The Condition of Today’s American Church – Explosive Prophetic Dream
By Joanie Stahl
Introduction
This powerful dream was given to me back on July 29, 2017. The Lord recently gave me clear instruction that I was no longer to keep this to myself, for it is not mine to hold. This dream is so powerful, there may be many more layers that the Lord may reveal to you. As always, take all things to the Lord in prayer.
Dream
My dream began with me walking in a beautiful garden-like setting with the same man (heavenly representative) that I have seen in most of my dreams from God. We were walking together towards what was an open door church setting. I somehow knew I had been invited to attend this church by the Pastor. I cannot say how I knew, but I just knew.
I was very familiar with the location. It is an area of big beautiful glass and steel buildings, nestled in the wealthy, pristine heart of the town I used to live in.
As we approached, I saw white chairs all so perfectly lined up in rows. I saw people that were well dressed and well to do, all assembling to their seats. Everything was perfect.
The setting was outside of some towering buildings, nestled between them in the lush, elegant gardens. We sat down towards the back row as the Pastor began to speak. I did not pay too much attention to what he was saying because for some reason his speech was muted, and not for any lack of sound equipment.
Just then, the man that I was with spoke to me and said, “Get up, let’s go.” We both stood up and started moving through the isle where we had been seated. It felt strange to stand up and walk away during the service that had just began, but I did as he said.
Then the scene immediately changed.
Instantly, we were both walking towards another church service that had commenced right up ahead. We were clearly in another place. As we approached, we saw that there was an enormous tent set up. It had no sides. There was only a top covering and old posts holding it up all around. A well-worn tent looked as if it had seen many days.
When we arrived, there were hundreds of people gathered together under the tent, and everyone was standing. No one was sitting because there were no chairs. It was filled with so many people that they were standing thickly beyond the circumference of the top covering, well beyond the posts that held up the tent roof. I saw that all these people were very poor. Yet, I could see that they were so happy to be there and did not care about having to stand.
Where we had arrived, we came upon a fence made up of chicken wire. I looked left and right, trying to find an opening so we could enter and join in where all the people were; however, I saw no such entrance. I decided that it was fine to just stand on the outside of the wall of chicken wire and watch from that vantage point.
Far up in the front, I looked and noticed a black man preaching. I knew he was a Pastor and that he was preaching to everyone. I reasoned that because we had arrived late, and there was no more room within or on the outside the tent where all the people were. Those of us outside had no choice but to stand in this area that was sanctioned off from all who were inside the tent.
The man asked me, “Do you know why you are here?”
I answered, “Yes, the Pastor invited me to come.”
I watched as the Pastor spoke. I could clearly hear what he was saying even though I was way in the back and there was no sound equipment or speakers. They did not have these things because they were poor people. Regardless, I could hear him preaching the gospel with a loud voice. I then said to the man, “I wonder if the Pastor even knows that I am here? I wonder if he sees me or if he will come and talk with me if he does?”
Right after I said that, the scene immediately changed again.
It shifted from broad daylight to total darkness – a thick, black darkness. The tent area where we were standing had now transformed into a prison. The man and I were still standing in the exact same spot, still on the outside of the chicken wire.
The place where we stood was pitch black. In fact, the entire tent area that once housed everyone was suddenly enclosed by chicken wire, closing it in. I noticed that barricades were added all around it. There was no opening for entrance, and there were no more people.
As the man and I stood there peering into the prison tent area, a door opened from within at the left of the enclosed tent. The Pastor that was preaching in the beginning, walked out into the area dressed in prison clothes. Prior to this, he was wearing a nice ironed shirt and a vest. He walked straight over to where the man and I were standing.
He stood right in front of my face. His eyes were so piercing; so powerfully penetrating as he stood there staring into my eyes. He did not utter a word. He did not need to. He stood there with those powerfully piercing eyes and I knew exactly what those eyes were verbalizing to me.
He was showing and telling me that he was suffering; that everyone was suffering. As he continued to communicate that way, I looked behind him and the door opened up again. Now, many men were coming in and they too were all wearing prison clothing.
I marveled that we were the only ones standing on the outside in the dark. Yet, where all the prisoners were located within the prison tent, they were all walking around in light. I did not see a light source, as I looked around and wondered about it. It was clearly not a light shining from without the prison tent. All about the entire outside perimeter of the tent was pitch black…Nothing but solid darkness.
