Hi Friends,

I hope you have had a chance to read the last few posts concerning the Corona virus.  I have two additional visions to share with you today. These visions concern our faith and sincere devotion to the Lord. And they are meant to be seen in contrast to each other. 

The Visions

A Foot

First I saw a foot with hammer toes.  Hammer toes are toes who have been confined in shoes that do not fit well.  As the foot grows, the shoe becomes too short and forces the toes to curl under at the joint closest to the end of the toe.  When the toe bends at a sharp angle downward, it looks like the head of a hammer.  

The foot as in past interpretations,  generally represents a person’s walk with God.  A barefoot is fully exposed, there is nothing there to conceal it from view.  There are no embellishments to show social status, or occupation.  A barefoot describes a person without any pretense, one who does not put on airs, or tries to impress others.  It also represents vulnerability, as a barefoot has no protection against burning sand or sharp rocks. The barefoot represents a person's character as humble, honest and having integrity.  It is a person without guile. There is no deceitfulness, or hypocrisy. The barefoot represents a person who is real before God.  

The hammer toes are an indication that there has been a long and constant period of confinement in a pair of ill-fitting shoes.  Our bodies take on the shape and conform to the positions in which they are held for hours on end. If you were to spend most of your day at the computer, you would have rounded shoulders, a forward head, shortened hip flexors and tight hamstrings.  Back and hip pain, eye strain and headaches are common ailments associated with too much computer time.

So in the case of the hammer toes, they were confined during a period of growth.  As a foot grows, we generally exchange a pair of shoes for the next size, so that the foot can continue to grow in a healthy way.  But if the foot is not allowed to grow naturally, the toes are made to conform to the shoe. The toes are forced to bend. Over time the toes can no longer straighten, because of shorted muscles, and tightened connective tissue.  The walk or gait of a person with hammer toes is no longer natural. Both the arch and the stride are affected. All body movement becomes less than ideal.

What I believe the vision means:

I believe that the foot represents believers who have the Holy Spirit, for the fruit of the spirit is evident.  They are sincere, humble, and without deceit. These are noble traits that each of us should want to develop. These believers started well in their walk with God. However, during some part of their walk with God, they became hindered. Very often a new believer is zealous for the Lord and goes about telling everyone, their family, their friends all about the Lord. Often they are met with unbelief, ridicule, and verbal abuse.  Sometimes, the “seasoned” believers look at the zealousness of new believers in a critical way. They believe that their own “maturity,” is by far better, and they prefer to gossip or feel smug about their social standing in the church. They will sometimes respond with forced politeness.

It is wonderful when new believers are nurtured by a loving and caring church family who will disciple them, and encourage them to grow in their faith.  A healthy church wants every new believer to find a place in the body of Christ, and to feel welcomed and loved. Unfortunately some find it difficult to be accepted by the social cliques in the church.  A church that doesn’t appreciate the excitement and zeal for the Lord of a new believer can devastate that one’s faith. My own son has said, “If God exists, He certainly is not in that church!”

We need to follow the Lord and his word, rather conform to the expectations of others. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

After rejection by family and friends, and treated unkindly by the church, the new believer conforms to his environment.  If he is brave enough to continue attending church, he becomes confined to pew sitting. If he stays confined too long, he is no longer willing to step out in faith, for fear of ridicule.   The new believer’s once vibrant heartfelt adoration and worship of the Lord becomes mundane, matter of fact, or simply going through the motions.  Conforming to another’s expectations leads to bondage. God wants you to be free to worship and adore him. For we are empowered by the Lord when we worship him freely. The Lord inhabits the praises of his people.

There is also a dampening in the spirit when we conform to the world’s view. Believers who have compromised their faith, by going along with those outside the church, could lose everything. It takes a strong will and deep passionate desire to remain faithful to the Lord, if we want to walk with him. The world’s view is so contrary to God’s will, that there can be no compromise. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

How can you walk with God, who is going in one direction, and at the same time go with those of the world in the other direction? If you do not see this clearly, please start reading the Bible and praying, because an inability to appreciate this, may indicate that you have already compromised.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

So, where does the path of compromise lead?

