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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:31 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:15 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

If you have any questions, you can contact me privately by becoming a member.

Johnnyhoppy

February 24, 2024, 12:37:18 PM
awe-inspiring first encounter girls
 
 
 
 
https://url.epoch.tw/JM0wr

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ripsnorting uncovered girls
 
 
 
 
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February 23, 2024, 10:39:30 PM
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ytmp3music

September 23, 2023, 12:39:24 PM
Titanic post! I couldn't coincide more with your points. It's happy to give some thought to such mindful insights shared here.
Youtube to mp3 converter
<a href="https://www.ytmp3.to">Youtube to mp3 converter</a>
 

Hidden In Him

March 02, 2022, 01:44:01 PM
What a beautiful Spring day! Glory to God!
 

Hidden In Him

January 07, 2022, 06:49:10 PM
Alive and well!  :)

Happy 2022! This is gonna be a good one. I can feel it, Lol.
 

MoreBloodWine

December 30, 2021, 05:29:20 PM
You alive Chris ?
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:17:44 PM
But ya, any PM's sent they should be made aware of via email, if they have notifications set for receipt of a PM.

But even if so, my newsletter blast can ignore such settings so anyone registered will at least get my message. But I can name them specifically in it for *** & giggles.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:15:17 PM
Still need to check some things but that will be easy enough to do via PM.

When the site is re-opened. It is now, but tech locked down... but when it's "back". I can send out a newsletter, anyone who has an email attached that they still use will be made aware / be able to come back if that's what they choose to do.
 

Hidden In Him

October 14, 2020, 05:56:59 PM
You're kidding... That would be something. Any way to contact ShadowKen and Indybones? And maybe Pineapple, LoL. I suppose if it's all intact I could just message and it would go thru to email.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 01:53:33 AM
@HIM: The MP is back, but it will need to remain in maintenance mode until I can re skin it / fix some of the underlying addons, But it is loading again... all data should still be intact.

I've already alerted spddmn's wife to let him know ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

April 27, 2020, 06:37:28 PM
And after checking, it wasn't done yet, LoL. Looks like it is now (hopefully).
 

Hidden In Him

April 08, 2020, 10:37:46 AM
This one's pretty good, LoL. Should be fun to put on video some day.  :)
http://www.spiritualwarbiblestudies.com/index.php?topic=181.msg207#msg207
 

Hidden In Him

March 10, 2020, 12:43:23 PM
 :) :) :)
 

MoreBloodWine

March 10, 2020, 07:02:44 AM
Everything happens for a reason, even if it's rewriting old works ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

March 07, 2020, 07:12:18 PM
My wife dislikes the idea that I'm rewriting studies rather than writing new ones, but the Lord is now opening up Colossians to me like never before, and some work needs to be redone. Very excited about the new insight!  :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:19:44 PM
...get back to making sure studies were ready to put on camera when the time comes.  :)

So how's life with you?  
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:18:44 PM
I noticed you were still lurking around, LoL. Glad to see I'm not the only one happy about it.  :) Hard at work converting the garage into a recording studio & music room. Gonna be nice! The soundproofing is going to be work and money, but a lot of it is already purchased. In the meantime, I had to
 

MoreBloodWine

February 29, 2020, 01:59:43 AM
 :) :) :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 28, 2020, 05:43:50 PM
I'm officially going back to writing! Glory to God Almighty!! Having fun again already, and going to be going to work improving and the adding to the set on Colossians.

Blessings in Christ to all who visit,
Hidden
 

MoreBloodWine

November 02, 2019, 02:37:56 AM
I rarely ever used Tapatalk to log in to the site. Not sure if anyone ever actually did as the issue of it not working was never reported.

But for our mobile uses, certain things like this chat box will not be available through the app as this chat box is an addon itself. But all boards within the forum are available and currently confirmed working.

Ty & my apologies !
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:21:06 PM
An excellent passage I am now writing a study on in the Book of Colossians.