I realized that there was only light within the prison tent. I stared in that area and studied to figure out what kind of light it was. It was exactly the same type of amber light that only fire gives off. It was the unmistakable light of fire, and yet I could see no viewable source anywhere in which it was radiating from. It was only all light, full of light, but only within the prison.
I knew that all these men were mighty Christian men now arrested and in prison.
I feel very strongly to reiterate how I heard the message coming from the Pastor with piercing eyes. As I said, though he never spoke a word, it was much more potent than any words could express. I received this message from him:
“Please, help us! We are suffering here! Please, please, help us! And I knew that he was begging for prayer. Still there is no possibility to adequately express the way I was receiving it… No earthly way.
As the man was communicating to me, suddenly, the most potent, powerful presence of the Holy Spirit filled up the entire prison where he and the men were, as well as upon me. It was so powerful that I lifted up my hands and looking up I said, “Oh God, the power of the Holy Spirit is here!”
The power of the presence of the Lord was so thick I could barely speak. I could barely take it bodily. It was surrounding the man and coming through the man. His message to me was delivered to my spirit like a spear into me heart. It had that kind of force of power.
Again, the scene changed.
Now it was back to day. We were still standing in that same spot that we were in the beginning when we arrived, and where we stood outside that tent prison.
In that moment, we saw a train of strollers being pushed by prison workers traveling past us. As they went by us one by one, I looked into each one of the strollers and saw babies. Their ages ranged from infancy to toddler. Each one was crying very loudly and all were very afraid.
I also noticed that in each one of their little hands was a piece of bread. If it was an infant, some sort of a little tiny bit of bread was in its hand. The older ones held bigger pieces of bread and were holding either little bowls or plates of bread.
Just then, the imprisoned Pastor that communicated with me earlier sprang forward and begged the prison workers that were pushing the strollers to please let him have a few seconds with each little one that was crying.
It was also then that I knew, and realized, that these little ones were going away to be killed. I saw that the Pastor knew this and this is why he wanted a couple of seconds with each one. The prison workers allowed him to do it. They stood by quietly and coldly.
The Pastor then passed quickly from stroller to stroller, and either knelt down or bent down very low to get his face into where the babies were sitting or lying. I watched as he placed his right hand on each little face. He spoke to each one in words of love. I could not hear anything he said because he was speaking only to each little one. The message was for them alone.
As he spoke to each one, again the power of the love of God flooded over each baby. It was so powerful that all I can say is that it was otherworldly. It was from another world. After which each baby or little one stopped crying. The power of the presence of God was potent upon and among the little ones and the Pastor, just as it was in the prison, among the prisoners, and upon me.
Then the Pastor then did something strange.
After he had spoken these words of love from God to each one, he lifted up each little hand that held the bread, and he tenderly kissed the little pieces of bread, and laid the hands of the babies down again.
I have to say, that same powerful Spirit of the love of Jesus Christ that was pumping in the prison, all around me and through the Pastor, was pumping again in full power. It was as if the Lord, through that man, was giving those babies the power of the endless life before they were to die. I noticed that their countenances had been altered. They all had appearances of glory, as if they were already in glory… already transported there. I saw that the Lord had given each of these little ones a power that would see them through their death in the power of great peace from heaven.
Though they were little babies, they looked unphased. As each one passed by, they had a look of such heavenly light and beauty from above. They were wrapped in the power of peace and light. They did not even look like they were earthly any longer. I could literally see the power of God made manifest upon them.
Then all the babies were taken away.
The scene changed again.
Now we were now back at the beginning where we started. The heavenly representative and I were walking back to that open-air church at the beautiful, lush, elegant garden area between enormous glass and steel buildings.
The two chairs we previously sat in were still open. No one was sitting in them. As we sat down, I realized that the church service was now ending and all the people were getting up and leaving their seats.
I said to the man who was with me, “Oh, now the church service is over and I know the Pastor invited me. He probably saw that we left.” We sat there still because I felt bad that we had left and came back at the end.
Right then, the Pastor appeared standing in front of us looking down at us. I looked up at him. He was tall and wore a wig. It was a George Washington style wig. I wondered about the wig and why he wore it.
