What Was Being Sold (a dream)

In March 2003 an elderly minister I knew sent out an email containing a dream that his sister had shared with him. As I emailed back and forth with the minister for a short time (and with his daughter as well), it became apparent that the minister had misinterpreted his sister’s dream, and I wept as the Spirit unveiled the meaning. The dream, as best as I can recall it, is as follows:

The Dream

She was going to a church, and when she got there it was like an outdoor marketplace or vending booth. There were three items on display being sold: stovepipe hats, t-shirts, and checkbook covers. Her vision seemed especially drawn to the checkbook covers. Each of the items were emblazoned with the same image—an iconic city skyline. As she looked closer at the image, it seemed to move: in the middle of the city there was a dark space on the ground, like a hole. But as she looked it was like there was a black tower like a sharp spike in the midst of it emerging and rising upward to the sky. After this she was filled with a sense of expectancy, which reminded her of when she had visited the Black Hills of South Dakota and first saw George Washington’s face on Mount Rushmore, how the greatness and majesty made her heart swell with awe and pride.

The elderly minister’s interpretation:

The minister believed that the dream was a prophetic message to the nation (the USA). The stovepipe hats (like Abraham Lincoln’s) represented “head knowledge” being idolized, he thought. The t-shirts reminded him of many “protest” t-shirts he had seen younger people wearing, which often had phrases that seemed vulgar to him. I think minister didn’t say much about the checkbook covers, the city skyline image on everything, or the dark place in the city where the tower was rising. He basically painted a picture of the moral decline of the country and its increasing godlessness. Specifically he mentioned how the some people wanted the words “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, how teachers in public schools were being forbidden to pray over their classes. He said all of these things were signs of the time of the end, and that the wickedness and chaos would increase until suddenly Christ would “cut the work short in righteousness” and bring a swift end to it. I believe he may have tied that into seeing Washington’s face on Rushmore, and I think that also inspired him to mention the great and “godly foundations” of the country.

I replied to the minister’s general email, not to contradict him, but because I thought there must be some meaning to the parts he had not mentioned in his interpretation: the skyline, the rising dark tower, and particularly the checkbook covers. As I typed about these things, more and more meaning began to emerge, and finally the parts that the minister had initially interpreted also began to take on very different meanings.

Re-interpretation of the dream:

The minister sent out the dream (and his interpretation of it) during the same month that America began the Iraq war (“Operation Iraqi Freedom”). I did not want to think the dream was about that situation, but sudden weeping came upon me as I understood that the dream portrayed the ‘selling’ of the rationale for the war, the justice of its cause, and the ultimate good that it was said to be undertaken for.

The Church as a Marketplace

The dream shows the church as a marketplace because the majority of American churches really became a place where war, politics and economy were ‘sold’ to Christians, to the American people, and to the Iraqi people.

Stovepipe Hats

The first of the three items being sold were stovepipe hats like Abraham Lincoln famously wore. Just as Lincoln used the moral justification of ending slavery when fighting the Civil War, the Iraq war was sold as being “for the liberation of the Iraqi people.”

(Several years later when then-Senator Barack Obama—who had voted against starting the war—ran against Senator John McCain who had supported the war, the Republican National Convention actually convened against a backdrop of a picture or logo of Abraham Lincoln’s stovepipe hat!)

The T-Shirts

Instead of the “clothing” of Christ’s righteousness, the church was offering the righteousness of the national cause. Instead of preaching “clothe yourselves with compassion” (Col.3:12) the church was teaching people the justification for starting a war. (The minister’s interpretation of it representing vulgar protest shirts is sadly a minor footnote: between 9-11 and the first few years of the Iraq war, patriotic apparel was overwhelmingly the preferred fashion.)

The Checkbook Covers

The checkbook covers represent the prosperity that was supposed to come as a result of the Iraq war– both for the Iraqi people and for American interests. The war was sold as a “win-win” for all sides. It was supposed to liberate the Iraqi people and bring them free market & prosperity—the American dream, basically.

But the checkbooks were empty.

