The vision about the coverage over The Netherlands
As this November week is starting, I feel led to share a vision with you which the Lord has given me a few years ago. I haven't shared this vision often, only at some occasions, but now is the time to publish it publicly. Don't worry, this vision does not just apply to my nation. You can apply it to every other nation as well. First let me give you some introduction. Many times, I have shared my frustration and agony in regard to my own nation, The Netherlands. God knows the enormous struggle I've had with this nation, with its people and with having to live here. If it were up to my own desires, to my carnal flesh, I would have left this nation a long long time ago. Since we're being honest anyway, I can tell you that I was utterly disgusted by my nation and that I hated it. I agree, it wasn't a good attitude and I had to repent from it often.
At some point I even decided that we would move to Germany, a land that I have always loved. I'm not talking about its history, for that was despicable, but I'm talking about the Germany of now. My plan was to move to a German village, somewhere near the border with The Netherlands. As I was starting to look around and to plan it, I clearly heard the Lord say that this was not His will for me and that He wanted me to stay in The Netherlands. So, my reply was: "I'm going to try it anyway. I want to move out of this nation!" So, in His mercy, He allowed me to try. Needless to say, every attempt failed, and I was stuck in this nation.
Even more recent, that is last year, when we traveled to Israel, I wasn't planning to come back. While being there, I tried to get a job with a work visa there, but again every attempt failed. Until we met someone who told us that he could help me with a job, a visa and a home. At that point the Lord made it clear to me that he wanted me to go back. The remarkable thing was that at some point He did something in my heart, because of which I suddenly no longer minded going back. That had nothing to do with me!
The thing was that I had tried so much to see change coming, but nothing every changed. I was sure we could bring change to the Church in this nation, sure that hearts and minds of the people of this nation could be changed. Many people know about the thick spiritual coverage that is over this nation, which seems impossible to break through. I was sure I would find a way. But there were no visible results and I got disappointed. Even now, in our current situation, I can't even change my own situation, let alone more than that. It was incredibly frustrating to me. Then the Lord brought a vision back into my memory, that He had given me a few years ago. This is what He has showed me.
The Vision
In the vision I saw myself standing in the middle of a large map of The Netherlands. Above me I saw a very thick layer of what looked like clouds, but it was more like a dirty tough and hard substance. It looked impenetrable. This was a very vivid vision. As I was standing there, I was talking and shouting, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened. The coverage stayed in place. It didn't even move an inch! As this continued for a while, I saw myself just standing there, while my head dropped until my chin touched my chest. It was the image of utter disappointment and failure. There was nothing more I could do. But then I saw something remarkable.
Suddenly I saw how I lifted up my head and looked up. Then I saw how I pointed my finger at that dirty tough and hard substance, while I started to shout just this: "Jesus Christ reigns!" First it started a bit soft, but as I started to repeat this, it became louder and louder. "Jesus Christ reigns! Jesus Christ reigns! Jesus Christ reigns!" At the sound of these words, I suddenly noticed movement above me, and a very small hole appeared in that coverage, through which a small beam of light started to shine down. As I continued to shout these words, that hole became wider and wider, until it became a huge gap, through which I could see a clear blue sky above me. The coverage wasn't able to withstand the rulership of Jesus Christ.
When the gap was wide enough, I suddenly noticed how an angel ascended from behind me, towards that gap. In his hand he had a small scroll and I knew that these were my prayers. He went all the way up, through that gap and much higher and higher, out of my sight. Then I was lifted a little bit, so I could see what was happening on top of these clouds. There I saw several angels, blowing on huge trumpets. Then the vision ended.
Give it up
In the years after this vision I have thought about it a lot. I believe the Lord is challenging me, challenging us, to give it all up. To give up the strong urge to control, organize and plan everything. To seek His presence, to wait and to be quiet. Yes, I believe Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is telling us: "Establish My rulership over your nation. Let go of your own attempts, your own desires and your own control. Hand it over to Me and I will do it!"
From the book of Ezra - and several other places in the Bible - we see that the singers always go before the army, showing us the importance of thanksgiving, praise and worship, as is also shown in Psalm 100. This is the reason why my focus has been on worship for so long and why we have organized several worship events in the past. I still think it is one of the most important things! The rulership of Jesus Christ can be established through thanksgiving, praise and worship, for with that we are offering Him a throne to reign from. It can also be done through proclamation, as I was doing in the vision that God showed me. But it is all USELESS without giving up our control, without yielding. It is useless to seek His presence, when we hold on to our urge to control, organize and plan everything, for the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman and will simply withdraw and let us have our own way. O the time that is wasted by this attitude...
