Hi Friends,

I hope all is well with you.  Today I am writing about the Church, and about being prepared.  The Lord will return at anytime, and we need to be ready.  Things are not always as they seem.  Bumps and turns in the road come with life.  Staying connected with the Lord in prayer is paramount to being ready for what lies ahead, both in the natural and in the supernatural.

The Vision is in three parts:

First I saw a huge serving dish full of cooked white rice with a few vegetables mixed in.  An extra large ladle scooped up the rice and dumped it into a white bowl.  The rice and veggies were scattered everywhere as the rice was piled so high it overflowed the bowl.  When I looked at the rice, there were chopped, raw, white onions covering the entire top of the rice.

Next I am above a hole in the ground, which exposes an underground tunnel or corridor.  The passageway is packed with people walking towards the right.  There is one man a head taller than everyone else walking in the opposite direction.  He is a slender man, with dark hair and a mustache and goatee.  He wears a blue baseball cap.  He does not look around, but keeps his, focus, knowing where he is going.

Then I see a woman in an outdoor courtyard.  There is nothing green, nothing attractive in the background, just a concrete wall behind the woman and rubble on the ground.  She is dressed in plain muslin, a plain weave fabric made of unbleached cotton.  She appears to be a bride, yet is unkempt.  Her dark hair hangs down past her shoulders.  There is no cut or style to the hair - it needs combing.  There is a single 2 ½” fabric “rose,” made of the same unbleached cotton, attached at the waist.  She has an expression of bewilderment.  She is totally unprepared, and having a look of disbelief.  As if to say, “What is happening?, Or what just happened?”

What I believe the vision means:

The Rice with Raw Onions

The rice I believe represents our “daily bread.”  Most of the world eats rice as a staple in the diet, more so than bread.  The rice represents sustenance, what we depend upon to live.  The rice had a few vegetables mixed in, presumably for nutrition.  The serving was abundant.  There was so much - it overflowed the bowl.  I believe that God provides more than enough of what we need.    However, in the midst of abundance, there are the raw onions which cover the rice.  Chopped raw onion bring tears to our eyes.  I believe that the vision shows us that God will provide for our needs, but tears of affliction come with it.  This reminded me of the Hebrews and their sufferings.

The Hebrews in Egypt, were in slavery for some 400 years. The Lord heard their cries, and saw their suffering and pain under the yoke of Egyptian bondage, so he sent Moses with the message:  “Let my people go.”  With miracle upon miracle, and the parting of the Red Sea, the Lord led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness. 

However, once they left Egypt, they began to complain and grumble about the lack of water, and lack of food.  God heard their cries and provided water, and manna, the bread from heaven. 

A short time passed, and they became bored with the manna, and wanted meat.  They rejected God’s provision, and complained so, that they actually believed that they were better off in Egypt, in bondage where they could eat onions and leeks!  They did not appreciate The Lord’s deliverance and the promise of a land of their own. They “tried and tested me in the wilderness, and I said upon oath, “they shall never enter my rest!’”

Can you imagine after seeing all the miracles the Lord performed for them as a testimony of his mercy and love, as well as his constant presence as a pillar of cloud in the day, and a pillar of fire at night, they still did not trust him!  

More importantly, they had no fear of God.  They would grumble and complain, and not even consider the ramifications of this poor attitude towards the one and only God, their creator!

God had seen their tears, and had compassion on them to deliver them.  And now they wanted to return to the place of bondage?  Onions are what they longed for - the food that makes tears! 

This vision makes me question, “Is there anything that we want or desire that would cause us to leave God’s way, and return to living for ourselves and doing things our own way?”  We must be careful not to desire the world, and its pleasures, comforts, and enticements that lead us away from God.  Onions and leeks might not lead the American church away from the Lord, but there are pleasures and lifestyles of sin that could entice us to compromise and go along with the crowd.  Following the Lord can bring rejection, or abuse from family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors.  This is the Christian life.  “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Do not suppose that I have not 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 his own household.  Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:34-37

The raw onions on top of the rice may represent the trials and afflictions that come our way simply because we are Christians, because we are choosing to walk a different path than those around us.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 

God will provide for us, rice and vegetables, but tears and suffering are also in the offering.  We should not be surprised by this, for the Bible has warned us over and over that there will be hardship in living the Christian life.  Even now, there are Christians around the world, who are dying for their faith.  We should not suppose, that here in America we will not suffer.  Everyday, we must seek God for this next generation.  The values that the world holds are so different from ours.  Should our children sell out to the ways of the world, and abandon our Lord and Savior, within a single generation we could lose the freedoms we now enjoy.   

The raw onions can also be tears of intercession.  We are called to pray for the lost, for the persecuted church, for those who are enemies of God, and for those who are sick, or downcast.  We need to allow the Holy Spirit to shed his tears, as he prays through us.  His heart breaks for those who choose to go their own way and walk away from God.  We need to pray and speak out on their behalf.  We pray that God will change their hearts and lead them into all truth.

