In the near future, experiences like this will be common place because God is giving us a “Roadmap to Heaven” so that His children can find their way to the Secret Place of the Most High.
The Bible encourages us to “stir up the gifts” of the Spirit. Is your heart open to visitation? Does you long to see Him? Reading stories about other people’s experiences can help stir up your desire.
Tuesday, August 8th, 2017
My good friend Kristy was using my computer to complete a project so I headed upstairs to take a shower. Afterwards, I decided to do a charcoal facial mask. The black paste on my face needed 20 minutes to dry so I couldn’t use my glasses to read the Bible or work on the computer. I decided to relax in my bed and worship God.
After a couple of songs I switched off the music. “Abba…” I called with a mental cry, “Daddy… can we play for a while? It’s been a rough week.” So far, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had only appeared at church during worship, but my heart longed to spend more time with my Heavenly Father. I wanted nothing more than to be held in the arms of my Father for a short while, but didn’t have any conviction that He would show up.
Out of the darkness, before my closed eyes, a shape appeared. His eyes glowed with an inner fire that was strong and comforting. He scooped me up into His arms and I hugged His neck, burying my face in His white, shoulder-length hair. “I love you…” I whispered. “I missed you.”
“I love you, too, and am glad to see you,” He replied then asked, “What would you like to play?” I was so glad that He showed up I was sure He’d have the perfect thing planned and didn’t really care what we played and told Him so. “Let’s play checkers,” He announced.
Checkers? That seemed like an odd choice to me. When I met with my Daddy before, He knew exactly what I liked… and I really wasn’t overly fond of checkers. I had long outgrown the simplistic game of strategy. Besides, if this isn’t Heaven it was close enough. Playing checkers was the last thing I wanted to do here!
At the table that appeared, I took my place none too gracefully, flouncing down onto the chair. I was mortified as my inner feelings were projected clearly in my behavior: I slumped to one side leaning my chin on my hand, picking a piece at random and moving it forward.
As an author of a fantasy series, I am used to making up stories in my head — it is a talent that earned me the nicknames of Space-case and Airhead growing up. Meeting with the Trinity takes place in my mind, but it is very different from creating fantasies in your mind.
In previous visits I learned that all I had to do was think of a question, the small childlike version of me would ask it; not always in the exact words I’m thinking, though. To me, this proved that this wasn’t my imagination: when I created stories, the characters did what I wanted, what I directed them to do. I created every word and every response.
Now, I had the unsettling discovery that inner feelings are not only heard in this special place with the Trinity, but emotions and feelings can determine the actions of my spirit being—that which appeared as a child before God! This brings a whole new meaning to “being transparent.”
The Bible tells us that God sees into our hearts. In this space with God, the reality of that fact is played out: this is how God sees us.
When I moved the third red checker piece into place, Daddy jumped it with one of His pieces. A few more moves and more of my pieces disappeared while His pieces invaded my side of the board. “This isn’t fair!” I said with a huff. I dashed from my seat and climbed into His lap like I was scaling a hill. “You know everything, I have no chance of winning!”
I sunk back against His chest. Words came forth like water from a broken dam, “I’m tired of losing! It seems all I do is lose!” Tears poured from my closed eyes. The hidden depths of my feelings that I thought I had dealt with long ago were revealed. “I try and try, but everything I think I am supposed to do just fails!” Sobbing, I buried my face in His chest as He stroked my hair. Thoughts of my first series, the movie based on said book, the game based on the same book… even my delayed trip to Heaven flowed through my mind as He held me.
Softly He asked, “Look at the game. What happens when you lose?”
A glance revealed that His pieces had taken over two-thirds of my side of the board. “You move into that spot…” I whispered. Instantly, the Bible verse my mom is always quoting came to mind, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 KJV)
“So I wasn’t failing, I was giving more of my life to You?” The conclusion my mind had drawn springs from the lips of my tiny self.
