Consecrated - Set Apart for God
Hi Everyone,
I am writing today about several visions that I received this week. The Lord is focusing on the idea of consecration, and becoming separate unto him.
The Visions
The Scissors
In the first vision, I saw a pair of sharp scissors that cut a wide piece of white fabric down its center. The scissors were held in the hand slightly open and because the fabric was exceptionally smooth, the scissors glided through the fabric as if it were thin paper. The hand itself was motionless, only the arm moved to make the cut effortlessly.
The Couples
As I was praying for the meaning of the scissor vision, I received this vision of several couples standing holding one another by the hand, or with arms around the other’s shoulders or waist. There were about 10 to fifteen couples in a small group. They were all facing away from me so that I saw them from the back. It appeared that they were all waiting for direction, or for a decision.
“Consecrate”
I saw the word “consecrate” in white letters. Which means to set apart for a high purpose.
A Cluster of Items
In this vision I saw several items stacked and stuck together. Someone was working to pull them apart. The last item on the bottom of the stack was a set of colored pencils in a thin flat cardboard box.
The Skinny Dog
I saw a small skinny brown dog with floppy ears being lowered onto a roof. The dog was dropped just a few inches from the surface, so that the dog did a little bounce on his feet. He appeared to be frightened, perhaps due to the height off the ground, or by the pitch of the roof.
What the Visions Mean
I believe that these visions speak of a situation that some Christians may be facing today. I have a friend whose church is undergoing a change because it appears to be dying. Her church was growing very well about 20 years ago. The place was hopping every Friday night when the entire place was packed with excited children. Many parents volunteered or just came to socialize and drop their kids off for a fun night of games, crafts, and learning the Word of God. It was truly the highlight of the week, for the kids were thrilled to come and meet with friends. It was a great blessing to all.
But now the church is waning. The church lost more than half its members about 15 years ago, when the pastor’s wife died suddenly. It seems that she was on an anti-depressant medication that had “suicidal thoughts,” as a side effect.
The church struggled to carry on with interim pastors but rather than growing it began to shrink. And now they have a serious buyer for the building and an interested party that would like to rent the space. They are at a crossroads, wondering what is God’s plan for the church.
In the first vision, I saw a hand cutting a white fabric into two equal pieces. The white fabric I believe represents the church. The hand is God’s; the work is effortless. The division or separation is his will. God is sovereign, and his purposes will stand.
We could blame this division on the devil or Satan, but we must remember that Job could not be touched without the Lord’s permission. Job suffered so as to test his faith and his steadfast loyalty to God. The devil was nothing more than a means to bring about God’s will.
The Apostle Paul and Barnabas had a falling out regarding Mark, so that the Lord allowed them to split and each took a disciple with him. This split facilitated the spreading of the gospel to more places. It may be possible that those churches that are not viable, need to die, and to allow for new growth elsewhere. Each of the members carries the Spirit of God within, so it is not a loss for the kingdom, but a new form taking place. God’s plans are perfect, and he knows all things. He is sovereign; his will will stand.
All my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16
If it is God’s will that the church closes, then He will open another door for its members. The Lord will place them where they can grow and be fruitful in the kingdom of God.
God’s design is seen throughout all creation. For example, with human reproduction, we have a uniting of the flesh, the creation of a seed, then a time of growth, and eventual separation with a new life as a result. This is God’s plan, therefore we are not to fret or worry about how it is to be, or how it is to come about. But we simply pray and let God direct our path.
The couples in the vision were standing arm in arm, looking forward, in anticipation of what God may show them. They want to hear for themselves what God is saying. They want his direction and his perfect will in their lives. This is true for the church at large. The church is the body of Christ and Christ himself is our head. He directs, and sustains. He provides, defends and protects his church.
Consecrate
In this vision I saw the word “Consecrate,” in white letters. As I mentioned before, the word consecrate means to be set apart for some higher purpose. Paul was called by God to be consecrated or set apart for God’s purpose in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2
When God sets a person apart for his purpose, he anoints them and equips them for the work of the ministry to which they are called. Very often consecration involves fasting and praying to receive God’s instruction or direction. Jesus prayed all night when he made the selection of his twelve apostles.
