The Tale of the Red Carpet

A few years ago, Holy Spirit shared, in a vision with me, the following: I walked up to great, big double doors of a traditional church building, the doors were shut and I had to open them. As I entered the church, I saw the pews filled with people and they cheered and celebrated with great joy at my arrival, I walked down the red carpet towards the front, as I went, I heard, we are so glad you're here, Nikita, we've been waiting for you. 

Extraordinary. 

I have to admit when I first saw that traditional church in the vision I had some reservation about going into it. Let me attempt an explanation. During my first year of salvation, God surrounded me with believers who were in love with Jesus, embraced the Father's heart and were flowing with Holy Spirit. You're thinking, wow, they sound perfect, let's be real, no one is. These Kingdom friends chose to believe God and what He said in word and spirit and were willing to follow, even if they made mistakes or didn't have total understanding. I naively thought that all who believed in Jesus were like them. After that first year, my naïveté was exposed and cured...moving on a few years later, I felt led by Holy Spirit to visit a nearby church, it was a traditional building in a lovely village that included a castle, albeit a ruined one. I set off extra early and could see the church from my car but struggled to find the road that led there, so I ended up late and one of the things I don't like, about going to a small traditional church like this one, happened. By the time I got there, the doors were shut. I was determined to go and so as I continued up the path, I spotted another person also making their way to the closed doors, great! I was not the only one. I opened the door and, off course, it creaked, everyone, yes I'm sure everyone, turned to stare at the latecomers. Oh the heat in my face! I quickly found an empty pew toward the back and stared straight ahead. When the offering bag was passed to me, I declined it, as I didn't feel led to give. I remember the hard stare I got. I'm not sure if it was intended or if it was the demeanour of the person taking the offering, either way, it wasn't friendly. As the service ended my only thought was to quickly exit the building. One of the congregants turned to leave, inevitably in my direction, they stared me up and down, perhaps disapproving of my dress. I made a hasty exit, trying not to run. 

I know all churches in traditional buildings are not the same, I've visited Holy Trinity Brompton in London and an Episcopal church in South Carolina, both have been an incredible blessing to me, admittedly they aren't embracing a traditional style having modernised to a great extent. So now you have an understanding of my reluctance at seeing that traditional church in the vision Holy Spirit shared with me but reluctance or not, I embraced the vision and looked forward to being welcomed in such a church with great celebration one day.

In March 2014, God gave me a further vision in which I was visiting a church in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a small, community church housed in an old fashioned church building.  In this vision, I saw myself sharing my testimony and praying with the people there. A month later Holy Spirit showed me more about the church in Copenhagen. Then while at a conference in LA, in March this year, during worship He said, Copenhagen is coming! I thought great, after the USA, I'll be going to Scandinavia. I don't often get this kind of specific direction in advance so I was really happy to have it. Then whilst in New Jersey, toward the end of my journey in the USA, Holy Spirit said, look for Copenhagen, Denmark in New York. Really?! So I did and lo and behold, there is a village of Copenhagen in the town of Denmark in upstate New York. This revelation both challenged me and excited me. God is hardly predictable, yet even within His specific direction He does like to surprise us.

I waited in NYC for the green light from Holy Spirit to go to Copenhagen. I didn't know anyone at the church and I didn't have the finances to fund my stay there. But I did have peace, the kind that transcends understanding, so a lack of finances did not deter me. After a day of prayer and asking others to pray, I had the green light and booked my bus ticket. The bus was leaving in the next evening, so I spent the day in Manhattan. Whilst waiting, I received a message from a friend to say he'd received a cheque and had heard God say the money was for me. He sent it to me that day. I was greatly encouraged. Not long afterwards another person sent money, I was even more encouraged. This enabled me to pay for food and accommodation for at least for a night when I got upstate. As I took each day by faith, so the resources were released to be present in Copenhagen and surrounds. I thank God for His sons and daughters who are obedient to His prompting to give, we are all working together to advance His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 

With the money I received I was able to hire a car and drive to the church in Copenhagen for their Sunday service. I was the first to arrive as I did not know what time their service started, so better early than late (especially if they had a creaky door). I walked up the ramp of the traditional building and tried the big, double doors, they were open. I stepped in and walked down the red carpet toward the main hall. It was too early for anyone to be there, so I sat in one of the pews and just enjoyed God's presence, in awe of how He led me there, to a place that for me, only existed in a vision, until then. 

A short while later, people started to arrive. I introduced myself and shared briefly shared my vision. They were very happy to meet me and welcomed me warmly. I was encouraged. I joined in for some study and later on before the main service, the gentle pastor, having been alerted of my arrival, came up to ask me how long I needed to speak for. There was such openness, which was very encouraging. I shared with all there what Holy Spirit had shown me and invited them to talk to me after the service about how I could serve them. I have since been able to witness to them of the incredible miracles God has wrought in my own life and also pray for a few people. As I waited for them to contact me during the two weeks I was there my heart was filled with compassion. I felt the isolation and loneliness that some were experiencing, feeling distant from God. Father God's love began to take root in my heart for the people in this church. I realised that no matter who you are or where you are, traditional or not, pew or chair, sitting down or standing up Father God sees you, knows you and will come to you, especially if you ask Him to. 

Jesus said, If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:11-13)

There were earnest prayers to Father God asking for more of Him going up from some in the church in Copenhagen. He heard those prayers and responded. He is gracious! He will come when we ask, seek and knock. Nothing is too hard for Him, no one is unimportant, even if we find it hard to receive, in His mercy He will break through for us. I am blessed to now count some of the people of this church as my friends. We have a divine connection, now we can encourage one another and stand in one accord for God to send rain where there is dryness, to send His Spirit to revive and strengthen us all. It's just the beginning...let the floodgates be opened and times of refreshing come!

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)