In my prior post, I reported how I faced the devil in Hell and experienced his absolute hatred for me. I watched him in horror as he strained to attack me, but God had secured his feet to the ground, keeping me just out of his reach.
In this experience, just like so many before, God protected me from harm. In this case, I was instantly transferred to another place, leaving Satin in a rage, trying to break his restraints and harm me.
My destination was the Judgement Seat of the Lord.
I arrived in a tranquil fog that mysteriously had no dampness. The mist engulfed me so that all I could see was gray. I pondered my recent experiences in Hell (see – IN HELL – CONFRONTED BY THE DEVIL) and the Lake of Fire (see – my prior post) and believed I was fortunate to be in a peaceful and calming place like this one.
All of this suddenly changed as I started to re-live the iniquities of my life in a much more vivid way than when I lived them. Once again, I experienced the feelings, emotions, and perceptions of the people I had infringed upon, and it humbled me. All of this occurred instantaneously, however. Instead of taking hours, days, months, or even years, I re-experienced them concurrently.
Suddenly all of this ceased, and I heard a voice coming thru the fog. It was a mature, calming voice, one that projected love. It emitted a confidence that drew me toward it. It was firm and yet unintimidating and had a perfect tempo. Its power, phrasing, and pronunciation were exact, yet the voice transmitted a sense of caring and consideration. I perceived all this from just the four stunning words He spoke.
I thought, how did I decern all this from just four words? After all, it was a straightforward question, yet so profound that it cut to my heart. The inquiry had surprised me, and its implication hit home like a sledgehammer. “Why should you live?” is all the voice spoke without expression of judgment or wrath. Therefore, there were no clues as to what an acceptable response might be.
The ramifications of the question devastated me as I recognized that my response would determine my fate. I assumed there must be a valid answer because if not, why ask the question? Frantically, I searched for explanations to justify my poor behavior.
Then another insight came to me from out of the blue, and it rocked me even more. There are no lies in this place, only truth. Lies do not exist here because the one who asked the question already knows the reality. Everyone here has access to this reality.
Soon yet another fact smacked me into a frenzy. The question pertained to more than merely mortal life and death on Earth. The question is about living forever, either in paradise or in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, the second death (Golgotha – see SWIMMING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE and MY JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL GOLGOTHA.) I now began to comprehend the consequence and gravity of the question. Death forever! Agony, torture, and suffering in the Lake of Fire for eternity. Everlasting torment at the hand of Satan. Then that “oh, no” feeling swam over me in a deluge, you know, that guilty sensation you get in your gut when your actions have severely harmed someone.
Then I heard a commotion from behind the one who asked the question, and another voice said, “What about good works?” Then, I heard more rustling and fuss, and then the disruption stopped, and a third voice said, “There are none.” I stood there dumbfounded and thought, how can this be since I have certainly performed good works? Then another truth entered my mind. Even my good deeds were done for the wrong reasons.
I understood the focus was on me to answer the question, and I became desperate to find an appropriate reply. I felt I had to say something, so I blamed others and then paused for a response, but the silence was the only response I would get. Then, I admitted that I should not try to blame others for my bad choices, and I surrendered, telling God that I would change, and I requested His help.
That was the last thing I recall about being before the judgment seat of God. My next recollection would be awakening in the ICU in the morning. I had lived through the night by the mercy of God.
Yes, it happened again, just like in my previous postings, where I communicated that someone had been watching out and protecting me. This time, however, the one who saved me had the power to rescue me from the greatest misfortune of all, the second death. You would think that this time there would be no mistaking who was watching out for me, but regrettably, I was still blind. I saw all of this as one terrifying dream. So I moved my memories of that night to a faraway place in my brain and moved on.
But the devil was not done with me, and neither was God. The spiritual battle over me would continue for quite some time. In subsequent postings, I will tell of continuous setbacks in the ICU and the turning point back to God.
This posting is the first of many that documents God’s involvement in my life. It is my Testimony for all to read and rejoice in His wonderful works. In case you have not already read about my childhood experiences, you can find them here: Introduction to Chapter 1 – From the Beginning.
My Day of Death
It was November 7, 1986, a day I would prefer to forget but likely never will. My chronicle of this day and its aftermath will seem unimaginable to many. It was the day death came calling, and I crossed over into the spiritual reality of our human existence. When I look back at this experience, I understand that it was a period of change for me, an essential lesson in the truth about our reality, and an education on why we are here. I knew almost nothing about these things when they occurred.
