Today I’m continuing with the Heart of the Matter series with part five: Reviving the Heart, by discussing two dreams and what the Holy Spirit revealed about them. If you listened to the messages up to this point, and grasp how much God loves you (John 3:16), how He is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31), this message reveals how we can extend God’s heart toward others.
In the first dream, I watched TV with a friend or neighbor who was unrecognizable because he was a skeleton—eyes bulging, skin clinging to bone, no lips, and I was chilly. I believe the Lord revealed this represents many in the church—their love has grown cold toward the Lord.
At one point, they were introduced to Christ and lived somewhat in the faith, but let the weeds or cares of this world overwhelm them. They are dying. I looked at my body and I was willing to offer some ‘fat’ to help bring him back to life. This was an offering of faith, because these people had ‘just enough life’ to choose the refreshing flood of the Holy Spirit’s presence, or not.
When I asked my friend how he was doing, he responded he was sick of everyone asking, rolled his eyes and said he was fine. The revelation of this was ‘forced’ Christianity pressed upon people.
As I sought the Lord for the meaning and interpretation of this dream, I believe He said,
“BEHOLD! I shall do a NEW thing! It will be revealed when the time comes for Me to pour out My Glory!”
The dream came November 2023, and His Spirit brought it to remembrance—a year later. This is a telling sign the event is imminent.
This segued into another dream I received that night. I found myself underground in what appeared to be a basement. It was dark and heaps of dirt and debris covered the floor as I walked through what looked like a broken door frame. I felt fearful, but with the presence of the Lord, I pushed forward with my flashlight, determined to find what I was looking for.
Here’s what I believe the Lord shared with me:
“Shannon, although you harbored a twinge of fear, I strengthened you. Taking what you had on hand—your cell phone—you used the flashlight when dropped into the sudden situation, as a tool to ‘look’ around the deep, dark places.
“This represents My body (God’s people) willing to walk in the darkness, into places to rescue people overcome by evil forces and shine a light—My light—upon them. Even though your phone was your everyday tool, I used it supernaturally, for My purposes.
“Behold! I shall do a new thing! I will create miracles and wonders with what you have on hand. All My prophets and people—but not only they—shall be blessed from it. So shall unbelievers be blessed. But their witness of it will overcome them, and I shall usher more people into My Kingdom.”
What is this new thing to behold? I believe the Lord is telling us His Spirit is about to move in a powerful way that we’ve never seen or experienced before. And along with it—signs, miracles, and wonders.
After a prompting to look-up scriptures with the word "Behold," Micah 1:2-3 caught my attention. I discussed it in the crossover message a few weeks ago and the ESV translation says, “Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.”
God is moving, and I believe He’s coming in a way we’ve never seen, to knock out the evil that has exalted itself over Him—in other words—tear down the high places.
How is He going to do that? The other verse brought to my attention was Jude 1:14-15: “it was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgement on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’”
Upon seeking the meaning of the dream, the Holy Spirit revealed He’s using my phone as a means to spread His light in the darkness to deliver these messages of hope. I received this dream four months prior to starting this channel, and its purpose wasn’t revealed until making this video!
Many people have stopped looking for hope and healing by seeking the church. Bad experiences or certain scenarios have turned them off. It’s not all churches, but I’m referring to those preaching doom, gloom, and condemnation—anything that doesn’t offer hope, peace, and restoration through the love of Christ.
So, I’m releasing videos in an unconventional way—not preaching from a pulpit, but searching for people who need God’s light, love, mercy, and grace—on this platform.
This thing to behold—God coming to tread on the high places and judge the wicked—That’s not for believers. They are saved by grace, and His mercy is new every morning. So, if I mess up, I repent. I ask for forgiveness, and He restores me. God uses imperfect people (like me) to bring opportunities for others to receive His saving grace through Christ, just like He offered me. God loved us while we were still sinners. He sent His Son as a sacrifice to pay for those sins, (Romans 5:8) and now that Christ ascended and sits at the right hand of God the Father, He sends His Spirit to help us be His representatives on the earth.
I then believe God brought me to the verse in Jude—He’s partnering with His people to be light in the darkness and reach people that desperately need truth, hope, healing, and love but don’t know where to find it.
If you feel a tug on your heart, God is trying to get your attention. He’s trying to draw you to Himself and show you the perfect plan He destined for you. If this speaks to you, I encourage you to start your journey right now. Download the Prayer of Salvation, located on this website. God will meet you right where you are.
