Beware of the Company you Keep

Hi Friends,

I am writing today about three visions that were given to me, back to back on a Sunday afternoon, after church.  These visions speak of something spiritual and something prophetic.

And I believe they are meant to be seen together.

The Visions

•  In the first vision I was semi reclined on the floor.  Just about ten feet in front of me, on the floor, was my black Apple watch.  I had the desire to retrieve it.

• Next I saw a molded shower enclosure whose walls were stained yellow.  It seemed old and dingy. 

• Then I saw myself paying what was owed with several one thousand dollar bills.

What I believe the visions mean  

The Black Watch

The watch only a short distance from me, I believes represents time.  It represents some time from now, but not a long time.  It speaks of a near future event.  

In the vision I wanted to reach for the watch in order to retrieve it, but the vision ended before I could do so. I believe that this indicates that the time is established. I would not be allowed to interfere with time, because the vision ended without me retrieving the watch or drawing it closer to me.

I was not in a position of readiness. But being in a semi-reclined position, I was resting.  I was not asleep, but alert.  Reclining can be an awkward position.  One is neither ready to run, nor walk.  Because I was reclining, I would have to either get up and walk over to get the watch on the floor, or I might have to crawl on my hands and knees to retrieve it.

The watch you might say was just beyond my reach, meaning that there was still a bit of time to go.

The Shower Stains

Right away after seeing the stains on the shower enclosure, I thought of how ironic it seemed that the very place one goes to get clean, is a place that needs cleaning.  When I think of stains, I think of sin.  Jesus said that he would prepare for himself, a church, his bride to be without spot or wrinkle.  The Lord will orchestrate events in our lives that will purify us, to make us ready for his return. Our sins are considered stains, and they are removed only by the blood of Jesus, who became a sacrificial lamb.

We go to Jesus to be cleansed of our sins, but it is not Jesus who is stained.  Yet the scriptures declare that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 What an awesome plan of God!

I believe that the yellow stains on the shower walls, are the sins that we have picked up by living as the world does.  When we do the things that the world does, take on the values and views of the world, we become stained with its sin. 

The shower is an enclosure.  It surrounds us.  Our friends and the people with whom we associate also surround us.  We are affected by the world and and by the people with whom we associate. “We become like the company we keep.”  This is a common expression of a simple truth.  Another is this:  “Birds of a feather flock together.”   So we must be careful of the influences around us.  The Bible teaches us to “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

The world is filled with enticements that can tempt us to sin.  And the world-view is entirely opposed to God.  As I have quoted often:  “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

But there is still another aspect to the vision of the shower.  A shower is a place where you go to get clean.  Could it be that the shower represents the Church?  Isn’t the church a place where you go to be cleansed of sin? Don’t we go to church to receive good instruction, and prayer for healing, salvation and deliverance.  Shouldn’t the church be a place that is clean?

A Dream

Years ago, I had a very important dream that the Lord gave to me about sin in the church.  I wrote about this in a post called, “Water, Water Everywhere.”  In this dream, I entered the church by the church offices. I couln’t help but notice that there was water leaking through the recessing lighting fixtures in the vestibule.  As I step into the Church by the offices, I saw the secretary coming from the offices in a delicate, flowing, floral dress.  She was barelegged, and barefoot as she walked in front of me and into the women’s room.  I followed her in.  She went into one of the stalls as I stood looking at urine all over the floor.  The toilets must have backed up, because the floor was flooded. I exclaimed to her, “The floor is a veritable flood in here!”  She came out of the stall and did not wash her hands.  I said to her, “Aren’t you going to wash your hands?”  She just ignored me as if I weren’t there.