He spoke a few words to me that I cannot remember, but I know he invited me into his office. We went into his big office and he sat at a large table. We stood near the door, a ways from the table. He began to play a recording of his sermons and tried to get us to stay and listen. He wanted to show us things he had on his table. The strange thing is, though the sermon was playing, I still could not hear it. It remained a mumbling sound and I could not discern it.
I showed no interest in any of it. I just wanted to go. It was as if he was trying to sell me something special, something only the by his choice the privileged was offered. The more I showed no interest, the more he kept trying to get me to pay attention to it. I felt that he was surprised that I was not interested in such a big offer that he wanted to give me. He was shocked that I was walking away from it.
Suddenly, I was motioned to go by the man that was with me. We turned and left.
End
Interpretation
As in most all my dreams, the man, the heavenly representative, was with me. I take it that he is there for two reasons. Not only will he show me things unseen, but also he will bear witness of them. In the first scene, we were both walking in an area I know to be of the ultra-wealthy in the town I recently resided in. I know this well. The dream began in the epicenter of commerce and prestige; therefore, this over emphasized all that was shown to me. It ensured a contrast and comparison to what I would be shown later.
The first church service, strangely nestled in between these monolith towers and lush, elegant gardens, along with the pristine white chairs and well to do people dressed in beautiful clothing, was meant to show me how God sees the church here in America, in a Laodicean setting.
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that though mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.” ~ Revelation 3:17-18, KJV.
This is two-fold. Though the Pastor’s words were dead, the Body that sat to receive his words were spiritually dead. The Body has become “the sheep of their shepherd”. The complacency, lack, and acceptance of sin by the leader of the church has followed in the same manner in the congregation. The sheep will transform and follow the example of its shepherd. The cares of this world have overtaken the business of the Kingdom as priority.
I was in a sort of wonder why I was there. Never of myself would I have any reason to be in that area, nor would I ever attend a church service there or like it. I only knew somehow that I accepted an invitation from the presiding Pastor to attend. I somehow knew I only accepted to be polite.
We sat down in one of the back rows because I felt comfortable there. When the Pastor began speaking, it was only a mumbling sound. I could not hear or perceive what he was saying at all. The amount of people that were at this outdoor church was not large at all. I should have had no problem hearing him, though I struggled anyway. I knew this to be a wealthy church. The Pastor was not void of sound equipment. Yet, I really struggled, trying to make out what he said.
Though we sat in the back, there was no reason I should not have been able to hear him. I believe this represents the powerlessness of church. The people sat there listening, but it was muted and mumbling. It had a deadness to it, no life at all. I sat there politely. That is when the man that was with me said, “Get up! Let’s go!”
The uneasy feeling of standing up and moving through the aisle to leave, made me self-conscious. In a sense, I also felt embarrassed because it did not feel polite to do so. However, the man that was with me showed no embarrassment or shame in this whatsoever. I promptly obeyed due to his tone and strength.
The second part of the dream that changed immediately was clear. We were obviously in another part of a third world impoverished nation.
Just as in the first part of the dream in walking towards the outdoor church service, we were now walking towards another one. This one was already in session. This showed me that the Gospel being preached is ongoing and not controlled by time or place.
The chicken wire served as a type of makeshift wall. The tent did not have sides to it, but only an old, dirty canvas top held up by old pieces of wood. This stood in stark contrast to the beautiful, pristine outdoor church service in America. There the Pastor was on a schedule and the location luxurious, boasting of pomp, wealth, and religious pedigree.
The contrast comparison was then set. The Lord revealed to me two settings made of somewhat the same effects; yet, He strongly made known what He wanted me to see – that there are two churches in view. One church is dead while the other is alive.
The church here has the embellishments of the church in Sardis.
“And unto the angel of the Church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt no watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou has few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” ~ Revelation 3:1-4, KJV.
There was no opening anywhere to get into the already ongoing church service. I felt that the time to try to find it would waste the time that I wanted to hear the gospel being preached. Because I felt that we were already late, I chose to stay at the chicken wire fence in the very back.
