Crashing Down into the Arms of God
Do you remember the stock market fall of September 29, 2008? On that day the stock market had its greatest fall in the entire history of Wall Street when it fell 777. My husband and I watched FOX News the last hours of trading that day and watched the index fall down through the 500s, 600s and finally 777. Why 777? I wondered.
Sometimes the Lord speaks prophetically through the news. The number 7 is the great number of spiritual perfection throughout the Bible. In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the word “seven” is from a root word meaning “to be full, satisfied, have enough of.” Perhaps God was saying, “I’ve had enough of the idolatry, greed and fraud going on in this nation and now I’m going to allow the consequences of these actions to run their course. Through it all, those who follow closely after me will be moving towards spiritual perfection.”
There were people who lost their homes and businesses that year, and for many of them life was never the same. However, here we are in 2015 and it appears that things are going along okay financially in the nation. However, that is just the appearance in accordance with what we hear from the mainstream media. Those speaking the truth in the alternative news sites online have a different story to tell based on hard, cold facts. The truth is, according to many experts, that we are experiencing the same signs of trouble and even worse as were seen in 2008 just before the crash. Among other things, our government keeps printing money with nothing to back it up so at some point the economy will have to fall. It is hard to imagine what that would be like because they say it will be worse than the stock market crash of 1929 and that there will be no possibility of recovery.
As we lose our affluence, and everything we have depended on is shaken, we can either fall down into despair and hopelessness, or we can rise up into the spiritual perfection God has for his people in the end times. It’s like the scales of justice, as one side is weighted down (in judgment), the other side rises in Christ.
I am reminded of a spiritual dream I had many years ago. I saw a skyline of a big city. As I watched, seven to ten black tornadoes approached from different directions and struck the city. Skyscrapers crumbled and fires broke out. In my fear I ran down the stairs into the basement of my house. As I turned from the hallway to enter the main room, I was stunned and amazed by what I saw. I saw paradise in that room. An angel was standing by the door and I was not permitted to enter, but I sensed this was a place of peace and safety reserved for me and that in the kairos (Greek for due season) of God, I would be allowed in. I also knew that I would enter into this place while still living on earth and that the entrance to this place was within my spirit.
Reflecting back on this dream, I believe the tornadoes represented things like economic upheaval, war, the destruction caused by natural disasters and many other evils that loom on the horizon. We cannot change any of these things. We are living in the end times and judgment is coming upon the world. However, it may be helpful to remember the judgments that came upon Egypt and how God protected his people through those devastating plagues. His people were in a place called Goshen where they were untouched by the disasters.
Egypt and Goshen have spiritual counterparts. Egypt represents people whose hearts are filled with worldly desires and pursuits. “Goshen” in Hebrew means “approaching or drawing near.” If we are drawing near to God in our heart, then we are in Goshen. We can be living in the city being struck by tornadoes, but if our heart is in Goshen, we will be protected. We can be like the three young men in the book of Daniel. They were thrown into the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter, but they were not harmed in any way because one like unto the Son of God was in there with them. God was able to protect them because they had refused to bow to any idols. We must pray and make sure we have no idols in our own hearts. God will show us if we ask him.
As we look upon the world with our natural eyes and see the threats looming on all sides, we must learn to see God’s truth with our spiritual eyes…truths such as “I will never leave you or forsake you. I am with you always even unto the end of the world. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.”
The best way to begin seeing with spiritual eyes is to meditate on Scripture. Choose a passage of the Bible that is especially meaningful to you. Study the passage by looking up key words in the original language using an exhaustive concordance. I use The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Ask God questions about the passage. Write down everything you can about it. Try memorizing parts of the passage. Next, use your imagination to put yourself into the passage and personalize it. This brings it to life for you and brings you into the presence of God. However, this will not be possible if you are harboring sin in your heart such as unforgiveness, evil thoughts, bitterness, etc. Our heart must be as pure as we can make it (with the Holy Spirit’s help) in order to picture the things of God because we see with the eyes of our heart.