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Luke 6:12-13
When we are seeking God for his direction, we should also fast and pray to hear clearly. The Holy Spirit will speak when we are earnest in our seeking the Lord’s will.
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. Acts 9:15
‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:16-18
God speaks to us when we call upon him:
Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
I believe that the church whose members are waiting upon the Lord for his instructions, needs to seek the Lord with prayer and fasting. By consecrating themselves to the Lord, they will hear His voice and understand what is his perfect will.
Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5
There are some who devote themselves to fasting and prayer as a life long practice, leading to intimacy with the Lord.
The prophetess Anna is an example that I wanted to emulate. When I first read about her thirty two years ago. I wanted to be like Anna, never leaving the presence of God, praying continually.
There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-37
Separating Items
In this vision, there were several items all stuck together with a box of colored pencils on the bottom. It was difficult to separate them. I believe that this vision speaks of our attachment to the world and all the things it has to offer. The Christian walk is one of separation, a separation from the love of the world and its enticements. If we are more attached to our things than to the Lord, then we are really idolaters.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:15-16
The Lord’s meeting with a rich young ruler explains what it means to separate from the world, and to be devoted to the Lord.
Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man asked.
Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Matthew 19:16-30
We are not only to detach from the treasures of this world, but we are also to detach from “worldly people,” with whom we have strong ties. The Bible warns us to not have partnerships with people who do not love the Lord.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
These are the Lord’s words, his will for us. We cannot have relationships that cause us to compromise our faith. People that are unbelievers are spiritually dead. They cannot submit to God nor do they want to. We cannot partner with them or have close relationships with them, for it affects our walk with God. Their opinions and values are of the world and are therefore a negative influence on our lives which would undermine our true faith in God.
However, the Lord makes an exception with marriage, as long as the unbelieving spouse is willing to live with the believing spouse, then the marriage should be honored, and no one should seek a divorce.
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 1 Corinthians 7:10-16
The Lord makes it clear that to honor him, he must be first in all things. Some of the Lord’s teachings are difficult, but we cannot serve two masters:
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
This is one of those hard teachings:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26-27
If we let our loyalty to father or mother, brother or sister, or child mean more to us than the Lord, then we are putting them ahead of God. Again, this is idolatry. Look what Jesus said to those who were to follow him:
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.”
The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”
Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62
God comes first. If God calls you, follow him, and you will live with no regrets!
The Skinny Dog
A dog is an animal with a limited amount of understanding. The dog in the vision was frightened because he was being dropped off onto the roof. He did not know why or how he would get down, or get back to where he felt that he belonged. He was probably afraid of falling or sliding off the roof as well.
When we don’t know why, or how, or what is needed, or expected of us, we can become frightened too. It is simply the fear of the unknown. This past week I was visiting the rehabilitation facility as a volunteer. I came upon a man who was in great distress, for he was just told by his doctor that nothing more could be done for him. The doctor had recommended that he be released to hospice. I prayed with him for salvation and that he would have peace with God. I believe in healing, but I was led to pray regarding the fear that gripped him. After praying he kept thanking me, because it was what he needed, to know that he was loved and forgiven, and that he would have eternal life with the Lord. He was very sincere and I know that it was a divine appointment. I am very grateful to have been there to pray with this very sweet man. I know that the Lord heard our prayer and that he will keep him in perfect peace. Hallelujah!
The Lord’s ways are higher than our ways. They are perfect, so we need to align with him and not go our own way and do our own thing.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
There is much to think about in this post, for God wants us to separate ourselves spiritually from the world. We cannot separate physically except with individuals and personal possessions. God wants us to live at peace, and to be a light to show others the way to Jesus. We are to live our lives in such a way as to bring glory to God.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
Thanks for reading. Please share this post with others who will benefit. God bless you in your walk with the Lord. Life on this earth is short. Let’s give God all of our hearts, and consecrate ourselves to him.
