A Nightmare

After awaking once in the night, it took a while to get back to sleep. I spent that time praying – for a child who had lost her mother, and two mothers whose children had left home for a life that went against their parents’ teachings.

I woke next from a dream where I was speaking of our Lord to a lady in whose home I was visiting. She listened while busy with preparations for her own worship service. I mentioned a scripture and she replied, “I don’t believe in scriptures. The Bible isn’t really God’s word, it was written by men. We reach God through the prophet.”

I stood amazed and wondered how I could reach her, then we went with her family to their worship center. It was all made of brick, the building, which had lots of angles, but no windows, the walks, which slanted to where we could not stand up straight, then dipped so that water stood. “This is all wrong,” I said, but the people around me did not understand. Their prophet designed the building – it had to be right.

When I woke, the dream remained, as did the desire to reach that hospitable lady. My scriptures had no meaning for her or the other followers of her prophet.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:26-27 KJV)

How could I tell the dream lady – or any real person – that even large brick buildings can be built on sand? Then I thought of the verses that came before the building parable:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15 KJV)

Thank God we’ve been given a way to know those people who make promises for our future that seem so wonderful!

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20 KJV)

If the Bible is not to be believed, at least take time to look at the fruit. Is it sweet, or bitter? Does it nourish, or take away? Does it wither without fulfilling promises?

Each of those -  the ones who promise our future will be better with them - calls for us to live a specified lifestyle, follow their rules, and gives reasons for doing so. Look deeply, long term, at the families already there – at the individual lives – and place a value on their fruit. Do not tell me that is ‘judging’ them. It is no different than picking fresh, attractive, fruit at the grocery.

What fruit will be picked?