The bruised bride

In my vision I saw a highway stretching to the west, with mountains in the distance. I knew the mountains were the Rocky Mountains.

I saw a figure coming toward me, walking along the ditch. She was a bride, but her dress was torn, ripped at the knees and elsewhere. Her knees were bloody.

Her makeup was smudged, her hair messed up and her face scratched.

The sense was that this bride, this precious had been kicked out of the wedding car. And this stirred within me the compassion of Christ for his bruised and battered bride--those precious ones who have not experienced so much of His love and grace in the church as of the condemnation and wounding of the self righteous and proud.

The sad fact is many have come through church bearing wounds and unfed. They have, in their hearts and minds, lost their beauty. But they are still the bride, still beautiful to the groom.

And they will be restored.

For thus says the Lord God; Behold I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from their countries, and will bring them to their own land, and will feed them on the mountain of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there they shall lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 34:12-14)

P.S. As Faye and I were considering our move from Manitoba to Alberta, I was extremely anxious during a scouting trip to look for a house. A realtor gave us a tour of the communities surround Calgary and I remember going through Okotoks, turning toward Black Diamond/Turner Valley, climbing a hill and then at the top of the hill, looking to the mountains, I saw the road in the vision. And my anxiety vanished.

The Lion of Judah

Bear with me as I exhibit my flaky side.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying "yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the Heaven." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God, an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29)

As we were worshipping this morning I began to see a mental image of the Lion of the of the Tribe of Judah. I was looking out the front window of the house looking off to the southwest (I believe) and I saw the Lion on the hill off in the distance.
He began bounding off the hill rapidly running toward the house. As he came near I saw this lion was absolutely enormous. His front paws filled the front yard--his breath seemed to shake the house.
He bent down to look into the window and his eye filled the window.
As I gazed into this eye, which was a deep midnight blue, I could see a host of images reflected in it.
I could see the cosmos. I saw this valley, with the Okotoks erratic and the hills. I saw eagles circling the valley
I could see fire.

I also saw people I knew, people from our group--some were dancing in celebration. Other approached the fire and began to blaze, without suffering injury.

I saw some walking along a narrow mountain path--sheer rock on one side and a terrifying fall on the other. As they walked this pathway the trail would crumble behind them so there was no turning back. This trail was curving around the mountain so it was impossible to see any distance ahead.
It was as if the Lord was asking each one--are you prepared to follow by extreme faith? Are you prepared to make a stand, with no turning back? How much, how deeply do you trust me? What price are you willing to pay.

Then my vision pulled back. I saw this enormous lion pick up the house of worship in his mouth and he began to play with it, much as a cat plays with a mouse. He then set it back on its foundation but only upside down. He then went bounding away.

The Lord will set us on our heads. But really he will be setting us right side up. Our perspective has been for too long skewed. What we thought was right side up, was really upside down. The coming shaking is a shaking of the love of the father for his children. It will be a shaking of restoration and a putting of things in order--at long last.

Let it be, Lord.