“Exactly,” He whispered. The heaviness of pain, condemnation, self-doubt, and frustration fell away. A burden I didn’t even know I was carrying was lifted from me.
After a few more minutes of hugging (there is always lots of hugging in our moments together) He asked, “Want to swing?”
I leapt down with the exuberance of the child I appeared to be. He picked me up and placed me on a big swing. My lips turned down in disappointment when He went behind me to push because I couldn’t see Him anymore.
As the swing began to move He asked, “What do you feel?
I focused on my spiritual body, mini-me. Suddenly, I was no longer watching the scene from a third-person perspective; I was in a little person’s body. There was a light breeze as I flowed back and forth. I didn’t have to say it out loud, He knew.
“What do you see?”
Sight in this place was much different than our natural sight: it is more like a muscle. At first, things were vague without much detail, including God. But with each visit things became clearer. I brought my eyes up, staring straight out and strained to focus on what was before me. The scene wasn’t vivid like I’ve heard Heaven to be, but it was clear that the sun was rising over a mountain with a city below.
“A new day is dawning for My children,” Daddy confirmed what I saw myself.
While I am still swinging, I felt His arms wrap around me. It was like He was on the swing with me, holding me close. A curious thought brought the perspective out enough that I could see mini-me swinging and God surrounding me as if I was riding on His lap. “Nothing can harm you because I am with you,” He told me.
Psalms 91, part of my daily prayers, came to mind, “He will cover you with His pinions, under His wings shall you trust and find refuge.”
I knew, beyond a doubt, that my spiritual self would be forever safe from all harm. “But what about the rest of me?” As I thought about my physical body I saw it lying on the bed. “What about my immune system that allergies attack? The vertigo that plagues me…?” Instantly a correction came. It was a strong knowing, a fact that appeared in my mind. My physical body isn’t really me; it is just a tent, a house, that my spirit lives in. My mind struggles with a new question, “How can Your protection expand to include…?”
While I struggled to find the words, I realized that I could not see or feel God anymore. As I had become more focused on my physical self the spiritual world disappeared. “Daddy!” I cried, turning my mind from the physical body to the dark of the spiritual world. “Where are you? Come back!” It seemed like minutes passed while I called out for Him.
“I am here,” He appeared before me.” I will not leave you.”
I leapt into His arms. “But I couldn’t find you. I couldn’t see you!” I insisted, “I couldn’t even feel you!”
“Even when you can’t see or feel Me, I will always be with you,” He assured me.
It is one thing to read the words of the Bible, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV), it is quite another to hear them from God, Himself. A feeling of strength and peace surged into my spirit.
Daddy put me down before Him, “It is time for you to go. There is work for you to do.” He tousled my hair and my heart soared. He trusted me to get things done.
The scene faded, but I knew that I would be back and have more questions answered; questions that I might not even know to ask, but that would mean more to me than I could fathom.
Loud footsteps sounded on the stairs. Kristy called out to me. She needed my help. Feeling renewed, I was grinning as I climbed out of bed. There would have been no time to delve into that final question: How God’s presence with me can affect my physical body. Going downstairs, I hoped that would be one of the questions that got answered on my next trip.
After I helped Kristy with the project, I said, “I was spending time with God while this mud dried on my face. He said it was time to go right before you came up the stairs.” I tried to explain why my shower had taken so long, hoping it would comfort her to know that God knew she needed me and responded to that need.
“Well that just makes me angry,” Kristy replied.
After a couple of songs I switched off the music. “Abba…” I called with a mental cry, “Daddy… can we play for a while? It’s been a rough week.” So far, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had only appeared at church during worship, but my heart longed to spend more time with my Heavenly Father. I wanted nothing more than to be held in the arms of my Father for a short while, but didn’t have any conviction that He would show up.