I would like to share with you now my meditation and vision based upon Exodus 15:22-27. I chose this particular passage because of the promise of healing it offers. I have written about my studies related to this passage in my articles under the topic of Divine Health. Now I write my vision. In the beginning of the vision, I am recalling with Jesus my own escape from Egypt and my wilderness wanderings. In the latter part of the vision, I am in Elim enjoying the delights of the oasis. This is a place I have created in my own heart where I can go and be with Jesus at any time. I feel the presence of Jesus as I go to this lovely place within. This is how I am entering into the safe place that looked like paradise in the basement of my dream. This is something God wants all of his people to do. This is preparation for things to come.
The Scripture:
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters (Exo. 15:22-27).
The Vision
I saw Jesus and myself standing together on a very high mountain peak that gave us a spectacular view of the land below that extended from horizon to horizon. The air was crisp and clear so that visibility was not in the least hindered, and I felt exhilarated by the freshness. It reminded me of my childhood years when my family lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I used to go on fishing trips with my family…trips that sometimes took us to hidden lakes on mountain peaks that were above timberline. When you are so high that no trees grow, you know you are really up there! As a child, I didn’t feel good at that elevation. It gave me a headache and made me feel nauseous. But here with Jesus, even though we were higher than I had ever been, I had none of those feelings. In fact I felt the opposite. Such strength and vitality filled my being that I wanted to leap around from boulder to boulder and even climb up higher. Even though we were extremely high, we had not reached the summit of the mountain and I wanted to continue our climb.
Jesus put one arm around my shoulder and pointed with his other into the distance far to the east. “Do you see that green and brown patch way off there next to the horizon?” I squinted a little trying to adjust my vision toward the spot he was indicating. My eyes finally alighted on the green and brown spot he was indicating.
“What is that?” I asked.
“That is Egypt,” he replied. “That is where you came from. You didn’t live there long because when you first believed in me at age six, I took you out of there, across the Red Sea, and then you began your journey through the wilderness.”
“…the wilderness?” I asked. “You mean I spent my childhood years in a wilderness?”
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “and most of your adult years too, but I have been with you every step of the way. Your parents protected you from many the dangers that came against you, but I was in them and you guiding each decision and leading you where I wanted you to be. That is how you came to be here with me today.”
Jesus and I sat down together on some boulders that jutted up out of the ground there on the little grassy knoll as we continued enjoying the spectacular view. Looking out over the wilderness in the distance, I saw a road. It wound all over the place. I was aware that the road represented my wilderness wanderings…and wander I did! It was amazing to see how the road went in every conceivable direction…sometimes even in patterns much like the back and forth design of the coils on the back of my old refrigerator.
“That must be where I wavered, halting between two opinions,” I mused.
“Yes,” said Jesus, “but you finally made the right decisions in the end. You wouldn’t be here now if you had not finally made right choices each time you wavered. Have you noticed that even though the road winds a lot, it keeps moving in this direction toward the mountain peak?”
“I see what you mean,” I replied, “And the closer it gets to this mountain, the straighter it becomes. I see very few turns in the road now.”
“You eventually learned that those distractions that tempted you in the past were not things that could satisfy the longing in your heart for me.”
Sometimes it was difficult for me to look at the view because I just wanted to see Jesus. I mostly wanted to look into his eyes. They were the most beautiful blue I had ever seen…bluer than the sky, the delphiniums in my summer garden or the occasional bluebird that flits across the hayfield near our cabin in the mountains of NY. Whenever I looked into his eyes, I felt a deep sense of peace unlike anything I had ever known. There were no problems up here on this mountain. There was nothing to fear or worry about here. I knew that I never wanted to leave this place.
Jesus, knowing my thoughts, said, “You can return to this place anytime you want to because it is in your heart. I am always here waiting for you. Whenever you feel you need a clear perspective on your life, meet me here on this mountain and we’ll talk about it.”
