Our church, Melodyland, had 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 our church service, pastor Wilkerson engaged my wife Pat and me in a conversation about the upcoming conference. He revealed that he needed an illustration for the cover of the conference brochures they were about to send out. It just so happened that God had given me a vision a few days earlier, and I described what I saw to the pastor. He liked what I communicated and had an artist draw it up, and it was used as the heading for the brochures. Here is a description of the vision I presented to the pastor.
A stunning image of a star in the vast expanse of space, radiating sets of uniquely colored light beams across the sky in various directions, with some of them reaching and striking the earth from a great distance.
Then, suddenly, the star and its light increased several times larger in both size and illumination. Because of the star’s massive expansion, its surface was now closer to the Earth, and because of its larger size, it scorched our planet with its superheated 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 gradually dissipated into a soft cloud-like light encompassing the globe in a canopy. I believe this predicts what must transpire before completing God’s plan.
I will now present my interpretation of the vision presented above:
In the beginning, God communicated with His people from a great distance. However, His words will arrive much more powerfully in the future, scorching those whose roots were not planted deep in good, well-watered soil.
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 will for their lives much more clearly than ever before, which will kindle a revival that will spread throughout the Earth, resulting in a massive harvest of saved souls. The Word of God will be known to everyone, but only the people whose roots have grown deep into the living water of life will live.
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 surround and protect the Earth, and His people will prosper under His soft and gentle love.
That’s it for today, may God’s blessings be upon you and yours,
Despite the evidence that God was behind all my progress, it never occurred to me that I should be thanking Him for delivering me from the calamities inflicted by the devil’s attacks on me. This ignorant and foolish position would soon result in another torrent of aggression as I was still unaware of Spiritual Warfare and had no idea I should turn to God for help.
I had been in the hospital or in-home care for over four months, and my physical condition gradually improved. After being released from the hospital and no longer needing home care, I became restless and desired to return to work. So I proceeded to my company’s personnel department, passed the required physical exam, and started on a restricted work schedule. However, I did all of this despite warnings from my doctors that I was not as strong as I presumed.
A DIFFERENT LIFE
My doctors explained how my medical condition would influence my future life activities. They informed me that pancreatic dysfunctions typically arise from three lifestyle determinants and that I must focus on each to stay healthy. The most treacherous factor would be alcohol consumption; consequently, I would have to stop drinking altogether. The other two factors would be a high-fat diet and a high-stress lifestyle. They were right. When I thought about it, I occasionally drank excessively, ate loads of fatty and deep-fried foods, and had an exceptionally stressful job. I would have to focus on all three.
They further explained that acute pancreas infirmities like what I experienced would likely reoccur without this focus, especially if I began alcohol consumption again. They reinforce their point by providing the following statistics: If I resumed drinking, I would have a ninety-nine percent probability of experiencing a reoccurrence, and such an occurrence would be much more damaging than the first episode, ninety-nine percent of the time. They additionally disclosed that my likelihood of surviving the first attack was one in three. I then realized I would probably die if I began drinking again. Drink or live, that was the question. I chose to live.
STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH
But I never comprehended how difficult it would be to quit drinking. I was about to find that drinking had become the focus of my interpersonal relationships. Liquor was almost always entangled in my social life and, quite candidly, had become the foundation for many friendships. While interested in numerous activities, I soon realized I did them while drinking. Drinking was a part of the softball leagues, canoe trips, camping, bowling, poker, parties, traveling, and other pursuits. My life activities predominately involved drinking, and I would face a large void without it.
Initially, I believed I could avoid drinking at bars and social events, but when I did, I noticed that my friends, who I still have high esteem, seemed less friendly than before. Sure, they were cordial and gracious every time we got together, but even so, a new distance seemed to exist. It was as if they were skeptical of our friendship since I would not drink with them anymore. I can not fault them since they were right. I was not hanging out with them as often as before.
Then I thought, what the heck? There is no reason I should avoid going to these activities with my friends. I will drink ginger ale or club soda and forget the alcohol. In practice, however, that did not work either. My world-class comedian buddies were not as humorous when I was sober. I saw myself being the stick in the mud—the only one not laughing. Then I thought, well, maybe I will try recreational drugs. Perhaps this will allow me to get down with the crowd. But these drugs only dumbed me down, which was not what I wanted either.
