Friends and Enemies
Hi friends! I am in Florida with my sister having a wonderful visit. I received a vision earlier this week and I have been in prayer to understand it’s meaning. I woke up this morning to what I believe is the interpretation. This is what I saw:
I saw a small plastic liquid soap dispenser with a pump. Everything was clear plastic, the pump and it’s container. I tried to pump the soap into another object, which must have been something that you inflate, because it had a soft plastic mouth piece into which you blow air. The mouthpiece was also clear plastic with its small molded plug. As I tried to pump the soap into the mouthpiece, the soap went everywhere without much, if any, going down the actual opening. This was obviously a waste of time, and soap, and a mess to clean up. And the other obvious thing was that soap did not belong in that type of container, or if it did, I would have needed a syringe to get it through the small opening.
Next, I was looking into a deep cabinet for something. There were several boxes filled with items that I pushed around trying to find what I was looking for. Once I moved the last box, I saw that there was an opening to the outside. It was quite bright without much detail in the view. Yet I knew it was fully open to the outdoors.
Then, I saw a woman bending forward from the waist. Her long dark hair fell forward as well. A man had a brush in his hand and with large circular motions, he “brushed” her hair. But there was far too much force applied. I realize that she was being beaten with the brush.
I knew instantly what this scene depicted. The woman was the Church. The brush was the brutal persecution of Christians and the man was the devil who will stop at nothing to destroy the Church.
This vision has two related meanings. It has to do with persecution and proselytizing.
In the second piece of the vision, we have a dark cabinet, where I am looking to find something. I don’t know what I am looking for, I just keep searching and moving boxes. What I find is an opening where the light floods into the space. I wasn’t looking for an opening, but that is what I was surprised to find. This part of the vision reminds me of a book that I bought to share with a Muslim friend. It is called “Seeking Allah Finding Jesus.” It is about the way God is giving people dreams to lead them into the truth about who Jesus is. It is about the revelation of the deity of Jesus and the mystery of the Trinity. “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name.” Isaiah 65:1
This is the love of God: that all would come to repentance and be saved. Jesus said. “I lay down my life for the sheep....No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” John 10:15-18
God is calling all people to follow him. In heaven there will be people from every tribe, nation and tongue. He is revealing himself to people where it is difficult to share the gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14
God tells us that: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
God calls each of us into the light. Even though I was looking for something else in the vision, I was shown the light. It was hidden from my eyes until the time God chose to reveal the light of the truth to me. And this is what God is doing among people, revealing himself through dreams and visions.
Even though we could choose to say, if this is true, then why do I need to share the gospel with anyone? If God can do it for all people, then he doesn’t need me.
God has commanded us to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. God has chosen this to be our mission. It is “The Great Commission.” These were his final words to his people as he departed this earth to sit at the right hand of God the Father. So this is our commission; it is our purpose.
Why do we ignore the lost around us, and then fret, and worry over the salvation of our family and friends? If God wants everyone to be saved, if he has said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household.” Acts 16:31, then why all the worry? Doesn’t God’s word say, “Do not be anxious for anything.”? Philippians 4:6
How should we be? How should we think, about the salvation of our family members? Shouldn’t we “with prayer and thanksgiving, present our requests to God, and the peace of God, that passes all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ? Philippians 4:6-7 Surely, we should use our faith in God, to believe that he will "Leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one who wandered off." Matthew 18:12
In the first part of the vision, I was trying to pump the soap into the mouthpiece, a tiny opening, in an inflatable object, with absolutely no success. This seems so easy to see, that what I was attempting to do, was either without the proper equipment, (a syringe), or the two objects were never meant to do this together.
I believe that God is showing me the futility of doing something that he did not intend for me to do. What I believe is that the clear soap represents the pure and holy word of God. “Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-26
The pump and dispenser was the church. We are to share the gospel. We are to offer the word of salvation to those we are instructed to share it with. “Go into all the world....”
The mouthpiece represent those to whom we are trying to share the gospel. Notice that the soap doesn’t go into the mouthpiece. We cannot force someone to accept the gospel by jamming it down their throats! It only make a mess of things that God has to clean up. It says in the word, that we are to “make disciples.” This doesn’t not mean to force at gun point, or sword, like in the Crusades - “Convert or face the sword!” No -what were Jesus’ instructions to the 12 disciples? “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go preach it’s message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’” Matthew 10:5-7
We must be careful to go where God wants us to go. At this point, Jesus had not yet finished what he had come to do, so they were instructed to just go to the lost sheep of Israel. God spoke to me once when I wanted to tell my sister that what she was doing was not of God, but of the kingdom of darkness. God gave me a vision regarding my desire to speak to her, and after the vision, I heard him say very emphatically, “Do not go where I have not sent you!”
Why was this so important? In our effort to share the gospel, God doesn’t want the person to whom we are speaking to be so confronted with our message, that they resist. By our over zealousness, - we can create quite a set back for God, perhaps measured in years, as well as creating a nasty mess for him to clean up. God expects obedience, and we must obey.
Jesus gave further instructions to his disciples: “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave......If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than For that town.” Matthew 10:11 and 14-15
What Jesus said in this passage is downright sobering - with rejection of the message, comes judgment. And when there is a rejection of God's word, or the gospel, it may seem like they are rejecting us, and it maybe, but we need to not be detoured by this. We need to shake off the dust, and keep going. This may be hard when the rejection comes from our families. Especially when they consider themselves to be more a "Christian" or have better values than you, but you must not succumb to their lack of understanding. We must say, as Jesus did: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34
Prayer and love, moves the hearts of people towards God. Sometimes we must separate ourselves from the very ones we love and are praying for, rather than lose our witness of Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. Sometimes, in less contentious situations, we can live our lives before men, "that they may see our good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
This would be a blessing if all we need to do is stand firm in our commitment to the Lord, and simply live our lives for him, before others. That is what He asks of us, but we shouldn't be surprised by the persecution that comes from following him. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you....If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." John 15:18-20
Jesus had much to say about this topic: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'" Matthew 10:34-36
What we need is wisdom. What we need is love. Jesus provides both: "But I tell you, love your enemies and those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven."
Whether we are sharing the gospel, or witnessing about Jesus, we need to do it all in love. I was blessed this past Sunday to be in my sister's church. The pastor spoke to his congregation about this very topic. (Isn't God good? Our days are ordained for us before even one of them existed!) I love a pastor that speaks plainly and boldly and with a pinch of humor! He was just that - I took 3 and a half pages of notes! His main points on this topic were:
Witness to others in love - have the right attitude - come from love.
We have been graced, with the greatest gift - the Lord Jesus - grace others with this gift.
We are Christ's ambassadors - Ambassadors are usually chosen because of their tact - we need God's words when we speak and witness for him.
Make full use of the time we are with the unsaved - Do not ignore the people around us.
Don't treat a sinner as if he is already saved - "You can't clean a fish until you have caught him!"
This was truly a great sermon, and it was perfect timing for my writing of this vision. God is so very, very wonderful!
In Summary:
The soap dispenser and the small opening
God wants us to be careful about our message, that it is full of grace and comes from an attitude of love. We must be prepared, through prayer, to have the right words. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to direct us where to go, and to whom, and as to how, we are to share his message of salvation.
The woman and the brush
God wants us to be prepared for persecution, for if we live for him, there will be resistance. We must respond always in love and to pray for those who persecute us. And remember always to keep in prayer the persecuted church around the world.
The light that exposed the interior of the dark cabinet
God also wants us to know, that he will make a way for those that seem to be uninterested, or have no opportunity to hear about him. "I was found by those who did not seek me."
Be blessed! And keep praying! Love you all!