Out of the darkness, before my closed eyes, a shape appeared. His eyes glowed with an inner fire that was strong and comforting. He scooped me up into His arms and I hugged His neck, burying my face in His white, shoulder-length hair. “I love you…” I whispered. “I missed you.”
“I love you, too, and am glad to see you,” He replied then asked, “What would you like to play?” I was so glad that He showed up I was sure He’d have the perfect thing planned and didn’t really care what we played and told Him so. “Let’s play checkers,” He announced.
Checkers? That seemed like an odd choice to me. When I met with my Daddy before, He knew exactly what I liked… and I really wasn’t overly fond of checkers. I had long outgrown the simplistic game of strategy. Besides, if this isn’t Heaven it was close enough. Playing checkers was the last thing I wanted to do here!
At the table that appeared, I took my place none too gracefully, flouncing down onto the chair. I was mortified as my inner feelings were projected clearly in my behavior: I slumped to one side leaning my chin on my hand, picking a piece at random and moving it forward.
As an author of a fantasy series, I am used to making up stories in my head — it is a talent that earned me the nicknames of Space-case and Airhead growing up. Meeting with the Trinity takes place in my mind, but it is very different from creating fantasies in your mind.
In previous visits I learned that all I had to do was think of a question, the small childlike version of me would ask it; not always in the exact words I’m thinking, though. To me, this proved that this wasn’t my imagination: when I created stories, the characters did what I wanted, what I directed them to do. I created every word and every response.
Now, I had the unsettling discovery that inner feelings are not only heard in this special place with the Trinity, but emotions and feelings can determine the actions of my spirit being—that which appeared as a child before God! This brings a whole new meaning to “being transparent.”
The Bible tells us that God sees into our hearts. In this space with God, the reality of that fact is played out: this is how God sees us.
When I moved the third red checker piece into place, Daddy jumped it with one of His pieces. A few more moves and more of my pieces disappeared while His pieces invaded my side of the board. “This isn’t fair!” I said with a huff. I dashed from my seat and climbed into His lap like I was scaling a hill. “You know everything, I have no chance of winning!”
I sunk back against His chest. Words came forth like water from a broken dam, “I’m tired of losing! It seems all I do is lose!” Tears poured from my closed eyes. The hidden depths of my feelings that I thought I had dealt with long ago were revealed. “I try and try, but everything I think I am supposed to do just fails!” Sobbing, I buried my face in His chest as He stroked my hair. Thoughts of my first series, the movie based on said book, the game based on the same book… even my delayed trip to Heaven flowed through my mind as He held me.
Softly He asked, “Look at the game. What happens when you lose?”
A glance revealed that His pieces had taken over two-thirds of my side of the board. “You move into that spot…” I whispered. Instantly, the Bible verse my mom is always quoting came to mind, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 KJV)
“So I wasn’t failing, I was giving more of my life to You?” The conclusion my mind had drawn springs from the lips of my tiny self.
“Exactly,” He whispered. The heaviness of pain, condemnation, self-doubt, and frustration fell away. A burden I didn’t even know I was carrying was lifted from me.
After a few more minutes of hugging (there is always lots of hugging in our moments together) He asked, “Want to swing?”
I leapt down with the exuberance of the child I appeared to be. He picked me up and placed me on a big swing. My lips turned down in disappointment when He went behind me to push because I couldn’t see Him anymore.
As the swing began to move He asked, “What do you feel?
I focused on my spiritual body, mini-me. Suddenly, I was no longer watching the scene from a third-person perspective; I was in a little person’s body. There was a light breeze as I flowed back and forth. I didn’t have to say it out loud, He knew.
“What do you see?”
Sight in this place was much different than our natural sight: it is more like a muscle. At first, things were vague without much detail, including God. But with each visit things became clearer. I brought my eyes up, staring straight out and strained to focus on what was before me. The scene wasn’t vivid like I’ve heard Heaven to be, but it was clear that the sun was rising over a mountain with a city below.
“A new day is dawning for My children,” Daddy confirmed what I saw myself.
