I awoke this morning feeling physically and
emotionally drained, worn out by the spiritual battle in which I had been
embroiled during my sleep. It was one of
those dreams which seemed so real that, when you wake up, you’re still trying
to figure out a solution to affect the ultimate outcome. My initial thought was to try to go back to
sleep, reenter the dream, and work it all out for a satisfying and happy
ending. Realizing the impossibility of
that, I tried to retell a bit of it to my husband, hoping to remove the feelings
that were still haunting me. It was an unsuccessful
effort, for I still felt anxious and uneasy within my spirit. To get the dream off of my mind, I decided to
seek comfort through study with the Lord.
However, after a couple of hours, I realized my efforts thus far had not
been effective. Hoping to gain peace, I
decided to write down the parts of the dream that I could remember.
I start by retelling the dream, not
from the beginning, but from the ending, just as I was waking up. The struggle had been so real. I didn’t know if I had been talking in my
sleep or not. As I recall, I was
pleading to someone with the following words: “The blood, the blood, only the
blood of Jesus will wash away your sin!”
I wasn’t just telling them; I was pleading with everything within me. It was as if, without knowing it, they were
standing on the edge of a cliff, and one more step would take them over the
edge. With that same kind of urgency, I
was trying to get them to listen so they could escape their impending doom.
Let me digress back to the beginning
of the dream. Apparently, there were two
souls, who were, for some unknown reason, facing certain death. I didn’t know the cause, but I knew that I had
to tell them about Jesus before it was too late, and they were lost
forever. They may have been complete
strangers to me. Who they were was not
made known. But my heart was breaking
for them, and I couldn’t stand the idea that they didn’t even realize the
eternal doom they were facing. It wasn’t
their physical death that concerned me, but more importantly, their spiritual
death and an eternity separated from the love of God.
With great urgency, I continued to try
to tell them about the way of escape that Jesus had prepared for them, if they
would only believe in all that He had done for them on the Cross. I wasn’t talking with them in a relaxed
manner, as if we had all the time in the world. Rather, I spoke with a sense of
great urgency for them to understand and see where they were headed if they did
not make the decision to receive Him now, as if they were two steps away from
being put to death.
In the next scene, I’m surprised, but
oh so relieved, as I realize that others have joined with me in the battle for
their lives. They are in this special
room, and one appears to be dressed as a high priest. There are others who are also dressed in
special garments. The room has an altar
upon which all things necessary for communion are being set up and prepared. Round about it is a railing before which
those who come forward are to kneel.
Everything was draped with white linen.
They don’t seem to be hurried or in any frenzy, but just working
steadily, calmly and purposefully. Their
attitude and steady pace of work does not seem to be stimulated by who may or
may not be coming. Instead, it seems their
goal is simply to make sure that all is in a continual state of readiness to
serve anyone who will choose to enter in to receive from the Lord.
The scene then flashes back to the
room that is outside of this. I am once
again out there among the two souls and a host of others. I continue calling
out to the two souls, trying to get them to hurry and run to Jesus. All the while, this host of bystanders is now
pressing in around them, calling out in derisive voices, telling them not to
listen, saying that it’s all nonsense, and my warning of concern about any
immediate danger is ridiculous. They try
to silence me, and tell the two souls to ignore my ranting.
Through it all, my heart is breaking
for the two souls who still do not appear to be moved or convinced that they
are in any real danger. It seems that
they are aware of their death sentence that is to be carried out very shortly.
Yet, even that knowledge doesn’t give them any sense of fear or concern for
their need to repent and receive the one and only one that can save them. Inwardly, tears of sorrow and anguish are
tearing me apart. With all that was
within me, I still called out to them, “Hurry, hurry, run to the arms of
Jesus!” It was as if I could see a
tornado just as it was about to come down upon us. I’m crying out to them to hurry up and get
into the storm shelter where they will be safe.
With my voice, I was ringing out the alarm to signal danger just as loud
and clear as I could. They were behaving
as if they couldn’t even see the storm, and even if they could, they didn’t
seem to think it could bring them any harm.
They seemed to be deceived by some idea that they had all the time in
the world, and there was no need to listen to any message to change.
Once again, I return to the end of my
dream. As I awake, I’m still calling out
to them, pleading for them to listen and respond, “The blood, the blood, the
blood of Jesus will wash away all your sins!” Even now, hours later, I’m still
wondering, as if the dream were real; “In the end, did they ever enter that
special room that had been prepared for them, or did they stay in the state of
delusion and oblivious indecision until they were overcome and destroyed by the
storm that was named “Doubt and Unbelief?”
I returned to my husband to read him
my story about the dream. He responded
by giving me the following scriptures (**)
which ministered the peace of the Lord to my soul: (Matthew 7: 13 , 14) Jesus teaches about the way to Heaven.
**“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it.”
Jesus is the narrow path.
The good news is that the path to find Him is readily and easily found
by all who will sincerely seek to find Him.
However, sadly, not all will choose to seek to find Him. Which path do you choose? Have you entered into that special room
prepared for you? How will your dream
end? And the message of the dream is
summed up in II Corinthians 2: ** (my paraphrasing: because yesterday
is gone and none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow) – time is short, and-
“Today is the Day of Salvation”
Hear the alarm and respond to the call before it’s too
late!
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