I wept as I understood what the checkbooks meant. They were a façade, an appearance of bringing help and prosperity, but without real substance inside.

The Three Items Being Sold

The real gospel is that Christ came to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and set the captives free. But the items on the table being sold represent a kind of parody-gospel behind what was being sold to America, the church, and the nations:

The checkbook covers = feeding the hungry
The t-shirts = clothing the naked
The Abraham Lincoln hats = setting the captives free

The Image on the Products (and its dark heart)

The city skyline on all of the products beings old represents how the Iraq war was sold to the people as a just reaction to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Following the pattern of previous battle cries in American history, the nation was rallied to war with the motivation to “Remember 9-11” (which was also its moral justification). Although other reasons were given that America should go to war, the rationale that connected with and moved American hearts most was the appeal to that recent national trauma, even when evidence failed to show any link between Saddam and the 9-11 attacks.

The shadowy heart behind this propagandic manipulation of national trauma is simply Babylon— the desire to bend others by force to our will so we may build and preserve our prosperous empire. That is what the dark tower rising like a spike signifies. In the wreckage of the World Trade Center, our pride rises up defiantly: “We will not be defeated, we will not change our ways, we are proud of who we are and what we’ve done, we will stand united and we will beat you.”

Like Seeing Mount Rushmore

The rising, defiant pride of that dark tower in the skyline parallels the rising feelings of awe and pride the minister’s sister felt when she visited the Black Hills and saw Mount Rushmore.

When I first read this, I hadn’t realized that Mount Rushmore was in the Black Hills. I had read when I was younger about how several Native American tribes considered the Black Hills (Pahá Sápa) to be sacred. The US government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie which recognized that the Black Hills permanently belonged to the Lakota people. But after gold was discovered, settlers and the army poured into the Black Hills in violation of the treaty. The United States pushed for the Sioux to sell the Black Hills, but the Sioux would not budge. The army provoked and went to war with the Sioux (most famously losing at “Custer’s Last Stand”) and eventually succeeded in taking the Hills from them after the Great Sioux War of 1876. About fifty years later it was in these same hills that the faces of American presidents Mount Rushmore were blasted into the face of a mountain the Lakota called “Six Grandfathers.” The sculptor chose four presidents who had protected or expanded the territory of the country.

To most Americans, Mount Rushmore may elicit feelings of pride and awe at the greatness of America, but to many Native Americans the monument represents the dishonesty of America in the breaking of solemn treaties, the greed underneath that drove them to do it, and the genocidal policies of the nation against Natives (several of which were undertaken by those presidents whose faces are carved on the mountain).

The spiritual reality underneath the façade of Mount Rushmore is the same as the dark tower in the dream—it’s Babylon: empire, dishonesty, manipulation, greed and violence.

Why Post This Dream Now, 11 Years Later?

That’s my question, Lord. I prayed and shared it with several people at the time, and of course I sent emails to the elderly minister and his daughter. I don’t know what came of those communications. But this week I’ve read with sadness what is happening in Iraq today, where sectarian wars are recurring and increasing. I remembered this dream and You said to write about it and post it. But I wonder, Lord, what good can it do now?

Yet… I pray that it helps open eyes to the spiritual roots, the undercurrents that were happening 11 years ago in America. These strongholds have been in place since the nation’s foundation, and every generation in America is pulled into a major war because these strongholds remain in place. I pray that You use this dream and its interpretation to open up veiled eyes, to expose strongholds in hearts—in the heart of the nation and the church in America—and set people free.

Help us as the church also repent for our part in encouraging and supporting the war and the lies the war was begun upon. Use us as intercessors in prayer, word and deed, to bring healing to the people of a land that we have helped bring more pain and chaos to. Please save them and help them, Jesus, in spite of how we have misrepresented You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

*****

Art link:
"What We've Allowed"

Impending Spiritual Disaster (a dream)

Ignoring a Tornado Dream
January 26, 2014

Last night I had a dream that I was on the second floor of my old house in Maryland. I was looking out the window and saw a tornado coming. Alarmed, I ran downstairs and shouted to everyone that a tornado was coming and we needed to get underground. I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear their voices around me continuing on as usual and not paying attention.