While I am still swinging, I felt His arms wrap around me. It was like He was on the swing with me, holding me close. A curious thought brought the perspective out enough that I could see mini-me swinging and God surrounding me as if I was riding on His lap. “Nothing can harm you because I am with you,” He told me.
Psalms 91, part of my daily prayers, came to mind, “He will cover you with His pinions, under His wings shall you trust and find refuge.”
I knew, beyond a doubt, that my spiritual self would be forever safe from all harm. “But what about the rest of me?” As I thought about my physical body I saw it lying on the bed. “What about my immune system that allergies attack? The vertigo that plagues me…?” Instantly a correction came. It was a strong knowing, a fact that appeared in my mind. My physical body isn’t really me; it is just a tent, a house, that my spirit lives in. My mind struggles with a new question, “How can Your protection expand to include…?”
While I struggled to find the words, I realized that I could not see or feel God anymore. As I had become more focused on my physical self the spiritual world disappeared. “Daddy!” I cried, turning my mind from the physical body to the dark of the spiritual world. “Where are you? Come back!” It seemed like minutes passed while I called out for Him.
“I am here,” He appeared before me.” I will not leave you.”
I leapt into His arms. “But I couldn’t find you. I couldn’t see you!” I insisted, “I couldn’t even feel you!”
“Even when you can’t see or feel Me, I will always be with you,” He assured me.
It is one thing to read the words of the Bible, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV), it is quite another to hear them from God, Himself. A feeling of strength and peace surged into my spirit.
Daddy put me down before Him, “It is time for you to go. There is work for you to do.” He tousled my hair and my heart soared. He trusted me to get things done.
The scene faded, but I knew that I would be back and have more questions answered; questions that I might not even know to ask, but that would mean more to me than I could fathom.
Loud footsteps sounded on the stairs. Kristy called out to me. She needed my help. Feeling renewed, I was grinning as I climbed out of bed. There would have been no time to delve into that final question: How God’s presence with me can affect my physical body. Going downstairs, I hoped that would be one of the questions that got answered on my next trip.
After I helped Kristy with the project, I said, “I was spending time with God while this mud dried on my face. He said it was time to go right before you came up the stairs.” I tried to explain why my shower had taken so long, hoping it would comfort her to know that God knew she needed me and responded to that need.
“Well that just makes me angry,” Kristy replied.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you angry…” I apologize, before asking, “why is it upsetting to you?”
“I have been going to the courts of Heaven; I’m even doing it out loud now, and I haven’t heard even a word! Much less, God telling me it’s time to go!”
I understand her frustration. It was hard for me to see a “Christian” publisher with shady business practices flourish while I struggled. Many times Christians will get angry or upset when they are asking God for a healing and someone else get exactly what they are asking for.
Over the years I realizes that the success of others didn’t take away from what God was doing or going to do with me. God is not short on miracles. Rejoice when you see the supernatural work of God… He is not short on power or blessings and has plenty to go around. Rejoicing in someone’s else's fortune is a great way to see it manifest in your own life.
I tried to apply logic, “I have been considering the fact that you and Alice don’t get to see as much in the courts of Heaven as I do. Christ told Thomas, ‘blessed is he who does not see and yet believes…’ Perhaps your continuing in the courts despite your lack of spiritual sight will be rewarded. Maybe I am allowed to see more because I am explaining the process to others in the book about the courts.”
Having addressed part of the issue, I attempted to encourage her, “And remember, I have been at this for 16 years. You began seeking deeper experiences with the Holy Spirit a year ago and have come a long way since then. It may just be a matter of time.”
The information didn’t seem to help, so I let the matter drop figuring God would let me know if I needed to say or do anything else. The next day Kristy called because she had a dream. She had been asking God to let her remember her dreams and to speak to her through them. This was the second time this week that she could remember her dreams.