It was in the tone of being a good teacher that the man asked me if I knew why I was there. I knew that this was learning time. I answered that it was because the Pastor invited me. I was invited by Pastors I had never met before. Therefore, I believe the reason I was there had nothing to do with their invitations, but because the Chief Shepherd invited me. That being the Lord Jesus Christ and I went at His behest. After all, He is the “Head of the Church”. (Colossians 1:18).
There were hundreds of people at this service. It overflowed beyond the tent perimeters. They were all standing because there were no chairs. They were packed in tightly and there was eager happiness. They remained unphased in having no chairs or beautiful surroundings. They were dressed very poor, practically in rags.
I was standing in the back and could see a black man preaching the gospel, and yet I could hear him well, even without sound equipment. His voice was strong and his countenance powerful. This stood out to me that he was heard because he was full of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Pastor in the American church had all the sound equipment and wealth, yet was not heard because he had no power from on High. It was dead mumbling.
In addition, I believe the poor Pastor wore the nice shirt and vest was his way to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in a beautiful respect. His clothes were nice, but not expensive clothing.
The scene that suddenly changed from day to pitch black darkness is the Powers of Darkness and how they overtake a land or nation all at once. Although, it is not so much that they come in suddenly without any warning. I am a strong adherent of the belief that these Powers of Darkness have long term planning and are seen doing so throughout generations to those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
When they come in simultaneously, it is no surprise to the ready, trained, and disciplined Believer in Christ Jesus. Those that are truly the Lord’s live day and night in the Spirit. There is not a day or night that they are not sojourning in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. They see themselves dead in this world, and fully alive in the person of Jesus Christ in heavenly places.
We did not change positions when the scene changed, but again stood in the same location as when we got to this outdoor church. I believe this was a teacher/student dream and the necessity was to observe at this point.
It was evident the Lord showed me the Persecuted Church when the tent area filled with hundreds of Believers turned into a makeshift prison. Being in church in these nations is the most dangerous place that the Christian can be in. The prison that was once an outdoor tent church was now a barricaded prison.
I believe this shows cost of being a Christian. Yet, when I think about it, the whole Persecuted Church was still full of people happy to stand and hear the gospel with the threat of imprisonment.
It was only darkness outside of the church tent turned prison. There was light only within the walls (chicken wire and barricades) of the makeshift prison. The Pastor that first came out was in prison clothes. He came directly to us out of the door within the prison because I was brought there to receive his message. This door represents the great suffering they have to pass through when choosing to serve the Lord by pure raw faith.
The Pastor came straight over to me because the Lord brought me to this place to get a direct message from him alone. Yet, I know that the message was from the Lord to me. He had to bring me there to show me everything so I could feel it. I am to take the message from the Pastor and share it with the American Church.
The Pastor uttered no words. If he did, no matter how much emotional emphasis he would have placed in his message, it would have paled in comparison to his communicating to me in the power of the Holy Spirit. I could hear in the most otherworldly, powerful way what he said so sharply and clearly, though I could hear no earthly words.
Because of the suffering, the thick presence of the Holy Spirit accompanied the Pastor as I heard his pleas for help. It was almost too much for me to handle. I could only do what I believe the people in heaven do when they see Him. They can only cry aloud of His glory, which was all I was able to do.
In essence, God was witnessing to me of what He was showing me. That He hears their cries for mercy, but in America, we do not. The men that were coming in after the Pastor were all dressed in the same prison clothes, and as they came in, they did so peacefully. They exhibited no fear at all. They individually strolled around the prison quietly, heads bowed, I am sure praying. I notice that although there was nothing but pitch-black darkness all around the outside of the makeshift church tent prison, within there was light.
That light only stayed within the prison and did not even shine out of it, not even one inch where the man and stood. I looked for the source of the light within the prison but it was an empty space, not even a chair. I looked up and down, and all around. No candle, no electric light source, nothing. I saw that it was not a light put out by electricity; it was a golden, amber light that only a fire produced.
I saw no fire, and still the light burned only in the prison and nowhere else. As I watched those men that entered, I knew they were mighty men of God and I thought of Daniel in the lion’s den. This must have looked something similar. I also knew then that this light was the light of heaven; the fire light of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit that they were kept by.
The scene changing again was sudden. We still stood in the exact location as before. Night became day. I looked a saw a line of baby strollers pushed by obvious prison workers. The children ranged from infant to toddler and they were all crying and screaming in fear. Each of them held a piece of bread, the size according to their age.
