Spend Time with Me

Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well with you and your families.  I have two visions that I received just recently concerning our relationship with God. The first addresses how we seek him, and how he communicates with us. The second vision concerns our discipleship and knowledge of the Word of God.

Long ago, the Lord spoke to me saying that the more I knew the Bible, the more he could reveal to me. The Lord uses his word as a language of stories, pictures and scriptures that he brings to mind. He teaches us his ways if we are willing to sit and listen.

The Visions:

The Brown Die (dice)

First I saw a brown die with white dots.  The side with six white dots was seen clearly, representing the number 6.  The Biblical meaning of the number 6 is “man,” for the Lord created man on the sixth day, and rested from all his labors on the seventh.  

When I think of the number 6, it immediately reminds me of the more familiar number 666 which according to the Book of Revelation represents the devil.  And why would three consecutive “6’s” mean this?  

“This calls for wisdom.  If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number.  His number is 666.”  Revelation 13:18

The devil is God’s adversary.  He wants to elevate himself to be like God and to be worshiped as God.  “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!  You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  Isaiah 14:12-14

In the Bible, when emphasis is needed to show the importance of something, it is repeated.  Jesus says:  “Verily, verily I tell you…..”  By repeating the word “verily,” significance is added to what is about to be said.  So the number six when repeated three times shows that the devil exalts himself over mankind.  Man is 6 but the devil is much more significant: 666!  

And, because  the number “3” is symbolic of God as a trinity, a triune God:  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the devil wants to denote his importance by using the 6 three times.  He exalts himself as greater than man, and considers himself equal to God!  

Now, returning to the vision: 

I believe that the die (dice) represents choices, decisions or outcomes. 

We toss a coin to choose between two outcomes.  This works well in various circumstances where a “yes” or “no” is needed, or when a choice needs to be made between two people or two things.  The probability of either heads or tails is equal, so it is considered fair.

But a die when thrown can land on anyone of its six faces, so there can be six different outcomes. 

In the Bible, the High Priest would use the urim and thummim when seeking the Lord’s will with regard to a particular choice or decision.  These are no longer in use, and because there are no pictures of them, we do not know exactly what they were, except to think they were somehow like dice or coins.

According to Wikipedia regarding the urim and thummim:

“Thummim (תוּמִים ‎) is widely considered to be derived from the consonantal root ת.מ.ם ‎ (t-m-m), meaning ‘innocent.’   Many scholars now believe that Urim (אוּרִים ‎) simply derives from the Hebrew term אּרּרִים ‎ (Arrim), meaning ‘curses’, and thus that Urim and Thummim essentially means "cursed or faultless", in reference to the deity's judgment of an accused person; in other words, Urim and Thummim were used to answer the question ‘innocent or guilty’”.

Every choice that we make leads to an outcome.  It takes wisdom, knowledge and discernment to decide which is the best among the choices available.  Only God knows the outcome of our choices, so when there is an important decision to be made, we should seek the Lord for his perfect will. 

But very often, people are more likely to ask others for their advice, or they choose to “wing-it.” 

When we were children my dad wold teach us how to play cards. And often when we didn’t know what card to play, may dad would say, “You’re going to have to drop back and punt.”  That was “football,” for “just play a card and let happen what is going to happen.” But when he became more impatient with our indecisiveness, he might say: “Do something! Anything! Even if it is wrong!”

Now that may not be the best answer, but it did produce results!

Divination

Using a die to determine God’s will can be problematic, especially if we do not have a genuine relationship with the Lord.  If we were to simply toss a die and expect the Lord to answer us, we may find that the answer comes not from him, but from someone we did not expect: the devil or a demon.

There are people who do not seek God for wisdom, but seek the counsel of spirits.  This is divination, which is an abomination to God. Divination is the use of something inanimate, to  communicate with the spiritual realm. The object alone has no ability to give information, but mediums or spiritists will use it to communicate with demonic spirits who are willing to speak.

The Ouija board is a good example. One person asks a question, and then one or two people allow themselves to be used by a spirit to spelling out its message on the board, for all to read.

Another example would be reading tea leaves or the lines on a person’s hand. By themselves, they are incapable of giving information about one’s future.  However, a spiritist or medium who regularly consults with familiar spirits can receive information for the inquiring person.  When a client’s personal information known only to himself, is revealed by the medium who shares it openly, the client is greatly impressed, and begins to trust the validity of everything that the medium shares. The result is bondage. "Do not turn to mediums or consult spiritists, or you will be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.“ Leviticus 19:31

There is a story in the Bible of King Saul, who no longer was able to hear from God. He went to a medium in order to speak with the deceased prophet Samuel. This is an example of what NOT to do.

