To Steal, to Kill and to Destroy
Hi Friends,
I am writing today about a vision in two parts that I received yesterday. God has placed on my heart the desire to pray for our country and its leaders. What goes on in the lives of our governing officials, is more than you or I can possibly know. But we have been praying that “whatever is hidden in darkness, must come in to the light.” We have heard much about government corruption, slander and false narratives. We see the tensions building in Washington and around the country over the current events. We continue to pray that motives and facts are revealed. We pray for our country’s future, and that destructive ideologies will not take firm root, but will be cast aside.
We must continue to seek the face of God for his guidance and his will for our nation and its leaders. This is our home—it is where we live. Our nation was dedicated to God, so we must return to him.
The visions that I am sharing with you today can pertain to individuals, families, churches and nations. I hope you will understand and apply it to your own life. Let us seek God together on behalf of our country.
The Visions
A Pair of Shears
I saw a man with a pair of extra large scissors cutting a piece of fabric, dividing it into two. He was bent over so that all I saw was his hand operating the well-used, over-sized shears. I could see from eye level that the sharp blades were advancing towards me with every cutting stroke. I felt that the man with the shears had a powerful intention to harm. I felt threatened.
A Tall Man
I saw a tall man walking up a rocky hill. He wore a long wool coat, and high leather boots. He wore his hair neat and closely cropped. The scene was dark, and misty. There were good sized rocks all over the ground. As the tall man took his final steps up the hill he walked directly upon what appeared to be a brightly colored fabric or banner. The bright medium blue was a sharp contrast to the dark grey scene. It was as if the blue was added to touch up a black and white photo. My eyes could not help but notice his dirty boots trampling the blue cloth. I saw this and judged it to be entirely wrong.
On the top of the hill was a small camp. Even though I did not see other men, I assumed that the tall man was a leader, because of the way he carried himself. He had a certain air of authority. He was not dressed in military uniform, but with the dark colors he wore, he blended in with his surroundings.
What I believe about the visions
The Blue Fabric
What I believe to be most important is the blue fabric or banner The color blue in the Bible most often refers to God or service to God. The bright blue fabric was the only color in either vision.
Color only exists in the presence of light. A color that is seen comes from reflected light. “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5-6
I believe that the blue fabric represents God and the people of God.
The Tall Man
The tall man trampled the blue banner with his dirty boots. Who would dare trample upon God or anything that was symbolic of God? Only someone who knows his fate already, and has nothing to lose. The devil knows full well that his fate is hell, a place of darkness and torment. “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of darkness, to be held for judgment;” 2 Peter 2:4
We see a reference to the trampling of God’s Son in this passage:
“How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrew 10:29
The devil knows that his time is short. His primary goal is to turn people’s hearts away from God and to distract them with the pleasures of sin and the indulgences of the world. He and his demons are focused on destroying God’s kingdom and building one of his own. He wants as many of God’s people to suffer the same fate as he—hell. What are his weapons? What are his tactics? How do his plans succeed?
First he cloaks himself in darkness. He wears his long dark coat and high boots to blend in with the dark rocky terrain. He wants his appearance to not draw attention. With lies and the enticements of sin, he lures people away from God. He promises them every indulgence. He paints pictures of wealth, fame, and excitement.
The devil is the tempter, the seducer. We see his attempt to entice Jesus to sin against God when he was in the wilderness, at the end of a forty day fast.
“The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone.”’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. If you worship me, it will all be yours.’”
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.”’”
“The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you. And they will carry you upon their arms, lest you should strike your foot on a stone.”’”
“Jesus answered, ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:3-13
Even though Satan (the devil) was unsuccessful at tempting Jesus to sin against the Father, he uses the same means to tempt us. Like a wolf or a pack of dogs, the devil seeks out the ones whose faith is weak and those who are easy targets. He is devious and will attack those who are unaware and unsuspecting of his plans. He lures his targets with deception and enticements. He knows his target’s weakness and where there is an open door.
When we fall into temptation and commit sin, we throw the door wide open to the devil. And we become bound. The devil wants to keep us bound by lies. “You are weak. You’ve committed an unpardonable sin. God won’t forgive you. You are worthless……. And the lies go on.
If we do not repent immediately upon sinning, but instead choose to make excuses, cover up or justify our behavior, we give the enemy an open door. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:27
If we do not listen to rebuke or correction by the Holy Spirit, we become numb to his voice and hardened in heart. The Holy Spirit becomes grieved over our sin and we lose his fellowship. If we stay in this unrepentant state for too long, we become apostate, no longer heaven-bound, but destined to hell. The devil considers himself to have won.