God, as I record this, I'm just filled with so much grief and weeping.

I asked You what this meant, Lord, and You answered:

"Disaster is coming to the church in America!
Already many of My people have chosen
to love the world and fight to the death
to keep their world from being taken away.

As in Noah's day, they are absorbed in their world
—absorbed in earthly liberty and material things—
and cannot see the danger that they will be in
when their beloved idols are threatened.

Already the spirits of many have faded
as they trade in the gospel for the glory of America.
I will send them messengers to awaken them,
to call them to the foundation of Christ alone.

Will they return to the gospel
when the glory of America is threatened?
Or will they continue to let their love grow cold
and remain in slumber until they are no more?"



"Do not love the world or anything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—
comes not from the Father but from the world.
The world and its desires pass away,
but whoever does the will of God lives forever."
(1 John 2:15-17)

"All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever."
(1 Peter 1:24-25)

Fear of Slavery (a dream)

A couple of days ago I saw and posted on Facebook an article about Martin Luther King, Jr., describing and reminding readers of the terror Blacks lived under in the South, how Dr. King taught them to face their worst fears and take beatings, and how they were set free that way.

One of my friends in America read the article just before going to bed. At night she had a frightening dream of being chased and caught to be sold into slavery:

In the dream, I was walking down the street, then someone started chasing after me. The guys who were chasing me in the dream had a whip, and were yelling something about slavery.

So I ran. Then a friend of mine showed up and he ran with me. We hid together. But when the chasers caught up with us, my friend turned me in to them so he could escape. Then I woke up. Awful dream.

I remember more about my bodily reaction (tense) to the dream than the dream itself.

I felt strongly impressed by the Lord that the dream had meaning, and to ask Him to interpret it. So I prayed and asked what this is about and who it is for. He answered that it is for Christians in America.

I thought I should ask for understanding about the meaning of "slavery" but instead I was impressed to ask about the "running away" and trying to hide first.

I asked, "What are we running away from, Lord?"

He said that Christians in America are running away from persecution, and trying to hide from having to suffer with Christ.

The way that we are running is by fighting, particularly by using violence (as has been done in America since the beginning). In waking life fighting seems to be the opposite of running away, but in the Spirit, fighting is often just another form of fleeing from His call to share in His sufferings.



That is what the "friend" represents in the dream. In America we used violence to achieve independence from Great Britain, and ever since have used it as a means of solving disputes. Like the friend in the dream, it *seems* to help us and go along with us. But in real life, it will eventually betray us.

When we use violence to avoid being slaves (as we fear will happen if we don't fight) and secure our "freedom", the acts of violence speak louder than the justness of our cause. As a result, the violence provokes more violence instead of pricking the conscience of the oppressor.

When we take up the sword, we give the other side a reason to hate us and fight. But Dr. King saw nonviolence as a different kind of sword:

"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals."

("Why We Can't Wait", 1964)

Dr. King's nonviolent vision (which he learned from Jesus) of "a sword that heals" comes from the desire to have love and community with one's enemy rather than seeking to destroy them. Instead of trying to defeat the other person, Dr. King sought to win them to his side. Instead of trying to shame them, he sought to make them neighbors and better people.

But today in America, many Christians are just *tense* like my friend was in her dream. Many are very afraid of President Obama, the government, having their guns taken away, terrorists, the "wrong" person getting into office and more.

Many are talking like they'd better be prepared to fight, like it's important to have guns for this very time and reason. When you hear many Christians talk about the things in the nation that worry them, you can hear the absence of peace.

The author of the article testified that Dr. King and the civil rights leaders taught another way:

"They told us: Whatever you are most afraid of doing vis-a-vis white people, go do it. Go ahead down to city hall and try to register to vote, even if they say no, even if they take your name down.

Go ahead sit at that lunch counter. Sue the local school board. All things that most black people would have said back then, without exaggeration, were stark raving insane and would get you killed.

