Temptation and Open Doors
Hi Friends,
Today is overcast with rain. I like days like this because they are cozy indoor days. I like the quiet sound of rain on the window and the roof. It makes me feel comfortable, that all is well. I know that for other people it can make them feel melancholy. A friend of mine gets depressed when it rains for too many days in a row. I guess we are all different. Is the cup half empty, or is it half full?
Today I have two visions to share with you.
The Vision
The Blue Patch
In the first vision, I saw a fiberglass patch, like one I have made on our small fiberglass travel trailer. It was about 12” w by 14” h. The patch was painted a royal blue, in contrast to the white ground on which it was made.
I have been praying about traveling and full-time RVing for quite some time. However, I have never really felt comfortable on vacations. A couple of days, or perhaps a long weekend is enough to visit family. Then I am ready to go home. I am more content to stay home and pray, and do whatever projects come my way. I have always been concerned that going on the road for longer than a few days will bore me to tears, and I won’t be able to go to church, or stay connected with my prayer partners.
However, watching all the tutorials and the RV life videos has stoked an interest in designing and building RVs. As a designer, my mind is consumed with visuals, planning and executing. I find the tutorials and educational videos on YouTube to be fascinating and a much needed break from all the political news, and the barrage of negativity that comes from the mouths of corrupt individuals. I watch the news very selectively, and will quickly change the channel if it becomes too much.
“I will set before my eyes no unclean thing.” Psalm 101:3
We have to protect our eyes and our ears from anything that corrupts the spirit. And when we watch and listen we try to keep our focus on the Lord, and how he may use us to pray for the leaders of our nation and those that have been taken captive to sin. The Lord wants none to be lost!
“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2
So in regards to the vision, the fiberglass patch I believe has been made to cover an opening that is no longer needed. It is imperative to close up every opening to keep water out. And if a patch is made well, it would be completely unseen as if the opening had never been. But in the vision, the patch was painted a royal blue to show off the patch, rather than to conceal it. Why? And why a royal blue?
In the Bible, the color blue is symbolic of very strong things: God, heaven, God’s throne, life and water, healing, prayer, royalty, high position and wealth; the Law and the Ten Commandments. These are all powerful things and entities. A patch like this can also be seen as a seal, to seal something shut, in this case a hatch opening.
Years ago, when I first began to get visions, I asked the Lord, “Are these visions from you?”
He replied, “Look for my signature.”
Not everything is from God. I remember the perverse and depraved scenes that tormented me as a child. The devil and his demons would wake me up at night with terrible nightmares, so that I was afraid to go to sleep. I would bring home stacks of books every night, so that I would study until I fell asleep, surrounded with books still on my bed.
Now years later, I realize that the devil knew that God had given me the gift of vision, so the devil commandeered the channel. I thank the Lord that he gives me restful sleep now, and that I am no longer afraid. I have learned to use the authority that the Lord gives all believers, and to trust him for all things. God is good!
Now returning to the vision, I believe that the Lord colored the patch blue, to state that he is giving his approval for this endeavor. I have been asking the Lord to remove my desire to renovate the trailer, if it would ever become a distraction, or hindrance in my walk with him. I have also prayed that the Lord would change my husband’s mind about traveling, if it was not in the Lord’s plan for us.
The color blue can represent God himself. So in a way the patch is like a seal placed on the trailer. It is his signature showing that he is giving us his favor. Someone once said that God specializes in plan B. So even though I have gone through much apprehension regarding the ins and outs of RVing, I am thankful that the Lord is allowing us to go forward with plan “B.” Of course by this stage in life, it might be plan “Q.” One thing I do know is that our decisions are important. We need to seek God for his perfect will.
Everyone of us wants to know that we are on target, and that we have the Lord’s approval. How can we do anything or be successful, as God views success, if we don’t know that he is in it? The following passage of scripture shows how Moses wanted the Lord’s approval and his personal accompaniment.
Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’
If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:13-17
Thank you Jesus! For you said that you are faithful and that you will go with us. These are your promises to Joshua:
“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
And the writer of Hebrews, encourages us with those same words:
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrew 13:5
Both passages address the fears that people have. Joshua might have remembered having scouted out the Promise Land years before. I am sure that he remembered that there were giants in the land (like Goliath). But God assured Joshua that he should be strong and courageous, and that he would be with him in every circumstance.
The writer of Hebrews addresses a different fear: the fear of lack. He writes that they need not and should not covet money or anything else because the Lord will provide for all their needs, and that he will never leave them nor forsake them.
So it comes down to trust. We should not covet money, possessions and things that offer security, comfort or pleasure because covetousness is a sin, and an abomination to God. He is to be our treasure and our great reward. He is to be the source of everything we need. We can trust him to lead us and provide for us no matter where he sends us.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
There is still more to this vision of the patch:
The patch is made to seal up an opening or door. Often we speak of spiritual doors that are created when someone engages in sin. The door in the vision was covered over with fiberglass and painted blue, which can represent the act of repentance, because when we repent, we make a decision to turn away from sin. We declare “Never again will I allow the door to open. Never again will I give access to the devil in my life. I choose to follow the Lord.” This is truly what happens when we become born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. He gives us the will to do his will.
Blue represents life, the new life with the Lord.
The blue represent heaven, which is our final destination when we live each day for him.
The blue also represents God, and godliness. Our desire to please him gives us the motive to live a godly life.
The blue represents water, which reminds us of water baptism. The Lord commands us to be baptized in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The blue represents a high position: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6
The blue also represents the Law and the Ten Commandments. We make a commitment to the Lord, to follow his ways and his commands, simply because we love him. “If you love me obey my commands.” John 14:15
There is nothing more important or more fulfilling in life than to walk with our Lord. To know him is to love him.
