The Love that Overcomes Sin

Hi Friends,

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration.  Today is Sunday, and I must say that I am thankful that we live under Christ’s rule, under his dominion.  We are in the kingdom of God that is eternal.  Today we are seated in heavenly places.  Our home is not on this planet, our real home is in heaven with Christ!  Hallelujah!  Someday we will close our eyes, and open them in a new reality with Jesus on his throne, and the angels of heaven singing his praises, to the glory of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, three in one!!  I look forward to that awesome day!

I have three visions to share with you today.

The Rabbit

In this vision, I saw a man holding a rabbit and stroking his head between its ears.  The rabbit had an expression of contentment on its face. The rabbit knew that he was loved.

A cat or dog knows when it is loved when it receives its food, and is given special attention:  either quietly by being petted and spoken to tenderly, or by playing with it with a string or a ball.  

The rabbit was at ease, sitting in someone’s lap and being caressed.  Being loved is a good thing.

I believe that the vision is about God’s love for us.  When we know how much He loves us, we feel secure, and at peace knowing that all is right between ourselves and the Lord.  There can be no greater joy than to know that we are right with him, that our transgressions and sins have been forgiven and that there is nothing causing fear or doubt to enter our minds.

It is so important to know God, to truly know him and feel blessed by him. Some people have never drawn close to him, but stay at a distance. They may know some things about him, or know what others have said about him. But there is nothing like a real genuine experience of his presence, his voice, his visions, his provision and his miracles.  The Lord is all in all.  He is everything.  I like the opening of John’s gospel which speaks of God with such insight: Jesus is the Word:

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…

…For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.  John 1:1-4; 9-14; 17-18

I truly love this passages of scripture, for it declares who Jesus truly is

  • Jesus is the light of the world.  

  • He is the Word - “and the Word was God.” 

  • Jesus is the creator: “through him all things were made, nothing was made that has been made.” 

  • He was rejected by own people: “but his own did not receive him.” 

  • And he became flesh and dwelt among us, yet “the world did not recognize him.” 

  • The Law was given through Moses (Old Covenant), but Jesus brought grace and truth, by fulfilling the Old Covenant and making a new and greater covenant, a covenant made in his blood.

  • Jesus, God’s one and only Son, became the Lamb of God the perfect sacrifice for the atonement for our sins.  

  • Jesus, the Son, “who is himself God.”

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

This is Jesus, the God of all creation, and the Savior of the world. knowing this alone should cause us to fall down and worship him, giving him all our praise, honor and adoration. 

If we have surrendered our wills to his will, and have been filled with the Spirit of God, then there should be nothing holding us back from trusting him and obeying his commands.  We become enthralled with awe and wonder, at his great love for us!    

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  John 14:15

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.  I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:9-12

For some It is hard to appreciate the cross of Christ, if we rationalize our behavior and justify ourselves by comparing ourselves with others saying:  “I’m a good person.  “I have never done anything really bad, like killing someone, so I am pretty good.  I imagine that I am going to heaven.  My am sure that my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds”

But it is a mistake to think that we can justify ourselves before God. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

Our (self) righteousness is like “filthy rags.” 

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Isaiah 64:6

We need the righteousness of Christ, which is ours, when we come to believe in him. 

As it is written:  “There is no one righteous, not even one.  There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The venom of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.  And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.  He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:9-26

Because the Lord loves us, he has made a way for us to be righteous in his sight.  His love has been shown by the cross, purchasing our salvation, giving us his righteousness and filling us with his Holy Spirit, so that we can live our lives unto him.

For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28  

 Now, by the grace of God, we are able to please him!  Hallelujah!

A Drop of Blood

In this vision, I saw a single drop of blood on the back of a man’s T-shirt.  It was on the upper part of the back between the shoulder blades.

The drop of blood I believe represents The Lord’s shed blood, because of a vision He had given to me years ago. At the time of the vision, I was with a prayer group in the sanctuary of the church.  We were all in worship. Suddenly I realized that my mind had wandered off, and my heart broke for I was not engaged in worship as I would have liked. I  threw myself on the pew and began to cry for my shame, and disappointment in myself.  Through my tears,  I opened my eyes to a vision– an open vision.  I saw drops of blood falling upon the carpet.  It was the Lord saying, “I paid for this sin too.”