Knowing that Jesus had more to show me about my wilderness road, I forced my eyes back to the scene below.
Jesus continued, “Do you see those places in the road where there are circles? Those are the places where you did not make wise decisions. I made you go around the same experience again until you made the right decision. Sometimes your circumstances changed, but you had to go through the same issues until you responded according to my Word. Then I let you continue moving towards this mountain.”
“It all seems so clear to me now,” I said. “If only I had understood then what I know now!”
“You understand what you do now because you went through those experiences,” He explained. “Everything was there in my Word to warn you, but much of it you could not receive until you had experiences that made the Word come alive to you.”
I thought about that for a moment. How true that had been in my life. There was nothing like a crisis to make the Psalms come to life for me. Whenever I felt alone, hurt or afraid, the Holy Spirit always quickened some portion of his Word to me that gave me direction and took me through.
Looking back at the road, I noticed that not only had it straightened out as I approached the mountain, but also it had been on a steady incline. I had gradually been climbing higher and higher until Jesus did whatever he did that brought me to this high mountain peak with him. As hard as I tried, I could not remember how I got to this high place, so I asked, “Jesus, how did I get to this high mountain with you? I don’t remember going up any hairpin curves or climbing up over the cliffs.” Looking down from this great height, the climb looked impossible.
Jesus replied, “You learned to use your imagination. That is how you got here. I whispered in your ear that I wanted to meet with you on this high mountain. As you prayed, your heart yearned so deeply to be with me, you began to envision this place and that’s how you got here. Your imagination was inspired by me and by your knowledge of my Word. People think the imagination is only for fantasy or things that are not real, but a holy imagination inspired by me, actually brings you into my presence. This is a deep truth that my people in the end times will need to know and practice in order to survive the great trials that are coming upon the earth. “Come, I have more to show you.”
With that solemn warning, Jesus arose, held out his hand for me to grasp and led me down a trail that wound around over this plateau on the mountain. Steep rocks jutted up from the mountain on all sides but occasionally we came to small, grassy meadows filled with many varieties and colors of mountain wild flowers. I would like to have stopped to admire these beautiful places, but Jesus indicated we were to continue on. It was not long until we came to a narrow passageway that I can only describe as being a cleft in an enormous rock that towered high above us. This cleft was so narrow that at times we had to turn sideways to slip through (S. of S. 2:14).
After only a few yards, the passageway opened into a broad place of breathtaking beauty. It was like an oasis. Palm trees soared high into the sky above; flowers abounded everywhere; and immediately in front of us was a deep blue, crystal clear pool of water. We were surrounded by craggy cliffs that made this spectacular place seem totally private. Ferns and delicate flowers were growing out of the cliffs and cascading down the walls in various shades of pink, blue, purple, white and yellow. A sparkling waterfall descended from the top of one of the cliffs into the pool. The fragrance of flowers filled the air.
I stood speechless for a few minutes just drinking in this vast beauty. Then I turned to Jesus and asked, “How can palm trees and an oasis exist on this mountain high above timberline?”
“You are seeing spiritual truth that is not defined by the physical limitations of earth,” Jesus replied. “I am the tree of life, the rock, the living water and everything fragrant and lovely you could ever desire. I want you to come here and meet with me often. As you do, you will find healing for your soul and your body. I have more to say to you about this, but first let us go into the water.”
I looked down at my hiking boots, blue jeans and long-sleeved plaid shirt. “How can I go swimming in these?” I asked. “I don’t have a swimsuit with me.”
Jesus gave the biggest smile and almost burst out laughing as he replied, “Just start walking into the water and you will see that it doesn’t matter here.”
In front of me were stone steps that descended into the water. I did not want to dirty the water with my dusty hiking books, but I knew not to protest and therefore hesitantly began to walk down the steps into the water. As I did so, I found myself clothed in swimming apparel unlike anything I had ever seen on earth. It appeared to be made of a very light-weight, white, filmy material that seemed weightless. It was modest and yet I felt totally unrestricted in any movement.
