He Made a Way
Hi Everyone,
I have two visions to share with you today. The first is about suffering without God and suffering for the gospel and the Lord’s provision and comfort for both. The second concerns God justice, mercy and reconciliation.
The Visions
The Pink Ball
In the vision I saw a pink 9” plastic ball whose entire surface was damaged by scratches. The ball had been used to the point of having lost perhaps ⅓ of its air. It was not the type of ball that could be re-inflated, so it is near the end of its usable life.
I believe that the ball represents people who are in a similar condition. They feel worn-out, tired and emotionally depressed, deflated. They have gone through tough times, battered and full of scratches. Life has not been easy for them and now they seem to be at their wits end, lacking any hope of reviving. They are merely waiting to die.
This is a sad condition, a person who has no hope, no expectation of change, and the thought of dying occupies their minds.
This is the very reason that the Lord came, to bring hope, and change to those who suffer in a fallen world. He came to save the world from its sinful state, and offer new life to those who would put their trust in him. We do not need to live a life of despair. Jesus is our healer, our provider, our deliverer, our all in all. We look to him for he is the lifter of our heads.
But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Psalm 3:3-4
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
The Lord came to reconcile us to the Father. He came so that we would have life and have it abundantly. We know that life is full of problems, but the Lord tells us to take heart:
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” John 16:33
There is not one believer who will not face some form of persecution, provided they are faithful to God and to his word. No doubt there will be persecution from the world, but there will also be persecution from the church, by those who believe a little differently than we do, or those who do not have a true relationship with the Lord and have not yet encountered the Holy Spirit. But we are called to live at peace with all people, as much as it depends upon us.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness. James 3:17-18
Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
The pink ball in the vision is primarily represented by non-believers who have no hope. But we as believers are to reach them with the gospel of peace. Before his ascension, the Lord commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Today we are his disciples if we have given ourselves to him and to his purpose. Even if we are not preachers, we can still share the word of God and the love of God with our neighbors. The Lord wants us to be his hands, his feet and his heart to those around us. We are to comfort others:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Jesus spoke of a time of judgment when the sheep would be separated from the goats. What was apparent in his story is that our actions reveal what is truly in our hearts.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 28:34-46
The Lord’s heart is for all people. If we have the indwelling Spirit of God, then we will be moved by what moves him. If we spend time with him, we will be like him, we will be led by his Spirit and do what he asks of us. This is obedience. It is loving obedience.
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17
The Needle and Thread
In this vision the needle is threaded with a navy blue thread. It is doubled and knotted so it appears as two strands but there is really only one strand, for the needle is in the center and the knot connects the two loose ends. A needle and thread are used to do hand sewing like sewing on a button. They are also used in hemming a dress or closing up openings after a garment or project has been turned right side out. Hand sewing is necessary when the machine cannot be used satisfactorily. In this vision, I believe that the needle and thread represent the idea of mending.
The color blue represents God and godliness. The darker version of blue, a navy blue I believe represents justice and God as judge. Our police are generally dressed in dark blue, and often referred to as “men in blue.” All six branches of the military, including the army, have navy blue dress uniforms. The police are for keeping domestic peace, and the military for keeping world peace. These are agents of the Lord. And we should pray for our leaders that they are god-fearing men and women who are led by the Spirit of God to perform his will whether inside our nation or outside our nation. We pray that their missions will always be aligned with God’s will and that they will do their duty with honor and integrity. We pray that as a nation we would support our leaders and pray for them continually, that they do not waiver in their devotion to serve their country, its people and the Lord.
The needle and the thread are prepared to sew. The thread is knotted to secure the first stitch. The scripture that first came to mind was Jesus referring to the Old and New Covenants:
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wine skins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wine skins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wine skins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17
What was the context for this statement? John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus to ask him why his disciples did not fast, like they and the Pharisees did. John was the last prophet of the Old Testament. He came to prepare the way of the Lord. Even though he knew that the axe was already laid to the root of the trees, (speaking of the fate of the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jerusalem) his mindset was of the Old Testament. We see his lack of understanding when he sends his disciples to question Jesus about another matter.
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered them “Go tell John what you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them —and blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me!” Matthew 11:2-6
John knew who Jesus was, but he was questioning him as to when he would behave as John had expected. John did not understand that his coming was first to die for the sins of the people, and later he would come in wrath to bring national judgment to Israel and establish his kingdom and the New Covenant.
The parable of the unshrunk cloth sewn onto the old garment was his coded explanation of why the Old Covenant age had to end in order to establish the New Covenant in his blood. Jesus knew that his teaching would challenge those who received their identity and wealth from the temple sacrificial system and the commerce coming from it. He knew that only those who could accept his new teachings and new plan of salvation would be able enter into the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant would soon be terminated within the lifetime of his disciples, at the Lord’s coming, bringing national judgment to Jerusalem in AD 70. The temple and its system of worship and the entire city would be destroyed along with those who refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
The patch that was new and unshrunk was the New Covenant. The garment that was old and worn was the Old Covenant. Jesus explained by this that there would be no point in trying to repair the old with the new. Just as with the wine skins, the new wine was the New Covenant, and the new life that would come to those who believe in Jesus as their savior. The new wine can also represent the Holy Spirit that fills a person, who then becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot be poured into those who are not willing to give up the Old Covenant, for the law, the temple sacrifices and the blood of animals could not give eternal life.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” John 5:39-47
The parable show the futility in keeping the temple system in place. The Lord had to destroy it and to fulfill all prophecy. Here is a prophesy of Malachi 400 years before Jesus came in the flesh:
“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts. Malachi 1:10-11
The Lord is a just God, a merciful God. But he is to be feared. The needle and thread represent mending what has been torn. The navy blue thread is his correction, his way of mending our relationship with God the Father. Jesus fulfilled the requirement needed,
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22
Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice, for his blood satisfied the debt of sin, and provided a means for us to be forgiven, so as to make peace between ourselves and the Father.
We now are living in the age of the New Covenant. We are God’s people, comprised of Gentiles and Jewish believers in Christ, no longer at a distance to God. Our relationship with him is new, and his mercies are new every morning. We are living in the age that was to come, where we dwell with God. Because the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us, we are now his temple. We have direct access to the Father. When we pray in the spirit we are praying the perfect will of the Father, for the Holy Spirit speaks through us.
We belong to the kingdom of God and have all authority, for the Lord has conferred his kingdom upon us:
And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, Luke 22:29
And we rule and reign with Christ for we are seated in heavenly places.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6
The words “Are seated,” are present tense. It means that right now, while we are still on this earth, we are positioned with authority as we are seated with Christ!
There is no death (spiritual death) for those who believe. For we are made alive, now in the Spirit. When we leave this earth, we no longer go to Hades or Sheol upon death, we go directly into the presence of the Lord for as believers our names are written in the book of life. Jesus is our advocate, and our great reward!
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
So God in his mercy, provided a way for our relationship with him to be mended. But it is also our responsibility to ask for forgiveness when we have sinned, and to forgive others when they sin against us. God wants us all to be in unity with one another and to keep no record of wrongs. As he has forgiven us, we are to forgive others.
God bless you all. Please share this post so others may understand that God is faithful and He has made a way for all of us to be reconciled to him!
