Look and Behold

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Bill Hutzel

As we entered into prayer with a fellow believer, we took him to the mercy seat as if it were a surgeon’s table. God began to minister healing springs of forgiveness and bodily restoration to him, and he drifted off in his mind and was overtaken by a tremendous sound, seemingly coming from heaven, that of trumpets and other instruments. It reminded me of Revelation 14:1-3. “Then I looked, and behold—there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion ……I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters (some translations say like the sound of many waters; rushing waters) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne” (Rev.14:1-3, HCSB).

What does John in the Bible see and hear?

Either John heard two or more sounds at different times for he describes in one sentence the sound of rushing waters and a sound like the rumbling of loud thunder, and in another the playing of harps. Could it be that he heard an orchestration of musical counterpoints and dynamic louds and softs played simultaneously, the pounding sensation of timpani against the arpeggiated and fluid fingering of harps against a fast-flowing metered counterpoint of flutes playing sixteenth notes in tandem with other orchestral strings, brass and woodwinds?

It says the sound coming out of heaven is like rushing waters and the rumbling of loud thunder. Perhaps the sound of thunder is the sound of timpani and crashing cymbals and trumpets and of low brass. Perhaps it is also that of invigorated singing, cheers and shouts, clapping and stomping of hundreds of thousands of those in residence expressing their loud and joyful praise and worship to the One who sits on high on His throne.

It reminded me of Die Moldau from Ma Vlast (My Fatherland) composed in 1874 by Bedrich Smetana. Listen to an excerpt and let it stir your soul. The composition is programmatic in its musical poetry in that it depicts the course of two small springs, the Cold and the Warm Vlatva, to the unification of both streams into a single powerful current, through woods and meadows and landscapes. As the two springs converge as a single more powerful current, listen for the surge in dynamics as all the brass and percussion join in, the “roar of a waterfall and like the earsplitting sound of a thunderclap.” Can you hear the sound of cascading waters by the flutes and harp? Can you hear the thunderous clap of orchestral instruments and percussion and applause culminating into one large river, “the water of life, flowing with water clear as crystal, continuously pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1)?

“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw it all, I fell facedown to worship the messenger who showed me these things.” (Rev. 22:8).

“All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise” (1 Kings 1:40 NASB).

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Take Me Deeper

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Bill Hutzel

As I sat on the beach watching the power of the waves wash up on shore, I marveled at the power of those waves as they crashed and came up and lapped at my feet. I marveled at their beauty, and at the sound of them crashing. It took me deep, and I forgot the noise of civilization, of car horns, and of the cacophony of people talking and yelling, of children playing and of the concerns of this world. I was lost somewhere else.

I then envisioned myself out in the deep of the Atlantic Ocean. It was quiet. I listened, and all I could hear was God’s quiet voice. HIS gentle waves caressed me like the soft stroke of a woman’s hand upon my arm, tender and caring.

I was lost in my quiet thoughts, only hearing God speak now. I marveled at the peaceful quiet in His voice. He did not seem concerned about anything as I am frequently, and He spoke to me. “Go deep,” he said. “Go deep, go deep. I love you. I want to reach deep inside you and reveal myself to you in a more powerful way than has ever been revealed to you before. Go deep, go deep and meet me where I am. Don’t be afraid. I will swim with you. I will uphold you. You are tethered to me. You cannot be lost or yanked from my arms. You are mine always. Go deep and meet me where I am. Don’t hold anything back. Swim with me, won’t you? Stop clinging to your surfboard; immerse yourself in my presence. I am your safety now.” Deeper than my feet could ever wander. He was calling me.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine.
(from Oceans, Hillsong UNITED)

God wanted me to be alone with Him. He wanted my attention, and for me to worship Him. He washed over me as waves of joy, and I was in awe of his creation. And I thought to myself, how can people not marvel at God’s glorious creation?

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Visions of Jesus and of Angels

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Bill Hutzel

And when they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus (Matthew 17:8)

Below are eight personal glimpses of Jesus entitled “Visions of Jesus.”