The water was warm and inviting. There was a feeling of total rest in the water as there was no need to work at staying afloat. I could swim and float on my back, but if I chose to remain upright without moving my arms and legs, I did not sink although I could not touch the bottom.
I had not seen Jesus enter the water, but he was there and motioned to me to come over to where he was in a small alcove of the pool. There the water was even warmer and it churned in a massaging kind of way like a hot tub on earth but much gentler.
“If you will come here often and talk with me, you will find healing for your body,” Jesus said. “Do you remember the promise I made to my people when they were wandering in the wilderness and stopped at Marah just before going to Elim?”
“Yes, I remember,” I replied excitedly. “I have been studying and meditating on that passage. I even memorized the promise because I wanted it to be mine.”
Jesus smiled as he looked at me. He had asked me the question knowing full well that I had been working that through in my mind for quite some time now and had memorized the passage. “Well, what does that promise say?” he asked.
I recited, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
“That is one of the most important healing scriptures in the whole Bible,” he commented. “It shows there is a correlation between a person’s relationship with me and freedom of disease or sicknesses of any kind. It is never my desire for anyone to be sick, and I could heal everyone when they ask for I have the power to do so. However, it would not be in their best interest for me to do so.”
“I think I understand,” I commented. “When things are going well for us in life, we tend to get caught up in the busyness of life and neglect our relationship with you. People don’t realize that knowing you will give them greater joy, fulfillment and excitement than anything on earth could ever provide.”
“Yes,” Jesus affirmed with a look of longing in his eyes. “I have so much to give my people if they would only turn their focus from worldly pursuits to me.”
“Sometimes that is hard for me to do,” I lamented. “Even though I have learned that I can meet with you in lovely places like this, I can still get distracted by the pull of television. It is so ‘in your face’. Sometimes it takes all the self control I can muster to walk away from the TV and go to the visions within as you have taught me. I think I’m doing much better with that though.”
“Yes, you are,” he agreed. “Your flesh is attracted to those things and it needs to die, but we are working on that…and it is going” he added.
“Another thing I struggle with” I continued, “is all I have to do each day. I want to spend more time with you but so many tasks are calling for me to do them, I don’t know which one to do first and there is no way everything can get done.”
“If you will ask me what you are to do next throughout your day, I will lead you. That is what I mean by telling you in my Word that if you will hearken to my voice and obey me, I will not allow you to suffer disease. Obeying my commandments as laid out in my Word is important and part of that is learning to listen to my voice throughout your day. I want to be a part of everything you do, and your asking me about each decision helps keep my presence in your conscious mind and will result in your deeper joy, greater productivity, and better health. Think about how different last Thursday would have been if you had done this.”
I didn’t want to think about last Thursday in this beautiful place. I felt totally relaxed as the warm water swirled around massaging my whole body. I floated on my back and looked up at the deep blue sky just in time to see an eagle soaring around in the heavenlies, his wings tipped with glimmering gold from the glorious light that filled that place. Everything was bathed in light, and a sweet fragrance filled the air. Even though there were flowers all around, I knew the fragrance came from Jesus as also did the light.
I looked again into Jesus’ face and it was even lovelier than our surroundings, lovely because of things difficult to describe…his look of love and acceptance towards me, the holiness and wisdom that exuded from his presence. How can one describe the face of God? I can only imagine as I see myself there in his presence.
“Oh, yes,” last Thursday,” I said reluctantly. “That was not a good day for me.”
My husband and I had been at our little mountain home in the mountains of New York, a place we visit whenever our schedules permit. That morning I had experienced an allergy attack like I used to have years ago before Jesus healed me of hay fever. It was fall and the weather had changed, both of which were conditions that used to sometimes render me incapable of doing anything but blow my nose and sneeze! I could not understand why I was having this trouble again.