It all began when, for some unknown reason, I stopped believing in the devil’s existence. Especially since I had a terrifying encounter with the devil as a child (documented in the section entitled, A Terrifying Memory.) In any event, this false belief left me a vulnerable victim of what started on that November day.
I was not feeling well that day, which was a bummer because I was very enthusiastic about going to a concert with friends that evening. As the day progressed, my condition unfortunately worsened. It was a condition that I had been experiencing, off and on, for many months. The symptoms included low energy, facial flushing, and high temperature after dinner or a couple of drinks. I had also gained over thirty pounds during this time. I had gone to the doctor about these conditions on two separate occasions, but they found nothing wrong.
Despite all this, I decided the concert was just too good an opportunity to pass on. So, that evening, I met my friends at a restaurant before the show for dinner and drinks. Even though I was not hungry, I had a Mexican dish and a beer. The aftereffect of this combination made my stomach feel overly full and backed up.
We then left the restaurant, walked across the street to the concert hall, and took our seats just before the show started. The music and the performances were outstanding, and everyone was having a swell time, except for me. I was becoming nauseous and sick to my stomach. I tried to delay the inevitable but eventually had to go to the restroom to vomit. As I returned to my chair, I thought there may have been something wrong with the Mexican food. My illness worsened throughout the evening, and I had to depart to the restroom several more times before the concert ended. My friends all wanted to go out for drinks afterward but developing sharp abdominal pains, I declined their invitation and went home instead.
My abdominal pain had become exceptionally severe when I arrived home forty minutes later. As I exited my car, I found that I could not stand upright due to the stomach pain, but bowed down ninety degrees at the waist to minimize it. My wife and I called our family doctor, who recommended that I be taken to the emergency room immediately. Ironically, the hospital brought me within a few blocks or so of the concert hall I had left a couple of hours ago.
Over twenty years ago, God showed me a breathtaking vision of a new Earth that bloomed into a living, flourishing flower filled with Jesus Christ at its core. Today, I see one of the primary components of this vision evolving in our world. Could it be that we are moving toward a world filled with Jesus? I will commence by presenting what I saw that day, more than twenty years ago.
I should begin by stating that I had just handed my life over to Jesus Christ, pledging that I would do whatever He wanted me to do. Consequently, while the experience contains a personal message for me, it also is a good news message to all Christians.
The Vision of a World Filled with Jesus
The vision appeared while I was at home in bed, in that twilight place, between slumber and consciousness. I had my eyes closed when a gigantic fluorescent orange globe appeared in front of a solid, steel blue-black backdrop. I noticed that the sphere somehow radiated a vivid orange light from within. I instantly knew that the orange planet was the earth, even though there were no observable oceans or continents. While knowing this seemed strange to me, I found that this foreknowing would reoccur on this occasion when I needed it. So, I was getting information inserted into my brain throughout this experience.
After I gazed at this captivating panorama for a minute or so, I noticed what appeared to be a small black arrowhead arising over the North Pole sky. It flew in a due South direction, leaving a thin black line or trail behind it. I thought this object could be the Space Shuttle deploying a string of satellites.
THE SPACE SHUTTLE IS SHAPED LIKE AN INDIAN ARROWHEAD
It continued southward until it disappeared above the Southern Pole. A few minutes later, it reappeared at the North Pole again but now orbiting the globe on a new longitude. Once again, it deposited a straight black line behind it before disappearing at the South pole once again.
A TRAIN OF STARLINK SATELLITES ARE VISIBLE IN THE NIGHT SKY
The shuttle continued laying down the longitudes in this same manner until it had printed the ones typically found on a map of the world. The shape of the earth now resembled that of a peeled orange.
With the longitudes now deployed, I wondered what would come next. After a few more minutes, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, now trekking on a westward trajectory, and then proceeded to circumnavigate the planet until it had painted the important latitude lines across the face of the earth. Once completed, the sphere looked like an orange school globe, exhibiting its longitudes and latitudes.
