Letter to the Vinelife Family

Post by Walt Roberson

Dear Vinelilfe,

Acts 2:17 (NASB)
'And it shall be in the last days,' God says,
'That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all MANKIND;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;

I’m about to turn 63 so I guess that places me solidly in the “old men” category! As confirmation, I recently had a dream about Vinelife and what the Lord is doing in our midst.

• We know we’re in an unstoppable move of His Spirit.
• We know we’re increasingly becoming an Equipping Church in the Kingdom.
• We know we’re in transition individually and corporately to embrace our identity and move in a Culture of Honor as we grow in intimacy with God, live in community and expand the Kingdom.
• We know many of us are seeking the Lord regarding finding our place in ministries that we want to start, strengthen or renew.
• We know there is a growing desire for genuine community in our midst.

So here’s the dream:

I was riding with the Heavenly Father in the Engine Car that was pulling a long string of pod cars filled with people from the Vinelife family. We were pulling up to a parking lot and the pod cars were lining up with the parking spaces beautifully. I was amazed how wonderfully they were lining up (thinking only God could do this) when I noticed that the pod car at the very end did not completely line up. In the dream I turned to the Father (our driver) and told Him that it wasn’t all lined up yet. (I guess we try to do this kind of thing even in our dreams!) He was not concerned or anxious about it. He didn’t even respond to me about it. So I got out and walked back to the end of the pod-car train. As I reached the back I noticed that some people couldn’t move from their parking space because they were blocked by the train; and they were angry and yelling at me! (Yes, that kind of thing happens even in my dreams!) I did my best to assure them that everything would be OK. “The Father is driving; just be patient.” I then went back to climb into the Engine Car with the Father and wait for Him to drive forward and line everything up. End of Dream.

I’m still waiting… How about you? I honestly don’t like to wait for Him to line everything up in my life, family and the church. I’m impatient in the waiting but learning through His dealings to rest and wait on Him. It takes maturity to wait. Adolescents can’t wait for life to “line up”. They’re impatient to finish school, get married, get on with their calling/vocation, etc. But there’s real value in waiting.
• Waiting on God releases POWER

Acts 1:4, 8 (NASB)
“And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; …
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

• Waiting on God gives us NEW STRENGTH.

Isaiah 40:31 (NASB)
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

As I reflect on why the Father would give me this dream I realize the dream is a confirmation of scripture the Lord gave me upon becoming the Senior Pastor at Vinelife.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)
“…And the government will rest on His shoulders;…
[7] There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,…
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

From Is. 9:6-7 and this dream I conclude the following for Vinelife:

• The government really IS on His shoulders!
• It may not always feel like it but the Father IS in charge/driving at Vinelife!
• We need to continue like the disciples in the upper room to wait and pray for the fulfillment of His promises to us. (See Vinelife 2011 Prayer Guide)
• We need to be patient in the waiting for Him to do all in His time. Don’t be angry (frustrated) if you’re one who’s being affected by the waiting. Be patient. (If you need help with this just ask Joyce to sing her “Be patient” song. She’s sung it to the kids and me for years! At least it seems to work on the kids)
• It is a process. He IS at work in us and He WILL complete it but we must wait on His timing for everything!

Grace to you!