In the end, I dropped out entirely. I started thinking about how few people visited me during my three-month stay in the hospital. I suddenly felt like a stranger and realized my old life was gone! I was also disheartened at home and eventually moved into an apartment about a year later. I needed to reinvent myself—build a new life. I had to change, but into what?
SATAN CALLS
One day shortly afterward, I was alone in my apartment when the phone rang. I answered, and a horrific-sounding voice answered, This is Satan. The voice seemed mechanical, like a monster in a science fiction horror movie. The sound of it was loud, garbled, reverberated, and possessed a ringing tone. It also had several well-defined distinctive octaves. The resulting sound echoed as if numerous individuals were uttering exact phrases but slightly out of synchronization, which created a garbled effect.
You can imagine my horror based on my encounter with Satan in Hell several years prior. I was terrified, trembling, and panicked; I quickly hung up. I reasoned, however, that perhaps this was a prank. Maybe someone was having fun with me—using an electronic device to frighten me. But who would do such a thing? No one I knew would, nor would they have the capability. Besides, I had not told anyone of my encounter with the devil. So, just as before, I tried to put this horrific memory in a faraway place in my mind; I made it small and rationalized it away. But then, just a few days later, an identical incident occurred. I then understood that the devil was relentlessly stalking me again and that his harassment would not likely stop soon.
Somewhat later, I contemplated relocating to another city and was using the National Business Employment Weekly to look for job opportunities. I spotted an ad requesting my skill set and called them. I was enthusiastic about this great prospect and hoped to present my qualifications. Instead, the same garbled voice answered, This is Satan. I replied, what? The voice replied This is Satan. My heart was pounding as I smashed the receiver down. How in the world could this be? You know, sometimes a person just will not read the handwriting on the wall. That was me. Believe it or not, I redialed the number, reasoning that maybe I had misdialed by accident. Astonishingly, the identical thing transpired once again. I hung up, dreading that Satan was still coming after me.
THINGS CHANGE
After that incident, things started looking up for a while. I transferred to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and had a lovely lady in my life who would become my wife. She would eventually play an influential role in helping me through some troublesome times and supporting me in finding the pathway to the Lord. I felt like I was reinventing myself by moving to a new environment and having a new love and home—I was delighted with all these things.
But things were imperfect, as my dad died from a prolonged heart condition. I lost the one person who truly believed in me by losing my dad.
I then began having work-related difficulties. There had been a departmental reorganization, and I ended up working for someone with whom I did not see eye to eye. As time went on, the situation became very strained. Late one night, while my wife was in bed, I found myself pacing the hallway, pondering the consequences of potentially being out of work. I speculated that obtaining another job in the current downturned economy would be difficult. More than anything, I reflected on how letting my wife down by being unemployed would feel. This circumstance became a breaking point for me; I finally gave in, slumped against the wall, and blurted out the words in my heart, Okay, God, I give up. I will do whatever You want me to do.
I did not comprehend it then, but several beautiful transformations began when I surrendered to God that day. God was about to lead me toward a vision of the future, and I would receive His blessings and favor as I walked toward it. I was about to see the manifestations of God’s power and glory. I had been saved from the dreadful fate of the second death and placed on a pathway leading to God’s Glory.
A GLORIOUS VISION
The vision came just a few nights after surrendering to God. It appeared when I was in bed, in that twilight place, somewhere between slumber and consciousness.
I saw a fluorescent orange globe fronting a steel blue-black backdrop. It was gorgeous; its colors were vivid, emitting light from within. Despite the missing oceans, continents, and coloring, I immediately understood that the orange planet was Earth. I knew this because God began inserting knowledge into my brain to help me comprehend what I saw.
Then a small black arrowhead-shaped object emerged above the North Pole, and the idea of it being a shuttle entered my mind. The shuttle trekked due Southward leaving a thin black stripe across the Earth’s sky before vanishing over the Southern Pole. Shortly afterward, it reappeared at the North Pole, now orbiting on a new longitude and eventually disappearing beyond the South Pole again. It then persisted in this manner, drawing the longitudes over the Earth until it had printed the major longitudes across the face of the Earth, leaving the planet resembling a peeled orange.