I watched in awe at the beautiful sight before me, wondering what would happen next. Then I saw the skin of a single slice of the orange globe (a wedge-formed between two longitude lines) rolling backward upon itself into a scroll shape coil at the equator and exposing an astonishingly beautiful pink under-layer. Successive slices of the orange globe followed one at a time, in the same manner. Once completed, the beautiful pink northern hemisphere glowed above the orange coils at the earth’s mid-point.
I could not take my eyes off of what I had seen, and I surely did not want to miss out on anything. As I continued to observe in amazement, the silky pink surface transformed into the petals of a young, tightly wound flower that slowly matured as I watched. As it did, I witnessed new growth forming and then expanding from the flowers’ nucleus, forcing the mature outside petals to flow over the edge and creating a perpetual waterfall of pink petals streaming down.
The majestic loveliness of this ever-expanding blossom had me spellbound, and I wished that it would never end. I couldn’t help but continue observing this awe-inspiring sight, but then, I wondered if I might be dreaming all of this. I thought, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them, lifted my head, and looked around my bedroom. To my astonishment, I was able to see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had a semitransparent video projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could occur, I immediately re-closed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this captivating experience. Then I started to wonder why this was happening to me? Why should I know this, and what importance could this be to me?
As if, in answer to my questions, everything around me abruptly began moving very fast. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, such that my view was now directly over the nucleus of the flowering planet, precisely where the new growth was emerging at the North Pole. Then, a portal dilated open at that exact point, and an unseen force pulled me inside. I found myself at the feet of a Jesus that filled the earth from pole to pole. When I looked up into the perfect clarity, I saw His outstretched arms, and I believed that He was delivering blessings to the souls of the earth. That is when all of the heavenly peace of my vision faded away.
I have since realized that this vision has to be for all of God’s people. I believe that God wants His people to know that His glory is coming to those who believe in Him.
Further, it appears to me that the time could be coming soon. I say this because it seems to me that there are parallels in the vision to the Sky-Link project. First of all, Sky-Link portrays a matrix of satellites deployed all around the earth, similar to what I saw. Here is an artist’s rendition of what Sky-Link satellites will look like when fully deployed.
While there is not a perfect match to the Sky-Link effort, I tend to write discrepancies off, as God presented what would have been recognizable to me at the time. For example, I would not be able to recognize the shape of the Falcon Nine rocket as it did not exist at the time.
The exciting part for me is; if this proves to be a valid interpretation of this vision, then the blooming of the earth immediately follows. The covering of the bud rolls down to reveal the beauty of the precious petals underneath. The petals then develop and grow with overflowing abundance, and the center opens up to uncover that Jesus is at the heart of it all.
In closing, I must say that the vision that God gave me that night was the most-real experience of my life, and I stand behind what I communicated to you about it here. Interpretations, however, are a different story. So I leave the interpretation to you. You may not believe any of this, and that is fine. Or you may have a different interpretation than mine. Whatever your interpretation may be, I pray that it will fill your heart with the good news, knowing that peace is near through your salvation in Jesus Christ.
If this posting lifts your spirit for the coming of a world with Jesus at its core, then I say to you, “Possess the Vision.”
Because I am a Christian, I understand that it is necessary to examine the experiences I shared in CHAPTER 2: The Spiritual Warfare Over Me, to ascertain their biblical soundness. I, therefore, have performed the necessary bible research to achieve a scriptural validation of the things I experienced and present my findings to you here in this posting. I hope that in reviewing this material, you may find, like I did, a real glimpse into the spiritual realm.
A CORRELATION TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
The experience of that night terrified me, and as a result, I did not want to think about it, let alone tell anyone about LEAVING MY BODY and entering the spiritual realm. It wasn’t until after I was born again that I understood what God had done for me. His way of starting our relationship was to show me the truth about my life purpose and myself. God loved me enough to give me a second opportunity to make the right choice. I did not deserve this opportunity, but He gave it out of His love for me. I knew that if He did this much for me when I did not merit it, that He would proceed to bless me from that point as well. I gave in to God, little by little, over time. Everything improved when I eventually accepted the truth that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. God then placed favor into my soul, and we grew closer in a relationship than I could have ever envisioned. As I matured as a Christian, I read the Bible and gained new insight into my spiritual encounter. In the book of Revelation, I found uncanny similarities, correlations, and insights into what happened to me. The following sections present some of the parallels found in the book of Revelation.