Now I cried out of thankfulness that the Lord saw my heart and forgave me for my sin.  How wonderful, how precious is his love for me!   

The Lord is so personal.  He came to reconcile us to the Father. Our sin separates us from him, but when we confess our sin he forgives us and restores us.

The single drop of blood on the man’s T-shirt reminded me of this open vision and of my sin. It is his precious blood that takes away our sin. He marks us as his own.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14

We were purchased with his blood, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and predestined to follow him.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  Ephesians 1:11

Because Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, we no longer have to be slaves to sin.  We can find freedom in Christ for he has defeated sin and death and we have new life in him.  We can live victoriously because he paid the penalty for our sin.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

But if we do not understand that sin deserves death, then we might not appreciate the Lord’s own death and his shed blood that paid for our sins, which would otherwise be counted against us.  Sin brings separation and the righteous judgment of God.  The punishment for sin is death.  

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

This brings me to the third vision:

The Scrap of Fabric

I saw a rectangular piece of red fabric that was cut and the two ends were pressed under 5/8” as a standard seam allowance.  The number 3 was printed on the right hand side by the pressed edge and a number 4 was on the left hand side by its pressed edge.

The scripture that came to mind regarding the 3 and the 4 concerned the judgment of nations, and Israel and Judah primarily.  It is found in the book of Amos:

This is what the Lord says:“For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.  The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.  Amos 1:3-5

Amos prophesies against the cities, kings and people of Philistia, Edom,  Ammon, Moab and those of Tyre, using this same phrase: “For the three sins of ____even for four, I will not relent.”  He then declares the offenses and pronounces his judgment.   Here is another example:

“For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses.  I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.  I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord.

The number three represents completion. When sin reaches the point of completion there will be judgment. The number four in these phrases is the exclamation point.  It is used to say: ”This is the last straw.  Sin has overflowed it’s boundaries.  It is past the point of tolerance.  Now punishment will ensue!”  

We can see that the sins of these nations caused great harm and violence:

Edom “pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land.” Amos 1:11

Ammon “ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders.” Amos 1:12

Moab “burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king.” Amos 2:1

But the Lord also judged his people in Judah (the southern kingdom), saying:

“For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent.  Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”  Amos 2:4-5

Judah was supposed to be an example of a people who followed the Lord, but they failed miserably because they were led astray by the nations around them.  They abandoned the Lord for false gods and did not keep the law that was to set them apart as a people holy unto Him.

The Lord also judged his people in Israel (the northern kingdom), declaring their list of sins and the resultant punishments due:

This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent.  They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.  They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.  Father and son use the same girl  and so profane my holy name.

They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.  In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.  “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks.  I destroyed their fruit above  and their roots below.

I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites. “I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord.  

“But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.   

“Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.  The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.  The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life.  Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.  Amos 2:6-1

So the 3 and 4 represent the sins of the nations, and their judgment and punishment.

The color red in the Bible generally means sin, blood and bloodshed.  Judah and Israel committed sins of bloodshed, and sins of rebellion against God and his covenant and law.  Both Judah and Israel became like the nations around them, rejecting God and serving other gods. 

The two ends of the rectangular piece of red fabric were pressed down. The raw, cut edges were exposed rather than hidden.  If the fabric were turned to the other side, the seam allowance would no longer be seen, as in a finished garment, whose seams are hidden.  But because it is visible, along with the 3 and the 4 which represent judgment to the nations, and the color red which represents sin and bloodshed, I believe that this vision concerns the judgment that comes to nations and people who rebel against God.  

In order to press a seam, hot heat is needed.  This pressing refers to the heat of applied judgment and punishment.

What are we to do?  Aren’t we told to repent on behalf of our leaders, our nation and its people?  Aren’t we to be a watchman on the wall and an intercessor who stands in the gap?  

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.   Isaiah 62:6-7

We have become a materialistic and hedonistic nation, a people who seek wealth, prosperity, comfort and pleasure, rather than the face of God.  We trust in our jobs, our talents and  abilities, our military and our government leaders, rather than God. Instead we are to be a people whose hearts are steadfastly fixed on the Lord.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”  Psalm 33:12 

We, the church, are the people of God.  We are to live faithfully to him. 

