God is our loving creator, and a good father.  We are his children, and for that reason, he wants us to be all that we can be.  He wants us to be free of any influence, belief, condition or material possession that holds us back from living for the Lord.  We are to be his ambassadors, and his witness to the rest of the world.  This vision I received yesterday morning, shows God's heart. The vision began in two parts, but as I started to pray for understanding, he showed me two additional parts to the vision.  I believe that God is pointing out the importance of fellowship with him to become free of our past and things that hold us far from him.  An eternal home with him is our ultimate place of rest "where every tear will be dried."  Revelations 7:17

And while we are on this earth, the Lord promises us, "I will keep in perfect peace, those whose hearts are stayed on me."  Isaiah 26:3

This is the vision:  

First I see a crustacean, something like a crab or shrimp-like animal, trying to escape his shell.  As he works his way out of the shell, I notice the sharp contrast between his soft whitish skin, and the harsh sandy environment around him.  It seems that the sand would be too abrasive for him, yet he leans up against a small rise in the sand.  He appears terribly vulnerable without the protection of his shell.

Next I see someone removing his shoes to reveal his bare feet.  I am reminded of the passage in scripture, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."  Exodus 3:5

As I continued to pray that afternoon, God gave me the next two parts of the vision:

First, I saw a green tile roof that is conical, yet fairly flat.  The roof covered a portion of a house that I would describe as a rotunda, because it was a round structure attached to a rectangular house.

Then I saw a large clear plastic cup filled with water and ice and a green straw.  I saw the cup from a distance, about ten to twelve feet away.

This is what I believe the vision means:

The crustacean represents a person, a believer.  The shell represents a label, a problem or a situation that has been with him for a long time.  This label shapes who he is, and who he has become.  The situation is integral to his personality.  It has become his identity.  The problem goes with him everywhere, and people know him by his problem. 

The crustaceans' shell can represent any problem, circumstance, belief, habit, personality trait or personal label  Let's choose to call it "Worthless," as an example.   Now if someone were to believe that he was worthless, simply because his father, mother and or brother always called him "Worthless," then one could see easily, how he might become bound up by this label.  All his relationships would be affected by how he saw himself as worthless.  All the work he might choose to do, he would value as worthless.  The ultimate view of his life and purpose would be worthless.  He would have no hope and no reason to live.

But, as a person comes to know the Lord, he finds that God values him differently.  He realizes that he is a new creation, made in the image of God.  Sometimes, that is all he needs to be set free.  

When we become born-again, we can feel God's love, possibly for the first time.  But this is not always the case.  Very often we need help casting off these shells.  A crustaceans' new shell will carry the markings of the old shell, like a person's fingerprints, these are individual to the animal.  As we grow in our walk with God, our old shells have to be discarded and new ones formed.  God's desire is for us to outgrow the lies and false beliefs, attitudes and labels that we have had as youths and up to the present time.  The shell comes off as we receive revelation and healing from the Lord.

Just as the crustacean was vulnerable as a "soft-shelled" animal, we can be the same.  Crustaceans are vulnerable to both predators, and believe it or not, cannibals - predators of their own species.  Sound familiar?  We can be injured most easily, by the very ones that should be there to protect us: our family, friends, and even some members of the church.  When we are new Christians, we are vulnerable to verbal attacks against our new found faith, by family and friends, and criticism by those of the family of God, that act more like "Pharisees" than Christians.  But God watches over these, that are vulnerable.  He will send his people to help them, disciple them, and encourage them to grow.

The next part of the vision, is a step that needs to be taken by every believer.  When God spoke to Moses, he said to him, "Do not come any closer.  Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."  Exodus 3:5  In the vision, I saw the person taking off his shoes.  This was a an act of honor and one of obedience.  The person was choosing to meet with God, to seek his face, to seek his presence.  When we come before God, of our own freewill, and we honor him for who he is, we can connect with him.  This is God's desire to have a personal relationship with us - an intimate, close relationship.  When we are willing to bare ourselves, and willing to shed our shells, and acknowledge our sins and shortcomings, then God can do so much more in us.

He begins to tell us who we really are.  He tells us that we are loved and that we have value in his eyes.  The more time we spend with him, the more clearly we see and appreciate his ways.  We can become free just because we become like the one we spend time with.  For example, the disciples spent all their time with Jesus, and so became like him.   "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."  Acts 4:13

The disciples became like their teacher, because they spent time with him.  God wants his image to be formed in us.  We allow this to happen when we spend time with him.  He will help us shed our old shells and form new ones in his image.  Eventually, the voices that have condemned us are no longer heard, for "his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."  John 10:4-5

The next part of the vision is the green roof atop a round portion of the house.  The roof represents a shield or a covering, that offers protection.  The color green means rest, and new life.  The round shape is a shape that has no beginning and no end, this represents eternity.   When we put these images and what they represent together, we have a safe haven, a refuge, that gives rest and that is eternal, never ending.  So I believe that this eternal resting place is heaven.  Jesus describes heaven as a house:  "My Father's house has many rooms;  if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  John 14:2-3

This is the ultimate place for us as believers, to be with the Lord for all eternity.

The last portion of the vision is of a clear plastic cup with ice water and a green straw.  Yet it was placed in the distance.  I believe the cup of water is about being refreshed, and renewed.  On a hot summer day, a glass of ice water would be just the thing that would refresh us.  The fact that the cup is placed at a distance, shows us that it is available to us, but we must pursue his presence.  

When we speak of "times of refreshing," we are speaking of revival.  This is when the Lord's manefest presence comes to the church in power: miracles, signs and wonders, salvations, and healing abound.  Relationships are restored, and people enjoy the presence of the Lord.  Worship is experienced as a slice of heaven.  God has asked us to pray for his Holy Spirit to come and visit us in this way.  We need a revival in our nation and in our churches.  We need to seek The Lord individually and corporately for him to pour out his Spirit.  

As individuals we can also receive his refreshing.  We must first be willing to not conceal things from the Lord, but to be willing to be vulnerable before him.  We must honor him by taking off our shoes, and entering into a covenant relationship with him, an intimate close relationship, made possible by the Lord's atoning blood.  He promises to give us protection, rest and an eternal home.   And the refreshing that could be ours right now, is then made possible.   The 23rd Psalm, sums up this message and teaching:  

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters,

He refreshes my soul.   He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

 I will fear no evil, for you are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I hope you are blessed by this message, and that you take this as an invitation to grow closer to God - to throw off your old ways and habits and become a true disciple.   Our goal is to know Jesus and be like Him!

God bless you!