With the longitudes printed, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, traversing the Earth on a Westerly course while circling the planet until it had painted its significant latitudes across the sky. When completed, the sphere looked like a globe of the Earth, like one you may find in a school room or office, except for its bright orange color and lack of oceans and continents.
As I watched in amazement, the skin of a single orange slice (that space between two of the Earth’s longitudes) began peeling back, starting at the top and then curling downward into a scroll shape at the Equator, exposing an astonishingly beautiful pink underlayer. Each section then, one at a time, in sequence, unwound identically. When completed, a gorgeous pink upper hemisphere was visible above the coiled-up orange skins at the Equator. As I watched, The silky pink exterior revealed itself to be the petals of a tightly wound blossom that began maturing. I saw new growth forming and growing from the flower’s nucleus. This expansion forced the outer petals to flow over the periphery, creating a cascade of pink petals streaming downward.
I was awestruck by the majestic beauty of this ever-expanding flower. I couldn’t help but continue observing this awe-inspiring sight but then wondered if I might be dreaming. I pondered, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them and lifted my head, and looked around my bedroom. To my astonishment, I could see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had semi-transparent videos projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could occur, I instantly reclosed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this captivating experience. Next, I started to wonder why this was happening to me. Why should I know this, and what importance should this be to me?
Then unexpectedly, everything around me began moving. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, such that my view was directly over the hub of the flowering planet, precisely where the new growth had arisen at the North Pole. Afterward, a hole dilated open there, and an unseen force drew me inside. I looked around and realized that I was at the feet of a Jesus, who filled the Earth from pole to pole. When I looked up into the immaculate clarity of this place, I saw His outstretched arms and somehow knew He was delivering blessings to the souls of the Earth. At this point, all of my vision’s heavenly peace faded away.
Interestingly, I received this vision of a world filled with Jesus just a few days after surrendering to God. I was unsure of what this meant then, but the reality is that everything in my life would rapidly change for the better from this point forward.
A Vision of a Christ-Centered Earth: A Call to Hope
Over two decades ago, God granted me a breathtaking vision of a renewed Earth, blooming like a radiant flower with Jesus Christ at its core. This vision, a beacon of hope, suggests that the promised land—a world free from evil—may soon be realized. Today, I see elements of this vision unfolding in our world, particularly through the deployment of satellite networks like Starlink. My purpose is to share this vision and its connections to current events, inviting you to reflect on its meaning.
The Vision of a World Filled with Jesus
The vision appeared while I was in bed, in that twilight place between slumber and consciousness. My eyes were closed when I saw a fluorescent orange globe that somehow radiated its orange light from within, appear over a solid steel-blue-black backdrop. The thought that the orange planet was the Earth came into my mind, overriding the absence of perceptible oceans or continents. I found this foreknowing helpful in understanding what I witnessed here and other portions of this experience as well.
THE SPACE SHUTTLE IS SHAPED LIKE AN INDIAN ARROWHEAD
After gazing at this captivating panorama for a while, I noticed what appeared to be a small black Indian arrowhead rising over the North Pole sky, flying in a Southerly direction while leaving a thin black line or trail behind it. Once again, the thought came to me that this object could be the Space Shuttle deploying a string of satellites.
It continued southward until it disappeared above the Southern Pole. It reappeared at the North Pole a few minutes later, now orbiting at a new longitude. Once again, it deposited a thin black line behind it before disappearing at the South Pole again. The shuttle persisted in laying down the longitudes in this manner until it had printed the ones typically found on a world map. The form of the Earth now resembled that of a peeled orange.
With these longitude lines now printed, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, traveling on a due westward course and circumnavigating the planet until it had deployed the significant latitudes across the Earth’s sky. When finished, the sphere looked like a globe commonly found in a school or office, showing the longitudes and latitudes, except for its bright orange coloring and lack of topical features.
Afterward, as I watched in amazement, I saw the skin of a single slice of the orange globe (a wedge formed between two longitude lines) begin peeling backward, rolling down upon itself. The skin started rolling down at the North Pole and then coiled downward to form a scroll shape near the equator, exposing an astonishingly gorgeous pink under-layer above. Subsequent sections followed similarly, each section rolling down in order, one at a time. When completed, I saw a beautiful pink upper hemisphere radiating light above the orange scrolls now positioned above the Southern Hemisphere.