The Underground Corridor

This vision was a cut away view of an underground passage.  This may represent a peek into the supernatural world.  All those walking towards the right represent the church - the bride of Christ.  Walking towards the right, represents the way that is right, or holy.  They are the Lord’s disciples following his lead.  Because the vision is below ground level, this may represent the “underground church” where there is much persecution.

The man in the vision had dark hair, a mustache and goatee.  He wore a baseball cap.  This man represents the devil.  He was moving in the opposite direction, in a way that is contrary to God.  He was pursuing his own evil desires.  A goat is a symbol of the devil, and in the vision, the man wore a goatee.  The baseball cap was an attempt to disguise his true identity, as a evil villain.  Jesus said, speaking to those who did not believe, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  John 8:44

The man in the vision moved with intention.  His eyes were fixed upon his destination, and he was determined to accomplish his purpose.  Jesus calls the devil a thief: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”  John 10:10

This is a warning vision.  This is a heads up for the church.  We are not to focus on the enemy, but on the Lord.  Yet we must be aware: that we have an enemy who is out to do us harm.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 11:12

So how does the enemy work?  He works to undermine and destroy a believer’s faith.  He works within the church to destroy unity.  The devil knows that if he can cause strife and discord, the work of the church will be hindered.  He wants to cause church splits through jealousy, envy, competition, distrust, gossip, and slander.  He wants people to become disgruntled with their church and leave.

The devil may stir up a rebellious spirit in the people, to undermine the authority of the pastor and to invalidate the Lord’s vision for the church.  “Strike the shepherd, and the flock will scatter.” Zechariah 13:7 

The devil knows that where there is agreement in prayer, and true worship, the presence and power of God will also be there.  “Again, truly I tell you, that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Matthew 18:19-20 

Unity is a powerful thing.  After the days of Noah, people moved eastward and came to settle in a plain called Shinar.  They came together to build a city and a tower to reach heavenward for the purpose of making a name for themselves. Their desire was not to glorify God, but to glorify themselves.  This was the city and tower of Babel. “The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’  So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.” Genesis 11:6-8

As Christians, we need to be aware of how the devil, works in the lives of people to cause problems for the individual and the church.  There are two books that I would like to recommend:

    The Screwtape Letters, written by C.S. Lewis.  The fictional story is of two main characters:  Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood, his nephew.  It is about a seasoned demon instructing a young demon how to sabotage Christians, so that their faith never fully develops.  Uncle Screwtape’s insructions were to plant seeds of doubt, and fear within people’s thoughts.  He taught the importance of keeping them so distracted with other interests, and activities, that their faith becomes no more than a thought, or a religious facsimile. 

    The Bait of Satan by John Bevere.  It is an excellent book about how taking offense can ruin relationships, hinder effective ministry and wreck havoc in a church.  His message is - don’t take the bait of offense. 

The Ill-prepared Bride

In the vision, I believe the bride represents those in the church, who are like the foolish virgins, and will not be ready to meet the Lord, at his second coming.  This vision is also meant as a warning to the church.  It should shake the complacent, and those in the church that are lukewarm and believe that they are “safe.” 

Because of a lack of understanding, some professing Christians, see themselves as “good people.” They have the mistaken belief that unless they have killed someone, or done some outrageously sinful act, that their “goodness” will get them a ticket to heaven. 

Some erroneously believe that their choice in lifestyle is not of interest to the Lord.  For them, living with their “fiance” prior to marriage is perfectly fine.

Some who love to party and drink heavily on the weekends do not recognize it as sin.

Some who cheat on their taxes or misrepresent the facts on a document are not concerned, for they justify it by saying “I already give my fair share of taxes,” or “Everybody is doing it - What’s the big deal?”

“My people perish for lack of knowledge.”  Hosea 4:6 

God wants everyone to be ready when he returns.  He wants everyone to know him, because after we die, there will not be another chance.  “And  just as it is appointed for man to die once,  and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrew 9:27-28   

We cannot earn brownie points or get to heaven by someone praying for us.  Our salvation is a gift from God, it is not earned.  Salvation is not cheap either.  It cost the Lord a painful death, in our place.  He will not wink at our sin, and just say, “Welcome to the kingdom!”  We must understand the scriptures and know in our hearts whether we are ready to meet our Lord.  

When we are born again, God gives us his Holy Spirit to indwell us.  He gives us a heart for him, and a desire for the word of God.  We become his sons and daughters, knowing that he is faithful, and that he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and put us in right standing with him.

Yet, when we sin, we must repent.  If there is no godly sorrow over the things that grieve the Lord, then it indicates that our hearts are not entirely his.  We have compromised with the world and  have chosen to believe the lie, that says, “Once saved always saved.” 

Those that believe the lie, rationalize their beliefs:  “God already knew that I would sin, so he automatically forgives me of this, and I don’t have to be concerned.”   This attitude shows apathy towards God.  This attitude does not honor the Lord, or give him thanks for what he did for us on the cross.  This attitude cheapens salvation, and gives the one so duped, a false sense of security.  It is a safety net with a hole in it.