“When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
A Black and White Scarf
In the second vision, I saw a large-boned, middle aged woman wearing a house-dress and unkempt hair come towards me. She handed me a small black and white scarf that was to be worn as a head-band. She said, “This one is for you.” The scarf was basically white with small black splotches all over it, somewhat resembling the fur on a Dalmatian dog.
I recognized the woman in the vision to be a demon. She was giving me a scarf, hoping that I would use it as a head-band to hold back my hair. The scarf was delicate like chiffon, a fabric with a light hand and somewhat sheer. The printed design was black on white. Every detail in this vision has meaning.
Because the devil comes to bring bondage and harm, he looks for the perfect “bait,” for his traps. For someone who desires “pretty things,” and to be beautiful the scarf might entice a woman to put it on. In the vision, I accepted it—representing both believers and non-believers who can become susceptible to temptation.
The idea of placing it around the head shows that the goal of the demon is to influence and even control the mind. After all, isn't it said that, “The mind is the devil’s playground?” A demon’s desire is to insert his own perverted thoughts into his victim’s mind to twist his sense of reality. Once someone takes the bait and opens the door to sin, the demon can take possession.
I have experience with all this because of my family’s generational sin and current day sin. I thank the Lord that I was delivered and baptized in the Spirit years ago. However, my brother and another relative have opened doors to the devil and his demons by their involvement with my sister’s business. They were “testing” their own bodies to diagnose a client’s ailments several states away. They were acting as mediums and practicing divination, (getting information from demonic sources).
The scarf or head-band had black spots on a white ground, which represents a mixture of truth and falsehood. In order to deceive someone, particularly a believer, the lie has to be believable. A bold face lie would be immediately recognized as such. However, a clever lie, one that can pass as truth, is sandwiched between ideas that are generally accepted as truth. In this way, the new idea sounds plausible, for parts of it ring true.
The design was printed on a sheer chiffon fabric having a look of value, not a “cheap” rayon or polyester. So there is an inherent value in the “gift.” A person will accept something more readily if it appears to have value. The fabric is sheer, which lets one see through the fabric. This represents the spiritual nature of the object, for it is something through which one can see. As mentioned before, this is the spiritual ability to access the dark side for information. This is divination, an abomination to God.
Wisdom, discernment and an understanding of the word of God, is needed to help us see through deception and avoid the traps and pitfalls that leads to bondage.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
One other thing to note is that the woman/demon said, “This one is for you.” The bait used to tempt someone was designed specifically for that individual. What may tempt a young man might be quite different than what might tempt an older woman or a small child. It is engineered to be specific to one’s interests or weaknesses.
The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness after he fasted for forty days. What did the devil use to tempt him?
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11
The devil first tempted the Lord with food, for after 40 days. He assumed that the Lord would have been weak and perhaps willing to turn stones into bread. But after fasting for forty days he may have been extremely hungry, but what the devil did not count on, was how the Spirit becomes stronger with fasting, so even though the flesh may have been weak, the Spirit ruled over the flesh. And of course, Jesus is both God and man. He is perfect and sinless. Nothing that the devil could have done would have had any power over him.
Even so, we should take note that fasting is one of the best ways to gain spiritual strength. Remember when the disciples tried to cast out a demon and were not able? They asked Jesus, and his response to them was: “But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21
Fasting allows us to have the spiritual strength to put down our flesh and take authority over our enemy - the devil and his demons.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
The devil also tempted Jesus with a desire to demonstrate who he was and the authority he had over all the angels. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “’He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Matthew 4:6
And of course the Lord, the Son of God, chose to live a humble human existence while on this earth, so he was very purposeful about how he revealed himself and brought glory to God the Father.
And lastly the devil tried to tempt him with riches and power. Jesus is the creator of all the entire universe. He is God. How could the devil even suggest that Jesus bow down and worship him? The very idea is absurd. The devil deceives himself! It is he that should bow before the Lord! And the following passage says it all:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11
So Jesus was tempted, as we all are, but did not sin! He is the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And we can celebrate, and shout Hallelujah! Because he defeated death by his own death on the cross, and we have been redeemed by his precious blood! We can be with the Lord for all eternity, if we simply repent of our wickedness and surrender our lives to him.
I hope that through these two visions that your spirit has been awakened to the need of God. Everyone who does not live for the Lord will perish apart from him, and will suffer eternal punishment. The Lord has made a way for everyone who repents and turns to the Lord to be saved from this second death, or hell. So please, pray with me:
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the sins I have committed by the wrong that I have done, and by the evil thoughts I have held in my heart. Please Lord, close the door that I have opened to the wicked one and take away my desire for the things that cause me to sin. Please forgive me, as I am commanded to forgive everyone who sins against me. I ask that you free me of the bondages of sin and help me to know your word. Lord make me a new creation in you, and write my name in the Book of Life, giving me the promise of an eternal life with you. Thank you Jesus.
Help me to reach my friends and loved ones with the gospel of peace, that all may know of your love, mercy and faithfulness. For you show love mercy and faithfulness to all those who believe and trust in your wonderful, name, Jesus. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. You are the Way the Truth and the Life. Lord fill me with your Holy Spirit and baptize me with fire so that I will speak in tongues and have the spiritual power to over come.
Thank you Jesus that I am now born of the Spirit. I am born again. I am yours and you are mine! Amen!
Please share this post with someone. And if you prayed this prayer, tell someone that you are born again, filled with the Holy Spirit and you have eternal life through Christ Jesus! Remember this day, and never- ever fall for the devil’s tricks! Know the word of God, the Bible, for the truth will set you free! God bless you!