Then, I witnessed the silky pink surface transform into the petals of a young, tightly wound flower that matured as I watched. I then saw new growth forming and expanding from the flowers’ nucleus. This expansion forced the outside petals to flow over the sphere’s edge, creating a perpetual waterfall of pink petals streaming downward like a waterfall.
The majestic loveliness of this ever-expanding blossom had me spellbound, and I wished 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 could 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 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 information, and what significance could this be to me?
As if, in answer to my questions, everything around me abruptly began moving quickly. 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 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 into the perfect clarity above, I saw His outstretched arms, and I believed He was delivering blessings to the souls of the Earth. That is when all of the heavenly peace of this vision faded away.
I have recently realized that this vision must be for God’s people because it is a view of the world to come. I also believe God wants His people to know His glory is coming to those who believe in Him, possibly very soon, because there are parallels between the vision of an emerging Jesus-filled world and the deployment of the Sky-Link satellites.
While viewing the vision, God sent me a message that the straight lines I saw deployed along the longitudes and latitudes of the Earth were satellites deployed by the space shuttle. Therefore, this vision corresponds to the Sky-Link deployment of a matrix of satellites around the Earth by the Falcon 9 rocket. Here is an artist’s rendition of what Sky-Link satellites will look like when fully deployed.
The exciting part for me is that if this proves to be a valid interpretation of this vision, then the blooming of the Earth will soon follow the full deployment of the Sky-Link satellites. A world filled with Jesus is a world without evil, overflowing with abundance, and a return to the Garden of Eden.
I leave the interpretation to you. In closing, I must say that God’s vision that night was my life’s most vividly real experience, and I stand behind what I have communicated here. The question remains: what are we to do if anything? If I look into the history reported in the Bible, there are many examples of God directing his people to take action to separate themselves from evil. Doing some research here may help in understanding how God works in this regard. The stories of Noah, Moses, and Joshua come to mind.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment, as I look forward to making this a better document or hearing how this post has impacted your life and to possess the vision.
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.
A VISION OF THE ABANDONED CROSS COMING TO LIFE
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.
While growing up, I enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone on television. This TV program presented the real-life experiences of ordinary people that cannot be explained by science or the laws of nature. While there have been several Twilight Zone experiences in my life, this one is noteworthy because it reveals the power of God, divinely intervening in my life, to protect me from harm and possibly death.
A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT SKY AT FORT ORD
This experience likely occurred on the last Wednesday in October 1965, October 27th, just a few days after this picture was taken.
I’m in the back row, on the right, the one with the glasses.
It all started when I picked up my laundry from the Quartermaster after a long training day and carried it back to the barracks as the sun was setting. I could see the darkness falling through the long line of windows as I walked across the length of the billet to my bunk. I began stowing clothing into my footlocker when I noticed a faint glow illuminating the darkened sky outside. As I watched, it gradually grew until it lit up the entire street scene and eventually began pouring light into our poorly lit billet.
Soon, a few interested soldiers appeared on the street, looking up into the sky, some pointing toward the light source directly above them.
The light looked something like this.
Wanting to see everything they saw, I returned to the door to exit the billet. As I passed the windows again, I saw more soldiers entering the street.
When I reached the doorway, I encountered a group of about ten soldiers who were obstructing my access to the door. I did not recognize them; consequently, I’m sure they were not a part of my unit. They were having a great time joking, laughing, and engaging in banter with each other. So much so that they were oblivious to my need to move through them. So I asked them politely to make a way to the door for me. But nothing happened. It was as if they did not hear me. So, I asked again in a louder voice. But the result was the same. They just kept jamming as if I was not even there. I decided to go through them by pressing my shoulder on them if needed. When it came time to lower my shoulder to the soldier before me, I could not move him with the gentle force I exerted. So I slowly ramped up my exertion to its maximum, and still, I could not budge him. I would have had better luck pushing into a wall. In awe of this man’s strength, I moved back to see the face of this wall of a man.
