Get On Board with God!
Hi Everyone,
It is now the new year 2025. We are looking forward to what the Lord may do in this next year. We are expecting the supernatural drawing of loved ones to Christ, the miraculous healing of those that are sick, the restoration of failed or broken relationships, and the authority of God displayed through his church to perform signs, wonders, the casting out of demons, the raising of the dead and a world wide revival to every nation on this earth! Yes Lord, we believe in you!!!
We know that your word declares:
If you seek me you will find me if you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
But your word also says:
“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ Isaiah 65:1
“I will have mercy upon whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:15
Our hope is in you Lord! Save our friends, our loved ones and our families. Lead them all into truth and keep them from the wicked one! Amen!
Today, I have a dream rather than a vision to share with you, which I believe came from the Lord.
The Dream
A Boat, a Dog and Someone Left Behind
In this dream, I was standing at the wide opening of an indoor boat house that is immense in size. The ceiling was 50 plus feet in height and the opening was perhaps 100’ wide. There was a single boat immediately in front of me. It was a grey metal boat that had a 10 foot by 4 foot horizontal platform attached to the stern that was even with the height of the dock. There was also a 6’ wall perpendicular to the platform which was the transom of the stern.
There was a woman standing on the dock with me, just to my right and facing the boat. A small white dog and another woman stood to my left. Suddenly from behind us came a man who I recognized as a former pastor, who I greatly respected and considered a “straight arrow.” Never did I hear anything from the pulpit that would cause me to raise an eyebrow. I always thought that we were on the same page. What I would write in my blog, would be something that he might share in a sermon. The one message confirmed the other. God is good!
The man in the vision was athletic and simply jumped to the platform and pulled himself over the wall or transom while offering a quick greeting. I was glad to see that he was the man at the helm. The boat began to take off without any warning. As I saw a gap forming between the dock and the platform, I jumped onto the platform and held onto the bar that was attached to the transom. The woman to my right did the same. The small white dog jumped aboard, but the woman to my left did not get on. She was left standing on the dock.
I called to the man and told him that we left someone behind. The dog in a panic, seeing the woman left behind, jumped into the water. Even though I could not see the man, he heard me calling for him to turn the boat around, for he immediately initiated the turn. The dog was even more panicked when he realized that he was in deep water and needed to be rescued himself.
I could see the woman at the dock was simply standing there. She was not waving her arms or shouting to us like we might expect. But she just stood there and watched, unconcerned. That was the end of the dream.
What I believe the dreams means
I believe that the two women and myself, represent the various groups of people within the church. The small white dog also represented believers. The man at the helm, who I recognized to be a pastor, I believe is meant to represent Jesus.
The boat represents the idea of salvation, of being born again. The boat house represents the Holy Spirit who knows all things and covers all things. And the dock represents the natural world and everything in it. The water represents both natural death and the second death, which is hell.
The Woman and Myself
In this dream, we have two people, the woman to my right and myself who get on board the boat as it pulls away from the dock. We are those who understand the truth of God’s Word and have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. There was no doubt in our minds as to what we were to do, for as believers, the indwelling Spirit prompts us to “get on board” with the Lord and hold on! We were on the outside of the boat, holding onto a handle on the transom.
The Man
The man at the helm was Jesus, who guides and directs the boat to its final destination which is heaven. Jesus speaks of heaven as a house with many rooms
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-4
The Transom
The transom on a boat is the flat panel on the back end of the boat. In the vision it separates us who are clinging to the outside of the boat, from the interior of the boat where the Lord is at the helm. I believe the transom is the supernatural line of division that separates the spiritual kingdom of God as it is on this earth within the believer, from the supernatural kingdom of God which is in heaven. As believers, when we pass from this life to the next we go from one state of being to another. We do not die a spiritual death as those who do not have the Holy Spirit. But only our flesh dies. We continue to live on but we are given new spiritual bodies that are incorruptible, and immortal. As Paul has said:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’” 1 Corinthians 15:53-55
Jesus corrected the misconception that the Pharisees had regarding the state of being in the heavenly realm.
Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Matthew 22:29-32
So we pass from this life to the next continuing in the kingdom of God. Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death we do not die the second death which is hell, but we rule and reign with him in heaven! Even now we are seated with him as we live and breathe on this earth!
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4-6
He gives us authority right now, on this earth, to bind and to loosen and to perform signs and wonders in his name. We partner with the Lord right now through prayer and declarations, through faith in his word and in him we accomplish things that would not otherwise be possible. To God be the glory for the things He has done!
So the transom represents the barrier that separates us in the physical realm from the inside of the boat which represents the heavenly realm. Even though we were separated, the man at the helm, Jesus, heard my voice and caused the boat to turn. So we move with the Lord spiritually even though we are in the physical realm.
“For we live and move and have our being in him.” Acts 17:28
The Boat
The boat represents salvation. Salvation is something that we receive as we take the step of faith, choosing to trust in God and believe that his death on the cross purchased our salvation. We submit ourselves to the will of God and confess our sins to him. We become united to the Lord, as his bride. We are his and he is ours.
