CHURCH OR AMUSEMENT PARK?
April 19, 2024 3:03 AM
Handmaid of the Most High
April 18, 2024 Late Afternoon
Revelation 3:14-18 NKJV "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: [15] "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [16] So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. [17] Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- [18] I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 NLT For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. [3] They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. [4] They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. [5] They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! Hebrews 10:26 ESV For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, Galatians 5:19-21 KJV Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, [20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, [21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I had this dream while napping.
I was seated in the second to last row in a back of a very large church (capacity about 2500). It was designed so that the back of the church was at a 45 degree angle from the sanctuary like you see in some auditoriums with the stage at the bottom. Most of the seats were in the center of the church but on either side there were also limited seating for about 10 people each per row.
It was similar to a large church in my community but it was not any specific church I’ve been in and this is relevant. On either side, above the seating was a huge yellow water slide like a big ride in a water park. The baptismal pool was the destination. To get to the top of the slide, one had to climb a rope ladder like one does in an obstacle course in gym class or in the military. This rope ladder hung just behind the last row of the center seating.
Many liked the activity and talked in animated and loud voices with one another, so that those in the back couldn’t even hear what was shared from the pulpit below.
There was very little order during the service. People were coming in and out of the sanctuary, talking with others with complete disregard for the service.
On the altar, there were baskets of money stacked willy-nilly a top of each other. The bills of various smaller denominations were partially hanging over the sides. In fact, the collection was the only evidence that a service was occurring.
Meanwhile, the pastor was engaged in a conversation with someone and several of the deacons were standing in the walkway in front of the pulpit and they were listening in on the conversation.
In the pews, the people were talking with their neighbors and visiting with others by walking over and chatting. Very few were even paying attention to what happened in the front of the church.
Near the end of the dream, I was standing in a bathing suit in front of the rope ladder, climbing up to the top to ride the waterslide. It was very difficult but someone standing at the top on a platform was encouraging me upward.
INTERPRETATION –
The fact that I was not told this church’s affiliation is pertinent. For this church symbolizes most churches in today’s Western culture. Many different denominations (including the Catholic and Pentecostal churches) are rotten from the church leadership at headquarters on down. Man’s authority has replaced God’s.
This church was a social club. There was an abundance of activity when there should have been an atmosphere of worship. People should have been seated and silent. In a word, it was chaos. Instead of a contemplative spirit of worship, it had a festive atmosphere of a circus or a county fair, people were excited about the “show”.
What should have been Holy, was not. The baptismal pool was now the swimming pool at the bottom of the water slides. People were ignoring the one of the key symbols of rebirth that occurs during baptism and turned it into a thrill ride! This mockery of the baptism in the Lord is about the most sacrilegious thing one can do. Certainly, it was further mocked by people exposing their flesh in bathing suits in the Lord’s “Temple”!
The Holy Spirit is so grieved by women and men showing all their “curves” and “assets” to attract attention from other members as sexual partners, instead of wearing attire that is conservative, non-attention seeking such as covering cleavage. Woman are particularly guilty seeking their next “hook-up” by wearing something designed for a night out at a club or bar. These women are the epitome of playing the whore, with their long salon nails and heavy makeup. Men are not exempt either, treating Bible study and singles ministries as another dating site looking for their next “partner”.
Everyone present was guilty of disrespect of the highest order! People were not even pretending that they were seeking after God as they ran from one acquaintance then another. They had total disregard for the presence of the Lord.
Even the Pastor, the leader, was more engaged in his conversation with someone than focused in the primary purpose of church gathering by delivering the gospel truths to people that obviously needed to hear it!
The money on the altar was treated with disinterest. People gave what they wanted to give (as a show of piousness and not out of a grateful heart or an act of worship). As a result, the money wasn’t going to be prayerfully used to expand the kingdom, instead it was used for whatever seemed pleasing to the leadership. I understood that the spread of the gospel wasn’t even a consideration instead it was for showing off to the community instead its purpose to gather the people and spreading the gospel.
