The Subtlety of Pride

Church hierarchy, ministry leaders, missionaries, church workers and

ministers of the Gospel are all prone to a disease. It is no respecter

of persons. Pride can be so subtle, yet so pernicious!

By Malcolm B Heap, Midnight Ministries

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I need to share with you about a most important subject. If you are a church worker, this matter will be doubly vital, because it will determine the outcome of all that you are working for.

Paul wrote:

We are God's fellow-workers; you are God's field, God's building (1 Cor 3:9, NIV).

...Each one should be careful HOW he builds, for no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor 3:10-15, NIV).

Do you comprehend what Paul meant? Do you realise that much of what evangelists, pastors, preachers, and some self-acclaimed 'prophets' and 'apostles' are building is going to be burned up in the fires of the Tribulation just around the corner? Why? Because it's not of God.

Paul was talking about building the right spiritual fruit; about producing godly character that God can co-exist with, live with and love, because it's like He is. All efforts towards building that good spiritual result are likened to gold, silver, precious stones or jewels. But all efforts that encourage the wrong kind of fruit or results in people are the wood, hay and straw, which have no lasting value.

Do you know what those wrong results are centred around; what is their root and from where they derive their sap? And why this matter is so crucial? Paul explains:

Don't you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him (1 Cor 3:16,17, NIV).

Those are strong words!! What is it that brings God's destruction upon such church work?

In one word: pride! Notice:

Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you thinks he is wise... (1 Cor 3:18, NIV).

You can read for yourself the rest of what Paul said.

Of course, pride is not the only destructive factor in character. There are other traits that God condemns. But pride is such an insidious enemy. It often goes totally unseen, so there are times when it has to be revealed.

The Sweet Poison of Pride

Such was the case in the account I am about to repeat here. It was written to an accomplished church pastor after God brought him to contact us. God moved him to see our web page, and he wrote asking for our prayers for deliverance in his family. He probably figured that those who have God's power to raise the dead must also have power to put demons out, and he had high hopes that he could receive a 'quick fix'.

But quick fixes are not possible where there is pride. That root of evil allows the devil a foothold in your life, to torment you and cause all sorts of trouble.

When you can be truly humbled and your heart turned around fully towards God and not self (self is the idol which pride protects), God comes in immediately by His Spirit (Is 57:15; 66:1,2).

But that process of change is not easy, and the more accomplished you are in church circles the more difficult it is to accept. The human heart does not want to admit it is wrong. So, it is not surprising that my words to help this man were resisted and rejected. Like Job, he justified himself.

It was then that God spoke to another person to act as a second witness. In this instance it was Mila Thompson (Midnight In America). She wrote to help this dear man see what was holding him back. Her letter was an excellent précis of the subtlety of pride, so I reprint it here. I am sure it will help you and many others to see how evil but also how pervasive this sweet poison is. It ruins many a church leader and his work!

Dear Xxxxx,

My name is Mila Thompson.  You don't know me, but I am a child of God, and that makes us a family. I have been burdened for you lately. My husband Steve and I have prayed for you several times in the past week or so. As you understand, Malcolm has shared with us your story and your cry for help. I hope it is OK with you. It was done in love and good faith. 

This morning I was moved by the Spirit to pray for you again. It was one of the shortest prayers I have ever prayed, and immediately I received a storm of thoughts in answer. They contain some insights into your situation. What I have to say does not come from me, but rather through me. So please consider it prayerfully. 

Before I go any further, please understand that whatever follows is NOT criticism. It is meant to help you see, for such was my prayer. In His immeasurable love, the Lord gave me a prayer (I had no intention to pray about you this morning) in order to show me some things that can open your eyes if you accept His warning. So, here goes.

You have a terrible situation in your family. It is painful and brings you a lot of sorrow. You cry out to the Lord for deliverance. And the Lord has answered your prayers, because He IS FAITHFUL! Only He has not answered exactly the way you wanted it to happen. You wanted a simple quick fix: "Just do what I ask, Lord! That's all I need!" But the Lord's understanding is NOT like our understanding! He does not think that a quick fix will do, because there are some things in you that need to be changed. He showed you these things before in prophetic messages and dreams, but you did not understand!  (I will get to those messages later and will point them out to you, quoting from your own letter.) So, your situation as well as your own future depends on your willingness to humble yourself and admit that God is always right. In that humble mode you will ask Him to show you exactly what He wants you to change, and He will. This is in a nutshell the core of your problem. Please allow me to explain.