In this dream, after the man jumped onto the boat and over the transom, the boat immediately left the dock, there was no warning. But Jesus did warn his disciples over and over again to be ready for his return, which was to happen within their generation.
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Matthew 24:34
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Mathew 25:13
Jesus warned his disciples of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem which did occur in AD 70, within that generation. The dream today warns us to be prepared, not for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, for that has been accomplished within that generation, but to be prepared for our divine appointment with God. I believe that Jesus accomplished all that he came to do on the cross when he said, “It is finished!”
His purpose in coming in AD 70 was to put an end to the Old Covenant. By destroying the temple he ended the sacrificial system. He came to fulfill the law and the prophets and by dying on the cross, He put an end to spiritual death. He brought in the New Covenant in his blood, and destroyed his enemies, as he destroyed Jerusalem. In Chapter 23 of Matthew, Jesus pronounced seven woes upon the Pharisees and leaders of Jerusalem, then spoke this lament over them:
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Matthew 23:36-38
He came to raise the dead out of Death and Hades, and threw Hades into the lake of fire. All those who were in Hades received judgment and their proper destination for all eternity. Those in Paradise are now with the Lord forever, just as Jesus had promised the thief on the cross. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Today, as true born again, spirit filled believers, our destination is heaven, to be where he is forever! Hallelujah! But each of us must be ready to meet God, today.
The Woman Left Behind
In the vision, two of us were ready and took the important step forward to get on board. The one left behind was somewhat unresponsive. She didn’t shout or wave her hands in the air, trying to get our attention. She really didn’t know that anything was wrong. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not realize that just because they go to church occasionally or even faithfully, if they do not surrender their lives to the Lord, they will remain in their tresspasses. They will not be ready. The Lord made it clear to a Pharisee named Nicodemus that we all must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven:
“Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Jesus answered, “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 3:3-8
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
The woman left behind did not appreciate the teaching of salvation, for the boat represents salvation. Even though she was standing at the edge of the dock as we were, and looking directly at the boat, she failed to see the importance of getting on board. She represents those who claim to be Christian, but are in name only.
“‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’” Matthew 15:8-9
A pastor I knew years ago said, “Just because you are in the garage doesn’t make you a car. And just because you are in the church doesn’t make you a Christian.”
Jesus told many parables to warn his disciples of the need to be ready for what was soon to take place. The Lord’s return in the clouds came within the generation that he had foretold. He came to close out the age of the Old Covenant and to end the sacrificial system of the temple by which the elite of Jerusalem lived in luxury.
“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” Malachi 1:10
Malachi brought these hard words as the last words of the Old Testament. For the next 400 years there would be silence from heaven, for there would be no prophetic word until John the Baptist. John’s words were all about repentance. And he spoke to the Pharisees calling them “a brood of vipers,” God’s wrath had been kindled now these 400 years. He came to save those who humbled themselves, and repented. He came to die for those who were lost and to reconcile them to the Father with his precious blood. But the Pharisees and teachers of the Law who relished the praise and honor from men, and the material wealth and lifestyle that the temple afforded them, were marked for slaughter.
He came in AD 70 to destroy those who destroyed the prophets and those who were sent by God to deliver a message of repentance. He came to put all his enemies including those who pierced him under his feet.
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7
So we living in our generation must be prepared to meet the Lord in our day and in our hour, for death may come suddenly, and then it will be too late. We must live as if today were our last day.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
In this parable, there were five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. They were all expecting to meet the Lord for he was coming to take them to be with him. But while waiting they fell asleep. When the cry came that he was coming, the wise trimmed their lamps, for they had plenty of oil, having brought extra with them. But the foolish said that their lamps were going out and would the wise share with the foolish? No. There would not be enough for them all, so they went to buy oil for their lamps. While they were still on the way, the Lord, the Bridegroom came for his bride (the church) and they went in together into the marriage supper of the Lamb. When the foolish returned they expected to go into the wedding feast. But the door was shut. They called to the Bridegroom to open the door for them.
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Matthew 25:12
The woman on the dock represents the foolish virgins. The woman knew where to stand, but she was not ready to board.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
The Lord warns us in his word, but if we fail to take notice, He will give us trials and troubles in order to get our attention. We must wake us up from our spiritual slumber. He wants us to know him. The Lord turned the foolish virgins away because “He didn’t know them.” God gives us many chances, but we must be willing to trust him and surrender to him. He wants a relationship with us, not merely an occasional thought.
Intercession
In this dream, when the man heard our cries to turn the boat around, he responded immediately. This is the power of intercession. Intercession is prayer on behalf of another. When we bring a friend or concern before him in prayer, He will dispatch his angels, and send his Holy Spirit to do whatever is needed. In regards to sin, the Holy Spirit will bring conviction of sin, and godly sorrow, leading to repentance.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1-9
The Dog
The small white dog represents double minded believers. The dog knew to get on board, but when he saw the woman standing on the dock, he chose to go back to get her. Jesus warned his disciples of this tendency to love the world, or to love someone else more than God.