The Dream
Scene 1
Kristy was on a steep narrow inclining road. It was kind of like the circular ramp of a parking garage. There were stores along the sides.
She had a silver briefcase in her hand which transformed into a plane. Because of the incline and the narrowness of the path the plane couldn’t fly well so it transformed back into a briefcase and she kept walking.
An old man was giving out tickets to people on this path. He got right in her face and demanded to know why she had five speeding tickets. “I don’t have any tickets,” she proclaimed boldly. The old man left approaching another traveler on the path and issuing more tickets.
Scene 2
Kristy was in front of her house locking it up as she departed. Her ex-husband was inside along with a small baby. Kristy insisted that her ex leave and eventually he did, taking the baby with him. Kristy was slightly concerned about the baby, knowing he was out there somewhere with her ex.
Scene 3
Kristy was back on the steep path. The others on the path had some rats in cages with mouse traps in them. It was a maze that caused the animals to have to reason and think, coming to new levels when they did. The rats thought the traps would kill them, but in reality they were harmless.
Interpretation
This is an excellent dream. It answered the questions Kristy asked the day before. Why isn’t she experiencing the spiritual realm like I am. She has graciously allowed me to share her experiences so that others can learn from them.
Scene 1
Narrow steep path: training with the Lord to bring her up to a new level where her ministry will begin - ministry is usually represented by a car, hence the similarity to a parking garage ramp.
Silver briefcase: Silver represents restoration and redemption. A briefcase is what we use for work which supplies our life. It is also what lawyers carry.
Plane: Flying and aircraft represents movement in the realm of the spirit. Christ is not only our provision and redemption in this world, He provides access to Heaven and spiritual gifts. Kristy isn’t able to “fly in the spirit” so to speak, because she is in heavy training (the steep narrow path). God is telling her that she has abilities in the realm of the spirit that she isn’t ready to access at this time.
Old man: Satan is still placing charges against God’s people hoping to slow their progress in training. Kristy’s activities in the courts of Heaven (the silver briefcase of a lawyer) have effectively gotten the charges against her dismissed. The blood of Jesus has wiped away all record of her sins (tickets) on this earth. Satan has no defense against the redemption of the blood of Christ. He quickly shuts up and moves on to harass the next person.
Scene 2
House: Our life. Part of training is leaving our old life, our old ways behind.
Ex-husband: Kristy is clearing out the old bad habits that were running rampant when she was married to her ex-husband.
Baby: The child this man fathered is still on the same path as his father which concerns her a bit.
Scene 3
Vermin: Those who are not yet children of God; they are still acting out of their animal nature. Many appear to be in on the narrow path (Christians).
Cages: Those without God are still enslaved. Christians have created things to try and get them to think, to come up to new levels.
Traps: The rats think that dangers will kill them, but they are not deadly. This is God directing them, trying to get them to think and grow.
These were excellent dreams that gave Kristy the information that she had been looking for. Why couldn’t see see into the spiritual realm? If you are in training, don’t give up. The realm of the spirit will open up to you when you are ready for it.
My first experience with seeing the very vague form of the Holy Spirt and Jesus was nearly a year ago at church. When it began I could have said, “What’s this? I can’t even see their faces clearly!” And just dismissed the whole thing. But I embraced it and longed for more.
Ten months later I got to see the Father and more objects became more clear, again at church. Then following month I got to see my Heavenly Daddy while I was at home. Moments with God are at His discretion as He sees fit.
When I met with my prayer group and shared this experience with them they asked, “Is this the trip to Heaven that you have been expecting?”
The Holy Spirit provided the clear answer, “This is the Secret Place of the Most High. A place prepared for us for training with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Scripture came with this knowledge which I will go into once I begin compiling these accounts in the the next book. “The trip to Heaven will come once the “Roadmap to Heaven” is complete.”
Later, at lunch with Kristy, I asked the Holy Spirit, “The vision You sent me had four words for the “Roadmap.” If this information is part of that book, which word is this?”
