Walking in the Light
Hi Everyone,
The Lord is good. We have experienced miracles lately. We have been praying for many years for a friend of mine, whose eyes were giving her continual problems. She was diagnosed with a degenerative problem. She has diabetes and we were concerned for her eyes that she would not be able to see well even after her cataract surgery. As she was on the way to the doctor, a week before her scheduled surgery, we prayed that the doctor would be able to see a positive change in the health of her eyes. After the appointment, she told me that the doctor had said that her eyes were healthy and that there was no indication of any degenerative problem or any symptom of diabetic retinopathy! Hallelujah! God is faithful! We are so blessed!
The Lord answered another prayer, just yesterday! Daniel Penny, a young marine, was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter. He had come to the rescue of someone, and took hold of a man to restrain him. That man was under the influence of drugs and apparently in poor health, so that as he struggled, he overly taxed his system and died. There was no evil intent on Daniel’s part, but with his heroic attempt to rescue, he was charged for the man’s death. But thanks to the many prayers of the faithful, God answered with mercy and complete vindication! Hallelujah! God is so good. I am so pleased that the jury found him not guilty, and that justice was upheld.
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24
Today I have a vision to share with you that is for us as individuals, and as the church.
The Vision
The Woman in Heels
In this vision, I saw a woman wearing a royal blue dress and creamy white high heeled shoes. As she was standing, I saw both of her feet lift up the toes, rock back on her heels and rotate to her left 90 degrees. Then her toes returned to the floor. She had effectively changed her direction.
The woman in the vision represents the church for she is dressed, not in pure white as it is most often seen in my visions, but in royal blue, which represents God, godliness and heaven. She is also wearing creamy white shoes. Again, this is not the perfect representation of the church for the shoes are not pure white. There seems to be a problem. To make creamy white, from pure white, one must add a bit of yellow, and perhaps a drop of grey to mute the color. The shoes also represent the walk we have with God. The word tells us that the Lord’s bride will be dressed in white, without spot or wrinkle:
“…just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27
One of the most important details in the vision is that she was no longer facing forward, but by turning on her heels, she was facing left. Usually in my visions when there is a turn to the left it means to go the wrong way. A turn to the right represents a change in a positive direction towards God. I believe that the woman represents someone who appears to be godly for she is wearing blue. She may be seen by others as having the appearance of godliness. She may consider herself to be in the faith, but she has deceived herself. She may represent those that believe Jesus is God, yet they have not made him Lord over their lives.
The passage of scripture above tells us that Jesus gave himself to the church, to sanctify her. We are the church, and by his blood, and his sacrificial death on the cross, he purchased us, redeemed us, and set us free of eternal damnation. As his bride, we are cleansed by washing with water and with the Word of God. The water, I believe, represents the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer. He gives us wisdom, revelation, and understanding as we read the Word. The Holy Spirit also convicts us of sin, so that we come to repentance. The Holy Spirit leads us into truth and causes us to want to serve him without reservation.
We know that the Bible is the Word of God, but it is also true that Jesus is called “The Word of God.”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
Jesus said of himself:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
If we choose to walk with him, we will have the light of life, and not walk in darkness. It is a commitment that we make to him, for we know him as the good shepherd who cares for us. And as he is “The Word of God,” we can appreciate how he provides light and understanding to everything around us.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:10
The Lord’s words are light and they are spirit. By reading his Word we come to understand the heart of God, and how sin separates us from Him. Sin is rebellion against God. It is sourced in the human heart and in our sinful nature. But God is love. He is perfect and his ways are just. When we go our own way, and do our own thing, without considering God’s will, we rebel against him and cause a break in trust.
When we have sinned we know that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction to our hearts and move us to repentance. To repent means to change one’s mind. It is important to repent right away and to keep a clean slate with God. If we do not repent, we open a door to the devil and invite, all kinds of problems. But we are very blessed that when we do sin, the Lord has made a way for us to be right with him.
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2
So when we sin, we should stop immediately, turn to God and ask for forgiveness. If we have sinned against anyone, we should also ask them to forgive us. We want to keep our relationship with the Lord in right standing. There should be no sin that remains unresolved.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
I believe the Lord is using this vision to warn us of our waywardness and to get right with him. There is no doubt that something is amiss in the woman’s walk with God. For her shoes represent her walk. She rocks back on her heels and changes her direction 90 degrees. She has not turned 180 degrees which would mean that she has abandoned the faith altogether to lead a life of sin, but she has done something that has definitely taken her off course. the Lord want us to walk in his light for his ways are holy and his ways are true.
The blue dress represents godliness, but the true bride of Christ is dressed in white, not blue. This scripture came to mind:
“having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:5
Who were those people that Timothy was warned to stay away from? Let’s see the scripture’s context:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
We are not to associate with people like these, for we become like the company we keep.
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
Rather, we are to prepare ourselves for the Lord, for we are his bride.