In Jesus’ Olivet discourse, he reminds his disciples of Lot’s wife:
In the Old Testament story, Lot was Abraham’s nephew who lived in Sodom, a wicked city filled with ungodly men. Through Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, God said that if he could find ten righteous men in the city he would not destroy it. But finding fewer than ten in a whole city, God sent two angels to remove Lot and his family to safety. The two men engaged to his daughters refused to flee the city with him, for they did not believe that God would destroy Sodom. They thought that Lot was joking with them. They stayed behind and were destroyed. His wife and two daughters were dragging their feet, not wanting to leave their home and their possessions behind. The two angels had to take hold of their hands and drag them out of the house, warning them to not look back as the city was going to be burned with fire from heaven. Lot’s wife did not heed their warning and was turned into a pillar of salt, for she looked back to see the city she loved be destroyed.
Lot’s wife is represented by the dog. He saw the woman, and wanted to be with her, so he jumped into the water. But the water represents the world, death and spiritual death. Because the dog was white, he represents believers. Because he was focused on the woman, and left the boat, he represents those that get enamoured with the world and succumb to their fleshly desires. They push God out of the way to make more room for the things they love.
After the dog jumped, he realized his mistake, that he could not sustain himself in the water. If he stayed there long he would drown. A believer who leaves the Lord and chooses to follow the world, will find himself on a path leading to destruction.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15
The little dog loved the woman more than God. Many people will honor a family member more than God. They will do anything to please a spouse, a child or a parent and in the process ignore God and deny his lordship over them.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The Woman left Behind
The woman was standing on the dock, which represents the world. She was so worldly minded that she was numb to the things of God. She was wrapped up in her commitments to her job, her family, her social life and her desire for material possessions. She had no time or genuine interest in God. She claimed to be a Christian, but her life did not show it. She stood on the dock and was so unaware that she did not see the need to shout or wave her arms or ask for the boat to turn around. This is where most people are. They take the Lord for granted. They do not pray, read the Bible or worship him. They are in their own world, building their own kingdoms. They may not recognize the sin in their lives, or realize that the Lord is an all consuming fire! There is no fear of God in their eyes.
This message comes to remind us of the fact that each one of us will have to give an account to God. Jesus is our advocate, if we are believers, he will stand with us. If we have trusted in him, his blood will cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we will be in right standing with the Father. However, if we have not been born again, our sin will remain and we will face judgment.
Jesus healed many people on the Sabbath which caused the Pharisees to be offended and accuse Jesus of performing miracles with the help of the devil. In the following story, we see that sin is retained when we do not give glory to God for the miracles he performs. The Pharisees spoke against what God was doing through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This story revolves around the healing of a man that was born blind. The Pharisees interrogated the man to find out how he was healed, but they didn’t like his answer:
So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”
“What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”
He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
“That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
“You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered. “He is the One speaking with you.”
“Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.
Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?”
“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:24-41
The Lord is compassionate and willing to show mercy to those who also are merciful. In this situation, the Pharisees showed no mercy towards the man who was healed, but contempt and anger, for Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. They held to their law and their traditions, as if they were more important than God. They refused to see God’s hand in the many miracles Jesus performed, or the heart of God for his people.
The Lord purposefully healed on the Sabbath to show them that he was the Messiah, the Son of God who was greater than the Sabbath. He declared that “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” He wanted them to stop operating in legalism and show compassion for a man who was blind from birth. He wanted them to rejoice and praise God for the miraculous healing, but it was not in their hearts. They had a reputation, a ministry and a respectable life to uphold. Jesus seemed to negate their teaching which threatened their standing with the people, so they resented him.
We need to have the fear of God. It is important to understand God’s perspective on life and to love what he loves and hate what he hates. We have to give him respect and first priority. If you would like to give yourself to God in humble submission to him and his authority, and to repent and be reconciled to God, then pray and seek his forgiveness and his blessing:
A Prayer of Salvation
Lord, I realize that I have gone my own way and done my own thing for quite a while. I choose this day to surrender my heart, my will, and my desires to you. I choose to put you first in all matters and in every decision. I am not my own, I was bought at a price, so that I choose now to honor you with my whole heart, soul and body. I give you my devotion, and I commit my ways to your ways. Please forgive me of all my sins, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me a desire to follow you all the days of my life. I declare that I have no other gods or idols before you. You are my God, my Lord and my King and I choose to be your faithful servant. I promise that if I should ever fall into sin, I will immediately repent and be reconciled to you. Please write my name in the book of Life and help me to follow you. I am yours and you are mine. I am now born again. I promise to continue in your love and so, I will have eternal life with you in heaven. Thank you Jesus for your precious blood, sacrificed for my sins so that I can spend eternity with you. Thank you Jesus! Amen!
Please share this post with those who can appreciate this important message. We all need to be born again and filled with the Spirit of God. Be blessed - and I pray that you will remain faithful to Him.