Saul, Israel’s first king, was an impatient and willful man. On one occasion, he was instructed to wait for Samuel the prophet to offered the evening sacrifice. He became impatient and offered the sacrifice himself, which was unlawful according to the law given to Moses. This dishonored the Lord, and as a result, Saul lost his anointing, the Spirit of God, and became afflicted with a tormenting spirit.  

Then after Samuel’s death, when Saul  was desperate, to hear from the Lord, he went to a spiritist to call up the prophet Samuel. So once again, he did the unthinkable, seeking a medium to consult the dead. This practice is an abomination to God. God gave him a message that he and his sons would die in the next conflict with the Philistines. And so it happened: he and his sons died in the battle.

The following are footnotes from my study Bible concerning the encounter between Saul and the spiritist. I believe that it is always best to learn from others mistakes, so that we don’t make those same mistakes ourselves.

The Full Life Study Bible, NIV, editor and writer of the study notes:  Donald C. Stamps, Zondervan Publishing House:

28:6  The Lord Did Not Answer Him.  Saul sought a prophetic word from God in the midst of his trouble, but received none.  In despair he then turned to a medium (vv.7-25). Persisting in ungodly ways instead of following the (Holy) Spirit’s leading cuts us off from God’s help.  Calling on him will be useless, unless we turn from our ungodly ways.   

28:12  The Woman Saw Samuel.  God sent the spirit of Samuel to appear to Saul.  Note the following facts:  (1) Spiritism is sternly condemned in Scripture (Dt 18:9-12’ cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6).  Mediums do not really contact the dead, but usually communicate with deceiving spirits.  This story gives no justification for attempting to make contact with the dead.

(2) The woman was amazed and terrified when Samuel actually appeared; this implies that she was expecting not Samuel but a demonic spirit.  Clearly Samuel’s appearance was not the result of her witchcraft.

(3) The appearance of the prophet was brought about by an extraordinary act of God himself in order to deliver God’s final message of judgment to the king.

A Warning: Divination is not for Christians! It is not for anyone!

However, If you have a genuine relationship with the Lord, and seek his counsel in all matters, placing your hope and trust in him alone, then there is nothing wrong with asking the Lord to confirm his will.  In the Bible, in the Book of Judges, there was a man named Gideon, who was asked by the Lord to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites.  He wanted the Lord to confirm the his message, so he asked the Lord for a sign:  

The Sign of the Fleece

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’  And it was so. 

When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.  Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’  And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.”  Judges 6:36-40

Gideon asked the Lord to confirm his message, so that he would not face the Midianites alone. He wanted to have full confidence that the Lord would be with them in battle and would give them the victory.  So the Lord gave him a sign, and Gideon was able to place his trust in God. The Lord was faithful then, and the Lord will be faithful to us now.   

There have been times in my life when I have prayed much to receive the Lord’s direction,  but still needed additional confirmation.  So like Gideon, I asked the Lord for a sign or for confirmation like Gideon did.  This is what happened:  

Many years ago, I was looking for the Lord’s will with regards to where I should attend Sunday morning worship.  I was invited to go to the Spanish ministry upstairs in the church that I regularly attended.  Even though I did not speak Spanish, I found that the presence of the Holy Spirit was much more profound in the church upstairs than the English service in the sanctuary.  My heart’s desire was to be where the presence of God was stronger, but I also wanted his perfect will, so I asked the Lord to show me which service he wanted me to attend.

So I asked the Lord to confirm his desire with a flip of a coin, saying “Please show me heads for English and tails for Spanish.”   The quarter came up tails, so I went to the Spanish service which made me quite happy, even though I needed an interpreter.

Then for the next two weeks I flipped a coin asking the Lord to show me what he preferred.  Tails came up both times and so I went to the Spanish service for those two weeks.  But I really wanted to hear from the Lord once and for all, on this decision.  So I asked the Lord, “Would you please just tell me what is best, so I don’t have to keep asking or flipping a coin every time?”  That very morning the Lord gave me a vision of three quarters all with their tails side up!  Hallelujah! 