"And I am now rejoicing in [my] sufferings over you, and filling up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for His body's sake, which is the church, of which I became a servant
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:20:49 PM
... of which I became a servant according to the administration of God having been given unto me, for you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but which has now been made manifest to His saints, to whom God wished to make known what

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Author Topic: The Journey  (Read 662 times)

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Hidden In Him

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The Journey
« on: January 15, 2023, 08:21:44 AM »
Escape From Christendom, Chapter 1: The Journey

                     


     In my dream I see the lone figure of a man following a road. As the sun sets beneath the hills, a city comes into view. Nearing it, the traveler sees what appears to be a large group of churches. Spires and crosses pierce the skyline. His pace quickens. Is this his destination? He passes an imposing structure, a neon sign flashing "Cathedral of the Future." Farther on a floodlit stadium supports a billboard boasting that fifty thousand people crowd into evangelistic meetings there three nights a week. Beyond this, modest "New Testament" chapels and Hebrew Christian synagogues cluster together on the street front.

     "Is this the City of God?" I hear the traveler ask a woman at the information booth in the central square.

     "No this is Christian City, "she replies.

     "But I thought this road led to the City of God!" He exclaims with great disappointment.

     "That's what we all thought when we arrived," she answers, her tone sympathetic.

     "This road continues up the mountain, doesn't it?" He asks.

     "I wouldn't know, really," she answers blankly.

     I watched the man turn away from her and trudge on up the mountain in the gathering darkness. Reaching the top, he starts out into the blackness; it looks as though there is nothing, absolutely nothing, beyond. With a shudder he retraces his steps into Christian City an takes a room at a hotel. Strangely unrefreshed, at dawn he arises and follows the road up the mountain again; in the brightening light of the sun he discovers that what seemed like a void the night before is actually a desert - dry, hot, rolling sand as far as the eye can see. The road narrows to a path which rises over a dune and disappears.

     "Can this trail lead to the City of God?" He wonders aloud. It appears to be quite deserted and rarely traveled.


________________________

Commentary

     Enter in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter therein. But straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be who find it... Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 7:13-14)

     The above passage is clearly alluded to at the beginning of this dream where it states, "The road narrows to a path, which rises over a dune and disappears... It appears to be quite deserted and rarely traveled." The "narrow way" and the "straight gate" of scripture refer more specifically to the greatest commandment of God, which has never changed and remains the same today just as it was back then. The one thing believers are commanded to do above all else is to love the Lord their God with their whole heart, their whole mind, their whole soul, and their whole strength.
     Do most Christians focus on keeping this commandment? Maybe the better question is, are they even being told to nowadays? I once saw a local preacher tell his congregation, "You need to be involved in church. Just like Jesus wants you to give Him 10% of your income, He wants you to give Him 10% of your time as well," implying that 10% of their time should be spent in church and/or in helping ministries that supported it. In essence, he was telling them that if they gave 10% of their time to the church, the rest was theirs to do with as they pleased. At first I assumed he might be joking, but he never broke a smile and never deviated from what he was teaching. He was serious, and this was a fairly large local congregation with hundreds in attendance.
     Looking back on it, that message epitomizes what this dream prophesied would become of much of Christianity. In many cases, church involvement has become a substitute for a truly consecrated life dedicated to the Lord Himself, and in the process it has become a successful trick Satan is using to subvert true worship of the Living God. A good church can be a tremendous blessing, but as the opening words to this dream suggest, developing an active church life is not necessarily finding the road that leads to eternal life like many are led to believe. The Devil has arranged things so that the broad path can fully accommodate church attendance and participation in some cases, so long as full and true devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself becomes excluded in the process.
     Returning to the dream, as the traveler ponders going into the desert to find God, he is advised against it, and persuaded instead to "put down roots" spiritually and avoid going to religious extremes:

_____________________

"The Journey" Continued

     Indecision slowing his steps, he again returns to Christian City and has lunch in a Christian restaurant. Over the music of a gospel record, I hear him ask a man at the next table, "That path up the mountain where the desert begins, does it lead to the City of God?"
 
