On Thursday, this past week, I received a vision while praying.  This vision is for all people everywhere, "for there is no sin uncommon to man."  But in the larger sense, I believe that this message describes a nation that has wandered from its Lord.

This is the vision:

First I see two people at a great distance from me.  They are walking separately, one in front of the other.  The walk runs alongside a river.  Both the walk and the river bank are completely paved. On the opposite side of the river, is a large plaza upon which I am standing.

The person leading is a woman.  Reaching the end of the walk, she stops for the man behind, to join her.  She takes him by the arm, for them to walk together.  They  turn to their right and walk arm in arm away from the river and away from me.  Suddenly the view zooms in upon their arms, and I am allowed to see what would never have been possible, from the place where I was standing.   I see that the woman's right hand  holds the left arm of the man very gently, as you would expect.  However, her left hand grasps the man's left forearm like a vice grip.  She is exerting her force, her way, and her will upon the man.  I do not see his face, so I do not know his reaction.    

Next, I see a very small rectangular house, painted a cool dark grey.  The roof is darker still.  The windows and front door are painted with what I would describe as  "candy apple red," or "lipstick red."

Then the last part of the vision, God had to show me 3 times.  For some reason, I didn't pick up on this the first two times, and by the third time, I really saw the full detail.

This is what I saw:  I saw a mouth with its tongue fully extended.  The tongue and lips were a deep burgundy red.  But there were dark grey splotches all over the tongue. These splotches created a design that made me think of the fluid shapes made by the gel in a lava lamp.  Only the shapes of the splotches were dark grey.

Looking at the three parts of the vision together, I can see there is one theme, that of seduction and entrapment.  But there many be three or more applications.

I believe the woman represents adultery, or an adulterous wife.  The man has been following her at a close distance, perhaps 10 to 12 feet behind her.  She is both the trap and the bait, and she has his attention.  She stops to make her invitation to him to walk with her.   This is the trap of seduction.  He readily accepts the invitation.  They immediately change the direction they were walking.  By turning their backs to me they walk away from me.  From a distance, everything seemed to be normal.  I would never have felt that something unusual was happening.  Yet, with the close up view of theirs arms, I could see that this was a wicked scheme to entrap the man.  How did she seduced him?  Did she flirt?  Did she promise something that only she could give him?  Was he enthralled with her beauty?  We don't know, however the vision shows lips and a tongue that are burgundy red.  "For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword."  Proverbs 5:3-4  

The splotches on the tongue are fluid like in design.  As in the proverb, the speech of an adulteress, drips like honey.  The splotches represent the smoothness of her speech likened to the fluidity of honey.  Her speech, is sweet at first, but becomes bitter as gall.  The color grey can represent ashes.  Ashes are symbolic of sorrow, mourning and destruction.  "With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.  All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life."  Proverbs 7:21-17

Where was the couple going?  I believe they were going to her home.  "I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.  Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!  My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.  He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon."  Proverbs 7:16-20

In the vision, the house was painted a cool, dark grey with the "candy apple red" or "lipstick red" windows and doors.   "Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death."  Proverbs  7:27  The grey color of the house, (grey meaning sorrow, mourning and destruction) tells of the devastation of a life joined to a prostitute or unfaithful wife.  The color "candy apple," was chosen to convey the idea of being appealing and enticing.  Eve was enticed by an apple, because "the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye,"  Genesis 3:6  Even the description of the color "lipstick red," is an indication of seduction.

You might have noticed, as I did, that the house with its windows and door, and the mouth and tongue with the splotches, are both shades of red and grey. I was reminded of a song, "House of the Rising Sun" a pitiful story of the plight of a young man:

"There is a house in New Orleans, they call the Rising Sun.  And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy and God, I know I'm one....Oh mother tell your children not to do what I have done, spend your lives in sin and misery in the House of the Rising Sun." (Performed by The Animals; Alan Price writer)

I believe that sexual seduction is the most immediate interpretation, however, it is not the only thing that can tempt us to sin.

The seductress can be alcohol - "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!  In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.  Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.  You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.  'They hit me,' you will say, 'but I am not hurt!  They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?'"  Proverbs 23:31-32

The seductress can be other vices: drugs, gambling, corruption and deception for monetary gain or power, lying, cheating and stealing.

It is our selfish desires that become our Achilles' heel and cause us to succumb to temptation.  Our desire for money can lead to lying, cheating, stealing, and  gambling.  Our desire to control and to have power, can cause us to manipulate, to lie, coerce, and even kill.  Our desire for adventure and to experience the forbidden, can cause us to do dangerous acts, or to use drugs.  The desire to escape reality, pain and life's problems can also lead us to use alcohol or drugs.  The woman or seductress always offers something that the man hopes to gain: wealth, power, sexual gratification, or pleasure and avoidance of pain.  

The house in the vision can represent any place where the forbidden is both allowed and available:  a house of ill repute, a hotel, a casino, a bar, a gentleman's club, an adult store, or any house where people can get whatever their passions demand.

But to look at the larger intent of the vision, we need look no further than the American culture, the nation, and the Church.  The theme that we see described in the vision is seduction.  The woman represents adultery or an adulterous wife.  The Old Testament shows time and time again, a theme of waywardness, and unfaithfulness of the Israelites towards their creator.  The various prophets speaking God's very heart, describe Israel as the unfaithful wife or the adulterous wife.  "I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!   When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.  You adulterous wife!  You prefer strangers to your own husband!"  Ezekiel 16:30-32

Israel was forever leaving the Lord, for her many "lovers."  These lovers were idols and "gods," of the nations around them.  Very often, God allowed the nations whose gods they were worshiping, to overtake them and enslave them.  

In the American culture, we have set our hearts on the material things we think makes us happy.  We are a pleasure seeking people, who are concerned with satisfying and gratifying our own interests.  We have become our own "gods."  We want to live in well furnished, large homes.  We want to drive the cars that proclaim our status.  We want to wear the latest fashions, that carry the proper labels and designers' names.  We buy expensive shoes and designer hand bags.  We spend enormous amounts of money on the "best schools," the most prestigious clubs, the finest restaurants and most luxurious resorts.  The average American lives above his means.  We are a people who are greatly in debt, as individuals and as a nation.  Our spending and entitlement programs have spun out of control.  The people in our nation are pleasing themselves while serving a master known as Mammon.  (Money)  "No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money."  Matthew 6:24

The American Church is filled with people who may have accepted Jesus as their Savior, but have never submitted to his lordship.  Jesus said to his followers, "If you love me, keep my commands."  John 14:15

Jesus calls the Church, "his bride."  He expects us to be faithful to him.  We show him our love and faithfulness by our obedience.  However, when we go our own way, and give priority to our desires, and our interests, we rebel against God and his Lordship over us.  We become the adulterous wife.  "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?  Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  James 4:4   

When we desire to have and to do what the culture around us has and does, then we become like them.  When we choose to follow the culture in our dress, in our speech, in our actions, in our choices, there soon becomes no difference between our values and those of the unbelievers.  We can then fall into the same trap the Israelites did.  We become seduced by the things the world has to offer.  We no longer give God the place he deserves in our lives.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many; will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'"

Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!'"  Matthew 7:21-23

When the Church becomes like the surrounding culture, we are no longer the salt of the earth.  The Lord warns us: "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."  Matthew 5:13

The Church must follow Christ. "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

Please pray for the Church.  We want to see revival come to our country.  As before, God's promises are forever.  His great promise to heal our land, is conditional and it begins with us - the Church. 

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven.  I will forgive their sin and heal their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

Please join me in praying for our Church, our nation and the world!  Let's see revival in our land!