Many Christian leaders - in particular the Charismatic leaders - are painting us a picture perfect with 3, 5, 7, 12 steps to whatever kind of perfect life and/or freedom. As long as you follow the steps, you'll get there. As long as you try hard enough, you'll get there. But you've got to be determined. You've got to really want it. That's what they're telling you. If that would truly be the case, then tell me why we haven't had an authentic move of the Spirit, an outpouring of Holy Ghost Fire, in the last few hundred years? Instead we'd rather hang on to our urge to control, our urge to organize, our urge to plan everything. By doing that, we're doing the one thing that is preventing a true move of the Spirit to happen: We are running ahead of God, using our own limited knowledge and insight.
God is not seeking the perfect evangelical smiles; He's looking for the broken and the wounded. God is not looking for Christian leaders who are full of themselves; He's looking for those who have emptied themselves. God is not looking for leaders who know it all; He's looking for those who dare to admit they know nothing! For true wisdom is humble. God is not looking for those who claim to have the solution; He's looking for those who dare to admit they have no solution. Our nation is spiritually dead. We don't need more religion, more rules or more control! We need Someone Who is able to bring the dead back to life! For that we have to reach the end of our abilities. For that we need to be willing to give it all up. Give up your urge to control! Give up your urge to organize everything! Give up your urge to plan everything! Give up your pride! Give up your stubbornness! Yes, for you to be able to do that, you'll need all the help God is offering you. To give it all up is not a one-time decision, it's a process. You will fall, but you will rise and continue! You will fall again, but you'll rise and continue. It will go through a lot of trouble. For this you'll need determination indeed. And then, when His work in you in completed, you will stand. But then you will see that the reason you're standing had nothing to do with you.
Let Jesus Christ have His rulership over us. Remember, He will never share His rulership. It's either you or Him in control. You decide. The choice is ours. When we are empty of ourselves, then He can fill us completely. THIS IS NOT AN ACCUSATION! IT'S AN INVITATION! You've seen the results of the last few hundred years in The Netherlands. I'm not satisfied with that. Not at all. I won't settle for anything less then the full gospel, with all the power that goes along with it, as the Bible so clearly shows us. I want to see His true love in action. I want to see the broken being restored, the sick being healed, the suffering being delivered! To be a disciple of Jesus is to be willing to give it all up, to die to your own ambitions, to reach the point of brokenness, to share in His suffering, to take on His heart and to surrender everything to the One Who makes all things new. We are the instrument in His hand, never the other way around.
At some point I even decided that we would move to Germany, a land that I have always loved. I'm not talking about its history, for that was despicable, but I'm talking about the Germany of now. My plan was to move to a German village, somewhere near the border with The Netherlands. As I was starting to look around and to plan it, I clearly heard the Lord say that this was not His will for me and that He wanted me to stay in The Netherlands. So, my reply was: "I'm going to try it anyway. I want to move out of this nation!" So, in His mercy, He allowed me to try. Needless to say, every attempt failed, and I was stuck in this nation.
Even more recent, that is last year, when we traveled to Israel, I wasn't planning to come back. While being there, I tried to get a job with a work visa there, but again every attempt failed. Until we met someone who told us that he could help me with a job, a visa and a home. At that point the Lord made it clear to me that he wanted me to go back. The remarkable thing was that at some point He did something in my heart, because of which I suddenly no longer minded going back. That had nothing to do with me!
The thing was that I had tried so much to see change coming, but nothing every changed. I was sure we could bring change to the Church in this nation, sure that hearts and minds of the people of this nation could be changed. Many people know about the thick spiritual coverage that is over this nation, which seems impossible to break through. I was sure I would find a way. But there were no visible results and I got disappointed. Even now, in our current situation, I can't even change my own situation, let alone more than that. It was incredibly frustrating to me. Then the Lord brought a vision back into my memory, that He had given me a few years ago. This is what He has showed me.
The Vision
In the vision I saw myself standing in the middle of a large map of The Netherlands. Above me I saw a very thick layer of what looked like clouds, but it was more like a dirty tough and hard substance. It looked impenetrable. This was a very vivid vision. As I was standing there, I was talking and shouting, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened. The coverage stayed in place. It didn't even move an inch! As this continued for a while, I saw myself just standing there, while my head dropped until my chin touched my chest. It was the image of utter disappointment and failure. There was nothing more I could do. But then I saw something remarkable.