     "Don't be a fool!" his neighbor replies quickly. "Everyone who has ever taken that path has been lost, swallowed up by the desert! If you want God, there are plenty of good churches in this town. You should pick one and settle down."

     After leaving the restaurant, looking weary and confused, the traveler finds a spot under a tree and sits down. An ancient man approaches and begins pleading with him in urgent tones, "If you stay here in Christian City, you'll wither away. You must take the path. I belong to the desert you saw earlier. I was sent here to encourage you to press on. You'll travel many miles. You'll be hot and thirsty; but angels will walk with you, and there will be springs of water along the way. And at your journey's end you will reach the City of God! You have never seen such beauty! And when you arrive the gates will open for you, for you are expected."

     "What you say sounds wonderful," the traveler replies. "But I'm afraid I'd never survive that desert. I'm probably better off here in Christian City."

     The ancient one smiles. "Christian City is the place for those who want religion but don't want to lose their lives. The desert is the territory of those whose hearts are so thirsty for God that they are willing to be lost in Him. My friend, when Peter brought his boat to land, forsook all and followed Jesus, he was being swallowed by the desert. When Matthew left his tax collecting and Paul his Phariseeism, they too were leaving a city much like this to pursue Jesus out over the dunes and be lost in God. So don't be afraid. Many have gone before you."

     Then I see the traveler look away from the old man's burning eyes to the bustle of Christian City. He sees busy people hurrying hither and yon with their Bibles and shiny attaché cases, looking like men and women who know their destiny. But it is clear they lack something which the old man with eyes like a prophet possesses. In my dream I imagine the traveler turning things over in his mind.

     "If I do go out there, how can I be sure that I will really be lost in God? In the Middle Ages Christians tried to lose themselves in God by putting the world behind them and entering a monastery. And how disappointed many of them were to find that the world was still there! And the people here in Christian City who are preparing to go to some jungle or a neglected slum, maybe they're coming closer to what it means to be lost in God. But then, a person can travel to the ends of the earth and not lose himself."

     The traveler turns again to see the old person starting up the road for the narrow path down to the desert's edge. Suddenly, his decision mobilizes him and leaps to his feet, chasing after him. When he catches up, they exchange no words. The ancient man makes an abrupt turn to the right and guides him up still another slope which steepens as it rises toward a peak shrouded in a luminous cloud. The climb upward is very difficult. The traveler appears dizzy and begins to stagger. His guide pauses and offers him a drink from a flask hanging over his shoulder. Panting, he drinks it in great gulps.

     "No water ever tasted sweeter than this," he says with great feeling. "Thank you."

     "Now look there." The old man points beyond them to a vista not nearly as monotonous and desolate as it had seemed earlier. The desert below has taken on many colors and gradation. In the far distance blazing light is throbbing and moving on the surface of the horizon like a living thing. "There is the City of God! But before you reach it, you will have to pass through those four wildernesses you see."


________________________

Commentary

     In dreams and visions, seeing things from a great height is symbolism for seeing things prophetically, or in other words from God's perspective. In the following excerpt from Anna Rountree's vision The Heavens Opened, the Lord Himself took the form of an Eagle in teaching that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy:

