Only One Way Out

I was in this filthy, dirty, developing-world immigrations building trying to get a visa into a country. I spent the whole dream going and coming through the front entrance of the building, up the first flight of stairs and into the huge reception area. It seems I spent a lot of time talking with different foreigners in the reception area. I don’t remember entering any offices or meeting officials, but I must have, because I’d tried a few times to get a visa but I never got one. The reception area, stairs and outside area leading up to the building were really dirty and unkempt.  I thought that the reason I couldn’t get a visa was because my story wasn’t convincing enough. It seemed that it was all about convincing the officials that I could really help their country and their people with some big project. But talking to the different foreigners who were also trying to get into the country helped me see behind the scenes and I realized the awful truth; which was the officials would look at your project and judge it on the basis of whether or not  they could get their “percentage” out of it…   (It must be Jesus alone that has kept us here in this country all these years.) Anyway, at the end of the dream I was walking out of the building through the front entrance and into the compound of the complex before reaching the actual compound gate and suddenly my eyes were opened and I realized that I had to get out of there. It was like I was in the wrong place. I don’t know if you have ever felt that feeling like your job is done and you’d better get going and out of the place you are in. I felt like that when leaving India. It was like Jesus lifted the veil and the grace that goes with being  a missionary in some of these countries and you experience the full impact and spirit of the place. It was like we felt we couldn’t get out of that country fast enough…

What comes to mind is the MO letter “Breakdown”. Dad was in great indecision in Israel at the time; he couldn’t decide whether to stay in Israel or not; so he asked Jesus to show him if he should go to the immigration office and stay or to the ticket office and go. Here’s what happened:

46. BUT AS I WALKED DOWN HAMAGINIM STREET, AND I KNEW in the next block or two I was going to have to decide which way to go–to the right to the Immigration to renew the visa to stay, or to the left to American Express, to buy our ticket to go–I really got desperate and I really cried out to God. I REALLY GOT DESPERATE IN PRAYER AND I JUST CRIED OUT DESPERATELY TO THE LORD: “Lord, the time has come–the point of decision! Now, right now, I’ve got to know! We’re on our way right now, to one place or another. It’s got to be done today! I’ve got to know now, Lord!–Right this minute, which way to walk! Lord, now either I was misled and deceived and was wrong about all that, that I got, and we might as well go up to Immigration to apply for a visa to stay–and who knows: if I was that wrong, why ever leave? Or Lord, if I was right and that was the truth that You showed to me about the Jews in Israel, then for God’s sake, and my sake, and Your work’s sake, show it to me again like You did then! Wake me up and help me to see it again! I’ve got to see it in the Spirit, Lord! I can’t go any more in the flesh! I’ve got to see it like You see it, Lord! Show it to me like You did before!”
47. AND THEN I HAD THE MOST HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! I don’t even want to tell you because it was so disillusioning, and it so stripped away all that glorious glamour that I was beginning to enjoy again. I said, “Lord, am I deceived about these people, or was what I felt at the beginning really true? What’s right? What’s wrong, Lord?” And I literally asked the Lord, “This thing has got to be decided on the basis of the spirit. I can’t lean to my own understanding. I here and now acknowledge You. You’ve got to direct my path which way my feet are going to go, and You’ve got to show me the truth like it is, Lord! I’ve got to have a spiritual conviction about this whole thing! I can’t just run because I’m afraid. It’s got to be by conviction!
48. LET ME SEE IT AGAIN, LORD! Show me, Lord! Are these people good or bad? They look so good, so wonderful, so kind, so hospitable! They’ve treated us so well! If I judge them in the flesh, I like them–I want to stay! But how do they look to You in the spirit, Lord? It has to be a spiritual decision, based on the realm of the Spirit and the spiritual truth–not for any other reason–not on my natural liking of the people and the country or the natural reluctance of my flesh to leave!”
49. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PEOPLE I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT WERE [EVIL].–That if everything were suddenly clear in the spirit right now–if they could see me as I am, they would attack … me right now, like they did Jesus and Stephen, and the rest of them! If right this minute they could read my mind and what I think, and what I believe–could see me now as I see them, they’d [attack]!
50. IT HAD TO BE CLEAR–JUST LIKE A PICTURE! I’d had that impression before! Wow!–if they knew what I was thinking, I’d be in danger! But this time it was just like a vision! I’ll tell you!–It nearly scared the wits out of me! And I couldn’t get to that ticket office fast enough! (Breakdown [#0066])