I want to repeat the scripture above because it addresses the backsliders, those who have at one time made a commitment to God and have since walked away. “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrew 10:29
To read this passage in the light of having walked away from God, is very frightening. Too many Christians do not read the Bible, so they don’t know how to deal with this situation. They don’t understand that God loves them and wants them to come to repentance. He makes a way for them to be set free and to close the door to their enemy.
The most important first step in being set free is to repent, so if you have any desire to get right with God - do it now! (I will leave a prayer of salvation and re-dedication to the Lord at the end of this post.)
The Scissors
The shears or scissors represent the schemes of the devil. It is his plan to cut apart and to separate people, families and nations. In the vision, the man kept his body low. All the force was in the hand doing the cutting. His intention as I said before was purposeful and threatening. As I saw the scissors coming towards me, I felt the intention was to harm me.
There are many schemes of the devil in operation today. We see in relationships and especially marriages how the devil, through pride and insult, manipulates circumstances and emotions leading to conflict among parties. Offensive, and defensive actions follow. Anger turns to rage. Resentment turns to bitterness. Threats, insults and internal vows are made. Eventually the divide in the home is too great to bear and divorce becomes inevitable. Who is harmed? The entire family.
When an offense occurs, those involved should BOTH ask for forgiveness. They should each try to reconcile. Remember to “not let the sun go down upon your wrath,” BECAUSE you “give place to the devil!” Wherever and whenever there is unforgiveness, there is an open door to the devil. Regardless of who is at fault, both parties suffer the consequences! The enemy wins again!
“But if you do not forgive men their sins, when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.” Matthew 6:15
In Reality
In our nation and especially within and between the branches of government offense occurs everyday. It is as I have stated above, yet on a much larger scale. There are lies and mud slinging everywhere. People are accusing each other, some in truth, but so much, much more in lies. Those people who are divisive, and not seeking the good of the nation, those that are bent on destruction are tools in the enemy’s hand. They are partners of the devil. Someone once said, “He who lies is a partner with the one who destroys,” (Satan).
The caustic comments and commentaries have fed the population a continual diet of hatred. The lines are drawn and positions are taken. This warfare of words and accusations has poisoned the nation, so that there are sharp divides between groups and between individuals. The tactics are demonically inspired. They provoke fear and uncertainty. We are a nation filled to the brim with “irreconcilable differences.” What is our fate?
As I see things, there are many problems, but only one solution: JESUS!
The Viewer
In the vision, who is it that I represent? I am a child of God. I am part of the body of Christ, the church. I am a follower of Jesus and a lover of God.
I was the one facing the scissors. The sharp points and cutting edges were coming closer to me with each cutting stroke. It is the devil who holds and operates the shears. It is he who wants to do me harm, as he does with you and all the Lord’s people. If you are a disciple and lover of Jesus, then you should expect to be attacked by the devil and persecuted by unbelievers.
Jesus refers to the devil as a thief: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10
Peter refers to him as a lion: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Who are those that bring persecution and accusations? Those who have aligned themselves with the devil--and with the world’s values. “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
“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. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” John 15: 18- 20
What are we to do? We the church? Pray! And pray without ceasing! Trust God with the outcome.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
The Lord wants us to not fret or worry over such matters. We are given these instructions:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition and thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” Matthew 6:33
“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.” Matthew 18:19
So—don’t worry. Trust God! He is faithful!
A Prayer for Salvation and Re-dedication
My Lord you are God, the only God, the God eternal and God Most High. You are God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, in three persons yet only one.
Jesus, you are holy. You are the Lord Most High. You are the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. You are the Savior of the world. You died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me, Lord. I am truly sorry that I have sinned against you in so many ways, by my thoughts, my words and my actions. Please forgive me. I want to be restored to you. I want to be reconciled to you, to the Father and to the Holy Spirit who I have grieved by my sin.
Again I am sincerely asking you to forgive me, as I choose to forgive anyone and everyone who has harmed me in any way. I hold nothing back. Everything I have is rightfully yours. My body, my mind, my soul and my spirit, I give you freely. Please make me a new creation, cleanse my heart and free my mind of all fears and anxieties. I place my hope and my trust in you. I promise you, that should I ever fall into sin, I will immediately repent and turn to you, asking for your forgiveness.
I ask that you fill me with your Holy Spirit to be in me, to guide me and to lead me into all truth.
Please write my name in your book of life. By my sincere commitment to you this day, I know that I am yours and you are mine. I know that when I die, I will be with you for all eternity.
Thank you Jesus! Thank you Father! Thank you Holy Spirit! Amen and Hallelujah!
I hope you will pass this message to others. It is important for everyone to know about the Lord, and the hope he gives us! Thanks!
