Probably not what you expected right!  I always think of Jesus riding a white horse or maybe a donkey, but never would have imagined him riding an elephant.  This was one of the first ways God started showing me that we would be taking an around the world trip, in a vision of Him riding an elephant.

I was talking with a pastor friend of mine that I meet with every week about what a hard time Katie and I were having hearing direction from the Lord about our next step.  He reminded me that God is good and that He is ready to give us whatever we need, including direction.  He invited us that while we were praying, to picture ourselves in the Throne Room of heaven and wait to see what happens.  I had done this type of Christian imagination before in hearing from God and decided to take his advice.

In my prayer time the next morning, this is what happened:
I came and knelt before the throne and immediately Jesus came over and lifted me up and gave me a hug.  I asked Him where we were supposed to go and He said “It really does not matter.” I asked him for a direction to go and I see a map with a legend in my mind.  It seemed like an arm and finger were pointing to the Northeast.  I look at Jesus again, and his clothing has changed.  I noticed a not straight, but not fully curved sword in a cloth belt at His side.  He was wearing a turban as He talked to me.  I am not sure exactly what He was saying, something about the places I had been and where I was going.  He climbed up on the back of an elephant and began to ride it.

After this vision was over, I began to think about what it meant for Jesus to be riding an elephant.  To me, this spoke heavily of India and Cambodia where I knew Elephants lived.  I had been to both of these places and felt God calling me to return to these two places.  Later, I remembered a story from History (must have had the best teacher in the world, “Thanks Mom!).  In the 2nd Century, there was a man named Hannibal that was a brilliant military strategist.  He was one of the few people to ever invade Rome.  He did this by taking soldiers, cavalry, and yes war elephants over the mountains into Rome.  I found this information and was very interested to see that his point of origin was the Iberian Peninsula on which is another country that I had already been to, Spain.  One simple vision of Jesus riding on an elephant spoke three different countries to me and started giving me direction about where God was calling me.

God is infinite, and He speaks in infinite ways.  It would have been a lot easier if He had just said, “Hey Jeremiah!  Go to Spain, India, and Cambodia!”  However, He wants relationship with us and whether you think so or not, Jesus is fun!!!  He speaks in fun ways and is always calling us to come to the deeper and more intimate places with Him.  The closer we are to Him, the more clearly we will hear Him and be obedient to Him.  I do not know why Jesus spoke to me through him riding on an elephant, but it was definitely memorable.

I encourage you to examine how you see Jesus.  At one time, I thought He was orderly and proper.  Jesus is fun, and He often does strange things just because.  Sometimes our proper views of Jesus need to be shaken up so we can see Him in a new way.  Peter would never have walked on the water if Jesus had not come walking by.  Here it says “Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by” (Mark 6:48).  Jesus would have kept on walking by if Peter had not called to Him.  I don’t know about you, but this almost seems like a practical joke to me.

Jesus is fun, and He always wants you to know Him in a deeper way!!!  Look at your life.  Are you able to have fun with Jesus?  Can you relax and let loose with the Lord?  Can you party with the Powerful One?  If you cannot, ask Holy Spirit to help you to know Him in a deeper way.  The more He reveals Himself, the more you will be changed into His image!  If Jesus is fun, we should have fun too!!!

Jeremiah, Man on Fire!!!