Suddenly I saw how I lifted up my head and looked up. Then I saw how I pointed my finger at that dirty tough and hard substance, while I started to shout just this: "Jesus Christ reigns!" First it started a bit soft, but as I started to repeat this, it became louder and louder. "Jesus Christ reigns! Jesus Christ reigns! Jesus Christ reigns!" At the sound of these words, I suddenly noticed movement above me, and a very small hole appeared in that coverage, through which a small beam of light started to shine down. As I continued to shout these words, that hole became wider and wider, until it became a huge gap, through which I could see a clear blue sky above me. The coverage wasn't able to withstand the rulership of Jesus Christ.
When the gap was wide enough, I suddenly noticed how an angel ascended from behind me, towards that gap. In his hand he had a small scroll and I knew that these were my prayers. He went all the way up, through that gap and much higher and higher, out of my sight. Then I was lifted a little bit, so I could see what was happening on top of these clouds. There I saw several angels, blowing on huge trumpets. Then the vision ended.
Give it up
In the years after this vision I have thought about it a lot. I believe the Lord is challenging me, challenging us, to give it all up. To give up the strong urge to control, organize and plan everything. To seek His presence, to wait and to be quiet. Yes, I believe Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is telling us: "Establish My rulership over your nation. Let go of your own attempts, your own desires and your own control. Hand it over to Me and I will do it!"
From the book of Ezra - and several other places in the Bible - we see that the singers always go before the army, showing us the importance of thanksgiving, praise and worship, as is also shown in Psalm 100. This is the reason why my focus has been on worship for so long and why we have organized several worship events in the past. I still think it is one of the most important things! The rulership of Jesus Christ can be established through thanksgiving, praise and worship, for with that we are offering Him a throne to reign from. It can also be done through proclamation, as I was doing in the vision that God showed me. But it is all USELESS without giving up our control, without yielding. It is useless to seek His presence, when we hold on to our urge to control, organize and plan everything, for the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman and will simply withdraw and let us have our own way. O the time that is wasted by this attitude...
Many Christian leaders - in particular the Charismatic leaders - are painting us a picture perfect with 3, 5, 7, 12 steps to whatever kind of perfect life and/or freedom. As long as you follow the steps, you'll get there. As long as you try hard enough, you'll get there. But you've got to be determined. You've got to really want it. That's what they're telling you. If that would truly be the case, then tell me why we haven't had an authentic move of the Spirit, an outpouring of Holy Ghost Fire, in the last few hundred years? Instead we'd rather hang on to our urge to control, our urge to organize, our urge to plan everything. By doing that, we're doing the one thing that is preventing a true move of the Spirit to happen: We are running ahead of God, using our own limited knowledge and insight.
God is not seeking the perfect evangelical smiles; He's looking for the broken and the wounded. God is not looking for Christian leaders who are full of themselves; He's looking for those who have emptied themselves. God is not looking for leaders who know it all; He's looking for those who dare to admit they know nothing! For true wisdom is humble. God is not looking for those who claim to have the solution; He's looking for those who dare to admit they have no solution. Our nation is spiritually dead. We don't need more religion, more rules or more control! We need Someone Who is able to bring the dead back to life! For that we have to reach the end of our abilities. For that we need to be willing to give it all up. Give up your urge to control! Give up your urge to organize everything! Give up your urge to plan everything! Give up your pride! Give up your stubbornness! Yes, for you to be able to do that, you'll need all the help God is offering you. To give it all up is not a one-time decision, it's a process. You will fall, but you will rise and continue! You will fall again, but you'll rise and continue. It will go through a lot of trouble. For this you'll need determination indeed. And then, when His work in you in completed, you will stand. But then you will see that the reason you're standing had nothing to do with you.
Let Jesus Christ have His rulership over us. Remember, He will never share His rulership. It's either you or Him in control. You decide. The choice is ours. When we are empty of ourselves, then He can fill us completely. THIS IS NOT AN ACCUSATION! IT'S AN INVITATION! You've seen the results of the last few hundred years in The Netherlands. I'm not satisfied with that. Not at all. I won't settle for anything less then the full gospel, with all the power that goes along with it, as the Bible so clearly shows us. I want to see His true love in action. I want to see the broken being restored, the sick being healed, the suffering being delivered! To be a disciple of Jesus is to be willing to give it all up, to die to your own ambitions, to reach the point of brokenness, to share in His suffering, to take on His heart and to surrender everything to the One Who makes all things new. We are the instrument in His hand, never the other way around.