Prophecy:  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed…So how do the Demases of this world forsake the path, the way? They lose sight of the reason they came to Earth for in the first place. And how do they lose sight of the mission? They lose sight of the Word; they allow the Word to be pushed out of their minds and hearts by the cares of this world. They become comfortable here in this alien world. They lose sight of the fact that they are strangers and pilgrims. Just as Uncle John will be an alien in the different worlds he will be visiting during the Millennium and as nice as some of the people may seem and as interesting and as tasty as some of the scenes and food are in those worlds, he must not become familiar and comfortable there. He must always remember he is a citizen of Heaven. Let the lessons you learn here remain indelibly stamped in your hearts, for it is too easy to become one with the locals when the Word ballast has been taken out of your life. The world and its ways starts to splash in over the sides of your boat and soon enough your boat fills with water and down you go into the world, into the dark deep, just like the Family which, if you remember, was once quoted as being the Titanic.

“My officers, to see and understand that I liken and compare the ocean liner of the Family to the Titanic prior to her demise. The great Titanic of the Family–which many in their familiarity and compromise have thought “unsinkable”–is indeed sinkable, unless met with drastic and sweeping measures! The rift in her side is long and deep and great, one that cannot be remedied by “compartmentalizing,” and one that cannot be ignored or it will be the end of her. No matter how “slow” that sinking and death is, it will come, unless immediate, precise, and drastic action is taken.”

MB: I remember thinking after I’d woken that the reality is that there is nowhere on Earth to go to. It is not the Israel in Dad’s experience, and it is not this country or that country. It is the way the world is. The developing world isn’t as adept as the West at hiding the spirit of their country. In the West they are practiced worldlings; just like Satan is so good at hiding his perfidy under the bushel of light, so are these ones so good at hiding their gross darkness in a pretended light of righteousness. The church is exactly like this. Pretended righteousness is the grossest type of darkness, a darkness that pretends to be light. So don’t be fooled by the niceness of your surroundings, or the people. If they don’t love Jesus, and I mean really love Jesus to the point of being willing to forsake the world and everything and everyone in it in order to have Him, then be very careful. You are more than likely in a trap or snare that very well may be your undoing. If you are having a hard time seeing all of what I am talking and dreaming about then do what Dad did when facing the decision to leave or stay in Israel…or more aptly put…the world. Now I know this is the wrong way to look at our situation, but I also remember thinking if Jesus doesn’t come back in 2026, then for sure the Great Tribulation will have started…and with nowhere to go but up, it is going to take supernatural grace to stay on this planet. Of course Jesus will give it, but I’m surely praying it doesn’t come to that. I know others are definitely feeling this way because here is an excerpt from a prophecy that says pretty much what I am trying to portray in this podcast.

“I feel very tired. At this moment I have given up. But then I know I have nowhere to go, nowhere to run to for surcease from my situation. And so I at some point have to keep going. But only for a while until I fall again!

(Jesus:) I know your frame; I know your make up; I know where I am taking you and the way that you need to go and how you need to travel this life’s path. You obviously need it this way. You need this constant stirring of the pot to keep you ‘alive’!! Otherwise you truly would be dead- dead spiritually and the carnal mind would have long ago infiltrated and overgrown your garden, lost forever in time. This is the only way.”

The battle may be long but Jesus will give us the grace for every step of the way, as long as we keep our eyes on Him and all the promises He’s given us throughout the Words of David. Don’t be looking at the flesh to save you or give you surcease from the battle. It is a fake plastic peace of mind, a ruse of the enemy that has captured many children of God, even those whom we thought to be the strongest are just weak men and women without Jesus.