I am sure you have experienced the following scenario in your life. A man needs help; he needs it desperately! He cries out, he begs you to save him. You come to that person, filled with love and sincere desire to rescue him. To do that, you must say some pretty rough and unpleasant things because acknowledgement of one's sins, mistakes, or failures is the first step to healing and deliverance. For we cannot repent of something we do not admit having done. I am sure you agree with me so far. Will you be able to help this person if he refuses to face the truth about himself?  No matter how much you love him and wish to help, it will be impossible without his full cooperation. Do you agree? I hope you do.

Now, let's go back to your situation. As I have mentioned, you prayed for deliverance and the Lord answered by putting you in touch with His prophet who can speak for Him and explain to you what you could not see and did not understand.

When you found MM's website you knew that Malcolm is a prophet of God. So, when you asked Malcolm for help, did you ask for just another man's opinion or did you enquire of the Lord through His prophet?

You were enquiring of the Lord! What use is it to you to know yet another man's opinion? How can a man (any man) help you? Do you not know that it is the Lord who heals and delivers?  Of course you do!

Having admitted from the outset in your own letter that you were writing to a prophet, you asked him to pray for your need and to interpret a dream which you could not understand. Malcolm did what you had asked for and responded to you with what God had showed him. Then you turned around and rejected the answer, as if it were a merely human opinion! Dear Xxxxx, let's be logical: if I ask a prophet for a message from God and then reject what he has to say, I am rejecting God, not the prophet! The survivors of Judah did exactly this, and you may recall what resulted from their rejection of God (Jeremiah 42-43). So how can God help you if you reject His message?!

Interestingly, you do not reject Malcolm as a prophet in general. You do not call him a false prophet as some spiritually blind false ministers do. You KNOW that God has given Malcolm and Helena this ministry to restore the truth to the Church! However, when it comes to your personal matters, you persist that he is wrong about you. You state that Malcolm (but rather God) is wrong about you having pride. Well, the Spirit moved you to write about some dreams and prophecies in your letters to Malcolm so that He can show you through others that He had given you warnings in the past. However, you did not see or understand.

I think the Lord has moved me to write to you because I had a problem of pride. [Everyone has to face this issue sometime, or many times, in their life.] The Lord has been teaching me very intensively about pride and training me to fight it. In the beginning I did not know how much pride I had. But now I am grateful that He revealed it to me. I would like to share with you some things that He has taught me.

1. Pride has many forms, from the most obvious to the most subtle. The most subtle form of pride is NOT in what we do or say. It is NOT even in what we think. It is deeply hidden at the very bottom of our heart and is not even formed into a thought! I am attaching to this letter some dreams God gave me in the past two years, pertinent to the subjects of pride and what is wrong with the churches today. We may believe we do things to serve the Lord, to help people, but at the bottom of this passion to serve, hidden, may be a desire to be noticed, praised by men, acknowledged, admired, needed by others in order to know God, etc.  Remember the scripture:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jer 17:9-10).

Pride is the main characteristic of "Ego" – the ugliest and the most difficult idol to demolish. All men have pride in one form and degree or another (with very few exceptions[1] throughout the history of mankind). If someone claims to have NO pride, it IS HIS PRIDE SPEAKING!

The idea that there are two kinds of pride – one good and one bad, is a reprobate and sneaky deception of the devil. There is no such thing as good pride! God hates it for a reason. It blinds us to Him and turns our spiritual ear deaf. Jesus is our model. If anyone has ever had any right to be proud, that would be Jesus. However, He did not have as much as a hint of pride. He was giving all the glory to the Father. Shouldn't we do the same? I have learned that even to be proud of what God has done through me is wrong. Even when I praise the Lord for it I may still be proud that He has used me as His instrument!

2. Pride cannot be addressed and dealt with once and for all. It is a life-long everyday battle. Killing it is the cross we have to pick up and carry as we walk in Jesus' footsteps. Believe me, it is a hard thing – to reject this sweet poison every day. But for one who truly loves God as I am sure you do, it is THE ONLY thing to do!

Sometimes it gets frustrating. Say I make plans to do something, believing that it is God's will. I get excited about how wonderful it will be. Then I hear this small quiet voice inside saying one word: "Pride". And my hands drop in desperation. "Lord, shall I ever do anything right??? Shall I ever have a pure heart??"

