Healing And Restoration

Hollie L. Moody - August 15th, 2001

For months now, I have been feeling a grieving in my spirit. I sensed that this was a grieving in the heart of Jesus Himself. Immediately upon my discerning this, I had a vision where certain saints who were sitting in a church service changed into sheep. These sheep appeared fine when I first saw them. Then, it was as if I were able to gaze straight inside of them. At first, I recoiled at what I was seeing.

I saw hidden wounds.

Some of these wounds had developed layers of scar tissue over them, but beneath the scar tissue the wounds were still open and fresh. Some of the wounds were in the process of being healed. Other wounds were infected.

I drew back from witnessing this vision. I sensed tremendous pain and weariness, discouragement and despair, within the wounded hearts of these people. The pain I was sensing was breaking my heart.

I ran from this vision for a time; not wanting to experience it any further. The Lord waited until I came to Him and repented of drawing back from this vision. The vision continued.

I saw the people in a church service, who had changed into sheep with hidden wounds, begin to cry out. Their cries were annoying to others in the congregation. The people I saw as sheep were a frustration to the rest of the congregation. These wounded sheep were disruptive. At times, their cries and their behaviour appeared almost bizarre.

These wounded sheep began to withdraw themselves, or were separated by others in the congregation. When this occurred, their behaviour became even more disruptive, frustrating, annoying, and confusing.

The cries of the wounded sheep didn't appear to be heard by many in the congregation. Those in the congregation who did hear the cries either felt unable to offer help, or were angry and annoyed by the cries. The wounded sheep began to withdraw themselves even more, and began to wander away from the congregation.

I watched as these wounded sheep left the congregation and left the church building they had been in. I became aware that the Lord was standing beside me. I looked up at Him, and saw a terrible grief and sadness in His eyes. I also saw anger.

"Come with Me, daughter," the Lord said to me.

Together, the Lord and I began to follow the sheep. They appeared to be traveling upon some type of hard packed dusty road or path. They continued to cry out, and appeared lost and confused. Their cries began to intensify. I saw as they would stop to eat at weeds growing next to the road, and I realized that their cries had intensified because they were hungry.

The weeds didn't appear to satisfy the hunger of the wandering sheep. They continued to travel down the hard packed road, crying out, and attempting to eat anything that was growing at the edges of the road.

Some of the sheep began to fall at the side of the road. Their cries became weaker and weaker until they were only lying quietly on the side of the road. I saw that these sheep had become completely overcome by their hunger and their weariness. They were totally unresponsive.

"Come with Me, My daughter," the Lord said to me. I had come to a halt next to the fallen sheep.

Quietly, the Lord and I proceeded to follow the wounded sheep. I saw as they quickly left the side of the road. I looked to see where they were running to. I saw a pasture.

The pasture at first glance appeared fertile and lush, but when the Lord and I drew closer, I saw that it was a fouled pasture. The grass was slimy and trampled down, and it smelled. Yet the wounded sheep were eating this grass ravenously. Their cries stopped as they tore at the grass and continued to eat it.

After a time, though, the sheep began to cry out. I sensed that these cries were cries of pain. Many of the sheep began to vomit up the rotted grass they had just been feasting upon. After they had finished vomiting, they simply fell down in this pasture.

After they had fallen down, I saw as wolves and other predators began to steal stealthily into the pasture. They came upon the fallen, wounded sheep and began to devour them.

"My daughter," the Lord said to me, "have you understood what you have seen?"

"Yes," I replied. I felt a sickness and despair within my heart at having witnessed this vision.

"There are many of My children who sit on the pews of their congregations with hidden wounds," the Lord said to me. "They are not healed of their wounds. They have concealed their wounds. Their unhealed wounds are separating them from the flock. At times, they separate themselves. Other times, they are separated from the rest of the flock by the flock's confusion, anger, and frustration towards the behaviour of these wounded sheep.

"They have eaten strange words and perverse doctrines to satiate their hunger," the Lord continued. "At first, these words and doctrines satisfied the terrible gnawing hunger these wounded sheep were experiencing. Yet, it was strange doctrines, and words not from Me; and they spewed-up these words and doctrines. As they were overcome by their hunger and weariness, they became easy prey for predators.

"Behold, My daughter," the Lord directed me. "The vision is not ended."

I then saw as the Lord Himself approached the foul pasture and entered it. He began to tend to each of the fallen, wounded sheep. I watched as He gently ran His hands over each sheep, and spoke quietly and soothingly to the sheep.

The Lord then began to leave this fouled pasture. He was calling each of the sheep by name, and urging them gently to come and follow Him. Some of the sheep struggled to their feet and began to follow the Lord. Some of the sheep continued to remain upon the ground.

"Come with Me, My daughter," the Lord said to me.

I turned and looked at where the Lord was pointing. I was perplexed to see that some of the sheep were backing away from this new pasture, and were refusing to enter into it. Some of them returned to the foul pasture. Others, simply continued to wander and to fall at the edge of the road. All of those who refused to enter into the new pasture, were eventually devoured by predators.

"Do you understand all you have seen, daughter?" the Lord asked me.

"No," I replied. I couldn't understand why some of the sheep had refused to enter into the new pasture.

"I am the Good Shepherd," the Lord said unto me. "I will search and seek out those of My sheep who have wandered away from the flock. I will heal them, and lead them to green pastures and fresh water. Yet there are some who are so fearful that they will refuse to allow themselves to be healed, or to believe that I am with them."

"Why is that?" I asked the Lord.

"Desire," the Lord replied.

"Desire?" I repeated. "I don't understand what You mean."

"Those of My children who refuse to be healed and to enter into the pasture where I lead them," the Lord explained, "do so because their desire has died. They have become consumed and overcome with their woundings."

I pondered the Lord's words for a moment. "How do those whose desire has died, get their desire restored?"

"They must return unto Me with all their heart and soul," the Lord said. "They must stop looking at everything around them, and focus only upon Me. It will take time for these sheep, but with patience and compassion, they can be restored once again."

"I have a question, Lord," I said. "Why were those who were wounded not healed in Your house?"

"Many reasons," the Lord replied. "For some of these sheep, they had no idea how to be healed. Their wounds had become their whole life and focus. Others were not healed, for they needed the congregation to help to heal and restore them. Yet, too often, the congregation also had no idea how to help to bring the wounded in their midst to full healing and restoration. Their own feelings of inadequacy and helplessness caused many of them to turn with anger upon those who were wounded. This anger only caused new wounds for a sheep that was already wounded; which caused further separation of the wounded sheep.

"This is a day and a time," the Lord continued, "in which I will pour out My healing upon My children. A wounded people cannot reap the harvest which is white to be harvested. A wounded people cannot heal. Only those who have been healed, or are in the process of allowing themselves to be healed, can heal others, and touch others with My saving grace."

"Is this vision a rebuke to shepherds?" I asked the Lord.

"It is a warning," the Lord replied. "The shepherds are to study their sheep, and know them. They can only do this by being with them where they live. The enemy is attacking the unity of the flock by inflicting wounds upon My people, or by recalling to the remembrance of My children former wounds. I would have the shepherds to be aware of this strategy of the enemy, and to seek Me for instruction and guidance."

When the vision ended, I read Ezekiel 34. The Lord also laid on my heart Ezekiel 37:1-14 (in regard to the vision of the dry bones in the valley), and John 10 (about Jesus being our Good Shepherd).

I felt that Proverbs 27:23 was a warning to the shepherds ~~

"Be thou diligent to know the state of they flocks, and look well to thy herds."

In Him,

~~ Hollie L. Moody