Pickled Peppers
Hi Everyone,
I was praying and the Lord gave me two visions that I would like to share with you. They concern the Lord’s teachings. His desire is that our faith is established and preserved throughout our lifetimes. This takes commitment and a willingness to hear God and understand his direction, and to be obedient and steadfast in our faith.
The Visions
Pickles and Peppers
In this vision I saw a fork whose tynes had pierced a few pickle slices and yellow “banana pepper” rings. The pickles were medium green and cut into little disks. The peppers were also pickled but yellow and cut into slender rings. A pickle can be sour and a bit sweet, but a pepper is just hot. The vinegar is nothing compared to the heat of the pepper.
Salt brine and vinegar are used in pickling for the purpose of food preservation, increasing shelf life and deterring spoilage. The fork is used to take a pickle or pepper from a jar, but of course with it, we can eat. However I believe the primary idea conveyed by the vision is preservation.
The Bible uses the word preservation to speak of preserving the spiritual life and faith of the believer. Here are a few scriptures that come to mind:
“The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.” Psalm 31:23
“For God speaks in one way or another...to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.” Job 33:14, 17-18
“..wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.” Ecclesiastes 7:12
In these scriptures we see the idea of preserving life, however there is another idea presented, the idea of pride. Our pride, both worldly pride in our abilities, talents and possessions and our spiritual pride in who we think we are in the church, are considered an affront to God. Pride in all its forms becomes a road block to receiving God’s hand of protection and his preservation of both our physical life and our spiritual life.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
These simple scriptures just mentioned are filled with wisdom and truth. If we want God to preserve our lives from “the Pit,” from the sword, and from other dangers such as sickness, financial ruin, shame, and loss of love or respect, we must not take on prideful attitudes, but in humility, submit to his authority. God is more than able to humble our prideful selves. It is best that we humble ourselves voluntarily, rather than experiencing God’s hand of opposition.
We need God’s grace to endure hardship and the difficulties in life. We need God’s wisdom and the understanding that he provides to lead us out of harm’s way and to follow where he would take us.
“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
I was also reminded of another passage which uses the word preservation.
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17
This particular scripture is describing something quite deep in meaning. I believe that Jesus is talking about his new teaching that he was bringing to the disciples.
And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Mark 1:27
Jesus was introducing his disciples to a new covenant, for he had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. The Old Covenant was becoming obsolete. The new wine represents the new covenant in his blood. Along with the new covenant would come new authority, and the kingdom of God in power here on earth.
“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 11:20
The new covenant brings greater promises and greater power to those who by faith in Jesus, deny themselves, die to their flesh, are in union with Christ in his death, and are raised to new life with him. The new covenant was so different from what the leaders and the teachers of the Law taught, that it was not readily accepted by those who represented the old wineskins, having brittle and inflexible mindsets. The teaching of the new covenant having greater spiritual authority and power could only be preserved by pouring it into new wineskins: those who have been made new. Those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see, those who have become born again, and are alive in Christ Jesus are able to accept his teachings because they are spiritually discerned.
Some of Jesus’ teachings were hard for people to understand, because they were spiritual concepts. Here is an example of one of his teachings:
Jesus replied, “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.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:3-18
When we become born again, we are filled with his Spirit and see everything with new eyes. We are able to accept his teachings and believe in him, in his love for us, and in his power to overcome. We are here as his disciples to represent him, to be led by his Holy Spirit and to bring his name honor and glory. We do this by submitting to him, knowing that apart from him we can do nothing, but with him all things are possible.
there are other teachings that are equally difficult to understand at face value. But there is hidden within a spiritual reality that we as believers must grasp. AndI believe that most do when they see things from the Lord’s perspective. Another example is the teaching of Jesus, that he is the bread of heaven.
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own 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 those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For it is My Father’s will 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.”
At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’”
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me— not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you? Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?
The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.
So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus. John 6:26-71
By this passage of scripture, we can see that some concepts that Jesus taught were truly hard to swallow. In the vision of pickles and pickled peppers, we know that not everyone will eat pickles because they are sour. And not everyone is willing to try peppers for their compounds burn the mouth. Not everyone is going to understand the gospel, or appreciate what Jesus did on the cross. Our pride, our hard hearts and having our own plans and goals can certainly get in the way of accepting the Lord’s free gift of salvation. But we need to continue sharing the gospel with the lost, for the ramifications for refusing to believe that Jesus is both the Messiah (Christ) and God are serious. The Lord wants none to be lost.
The Knot and Scissors
In this vision I saw a piece of rope with a knot tied at its very tip. There were scissors in a hand ready to snip off the knot from the rope.
What the vision means
There were many thoughts that I had concerning the rope and its knot. Just this morning I was walking and praying with the Lord asking him about the significance of the knot and the scissors. And I recalled a passage of scripture calling the church to “cut off” a person from the assembly. This passage of scripture has for some reason always brought to my mind a scene of cutting a rope and letting a boat drift away from the dock. In the passage, the man who had sinned, and refused to repent I thought of as the boat that was set adrift, for he would no longer have the protection and fellowship of the church. Here is the passage to which I am referring:
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.
We understand that the Bible teaches us to go to whoever has sinned and talk to him about that sin, so as to help him to see the need to change his mind and repent. If he refuses to listen, we are told to go a second time with another elder or leader in the church. If he refuses to listen, then we are to do what Paul says in the passage above: “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.”
It is for his own benefit that we turn him out, so that he will feel the disconnect with the Church, and suffer with his guilt, or simply incur problems that only God can resolve. Because God is faithful, he will orchestrate the circumstances in his life to cause him to repent and return to God and to the fellowship of believers. The Lord takes this very seriously. And I believe that the church is not following the Lord’s instructions in these matters.
Some churches do not want to be accountable for their congregation in matters as lifestyle sin. We cannot expect to have God’s favor if we are not following his word. If we are deviating from what the word teaches then we are outside the Lord’s will. Instead, we are leaning on our own understanding rather than following the direction of God.
Paul continues with his line of reasoning in the following passage. Note that the leaven or yeast represents sin:
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
There are many scriptures and examples of cutting off or separating from the group. We are to separate ourselves from ungodly influences, and people who are not walking with God.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
The Bible warns us again and again not to marry anyone who is an unbeliever, anyone who belongs to another faith, or has no faith at all. We should not be in any type of partnership with someone who is not saved. Without faith in God, the partner’s desires and goals will reflect the world’s view and ideologies and can steer the business or relationship away from God. Many people have “shipwrecked” their faith by thinking that their circumstances are different. So they continue to maintain close friendships and associations with people that do not serve the Lord. The word of God speaks volumes with few words:
He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous. Proverbs 13:20-21
Let us follow the Lord’s ways, not giving anything more importance than God himself: NOT money, business, friendships, activities and personal commitments. God comes first in all things.
Thank you for reading and sharing this post with others. There is much to ponder, but only one choice to be made–choose wisely!
God bless you!
