A Flower, a Frame and a Fire

I received this vision from the Lord yesterday, in answer to a question.  Tomorrow is the beginning of our Holy Spirit Conference  at our church.  I wanted to fast and to seek God's revelation as to what he wanted to do or to accomplish at this time.  For several years now, God has asked me to pray for revival for the church and our nation.  And since March of last year, he has shown me that he will bring revival to the church.  

I wanted to post another vision on this blog, but I felt that he wanted me to seek him for a new message for today, not something he has shown me in the past.  So I began praying, and he showed me a two-part vision.

First I see a slender square picture frame.  Inside the frame was a flower, a "Black-eyed Susan."  This was a real flower, not painted or sketched on a canvas. There was a fire burning all around the frame and flower.

Then I saw olive oil as it was poured out of a saucepan.  There were oregano flakes mixed throughout the oil.

The flower can be a sign of life.  It can be fragrant, but some flowers have no smell at all.  The flower appeared healthy, however it's stem was cut short in order to fit within the frame.  The frame is open - there is no glass, no canvas.  It merely surrounds the flower.

The fire is burning but not consuming.  Nothing changes.  The frame doesn't blacken; the flower does not wilt.  Fire can be purifying.  Fire can be a symbol of God, as in the burning bush that was not consumed.  The fire can be sign of the Lord's presence or of his voice.

The frame is a boundary.  It gives order and establishes and divides what is within, from what is without.  The frame was made of wood - something that should have easily burned, but it stands because God said everything would be tested with fire.  It is only those things that remain after the testing that are fit and made perfect by God.

A scripture says that "flowers are here for today, they fade and are later tossed into the fire.  But yet this flower was healthy and vibrant - it was lasting through the fiery test.

In the second part of the vision, the oil could represent the Holy Spirit being poured out.  Because there were herbs (oregano) mixed in, it had a fragrance.  It was in a saucepan being poured out in a thin stream as if it were to be saved in a narrow neck bottle or perhaps it would be strained first.  But because it was in a sauce pan, this oil had been heated, and seasoned and now was to be used.  But how?  We can dip bread into seasoned oil or we can pour seasoned oil over our foods for flavor.  

When the Bible speaks of anointing someone, I have always believed that it was oil that was pure, untouched, or that it could be perfumed like the oil in the alabaster jar that was in preparation for Jesus' burial.  There is oil that was used to anoint a king like Saul or David, or "running down Aaron's beard.

But how should I see this oil.  Is it useful to God?  Is it to be considered for common use or something for noble use?  Does it represent the Holy Spirit or something else altogether?

I have prayed a lot about this vision.  What does the oil represent?  What does the oregano  represent?  And the pan ? And the manner in which it was poured?  I have read, thought, and prayed and done that over and over again.  My first message follows.  Yet I was not convinced that it was right.  So I repeated my praying, contemplating and reading.  I am writing a second meaning to the vision.  Because the oil was seasoned with oregano, I wondered what was the significance of oregano.  I saw it as an ordinary spice at first, used in cooking but not very useful as a medicinal herb or as an ingredient for perfume.  When I looked up the rotors of the word, I found it to be made of two Greek words:  "Oros" which means mountain, and "ganos" which means joy or brightness.  There is a spiritual condition that Paul speaks of "the joy of the Spirit". There is a place in the scriptures which speak of the "oil of gladness" or "oil of joy."  This is what I believe he is saying.  That God is ready to pour out his spirit like he promised in Joel, and later came to pass as recorded in Acts chapter 2.  
  

I began to pray more about the vision, and then I knew.  I became disappointed.  I felt like crying, and did.  This is the meaning of the vision:

The pan was old.  Its aluminum finish long since gone, nothing but a common pan.  The oil was not pure, but was mixed with oregano, merely an ordinary herb. the Holy Spirit will be poured out as if being rejected.  That which should be honored,cherished, and highly valued is being poured out as if it has no use.

the church is rejecting the Holy Spirit.  It has grieved the Holy Spirit with its sin.  When will we be ready?  When will we be right with God?  Friday and Saturday evenings will be a "dog and pony show."  The Holy Spirit will not be honored.  I am crying.  Why is it like this?  The Holy Spirit is grieved.  We have not made room for Him.  Why not?  We have only made half hearted attempts at seek God.  Why?  Why can't people put away their idols?  Why can't we choose to love one another and prefer another over ourselves?  Wh7y are we selfish, Why do we give into our flesh?  Why does sin abound?  What can we do?  We are wretched, poor, dumb and blind.  Why can't we live holy lives unto the Lord?

The vision shows two opposites.  The fire purifies, the presence of God is where there is life.  The flower is partly alive - and partly dead.  The flower has been cut off from the lower stem and its roots where it received it nourishment.  Yet it will eventually die.  

The fire is a manner of testing what is within the frame.  These boundaries, (the frame) are established by God, the moral boundaries that no one following the Lord should cross.  Yet the frame does not burn.  These are boundaries that are timeless, and are spiritual = They are forever.  They are a standard and a means by which God will separate - who is in and who is out.

The flower represents a life being tested.  God is sustaining it through the flames.  This is super natural - for even after testing the natural flower will die.  That is how the Christian is to live, separated from the world and living within the framework of God's commands.  As long as he remains within God's plan he will live.  Our flesh will eventually die, but our spirit will live on with and for God.

The oil concerns the everyday.  The oregano is not particularly beneficial.  It does not have any medicinal qualities to make it into an ointment or lotion.  It is only for flavoring foods.  It is not used to perfume or make anything special.  It would never be used as an anointing oil nor as a cosmetic or healing balm.  Ordinary cooking is it's sole purpose.   In this vision, it shows a cheapening of the importance of God's Holy Spirit.  An irreverence for God's anointing and for God's presence.

I believed and still do, that God wants to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh.  He wants to bring revival to our churches and our nation.  But until the Church honors the Holy Spirit - I don't know...

Earlier this morning as I was praying while driving to prayer, God compared our irreverence to the mocking of Samson.  "While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of prison, and he performed for them."