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.  Romans 8:13-17

As the Church, the body of Christ, we are to pray for our nation and its people.  We also must  pray for the church, that our faith would be grounded in the word of God and that we would not allow the flesh to rule and reign in our lives.  We have to be people of integrity, who know the word, and live to please God.

The word of God is powerful, but If we compromise with the world, and take on its ideologies and false religious beliefs, tainting our faith, we will be ineffective in the kingdom of God.  We will have a powerless church and will become lost in a labyrinth of confusion.  We will become like the blind incapable of leading the blind.  It is important that we know what we believe, not based on other’s teachings or creeds, or traditions, but based on the word of truth, the word of God.

Just as Israel sinned by following the nations around them, we have to become aware of the compromises that churches make in their attempts to be successful in the eyes of the world and to attract members.  Often the teachings of Christ in the gospels are watered down so as to not offend potential or current members.  The church is not to be merely a social club, but to be the arms, legs, heart and mouthpiece of God.

We are to be connected with our head:  Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Through sharing the gospel, praying, studying the word, caring for the needy, comforting the hurting, feeding the hungry and visiting those who are confined, we become the body of Christ.

Jesus is the way the truth and the life.  He is the word of God.  His ways are perfect.  And we are to simply trust in what he did on the cross for us.  If we seek him, and seek righteousness, and truth, if we are faithful to him, He will keep us under the shelter of his wing and he will lead us and guide us through this life and bring us to our eternal home.  Hallelujah.

I can think of nothing better than serving our Lord with thankful hearts, in love and devotion to him.  So let us pray for our nation and the nations of the world that they all come to the saving knowledge of God.  Let us pray that the nations live at peace with each other and at peace with the Lord. 

Please share this message with others and pray for one another that our faith would not fail or be compromised. We need each other as we seek the will of God.  God bless you all!



  


 We are to not live in sin, but to be renewed in our minds and alive in our spirits, that we serve God out of love and devotion to him.


Our righteousness is like “filthy rags.” 


We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  Isaiah 64:6


We need the righteousness of Christ, which is ours, when we come to believe in him. 


As it is written:  “There is no one righteous, not even one.  There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”


“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The venom of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.”


Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 


But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.  And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.


God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.  He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:9-26


Because the Lord loves us, he has made a way for us to be righteous in his sight.  His love has been shown by the cross, purchasing our salvation and giving us his righteousness and filling us with his Holy Spirit so that we can live our lives unto him.


For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28  


 Now we are able, by the grace of God, to please him!  Hallelujah!


A Drop of Blood


In this vision, I saw a single drop of blood on the back of a man’s T-shirt.  It was on the upper part of the back between the shoulder blades.


The drop of blood I believe represents The Lord’s shed blood, because of a vision the Lord had given to me years ago. At the time of the vision, I was with a prayer group in the sanctuary of the church.  We were all in worship. Suddenly I realized that my mind had wandered off, and my heart broke for I was not engaged in worship as I would have liked. I  threw myself on the pew and began to cry for my shame, and disappointment in myself.  Through my tears,  I opened my eyes to a vision– an open vision.  I saw drops of blood falling upon the carpet.  It was the Lord saying, “I paid for this sin too.”


Now I cried out of thankfulness that the Lord saw my heart and forgave me for my sin.  How wonderful, how precious is his love for me!   


The Lord is so personal.  He came to reconcile us to the Father. Our sin separates us from him, but when we confess our sin he forgives us and restores us.  Then he brings us back to where we need to be.


The single drop of blood on the man’s T-shirt reminded me of this open vision and of my sin. It is his precious blood that takes away our sin and marks us as his own.


And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14


We were marked with his blood, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and predestined to follow him.


In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  Ephesians 1:11


Because Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, we no longer have to be slaves to sin.  We can find freedom in Christ for he has defeated sin and death and we have new life in him.  We can live victoriously because he paid the penalty for our sin.


“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2


But if we do not understand that sin deserves death, then we might not appreciate the Lord’s own death and his shed blood that paid for our sins, which would otherwise be counted against us.  Sin brings separation and the righteous judgment of God.  The punishment for sin is death.  


For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23


This brings me to the third vision:


The Scrap of Fabric


I saw a rectangular piece of red fabric that was cut and the two ends were pressed under 5/8” as a standard seam allowance.  The number 3 was printed on the right hand side by the pressed edge and a number 4 was on the left hand side by its pressed edge.