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Bill Hutzel

Thursday, May 16, 2019

The Transformative Power of Jesus
I saw myself in the operating room, half-naked from my waist up, lying on an operating table. An intense beam of light from above was shining on me. My chest was opened so that I could see in. I thought of Psalm 139 which says, “Search me O, God and know my heart,” but God already knew my heart, I thought.

The heart had a fire in it, often depicted in art as a flaming heart, pierced and encircled by a crown of thorns. The fire represented the transformative power of God’s love. And, there I lay with my left arm extended off of the table hooked to an IV receiving a blood transfusion.

As I turned my head to my left, on the surgical table next to me lay a person. I looked closer. It was Jesus! I was receiving His blood; His DNA. It was pure and cleansing, healing and life-sustaining.

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Bill Hutzel

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Vem, Espirito Santo, vem!
While I was worshiping during Sunday morning service, my spiritual senses perked up. I began to see a picture of myself soaring through the stratosphere like a bird with my arms outstretched at my sides. It was effortless and freeing as I had not a care in the world except for my Abba Father.

My vision was keen like a hawk’s. With telescoping vision, I could see a crowd of people standing in a line. And so, I swooped down toward the crowd through the clouds with great velocity, slowing only to make a pass at them. As I passed, I extended my right hand over them causing a Holy Spirit wind to occur, “and He breathed on them” (John 20:20). Then, calling on the Holy Spirit, I cried out “Vem, Espirito Santo, vem!” (which translated means “Come, Holy Spirit, come!”). The Holy Spirit was poured out upon each person and they fell out in the Spirit (Acts 11:15).

I ascended again towards the stratosphere. It was exhilarating. As I looked back toward earth, again, God showed me a crowd of people. As before, I swooped down upon them, but this time as I extended my hand toward each person, each was miraculously healed. Cancer, tumors, physical deformities, skin diseases, everything and anything disappeared. The lame walked, the blind could see, the deaf could hear.

As I ascended again for the third time, I was caught up in the air by two angels who came up supporting me under both my arms. They propelled me further, beyond the farthest of earth’s atmospheres. And I could see a door open in the heavens. We headed directly for it. Once through the door, the angels escorted me into the Holy of Holies, the throne room of God. I was awed by the bright light and love being emitted. Jesus called me to climb upon his lap, and there I soaked in Pappa’s unconditional love for me. He stroked me, he tousled my hair, he loved on me with his loving embrace, and then he said in His quiet voice, “I love you, Billy, I love you.”

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Bill Hutzel

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Take Me Deeper
As I sat on the beach watching the power of the waves wash up on shore, I marveled at the power of those waves as they crashed and came up and lapped at my feet. I marveled at their beauty, and at the sound of them crashing. It took me deep, and I forgot the noise of civilization, of car horns, and of the cacophony of people talking and yelling, of children playing and of the concerns of this world. I was lost somewhere else.

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Bill Hutzel

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Come into His chambers
I awakened early at 5:45 a.m. I was thinking about Douglas Sterner’s visions of God herein, and how he practiced to see Jesus. I’ve also experienced Jesus similarly, although not that often.

Today, the sky outside was gray and it was raining, perhaps indicative of my mood within. And so I sat looking out my living room window. I put on a worship CD and headset, then from deep within I cried out to Jesus, sincerely wanting to experience His healing touch.

As I worshiped before His throne, I envisioned him standing before me. Deep overpowering emotions took over me as I saw myself reaching out to touch the hem of his garment, and as I did so, I became acutely aware of His presence and love for me. It was healing to my soul. Jesus was here, and he was inviting me to –

“Come into His chambers,
And worship before His throne
O come into the King’s chambers
And His glory shall be shown
O come into His holy presence
And magnify His name
O Come into the King’s chambers
You will never be the same.” (lyrics to O Come Into the King’s Chambers)

The world says men are not supposed to experience deep emotions. And so, there is this stigma I feel sometimes when sharing this, yet it is impossible for me to deny the deep emotions I have felt at times when worshipping Christ. Sometimes they are tears of joy and sometimes they are tears of sorrow. But it doesn’t mean you are weak, it means you have feelings and a heart.