This attitude says, “I’m okay; I do not need to change.  I am happy with my life, and satisfied, that what I do is good enough.”   If we simply assume that we are forgiven, and feel no need to repent when we sin, if we have no godly sorrow, or any recognition of the grief we have cause the Lord or his Holy Spirit, then we are fooling ourselves.  We are not right with God, and should he come  today, for his bride, we would not be ready.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”  Philippians 2:12  Why did Paul say this?  Because there is a real possibility that you could lose your faith.  If we do not guard the deposit of faith, placed within us, if we do not protect our faith by staying in the word of God, and communing with our Father and the Lord Jesus, we can slowly become affected and infected by the world’s values, and become more interested in what the world has to offer, than being devoted to the Lord.  

Apostasy, or falling away  from the faith is an everyday occurrence.  Our children may choose to not go to church or follow the Lord.  Our friends and family members can be so enticed by money and what it can buy, that the Lord is only an afterthought.  Worse yet, the Lord becomes nothing but a religious concept, or a tradition that is celebrated at Easter and Christmas.  God loses his identity in our eyes. Those who do not want to be accountable to God, do their best to ignore him, and consider him to be a “crutch for the weak minded.” 

This vision concerns the church.  The ill-prepared bride is the church that is not ready for the Lord’s return.  He wants the church to get herself ready.  God gives us freewill.  We can choose to follow him each and every day of our lives, looking forward to his return, or we can through neglect and lack of devotion, become complacent.  The complacent take salvation for granted.  They have forgotten, or do not care, that we all will stand before the Lord and give an account for our lives. 

“Once saved always saved,” is a belief that leads many astray.  No where in the Bible, does it guarantee that those who start as believers will automatically inherit the kingdom of God.  Apostasy is a real thing.  In fact the Lord speaks of a great falling away: “At that time many will turn away from the faith, and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” Matthew 24:10-12

The example of Ananias and Sapphira shows clearly that believers, having unconfessed sin, can lose their salvation.  Ananias and Sapphira were a married couple.  They were believers in the early church who sold a property, and then lied to the Apostles, saying that they were donating all of the proceeds from the sale, to the church.  They secretly withheld a portion for themselves, wanting it to appear to the church, that they were generous, and entirely willing to commit everything to the Lord.  But by the very fact that they withheld some for themselves, they denied their faith, lied to the Apostles, and to God.  When they were confronted, individually, and asked if whether the amount given, was the total selling price of the property, they each said, “Yes.”  Because of their lies, God brought immediate judgment, and they both died instantly.

“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”  Proverbs 9:10

Jesus is coming back for a radiant bride, dressed in white, without spot or wrinkle.  The bride in the vision was dressed in unbleached muslin.  Her dress, her unkempt hair, and the look on her face showed me that she was not ready to meet the Lord.  The Lord is calling for the church to repent.  We can not have our cake and eat it too.  We cannot live for the Lord on a Sunday morning and profess to love him with all our hearts, only to find that by noonday, we have compromised our values, and our devotion to the Lord, for the things of the world. 

The Lord likens our love for the world to adultery.  Adultery is of course unfaithfulness.  The Lord wants nothing to come between us and himself.  “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity against God.  Therefore anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

I have heard those in church say, “We are under grace. This doesn’t apply to us!”  Yet the scriptures I have quoted are all in the New Testament.  The Lord is grieved at the Church’s complacency, and its compromise with the world’s values.

He wants a bride that is devoted to him, one that is waiting patiently for his voice.  He will not accept a bride that shuns him, forgets about him, ignores him, or is too busy for him.  “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.  1 Peter 1:14 

Jesus will return at a time that no one knows, only the Father.  We have to be ready.  The foolish virgins  were not ready to go in.  They had no oil for their lamps. “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.  The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.  And the door was shut.  Later the others also came.  ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us.’ 

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’”  Matthew 15:10-12

The oil that was lacking represents the Holy Spirit.  We may have received salvation long ago, but because of repeated, unrepentant sin, the Holy Spirit becomes grieved.  He does not have to stay with you.  After willful sinning over and over, with no remorse and no intention of changing, the Holy Spirit leaves.  The foolish virgins, had no oil, and without the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  The Lord no longer recognized these virgins, that were promised to him.  And he says to them, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” 

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure:  No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a person is an idolater— has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.  Therefore do not be partners with them.”   Ephesians 5::3-7

We are the church, made up of the foolish and the wise.  I would ask you to please, get right with God.  Don’t wait.  I have a son who says, “I want to sow my oats now--I will get right with God later.”  Please don’t be foolish, later may come this afternoon or even at midnight tonight.  Ask the Lord today, right now, to forgive you.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 

This has been a very serious message, but one that God wants us to hear.  So please share this with others, because everyone needs the Lord. “Then you will know the truth, and The truth shall set you free!”  John 8:32  Thanks!  And God bless you!