PAYING THE PRICE - PART NINE

2 Timothy 3:1 & ff "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, ........."

It may come as a total shock to you, but  not everyone that names the name of Jesus - or says they are a Christian....is one.

A few years before God had me stay home and pray....for about a year....I had a dream. I've had many dreams that God has spoken to me through, but this one was unusual. I was in a chair with my hands tied behind my back and a man stood there dressed like a catholic bishop, Mitre on his head and staff in hand. An oriental women stood there also, with a gun to my head.

The bishop said to me, "What do you want us to tell your husband?" I answered,
" You do not have to tell him anything, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...."

At this the woman evidently was pulling the trigger and I woke up....totally upset...as it was very real. I vowed I would never go to an oriental country again.

But God had other plans for me......and one of His plans was to go to an oriental country years later.

I would question the Lord about this dream and what it could mean. He instructed me that the man represented organized religion and the woman those within the churches today that call themselves born again, but are not. These will always and forever persecute the Christian....in the very same manner they persecuted Jesus.

Sometime after I received my certification for school administration, I was hired as an assistant principal .....in an oriental country. This country is the most modern of all Asian countries so I was fairly comfortable in going...after all God had shown me what these people represented in my dream therefore the fear I would be executed was alleviated. In a way I was right; in a way, I was wrong.

The group I was hired by was ran by a denomination - this denomination says they believe in the Holy Spirit, but they have a reputation for keeping Him at bay....and running the show themselves. This denomination boasts millions of followers and always builds on the theme of strong family ties. I am not opposed to this, but in my dealing with these I have always been left wondering how they can be so close yet so far away in their understanding of God - especially the Trinity.

This was a school situation and the majority of my dealings would be about students, curriculum, and just plain school activities.

About this time - the Asian economy was under going a shake up and many lost their high paying jobs; they had to revert to driving taxis for a living. Wanting to be like the West they would boast that to strive after the five C's one could arrive and find true happiness. The five C's consisted of = condominium, car, cash, cell phone, and credit card. Yes, we have done our job well in the west....passing on our prosperous attitude around the world.

The school was started by the Anglicans. Come to find out from those in the know, the Anglicans had been Spirit filled believers and did many good works among the community; they were a witness for Christ to many. It was impossible to get permission from this government for a 'religious' school and the Anglicans had....then financial troubles came as students dwindled because of the economy and the spiritual climate in the world, (yes, the world).

The denomination I was hired by had money...and eventually 'took over' the school...but not before they had treated the last of the Anglicans very badly.

I did not know this story until two days before I left this country - and this denomination....indeed they treated anyone really born again ...badly. These were so religious and proud that Paul and Peter would have been scorned openly.

After putting up with their religious attitudes and self-righteousness and yes, blaspheming of the Holy Spirit - I left after a time....but not before God led me to a picture. We were having a small room cleaned out to use for a foreign languages class...a file cabinet and some furniture had been in this room and needed to be discarded. The file cabinet was sitting outside against a wall waiting to be put in another classroom, as I walked past it I noticed something between the wall and the cabinet...I pulled out what appeared to be a picture in a frame.....the bishop I had seen in my dream many years before and yes, here I was in an Asian country.

A teacher at this school was going to leave at the end of the year...she had been at the school during the administration of the Anglicans. Her husband would witness in the city and I would hear him explain to his new converts about being filled with the Holy Spirit, possessing the gifts of the Spirit, and walking by faith not by sight. These things were strictly not part of the denomination that now ran the school. I did not know before leaving the United States how treacherous this denomination was....and believe me if I were to plain out say here what denomination I am speaking of...you would be shocked and even think I was very wrong. No, this was not some people acting in isolation over in another country. The strings of treachery tied all the way back here to a man that has departed from this earth.

Some of the things that they are capable of no one would believe. God had me write a letter - a letter to these and this letter went all the way to the end of the 'string', I did not want to write it ...but had to in order to obey God.

When we deny the power of God through the acts of the Holy Spirit; it is an affront to the God that made heaven and earth.

We have to take our blinders off and see things as they really are. People, look around you and ask God to show you the  truth. What you see today in the majority of churches are not of Him and the sheep are led astray by wolves. It is so blatantly clear I have to wonder why more do not 'see' it.

When the Almighty God sends a warning to these .....He backs it up. The vast majority that call themselve by His name need to believe what He instructed His inspired writers to write and stop ignoring every verse that they are uncomfortable with or can not explain - some other way. Whole denominations play down the Holy Spirit and do you not know they will be judged for this? It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

I came home...one more very valuable lesson learned.....this is part of the reason....the Lord's Remnant came into being.......what you see out there in the majority is not of God...the way it really is ....the way the Bible is written; read it and believe. If you are living in the truth and walking close to God, you will be persecuted...and they will think they are doing God a favor. We live in a society and church world that are flesh pleaser's and the worshipers of money.....greed.

My learning about what is and what is not the church, was not an easy road to take, but I would not trade the insight and knowledge God has led me to. I could see no reason to have to go through all this heartache, but as I look back with the future in mind....today... I can see I had to know these things. This is the Midnight Hour....and we have to be prepared. The church is not being prepared for the end...the sheep are being told - "Everything is going great...according to plan....eat, drink, and be merry..." Not so, judgment has begun and although it is right out in front of us...we can not 'see' that it is God. Those in the church that propagate 'another gospel' do not teach the sheep to cling to the Savior and learn from Him, no...tithing - bigger and better church buildings are on their minds......blind...leading the blind.

South Texas became my home again for another academic year...this time it was for a rest....I taught a third grade classroom that consisted of 8 gifted/talented students and 10 regular students. The success for the state test in my room was tremendous for these students. It was a good year, but no, I could only stay a year...then off to another state.

MKL