When I saw his face, I was stunned. He was staring at another soldier, but he was not moving. There was no eye movement, blinking, or breathing. There were beads of sweat on his face, but they were suspended there, defying gravity, not trickling downward or dripping off. I then noticed that pure silence had displaced the everyday noises of active soldiers in a billet. I gazed at the other soldiers standing in the doorway. They were all frozen like manakins occupying a store window as if time had stood still. I gradually shifted my gaze back across the billet. All the men had halted in mid-stride. The entire scene looked like a video when the stop button is depressed. Then, the light streaming through the windowpanes caught my notice. I observed motionless dust particles suspended in the air, unaffected by air currents or gravity.
I turned back toward the soldiers in the doorway and wondered why everything had halted but me. Then suddenly, it all returned to normal, as if someone had pressed the play button again. The men frozen in the doorway resumed their banter from where they left off, and the sounds of the billet returned as well. I looked back toward my bunk and saw everyone moving around again as if nothing had transpired.
I peered through the windows and saw that the light outside had faded. So I navigated through the soldiers in the doorway, opened the door, and looked up into the sky. I saw a big ball of light ascending into the sky, gradually growing smaller and fainter as it rose, until it vanished, restoring the darkness.
I returned to my bunk, sat down, and saw no one discussing what had happened. Everyone went back to doing the things they had been doing before. Then, it dawned on me; they had nothing to remember. Their bodies were there, but time stopped for them, and therefore they did not experience what transpired. Their souls were unconscious. But then, why would I be the only one to experience what occurred? My answer would come soon.
The Company Clerk came in the morning and escorted me to the Company Commander’s office. Once inside the HQ, he checked with the Commander and directed me to go in. I marched in, did a left face at the center of the Captain’s desk, came to Attention, and saluted while shouting, “Sir, Private Gordon reporting as ordered, Sir.” The Captain firmly responded, “At ease, Private,” and I moved to Parade Rest.
The Captain then spoke in an agitated voice, “Gordon, did you know that you have a type 2 profile on your eyes?” I immediately replied, “Sir, Private Gordon does not know what a type 2 profile on his eyes is, Sir.” The Commander sighed deeply and sat back in his chair. Looking me straight in the eye, he said, “Son, it means that you can not be in an Infantry Unit. I will make arrangements for someone to get you reassigned. That is all.” I returned to Attention, saluted the Captain, did a left face, and marched out of his office. As I walked back to my billet, I wondered why I had to endure all of this training before anyone noticed my ineligibility.
It was not until much later in my life that I realized what a tremendous gift I had received that day. I had avoided being attached to an Infantry Unit in 1965, at the height of the Viet Nam ramp-up. Therefore, I received an extraordinary blessing!
These thoughts reminded me of the other times I had been removed from harm or guided away from danger. Some would call them miracles because they are scientifically indefensible. I now see them as God’s divine interventions in my life. All the encounters that I never told anyone because they would know I was crazy. Looking back at these experiences, I see a pattern of protection that has always been there for me. This incident was just another in a long chain of supernatural protections.
If this experience was an isolated event, there could be speculation about what happened that night at Fort Ord. But it is not an isolated event. After looking back and reviewing these other events, I have concluded that God has protected and guided me all along. I have written about these experiences in other posts as well.
Further evidence will appear in the experiences that I will be publishing here in the future. I hope they will lead you to believe that only God can do what I have described here. The direction of my life certainly changed course in that short, 12-hour span.
I eventually went to Vietnam, but not as a part of an infantry unit. In 1966/67, I was with the 618th Maintenance Company in the Central Highlands. I remember watching the Fourth Infantry Division’s convoy rolling eastward past us down Highway 19. I marveled as the line of their vehicles stretched out for miles as they moved past us and onto their Central Highlands targets. I wondered if any of the men I trained with were among them.
Only a few days later, we heard the sounds of their battles. We felt the ground shaking as the bombs and shells exploded miles away. The sounds of the explosions rumbled through the air like rolling thunder through the night. I remember lying in my bunk on one of those nights, thinking, I’m so glad I am not where those boys are today. As it turns out, the 4th Infantry Division took more casualties than any other unit in the Vietnam War.
Thank you, Lord. Praise God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
SEEKING JESUS 