If we do it all together, we'll be okay.

They made black people experience the worst of the worst, collectively, that white people could dish out, and discover that it wasn't that bad. They taught black people how to take a beating—from the southern cops, from police dogs, from fire department hoses. They actually coached young people how to crouch, cover their heads with their arms and take the beating. They taught people how to go to jail, which terrified most decent people.

And you know what? The worst of the worst, wasn't that bad.

Once people had been beaten, had dogs sicced on them, had fire hoses sprayed on them, and been thrown in jail, you know what happened?

These magnificent young black people began singing freedom songs in jail.

That, my friends, is what ended the terrorism of the south. Confronting your worst fears, living through it, and breaking out in a deep throated freedom song. The jailers knew they had lost when they beat the crap out of these young Negroes and the jailed, beaten young people began to sing joyously, first in one town then in another...

Please let this sink in. It wasn't marches or speeches. It was taking a severe beating, surviving and realizing that our fears were mostly illusory and that we were free."

When oppression, tyranny, persecution and fears assault us, we have to follow the Lamb. He suffered and taught us to respond in love towards our enemies.

But we ran away from that in America from day one, and have twisted Scripture so that we could justify our violence and wars. Listening to the fearful way Christians talk about the government and the world (etc.), one can see that we're still deathly afraid of suffering and being persecuted. We may celebrate the martyrs in our books, but in our lives we are all about fighting for our independence and our rights.

Pray that more and more of us choose to lay down fear of losing freedoms! Pray that we will know His peace instead, whether we have freedoms or not. Pray that we will embrace the Cross instead of trying to escape it. If we run from this, we are slaves even if we are free. But if we join Him in His sufferings, we are free even if we are slaves.

Creator's Regalia

On March 15th, I was impressed to listen to a recording I have of the hymn "We Gather Together" performed by a Cherokee flute player. Afterwards as I prayed, I began to see a vision...

I saw the inside of an Iroquois longhouse, and there were First Nations believers in Christ from many tribes gathered together. I saw a man in the regalia of a plains tribe and a fireplace behind him. He looked like Richard Twiss, and he was carrying something to show to everyone. I couldn't see what it was, but then the Lord spoke:

"I have gathered you together because I am calling you to intercede for those who have oppressed you. Their nation will not last. They are proud and believe they are strong, but they are blind and are already dying.

I am setting before you a plea from My heart: My beloved children are in captivity— will you set them free by sharing My life with them? Will you bless those who have cursed you in My name? Will you forgive those who have tried to destroy you in My name? Will you take this regalia—the garments My Son wore to the Cross—and wear it?"

Then I looked in Richard's hands and I saw a blood-stained robe of white, woven cloth. I saw streaks where tears made stains. I saw places where the garment had been torn by hardship, abuse, beatings and suffering. I saw dirt and sand ground into it. Then I saw Richard wearing the garment over his Native regalia, preparing to dance, looking forward and ready to sing. I saw him holding feathers, and believers from First Nations were following behind him, preparing to begin the dance.

I suddenly saw a Cross at the head of the procession (and I couldn't see Richard anymore), and the believers were coming out of the longhouse following the Cross into America. I saw believer after believer wearing the same bloodstained robe of white, torn from abuse and suffering and streaked with the stains of tears. Then I saw from the eyes of the Natives new tears, rolling down their faces and onto the tear-stained robe of the Cross, falling onto where Christ's tears had run as He forgave and interceded for His enemies.

And I heard Creator-Redeemer saying,

"Come!"

*****

Art: "In the Pains of Birth"

Holding On to Straw

Yesterday as I was writing to a friend, God reminded me of a dream
which I had many years ago. It came about a year after I had left an "apostolic-prophetic" network that I had been connected to (for about a year).

I was with leaders from the apostolic-prophetic network and their friends in other ministries, and we were in an upper room that had a table in the middle, but they weren't sitting at the table. The network's leader was near it, but most of them were standing, hanging out and talking with each other off to the side of the table.

