SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE
September 21, 2021 11:37 PM
Averine Pennington
9-21-21
Dream received Saturday, 9-18-21
Preface: FYI, facilitating and organizing youth camps and other events is something I did in real life for many years while serving on church staff and working in Youth Ministry. As part of my job, I was the ‘go to person’ for the details and planning of these camps and responsible for seeing that everything went smoothly and according to schedule. This was very much frowned upon by my two children during their teen years as you might imagine. While other campers had freedom from parent’s while away at camp, my kids could not get away from my presence. I always tried to give them their space, so they didn’t feel Mom was watching their every move. This preface is just to set the scene of the dream.
So, this dream took place at a youth camp that was part of my ministry and my daughter was in attendance. All the campers were engaged in an outdoor activity. One of my duties was to inspect the cabins while unoccupied, to make sure they were kept somewhat clean, check for contraband, and all the stuff that chaperones do. While doing my inspections, in every cabin I began coming across all these animals that the kids had smuggled in. They seemed to be hidden in every nook & cranny, all kinds of pets . . . cats, dogs, hamsters, turtles, bunnies, etc. The camp facility had a NO PETS ALLOWED policy! But the big problem was that these pets were neglected, as though they were no longer loved or played with. The campers were so involved with having fun and participating in activities with their friends, that they were not feeding or taking proper care of the animals. I found them shoved into cabinets, closets, backpacks, suitcases, sleeping bags, the shower . . . anywhere they could be hidden . . . with little light or fresh air to breath. They were dirty, hungry, weak, and sickly. I began rounding up all the animals and making a safe place to shelter and care for them for the duration of the camp. It was quite the rescue effort but once the animals were freed from their dire situation, they started to regain their health. The campers began to take more interest in their pets and would visit and play with them every day. It was almost like a petting zoo. Now that the animals no longer had to be hidden in cramped quarters, their lives were changed dramatically for the better. They had been set free from their former existence.
While outside caring for the animals, I had a strange encounter with a mated pair of beautiful birds that were flying nearby. I don’t know how I knew which was the male and which was the female, I just knew. They were sort of exotic looking birds a little larger than doves. The female was white with a blue beak and the male had very colorful feathers. Suddenly the female flew straight toward me. I put up my arm to shield my face and she flew right into my arm at a high rate of speed, and then fell to the ground. I reached down to pick her up expecting her to be only stunned by the blow, but I detected no life. The force with which she hit my arm had proved fatal. I held the limp bird tenderly in the palms of my hands with her face toward mine and blew my breath gently across her beak. Miraculously, she was restored to life. She spread her wings and began flapping them erratically. I lifted her to the breeze and let her go as her mate swooped down to escort her away. I watched as they soared together, circling above my head, high and free in the open blue sky before flying away.
The next part of the dream, I was again inspecting cabins. Upon looking through the cabin that my daughter was sharing with her group of friends, I started straightening her bed and fixing her sleeping bag. As I was doing this, I saw a uniform on a clothes hanger that was hooked on the end of her bunk. It was very nicely made, beautiful colors and embroidered with a team name which read ‘MOSES.’ Along with the uniform was a light jacket draped across the shoulders of the uniform, also bearing the insignia of the team. I asked my daughter later what she was doing with the uniform and jacket. She said it was given to her by a man at the camp who wanted her as part of his team. That seemed really weird to me, and I was concerned about her interaction with a man I did not know. I told her that it was not a good idea to accept gifts from strangers, and it probably should be returned until we knew more about this guy and what sort of team he was recruiting her to join. I saw no other uniforms, so where was the rest of this supposed team? I had lots of questions. So, I accompanied my daughter to search for this person so my questions could be answered. I assumed it was a camp counselor who was putting together some sort of sports activity that required a uniform, but it was too nice a uniform for a youth camp. When she saw the guy crossing a grassy area near the worship center, she ran ahead to him. By the time I got close enough to hear, she had already handed him the hanger holding the items and explained why she could not keep them. I heard him kindly accept the uniform back, and then he told her he would be very honored if she would at least keep the jacket as it would be very useful to her one day. My daughter glanced in my direction to see if that would be OK. I don’t know why, but I gave her a nod as the man seemed very genuine and kind. The man smiled at me, took the jacket off the hanger, and placed it on my daughter’s shoulders. He called her by name and said, “It’s yours now, take good care of it.” Now, I had never met this person and he was not one of the volunteers on my church camp team. I knew each of my team by name and every one of them had been thoroughly screened and background checked for their trustworthiness and suitability to work with youth. I just assumed this man must be a staff employee of the camp facility. End of Dream.