I walked out of the ladies’ room and down the hall.  There was another door which I opened.  It appeared to be a janitor’s closet which housed a full size bathtub.  The bathtub was filled with black, smelly water.  I closed the door and saw a pastor coming down the hall.  I ran up to him and took him by the hand to show him the tub in the closet filled with water.  He said nothing.  Then I took him to the foyer where the recessed lights were leaking like a sieve and showed him the problem.  Then he said in a “deadpan” voice, “Now, that’s really bad.”  There was no emotion—no concern.  He seemed unable to recognize the problem.

There was sin in the church and the secretary was unaware that she was walking in filth. She had no desire to wash.  The pastor was unable to appreciate the blackened water in the tub, the urine on the floor, or the leaky ceiling in the foyer.  

Can it be that they are unaware?  Are they entirely insensitive to the Spirit of God which convicts us of sin?  If this describes the American church, we are in trouble!

There is sin in the church, and no one is concerned. It has become so common place, that everyone fails to acknowledge the fact that sin offends God. We as the church are supposed to be separate from the world. We are to be people who influence the world around us. But somehow we have succumbed to the same fate as the Israelites long ago. They became like the peoples around them. Their hearts turned away from God and they sinned. They no longer wished to please God but sought out the foreign Gods of the nations around them. I believe that rather than the church making an impact on those around us, we have become like the rest of the world.

This is a warning, a heads up to the Church. The stained shower shows us that we must be careful to not become like the unbelievers around us, who are tainted by sin. And most importantly, we should not make strong friendships with lukewarm believers. Believers who are complacent and worldly compromise their faith in order to keep peace with those whose friendship they value. They have never separated from the world and its values. Having close ties with such people can lead us to accept and make compromises in our own faith, so that we no longer hold fast to the teachings of the word of God. We may believe that we are still in the faith, but truth is revealed in our actions, our words and our thoughts.

Paul, writing to the Romans, spoke of the commitment we make to God when we come to him in repentance and become born again. “What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?” Romans 6:1-2

It is equally important that we place ourselves in churches where leaders practice their faith and teach sound doctrine—not a “friendly gospel” with no repentance.  In Paul’s day, some leaders were teaching people that God forgives every sin, so that they need not be concerned for sin. They believed that this “cheap grace,” gave them the licence to sin. Teachings of God’s free love and free forgiveness should not be taught as a stand alone concept. For it leads people into complacency. It is only with repentance that forgiveness is given. It is by our obedience that we show ourselves to be faithful and committed disciples. Without a true desire to make Jesus Lord over every aspect of our lives, and to make a break from the world and its values, we will remain in spiritual bondage to sin.

Teachings that promote worldliness and carnality, and teachings that appeal to our pride and our physical bodies are dangerous. These teachings that stroke our ego, or give us the green light to go our own way, can create in us a false sense of security. When we place our trust in pastors and teachers who promote or condone worldliness rather than preaching the truth of God’s word, we are headed for trouble. The departure from sound doctrine can be subtle, it can make us feel good about ourselves. It can give us a sense that “all is well.” But be careful to test the message against the word of God. Does it align? Does it deviate?

Be careful of the teaching and promoting of “cheap grace.” Be careful of prayers for salvation without the necessity of repentance. Our salvation was bought by the blood of Jesus. It cost the Lord everything. It was not cheap. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

And remember that, “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.”  Galatians 5:9 

Jesus used leavening or yeast to represent sin, and false teachings.  “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Matthew 16:6

Let us be discerning: Truth leads to freedom, lies and half-truths lead to bondage.

The Thousand Dollar Bills

In the vision of the one thousand dollar bills, I saw someone paying what was owed using these very large bills.  I understood this to represent a time of severe inflation.  The dollar which would have typically been used for purchases, had obviously lost its value, so that it had been replaced by the thousand dollar bill.

I remember meeting an older woman years ago, when I was about twenty six.  She had told me that in Germany after World War I that inflation had become so bad that people were being paid twice a day, for the rate at which they were paid mid-day, had already changed by the end of the day.  I can’t even imagine what that looked like.  She said that they carried money in bundles.  How could the government print enough money? 

