Hi Carol,
I was touched by the dream you posted and was wondering if you had the youtube link.
There have been a lot of crazy things happening in my life since I've posted here a while back. In the past year I've drawn pretty close to the elders and a senior pastor at my church. We're all interested in end times and bible prophecy and yes I agree there are many biblical indicators in scripture that Jesus is coming soon!
Here's one of my favorite sermons that compiles a lot of the research those in the bible prophecy community have put together regarding signs in the heavens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXUqfNQ3J0o
Anyways some time after I left the local church and found this new one, God led me to a place to fully repent of my sins (it's funny I never learned about real repentance (metanoia in Greek, or a change of mind, not just confessing sins) in the 20 some years I grew up in LSM churches). Soon after, I read about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and I knew that's what I needed. After praying to receive it I felt this peace come over me unlike anything I ever experienced. I believe it's "the peace that surpasses all understanding" in Phil 4:7 that Paul describes.
After that experience, whenever I read the bible I just get so much revelation. I used to be so dependent on commentaries but now I don't feel much need to read books anymore but I just feel an intense desire to go directly to the word of God. Jesus commanded we live on *every* word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4) and not any Christian teacher's commentary. Since then I've experienced God working through my life wonderfully in many ways, in not just words but also in actions (don't just be hearers of the word deceiving yourselves James 1:22). And let me just say that Father God, who Jesus says is our only Teacher (Matthew 23:8) is the best Teacher you could ever have! Don't settle for anything less. Everyone who teaches should really consider themselves to be a guide to lead us to the One Teacher, just as the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent will guide us to all truth (John 16:13)
Recently my senior pastor realized I had the gift of teaching and asked me to give a sermon in front of 150. I was nervous about speaking in front of so many, but I felt a great burden come on when I did and the words just came out naturally by God's grace. I preached about the need to give our hearts whole heartedly to the Lord and how God delivered me from video game addiction. Towards the end many in the audience were convicted and repented. I never would have suspected the Lord could use me in this way because back in the local church I was pretty much a nobody. Well I still am, but I've just been able to develop the gifting God gave me that was stagnant for all these years. Praise God though, all the glory really belongs to him, there's no need to boast because everything we do is just what God had already prepared beforehand and given to us! And I'm sharing this because I want it to be an encouragement to others that there is hope after you leave the local church if you seek God with all your heart! All you need is the Holy Spirit! Invite him into your life and you will never be the same.
I've also started a website for preaching the gospel. My main concern with those meeting in the local churches as well as many other Christians from an extreme dispensational background is that their doctrines of grace and salvation may damn them because they didn't realize their need to repent and be delivered from addiction. I did a pretty intense bible study and I *really* don't think the bible teaches eternal security after a simple sinner's prayer or "calling on the Lord" and many Christians and LSMers who think they're saved may end up in outer darkness for *eternity* not just a thousand years because they only believed in Jesus with their mouth but not fully in their heart.
I've detailed my research into what I believe is biblical grace and salvation for all those interested here:
http://eternityinourheart.com/salvation