With Open Arms

I recently had a dream where the Holy Spirit highlighted to me three groups of people.

The Righteous

The Religious

The Backslider

The dream began with the RIGHTEOUS, who were seated in elevated seats at the back of the room. The person representing the righteous was someone I know to be in relationship with the LORD, who loves the LORD with all their mind, heart, and strength. And they truly have a servant’s heart. The scriptures that were highlighted to me about this group were:

“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:10-11)

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)

Next in the dream, came the RELIGIOUS. The person representing this group was standing in deep sand, and they were slowly sinking in it. This person, I know personally, has grown up in “church” and has often displayed doublemindedness, gossiping/slandering, lying, self-righteousness, and strife. They go to church, hear the word, and even “work” in the church, yet there is no real change in them. The scripture that was highlighted to me about this group was:

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

And lastly, I dreamt of the BACKSLIDER. The reason I know that this group is called the backslider is because of the person used to represent the group. This person grew up in church, even received salvation through Jesus Christ, and for a time followed the LORD. But things changed. Slowly they began pulling away from the LORD and started embracing the world. It wasn’t overnight. It was step by step, and began with just a little leaven (a “little” sin). Today you would never know they had once been a follower of Jesus. The most interesting part about this group was the amount of time spent in the dream with them (most of the dream was about this group). The LORD showed me their heart. He showed me the shame that had covered them which kept them from returning to Him. They knew what they had done. They knew that their life was not pleasing to God. And they knew where their only help comes from. Yet, they felt so ashamed and unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness that they stayed in their lifestyle because they didn’t believe they could be forgiven for what they had done.

The individual in this dream ended up stealing something from the righteous, but the righteous did not condemn them. Instead, the righteous pursued them with love and compassion. The righteous reached out their hand, not to cause harm or tear down, but to embrace and build up. And the backslider fell into the arms of the righteous. I bet you can guess the scripture highlighted about this group:

“Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:11-32)

What’s even more awesome about this scripture is that it too highlights the three groups in my dream. The RIGHTEOUS represented by the father, the RELIGIOUS represented by the brother, and the BACKSLIDER represented by the prodigal son.

Notice both in my dream and in Luke 15 that the BACKSLIDER didn’t come to the RELIGIOUS for help. Or that the RELIGIOUS reached out to the BACKSLIDER. No. It was the RIGHTEOUS that the BACKSLIDER sought out. It was the RIGHTEOUS who embraced the BACKSLIDER.

I also hope that you noticed the time spent discussing the backslider. It is very revealing. It tells me that God has great compassion for the backslider. He has not and does not give up on them. And that should be the heart of the CHURCH.

Isaiah 57:17-19 says “For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.”

The whole Bible is rife with scriptures revealing the desire of God’s heart towards backsliders. The common theme of this desire is RECONCILIATION with God. From Genesis to Revelation, we see this great desire of God, which is the REPENTANCE of His creation.

God desires to dwell with us and He desires that we desire to dwell with Him.

 “For the high and exalted One He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this, “I dwell on the high and holy place, but also with the contrite and humble in spirit in order to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].” (Isaiah 57:15)

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:12-16)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”” (John 14:23)

God calls to us. Over and over He says “Come…”

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy grain and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God]. “Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance. “Incline your ear [to listen] and come to Me; hear, so that your soul may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you” (Isaiah 55:1-3)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

He reaches out to us with open arms and from His mouth He counsels us “Repent…”

“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”” (Isaiah 30:15)

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Matthew 4:17)

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”” (Luke 5:31-32)

So the question I pose to you today is this: “Which group do you fall into?”

Can you say that you are the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)?

Or do you come before the LORD and say “‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’” (Luke 18:9-14)?

Or you may be the one who stands afar off saying “‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13).

Regardless of the group you find yourself in right now, I encourage you to remember this:

“If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Know that there is nowhere we can go that He cannot find us and nothing we can do that He has not already overcome. Come to Jesus! He is calling out for you. His arms are open to receive you. Shrug off the jacket of shame. Cast far from you the high and haughty mindset. Come before Him humbly, because deep down you know only He can help you and you are not able to save yourself.

It’s time to lay your way down. Just come. Come to Jesus. He is ready and willing to receive you with open arms.

God Bless you!