We were talking enthusiastically about what some of the leaders had said, and I was glad to have been included. We had notes and pamphlets, and we had coffee (I had made theirs, and one of them had made mine). But as everyone talked,
I held back from saying some things that I didn't feel right about.

Then I was away from them around to the other side of the table, and I saw that I was holding onto a bundle of some dry blades of grass and stalks of straw, which they had given me. I set it on the table and then went around the table to where the network's leader was and told him some of the things I had wanted to say.
Then I saw that I had put the bundle of straw in his hands.

I looked on the table and saw some gold like dust that had seemed to have fallen from the bundle of straw. For a moment I doubted and wondered if the whole bundle was gold, even though I could see that the grass blades were thin, dry, and about to fall apart. He felt it was important for me to keep, and I wanted to please him.
Holding the bundle again, I went back to the table and set it on the gold
that seemed to have fallen from it earlier.

Suddenly a strong wind blew behind us, as if a hole opened up behind us and sucked everything towards it. I held onto the table and my legs flew in the air behind me,
but I had no trouble holding onto the table and didn't need to use any strength at all.
When the wind stopped a moment later, the bundle of straw was gone,
but the gold had remained on the table, melted like wax in long strips.
The network leaders and their friends were gone.



A word from the Lord:

"My children, I have prepared a table for you—My Son!
My Son is the only true foundation,
and only in Him can you fellowship with one another.

But many of you have gathered around your own prophecies!
You are moving away from the only true foundation
and are luring away many of My children with your teaching.

You flatter with your 'prophecies' until you are flattered back
and make My children afraid to let go of your teaching,
causing them to doubt what I have taught them.

But I am calling My children back to My Son
—back to the only true foundation—
and they will keep only what I have taught them.

I will sweep away all that is straw,
and only what is true will remain.
Will you hold on to Him or to your straw?"

The Fruit of Repentance

A few weeks ago God gave me a dream at night:

I was in Native American lands. I was in the midst of a forest area, which was dry and like in winter-time. The trees were tall, grey, and had no branches or leaves. It was near to night.

I stopped at a wooden building that was like a shop for Native American souvenirs. The room was empty, however. While there I wanted to meet with the tribal elders. They came in and stood as if in a somewhat semi-circle line, facing me. I was drawn to them in my heart, and they gave their hearts to me and offered to include me in the tribe.

Then I had to go, but I would come back. My heart filled with love for them, and I wanted to come back to them. They had honored me with their love, and I wanted to honor them and love them back.

I was deeply moved by the dream, but didn’t write it down until a few weeks later when God reminded me of it. Again my heart was deeply stirred, so I prayed and asked God what it meant:

“The night is near for America; many who profess My name are as dead trees, as branches that have been removed because they do not abide in My love. Many are seeking ‘revival’ and practice ‘identificational repentance’ for the sake of land, but turn away from practicing My love.

I am sending My servants to repent to Native Americans for the way My people have treated them. Many have visited Native Americans in recent years to repent for past atrocities, but have then left instead of continuing relationship and becoming family with them. Many have repented only for the sake of ‘cleansing the land’ and ‘to bring revival,’ but have not stood with Native Americans in their needs, their troubles, and in their struggle to secure justice in America. In My name, many Christians have come to the house of prayer only for souvenirs – just to ‘get something’ from Natives and then leave them as abandoned and neglected as before.

Do not treat My beloved children as souvenirs!
Do not speak My name to them without giving My love to them!
Abide in My love for them: abide with them!”

*****

Art: "Giving Thanks"
Re-posted by Terry Wildman at the "Sign Language" blog

"Overloading My Children!"

By Ramone Romero
July 21, 2010

Several years ago an intercessor whom I don't know was praying for a big series of meetings in Japan, which would have guest speakers who were famous 'prophetic' voices in charismatic churches/movements. The intercessor wrote:

"God showed me a vision when I prayed for a dream about the [...] meetings on the other day. In the vision, there was a baby in a crib. A mom came to see him and put a list on his crib, and then walked away. On that list were things that he should and shouldn't do. The baby looked very confused. He didn't know what was he supposed to do."