This bread is representative of Jesus Christ that He is with them in suffering and in death. He is the Bread of Life. A symbol of His being with the little ones that are innocent.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51, KJV
I wondered about this and what was happening. We stood so close to the line of strollers that as they went by, I could perfectly see each and every little one. I noticed that the prison was now filled with people. As the strollers went by, I saw the Pastor tearing through from among the prisoners, running to the prison guards pushing the strollers. His hands waved in the air as he cried out. He approached the prison guards as he begging them to please let him have a few seconds with babies.
That is when I knew that these little ones were going away to be executed. The prison guards permitted him to do so as they stood coldly by. He bent into each little stroller, but I could not hear him. I knew what he spoke to each was a Word empowered by God’s love from above. The infants immediately stopped crying. The Pastor comforted them by stroking their brows with his right hand, which symbolizes the beautiful right hand of God.
When he kissed the bread, it was his way of kissing the Lord…of loving and thanking the Lord for His great and tender mercies. The countenances of the babies and toddlers were completely altered. I saw that their faces now glowed with another light, and they had the look of glorified saints in power. They were strong and this power of an almighty peace was now upon their faces. I knew that, as best as I can explain that they were in a sense, already in heaven. Only that their bodies were going to go through the death. They in essence had just then passed from death unto life, God giving them the power over death with the power of the endless life.
(See 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 and Hebrews 7:16).
The scene again suddenly changed. The man and I were back at the exact same place as in the start of the dream. We were walking towards the outdoor church service that we went to and then left. I felt bad as we approached because as we did so, I saw that the service was now ending and I had left and was now returning. A feeling of being rude came over me. We sat down in the chairs we first sat in and remained out of courtesy.
The people all left and now the Pastor stood before me. I looked up at him because we were sitting. He wore a George Washington wig. Trust me this may sound funny. Yet, in my dream, it was not funny at all. It was deeply disturbing because he was wearing it as if it was normal. I knew even in the dream that the Lord was showing me that the churches here in America have become religious/political epicenters of worship. The churches are now controlled and influenced by political powers, and not the power of the Holy Spirit.
This American Church in all its wealth, prestige, and fullness was dead; the gospel preached in powerlessness. Though the American church has everything, they have nothing and there is no sign of life. The other church was apparent to me – the Persecuted Church. Though they have nothing, nothing here on earth that is, they have all power afforded to them and they are alive.
This is not a personal word to anyone, or an attack on the American Churches. Because there are scattered abroad this country, many little churches still holding out with the same fiery light of heaven. They are poor, having nothing, but having all power.
The Pastor inviting me into his big office was what most people would consider a privilege. The man and stood up, and though within I did not really want to go, we went. He sat as his big desk and had all his books and papers laid out, as he asked me to listen to his sermons. He had a disc player in front of him and pushed a button. I was not interested at all in anything. The strange thing is that though we were in the same room with him not far from his desk, I still could not hear anything but mumbling coming out of the disc player.
He shut it off and attempted to sell me something, or get me to receive it. I wanted nothing to do with it. I just wanted to leave. When he saw that I was not interested, he was puzzled a bit insulted. The feeling I got was that he was offering to me something he would never offer someone else, and to reject it confused him.
That is when the man with me said, “Let’s go!” The final end was clear-cut. There is NOTHING here worth buying or listening to. Just get out!
Conclusion
In closing, the gospel preached here is powerless. Pride, excess, prestige, a religion “having the form of godliness that denies the power”, is the church of today. “It glories in appearance but not in heart.” It is now political in nature and controlled by outside forces that are conditioning it to be receivers of a One-World religion.
There is a coming explosion of Christian martyrdom holocaust. Those the Lord showed me are those prepared to go through it because they know. They have the great power that God has reserved for them in order to take what is coming upon them in full power.
This IS a warning. This IS your time and mine, individually and corporately to spiritually prepare ourselves in the power of the endless life against the coming days ahead.
What is coming is here now, yet the Lord is showing us that there is a sudden coming of the onslaught of Satanic darkness. These forces will be 100% directed against the true Believer’s in Jesus Christ. Do not be fooled by the light of this present world. Walk, dwell, live, and walk in the light of the other world.
Our audio podcast channel on 