But the very moment of this desperation is precious, because it humbles and purifies me. I repent, and then He shows me what He wants me to do. And it is so much better than all my previous smart plans! In this constant battle with pride I have understood what Paul meant when He said: "When I am weak, then I am strong."

3. God is faithful! When we admit that He is ALWAYS RIGHT and are willing to accept His correction, He will always warn us about the enemy's traps, even in advance. This still baffles me at times.  The forewarning can be hard to understand, because you cannot see what you have done wrong. Of course you cannot, as you have not done it yet! But after a few lessons, through analyzing the past events, comparing them with the warnings we have received, we learn to trust the Lord and listen to Him carefully.

July 9, 2005

Last night I received a cryptic message for you.  I had a dream in which I was given some things to write you. Then a voice spoke and said:

"With God 2 is enough, but you choose 70."

The message woke me up, and I was given its interpretation. 2 means "certainty' in God's numerics. It is fitting that two relevant scriptures were given in the morning to confirm the meaning of this interpretation.

A) "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (Zec 4:6).

B) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD" (Jer 17:7). 70 = 7 (God's perfection) x 10 (man's government, human power). Thus, the deciphered message reads: "With God certainty is enough [trust in the Lord], but you choose to pollute and distort His perfection by human attempts to control and run things."

You have tried to justify existence of churches, saying that some of them are good [this is the typical church leader's retort] and that some pastors are good. Truth is – some pastors are good indeed! Even among Catholic and Orthodox priests there are some faithful and good servants of God (as deceived as they may be).

But the entire system, the hierarchic pyramidal structure of churches is an abomination to God! Whether you want it or not, it leads others to look up to men rather than God. It puts a man in a position of an intermediary between other believers and the Lord.

For this reason, all churches will not stand! It is inevitable! The ONLY Church that will stand is NOT a human organization. It is His Church, of which Jesus is the sole High Priest and Head!

Please understand that this is not personal! And you fail to see it only because of the subtle pride, which makes us desire to be in the position of control and importance. That is why, again, you were reading God's Church Whose Authority? as if it were just another book of another author, with whose personal opinions you may or may not agree. We are instructed to prove everything, but we must prove it by the Word of God and the witness of His Spirit in us, not by any human reasoning. Once again the Lord has given you a warning in the message last night that human attempts to control and run things are wrong. Such attempts only pollute and distort God's perfect plan.

Please allow me now to show you in the prophecies and dreams you mentioned to Malcolm similar warnings God had given you before He led you to ask "Midnight Ministries" for help.

"…The Pastor said come forward Solomon my son. I find this an amazing statement, as from a little boy people always commented on a natural wisdom that I had, and it was noticeable wherever I went, to God be the glory. The Pastor went on to say words to the effect of, "just as David was superseded by Solomon, you will continue the ministry". She also said that I would continue to play the guitar as I do now, and will be faithful until death. [This prophecy contained a warning to you, not a commendation of your wisdom. Consider the story of Solomon's spiritual demise. A man so richly blessed by wisdom, wealth and the knowledge of God, betrayed the very One who had blessed him! If you were not poisoned by pride you would have noticed that warning yourself. However, it felt good to hear a comparison to the wisest man ever. This is the way Satan works!]

"…The regional manager appears in the dream and tells me that I need to change my clothing because of the job that he has given me, so I go into what looks like the toilets at work, use the lavatory and notice that my stools are white, change my clothing, and put on a white garment…" [The need to change your clothing symbolizes that you must purify yourself of all that is not of God. Remember that the Lord's Bride must not have any stains or wrinkles, or any such thing. Pride and stubborn self-will are definitely not of God. If you did not have any of these, there would be no need for God to tell you to go and change clothes, don't you think? Secondly, using the lavatory depicts in symbolism an act of getting rid of all impurities that defile us in the eyes of the Lord. Your stools were white, which means that the impurities (excrements – toxic matter) of which you must rid yourself seem to you as good and pure things (white is symbolic of righteousness). That is why this white excrement has a meaning of self- righteousness. You are proud of being 'humble'! (How subtle and ironic!) You are also proud of the many people you have brought to God. Even if you say "Praise be to the Lord", it still does not change the fact that you are proud to have been His instrument in this. But it is wrong in His eyes, as the dream shows by comparing it to human waste. Any type of pride is wrong, because it builds a wall between us and our God.].