The intercessor said briefly that they thought the baby was the church in Japan, and the mom were the leaders who were treating the baby the wrong way. But then the intercessor went onto say that God was raising up an army in Japan of elite troops, and that through the meetings God would blow a mighty wind through Japan, and to prophesy to people to rise up, rise up, etc.

It was shocking for me to read because the intercessor writing the interpretation and the leader organizing the meetings (who had sent the intercessor's vision out for prayer) seemed to miss what God was saying: There are many, many, many strategies and knowledges leaders and missionaries have been trying to give to the children of Japan, but ONE THING IS NEEDED, the one thing that will not be taken away from them... to rest in the arms of the Lord, sitting at His feet, being cradled by Him.



I painted this picture (titled, "One Thing Is Needed") maybe five or more years later because of a little note my wife made about being confused. She had been hearing many teachings about how you need to know this, and this, and that, and that, etc., and in this case we need to know this or that, etc. The same thing that was happening at those meetings back then with the 'prophets' continues today, not only at that church/network, but here at local churches and around the world.

God, I want to repent for overloading Your children here. You are the Teacher, You are the One. It's not about what I know, what we know, and all the good things we've learned. They need You, not me. God, give us Your heart for them so that we hold them in love instead of teaching them and then walking away. They need love, so fill our arms with Your love so we may hold them, being Your arms. It's all about You and Your love for them. Amen!

And now, today as I post this (January 18th, 2012), I hear You say:

"My children are being overloaded!
My children are being overloaded!
Where are their spiritual parents?
Where are their spiritual parents?

"Woe to those who overload My children!
Woe to those who set before My children rule upon rule,
knowledge upon knowledge and 'level' after 'level'!
Woe to those who scar My children from knowing My love!

"Repent! Repent! Take away your many rules!
Repent of the many 'levels' and 'keys' you force on My children!
Repent of putting My children back under the yoke of Law!
Repent of giving instructions first while withholding love!"

Bitterness in My Homeland

By Ramone Romero

Ahhh. Recently on Facebook I discovered the relief of the "hide" button in my newsfeed. I was growing irritated at the number of "friends" who kept posting note after note about Obama becoming Hitler or the US government trying to oppress its citizens, etc.

Just today I met with a friend from an actual totalitarian country and heard again some of how life really is under a real totalitarian government. The Tea Partiers or Tenth Amendment folks would say it's the same as what's happening or about to happen in America. But it's paranoia and fear speaking. Not facts at all. Of course they have their data which they find to confirm their suspicions. But it doesn't matter what the facts or data say. They'll find something to make themselves even more upset and afraid, whether it exists or not. When I think of the reality of what my friend's people are going through back in their country, this kind of talk from the Tea Partiers is simply insulting to actual oppressed peoples.

The United States is nothing close to a totalitarian society, nor is the government anywhere near totalitarian. Obama—faults and all—is nowhere near Hitler, and conditions in America are nowhere near what they were in pre-war Nazi Germany. However, the psyche of many people in America *is* similar to that of Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany was able to take hold of the national psyche through fear of "threats" and fanning national pride. Fear and suspicion abounded. In America today the strongest similarity to "Nazi Germany" is the atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and plain hatred among the Tea Party and conservatives.

The hardest thing for me is seeing this coming from people who call themselves "Christians". Last night I mused to myself that maybe if a Republican becomes president next time around, my "Christian" friends might go back to proclaiming the gospel in their online comments instead of posting up profanity-laced articles about Obama. But if a Republican is elected, likely the evangelization efforts of my friends would simply transfer to the conservative agenda like when they supported Bush.

Many "Christian" friends have said they don't give Bush a pass. It seems they think they have learned their lesson: now their gospel is just "don't trust the government". But they don't realize they were not hoodwinked by Bush or Cheney or anybody. It's not about rights, and it's not about the Constitution (as if it were the 28th book in the New Testament canon). They were hoodwinked by paranoia, the spirit of fear, and national pride. Being "anti-government" hasn't freed my "friends" from fear, pride, and having their passions easily manipulated just as they were prior to and during the Iraq war.

