The Bride of Christ Patiently Waits, While A Pastor Sits In Financial Distress! – Humbled for Service

Psalm 146: 1 – 2

[1] Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

[2] While I live I will praise the Lord;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

 On the morning of the 4^th of May 2020, I had a very interesting dream, I believe, from the Lord Jesus. A dream that that is an indicator of the critical time we are now living in. I wish to share this dream with the believers for their encouragement and edification. Hope we can all learn something tremendous from it. The dream is thus:

In the dream, I found myself standing in a crowd of people. Perhaps hundreds of people. Perhaps thousands. There was darkness everywhere, but there was light within the crowd. The source of light in the crowd came from the people themselves. There was a glow of light around each and every person in the crowd. It was beautiful glow of light. Very soft and pleasant light. We were on top of a small hill and yonder I knew there was a city, though I could not make much out of it because of the darkness.

The people in the crowd looked very young, perhaps in their early 20’s. They also looked very mature. They were very healthy in appearance. Very sturdy. None was thin or emaciated. And none was gross or obese. Everyone looked very young, with strong well-built bodies. I could see health, maturity, patience … glowing from the people’s faces.

Somehow, I was able to see myself too. I looked as I was 22 or 23 years old. And I looked very muscular with a well-built form. My hair was long and dark and curled. It was styled in a way that I have never seen. We all wore very conservative, yet very elegant clothing. The ladies wore dresses made of very soft material and light colored. Their dresses were of various types of colors, but all of the dresses were of very light shades. Some of the ladies had a satin fabric covering their heads. The men also wore light colored clothing too, but some had dark colored jackets which sparkled, issuing glitters of light. And out of these vestments of both men and women, there was the light that radiated from each person. It was a beautiful sight.

I saw two familiar faces within the group. One of a brother called Brian, a former schoolmate and member of the Bible study group. And the other is called Allen, also a former schoolmate and classmate in Primary and Secondary Schools. (I have not seen Allen in many years, maybe 25 years. Thankyou Lord!) They were both as young as I was and were dressed the same way.

We all seemed to be patiently waiting for something to happen or someone to come.

Just as the dream started, a voice within the crowd said in a moderate tone, “It is time now for us to hear the word”, indicating that someone was now going to give a sermon. This was a familiar voice. It was the voice of the old man Larry (not his real name), who shepherds a small rural church, and is very close friend.

We were all completely in one accord and harmony. Everybody knew that I was going to give the sermon. I too knew that I was the one to preach the message as we waited. So as soon as Larry, my Pastor friend, said that “It is now time for us to hear the message”, I stepped up and began preaching immediately.

The message of the sermon was about holiness, with focus on John the Baptist. (A message that I have never heard or preached before, thankyou Lord!). I began explaining why John the Baptist had to be holy – because he was the forerunner of the Holy One. I explained about the necessity of the messengers, and those running ahead of the Holy One, to live holy. Such a powerful message it was.

As I was preaching, I was also walking within the members of this crowd and looking some of them into their faces. I talked just normally, without yelling. I knew that everyone was hearing me loud and clear no matter how far they were.

I came across a lady who wore a very light pinkish dress with flowery patterns and she had a pink satin shawl around her head. I noted that she had been listening very intensely, acknowledging and absorbing every word that I said. She was nodding “Yes” in agreement with the message that she was hearing. And when I got close to her, I saw that tears were flowing from her eyes.

I continued to walk as I boldly describe the life of John the Baptist as the messenger running ahead of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I walked within the crowd preaching and urging holy living, I saw my friend Larry, the old man who shepherds a rural church. In real life he is about 80 years old, but in the dream he seemed 40 years old.

My friend Laurence was not dressed like the rest of us. Neither was light coming out of him like the rest. Something was wrong.

He wore a safari suit, commonly referred to as “Kaunda Suit” in Africa because it was the attire of Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia. The suit was short sleeved and light brown in color. My friend Larry was not standing up like the rest of us. He was seated on the ground with his face looking down. He looked extremely disturbed. In his hands he had his accounts book. He looked very much stressed.

As I got near Larry, I saw that he was not paying attention to the sermon. He was very busy doing some additions and subtractions, but things were not adding up. And this was really upsetting him, and he kept scratching his head as he repeated the calculations. Every effort to balance the accounts seemed to make things worse. Anger and frustration were showing in his face. His facial demeanor was grim and he was stressed completely.

The rest of the crowd listened attentively, absorbing the message, with some nodding gently in agreement. I continued walking in the direction of Larry as I preached, but the dream ended before I got to where he was.

RELEVANT SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 5: 13 – 16

Believers Are Salt and Light

[13] “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

[14] “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6: 19 – 34

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

[19] “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body

[22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

[24] “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry

[25] “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

[28] “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; [29] and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

[31] “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Luke 21: 34 – 36

The Importance of Watching

[34] “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. [35] For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. [36] Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Hebrews 12: 14

[14] Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 

Brothers and sisters, our focus should be on the Lord Jesus Christ now. We are at the end and He is coming soon and very soon for those who eagerly await His return.

Warm regards!

Your brother in Christ, William.