Tim Snell’s Dream about CCV

Tim Snell’s dream that became very significant in the time when CCV split and the interpretation of that dream became paramount in what the Lord was doing in the church and what was to come:

Dream Tim had early morning of August 25, 2005

I don’t remember the first part of the dream with great clarity…It was as the dream went along that it became extremely vivid and the significance of it clear. The dream also was kind of in scenes that appeared to represent periods of time – or seasons. Each season would have three or four short little parts showing what was happening at that time.

In the dream we are on a campus. (At first I think a Bible College Campus…later it seems more like a church camp campus.) There are multiple buildings on the campus.

As the dream starts, I am in a lodge type house in which I and a bunch of guys live. It is a Christian atmosphere and we are all having a good time. While the only people I identify by name in this lodge are Dan Kunde, myself, and Tyler – my son, I am aware that it is men from CCV who live here.
As the dream progresses, there starts to be minor things that are troubling to me. I don’t remember all of what they are.

The scene changes – (as if there is a new season.) Suddenly the house is alive with pornography. Not just pornography as in something that is viewed. It is living. It is on TV, in books – but also living in the air. Everywhere I turned there is lewdness. In one of the snapshots, I open my dresser drawer – andon the shirts are painted pictures of women who are scantily clad. As the drawer opens, these painted pictures come alive and begin to disrobe.

It is at this point that the dream becomes vivid. I suddenly realize that we are under spiritual attack and likely we were in the scene prior to this as well. Emotionally – I am, at the same time, being pulled by the temptation of looking…even as I try to resist…and filled with despair. I have despair over the pull of my own flesh for sure. But mostly despair because the men in the house are laughing and enjoying it without guilt. They know it is wrong, but it is being entertained almost casually…even though the atmosphere is Christian. I am also in despair because Tyler (and some of his friends) are watching. They are watching both me and the men (not the pornography so much) – and they are watching to see how we react. So I am feeling despair there as well, because I realize they are being spiritually shaped by this moment.

My sense was that this period went on for a while (even though in my dream it lasted for only a few minutes). Also during this period…some men leave the lodge and go elsewhere on the campus. (Some men were already elsewhere but somehow seem joined to us in heart…but the ones who leave at this point are leaving as if to separate themselves from us. They sense the spiritual attack and it is almost like they think that the hand of God is against us…and so they go off and are standing, watching us with skepticism.)

The scene changes again. (As if it were a new period of time.) I suddenly become aware that the devil himself is coming to attack us. In this scene I am in the “great room” in the lodge. I look up…and up above the stairs (almost as if it were beyond the roof) there is a bright light that is shining down. God speaks. He says (specifically to me, but also for us), “If any man does not want the Lord, let him know the power of the enemy.” He also tells me that I am to shout this to those on the campus.

I understand what God says this way: It is as if God is saying, “Come to me fully. Give yourself to me fully. Allow me to fill you and be what you love and desire. But if you don’t want this…don’t sit on the fence. Get off and on the other side. Because the devil is coming…and if you don’t want me…than know the full power of the enemy.” It was as if a time had come where a line was drawn. And we would be forced off the fence. We would either become completely open to God and He would be our love and life…or we would experience the full power of the enemy. We could no longer “casually entertain” what the enemy was doing and still carry on in the context of the joy of being a believer. We would fully experience either the presence and love of God…or the presence and power of the enemy.

As soon as God speaks this…the devil comes in the front door and flies up to an object on the wall. I don’t really see the object…but I know it is our heart. It is my heart…and it is the heart of the men in that Lodge and on that campus.

I begin to shout the message. It is a struggle…because even as the devil is attacking that heart and trying to get in, he is also attempting to muzzle me from speaking. I am able to shout it out…but with difficulty.

At this point I am in great great despair. I think, “Lord, if we could not stand before (in the previous scene) but welcomed him casually…how will we survive this attack?” This attack was much stronger.

In my mind, I was thinking this would go on for a period. However…as soon as I was filled with despair and wondered how we would survive… Suddenly the devil stopped and just flew out the front door. I was shocked! Shocked that it had been so short. Shocked because he had not succeeded (though I did not know how.)

In that moment of realization, I was filled with jubilation!! He had not won! We had not fallen! “It is a reference to execution by firing squad, in which the condemned person is stood against a wall and shot.” “Fig. to be pushed into serious difficulties.”

I get up. I want to go tell the men in the other large building on the campus the good news! I head for the door.

The scene changes. (As if a new season is at hand again)
I am entering the other large building (looks like a long narrow church camp building where they might serve the food.) In this building is Scott Hodgson (this is who I am going to see and tell the good news.) Scott is praying…and has been praying. He is one of those who is spiritually connected to us. Also in that building is Steve Hottman. While I hadn’t seen Steve earlier in the dream, I am aware that he is one of those who left and is watching us with skepticism.

As I enter this building, suddenly what I am wanting to tell them shifts. It moves from being wanting to tell them that Satan has not won….to primarily wanting to tell them about the glory of God that is falling…for as I am entering the building, I am so overcome by the presence/Glory of God…that the Devil losing, while important, seems to be a distant 2nd in comparison. I want to tell them both parts…but the Glory of God is what is significant.

I run up to Scott to tell him about both of these things. But I realize as I come to Scott that He already knows about the Glory. He is being overcome. Tears are flowing down him – so much so that his beard literally has tears pouring off of it. Scott is so overcome that He cannot stand. I too am having trouble. It comes to me that we are drunk. (That is the word that is used.) I know it isn’t drunk onalcohol…but drunk in the sense that we are so overcome by the Glory of God…our legs no longer are working properly and we are staggering. Scott is falling down – still worshipping and praying – full of joy.

I turn to Steve. I run up to him…with effort because I am staggering. He too is being overcome by the Glory. I realize I don’t have to tell him either. He already knows. But I am so full of jubilation, that I jump on him in a big bear hug and pray, “Lord, give me this one. I love him too much.” It is as if I know he has been separated from me…and I want him to be reconnected.
We both fall to the ground.

Of significance here…is that there appears to be a line of younger people lined up with Scott…and another line of younger people lined up with Steve.

Suddenly I am on the floor – on my knees, leaning back with my arms outstretched and face toward heaven. The glory of God is pouring out more and more. It is as if, with each second – from the moment I came into this building, that the Glory of God is being poured out in multiplied amounts. I can no longer stand. Tears are streaming down my face. Joy unspeakable. Jubilation unspeakable. Peace unspeakable. I am so overcome, as I open my mouth to worship, all I can say is “ahhhhhhh.” I realize that this is not only all I can say…it is exactly what God wants. I continue to worship by saying, “ahhhhh” with my mouth open…and as I do I am being filled more and more and more with the Glory of God.

As this is happening, I can see out the windows of the building on both sides. People by the droves are running to the buildings, because they know something great and important is happening…but they have not yet encountered the Glory. I say to Dan Kunde, who is immediately behind me and to my right, “this is going to be a great sermon.” I am laughing and crying with joy. I realize two things: One, I am going to tell these people the story of what has happened. I also realize I won’t need to for they will be overcome by the Glory as soon as they enter….so the sermon will be more of a reflection on what had transpired and brought them to this point.

I continue to worship with the “ahhhh,” and continue to be filled.
At this point Mindy wakes me up for I am saying “ahhhhh,” out loud. She thinks I am under spiritual attack and she is binding the Devil away from me.