There is a time coming—and it may be right now because I record these weeks in advance—when you must choose a side. There’s only two. You either accept God or reject Him. There’s no straddling the fence or staying lukewarm. God’s Spirit is here, and either you’re under His protection when you chose Christ, or you’re susceptible to the constant barrage of attacks from the wiles of the devil.
But don’t mistake this for the judgment God is bringing against the wicked—that’s different. Therefore, when you hear such a message, pause and listen—it’s a chance to rekindle your faith if you strayed or to come to Christ while He can still be found (Isaiah 55:6 NLT). People who want grace and mercy must act when the opportunity presents itself (Romans 10:9-10). We don’t know how many chances we’ll get since we don’t know what tomorrow brings (James 4:14).
But what about those who don’t hear this message and won’t walk into a church? You’re likely surrounded by them. They exist in every circle, every age, and walk of life. I know because I lived like this (Ephesians 5:8-11 GNT). But once we’re saved or reignite our faith, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us and through us, for God to reach these people.
Jude 1:22-23 says: “and you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
Verse 22 shows we, as believers, need to approach some with a gentle word to show them God’s truth and encourage them to come to the Lord. But verse 23 shows some need to be torn out of the clutches of the enemy. They don’t know they’re perishing, so we need to go after them with perseverance. These are friends, family, coworkers, and those close to us, who confide in us, looking for support and help. Are you going to let them go into destruction without a fight?
Jude 1:5-7 says these people will be destroyed. God is love, but He’s also holy. His holiness does not allow Him to tolerate sin—it must be dealt with (Nahum 1:3a). So, if unsaved people experience tumultuous situations and everything is upside down for them, interject with God’s hope through Christ’s love. Don’t be timid about sharing the good news about Christ that can help rescue them (2 Timothy 1:7).
Jude 1:5 says, “…the Lord once rescued the people of Israel from Egypt, but afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
Even after seeing the parting of the Red Sea, walking through on dry ground, and watching the waters overcome Pharoah and his army—this wasn’t enough for some to believe it was God. Seeing doesn’t mean believing! That’s why it’s so important for us to point out how much God loves the broken and hurting people in our life and help them understand God loves them.
You are in a unique position to bring them this opportunity of hope, love, and forgiveness God granted to you. So, if you’ve made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and you want those you love to experience the same, share your testimony (1 Peter 3:15-16 GNT). It will change hearts (Luke 8:39 ESV, Revelation 12:11 NASB). God will work through you and give you the power to say and do what is necessary to change their life (Luke 12:12).
If you need a quick resource, I’ve packaged the gospel in a short PDF document you can download from this website titled: “Share the Good News in Less than 5 min.” This takes the guesswork out of finding the right words to say to introduce people to the healing and redemptive power of Christ. I’ve done it for you—just download and send it! It will change their life FOREVER. In this life (John 10:10a NIV) and the next (1 John 5:11 NIV)!
Because the Lord shows us mercy and forgiveness, He wants us to do the same for others (Ephesians 4:32 NLT). We are not to judge or turn anyone away from God’s salvation. It doesn’t matter where they’ve been or what they’ve done—we love them by showing them Jesus’ love (John 13:34-35 NLV). And because we repent and God continuously forgives us (1 John 1:9 ESV), we are to do the same for the lost and broken around us—which is the skeleton sitting next to me on the couch in the dream—signifying the people we once were (Ephesians 2:1-5 NLV, 2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Believers must accept people the same way Christ did—he welcomed and ate with sinners (Matthew 9:10-13). He came for the sick and brokenhearted. These people need hope, healing, restoration. Above all, they need love. They need to know their Creator—God the Father—is just waiting to carry their burdens and care for them when they come to Him through Jesus. Give people the greatest opportunity of this life and beyond by extending Christ’s love and a future with hope and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11).
If you feel you’ll have a hard time reaching someone, a book by Cindy McGill titled, Words that Work, is a great resource to approach a person or situation in a way that won’t make them shut down or turn them off. This author is a powerhouse—she goes into places to reach people who desperately need God’s love and brings the healing and transformative power of Jesus.
I hope this inspires you to do just that. For yourself, if you haven’t accepted Christ yet, or to help others who need His hope and healing.
Until next week, I hope this message blessed you and motivated you to live your faith and live your BEST life!
If you love that I’m sharing the gospel and you want to help this effort, please consider becoming a patron. Find me at: patreon.com/LiveYourFaith.
If you would like to watch the video of this message, CLICK HERE.