Dear Xxxxx, the good news is (as the above quoted dream shows) that you love God enough to be willing to change. You will turn around and repent. And after you have done so, you will see that Malcolm did not publish booklets containing his own human opinions. He was given a job to write down and publish the truths that need to be restored so that the Church might be prepared for the Bridegroom's coming.

God bless you.

In His love,

Mila Thompson

Some Dreams From God

About Pride

The Deadly Cobra of Proud Church / Ministry  Leaders

Dream given to Mila Thompson - August 4, 2004

I see a house. Steve and I need to go into an inner room of the house. It is a laundry room. Our way lies through another empty room. It's the only way to get where we are going. In the center of the room we have to pass there is a big snake standing on its tail-end [arrogant, assertive, defensive of what it considers its territory].

The snake is flat like a cobra, but does not have a 'hood' on the sides of its head the way a cobra does.

The snake begins to spin around at a great speed, standing on its tail at a 60° angle, so that its eyes are on the level with our eyes. Every now and then it coils back and then thrusts itself out in our direction with enormous power, stretching its body full length to reach and bite us. It is very big and almost reaches the ends of the room.

With our backs touching the walls we have very little space left to walk. It is very dangerous, but we keep going.

I begin thinking about a chance to grab the snake below its deadly jaw but its movements are so fast and precise that it seems physically impossible. I know that the moment we make any movement in the direction of the snake it will strike. So, I do not make any movements, but somehow, the next instant its neck (the exact part beneath the jaw I was considering) is in the grip of my left hand, and I am squeezing it tightly. Now we can cut off its head and be safe.

Then a thought comes to my mind: why was it standing there preventing us from going into that room? Out of the corner of my eye I seem to catch some movement on the floor of the inner room and it makes me think that the snake might have had a nest in there. If I am right, its little ones may be hidden in that room. We talk about being careful and checking the room carefully when we enter it. If there are any little snakes in there, and if we do not find and kill them, they will grow up to be just as dangerous and deadly as their mother. In fact, they would be even more dangerous, because we would be unaware of them.

Meaning:

So far two levels of interpretation of this dream have been revealed to us: a personal level and a more general level for the Church as the body of Christ.

The house symbolizes the house of the Lord (His Kingdom).  We normally enter through a church organization, which could have been depicted in my dream as the larger room we had to pass through. However, it can also mean a certain period of any individual's personal spiritual growth. To get to the "laundry room" (symbolic of spiritual purification) we have to overcome some obstacles (personal traits of character) which may stand in our way.

In the Bible, Satan is depicted as a serpent. It can be also used as a symbol for any satanic influence, force or trait of character which Satan uses to draw us away from God. Any sin that stands in our way to spiritual purification and hinders our walk with God is a venomous snake, deadly for our spiritual life. Pride is the most dangerous one of all. It can be found at the root of almost every evil intent or deed of man. It was at the root of the original sin of humanity in the Garden of Eden.

The snake in my dream resembled a deadly cobra, very fitting for a dangerous thing like pride. When poisoned by pride, we are blinded, lose our discernment and become easy prey for the devil. We become spiritually deaf and unresponsive to the Lord's warnings through the Spirit. Individually, I was shown that because of my desire to do God's will and obey Him, He gave the head of my own personal "cobra" (pride) into my hands. The dream obviously shows that it was not done by any natural capability of mine, but supernaturally, by His Spirit. However, we were given a warning to remember and look for the "little snakes". We must always be on guard against the seeds of pride, analyzing the motives of every action we take, not allowing our feelings or emotions (being hurt or insulted for instance), as well as jealousy, envy, anger, hatred etc. a foothold in our life. Such thoughts and emotions enter our mind, but we must reject and denounce them, thus killing the snakes while they are still small and not quite as dangerous.

On the more general level, that deadly cobra symbolizes any ministry leader or minister of a human organization called "church" who is driven by pride or desire for human recognition and power, rather than by love for the Lord our God. Such church leaders become like the "shepherds" spoken of in Ezekiel 34, who do not care about the sheep but use them for their own selfish reasons.

Jesus also accused the contemporary spiritual leaders of Israel, saying that they had concealed the knowledge of God from the people and hidden the key. The same happens when church leaders usurp full control in their organizations. Whatever they know or believe they impose on their congregations, including misinterpretations, wrong teachings and heresies. The congregation is not led by the Holy Spirit anymore, for the Spirit of God is quenched in a man-controlled church. It can be seen in many churches today.