The scripture that came to mind regarding the 3 and the 4 concerned the judgment of nations, and Israel and Judah primarily.  It is found in the book of Amos:


This is what the Lord says:“For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.  The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.  Amos 1:3-5


Amos prophesies against the cities, kings and people of Philistia, Edom,  Ammon, Moab and those of Tyre, using this same phrase: “For the three sins of ____even for four, I will not relent.”  He then declares the offenses and pronounces his judgment.   Here is another example:


“For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses.  I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.  I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord.


The number three represents completion. When sin reaches the point of completion there will be judgment. The number four in these phrases is the exclamation point.  It is used to say: ”This is the last straw.  Sin is overflowing it’s boundaries.  It is past the point of tolerance.  Now punishment will ensue!”  


We can see that the sins of these nations caused great harm and violence:


The sins of Edom:

“...pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land…” Amos 1:11


The sins of Ammon:

“... ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders…” Amos 1:12


The sins of Moab:

“... burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king…” Amos 2:1


But the Lord also judged his people in Judah (the southern kingdom), saying:


“For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent.  Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”  (Amos 2:4-5)


Judah was supposed to be an example of a people who followed the Lord, but they failed miserably because they were led astray by the nations around them.  They abandoned the Lord for false gods and did not keep the law that was to set them apart as a people holy unto Him.


The Lord also judged his people in Israel (the northern kingdom), declaring their list of sins and the resultant punishments due:


This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent.  They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.  They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground     and deny justice to the oppressed.  Father and son use the same girl  and so profane my holy name.


They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.  In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.  “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks.  I destroyed their fruit above  and their roots below.
 

I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites. “I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord.  


“But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.   

“Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.  The swift will not escape,    the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.  The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,  and the horseman will not save his life.  Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.  Amos 2:6-1


So the 3 and 4 represent the sins of the nations, and their judgment and punishment.


The color red in the Bible generally means sin, blood and bloodshed.  Judah and Israel committed sins of bloodshed, and sins of rebellion against God and his covenant and law.  Both Judah and Israel became like the nations around them, rejecting God and serving other gods. 


The two ends of the rectangular piece of red fabric were pressed down. The raw, cut edges were exposed rather than hidden.  If the fabric were turned to the other side, the seam allowance would no longer be seen, as in a finished garment, whose seams are hidden.  But because it is visible, along with the 3 and the 4 which represent judgment to the nations, and the color red which represents sin and bloodshed, I believe that this vision concerns the judgment that comes to nations and people who rebell against God.  


In order to press a seam, hot heat is needed.  This pressing refers to the heat of applied judgment and punishment.


What are we to do?  Aren’t we told to repent on behalf of our leaders, our nation and its people?  Aren’t we to be a watchman on the wall and an intercessor who stands in the gap?  


“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14


I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall [f]never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.   Isaiah 62:6-7


We have become a materialistic and hedonistic nation, a people who seek wealth, prosperity, comfort and pleasure, rather than the face of God.  We trust in our jobs, our talents and  abilities, our military and our government leaders, rather than God. Instead we are to be a people whose hearts are steadfastly fixed on the Lord.


“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”  Psalm 33:12 


We, the church, are the people of God.  We are to live faithfully to him. 


For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.  Romans 8:13-17


As the Church, the body of Christ, we are to pray for our nation and its people.  We also must  pray for the church, that our faith would be grounded in the word of God and that we would not allow the flesh to rule and reign in our lives.  We have to be people of integrity, who know the word, and live to please God. 


The word of God is powerful, but If we compromise with the world, and take on its ideologies and false religious beliefs, tainting our faith, we will be ineffective in the kingdom of God.  We will have a powerless church and will become lost in a labyrinth of confusion.  We will become like the blind incapable of leading the blind.  It is important that we know what we believe, not based on other’s teachings or creeds, or traditions, but based on the word of truth, the word of God.


Just as Israel sinned by following the nations around them, we have to become aware of the compromises that churches make in their attempts to be successful in the eyes of the world and to attract members.  Often the teachings of Christ in the gospels are watered down so as to not offend potential or current members.  The church is not to be merely a social club, but to be the arms, legs, heart and mouthpiece of God.