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:6-8
The Lord is showing the woman in off white shoes. Because she is not fully dressed in pure white, the woman in the vision is not the true church. If you remember the parable of the ten virgins, only five of them were ready to meet the bridegroom. Those who were not ready did not go into the marriage supper. The Lord is returning for a prepared bride, one that is pure and pure in heart.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
What has taken the woman, the church off course? I believe that the world entices people with what it has to offer. If we desire the things of the world we will be taken by the world. This will cause believers to follow the world rather than God. Throughout scripture we are warned to not love the world or compromise with its values and ideologies. When we follow leaders that take their cues from the world we will become like them, and we will fall away from the true faith. These worldly teachings often appeal to our flesh.
“If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!” Micah 2:11
We must not entertain messages that appeal to the natural man, but be on our guard against the influences of the world that twist the Word of God.
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Jesus’ teachings were not diluted, or tainted with a world view. In regards to sin, Jesus spoke not just of the obvious sins, but included the hidden sins that dwell in a person’s heart. In speaking of adultery he said:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27
With regards to anger and hatred he deems them to be murder:
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. Matthew 5:21-22
The Lord taught with authority. Jesus is God in the flesh. He perfectly reflected the Father so that we might appreciate the holiness and mercy of God. The Lord loves us and wants us to be with him. He is holy God and wants us to be holy.
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
What are other things that can influence and capture our hearts, turning us away from our love for God? I believe that idolatry, and the love of money are very strong enticements. We can place ourselves and our desires above God. This is idolatry. Our egos, our focus on ourselves, our prideful nature, and the drive for success can keep us from submitting to the Lord’s will. These are sins that can be seen in others, but we may fail to recognize the sin in our own hearts.
As Paul encouraged Timothy to guard his heart and to avoid the pitfalls of sin, we need to do the same.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,” which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10
Jesus knows our hearts and how we can get tripped up. To a young wealthy ruler who wanted to know how he could have eternal life, Jesus said to him:
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”
Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:19-27
There can be no compromise with the world. We cannot take our cues from the world and fall into its traps. We have to be diligent in reading the Word of God, for when we read his words, we are convicted of sin, and we have the opportunity to get right with him. However, if we seldom read the Word of God, we will merely go through life “winging it,” doing whatever seems right. If we spend no time with him or in his Word, we will be like a frog in a pot of water that is slowly heated. We will not know until it is too late, that we are cooked! We will slowly drift away from God and we will be following our own deceitful hearts.
Let us not live to fulfill our own dreams and goals, or operate out of fear, being consumed with achievement and fulfilling our “needs.” The Lord should be first in our thoughts and in our decisions. Let us instead seek the Lord and his kingdom, for it comes with a promise:
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you. Matthew 6:33
Putting God first and seeking his will is essential, for the true motives of our hearts and our willingness to follow him can determine the outcome of our prayers.
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? But He gives us more grace. This is why it says:
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:2-6
In the vision the woman represents both us as individuals and as the church. We have to see that if we do not reflect the goodness and grace of God in our speech and in our actions, then we will not bring Christ glory. We may in fact bring him shame.
For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Romans 2:24
My own son said of a church that I once attended: “Well, if there is a God, he is not in there!”
My daughter, after having attended a Christian University, was so appalled at the teaching of certain missionaries and teachers, motivated by pride and the love of money, that she has refused to take her children to church. She has instead decided to teach them about the Lord at home.
It is a shame that the church continues to take their cues from the world. Let us wait upon the Lord for his decisions and his ways, and not simply do what other churches are doing. Some are so mixed with the world’s teachings that they look to the world, to learn what appeals to people so that they can fill their pews. The church is not a social club for entertainment and to meet people to fill up our social calendars. We are not to emulate the world but to be separate from it.
Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
We are individuals, but we represent the church at large. Therefore please take this message to heart, for the Lord has given this to me to share with you. He wants us to glorify him. We are to reach the lost, and to do his will, for we all will face judgment and have to give an account for our time here on this earth.
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:4-6
Let’s Pray
Dear Jesus, please forgive my sins and my waywardness. I have wanted to call the shots, and do my own thing. Forgive me of these sins that separate me from you. I want to be forgiven and reconciled to the Father, I know that my willfulness has taken me away from you. Please forgive my sins, and help me to call on you for help. You are my Lord and from this day forward, I will place you on your rightful throne, to rule my heart and direct my desires to align with your goodness and mercy. Please give me a faithful heart and a love for other people. Help me to be your hands and feet, to be your voice, to advance your kingdom and establish your love in every heart. Help me to pray continually, and to seek your face for your perfect will. I give myself to you. Help me to know what it means to “take up my cross and follow you!”
I love you Lord and I ask that your forgiveness, mercy and grace, your provision and your presence will always be with me. I place myself in your hands. Your faithful servant__________, Amen!
One last note:
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10
Please share this important message with your friends, your church and those that need to know the love and grace of the Lord! God bless you!