On this level, the dream had a couple of particular fulfillments around the time it was given. First, we had contacted a well known church leader with a radio ministry and his staff regarding his series on Grace. Later, we were prompted to go to the SDA church and hand out some of MM's booklets.

Mila Thompson

Very Few Are Willing To Receive Correction!

Dream about Preparation, October 9, 2004 (the Sabbath following the Last Great Day)

The Dream

I was in a place that resembled a huge aerodrome, only I don't remember if there were any planes there. There were many people in that place (perhaps waiting to be evacuated). We had received a warning (nobody told us, we just knew it) that something disastrous was going to happen soon, like a war or a nuclear attack. We were warned that in order to survive we had to "get prepared". The knowledge of what it meant to get prepared was given to some of us. It was: "to live by faith and to be willing" [willing to accept correction and be purified]. I and a few others accepted it. The transformation happened wonderfully – in one moment. I did not see any visible changes in my appearance, but I knew that I was changed, because that very instant I knew in my spirit that I could fly [symbolic of living by the Spirit].

Then we, those who had been changed, began to talk to others, persuading them to get prepared too. There were no meetings held, no loud speeches made. Our work was very ordinary – we simply spoke with individuals face to face, explaining to them things. Not many would believe what we had to say. But some did. The moment they would agree to undergo this preparation, it would have already happened.

Those who were changed were "clothed" in a special "garment". Nothing extravagant, it was a simple pullover that would appear over their clothing. The pullover, however, WAS special, it was by itself changing to different shades and colors on each individual, and it glowed. 

After that we (the prepared ones) were "told" to begin storing water. There appeared to be bath tubs at different points on the field of the aerodrome, and we filled them with water. That water was also immediately transformed and turned absolutely pure. We knew it was precious. 

The Meaning

God continues to warn and prepare His people for the upcoming time of tribulations. He calls us to get prepared. The preparation happens in the spirit, when we humble ourselves and completely submit to the will of the Lord. We must live by faith, be willing to accept God's corrections, learn new truths, and undergo the changes, which God considers needed for us.

When we become "prepared", God's Spirit fills and marks such a transformed believer. It is depicted in the image of a simple but beautiful, glowing pullover. I think the fact that the pullovers were changing colors, becoming different on each individual, shows that God works with us individually, taking into account our personal features. We are not a no-name crowd for Him, but He knows each of His own by name.

It seems an important detail that the work to persuade others to be transformed was also an individual work, performed by speaking with others face to face. (Done in such a manner, there is less danger for a person to develop a self-elevated attitude). It also shows that church organizations that attract many people do not do this job. The dream portrays that not many people would listen to corrective messages. The majority of Christians are "comfy" the way they are and don't like to be bothered about changes. 

The water is widely used in the Bible to symbolize the Holy Spirit. It is called "the living water", "the life-giving water", etc. There is also a parallel with the supply of oil for the lamps of the Ten Virgins in Mat. 25. Oil is another symbol for the Spirit of God.

In the parable of the Ten Virgins we find a warning, given for our time, about the lack of the Spirit in the lives of half of God's Church. Similarly, in this dream the ones that have obeyed and been changed are told to store "water".

Another parallel I was reminded of is the warning in the Bible about the time to come of great famine for the word of God, when people will thirst without the living water of God's Truth.

Mila Thompson

Church Leaders Abuse The People

November 14, 2004

Dream 1. Dream about a Married Couple

I saw a couple, an older man [symbolises church leaders] and a much younger woman [God's people]. At first I thought that they were a father and his daughter. The man was very controlling and would not let the young woman do anything without his 'instructions'. He was very dominating, and I saw that the woman was scared to do something to upset or make him angry. The man was also cold and harsh, even rude with his 'daughter'. I felt very sorry for her. He was even checking the music tapes she had in her bedroom, doing it in a very degrading manner.

Then something in their behavior betrayed that they had an intimate relationship. I could feel that the man was getting sexually excited while he humiliated the woman. For an instant I thought that the father was used to sexually assaulting his daughter. But then I realized that they were actually a married couple, not a father and daughter. It was disgusting.

The Meaning

This dream illustrates how many leaders of organized churches use and abuse younger but Spirit- filled members of their churches, treating them as if they were irresponsible and ignorant children, not their brothers and sisters in the Lord. They do not teach them to listen to the Spirit and learn from the Lord directly. They do not want to see them grown up and mature in their spiritual walk. They enjoy exercising unlimited control over the Lord's flock.

