Deception and Disobedience
Hi Friends,
I have two visions to share with you today. The first is about deception and the second is about disobedience. Our flesh is so crafty; it always wants its way. Our spirit is always in direct conflict with our flesh. No wonder we have problems in this world! No wonder it is hard to be obedient!
The visions:
First I saw a safety razor with a short handle lying upon Astro turf, or artificial grass.
Then I saw a man with a red down vest attempt to enter through a door on an RV where I was seated inside. It was light outside as I was able to see clearly through the glass door. Yet I only saw the man’s upper body--not his face. He was standing just outside the door, but did not enter the space.
What I believe the visions mean:
The Razor
The razor in the vision was a “safety razor.” It was called “safety,”because it was an improvement over the straight razor. The safety razor has a housing that surrounds the blade, which exposes only a short thin edge on either side. This housing limits the depth of cut that could be made with it. A straight razor, on the other hand, has a wide cutting surface that is fully exposed. An attached sheath covers the blade when not in use. One could easily use the straight razor as a lethal weapon.
However, I must say that compared to the razors available today, the safety razor is not safe. I still remember having cut my leg using a safety razor many years ago. Not good!
In the vision the handle on the razor was unusually short. This shorter handle would make the razor less stable and therefore even more likely to cause nicking.
The razor was lying on Astro turf, which is made of plastic, not real grass. The Astro turf is made to look like the real thing, but does not need the upkeep of a natural lawn. Real grass grows and needs to be cut, and watered. On a football field with natural grass the yard lines have to be chalked over and over again. The grass needs to be mowed in the same direction to create the proper shading between the yard lines. The field needs constant care and proper drainage, Some prefer the artificial grass because it demands less upkeep. Visually, it looks like the real thing - but it isn’t.
I believe that this vision shows the fact that things are not always as they appear to be. Our eyes can deceive us. Names and labels can be misleading. What we are told, or led to believe by others is not necessarily true: the razor is not safe, and the grass is not real. We must be aware of counterfeits, half-truths and outright lies. We must know the difference between the fake and the genuine; and a lie and the truth.
This vision warns us of deception. Deception is the devil’s calling card. It is his specialty, his trademark, or craft. Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, and told them plainly: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 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 8:43-44
We are told in the word of God to “test the spirits.” Because not every spirit is from God. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Chirst has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3
Not every vision or message is from God. And especially dreams, for they can very often be from our own imaginations. Our minds love to process the events of the day: situations, conversations, conflicts, and problems. Our mind will turn these thoughts over and over, giving us dreams or even nightmares. Movies, programs, or news events we view on television can leave lasting impressions upon our minds, keeping us up night after night. The dreams that come from the issues of life can be mistaken for a dream that comes from God.
Dreams can also come from the wicked one. As a child, I was afraid to sleep at night because of all the violent dreams the enemy brought to torment me. I often hear of others’ dreams and occasionally one or two may be from God, but more often, I see them reflecting the person’s inner fears and anxieties about the circumstances in their lives.
I place more confidence in the visions I receive while in prayer. For I am seeking the Lord for his direction or for what concerns him. The Lord will communicate with each of us in similar ways: sometimes with words, and for me, most often with visions. We must be careful not to say that something was from God, when it could simply be an overly active imagination. He told me long ago: “Look for my signature.” By this criteria, I have a way of judging the vision, and can be more sure of the vision’s source.
God’s messages can bring rebuke, correction or encouragement, because he loves us as a father. “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12
His intention is to train us in the way that we should go--the way that leads to life. He is not so concerned with our physical comfort or our pleasure. He is concerned with our character and with our usefulness as an instrument in his hands. He wants a close and intimate relationship with us. Now that the Holy Spirit lives within each of us, we can enter into fellowship with him. As we surrender to his will and acknowledge his divine authority over us, our trust in him grows, and our love for him deepens. It becomes natural for us to be obedient to his will and his word, simply because we want to please him. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15
This vision God has given us, warns us to be careful, to discern truth from falsehood, and to settle for nothing less than a genuine, power-filled, love-filled, Holy Spirit filled life with God.
The Man at the Door
In this vision the man is wearing a red vest. I do not see his face, but he has opened the door to a private space--my private space. I am sitting inside, and I have not heard him knock, nor asked him to enter. The man did not belong in my house, and he did not open the door by accident, for if he had, he would have apologized for his mistake. No, the man represents a demon. He was wearing red which I believe signifies sin. The Lord is showing me that the demon has access through this open door. However, this is a warning vision, because the Lord has not given him permission to enter. Thank you Jesus!
