The Father and the Son
Hi Friends,
It is good to be home. I just got back from a trip to the Midwest, first to see my husband’s family in Chicago, and then to Ohio to visit our daughter and her family. It was wonderful to see them all. Today I have several visions to share with you. Four of them were given just minutes apart.
The Visions
A Man and his Son
In the first vision, I saw a black man with his son, a toddler sitting on his shoulders. The man and his son were looking into a mirror in front of them. He was comparing their features and I believe contemplating who the child would someday become.
The Eye Dropper
The second vision was of an eye dropper with a black rubber bulb and a clear glass pipette. The eye dropper was lying on the floor.
The Baby
In the third vision I saw an infant about 4-5 months old attempting to express himself by “talking,” and cooing.
The Paper Wrapper
In the fourth vision I saw a paper wrapper that was dark brown. It appeared to be torn apart and left after having had its contents removed.
The Three Sewing Pins
In this vision I reached towards the floor to pick up a stainless steel straight pin that I had apparently dropped. As I picked up the pin, two more pins took its place.
What the visions mean:
The Man and his Son
The first vision was of a father with his son looking into a mirror. The Lord compares the natural relationship that exists between a father and his son to the relationship he would like to have with each of us. The man in the vision was pondering what every parent ponders: Who is my child? And what will he be like as he grows? What will be his gifts and talents? What will his interests be? Will he be like me and what I like, or will he be more like my spouse? All of us will study the face of a child, looking into his eyes, seeing his expressions and examining his features to determine who he favors. Does he look like me, or someone else in the family? Sometimes the child clearly looks like one or the other parent. And sometimes it is easy to see both parents in the face of a child. Other times the child can look like a grandparent on either side of the family.
But when paternity comes into question, then the father wants to make sure that the child is truly his. He will look carefully for any prominent feature that is his, or a feature that seems foreign to either parent. The young father hopes to see something in the child that is definitely his, something that he can say, “That’s my son!”
When Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, we hear the Father’s voice, speaking of his Son:
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17
There are many expressions that tell of the relationship of a father to a son: “Like father, like son.” and “An apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” Yet Jesus still had to deal with unbelief even with one of his disciples, who did not recognize him.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. John 14:8-12
The Jewish leaders of his day refused to believe that he was the Christ, the Son of God. They were wrapped up in tradition and in the Law, but did not know the Law-giver. Yet, for us who believe in him, we know him to be “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords.” We know him as Savior, Lord and Friend. He is God incarnate: “Emmanuel” which means “God with us!”
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:10-13
The Lord God is our heavenly father, and we are his children. And as children, he wants to see his image formed in us. From the very beginning, in the book of Genesis, we see that we are God’s creation, fashioned from the dust of the earth. We are formed in the likeness of God.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28
It was always God’s design for us to live in harmony with him, to walk with him, and to be close to him. But unfortunately, our freewill allowed us to rebel against him. I use the word “we,” because we have a sinful nature, and if we were to be placed in the garden today, we could easily rebel as Adam and Eve had done. Our sinful nature demands to have our own way, to be our own boss and the captain of our own ship. We want to call the shots, to be independent and not inhibited by rules made by others. However, if it were not for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that comes when we are born again, we might also succumb to temptation and be cast out of the garden. The Holy Spirit gives us power to overcome our sinful nature and live victoriously for God.
But Adam and Eve never had the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, so they succumbed to the serpent’s temptations. They gave up the fellowship they had with God, for a lie that promised that they would be like God having the knowledge of good and evil. They gave up the Lord’s blessing and provision in a land of paradise. Having no fear of God, they were willing to challenge his lordship, believing the lie that God was holding out on them. People who do not know the love of God, nor the character of God, will believe lies about him and forfeit an eternity of bliss with their creator, for this temporal existence. They choose to live a life that pleases only themselves. If only they could have valued what the Lord had given them..
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1:29-30
In paradise, there was no death. There was no violence or killing for every living thing that had breath depended on plants for sustenance. But when Adam and Eve sinned against God, the Lord killed an animal using its hide, to cover their naked bodies. This was the first time blood was shed. The animal was sacrificed to cover their bodies, and at the same time to cover the shame and guilt of their sin. From this moment on, only a blood sacrifice would satisfy the debt of sin.
When we sin, we separate ourselves from God. Our waywardness, and our willfulness places us in direct opposition to Him, bringing us shame, guilt, and alienation. Judgment and condemnation come to us as a direct result of sin. But thank the Lord, that we no longer have to rely upon the sacrifice of an animal’s blood to cover our sins. We have the Lord Jesus who sacrificed himself to pay for our sins. Now our sins are not simply covered over, but they are removed from us. We are cleansed from all unrighteousness and fully redeemed. We are made new in our spirits and become alive in him. We are no longer “dead in our trespasses,” but alive in our spirits. The Lord places his Holy Spirit within us when we become born again. But we must first come to him with contrite hearts, confess our sins, and choose to repent - to change our minds, to change our behaviors, and to live for God.
“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 1:8-10
The Eye Dropper
In the second vision, I saw an eye dropper on the floor. I believe that the Lord is saying to take a closer look. The eye dropper was made of a glass pipette and a rubber bulb. If allowed to remain on the floor, it could be crushed and made worthless. But as an eye dropper, it is a necessary instrument in the healing of the eyes. It is used to apply drops to eyes that are sore, red, dry or infected.
Our eyes function as gates to the soul: the mind, the will and the emotions. We have to be careful what we set before our eyes, for what they look upon affects our thoughts, desires and behaviors.