I knew what I was to do to overcome it. I went in my mind to one of the lovely places inside that I have developed over the years with Jesus’ help. I went to the healing river and spent time with him there talking over the healing scriptures and letting him heal me. After a time there, I felt fine.
Then my husband said that he had been on his computer checking the weather report for our area. It was supposed to frost that night…almost a month earlier than we would have expected. We have a big garden there and it was full of produce that needed to be harvested. We were intending to leave that morning and head back to our home in the city where we had appointments and work to be done, but that garden had to be taken care of immediately…or so I thought.
I quickly put on my gardening clothes and set to work in the garden while my husband mowed the yard one last time. I was miserable. It was pick a squash…blow my nose. Pick some peppers…blow my nose. I had a terrible time getting done the things that needed to be done. All the while I was asking God why I had lost the victory I had gained earlier that morning. When I returned to the city and began ministering to people, I was fine.
The next day in the city started out just as the day before. As I sat praying early in the morning, my nose started running again. I went to one of my healing places with Jesus and then I was fine. The next thing I did, however, was to ask him what he wanted me to do next. I felt impressed that I was to write more of the vision I have been slowly putting on paper. This I began to do. I was fine for the entire day. The weather was the same, the pollen was just as thick, but nothing was bothering me. I knew the difference was that I had asked Jesus what he wanted me to do and then obeyed.
“It is taking time for you to learn this,” Jesus said smiling, “but you will come to the time when you will not order your day without first asking me what I want you to do. You don’t have to ask me what you can wear or if you can eat lunch. What I am trying to teach you is how to manage your schedule so you can accomplish all that I have asked you to do. I realize I have put a lot on your shoulders, but as long as you are in me and I am in you, you can accomplish it all. I would never ask you to do more than you are able to do. As long as you don’t try to do things on your own without asking me, I will lead you and empower you.”
I knew this was true. If I had stopped and asked God what he wanted me to do before charging out to the garden in haste, he would have helped me with the work. Maybe my husband would have finished mowing sooner than expected and come to help sooner than he did. I knew now that I was supposed to do more writing before working in the garden that morning. I also knew that my miserable day would serve as a good reminder to ask Jesus before determining what I would do each day.
“It is very important for you to write these visions,” Jesus said seriously. “My people need to know how to come to me in the difficult days that lie ahead for this world. As the economy is shaken, health care will also be shaken. I want my people to walk in health. I also want them to trust in me rather than in science and doctors. Every one of my people is at a different stage in their walk of faith, but all will be called to walk at a deeper level with me than they have ever known as things they have trusted in crumble around them. Some will gradually be led away from their reliance on medical science. Others will be immediately cut off from it because of their finances. Medicines are becoming polluted. I want my people to ask me before getting an injection or putting medicine into their body. I will lead them if they will only ask me. Trusting me for all their health is a process that my people must be pressing into. The visions will help them grow closer to me in relationship and bring healing to their bodies.”
As I thought about what Jesus was saying, I was so thankful he had led me into having visions because I knew my relationship with him had come to a whole new dimension through them. They came as a result of my study and meditation of the Word. I chose to envision the Word to the best of my ability. As I did so, I became aware that Jesus was helping me with this. They became alive and I felt Jesus’ presence as I pictured him in my mind according to Scripture. Many spiritual realities are given in earthly types so we can understand and experience spiritual truth on our level. As I was thinking about the beauty of all this Jesus said,
“This water represents the living water of my Spirit and my Word. When you come here in your mind to be with me in this pool, you are immersing yourself in me.”
I looked down into the water that was swirling around us. Never had I seen anything as pure and clear as this, and yet I could not see the bottom of the pool.
Jesus knowing my thoughts said, “There are no limits in me. No matter how deeply you study my Word, there will always be another deeper level to be uncovered. No matter how much of my Spirit dwells within you, there is always more for you to receive.” Jesus cupped his hands, scooped up some of the water and held it to my face, “Here, drink this,” he said.