     Suddenly the wings of a large bird passed over me... He was powerful, fierce, and majestic in flight. I had never heard of a completely white eagle. “Stretch out your hands,” He said as He began His descent. The spirits bowed toward the Eagle. I did not know what to do but to stretch out my hands. The Eagle, as large as I, backed into me so that His eyes and beak were where my face was. Then just as quickly He was before me again, with His eyes piercing into mine. I gasped.
     Just as quickly, the Eagle changed into the Lord. He said, “This is so you may know that ‘the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Then He became the white Eagle again. “Come,” He said... We came quickly to an outcropping of rock near the top of a mountain. An eagle’s nest was positioned on this rocky thrust. The nest was large, perhaps five feet across, and made of strong tree branches. I climbed from His back and stepped down onto small, downy feathers within the nest. The white Eagle perched on the nest’s rim. The view of the circling mountain range and valley below was breathtaking...
     The great Eagle spoke, “So much of what is happening now in the body of Christ is like paper dolls—one copying the other.” The paper dolls disappeared, and an eagle of pure gold flew by. “I am looking for an eagle of gold, Anna - rare beyond measure.” As He spoke, power like a surge of electricity ran all over the eagle of gold. It became pure white, like the great white Eagle “The golden eagle becomes like Me,” He said.
     He continued, “There are many eagles, for I am generous with the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ But, Anna, I am giving you an invitation to become an eagle of gold.” Suddenly I saw a rocket blast off from the earth and shoot into heaven. The great Eagle continued, “The golden eagle’s nest is in heaven. The golden eagle does not even eat earthly food. It feeds above. The paper doll eagles catch fish, kill snakes, chase rabbits; but the eagle of gold breathes the ether above. It does not seek after or eat carrion. The golden eagle eats from the hand of God until it looks and smells and is like Me—pure white. There are many that look like Me, but you must eat from the hand of God to be like Me.” (The Heavens Opened, Rountree, P.45-47)


     This is why dreams and visions are exceedingly important to those aspiring to be soldiers in the end-time army of God. They lay out the steps that will need to be taken if one would be chosen for it, and not everyone will. Those who can't receive what the Spirit is saying to the churches disqualify themselves. Like the woman in Christian City who had no idea what lay beyond the mountain in the dream, they simply cannot see what is coming prophetically. But dreams and visions will be the hallmark of the end-time church. Instead of continuing to resort to the teachings of men, they will eat from the hand of God Himself.
     As scripture itself promises:
 
     I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And I will pour out My Spirit upon My servants and My handmaidens in those days. And I will show wonders in the heaven and on earth, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes." (Joel 2:28-31 LXX)

     Returning once more to the dream, the messenger now gives him instructions on the four deserts he must pass through if he would truly make it to the City of God:

_________________________

"The Journey" Continued

     "Directly below us is the Wilderness of Forgiveness." The traveler notices small, dim figures making their way slowly in the direction of the city, separated from each other by many miles.

     "How can they survive the loneliness?" Asks the traveler. "Wouldn't they benefit from traveling together?"

     "Well, they aren't really alone. Each one of them is accompanied by the forgiveness of God. They are being swallowed by the desert of the Lord God's vast mercy. The Holy Spirit is saying to them as they travel, 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' They are made whole as they travel."

     Just beyond there is an expanse of blue. "Is it sea?" Inquires the traveler.

     "It looks like water, but it's a sea of sand. That's the Wilderness of Worship. Here, look through these glasses and you will see that people are walking there, too. Notice how they begin to group themselves here. They are having their first taste of the joy of the City--worship. They are discovering how they were made for the worship of God. It is becoming their life, the white-hot source of everything they do."

     "But don't people also worship back in Christian City? What's so special about that wilderness?"

     "Worship, that is true worship, can begin only when a life has been utterly abandoned to the desert of God's presence. Out there the heart begins to worship the Father in spirit and truth."

     Looking beyond the blue wilderness to where the desert rises in red and fiery mountains, the old man explains to the traveler that among those reddish mountains is the Wilderness of Prayer. "Passing through that wilderness travelers find it necessary to turn away from every distraction and concentrate on prayer. They quickly learn that there is no possible way for them to survive but by crying out to God continuously. By the time they reach the outer extremes of that wilderness, prayer is their consuming passion and their supreme joy. It appears at first that the City of God is just beyond the Wilderness of Prayer. But there is one more wilderness hidden by those mountains, which you will pass through before you reach your destination. It is simply called the Harvest. You'll know it when you reach it. And beyond the Harvest is the City itself. Your name is known there. Your arrival is awaited with eagerness. Come, let's begin our journey."