I knew that the Lord showed me three quarters to say emphatically, “Yes!  Go to the Spanish service!” Hallelujah!  He honored my request and confirmed his will for me!  

Going Back to the Vision of Six:

And so the vision of the six on the brown die, I believe was given for us to reflect on how we are to make decisions.   The six on the die means something in particular to me.  When I need to understand the Lord’s visions, I will sometimes come to a complete standstill.  I really do not understand a vision at all.  I may write down a few ideas, but do not know which, if any would align with what the vision means.  I usually save the number six for the choice that means to continue praying until you hear from the Lord—”Pray more.”

So, when I think of this vision of the number six on the die, I believe that the Lord wants us to spend more time in prayer and waiting upon him to hear his voice or to receive direction, perhaps through another vision.  The risk in simply tossing the die or flipping a coin without seeking the Lord’s will first, is to show impatience and a lack of respect.  We are not to seek him solely for what he can give us, or do for us.  The Lord is not a vending machine.  He is not a fortune cookie or an eight ball.  Divination is a wicked practice—seeking answers from demons!  He does not want to be a convenience or a toy.  It pleases God to speak to us when we draw near to him.  He wants our hearts; he wants our devotion, and a relationship where we love and respect him above all else.  He wants us to seek him, simply because we love him.

So in effect the reason for the vision is to say, “Spend time with me.”  And when all is said and done, what else is there?  The Lord is our savior, our redeemer, our friend, our joy, our strength,  our God and our King!  Hallelujah!

I would like to share with you one more vision that I received at this same time in prayer.

A Young Man

I saw a young man sitting at a table.  He was wearing a blue dress shirt and tie.  His left hand held a spoon, however, he held the spoon as if he were a child using an overhand grip.  (An overhand grip uses large muscles of the forearm, upper arm and shoulder to control the spoon, rather than an underhand grip which uses the finer muscles of the hand to direct the food.)  

The man I believe represents people who are immature, or not fully trained.  He was a young man in his twenties, certainly old enough to be employed.  The blue shirt and tie that he wore indicated that he was prepared for work.  His hair was neatly trimmed and combed with a side part.  So He looked the part of a young man prepared for the day ahead, except that his manner of eating showed a lack of readiness.  He was still untrained when it came to eating. He might not favorably impress his boss or someone he considers special.  Eating as he did, showed that had not been trained in proper etiquette.  (Note: American etiquette is likely different than etiquette in other nations.)

The scripture that came to mind addresses the idea of immaturity:  “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”  Hebrews 5:12 

The writer of Hebrews showed his frustration with many in the Church who did not familiarize themselves with the Lord’s teaching, nor had the desire to grow in the knowledge of God.  I am sure that many pastors today view the church in the same light.  Years ago, you would see people bringing their Bibles to church so as to look up scriptures, take notes and increase their knowledge of the Bible. Knowing the Word of God is important:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

As we listen to the Bible, or read it for ourselves, the Holy Spirit helps us to apply the scripture to our lives. The Word can impart wisdom, convict our hearts of sin, and cause us to reflect on our ways, even leading us to repentance. 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

It seems that fewer Christians today read and know the Bible. Technology is a blessing in many ways, but it has caused people to become spiritually lazy. The large video screens in the church sanctuaries conveniently display any referenced scripture.  For many church goers, the Bible is not a companion, for it stays at home, and collects dust. 

Of course the Bible is online, and we can look up scriptures on our cell phones. However, we may see only one passage and not the entire context.  And by limiting our Bible reading to the online experience, we miss the opportunity to really become familiar with all the books of the Bible. There is something special about holding it and randomly leafing through its pages.

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

There are many treasures in the Bible. Proverbs is loaded with wisdom. There are so many promises of God that are there to encourage us. There are profound teachings that go against all human thought, like the Sermon on the Mount which reveals God’s nature and his ways. When we do not spend time with the Lord or spend time with the scriptures, then our relationship with God will be shallow, and our knowledge of him will be stunted.

Some Scriptures are critical to pleasing God and walking in the fullness of the Spirit. Here are a few that I call the “fine print” in the contract or covenant between ourselves and God:

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:15

And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Matthew 23:9 

"You shall have no other gods before me.”   Exodus 20:3  (money, material possessions, sons or daughters…)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:1-8

“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Romans 14:12

“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  James 1:21-22 

Thanks for reading, I know that both of these visions had important messages for us.  I hope you will pass this along to others.  May God bless you!