Gifts of Dance
Sandy Warner ~ ~ swauthor777@usa.net ~ ~ www.thequickenedword.com
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HE SPEAKS THROUGH fresh creativity
In these last days the Lord is using every available means to reach a multitude in His harvest. The old church ways are not going to look the same because He is using new means to reach a new generation. The Lord is inspiring “creativity” in the body of Christ in a greater way than ever before. Places the world has previously occupied, is being taken back by the church, and becoming new creative ways to share salvation to the lost.
The Lord is using new sounds in Music, Dance, Writing, Poetry, Skits, Drama, Craftsmen, Sculpture, Graphic Design, Computer Programming, Cartooning, Animation, Photography, Videography and any number of other means, including ones not yet thought of, to bring the joy of the salvation message to the world.
The Lord uses handiwork to open doors of the heart through looking upon beauty and out of the ordinary ways to communicate.
THE GIFT OF DANCE
Ps 150:4 Praise Him with the tambourine and dance…
Ps 149:4 NKJV Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.
The Gift of Dance is using our bodies to express our hearts to the Lord. The most beautiful expressions are when they are given to Him and not done as a performance for others. When the heart is pure and transparent, it allows others who are watching to enter into the same yearning heart and enter into the same worship, as though they are dancing in the Lord. It is a beautiful thing to dance before the Lord in worship.
In the 80’s, I had several visions where I was dancing in the sky. I felt every movement as strong yearnings and love motions to His Presence and the songs that the Holy Spirit was bringing forth on earth. I was moving my entire body in the gravity free movement of flying, and my whole heart, body and soul were expressing my adoration of Him, and also in response to what the Holy Spirit was playing through the music.
It has been many years since I had a vision like that, but I experience the same worship now in literal life, when I use my hands to worship Him in dance. I have found His Spirit is very creative when it comes to expressing many signs and fluidity of expression. I “dance” through my hands and arms even when sitting in a chair, bed or at church. I strongly feel the Presence of the Lord upon me when I do this, and so all shyness leaves me. I simply express my adoration to Him and also His message as it comes to me, through the motions.
Ps 63:1- 8 NKJV God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
DANCING WITH OUR HANDS
I noticed there was an upper level that circled the main floor area. People were quite packed up there and it was similar to a mall area. They were more interested in the appearance of what they looked like in their worship outfits, than the worship on the main floor level. When I looked down at the floor where masses were expressing themselves, I politely excused myself and said, “I don’t want to become isolated, I need to stay with them.” I saw the escalator and took it down to the main floor.
As I was worshipping, I saw an angel floating above my head. She had a very long gown on. She looked down at me and I began to slightly bow before her as I danced. I also displayed my hands as though introducing that she wanted to say something. I said to myself, I am not worshipping her, but giving her honor. She said to me still floating above my head so that I had to look up, “Express yourself with your hands. That’s what the Lord wants”.
WORD TO PONDER: FREELY EXPRESS YOUR HEART IN WORSHIP I want to bring My people into greater levels of worship. They shall know and feel My Presence as they learn to move their hands and their bodies in expression with their hearts and the move of My Holy Spirit. My heavenly breeze will blow through and release them into greater and greater heights of praise. Only the childlike will be able to come into the freedom of expressing their hearts like this. And I will rejoice even if they do cartwheels for Me! How it touches My heart to see them pour out their love for Me in abandoned ways!
Consider your own heart and beware of another movement lurking in the same crowd. There will be some more interested in their apparel, what they look like, and even in the marketing of such, more than a pure heart in expressing their love for Me. There is nothing wrong with using beautiful garb to worship Me, but I see the hearts and know when they are more focused on themselves and what they look like than expressing their childlike love towards Me.
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 NKJV)
BEAMS OF LIGHT COMING FROM HANDS I share the following Word because I know that when I worship with my hands and experience His awesome Presence, I feel His light rays coming out of them and into the room. I can feel the quickening rays go upon me when I swish them over my body.
DREAM 6/18/01: I was at a conference and I was sitting next to Bob Jones and he helped me deeply breathe the Lord’s love. We kept breathing deeper and deeper until I felt a hidden pain in my heart. And when I breathed out, it released the heaviness and pain and it came out and left.
When he was done praying over me, I noticed that I could raise my right hand up and it would cast light outside where it was dark. As I moved it toward the ground there were beautiful stones and agates. Then I started to swirl my hand in the sky and they were beautiful lights like the aura borealis. Both Bob and I could see these things.