PROOF OF THE LAKE OF FIRE
The orange plasma that I swam in (see THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE) is mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is the eternal destination of Satan, the beast, the false prophet, death, Hades, and everyone whose name is not in the book of Life.
Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
THE JUDGMENT OF WORKS AND THE OPENED BOOKS
In my spiritual reality, I stood in a gray place while being judged (THE GRAY PLACE AND JUDGMENT DAY.) I heard the voices of the beings that searched for the record of the good works I had done. I also experienced the pain that I had caused others as the sins of my life passed before me.
Is there a reference to being judged in the Bible? Are records kept to assist in the judgment? The answer to both of these questions is yes. Everyone will be judged in accordance to their works:
Revelation 20:11 – 13 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
THE SECOND DEATH
Since only truth existed in the place of my reflection, I somehow knew that the pending judgment before me was regarding the second death. In this natural world, I did not have a clue that such a thing existed. Is there evidence of the second death in the Bible? Yes, again, it is explained in the continuation of the passage above. The second death is the end of hell and death. The result is to be the total elimination of evil. There will also be the elimination of dying, pain, and tears. Sadly, however, there will be no more chances for repentance as only those whose name is in the Book of Life will remain:
Revelation 20:14 – 15 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
THE SAVIOR
On that night, I swam in the lake of fire and brimstone and later walked in the halls of HELL where I faced THE BEAST. I knew that there was no escape from these places, so how did I get out? I also sustained the reality of the second death, but who has power over death; to let live or let die? The answer is Jesus! The following words from the book of Revelation are the words of the resurrected Jesus:
Jesus “The Way, the Truth and the Life,” Rises from the Dead
Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hades and of death.
THE JUDGE
In my recollection, I stood while being judged. To whom do I owe my redemption? Who sits on the throne of judgment?
Revelation 7:10 And crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
I was returned to life that day despite my stained garments. Who has the power to forgive sin?
Mark 2:10 – 11 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins; He said to the paralytic, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.
I stood in a place where only truth existed and was asked, “Why should you live?” But, who is it that will judge the living and the dead?
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.
The answer is that Jesus the Christ of Nazareth is our Lord and Savior. Even though I had made poor choices in my life, Jesus covered me with His blood and kept me from the second death I truly deserved.
Jesus Sheds His Blood on the Cross
My story provides insight into the meaning of our lives because it accurately describes the consequences of poor choices. I had made the poor choice of disbelieving in the existence of the devil, and God revealed the truth to me. The truth is that the devil, hell, the lake of fire and brimstone, the judgment, and the second death are the consequences of our poor choices. God, Jesus, heaven, and life everlasting are the consequences of our good decisions.
A CORRELATION WITH PSALM 30
As you know from reading CHAPTER 2: The Spiritual Warfare Over Me, I entered the emergency room of a major hospital on November 7, 1986, believing that all would be well soon, not knowing that THE DAY OF MY DEATH was knocking on my door . Nor did I know that God would miraculously deliver me from a long string of attacks and calamities.
A correlation to my experience exists in Psalm 30, a psalm of David, who gives recognition to God for saving him from his foe, for healing him, delivering him from the grave, and saving him from being cast into the pit (SPIRITUAL GOLGOTHA.) I believe that my experience shows that God did these things for me also, and therein lies the correlation. Let’s start by reading a portion of Psalm 30.
Psalm 30: 1-5 I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and you healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Let us honor God for His great mercy and love! I completely relate to the message of Psalm 30. So much so that I modified it to become my prayer of thanksgiving for all that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for me. I present it here, so please read along with me in thanksgiving and praise:
I will exalt You, Oh Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my enemy the devil rejoice in victory over me. Oh Lord, my God, I have cried out to You, and You have healed me from a great affliction of which there was seemingly no hope. Oh Lord, You have lifted my soul from the grave of death and you have saved me from the eternal damnation of which I truly deserve. You have kept me alive and spared me from the fate of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and the everlasting torture and agony of the second death. Sing praises to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks to the remembrance of His holy name; His name is JESUS, THE CHRIST OF NAZARETH. For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is forever. Oh, weeping and sorrow may endure for a night, but joy everlasting comes in the morning, and a new life begins.
This posting is another chapter from my book entitled, Possess the Vision. It communicates the spiritual experiences and messages that were given by God shortly after we moved to California.