There was casual approach (and laziness) among nearly everyone present. People moved about socializing and none even looked “presentable”. People were wearing “casual summer wear”. Old, worn T-shirts, shorts, flip flops while this alone may not seem worthy of mention – I know the seeker friendly churches in particular advocate being comfortable; the people in the dream demonstrated their lack of respect for the Lord by just showing up any ol’ way. They looked more dressed to clean out the garage than to worship the Holy Creator!
What troubled me was that even I was willing to engage in the activities by attempting to climb the rope to ride the slide. When I asked the Holy Spirit about this, He said that my involvement showed that no one is exempt from being influenced by the bad behaviors of other. This is the reason scripture warns us about the company we keep. Iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17 Additionally, in 1st Corinthians 15:33 the Word says “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals.” We are called to be Holy before a Holy God. Yet, many seldom give the Holy One even a thought during their day. The people in attendance were just playing church. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 “Understand this, in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will become lovers of self; lovers of money, proud and arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless and swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having an appearance of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people”.
This is not the first warning that the Lord has had me share about the Western Church filled to the brim with Laodicean’s. God is not impressed with your lip service. Your true motivation is so obvious that the only ones fooled by your actions are your cohorts! The world sees your hypocrisy and mocks you for it. Unfortunately, they use your actions as an excuse to disparage the true body of Christ. On the day you leave earth, You will hear, “depart from me, you workers of iniquity”! Matthew 7:23 was Christ’s response to the fakers back in His day. It is probably applies to even more people today.
It grieves the Holy Spirit to continue to share this message through the true prophets only to be dismissed, yet again.
There are people reading this, the Holy Spirit is speaking to you that the hour is late for you. You need to change your ways NOW!
Repentance is a must. You can not serve God and your flesh. You must choose. Choosing your flesh is a choice against serving Christ. No man can serve two masters. Choosing your flesh is opposition against serving Christ. We are each called to pick up our cross daily and follow Him, not our own desires. Luke 9:23, Luke 16:13-15
The Holy Spirit is calling you to come out from among them (the crowd seeking worldly activities) and instead to serve Him alone. 2 Corinthians 6:17
Choose to today, whom you will serve! Repent. Heaven is nigh before each of us. Soon the disasters that the watchmen of the Bible warned of the end of days and the watchers today, will be upon the entire world. You may not even have a chance to ponder your spiritual state before you are absent from this world!
Don’t rely on the fact you are young, anyone at any age can suddenly leave us. I remember the 2 years after I graduated high school, 5 of my peers had died as a result of accidents and murder! I was in shock. One dear friend, who wasn’t even 20, died along with his new wife and their unborn child.
I urge the True Bride to share this message with others. Always pray for those who have a form of godliness but deny the power within. You work with them, you go to school with them or they might be your neighbor. Seek the Holy Spirit in ways to witness to them in love and holiness. Ask Him to take over your thoughts so you will speak to their heart the words of truth. Isaiah 6:6-7 A true friend will herald the narrow road and encourage others to join them in the journey to eternity. Proverbs 18:24
I thought the message was complete…
The Holy Spirit told me to add:
There is NONE Righteous, no not one! Romans 3:10-12 Anyone who says they don’t need to repent but just try and do better next time are full of pride and idolatry! They are denying their sin. Anyone, who follows such a person, or who holds someone like this in high regard, is participating in the same sin. Which is witchcraft, idolatry and sorcery. Do not idolize ANYONE but Christ the Messiah! God spoke this in the Exodus 20:3 in the 10 commandments! No one living or dead can take away the penalty of your sin but the Messiah, alone.
Choose this day, whom you will serve. God or Mammon? Joshua 24:15
~Handmaid of the Most High~ Acts 2:17-18
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES –
Romans 8:32
Psalm 14:1-3
I pray that this message will change lives and bring them others into the kingdom for eternity.
Photos courtesy Depositphotos