Instantly, the word “communion” came to mind and I recalled that as the first word, just as He promised I would. I remember when I had first seen the words, I wondered what taking bread and wine had to do with the Roadmap to Heaven. The Holy Spirit continued to outline what this word means.
The Mac computer I am using defines communion as, “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” The first step to enter the Secret Place of the Most High is to be in communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God should be more than someone you go to asking for this or that. Jesus is more than a name that saves us from Hell. Find out more about the Trinity through the Bible. It is hard to share detail of our life with someone we don't know. Communion begins with getting familiar and used to sharing with God through the Holy Spirit.
I have been talking with God for a many of years. Not every single day, but more more often than not. I like to spend time chatting with Him if it is just while I’m driving or taking a shower. When stuff happens, you have someone with you that you can talk to about it. God, through the Holy Spirit who resides inside us, loves it when we share the details of our lives. This is getting to know Him.
Then, if you want to go to the Secret Place, time is also a factor.When we meet with Him we let go of the physical and focus on Him with our eyes closed. Is there space in the moments of your day to devote entirely to Him? This can happen any time, any where. It can be right before you go to sleep, on the side of the road in your car, or while you are standing in church singing. I only had twenty minutes and look what God did with that! Can you make room in the business of your life for a visit with the Trinity?
These “Moments with God” will be polished up with a professional edit and make up a large portion of the next Believers’ Boot Camp book, “Roadmap to Heaven.”
More articles on:
Believers' Boot Camp series
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| Roadmap to Heaven |
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| Destroying Curses in the Courts of Heaven |
Many people think of boot camp as a place you train for combat. Any veteran will tell you that basic training is about three things:
- Knowing what weapons are available
- Learning how to use those weapons
- Receiving orders and following them
Believer’s Boot Camp series is a collection of books which teach us how to hear more clearly from God with the goal to ready ourselves for a face-to-face meeting with our Lord, Jesus. The series reveals the “weapons and tools” God has given us and how to use them, so we can bring God’s kingdom to Earth. Each book in the series focuses on a single topic to clearly define one tool or weapon from our Heavenly Father.
The series uses the Word of God to reveal all that He has given us through Jesus. The Bible is our instruction manual and the Holy Spirit is our guide to understanding it.
Volume 1: Why Doesn't God Speak to Me?
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was.
Words rose from my soul, pleading for Him to reveal why He has remained silent when a single word from Him would mean so much to so many. For the next few hours, God used things I learned about years ago and things I had just discovered to show why He talks to some and why He doesn’t, and in demonstrative ways.
In His grace, He also showed me how people could hear more from Him. Basic instructions on how to hear more from God and how to be led by Him are included in this book. Thank you for taking time to consider the answers I received and share with you now.
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was.
Words rose from my soul, pleading for Him to reveal why He has remained silent when a single word from Him would mean so much to so many. For the next few hours, God used things I learned about years ago and things I had just discovered to show why He talks to some and why He doesn’t, and in demonstrative ways.
In His grace, He also showed me how people could hear more from Him. Basic instructions on how to hear more from God and how to be led by Him are included in this book. Thank you for taking time to consider the answers I received and share with you now.
Keys to Authority for Every Believer
There is untapped power that is easy for every Christian to access in the form of authority. The keys to this authority will unlock weapons we can use to free ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. We must be intimately aware of the bounds and limitations of our weapon if they are to be used effectively.
Find out about your authority:
- Why you need it.
- Where it comes from.
- What you can do with it.
- How to get more.
There is untapped power that is easy for every Christian to access in the form of authority. The keys to this authority will unlock weapons we can use to free ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. We must be intimately aware of the bounds and limitations of our weapon if they are to be used effectively.
Find out about your authority:
- Why you need it.
- Where it comes from.
- What you can do with it.
- How to get more.
This was awesome - VERY encouraging thanks !! :)
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