Pat and I were expanding relationships at our new church while God was simultaneously alluring us into a closer connection with Him. During this time, I experienced revelations from God that He delivered in several different ways. I have documented four of these experiences for you in the sections below. They are titled: The Audible Voice of God, A Vision of a Straight Path, The White Dove, and A Dream of a Living Cross.
THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD
One day, I was on my deck, catching some sun while gazing at the magnificent seacoast view (may add a link to previous posting here). When I had received enough sun, I walked back toward my loft door. Then, as I proceeded through the doorway, I heard a powerfully masculine and yet calming voice, speak my name.
From the moment that this voice began speaking, everything around me started moving in slow motion – as if time itself was slowing down. The typical sounds surrounding me faded, and I instantly knew that I was listening to the audible voice of God. I immediately lost muscle control as my body became as limp as a jellyfish. My legs had suddenly stopped supporting my weight, my knees buckled, and I plunged downward through the doorway, out of control. My forward momentum now propelled my head onto a collision course with the glass top of a pinball machine that stood just inside the loft door.
Psalm 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice ofthe LORD is full of majesty.
As I had no muscle power to shield my head from being slammed into the pinball machine, and I presumed that I was about to be seriously injured.
Amazingly, my muscle function recovered the instant that His voice stopped speaking. Consequently, I was able to get my hands and arms up to the metal frame of the pinball machine to protect myself from harm.
I then reset my legs back under me and gradually stood upright. I then began looking around for the visible manifestation of God while waiting for the return of His voice. But neither happened. Not knowing what to do, I replied in the custom of the prophets who spoke, Here I am Lord. My heart was pounding as I stood there perfectly still, anticipating a reply, but there was none. Eventually, I walked off, being very perplexed.
Subsequently, I could not help continuously thinking about the voice of God. It was so perfect. How could I not wonder about a voice so powerful and yet so soothing at the same time? How could I not wonder about this voice that exhibited perfect articulation and pace and simultaneously use inflections and tone to convey an attraction to it? How could this voice create such emotions of harmony and peace? Why would it call out my name and utter nothing more? I would get insight into some of these questions the very next day.
The morning began like every other, as I had made it a practice to read a portion of the Bible every morning before prayer. I had set a goal of reading the entire Bible, and the scripture below was a passage that I read that morning:
Isaiah 43:1–2 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, oh Jacob, and He who formed you, oh Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
This scripture was the confirmation of what had just occurred in my life. Chills ran up and down my spine as I realized that God had just called me by name. I belonged to Him now, and if I did not know it previously, I now knew that without a doubt, He would be with me through all the challenging times ahead. God was with me at that time and would be there throughout my future. He would be there for my walk toward His plan.
A VISION OF A STRAIGHT PATH
A few weeks later, God communicated to me again, this time in a vision. In it, I found myself in a forest of strange trees that had leaves that coiled up, looking something like a tightly wound watch spring. A path had been cut, perfectly straight through the trees that revealed the hills and dales below the foliage. Despite receiving this insight, I did not know what it meant at the time. I asked several people about it, but they could not interpret the vision either. Then one day, I read the following scripture.
The Morning Star Rising on the First Day
Isaiah 40:3 – 5 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
I now see it as a sign that God’s people must make a straight path to prepare for the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This message is for the bride. What did John the Baptist proclaim while baptizing men in the Jordan river for the repentance of sin?
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
The Baptism of Jesus
Matt 3: 1-6 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
The Great Commission
And what did Jesus command the apostles (the 12 foundations of the bride) to do upon His departure?
The Disciples are Sent out
Matt 28: 16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Are not these two commissions very similar?
Psalm 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in asmooth path, because of my enemies.
THE WHITE DOVE
One Sunday, we had an evangelist visit our church. We liked his message and resolved to attend his other services later in the week. I was hungry for the manifestations of God and desired to be at each service. Unfortunately, they were scheduled at noon each day, and this presented some work-related issues for me. One obstacle was that I had to drive across downtown Los Angeles to get to the church, and the commute time would be over an hour in each direction. Therefore, attending these services demanded that I be away from work for a substantial time. To solve this predicament, I planned to take an early lunch, attend the service, and then return to work and stay late to make up for the lost work time.