     "Nightfall doesn't seem to be a particularly propitious time to begin a journey like this," he says.

     "Don't go back to Christian City," the old man exhorts, gazing at him earnestly."

     "Not even at this hour? That way I could get a good night's sleep and start first thing in the morning," the traveler adds hopefully.

     "But your rest is out there," he urges. "Walk on now into the desert. The Holy Spirit will help you. Don't be afraid to be lost in God. You'll find your life nowhere else."


_________________________

Commentary
   
     Like many other dreams and visions being given to the church, this applies directly to the end-time army of God. Those chosen for it will eventually have the Spirit of God poured out upon them in great measure, and the works they do will bring about the harvest promised by our Lord to take place at the end of the age. (Matthew 13:37-39)
     As will be stated in the last Chapter:

     Dying men and women were being raised to their feet like the dry bones Ezekiel saw. They were being delivered from their diseases, their sins, and their spiritual prisons, merely by drinking the living, life-giving water and sharing it with others, bringing healing to them. As by a spreading fire or a surging flood, the sick ones were being swept to their feet. Laborers there who had spent years seeing limited results found that now it was taking no more than a single drop of water on a parched tongue to raise the dying to life, and each day the process was accelerating. Finally, I saw the last prone body raised to life. What once appeared a battlefield of defeat had become the camp of a mighty army.

     There is a difficulty those who are chosen for it will have to face, however, and it's mentioned here in this last section: Loneliness. Those who dedicate their lives completely to the Presence of the Living God are overwhelmingly in the minority today, with few who will share their perspective, let alone walk the path God is calling them to walk. To the contrary, because of what is commonly being taught, most don't even know it exists. And as this dream will also allude to, such circumstances present a certain danger to those who will attempt to walk it. Anyone who cannot withstand the loneliness involved may prove unable to persevere in these "deserts," which is symbolism for a harsh environment emotionally where isolation can sometimes lead to despair and even spiritual death.
     But the loneliness can be overcome, for the Lord walks with us, and this is what is being communicated by this opening Chapter. Paul endured persecution in preaching the gospel, and found that even his friends deserted him when he needed them. But he remained strong, saying "No one stood by me the first time I defended myself. All deserted me… but the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength" (2 Timothy 4:16). And those who wish to truly walk with God essentially have no choice anyway. As other visions state, only those willing to dedicate themselves to the Lord completely will qualify for the end-time army of God:

     "Behold, I am preparing a holy army. They will do mighty exploits for me and destroy your high places. They are an army of holy men and women, boys and girls. They have been anointed to preach the true gospel, to lay hands on the sick, and to call the sinner to repentance. This is an army of working men, housewives, single men, single women and school children. They are common people, for not many noble have responded to My call. In the past they have been misunderstood and mistreated, abused and rejected. But I have blessed them with boldness in holiness and in spirit. They will begin to fulfill My prophecy, and to do My will. I will walk in them, talk in them I and work in them."
     These are they who have turned to me with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. This army will awaken many to righteousness and purity of spirit. I will soon begin to move upon them to choose for My army those I desire. I will search for them in the cities and towns. Many will be surprised at those I have chosen. You see them begin to move across the land, and do exploits for My name's sake. Watch and see My power at work.
     "This army," said the Lord, "which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, will arise from the land and do great works for God. The Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. He shall tread down the wicked, and they shall be ashes under the soles of His feet… This army shall fight against the forces of evil and shall destroy much of Satan's work. They shall win many to Jesus Christ before the day the evil beast arises," said the Lord. (Divine Revelation Of Hell, P.141-144)




Note: To read the entire dream by Robert Drunell in its context without interruption, a complete PDF can be found here:
https://keskenyut.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/escape-from-christendom.pdf









« Last Edit: March 09, 2024, 01:10:54 PM by Hidden In Him »