Wikipedia has an interesting article about this hyperinflation:  “Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic.”

Here are a few facts from this article to give some perspective:

A loaf of bread in Berlin that cost around 160 Marks at the end of 1922 cost 200,000,000,000 Marks by late 1923.[14]

By November 1923, one US dollar was worth 4,210,500,000,000 German marks.[16]

I know that the current administration seems to be proposing governmental programs that are costing the country trillions of dollars.  The “Infrastructure” bill is one example of reckless spending that will more than double the national debt.  And the changes made in trade policies that the current president has put in place will cause us to lose more jobs.  The increase in illegal immigration continues to add to the economic burden.  And inflation will affect every American especially those on fixed incomes like the retired and the elderly.

Just a few days ago, in a speech given at the Ronald Reagan Library, the former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, spoke of returning to God and our faith, and living virtuous lives. He said that no nation that is void of moral character will be able to stand. He warned us that unless we change our course, our nation could fall. I was reminded of the scripture: “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1 I hope and pray that we will be like the wise woman and not like the foolish one.

We should pray for our nation, and our churches. Pray for those who are living for themselves and have no desire to serve God. And pray that the church will remain faithful in spite of the trouble ahead.

When the dollar is no longer the currency by which every other currency is valued, there will be worldwide instability. We need to pray that God gives us the grace to face difficult times. Let us look to the Lord, for he is our source of provision and all that we need.

I believe that God gives us these visions so that we will not be caught off guard and unaware.  If we place our hope and trust in him, then we will be far better off than others.  if we ignore the Lord’s warning and do not seek him, we may suffer loss.  If we ignore God and make our own decisions as to what we think is best, then we also may suffer loss.  “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”  Psalm 127:1

Do you remember the story of Paul and the sailors who were fighting a storm at sea for several days?   They hadn’t eaten since the storm began, and they were afraid that the boat would break up, so they tied ropes all around it.  After days in the storm, Paul told them that God was going to protect all the men that were with him, but they would only escape with their lives.  “Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea. But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.’  So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.”  Acts 27:30-32

We need to trust God as the soldiers did.  They cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.  They chose to believe God, rather than their own hearts.  The ship did brake apart, but the men held onto the pieces and each made it to shore.  No one was lost—they were all saved just as Paul had said.

So our lesson in this is to know that when difficult times come, trust the Lord, he will deliver us!  Hallelujah!

In Summary

If we look at these three visions altogether, we see these as warnings.  I have said it often that we are living in the end times.  The vision of the black watch let’s us know that the Lord is coming back soon. In the very near future, we may experience trouble in the form of persecution, so we must be ready.  The watch tells us that the time is near.  It is not far off.

The stain on the shower wall tells us that we have to deal with sin.  The Lord’s precious blood covers our sin, but we must understand that we are not automatically forgiven every time we sin.  The Lord wants us to be over-comers, and to not live in sin.  We must “crucify the flesh,” which means to demonstrate self-control, to say “No!” to our passions and desires.  We must have repentant hearts and feel godly sorrow over our sin.  We have to make a decision to not sin again, just as Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery, ”Neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Now go and sin no more."   John 8:11  

This vision warns us to not surround ourselves with people and leaders that could, by their values, doctrines and attitudes, lead us into compromise, sin, complacency and into falling away from the faith altogether.

We must trust in the Lord for the trouble that may lie ahead.  Tribulation, persecution and trials come in many forms.  But Jesus has said throughout his teachings:  “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”  John 16:33

I hope you will take these messages to heart and keep your focus on the Lord.  Read his word, and pray continually.  And be careful to guard your heart, knowing that you become like the company you keep.  And lastly, beware of the yeast of the “hypocrites.”  Look for godly men and women who do not compromise with the world and deny the truth of God’s word.

Please share this message with your friends in Church, your family and with others.  Let us believe that God will send America and the rest of the world a revival that we need so desperately.  God bless you!