I want to share with you a scripture that immediately came to mind upon seeing the man at the door with a red vest. I have shared this with you before, but it is important to God, so it bears repeating:
God is speaking to Cain: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; It desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
It is always sin, and rebellion against God and his ways, that opens doors to the wicked one. We as Christians, should know God’s word. We should know his ways. When we choose to ignore the counsel of God’s word, we go our own way, and become enticed to follow the rest of the world. We do what we see others doing, and we do not consider the fact that we are to be different than everyone else. We are to be separated unto God. We are to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, we are to be servants of the Most High.
Too many of us, do not see the Christian life like this. Primarily because the church is not teaching the full counsel of God’s word. We are simply taught to love God, love our neighbor and go to church on Sundays. We are taught about giving to the poor and giving to the church. We do what everyone else does: sit in the pew, listen to the sermon, smile, shake the pastor’s hand and go home. And for the super committed Christian: we go to the mid-week service, and attend either the Ladies’ prayer and Bible study, or to the men’s fellowship once a month.
Jesus sent his disciples out with a different message: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-18
Matthew records Jesus’ last words before he was taken up into heaven: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
The Lord is directing us as his disciples today, to go and make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord taught. This is what he commands. This is what pleases him.
When Jesus sent out his disciples he gave them these instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” Mark 6:9-11
And the result: “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” Mark 6:12-13
Back to the vision:
In the vision, the man opened the door but did not step inside. God wanted me to see that the demon had access, but not permission to enter. It is generally believed that sin creates an opening from the spiritual realm into our lives. It can be and usually is unconfessed sin that opens the door. Sin that is unconfessed remains in the dark. The devil loves to torment people with shame and guilt. Then he uses the fear of exposure, to keep the sin hidden. As long as the sin remains in the dark, the devil will continue to wreak havoc in a person’s life. However, when he or she confesses that sin openly, the devil cannot use it any longer to be a torment. That is why the word of God always encourages us to confess our sins one to another.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Furthermore, the sin of a family member or someone living under the same roof can expose the entire family to demonic influence. It can also be sin in someone’s life with whom you have a soul tie or co-dependent relationship that opens you up to demonic attack.
Unforgiveness is also an open door. When we have a disagreement with someone, and fail to make it right by offering an apology, even when we feel that we were not at fault, we give the devil a foothold. Offense can lead to resentment, eventually becoming a bitter root hardening our hearts. “‘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 4:26-27
I believe that this vision, pertains to a personal sin. It may not be sin for you, or for anyone else on the planet, but if we do not obey God in any matter, it is sin for us. For example, Jonah, the prophet was instructed to go to Nineveh and preach against it. God instructed him to speak out, and declare to the Ninevites the necessity to repent or else face destruction. Jonah hated the Ninevites and did not want to bring a message of repentance and impending judgment, so he hopped on a ship and sailed in the opposite direction.
It is not a sin for us to go to Tarshish by boat, because God did not give us those instructions. But it was an act of defiance for Jonah to do so. In the same way, if God gives us a particular task to do, and we procrastinate, make excuses, or simple ignore it, we sin.
The Lord told me on several occasions that I should not spend any time watching RV videos. For me to do so is sin. Even though the shows seem innocent, God sees them as a competing loyalty. These shows compete with the Lord for my time. They can occupy several hours in an evening, watching one show after another. For me it has become a habit to turn on the TV during dinner and watch either the news or the RV shows.
I asked the Lord years ago, to make me like Anna the prophetess in the Bible, who never left the temple but prayed continually. This is how I wanted my life to be. Now the dream of a life spent totally devoted to God, has been compromised. My devotion to God now must compete with the television! The Lord knows us. He knows our very thoughts and how we think. He is a jealous God, and wants our hearts to be his alone. “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 God and money.” Matthew 6:24
I know the time has come to make a change. And change is not always easy, we have to put down the flesh, (for me: too much RV and TV. And we live and make our decisions by the Spirit. “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5
More of our time should be devoted to seeking God and his will. “Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” Proverbs 8:34
Time is precious-- we need to use it wisely. “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” Matthew 24:45-46
The Lord has given me several visions of the end times, and of his second coming. We need to be watching and waiting: “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:27-28
“That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:39-42
“Rejoice always, Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Lord is serious. He wants all of us. We are told to be ready for we do not know when he will return. We need to be good stewards of our time, for there are lost people who need a savior. There are people who need healing, and deliverance. There are people who need to be discipled. So we need to get off our sofas and out of our beds, out of the pews and into the streets. We need to visit the homeless, the shut-ins, those in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. We need to spend our time in prayer and intimate fellowship with him.
For we always know that he will lead us. So listen for his voice. And respond to him with love and obedience! Be blessed in all your ways!
Please share this message with everyone. All of us need to be encouraged and discipled. One of my friends favorite scriptures: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