Then I was released into ministering over people. I was touching them with my right hand and then I started to swirl my hand knowing the rays of light were being released.
Three months later I received a confirmation through Paul Keith Davis’ newsletter, 9/18/01.
“Bob has also received a revelation this week seeing men and women anointed from Habakkuk 3:4. They were anointed in armor of light with rays of light emerging from their hands not unlike “laser beams”. When this occurred in the Spirit, creative miracles were manifested in an awesome way. I believe this is a prophetic promise for those willing to press in to receive it.”
Hab 3:2-7 NLT I have heard all about you, LORD, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy. 3 I see God, the Holy One, moving across the deserts from Edom and Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise! What a wonderful God he is! 4 Rays of brilliant light flash from his hands. He rejoices in his awesome power. 5 Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. 6 When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. But his power is not diminished in the least! 7 I see the peoples of Cushan and Midian trembling in terror.
WORD TO PONDER 12/1/01 LIGHTNING In My anointing dwells power and electricity like lightning bolts. It shall surge and penetrate and bring resurrection life and health to the sickly. You shall have lightning bolts coming out of your hands and fingers as you reach out to touch. And your very shadow will bring forth healing.
“His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.” (Hab 3:4 NKJV)
“Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” (Acts 5:15 KJV)
ENTERING INTO LIQUID WORSHIP – DANCE AND TONGUES
LIQUID WORSHIP [5/02/98]: I had an interesting experience a while back having to do with worship. I had read a vision via Annie Schisler, where there are many, many doorways into the Presence of the Lord, and even though there are so many, the Lord places a covering to hide them. The secret to finding those places is to become “liquid”. I started praying that the Lord would make me like liquid and help me find those doors into deeper places in Him.
I was worshipping the Lord at home via tongues and also interceding while dancing to worship music. I have always been blessed by praying in the Spirit in worship, so this came natural to me. However I had danced and I had prayed, but not both together as a form of intercession. Suddenly His Presence was all over me and I became totally abandoned in worship. I was so covered in His Presence I was astounded. I didn’t stop until I was just too tired to continue. This happened right before I went to bed. When I went to bed I had a vision.
VISION: I entered a beautiful glowing room somewhere in heaven. I saw candles glowing, and smelled sweet smelling perfumes all over the room. I was standing inside the door of this room and began dancing, praying in tongues and interceding just like I had done before going to bed. I heard the Lord tell me there was a sweet smell and a dripping liquid.
WORD TO PONDER: ENTERING HIS HOLY PLACE I will bring you into My holy place through many means. And one of them is through singing in tongues as you dance before Me and pour out your heart in worship. Let My Presence wash over you as you release your tongues and body movements to respond to My Spirit. I shall make you fluid like liquid, and you shall melt through the doors into My holy place.
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” (Ps 46:4 KJV)
THE LIQUEFIED ONES {Page 19, book 4, Annie’s Visions}
“When He took me into His glory Cloud, He showed me a very high and holy place – the Place of His Presence – which He had prepared for His own ones. After carefully forming many entrances in this place, He then proceeded to close them up, covering them over and sealing then so that no person or thing could get through them.
Within this place there was a great secret which, like a huge key, would unlock and open all these numerous closed entrances. This secret, nevertheless, was carefully hidden within the place itself, which was completely closed and sealed.
All around this place and outside the sealed entrances flowed a great quantity of a strange substance – a liquid which looked like water but wasn’t. This substance was composed of human beings who, having been melted, had come into what appeared to be a liquid state, and were thus enabled to filter through into this closed and sealed place. The only way to enter it was to become like liquid and then flow or filter through into the place that held this great secret.
Those who succeeded in entering this place were given the power, authority and understanding to open up the many entrances and make them accessible. The Lord then took a part of these melted ones into an eternal and invariable place which was for Himself alone. Never at any time, would these chosen ones be separated from this unique union with Him. In God there are many, many places; but this one seemed to be a very special place.”
THE WARFARE DANCE One day we had a huge swarm of about 45,000 bees come into our neighborhood and it was very dangerous to those mowing yards. I put some warfare music on and danced and took authority over any demonic attack this might have represented and over any stronghold this represented in the spiritual realm. I felt the Presence of the Lord very strongly upon me as I danced with powerfully thrusting movements expressing my stand in God. I felt the power of His might coursing through my normally weak body. I prayed in tongues as I enacted a dance of war and I knew the Lord was sending forth angels from my prayers.
