to pray for the troubled man, I tell the people that they may wish to remove their children, as things are about to get messy. Some adults take the children upstairs.

I seem to have a moment of discernment, "This is a spirit of suicide."

That's when I wake up. As I wake up, two phrases are on my mind:

• We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God
• unfurl the banner of Christ over the house of God

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A trusted friend's interpretation:

Could be primarily personal, or apply to a present condition or an upcoming situation in the church that may come to bear on some part of my involvement. Perhaps like I'm in the middle of it, discerning it, or Holy Spirit is prepping me for something.

Church basements are foundational. The issues highlighted by the dream are fundamental spiritual situations or conditions affecting the foundation, or could come to bear on the foundation. Deliverance is happening in the basement, which is at the very base of the church, what it is that needs to be delivered at the foundational level.

Attitudes about church and the Bible. A fundamental: What if what the Bible says is true? Maybe seems like a silly question, but do we have a faith, or a religious spirit? If we have to pray 1000 times for someone's healing, will we persist in faith or acquiesce?

Demolishing arguments is the binding of religious spirits. Again, foundational.

Suicide is premature death, an acquiescence to death. Spirit is the opposite of death. 

There is teaching because people are witnessing something unusual that needs to be explained. Whatever is outside one's experience needs explanation.

The banner of Christ is the coming Glory, the proclamation of the reign of the King over the church. The banner is unfurled by prayers, worship, and faith. It is the overcoming of death.

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Relevant Scriptures:

2Co. 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Ex. 17:15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.

Nu. 2:2 The Israelites are to camp round the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.

Ps. 20:5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.

Is. 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Is. 62:10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.