My Wimber story doesn’t start at the beginning when I first met John (1982), but it starts a couple of years after John went home to be with Jesus (1997).
One night, I had a vivid dream that I can see as clearly today (2023) as when I woke up from it. In the dream, I was standing at the bottom of a small slope or hill. The hill was bare dirt and was covered all around with fruit trees. At the top of the hill was a small house. In the dream, I knew it was John Wimber’s house. Suddenly, I found myself in the house, sitting across from John. John didn’t look well at all; he seemed very depressed. I asked him, “John, what is wrong?” He replied, “It has been so long since I felt the Holy Spirit.” In the dream, I leaned forward, lightly touched him, and said, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Instantly I was back outside at the bottom of the hill looking up at his house through the fruit trees, only now the ground around the trees wasn’t bare dirt; it was covered with a vast multitude of children running in every direction playing war. Then I woke up.
For twenty-plus years I’ve carried a conviction that another wave of the Holy Spirit would come to a new generation, and John’s conviction that in the Kingdom, “everyone gets to play” would be taken up with zeal, faith, and great effectiveness worldwide again. John planted a vast orchard of fruit-bearing churches around the world, some with the label “Vineyard” but many with different labels, but they all grew from seeds Jesus gave to John to sow in our hearts and minds.
May those of us who have walked a while in this orchard renew our zeal and redouble our efforts to equip and support a new generation that is already beginning to hear Jesus’ call to come and follow him, just like we did so many years ago. They need us to recognize them and encourage and support them as they come in to take their place in the work of the Kingdom. They will carry the weight for the next season, but we need to pass along to them everything we have (at least, the good stuff) with our blessing and encouragement.
John Wimber and Mike Bickle are both great! Two of my heroes.
My Wimber story doesn’t start at the beginning when I first met John (1982), but it starts a couple of years after John went home to be with Jesus (1997).
One night, I had a vivid dream that I can see as clearly today (2023) as when I woke up from it. In the dream, I was standing at the bottom of a small slope or hill. The hill was bare dirt and was covered all around with fruit trees. At the top of the hill was a small house. In the dream, I knew it was John Wimber’s house. Suddenly, I found myself in the house, sitting across from John. John didn’t look well at all; he seemed very depressed. I asked him, “John, what is wrong?” He replied, “It has been so long since I felt the Holy Spirit.” In the dream, I leaned forward, lightly touched him, and said, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Instantly I was back outside at the bottom of the hill looking up at his house through the fruit trees, only now the ground around the trees wasn’t bare dirt; it was covered with a vast multitude of children running in every direction playing war. Then I woke up.
For twenty-plus years I’ve carried a conviction that another wave of the Holy Spirit would come to a new generation, and John’s conviction that in the Kingdom, “everyone gets to play” would be taken up with zeal, faith, and great effectiveness worldwide again. John planted a vast orchard of fruit-bearing churches around the world, some with the label “Vineyard” but many with different labels, but they all grew from seeds Jesus gave to John to sow in our hearts and minds.
May those of us who have walked a while in this orchard renew our zeal and redouble our efforts to equip and support a new generation that is already beginning to hear Jesus’ call to come and follow him, just like we did so many years ago. They need us to recognize them and encourage and support them as they come in to take their place in the work of the Kingdom. They will carry the weight for the next season, but we need to pass along to them everything we have (at least, the good stuff) with our blessing and encouragement.
Come, Holy Spirit