Ps 118:11-14 AMP They compassed me about, yes, they surrounded me on every side; but in the name of the Lord I will cut them off! They swarmed about me like bees, they blaze up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I will cut them off! [Deut 1:44.] You [my adversary] thrust sorely at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation.
Our neighbor called the local bee keeper and the bee keeper said it was the biggest swarm of bees he had ever seen, about 45,000. I knew it was a parable of all that I had fought at night for so many years. I was also blessed that they were finally gone and my hearing the Lord has been greatly increased.
WORD TO PONDER THE RAGING SWARM 5/7/98 Like a record breaking swarm of bees, the enemy shall descend into your area. They shall come very close but do not fear. It shall fill the skies with the clouds of oppressing darkness and fear. I will blow a small opening through the clouds and you shall have My light ray pierce through with comfort and hope. Your intercession and stand against this will bring safety to those you love. And this huge swarm shall be finally stopped and captured and taken away.
Ex 15:20-21 NKJV Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them: “Sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”
Tambourine worship looses bondage While worshipping in the Sunday service Anna saw herself with her tambourine making a circle around various people. Then she saw herself twirling down the aisles of the church. She knew it was warfare to break bondage. She broke free from her personal shyness and was obedient to what she saw. Afterwards a lady shared that she was set free to wave the banners for the first time, going up one aisle and down the other.
A dance of True Worship I once attended a dance conference and after a long string of great songs, lovely costumes and choreography. Then a dance soloist emerged. She didn’t have to match steps and motions with anyone; she just had her own heart to express. Her African costume was vivid and her head was covered in a turban. The African dance was well done and the movements were cute like a jack in the box, instead of smooth and graceful. She danced differently, but it wasn’t just her dance. She was different and suddenly His Presence was there.
I was immersed in the Lord’s Presence as I watched, then experienced her dance with all of her heart. She danced with all of her strength, and her face radiated the love of God and the love for God. I was so touched by this obvious difference I asked, “Lord, why did Your Presence suddenly come so strong upon her dance?” I could see the contrast from what had come prior, was the difference between performance and true worship. But I didn’t know how deep this went.
After she finished, she went to the microphone. “I can not just share this dance with you without sharing my testimony.” She said when God gives us a testimony, we better be prepared for a test. She explained how the Lord told her that if she danced this dance, He would provide her the means to go to Africa with the dance troop. So she said yes, and He provided in one week. Then she was diagnosed with 3rd stage ovarian cancer. She went through the surgery and the chemotherapy and the doctors told her if she went to Africa she would come down with some awful sickness being weakened by the chemo. She knew God told her to go and had provided, so she went and she danced with the turban on her head, having lost her hair.
My heart was so touched. It was obvious why His Presence had arrived. She was worshipping the Lord through her dance, and she was joyously praising God for the strength to dance. She had known His grace through the test, and she was experiencing His grace to even be able to dance at all! The difference was the heart of the dancer. I had witnessed true worship. I had also witnessed wonderful liberty.
TESTIMONY OF GOD’S GLORY THROUGH DANCE Below is a miraculous testimony from one of our QW Class members. It portrays how the Lord is anointing the arts to be used by Him and His glory. “I was connected with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem in the ’90’s as a dance coordinator and a dancer and they were introducing “The Feast of Tabernacle” to southern California. It is a annual event in Jerusalem. The idea was to give us a “taste” of what is done in Jerusalem. The Lord gave me a vision of what He wanted done. It had been my earnest and constant prayer that He would be totally Glorified. We had built an ark (Art of the Covenant) as part of the celebration. At one point the Ark was carried down one of the isles with dancer dancing before and after the Ark. When the Ark reached the platform it was carefully and reverently placed upon it. The Presence of God was so strong I had a hard time remaining upright. At the end of the procession my place was on the same side of the platform where the ark was positioned. There were Jewish people sitting on the front rows. As I passed by to take my place, I heard them weeping for joy as the sites and sounds were unfolding, especially as they saw the Ark being placed. I heard them say: “Yes, yes. This is the way it must have been”. I was so humbled our efforts were really blessing people, especially Jewish people. After the “Feast” I was on the platform talking to the Jerusalem Embassy Coordinator and a couple of people came upon the platform and were inspection the Ark. I went over and ask if I could help them in any way. They said:” We were just looking for the holes where the “smoke” was coming out”. I told them there weren’t any holes and we hadn’t added any smoke to it. Then I realized they had seen the Glory of God in “smoke” form coming from the Ark. WOW I just couldn’t believe that God was so honored by our small human efforts to worship and praise Him, He showed up in a tangible, visible way.” |