JOURNAL ENTRY
By Douglas Sterner

Monday, October 5, 2015

Christ in me, the hope of glory
I was just sitting here trying to imagine Jesus literally being in me. At first, I pictured Jesus standing in front of me. He seemed to be REALLY tall. He had to really bend over to kiss me on my forehead. Next thing I know, He was “within” me. But, of course, I couldn’t contain Him — He kinda radiated out of me, manifested as a kind of blue haze or aura extending out from my physical frame about 2-3 inches. How awesome is that?! Jesus, thank You that the almost unimaginable is truly my ultimate reality — Christ in me, the hope of glory!

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Douglas Sterner

Sunday, August 15, 2004

Eyes of my heart
This afternoon, as I was attempting to take a nap lying on the couch downstairs, I thought I’d try exercising my spiritual senses — specifically the “eyes of my heart.” I tried “seeing” Jesus in my mind’s eye in various settings and ways. After several false starts, my inner sight (imagination) seemed to settle upon an image dressed in a bright white tunic. He was walking with a steady, determined gait and His face was “set like flint” — just as He is described in the Bible when He set His face toward Jerusalem and the Cross.

As I watched, He suddenly seemed distracted by something (or someone) and seemed to turn aside from His pre-determined path and goal. The next thing I knew, He walked into the room where I was lying there on the couch. He sat on the couch and looked down at me with a loving smile. I think He might have reached out and touched me and He might have tussled my hair — I’m not sure. No words were spoken that I can remember. But I was so impressed with the fact that He would turn aside from His obviously very important plans, purposes and goals to come and see me and spend time with me. What stunning love and compassion! What incredible grace and humility! What tender kindness — shown to me!

It reminded me of the time He stopped for the woman who was healed when she touched the hem of His garment. Although He was “in a hurry,” He stopped to recognize her, singling her out from the crowd and spending His precious time to giving her His complete attention and loving, healing touch.

Apparently, Jesus wants me to know that He loves me like that. He is showing me how much He desires to spend time with me — just being together enjoying each other’s company. In the past few days. He has made that very clear. Holy Spirit, thank You for blessing me and making this communion happen. Thank You, Jesus, for Your loving-kindness toward me. I love You, Jesus.

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Douglas Sterner

Tuesday, September 7, 2004

In His presence there is fullness of joy
Last night, lying in bed, I again practiced seeing Jesus. As I did, I believe the Holy Spirit gave me a vision! I was sitting at a table in a large school library. I saw Jesus running and laughing. He was running in between and around the maze of tables just having a grand old time. Wondering what was going on, I looked around. Then I saw the head of a child just barely showing over the table tops. Jesus was playing with a little kid! He then ran over to my table and sat down opposite me, laughing and breathing hard. He looked at me and smiled, exuding His supernatural joy.

I believe He’s communicating to me that in His presence there is fullness of joy. He wants me to play with Him in the “school” of His Spirit (depicted by the library setting). He wants me to relax and enjoy being with Him without making it a big project.

Seeing Jesus like that really meant a lot to me. It confirms what I’ve been told by those who have come to know Him well. Thank You, Jesus, for Your joy and playfulness. I love You, Jesus.

JOURNAL ENTRY
by Douglas Sterner

Friday, September 17, 2004

Putty in my hands
I see myself wearing the robe of righteousness that Jesus has purchased for me with His precious blood on the Cross. I sense that He has actually placed it upon me Himself. It is a brilliant, pure white, like lightning (or snow). There is gold trim around the wrists and along the bottom edge which reaches to just above my ankles. There’s a blue stripe down the center. Wearing it, I feel forgiven and accepted by God. And I really sense a boldness in approaching Him. I know that I can come into His presence because I am clothed in His righteousness. Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for this precious gift — this robe of righteousness You have given me. I love You, Jesus.

I’m standing before the Throne. Jesus comes down from His throne and walks up to me. He takes my hands into His and we begin to dance, spinning around individually as our hands remain joined. Jesus says, “Doug, I am so proud of you! I’m so glad you recognize what a precious gift this robe is, for it is actually Me. Yes, Doug, you have been clothed with Me — with My very Life. My Father sees you wearing that robe and He sees Me — His beloved, only begotten Son. He loves you intensely because you are in Me.”