The dream can also have a secondary meaning – that of man-domination over women, which is approved by some churches. This pyramidal system in the Church is ugly and abhorrent in the sight of God.

Mila Thompson

The Church Is Sick!

Dream 2.       Dream about a 'Sick House'

I was in a large room of a house. The walls and the ceiling of the room had big cracks, and it was obvious that it needed to be repaired. In the central part of the room there were two pillars, which seemed to be supporting the ceiling. Both pillars had large letters written on them: V I P. (Notice the connection to the dream of Nov. 14.) I knew that this abbreviation meant "Vitally Important Part". I somehow also knew that those pillars were actually the kidneys of the 'body', i.e. the house, and that they were lethally sick. They could not be cured and new kidneys were needed. We were waiting for the transplants to arrive, hoping that the 'body' would survive till then.

The Meaning

The house represents the Church, and the Church is in a very bad shape. She needs more than just a freshen-up paint job. She is a lethally sick body, and the signs of deterioration are beginning to show.

The pillars represent church leaders of all kinds. Steve has mentioned to me this morning the important function of the kidneys in the body. They cleanse the blood stream. It is written that the blood is the life (Lev 17:11, 14; Dt 12:23). When the kidneys stop functioning, a person dies very shortly.

Interestingly, they are also the 'pillars' which support the ceiling. These 'kidneys-pillars' are no good! The Church needs new ones!

This dream was brought back to my mind when I was considering writing Malcolm a letter about Chuck Swindoll. That is why I am sure that Chuck is one of those, symbolized by the sick 'pillars'. It brings me to a conclusion that these 'pillars', who are "Vitally Important Parts" –  namely the 'kidneys' of the body of Christ, are the church leaders who teach the wrong doctrines and treat the Holy Word of God with disrespect. They do not teach God's Truth, they use certain stories from the Bible to illustrate their own points or teachings just as they use any other book. In doing so they cut and paste God's word freely without any concern, and may even distort the actual meaning of a quoted text for their own end.

Mila Thompson

Evil Control of Church Leaders

December 11, 2004. Dream of Neglected Baby

I and two other lady-friends of mine are sitting in a coffee shop having coffee. Then a well-built, strong and handsome man comes into the shop with a baby in a baby carriage. He sits down at a table next to us. The baby has not stopped crying loudly since the moment he entered the shop, but he pays no attention to it, as if he didn't hear. It is annoying to see a 'parent' paying no attention to a screaming baby. Finally we get tired of this noise, get up and approach the carriage to see what is wrong with the baby.

I see a baby the size of a Subway's foot-long sandwich. The carriage seems too big for such a small child. It is so tightly wrapped in a wrapping cloth that it cannot move. The instance I lower my head looking inside the carriage, the baby stops screaming and smiles at me. Tiny as it is, its eyes are very intelligent.  Now the child's expression is hopeful. It is happy to have someone's attention.

Feeling sorry for the poor thing, I loosen the cloth and try to set the baby in a sitting position so that it can observe things around. The baby seems very happy with the change, but cannot hold the sitting position and falls on its side. While it falls to the side, it still maintains the sitting body posture, like a doll. I think that perhaps its limbs are temporarily numbed because of the bad blood circulation caused by the long period of being tightly wrapped. I cover the baby with the wrapping cloth as it continues to smile at me with relief.

Meaning

The man in this dream symbolizes leadership in the Church which is dominating. The leaders of the churches do not care for the children of God, who are placed in their care. They do not teach God's pure truths, nor feed them with the entire Word of God, or give them freedom to grow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This man is shown very strong and handsome, a type that will attract many and is likely to win people's hearts.  These are the features peculiar to the successful ministers, popular pastors and tele- or radio-evangelists.  They have natural talents and charisma. People like them, and trust them. However, God is showing in this dream that such leaders are cold and selfish by nature. Even though the baby [a believer] is obviously placed in this man's care, he does not pay any attention to its needs.  Moreover, he wrapped the baby so tightly in the cloth that it has been suffering [this depicts the full control and domination which church leaders exert]. The child's tiny size symbolizes that such 'handling' is harming he spiritual development and growth of God's children.  A believer has no chance to grow normally as a spiritual being in these churches. There is little spiritual freedom to listen to God and follow His guidance nor the proper spiritual nourishment there. Immature believers are kept immature.