Jesus was very firm in his teachings about our eyes:
“And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” Matthew 18:9
In the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, he gives and example and repeats his warning.
“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:28-29
Sin is a serious thing. King David wrote:
“I will set before my eyes, no unclean thing.” Psalm 101:3
The Apostle John wrote about the lust of the eyes:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
In the Book of Revelation, The Lord speaks to John, instructing him to send letters to the seven churches, one of which he described as (spiritually) blind:
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19
The Lord is indeed serious about sin. He wants none to be lost. He paid the price for our sins, but it is up to us to believe in him and put our trust in him. We have to come to the understanding of what he did on the cross that purchased our salvation and our eternal life with him. Without acknowledging Jesus as truly God, we will not receive his free gift of salvation. We will die in our sins and spend all eternity separated from God.
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12
“No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:23
The Lord is asking us to take a closer look at what we see and what has our heart. What turns our heads? What do we see and what do we desire that fascinates us?
King David in the Bible looked upon Bathsheba, and rather than turning his eyes away, he took in her beauty and developed a desire for her. He sent her husband to the front lines of a battle in order to remove him permanently. He then married her. What he saw with his eyes caused him to sin, and then sin more. What we set before our eyes can lead us away from God and into sin. Let’s take a closer look at what we watch on television or what we see on the internet. Let’s take a look at our values. Do they align with the world’s values or God’s?
The Infant
In the third vision of the infant, we see that the child is attempting to talk and to coo. This is an innate desire to communicate. We were designed to communicate with our Father in heaven. I have a very short video that I saw of a young father attempting to communicate with his infant child. It is so precious: Dad and son have adorable conversation - YouTube
The Lord wants to have a relationship with us. We are designed to seek love and companionship with those around us. But it is the spirit inside each of us that is able to commune with God. It is so essential to be born again, because we receive the Holy Spirit and our spirits come to life.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, about being born again.
“Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8
Jesus also spoke to a Samaritan woman about the Spirit of God, referring to him as a fountain of water:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13
In that same conversation he describes the relationship the Father desires to have with all believers.
“But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
So the infant in the vision is attempting to speak - to commune with God. The child coos, as an attempt to sing in the spirit. This is our example. We do not have to have a trained voice or even one that sings on key. The Lord appreciates us taking time to worship, and make prayer and fellowship with him a priority in our daily lives.
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” Psalm 100
The Paper Wrapper
In this vision, I saw a paper wrapper that was brown, torn apart and discarded. The contents inside the wrapper were gone. Only the paper wrapper was left. It may have been a candy wrapper for a candy bar, for the paper was brown, which reminds me of things that are chocolate. If it were chocolate, one might assume that the person opened the wrapper with great eagerness, anticipating eating the chocolaty treat. Perhaps the person was so excited about the chocolate that the wrapper was of no significance, for it was left somewhere by itself, not in a waste basket or with the trash. No thought was given to the wrapper and where it belonged. It served its function and then was just left.
Sometimes we can feel used, and abandoned, as if there is no further purpose for our lives. Often parents feel this way as their children leave the nest and go to college or make a life of their own. For now, the parent seems to no longer serve a purpose. Their children are excited to cut the apron strings and get on with their lives.
The prodigal son was such a young man. He wanted his inheritance, and to leave his family behind. His adventure was in the city where he could pursue his dreams and aspirations. His brother and father both knew that he would just blow his money on wild living, and of course he did. But one day he returned to his father with a contrite heart, saying:
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” Luke 15:18-19
Yet, his father’s intention was to fully restore him to his place as his son. Our heavenly Father’s love towards us is as this father’s love for his own son. Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is given to reveal the Father’s love for those who return his love and for those who have walked away. The Lord is patient with us, and with prodigals, for he does not want to lose a single one.
The Lord is not slow to do what he promised, as some consider slowness. Instead, he is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:17
The Straight Pins
In this last vision, I saw a straight pin on the floor and went to pick it up. As I picked it up there were two that suddenly appeared, seemingly having replaced the pin that I had picked up.
A straight pin is very tiny with a small stainless steel head for gripping and a sharp point to penetrate the fabric. It is really essential for joining pieces together while sewing. Without pins, the fabric pieces do not align properly, and what is sewn will be far from perfect.
I have made it a habit that when I drop a pin on the floor, I look for two. The Idea is that for everyone that I drop there is probably one that I did not see fall. So I always look for a stray pin.
In this vision, as I picked up one there were two more. I believe that the vision concerns people who are “lost,” lost for eternity. There are more people who are lost than those that are saved. For everyone who falls away from the faith, there are many more that need salvation. Unless someone shares the gospel and the love of God they will not see the need to get right with him. Salvation is a free gift offered to us by the Lord, but if people do not understand their need for salvation, they may continue as they are and spend eternity in a very bad place. We need to value every person, for we do not want to see anyone going to hell. When we share the gospel, we give that person an opportunity to receive the Lord and to believe in his name. He can live in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. He can fulfill his God-given purpose and experience the joy of the Lord, and the peace of God that gives him the comfort of knowing all is well with his soul (spirit) !
So this vision concerns the lost souls of this world, and our commitment to fulfilling the great commission. Jesus’ last words to the church were these as recorded by Matthew:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
It is the will of God that all people would believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior, for he wants none to be lost, and all to have salvation in his name.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:35-40
So let us help gather in the harvest by sharing the gospel and making disciples of all people. Let’s be faithful with what the Lord has given us. Let us share the love of God and his message of peace and salvation in the name of Jesus.
Please share this important message. Let’s reach those who might not otherwise know! God bless you all!