Something extraordinary transpired on my commute to the second service that week. As I drove down the Interstate in heavy traffic, I saw a white dove off in the distance flying in my direction. As it flew closer, I could see that it was in my lane, flying straight toward me. As it advanced, I noticed that its wings were beating very rapidly and that it was looking right at me.
The Holy Spirit
It became very apparent that the dove was flying toward my windshield, directly toward me. I braced myself as it neared, and at the instant of its anticipated contact, I turned my head away to shield myself from the impact. But nothing happened, and the windshield was undamaged. I speculated that perhaps the dove had swooped away at the very last second.
I arrived at the service a bit late, but the minister did lay hands on me, and the Holy Spirit did manifest in me that day. I now see this experience as a sign that the Holy Spirit will support the earnest efforts of those who are diligently seeking Him.
THE LIVING CROSS
Some weeks later, God gave me yet another vision. In this one, I saw an old wooden cross standing alone on a desolate hilltop. I knew it to be the crucifixion cross of Jesus. It stood there tilting backward somewhat and listing to one side at about a forty-five-degree angle. It looked as if no one had been taking care of it.
I lingered to watch, and then something moved me much closer to it, and I commenced to examine it in greater detail. My observation focused on the grain of the timbers that began to glow a fluorescent red-orange. The brightness of the wood grain now resembled that of an electric stove-top.
Then the entire cross began glowing, faintly at first but slowly growing in illumination, until it was vibrantly gleaming. The cross that had appeared dead just moments before came to life! I could now see blood circulating through that grain, just like blood flows through the veins of our bodies, transporting nutrients and revitalizing energy throughout the body.
Next, the transparent wood took on a three-dimensional appearance. I could now see into multiple layers, and everything in the cross became visible to me. Subsequently, the glowing red cross began firing randomly colored photons of enlightenment in seemingly random directions. One blast at a time, these photons discharged in rapid succession like that of a machine gun. The cross of Jesus is alive!
Below is a scripture in which Jesus tells a man to take up his cross and follow Him.
Mark 10: 20-21 And he answered and said to Him, Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth. 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.
I now realize this vision to imply that the Christians who seek to be members of the bride of Christ must have the living cross on fire in their hearts. If they do so, they will do what He did.
John 41:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Doing these things is how the bride prepares for the second coming of Jesus. The bride is ready for the return of the Bridegroom because she has taken up His cross. The cross of Christ must become alive in our hearts and minds.
SERVING THE CHURCH
We were committed to our congregation in our attendance, tithes, time, and serving God and His people. But even in this capacity, God was showing us what was in store for the bride.
A VISION FOR THE ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE
Our church held an annual conference that had become a tradition over its twenty-five-year history. People of God came from all over the world to teach, preach and worship God.
One Sunday after the service, our pastor engaged Pat and I in a talk about the conference. He indicated that they lacked an illustration for the cover of the conference brochures. It just so happened that God had shown me something a few days earlier, and I presented it to the pastor. He liked it and had an artist drawn it up for the pamphlets. Here is a description of what I saw.
I saw a star that generated multiple sets of uniquely tinted light beams that flashed in all directions, some reaching the earth, very far away. The rays hitting our planet were sharp and penetrating and included the entire spectrum of light.
Then suddenly, the star grew several times larger than its original size and brightness. 34 Because of this massive expansion; it was now closer to the earth, and as a result, it scorched our planet with its searing light.
Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as thelight of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, asthe light of seven days, in the day that the LORD binds up thebruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.
Afterward, the starlight slowly dissipated into a soft cloud-like light that encompassed the globe in a canopy. I believe that this is a foreshadowing of the things that must transpire before the fulfillment of God’s plan. Here is the explanation of what I saw in the vision above:
In the beginning, God communicated with His people from a great distance. However, in the future, His words will come in like direct sunlight in summer, and they will burn up those planted in stony ground.
Matt 13: 3-8 Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.
Therefore everyone anchored deep into God’s good ground will understand His desire more clearly than ever before and this will kindle a revival that will spread across the earth. The result will be a massive harvest of saved souls. The Word of God will become known to everyone, and the people whose roots have grown deep into the living water of life will flourish, but all others will be scorched and die.
John 4:13 – 14 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
Then God’s love will encircle and protect the earth, and His people will prosper under His soft and gentle love.
SEEKING JESUS 