I would like to share an experience from real life relating to this dream . . . perhaps the very reason God gave me the dream in the first place. A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I were spending time together just chatting. I was trying to explain to her about the calling God has put on my life for these end times. Most people, even loved ones, do not understand, unless God has given them a similar calling. So, my daughter starts sharing with me how she feels that God has put a calling on her life also, explained that her calling is to ‘set the captives free.’ This is not a future event. This is something she is actively accomplishing on a day-to-day basis. God has positioned her in a job that allows her to be involved in educating the public and promoting training for ‘boots on the ground’ in the battle against human trafficking. She has helped many victims who have been rescued from horrific life situations. In the past, she has helped to facilitate the deployment of 1st responders to natural disasters, playing a significant role in saving many lives and helping those affected during the recovery process. Most recently, I have seen God use her as part of the effort to rescue many American civilians and Afghan partners left behind after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. I have an amazing daughter who serves an AMAZING GOD!!! I am so proud of how she continually lives out God’s calling upon her life.
It’s a wonderful thing to experience that ‘aha moment’ when you look back at your life’s journey and understand that all along the way, you have been on assignment for God’s purposes, perhaps without even knowing it at the time. We all have a part to play in God’s Master Plan, designed from the beginning of time. I have the sneaking suspicion that as we keep looking to the future anticipating the warfare that is to come, we may find that the battle has already been waged and the victory is already won! I know we like to think that we are the ones who choose our destiny, but God says He is the One who chooses us! Perhaps He has teams established and He places us on those teams according to the gifts and talents He has given us. Who can know the mind of God? We just have to be attentive to His Voice and ALLOW HIM TO POSITION US right where He wants us to be.
My daughter has evidently been chosen for TEAM MOSES, perhaps even from her teens. Moses was chosen to lead God’s people out of captivity. He was saved as an infant from slaughter and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. God had a plan and a purpose for Moses’ life. God has a plan and a purpose for my daughter’s life. While still in her mother’s womb she was saved from being slaughtered by abortion, adopted into our family, and raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She was and is a precious gift from God, not only to our family but to the world. From mission trips to Africa to sitting at the table of kings and queens in the Middle East, from providing financial sponsorship to many children in various countries to raising two beautiful children of her own, this girl of mine is truly amazing. I cannot imagine my world without her in it! She has touched so many lives in so many wonderful ways. God is not slack concerning His promises regarding our children, He keeps every one of them! I have every confidence that God will continue to use my daughter in a mighty way for His kingdom purposes.
This dream may be entirely personal, but I hope the Lord will be able to take my thoughts about it and use them for His glory. Our lives are all intertwined. What every person does with their life . . . for good or for bad . . . has lasting effects on the story of humanity. Call it what you will, but our actions along our personal journey have a ripple effect upon others in our realm of influence, and then that ripple, however slight, spreads throughout the world. Your life and how you live it can have lasting effects upon many people.
We are the last generation. All those generations who have gone before us planting seeds and watering for God’s kingdom, have passed the baton to us to run the last lap. We dare not drop it. We dare not stumble. We dare not close our ears to the ‘Call of Duty’ as sons and daughters of the Most High God. There is simply too much at stake. The eternal destiny of multitudes hangs in the balance. Please surrender your all to Christ Jesus. Ask Him to place you exactly where He wants you and be willing to be obedient to His voice.
I believe the first part of this dream about the animals and the birds has something to do with alerting us to the lateness of the hour. At the time chosen by the Father, the true sons and daughters of God will be manifested. All creation awaits that moment as the earth and all that is in it has been bound by the curse of Adam’s fall. Jesus gave his life to remove that curse. The only begotten Son of God came in the flesh, died a cruel death upon a cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His blood was spilled to redeem mankind from the curse of sin. At Christ’s resurrection, many captives were set free by the same power that raised our Lord from the dead. In these last days, God is calling forth His army into His harvest field. All who repent and turn to Jesus, His wheat, will be brought into His barns. Now is the time for ‘all hands on deck.’ The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Let God know that with all your heart you want to serve Him, no matter the cost. Ask Him to CHOOSE YOU to be on HIS TEAM to help SET THE CAPTIVES FREE!
Yours for the Harvest,
Averine
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES (KJV):
Romans 8:19-23 – “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, 23) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
John 15:16 – “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.”
Matthew 13:30 – “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Luke 10:2 – “Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.”
Ephesians 4:7-10 – “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, 8) Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9) (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10) He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
Matthew 27:50-53 – “Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost, 51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53) And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)”
Hebrews 12:1 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
Exodus 2:1-10 (Story of the birth and adoption of Moses
Exodus 3 (Story of how God calls Moses to free the children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt)