*Sigh*

My friend I mentioned earlier who is from a totalitarian country longs for his people. He aches for them and wants them to be free and happy. The people who are controlling the country are crazy, he says. And they are. They're full of fear and suspicion, and their hatred comes to the surface all-too easily. My friend, living here, must watch his country's drama continue thousands of miles away. The tragic thing is that I am starting to know how he feels. I'm watching things in America from thousands of miles away. Just like the agents of the government in his country are full of fear, hatred and suspicion, in the same way the "movement of the people" in America (Tea Party, etc.) is full of the same kinds of fear, hatred and suspicion. America is not moving anywhere near totalitarianism yet, but this kind of spirit is laying the foundations for it in the future.

One day a week my Christian "friends" get together in churches and listen to the gospel, sing about it, and maybe even speak it to one another. They rejoice in God's grace, in the love He has given them, in the fact that He did not count their sins against them. They rejoice that God's love for them has born all things, believes all things, and has not rejoiced in their evil or kept a record of their sins. They behold this grace and give it to one another... once a week. And then they go out and show it not.

There is no greater threat to the United States than the church setting aside the gospel of God's grace in favor of political empowerment. And there is no greater damage "Christians" can do to the cause of Christ than to go on setting the gospel aside while proclaiming Christ's name at the same time. Christ's name is being blasphemed among the nations because of this. The nations abroad, the nations of unbelievers at home, and the nations of people who are Christian but move away from "Christians" because of the amazing un-grace coming out of "Christians".

Around the time of the election I had a dream that I saw Obama in the presidential office, but his face was darkened. Not in color, but in heart and spirit. When I woke up I thought it might be a warning dream so that I could pray that he not become evil or corrupt in some dark spiritual way. Yesterday I remembered that dream and did something that I had not done the first time: I asked God about it.

What was the darkness? Was it that he became evil or corrupt?

"No, not that."

What was it, then?

"He became hardened and embittered."

Why?

"Because Christians hated him so much and did not show him My Son or My grace."

The sad part is that if any of my "friends" read the short dream I shared above, cynically they would simply exclaim that Obama is already evil and corrupt. But they felt so before he was even elected. They would have felt the same about any "Democrat" elected. There is nothing I can say to them, nothing anyone can say. It is a spiritual problem. They might admit it is good to "pray for Obama", but after that moment of benevolence is passed, they'll go on wishing he was dead, cursing him and joking about what should happen to him.

The Bible warns us to guard our hearts against roots of bitterness which can spring up and defile many. I'm watching many hearts being defiled—and the gospel being defiled—from thousands of miles away. I'm grieving and crying. Part of me cannot bear to watch it, so I'm hiding newsfeeds and deleting "friends". It's too frustrating, and trying to talk rationally does no good. I am not going to argue about it. I'll just pray from now on.

****



"Reaching Across"

The package of "truth" is nothing without God's love. And without God's love, we don't know what God is actually doing. We start to miss what He's doing. And like many Jews did in the gospel story, we may eventually disown Him. In fact, it wasn't that the Jews had things "right", but rather that salvation was coming from them, and that salvation was Jesus. And He came not because of them, but in spite of them.

How often do we pride ourselves in our "group"—that we know God and "they" don't? How often do we pride ourselves that we are moral people because we have "the law", and that "they" do not? How many people have been wounded by our judgment? How many people have not gotten the aroma of Christ because we gave them an aroma of judgment instead? We have God's word, and His word will be spoken. But is His salvation going to come to non-Christians because of us or in spite of us?

Look, He's reaching out from the crowd, from our crowd! Many of us are judging, and although He is among us, He is reaching out. He sees there are some people hurting on "the other side." Some are rejecting Him, but some are hurting. Others are confused and just don't know. Many of us don't care. Some of us "in His crowd" see what He's doing. Some of us are angry. Some of us are being moved and having our eyes opened. But without waiting for us, He is stepping across the border. He is standing in the gap. He is reaching across.

What are we doing?

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See also: "Give Freely!"