As I drank the water I felt my whole being coming into a new dimension of revelation–like it was being awakened. The water swirling around my body suddenly felt like love. There was gentleness in the water along with rest, goodness, love, peace and even joy. I could feel it all in and through my body!
I want more of this, I exclaimed as I submerged my head and dove down deeper into the water.
When I came back to the surface, Jesus was laughing as he said, “O, my Beloved, I have so much for you. It gives me such joy to give to my people, but they must come to me and see me before I can do these things for them.”
Jesus, indicating I was to follow him, swam over to a big, flat rock in the center of the pool closer to the waterfall. We climbed up onto the rock and lay on our backs as we looked up at the deep blue sky. Little fluffy, white clouds skirted across the expanse changing shape as they moved. For a few minutes we talked about what the different shapes reminded us of–a game I used to play as a child. Then Jesus said, “You have a question about my healing promise you memorized from Exodus 15.”
“Yes, I do,” I replied. “You say you will keep us free from disease if we will hearken to your voice, do what is right in your sight, and obey all your commandments and all your statutes. How can I possibly do all that? I keep forgetting or messing up in some way. I am far from being able to do all that. I don’t see how anyone could live so perfectly.”
“I understand how you feel,” Jesus said smiling at me with love and understanding in his eyes.” “You know my love for you will never change and is not based on anything you do, but walking in divine health will require your total cooperation and submission to me. The key to this lies in the verses that precede the one you memorized. It is always important to notice the context in which my promises are given. What do you remember about the preceding verses?”
I replied, “Your people journeyed in the wilderness for three days without finding water. Finally they came to a place called Marah where there was water but it was so bitter they could not drink it. The people grumble and complained. Then Moses prayed and you told him to cast a tree into the water. When he did, it became sweet.
“What do you think that means?” Jesus asked.
“Marah means ‘bitter’ and represents circumstances in our life that are painful and difficult,” I replied. “The tree is a type of the cross. When we face difficulties in life, if we will choose to accept your will rather than our own, we will die to self and your life will be formed in us.”
“That’s it!” Jesus exclaimed. “That is the key. As you die to self, my life will be formed in you and I will guide your decisions and enable you to fully obey all my commandments. You must yield yourself to me, lean on me, and I will live through you. I want you to become so one with me that your life will be lived together with mine as though we are one person. My people living in these end times will be enabled to do this more fully than all those have lived before you, but they must accept my cross. Without the cross, there will be no power, and living free of disease will require my power in your life.”
As I lay there on the big, flat rock with Jesus talking about the Scriptures and feeling the warm sun on my body, I sensed new strength permeating my being. Both my soul and my body were being healed and renewed in his presence in this lovely place. I knew what Jesus was telling me was of utmost importance. I also knew it was vitally imperative that his people learn to come to lovely places like this to be with him. I remember how difficult it had been for me to train my mind to focus on visualizing our relationship and the Scriptures.
“You have found a priceless treasure by learning to come here,” Jesus said. “The time you spent taking every thought captive to me and casting down your vain imaginations will help keep your mind in perfect peace as the evil intensifies in these end times. When great fear comes upon the world, you will be able to stand against it by coming to the places of peace within where you have learned to find my strength and presence. I want you to tell my people about this. They must all learn to find me in the secret places of their heart. The very lives of my people are going to depend solely on their relationship with me. I will heal their bodies. I will provide food and shelter for them. I will heat their homes in the cold of winter, but they must give up everything for me.”
I looked into Jesus’ eyes and said, “Lord, I will do everything I can to encourage others to find you in this way. I feel I must go now and continue writing the vision so others will learn about visions and perhaps gain the confidence to find you in this way themselves.”
“I will be with you as you write,” Jesus promised, “and my power will enable others to do this as they take the time to seek me and meditate on my Word. And remember,” he added, “You can come here any time throughout your day and I will be waiting.”
