Tempted

I think “the flood” might be coming soon, as we see in Revelation 12. I don’t think this is an actual flood of water. I’m not certain what form the flood will take, but I do know that Jesus is the one who will protect us from it. We cannot deny Him, but we will most likely feel tempted to. I was just tempted to. Some of the things I am about to write make me feel very ashamed, but I am also thankful for the mercy of God.

Whether this was a vision or a kind of being caught away to another place, I don’t know. It felt very real. I was sitting in a room and a man who I knew in that moment to be Satan handed me a paper. There were scriptures on this paper, and he instructed me to change the scriptures. Just small changes, but changes enough to change the meaning of the scriptures. I was afraid that if I did not, he would kill me.

He left the room. I decided that I would not change the scriptures. He came back, and I told him that I would not change the scriptures. He pointed to a specific scripture, and strongly suggested that I should want to change that one. The scripture was, “love is strong as death.” He told me that I should change the word “death” to “life.” I felt pressured to. I was certain that in that moment, if I did not change it, he would kill me, but I could not do it.

He did not seem phased by my decision at all, and instead of reacting with hostility, he took me to another room and offered gifts. He wanted me to stay with him in his house. He said he wanted me to be his. It is hard to describe what this felt like. He offered protection from harm and endless adoration, and he was very tempting. I am ashamed to say this, but I did feel tempted to stay. It was like a force came over me, and all the weakest things about me were trying to get me to stay with him.

I also felt sorry for him. He seemed sad and lonely. I thought it was strange that I would feel sorry for him, but he seemed so non-threatening and almost weak. Pleading. I told him that I was sorry, and that he does not seem to be so bad of a person. He is just like we are. I told him that I am sorry for his fate, and I would change it if I could. I know that sounds terrible.

His countenance towards me was not unkind. I told him that I had to go. With a look of sadness and defeat, he told me that I could go, but that I had better go now. I noticed that some of my belongings were scattered around the house, so I went to pick them up. I did not have time to get all of them. His softness soon turned into anger. Have you ever felt so sad and hurt that you became enraged? That is what it was like.

He came towards me, and he was holding something over his head that looked like a book. Water was pouring out of the book onto his head, and as he walked towards me, rain began to fall from inside of the room. Like a wall of rain that was with him as he walked, and it was coming towards me. I ran out of the house, and that was the end of it.

What does this mean?

These temptations and the emotions I felt might seem strange and shameful. Some of it is shameful. However, there are things to learn from this.

Many are tempted to change scripture. Just little changes here and there. Little missuses of the word of God. Many are tempted because they are saving their own skin and livelihood, but they know full well what they are doing. As Christians, we should be faithful to the word of God, even if it means death. I know many believe Christians should not and will not suffer, and Satan himself will tempt us with that same promise. Christians have always suffered and died for Jesus.

What about the temptation to stay with Satan? What about the feelings of compassion for him, thinking, “you are not so bad. You are just like us.” Satan does not seem so bad to us sometimes. Some sins seem so natural, that why not do them? Why call them sin at all?

As Christians, we sometimes feel tempted to be compassionate and accepting of sin. Sin promises many gifts. Sin looks beautiful. Sin appeals to our weaker selves. Sin makes us feel comfortable. But if we join ourselves with sin, he will keep us. Although it might seem strange to feel sorry for Satan and his fate, there is a degree to which Christians should retain compassion for sinners. Their fate is death.

However, there will come a time when that compassion ends because Satan and those who do his work will fully persecute us. We cannot save them. All we can do is get out, and like Jesus said, “don’t go back into the house neither take anything out of the house.” It is interesting that I tried to take things out of the house before the countenance of Satan changed towards me, and I had to run out quickly.

Will Christians suffer persecution or “the flood” because of the sadness, emptiness, fury, and jealousy of the wicked? It seems so. Is this time approaching? I cannot say for certain. Maybe this is a sort of “abundance of business dream,” but it certainly felt real, as if I was in an actual place. Though, the things that occurred were symbolic.

Take it for what you will. We will do as we have always done regardless. We will continue to seek Jesus, learn to trust Him and grow stronger in Him. He will not allow us to give into temptations that would take us from Him. He will make a way for us to escape.