  
We are to be connected with our head:  Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Through sharing the gospel, praying, studying the word, caring for the needy, comforting the hurting, feeding the hungry and visiting those who are confined, we become the body of Christ.


Jesus is the way the truth and the life.  He is the word of God.  His ways are perfect.  And we are to simply trust in what he did on the cross for us.  If we seek him, and seek righteousness, and truth, if we are faithful to him, He will keep us under the shelter of his wing and he will lead us and guide us through this life and bring us to our eternal home.  Hallelujah.


I can think of nothing better than serving our Lord with thankful hearts, in love and devotion to him.  So let us pray for our nation and the nations of the world that they all come to the saving knowledge of God.  Let us pray that the nations live at peace with each other and at peace with the Lord. 


Please share this message with others and pray for one another that our faith would not fail or be compromised. We need each other as we seek the will of God.  God bless you all!



  


 We are to not live in sin, but to be renewed in our minds and alive in our spirits, that we serve God out of love and devotion to him.


Our righteousness is like “filthy rags.” 


We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  Isaiah 64:6


We need the righteousness of Christ, which is ours, when we come to believe in him. 


As it is written:  “There is no one righteous, not even one.  There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”


“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The venom of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.”


Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 


But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.  And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.


God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.  He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:9-26


Because the Lord loves us, he has made a way for us to be righteous in his sight.  His love has been shown by the cross, purchasing our salvation and giving us his righteousness and filling us with his Holy Spirit so that we can live our lives unto him.


For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28  


 Now we are able, by the grace of God, to please him!  Hallelujah!


A Drop of Blood


In this vision, I saw a single drop of blood on the back of a man’s T-shirt.  It was on the upper part of the back between the shoulder blades.


The drop of blood I believe represents The Lord’s shed blood, because of a vision the Lord had given to me years ago. At the time of the vision, I was with a prayer group in the sanctuary of the church.  We were all in worship. Suddenly I realized that my mind had wandered off, and my heart broke for I was not engaged in worship as I would have liked. I  threw myself on the pew and began to cry for my shame, and disappointment in myself.  Through my tears,  I opened my eyes to a vision– an open vision.  I saw drops of blood falling upon the carpet.  It was the Lord saying, “I paid for this sin too.”


Now I cried out of thankfulness that the Lord saw my heart and forgave me for my sin.  How wonderful, how precious is his love for me!   


The Lord is so personal.  He came to reconcile us to the Father. Our sin separates us from him, but when we confess our sin he forgives us and restores us.  Then he brings us back to where we need to be.


The single drop of blood on the man’s T-shirt reminded me of this open vision and of my sin. It is his precious blood that takes away our sin and marks us as his own.


And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14


We were marked with his blood, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and predestined to follow him.


In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  Ephesians 1:11


Because Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, we no longer have to be slaves to sin.  We can find freedom in Christ for he has defeated sin and death and we have new life in him.  We can live victoriously because he paid the penalty for our sin.


“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2


But if we do not understand that sin deserves death, then we might not appreciate the Lord’s own death and his shed blood that paid for our sins, which would otherwise be counted against us.  Sin brings separation and the righteous judgment of God.  The punishment for sin is death.  


For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23


This brings me to the third vision:


The Scrap of Fabric


I saw a rectangular piece of red fabric that was cut and the two ends were pressed under 5/8” as a standard seam allowance.  The number 3 was printed on the right hand side by the pressed edge and a number 4 was on the left hand side by its pressed edge.


The scripture that came to mind regarding the 3 and the 4 concerned the judgment of nations, and Israel and Judah primarily.  It is found in the book of Amos:


This is what the Lord says:“For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.  The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.  Amos 1:3-5


Amos prophesies against the cities, kings and people of Philistia, Edom,  Ammon, Moab and those of Tyre, using this same phrase: “For the three sins of ____even for four, I will not relent.”  He then declares the offenses and pronounces his judgment.   Here is another example:


“For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent.  Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses.  I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.  I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord.


The number three represents completion. When sin reaches the point of completion there will be judgment. The number four in these phrases is the exclamation point.  It is used to say: ”This is the last straw.  Sin is overflowing it’s boundaries.  It is past the point of tolerance.  Now punishment will ensue!”  


