The Dreamer Dreamed
- The Visions of Judgment
This is a short story about a young man named Steven who was given dreams
from God that reveal truth God has shown me (the writer) that His Church needs
to hear. Though this is written as fiction, the words spoken by Jesus are actual words
that God showed me. So, this is not just a fictional work. It applies to our current
world and to the Church. I encourage you to seek God about this to find out what He
Chapter 5
Gossip
and Slander
Steve arrived instantly before the mouth of a cave in the side of a rock wall. Torches lined the walls of the cave to provide light within. Moving away from the cave mouth, Steve looked around him and found that he was in a large cavern with lava streams oozing through channels. Hideous laughter, mingled with screams, formed a background noise throughout the cavern. Smoke ascended upward and vanished into large shafts in the rocky ceiling. Demonic figures moved about, casting shadows against rocks and boulders.
When he was sure she had swallowed, he let go, and her voice screamed in pain and anger. And she cursed the demon who was torturing her. Then, she cursed God for not letting her enter Heaven.
“Have some more of this medicine. It will cure your sickness. The acid will cleanse your filthy tongue,” the demon said, laughing.
Jesus appeared beside Steve and the demon turned around to see the Lord. Terror filled his heart. Without a whisper, the demon trotted away from the woman, folded up his black wings, and slipped into a tunnel entrance in the back of the cave.
The woman looked up at Jesus with fear, hatred, and scorn expressed on her face. She glared at him with light blue, piercing eyes, completely ignoring Steve. As Steve saw her more clearly, due to better lighting, he could see that her skin was sagging, very wrinkled, and decaying. She had no hair. It had all fallen out. She wore a black tunic and dress. In many ways, she resembled a corpse that had been dead for several months. He could see worms crawling over her face and neck. They could not have been actual animals, Steve thought, because Hell was a spiritual realm, and it was located somewhere in the earth. They probably are demonic creatures, he surmised.
“It’s you, Lord,” the woman said with a cold scowl on her wrinkled, worm-covered face.
“Why did you leave me in Hell?” she demanded. “I faithfully raised My children as Christians. We took our kids to Christian summer camps, where we volunteered. I also volunteered my time to help out with food distribution at our church. We gave food to the poor and did many other good works. I was born again in 1942, as a twelve year old. I’ve served you my whole life. Why did you let this happen to Me?”
“Linda,” Jesus said with sorrow in His face, “I am grieved with your heart. You chose a life that was good to start out with, but very soon thereafter you moved away from Me, and toward gossip and false works. You loved the praises of men, and so you did kind works for people in your community and elsewhere, but you began to trust in your works, instead of in My precious blood, which I shed for you. Only My blood can save you.
“Later, you began noticing people in your Church who were very different than you. You began talking with other ladies about them, and about their manners. These people did not seem to agree with you on the way you think a woman should dress or behave. You thought women should wear hats in Church, and that it was shameful for women not to wear hats. Also, you began comparing yourself with them, and you began noticing details about them that seemed to be inconsistent with their profession.
“For instance, you noticed that one of the women of this group was very friendly to poor people and would talk with people you considered to be below her station in life. You felt a tinge of guilt over your lack of care for the poor. You did give food to poor people through your Church, but you did not care about their wellbeing, spiritually or emotionally. You saw that this one lady did care about them, and so you began to create and circulate rumors about her to destroy her reputation.
“One day you saw her talking to a poor man, who needed new shoes. She pulled out her purse and gave him a Gospel tract with some money, which would be enough to buy some shoes. He was so ecstatic and joyful that he kissed her hand and hugged her. She did not intend to make a scene, but what you saw was ammunition, you thought, to use against her.
“You began circulating rumors that she was having an affair with certain poor men she would visit to minister to. She was a woman who had some wealth, and she wanted to use it for My Kingdom, but you spoke evil of her good. You slandered her and others who did what was right. She was not having an affair, but you spoke of her actions of kindness as if they were lewd or seductive. You smeared her name and slandered her.
“More women in your church heard the rumors and circulated them. Before long, the lady was grieved to hear how her name had been evil spoken of. But, you did not stop there. You sowed evil seeds of deception and insinuation among the women in your community, and slandered your pastor and his wife. You saw the pastor’s wife walking beside a man who was not her husband, and you wrongfully assumed he was a boyfriend or lover.
“But, the man was her brother, who came to visit the pastor and his sister. You spoke evil of this woman, and said that she was ‘sleeping around with men’ because the pastor ‘was not meeting her needs for fellowship and intimacy.’ You lied about them and disgraced their name in the community so that some members of the Church left to go elsewhere. But, you didn’t stop there.
“You gossiped about your neighbor, saying that he was stealing from people to make ends meet. He was actually purchasing objects from various individuals for a collection. They would often leave the purchased item outside for him to pick up. They would set it beside the front door, or near the steps. But, you told people that he was stealing people’s property. You never bothered to ask him about it. You just assumed he was stealing, and you slandered his name.
“Your sister in law had twins, and you spoke ill of her because she already had twins prior to that, and her house was somewhat small. You said she had no business having so many children with the income your brother made. You also said she looked rather plain and simple in her dresses, and lacked sophistication and a taste of beauty. You criticized her, behind her back, for wearing no or little makeup.
“I convicted you about your pride and slander, but you would not repent. You justified your behavior by saying that if people like you didn’t exist, ‘the world would be out of control,’ and ‘people would just get away with everything they are doing in secret.’ You lied to many people, and spoke evil of My sons and daughters.
“Therefore, since you would not repent, you were appointed to judgment. On a certain day, you were struck with a fever, which killed you a week later. I am grieved with your heart and with your choices in life.”
To Steve, Jesus said: “Now, let us go forth to view another case.”
“Wait,” the woman said, scowling, “you just accused me of doing wrong, but Lord, there are many people who gossip. There are people who abuse their children and neglect their needs. I never did. I cared for my children. I was a good mother.”
“Linda, you were selfish with your children, and you wanted your children to look good to other people, so that no one would gossip about you. You loved the praises of men more than you loved My praises. And, you hated My ways. Every time you read in the Bible not to judge your brother or sister, and not to gossip, you ignored those passages and continued using your mouth for evil.
“There is a reason why My Word says that the tongue is a fire and a world of iniquity. It is an evil thing when a person pursues what their tongue naturally wants to say. Don’t follow your tongue. Look to Me, and I will give you a tongue that is pleasing to Me. But, you Linda, cannot follow Me, or use your tongue for good, because you have hardened your heart greatly against Me and against My Spirit, which continually convicted you of sin, even after you were hardened against Me. Your pastor even preached a sermon against gossip and slander, but you ignored it and thought it applied to other people, but not to you. I am grieved with your heart.”
Turning to Steve, Jesus said: “Let us go, My son.”
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