I believe that compromise with the world leads to a loss of desire for the presence of God. The desire to know him intimately, and to hear his voice is replaced by other desires. With compromise, our schedules get filled up with activities that take us far from him. With compromise we make excuses as to why we need to skip church. Eventually the relationship we have had with the Lord now becomes crippled. We no longer spend intimate time with him.  We stop reading the Bible. And we lose the sensitivity to hear his voice or to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Compromising and conforming to the pattern of this world creates an apathetic or complacent church. There is no longer passion for the Lord, or for what the Lord values. Soon there is no difference between the church and those outside the church. The Church becomes a social club, with members that are more excited about the barbecue at the lake and the ladies craft night, than for a Friday night worship.

Revelation describes such churches.  The Lord speaks his mind about the condition of the seven churches, warning them to “WAKE UP!”  

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.”  Revelation 2:4-5

We need to keep our love strong for the Lord.  It is a grateful heart that causes us to remember all that He has done for us.  I love the story in the Bible of Jesus having a meal with a Pharisee.  

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both.  Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?  I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”  Luke 7:37-50

The Pharisees were “religious” people.  They were hardened by their external piety.  The Pharisee in the Biblical account, believed that he was better than the woman he called a “sinner.”  We in the church must be so aware of our own “pious” thoughts. Who do we think we are? Do we see ourselves as “better” than another person?  In the Lord’s “Sermon on the Mount,” he spoke about making judgments about people:

“Do not Judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Matthew 7:1-2

Paul also spoke on making judgments about people:

“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler.  Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”  (inside quote: Deuteronomy 13:5)  1 Corinthians 5:11-13   

In the vision of the hammer toes.  I believe that the group of people who are represented by the barefoot are good Christian people, who have been hurt, and their faith has been crippled.  It was not allowed to grow freely. There were restraining and inhibiting words spoken over them so that their faith has been stifled.

You will see by the next vision, that God’s plan and his ways are better.

The Young Boy and the Old Man

I saw a young boy about ten years old, ride up to his house, and jump off his bike.  He raced up to an older man and gave him a huge hug. He turned around and stood proudly, holding a paper certificate.  The older man and the young boy, together, with great excitement stood to record this accomplishment by having their picture taken.

The young boy I believe represents all believers, who are truly excited about their salvation, and their walk with the Lord.  The older man I believe represents our Lord, the God-head, the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Our Lord loves us dearly.  He wants the best for us. You can see in the vision, the love and pride that the older man had for this young boy. Our God and Father, would do anything for us.  And we know that to be true, for he gave his one and only Son to be a sacrifice to atone for our sins! Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace, The Everlasting God!  How he loves us! How he cares for us!

We are like that young boy, full of excitement having a certificate in our hands, showing us that our names are written in heaven.  That through the cross of Calvary, we have received salvation. And what a glorious thing that is. It is a promise of God, that we are his and he is ours, that we will have eternal life with him!  What a blessing and what a reason to celebrate every day!  

The Lord wants the church to get re-excited about our salvation.  He wants us to experience more of him as we draw close, as we wait upon him to hear his voice.  He is like the old man in the vision, who encouraged, and helped the young boy with a project, or a task that upon completing it, there would be a great reward!

In the Lord’s parable of the ten talents, the master would say to those faithful servants who did his will,  “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful with a few things;  I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”  Matthew 25:21 

So these two visions together show that as Christians, we can have very different experiences in our walk with God.  We may have been hurt by the church and no longer attend. We may be those believers who are complacent, only concerned for our little circle of friends or our families, disliking change and preferring the status quo.  

We may be those in the church who are critical and controlling, going about snuffing out someone else’s fire for God, simply for the sake of conformity.

If we have been hurt.  We need to forgive. “If you do not forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:15

If we are complacent, we need to be grateful to the Lord for our salvation.  “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth!”  Revelation 3:16 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm 9:10

And certainly if we are controlling, we need to repent. For other believers are not to conform to our good pleasure, but conform to the Lord’s will, which may be in fact, unique to them.  God gives each of us different gifts as well as unique personalities. We need to get off of God’s throne, and let him be God!

Thanks for reading. Please pass this on to another someone! God is good. He is faithful. We need to share our zeal for the Lord with others. Let us not compromise our faith or conform to the world. The time is short—let us encourage one another and keep the faith! God bless you!