Blue Spirit Water

Something lately has me going back in my mind to a vision of sorts I had once. It’s a little hard to describe since, like a dream, it didn’t match the constraints of ordinary senses. It had that quality where two things could coexist in one place yet visually make sense, even though you could never paint an image like that in real life.

I had recently had my first child and was sitting with him on the couch. Out of nowhere, God told me something to the effect of, “Here. Now. I want you to have an encounter with the Holy Spirit.”

“Here?” I asked. He said yes.

“Now?” I asked. He said yes.

“Okay, then,” I said.

And suddenly I had this sense that He reached into me and pulled out something like chains, which He broke, and as soon as He did this, my soul became buoyant like a diver removing weight, and rose above me. He met me in the air, His soul to mine, and embraced me while turning in a matter reminiscent of a high school slow dance. Something like clean water came from His chest in a torrent, entering mine and sweeping out, in its force, dirty water, which flowed back into Him. I had not recognized or looked for features on Him – the experience was only partly visual – but now He was definitely Jesus, and I saw the dirty water running slowly from the wounds in His side and hands. I had the thought that this probably came with some degree of pain for Him. (If there was something after that, I no longer remember, but I do remember afterwards holding my child and having the sense that we were both surrounded and protected by the Holy Spirit.)

Not all visions are about something specific or urgent in life, and this one was never tied to any specific event.
But the memory of it is recurring, and I sometimes find links to it in my prayers. I used to see a pattern when I prayed of two curving, interlinking geometrical shapes, one blue and one brown. I realized one day that the pattern was a reference to the aforementioned vision, where the brown water was removed from me by the Blue Waters of His Spirit.

Thinking on this topic, in the scriptural reference below, I reference some of the more dream-like and/or spatially confusing visions in the Bible, as food for thought. PLEASE take time to look over a few of these – they’re very interesting.

Ezekiel 1:4-9, 1:15-28, 2:1-2, 3:12-15; Acts 11:4-9; Isaiah 6:1-2; revelations 4:1-3 and 4:6.

Stalling Out

This I the shortest story I’ll ever tell on this blog.

The other day, thinking over some of the arguments I’ve heard against God, I had  one of those moments of arrogance I often have, when I think to myself that I’ll think not as a Christian but as a “smart”, worldly person. In arrogance I thought to myself, “maybe they’re right. But I don’t care if I die and I find out God isn’t real, I’ll still be glad that I spent my adult life in the faith.” It’s a true sentiment, but it came not from gratitude for the Christian life, but from a desire to weaken the laws of my own religion in exchange for sounding a little “smarter”, a little more “logical”. Well, right then and there, my car stalled out for just a moment, preventing me from merging into the lane that I immediately thereafter realized had a speeding car passing through my blind spot. Guess God is still real, and still in charge, and resistant to being put underfoot, even if just intellectually.

God bless you, and have a good weekend.

Psalm 46:1-6 God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.
———-
For a full explanation of salvation and access to a 24-hour prayer partner, try peacewithgod.net

For a free online Bible, try biblegateway.com

How to Put It All Together, part 1 (or, Take the Red Pill, Neo)

I have long wanted to write a piece for anyone who wished to make their peace with God, and achieve Heaven when they die. There has long been a misunderstanding that this requires you to be a good person. The facts of Jesus’ life, however, don’t support that. While He had many good, upstanding people among His group of friends, He had just as many derelicts. The list of people He befriended and expressly stated they would find Heaven when they died, included prostitutes, political traitors, and thieves. He really wasn’t phased by what life people had lived before they showed up. The openness to change mattered much more.

If you want to start a life with this wonderful Man, having all your sins forgiven and able to experience His joy, pray this prayer. The words don’t have to match exactly; it’s the heart behind it that matters.

“Jesus,
I want you to be my Lord and guide me, every day of my life. I want to know you better, and live out the life you have planned for me. Please keep me near you as I try to fulfill this vital role. Jesus, I believe that you voluntarily suffered and died for my sins, that you were sinless and carried all my sufferings to the cross with You. I believe that you rose from the dead, and that I, also, will have new life with you, both in this life and in the life to come.

Father,
Please forgive my sins now. Thank you for sending Jesus your son to die in my place. Help me to turn away from old ways and live for you and the people you serve.

Amen.

I have a lot more to say on this, but I want to break it up into several segments. For now, God bless you, and for anyone who just prayed this prayer for the first time, I congratulate you. This is a wonderful life to be living. I often think of it as being like the scene in the matrix, where Morpheus offers Neo a red pill and a blue pill. He tells Neo,This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill…and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes”. Reality is about to grow and change for you, and there’s no more loving environment to experience this awakening of consciousness than in the arms of Jesus Christ.
For more information about salvation and for an in-depth list of scripture verses relating to salvation, I recommend peacewithgod.net . This site also offers 24-hour online access to volunteers who can speak to you about the faith.

For a free searchable Bible, I recommend biblegateway.com