The woman is the true God's Church filled with the Holy Spirit [may be a Spirit-filled ministry]. She wants to take care of God's children and set them free.  Only His truth can set us free (Jon 8:32), nourish us properly, so we can grow spiritually strong and healthy.

Mila Thompson

SDA Church Committing Adultery

January 20, 2005

Dream Of A Woman Committing Adultery

I was in a large barrack with many other people.  It was like a refugee camp, we all seemed to live together in that barrack. Each had but a bunk. A married couple had their bunk separated from the general area by a curtain. The married woman was committing adultery behind the curtain. I and others were trying to warn her that her Husband was coming, but she didn't listen. Finally, right when her husband entered the barrack, she came out wearing nothing but a negligee. She looked at him as if surprised and told him she was about to go to bed. She was behaving shamelessly. It was clear that her Husband was not fooled by her lies. You could tell by the expression of indignation on his face that he knew what was going on. He lay down on a bunk next to the entrance door and sarcastically told her to go ahead and do what she had been going to do.  She did not blink an eye. She turned around to go inside, behind their curtain.  Suddenly, the curtain disappeared and everybody could see a dark-haired, mean-looking guy lying on her bed.  Her shame was exposed.

Meaning

True believers are like refugees in this world of evil rule, waiting in hope to get to the place of our final destination – the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is our rightful spiritual Husband, but this woman commits adultery with a "seducer" and betrays the One to whom her faithfulness belongs. The mean man represents SDA church leadership. This is a symbolic representation of men-leaders usurping Jesus' place in the church. The SDA church members worship their leaders instead of the Lord, whether knowingly or not.  It is compared and referred to in the book of Revelation as adultery and sexual immorality. (Rev 2:18-29; 14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3, 9).

God, through His prophets and other Spirit-led believers, has warned the churches with hierarchic structure that this is abomination to Him (well explained in God's Church Whose Authority, & Meetings With Jesus from MM). However, they choose not to heed. In this dream God warns the SDA members that they are like an adulteress who knows that she is committing a sin by submitting to SDA leadership which is devilish, corrupt.

Notice a parallel with the scriptures in the Gospel of John where Jesus tells Judas to do quickly what he is about to do, and Judas immediately goes out to betray the Lord (Jon 13:27,30).  This parallel is given to once again stress that any hierarchy in the Church is a betrayal of our Lord.

Mila Thompson

All Churches Are Inadequate!

Trying to wash my coats

Dream of April 23, 2005

In this dream I had three coats which I wanted to wash.  I was looking for a suitable washtub or basin, but all the vessels I could find were useless. They would not contain even one coat, let alone three. All of them were plastic containers. Some of them were wide but way too shallow; others were deeper but too narrow, while yet others were both narrow and shallow. Finally I gave up trying to wash my coats the usual way. Instead, I chose one coat and put it on. Then I went outside and stood in the rain to have it washed by it. The dream ended at that, but I understand that I was going to have all my coats cleaned the same way.

Meaning

The containers in the dream represent different denominations and churches with their various doctrines.  My intention to wash my three coats symbolizes the necessity for every child of God to be cleansed and purified by the washing with water through the Word (Eph 5:26) in preparation for His coming.  Number "3" signifies completeness and finality, hence the meaning that we must be made completely pure, "without a spot or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph 5:27). 

None of the found containers could be used for the job. It reflects the fact that all the doctrines of numerous Christian denominations are lacking. Their limitations make it impossible for a believer to learn God's truth in its fullness and purity.  Some teachings are too shallow (liberal, lacking the depth of a true biblical foundation). Others are too narrow while rather deep (legalistic, ritualistic, void of the Holy Spirit). Finally, some are found both too shallow and too narrow (have neither the true biblical foundation, nor the Spirit). 

The way out I found in the dream is the prompting from the Lord to trust Him for our renewing and preparation. Rain symbolizes the outpouring of God's Spirit – the work of "Elijah" to purify and prepare His Church in these last days.

Mila Thompson

Ministers Are Hindering Growth!

Dream about my Beloved Jew

End of March, 2005

I [any Spirit-led child of God or ministry] had an appointment with my Beloved Jew [our Lord Jesus].  I came to His office, but there were many people around [church leaders and prominent ministers].  These people (men and women, all dressed very formally) were His "aids" [men represent leaders of organized churches with hierarchic structure; women symbolize churches]. They thought they were serving and helping Him.  However, in fact they were interfering.  We could not talk because of them. We wanted to be left alone and talk our hearts out. We did not need any help. These 'aids' were a nuisance and a hindrance to us.  But they were so full of self-importance they could not see it. 