We can see that the sins of these nations caused great harm and violence:


The sins of Edom:

“...pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land…” Amos 1:11


The sins of Ammon:

“... ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders…” Amos 1:12


The sins of Moab:

“... burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king…” Amos 2:1


But the Lord also judged his people in Judah (the southern kingdom), saying:


“For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent.  Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”  (Amos 2:4-5)


Judah was supposed to be an example of a people who followed the Lord, but they failed miserably because they were led astray by the nations around them.  They abandoned the Lord for false gods and did not keep the law that was to set them apart as a people holy unto Him.


The Lord also judged his people in Israel (the northern kingdom), declaring their list of sins and the resultant punishments due:


This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent.  They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.  They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground     and deny justice to the oppressed.  Father and son use the same girl  and so profane my holy name.


They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.  In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.  “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks.  I destroyed their fruit above  and their roots below.
 

I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites. “I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord.  


“But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.   

“Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.  The swift will not escape,    the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.  The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,  and the horseman will not save his life.  Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.  Amos 2:6-1


So the 3 and 4 represent the sins of the nations, and their judgment and punishment.


The color red in the Bible generally means sin, blood and bloodshed.  Judah and Israel committed sins of bloodshed, and sins of rebellion against God and his covenant and law.  Both Judah and Israel became like the nations around them, rejecting God and serving other gods. 


The two ends of the rectangular piece of red fabric were pressed down. The raw, cut edges were exposed rather than hidden.  If the fabric were turned to the other side, the seam allowance would no longer be seen, as in a finished garment, whose seams are hidden.  But because it is visible, along with the 3 and the 4 which represent judgment to the nations, and the color red which represents sin and bloodshed, I believe that this vision concerns the judgment that comes to nations and people who rebell against God.  


In order to press a seam, hot heat is needed.  This pressing refers to the heat of applied judgment and punishment.


What are we to do?  Aren’t we told to repent on behalf of our leaders, our nation and its people?  Aren’t we to be a watchman on the wall and an intercessor who stands in the gap?  


“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14


I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall [f]never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.   Isaiah 62:6-7


We have become a materialistic and hedonistic nation, a people who seek wealth, prosperity, comfort and pleasure, rather than the face of God.  We trust in our jobs, our talents and  abilities, our military and our government leaders, rather than God. Instead we are to be a people whose hearts are steadfastly fixed on the Lord.


“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”  Psalm 33:12 


We, the church, are the people of God.  We are to live faithfully to him. 


For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.  Romans 8:13-17


As the Church, the body of Christ, we are to pray for our nation and its people.  We also must  pray for the church, that our faith would be grounded in the word of God and that we would not allow the flesh to rule and reign in our lives.  We have to be people of integrity, who know the word, and live to please God. 


The word of God is powerful, but If we compromise with the world, and take on its ideologies and false religious beliefs, tainting our faith, we will be ineffective in the kingdom of God.  We will have a powerless church and will become lost in a labyrinth of confusion.  We will become like the blind incapable of leading the blind.  It is important that we know what we believe, not based on other’s teachings or creeds, or traditions, but based on the word of truth, the word of God.


Just as Israel sinned by following the nations around them, we have to become aware of the compromises that churches make in their attempts to be successful in the eyes of the world and to attract members.  Often the teachings of Christ in the gospels are watered down so as to not offend potential or current members.  The church is not to be merely a social club, but to be the arms, legs, heart and mouthpiece of God.

  
We are to be connected with our head:  Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Through sharing the gospel, praying, studying the word, caring for the needy, comforting the hurting, feeding the hungry and visiting those who are confined, we become the body of Christ.


Jesus is the way the truth and the life.  He is the word of God.  His ways are perfect.  And we are to simply trust in what he did on the cross for us.  If we seek him, and seek righteousness, and truth, if we are faithful to him, He will keep us under the shelter of his wing and he will lead us and guide us through this life and bring us to our eternal home.  Hallelujah.


I can think of nothing better than serving our Lord with thankful hearts, in love and devotion to him.  So let us pray for our nation and the nations of the world that they all come to the saving knowledge of God.  Let us pray that the nations live at peace with each other and at peace with the Lord. 


Please share this message with others and pray for one another that our faith would not fail or be compromised. We need each other as we seek the will of God.  God bless you all!



  


 We are to not live in sin, but to be renewed in our minds and alive in our spirits, that we serve God out of love and devotion to him.


Commit to Not Conform

Commit to Not Conform