Why the Bride is not Seeing Jesus
- Rebecca Lynn Hardy
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Recently, the Lord has been encouraging me to take one step at a time with Him. I complete one task, only then does He give me the next one. After writing up the next Meat of the Word, I looked up a few items for a Special Report about recent events in the world. However, the Holy Spirit didn’t lead me to start writing that message. Instead, He gently nudged me to lie down and rest for a bit.
Having drunk too much coffee to enjoy a quick nap, I spent time worshipping the Lord after dedicating the time to Him. I did this, not expecting to visit with Him face-to-face, but because I loved the time I had been spending with Him. My relationship with Jesus has come to the place where He only brings me to the Secret Place when He has a message for me or for His bride. I’m not going to sugar-coat this “new place” as being “wonderful.” I miss the old days when I visited with Him every time I worshipped Him, but I keep reminding myself, “Your will, Lord, not mine.” For this reason, I was super excited when a vision materialized in my mind:
It started with a joyful hug at being together, then we began dancing. The first few steps were in sync, but a song came into my head, and I began dancing wildly around Him: first twirling behind His back out of time, then with an enthusiastic swing. This isn’t the first time I’ve danced out of time rhythm He set, but it was way more determinedly out of time than I have ever been!
Panicking, I thrust myself out of the vision, praying as I often have in the past, “Holy Spirit, I give you my mind, my imagination. Cleanse it from all unrighteousness with the blood of the Lamb. Let Your will be done, Your thoughts come forth, and not my own.” Taking a deep breath, I began worshipping the Lord once more, and again, a vision opened up before me.
I ran into Jesus’ arms, thrilled to be there. Quickly, He swooped me up into the air, holding me above His head. With arms outstretched, I tried to move this way and that way so I could see what was around me, squirming like a worm on a hook. In one swift move, Jesus brought me down, capturing me in His arms like you would a baby.
My eyes crinkled, squeezing shut in frustration. I thought, “What is going on! Lord, I’m so sorry!” Forcing myself out of the vision, I pictured myself at His feet, determined not to be so out of control. I began worshipping Jesus once more, and another vision opened up before me:
I hugged Jesus, throwing my arms around His neck. He tried to dance with me, but I kept asking Him what was going on. He would try to lead me in one direction, and I would talk in His ear, then I’d switch direction and talk in the other one.
Frustrated, I thought, surely this is a vain imagination, and demanded, “Do you confess that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh to the Earth?”
Jesus’ voice was filled with love, but like a frustrated parent to a child, “Yes, and it is Me, now sit, just sit at My feet and just be!” Taking my shoulders in His hands, He guided me to turn away from Him and sit with my back to Him. Pulling out a brush, He began combing my hair. Much to my chagrin, my hair was tangled in a huge, rat’s nest about six inches in diameter. He brushed out a small portion, then brought out a huge sword, chopping off my hair at my shoulders.
Suddenly, I was not at His feet, but standing beside Him. Someone else was at His feet, trying to gobble down a huge chocolate bar without Him seeing.
“Oh!” I exclaimed with relief, “This isn’t me!”
“No, it is My bride, and why are they not visiting with Me! Now look at the other visions from that perspective.”
With these words, I knew Jesus was waiting for so many to come and visit with Him, and now He had shown me a few reasons why they weren’t! Let’s look at what happened in each of the visions to see what is causing the delay for some believers.
First Vision
Many people are so excited when they come into a relationship with Jesus, as seen by the hug. At first, they try to listen carefully and follow His lead: the first few steps were in sync. But then, some Christians begin “marching to their own tune,” so to speak. They are still connected to Jesus. They still love Him, and even worship Him, but they are not listening to Him. How do we know this?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 7:21 ESV)
See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. (Ecclesiastes 7:29 ESV)
Hearing our own music means we are following our own ideas. How do we know what God’s will is if we are dancing to our own tune? There are good ideas and there are God ideas. Not only that, but the timing has to be right.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 ESV)
The least one shall become a thousand [a clan], and the small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its [appointed] time. (Isaiah 60:22 AMPC)
God’s timing is perfect. He has a plan for our lives, but we must rely on Him and wait on His timing. If we move too fast, we may find ourselves where He isn’t. Without His help, what we do will bear little if any fruit.
Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (John 15:2 AMPC)
If we continue walking to the beat of our own drum, in time, we will no longer be able to feel the Lord. If you are having difficulty feeling His presence, ask yourself, are you dancing to His tune or your own?
The great thing about Jesus is that He is always ready to start again! He is truly the God of second, third, and even a million chances. Didn’t He tell His disciples to act that way?
Then Peter came up to Him and said, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:21-22 AMPC)
When you forgive someone, then God forgives you. This means you let go of the resentment and anger. You begin anew. Seventy times seven is a metaphor for a number without counting. Since Jesus told His disciples to do this, we know He is willing to do it with us!
Second Vision
Some come to Jesus with great exuberance, especially when they realize that through Him, we have access to the spiritual realm. Air represents the spiritual realm. When we are twirled over His head, we are in the air: the spiritual realm. Unfortunately, as the spiritual realm becomes real to us, we can forget that we should be working with Jesus, following His lead, not doing what we please.
The Heaven, even the Heavens, are the LORD’s; But the Earth He has given to the children of men. (Psalms 115:16 NKJV)
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53 ESV)
The word “LORD” is in uppercase because it is the name of God. He alone is in charge of what happens in the Heavens, the spiritual realm. The Earth is for mankind. When Jesus lived as a man on this Earth, He had declared that He had to ask His Father to send angels to help Him. Are you not following His lead in this?
Some well-meaning Christians begin operating in the spirit realm without Jesus. They invoke His name and use His blood to accomplish what they think is right. The Lord took one such into His arms like a little baby. This means they will need to become as little babes, learning anew, and listening to Him. We have a free online class that addresses all the scriptures I am aware of that speak about spiritual warfare. If you are a “spiritual warrior,” perhaps taking a look at these classes will help you start fresh!
Third Vision
The exuberant hug shows a love and excitement to be part of the bride of Christ; however, the focus is still wrong. Instead of resting in Jesus and following His lead, these members of the Body of Christ are busy asking questions. Don’t misunderstand me, asking questions is not wrong, but if that is the majority of our focus with God, then we are not resting in Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
With many visits to the Secret Place, I have noticed a pattern. If I let go of my questions about the world around me, the Word of God, or anything else, I move into the Secret Place more easily. When questions dominate my heart, I struggle to achieve the full connections necessary to enter into the Secret Place. Also, the Lord often answers questions before I ask them.
When our mind is jumping from one question to the next, always searching, our thoughts can become a tangled mess, much like the hair of the woman in the vision. The big sword He used to cut the hair is the sword of the Spirit: the Word of God. Paul encourages believers to use that same sword:
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)
It is our flesh that attacks the Lord with questions when we should be listening. When our mind holds arguments and opinions, constantly seeking answers to them, our mind is a mess! We must take our thoughts captive with the Word of God. If you have a question for the Lord, look to the Word of God first, what does it say about it?
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4 ESV)
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. (John 6:48-50 ESV)
Jesus is the Word and the Word is metaphorically food and bread. The last part of this vision showed where the bride’s focus was in the Word. Chocolate represents the good, rich benefits of the Bible. This part of the Bride is determined to remain focused on the good things out of the Word instead of the strong, solid food: the meat, through which we grow. It is like eating a diet of junk food and expecting to have good health and a fit body.
Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight]. For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. (Hebrews 5:11-14 AMPC)
Chocolate is not only milk, but sugar! It is the sweetest part of the milk of the Word of God. If you want to visit with the Lord in the Secret Place, you must be willing to begin applying what you learn, discerning what is good and what is evil, and choose that which is good. Use the Word of God to do that!
Have you noticed all three begin with a show of affection? Without genuine love and excitement? Loving God is a must to enter into the Secret Place. What is loving Jesus?
Jesus answered 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. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. (John 14:23-24 ESV)
Loving Jesus is more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. It means being willing to obey Him. When we do this, there is a great reward: Jesus and the Father will come to us and make their home with us! That is what it means to be in the Secret Place, that is where we actually see them! There is an entire class about the common ways most Christians are failing in this area: it is strong meat for those who really want to see Jesus. Look for the Loving God class at the Online Church or the Churches of Revelation on the Living Word: RebeccaLynnHardy.com. These are free classes that will help you get ready to see Jesus face to face! If any part of these three pitfalls applies to you, it is time to get out the sword of the Spirit! Are you ready to apply the strong stuff from the Word of God and grow with Him?
Comments