[I become aware that my robe is splattered with Blood]

“Yes, Doug, you have been sprinkled with My blood and you are clean — holy and blameless in My sight and beautiful in My Father’s eyes. We love you so much. Remain in Us and rest in our love.”

Oh, thank You so much, Jesus. I really sense the reality of the fact that I am accepted in the Beloved — I sense it deep within. And I am so grateful, Lord! Jesus, is there anything else You want to say to me?

“Just be with Me here, Doug. Don’t rush away. I want you to soak in My love, My desire for you. Be still and wait. See Me present with you beause I AM. I’m touching you, Doug. I’m blessing you. See Me doing it because I AM. Just relax and receive. Let me bless you, Doug. Putty in My hands, remember?”

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Stage Fright

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Bill Hutzel

As I looked out from behind the stage curtain, I could see that the performance hall which accommodated nearly 2,000 people was packed, and on stage were seated many keynote speakers. I had been asked to speak on behalf of Chi Alpha and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship campus ministries while a student in college.

As a musician, I have experienced normal anxiety before going out on stage. Typical thoughts go through your head such as “Can they see how nervous I am? I think my face is getting red.” “What if I blow it? I think I’ll die if I make a mistake.” “What if I lose my place in my music? Will I have to start over again? That would be embarrassing.” “What if I get dry mouth?” “What if I cannot stay focused? …. I AM JUST SO NERVOUS!”

Over the years, however, I have learned a lot about overcoming nerves as I gained confidence as a player, but in this instance, my stage fright was directly proportional to my lack of speaking skills, lack of faith, and I was just plain old SCARED. I guess I felt as Moses had when he pleaded with the Lord to excuse him from his calling. “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (Exodus 4:10, NLT).

Yep, I was really having a bad time of it. “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” “Beam me up!!! … will you?”

As I anxiously waited behind the stage curtain, I was approached by someone backstage. “Would you pray for me?” he asked. I didn’t have to ask him what he wanted me to pray for, for one of his eyes was immensely swollen and closed shut. He explained that he had been stung by a bee.

GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS

All things are possible through prayer.

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick …” (James 5:15). Most people think that you must have lots of faith to heal the sick, yet, it was not my faith, but heaven interceding on my behalf to create faith in me for which I was lacking.

As I put my hand on his shoulder, I began to pray. I did not close my eyes or bow my head in prayer but instead watched as all swelling over his eye disappeared.

PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU; MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU[1]

I was now pumped, and couldn’t wait to step out on the stage. You see, I was a new Christian, and had never witnessed God’s healing power in this way before, and so I was, as you would expect, awed by God’s healing miracle; and all of a sudden, all fear of presenting in front of a large audience left me.

As I stepped out through the curtain on to the stage, I felt a surge of energy go through me, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I was jumping within and at the same time completely at peace. And as I began to speak, I detoured from my planned presentation to start by telling the audience about God’s miraculous healing of the person backstage.

My excitement was contagious, for the audience rose to their feet with arms outstretched and with cheers and clapping. I almost forgot why I was there to speak in the first place. And as I went on and on about how this individual came to me and was healed, one of the keynote speakers looked at me, tapping his wrist as if to say, “it’s time to get on with your presentation now.”

I don’t believe that this incident was coincidental, rather it was orchestrated. Such orchestration you may have heard referred to as a God thing, a God wink, a touch from heaven, or God-incidence. It was orchestrated to strengthen my faith.

It is interesting also that I didn’t see this person again afterward. Where did he come from? What was he doing backstage? Why was he not out in the audience?

There are many examples in the Bible where God sent an angel to give a specific message, to protect, or to serve a person. I believe that on this occasion, God sent an angel to minister to me in my distress and to strengthen my faith in Him to do what Jesus did.

If you have a God-incidence to share, won’t you please share it?

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[1] John 14:27, New American Standard Bible

Inspiration and Hope

Category Archives: Visions of Jesus and of Angels

Look and Behold

Take Me Deeper

Visions of Jesus and of Angels

Stage Fright