Meaning

Many ministers and church leaders misunderstand their calling. They think they are helping. But they stand as intermediaries between children of God and their Lord, and become a hindrance to Christians' further closeness with the Lord. Pride and ambition prevent them from hearing what the Spirit wants them to do.

The work God wants them to do is NOT being intermediaries!  It is proclaiming the Gospel and helping the spiritually young to learn listening to the voice of God.  It is to teach Christians the fullness of God's truth (including obedience to His Holy Commandments), and to provide encouragement and support.  Instead, many church leaders and ministers put themselves in place of Jesus, controlling and directing believers' spiritual lives. 

A true child of God may need advice and guidance from a more spiritually mature brother or sister. However, we do not need anyone to stand between us and our Lord and teach us instead of the Spirit. As the Apostle John wrote: "Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don't need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything" (1 Jn 2:27, CEV).

Mila Thompson

The Nimrod Spirit

Pride is not always subtly hidden in church circles. Africa, for example, displays a flagrant flamboyance, a dazzling display of corrupt ministry in various lurid colours, where the word 'ministry' means proud-service.

The spirit of Nimrod is alive and thriving! Like Nimrod, many ministers seek power and domination over others. They don't seek Christ. They seek money and might. Their greed to accrue wealth and personal importance for themselves is brazen and astounding!

You wouldn't think that they are reading the same Bible! They're certainly ignoring what it says! Those who are motivated by greed and self elevation are an affront to Jesus. Their example is despicable. It is a disgrace to the name of Christ, a scab that needs cutting off from the Body! They are not motivated by the Spirit of God. Another spirit has taken hold, the Nimrod spirit, rooted in pride.

Nimrod was the first arrogant despot to seize complete control over people and put himself in the place of God over others (Gen 10:8,9). He was black, a son of Cush, the father of all the black peoples. His domination was legendary. He not only fathered many black tribes, but he fathered their witchcraft (demonic domination) too and Africa is still full of such abominations.

He had an illicit sexual relationship with his mother Semiramis, and from this outrageous example of incest, a demonic cult was born that has never died out. It grew in Babylon to command complete control of people through the Babylonian Mysteries, a means to psychologically control humanity through religion. Today the cult of the Madonna and Child perpetuates the tradition. It is seen not only in the Catholic faith but in some pagan religions too.

Such is the power of a wrong example. That which Nimrod spawned continues today in the élitism of hierarchic church leaders who love the pomp and pageantry that goes with the position. As they are lifted up over the people, adorned in their colourful flowing robes, all the imagery of Revelation 17 and 18 about this spiritual harlotry comes flooding back to the memory. It all originated in Babylon. Its ego is the glorification of man.

You can see it throughout African society (and else- where, too). Africa needs much deliverance still! I'm not talking merely about non-Christian Africa. I mean the Church you see! Nimrod has taken over from Jesus in the Church. Where ministers seek prestige through preaching, and elevation through evangelism, they have succumbed to demonic spirits that have injected them with their pride.

It is an abomination and a cancerous scab that oppresses the people of God and suppresses the spiritual beauty of His Spirit. God will not tolerate this dreadful evil. He will punish those who desire it.

Malcolm B Heap

Pride Causes A Prophet's Rejection

On 27th April 1997 I was given a dream of our former neighbour. I asked her if she wanted me to do any work on her house, but she declined my offer. She said that she needed a length of gutter replacing because it was tatty and worn, but she said she had not got the replacement bit yet so she told me my services were not needed. When I had finished talking to her I noticed that another builder was already at work on the roof, resetting some ridge tiles.

The meaning God gave was this. The former neighbour represents our former church association. Her excuse that she had not obtained the length of gutter was irrelevant really. She just didn't want my services. The church doesn't want to receive correction and redirection from a prophet.

She didn't care about the tatty old gutter, although she new it needed replacing. The church will put up with incorrect teaching and practice if it is expedient to do so. Church leaders ignore the input of a prophet to change church teaching to bring it into line with God's Word.

This trait is noticeable in ALL church quarters! We have received the same dead response from ostensibly Spirit-led groups. Pride, resentment and self-will are evident in their behaviour, preventing them accepting God's correction through His prophets. Church leaders will employ the services of others to repair aspects that are less noticeable, but they won't accept the words of the prophets.

Malcolm B Heap, July 2005

Footnotes

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