ZION TRAIN: The Heavens Opened: Part 13

The Heavens Opened: Part 13

By Anna Rountree

(Continuation)

The Bowels Of The Dragon

The white eagle flew into a darkened tunnel that seemed to be a passageway through a mountain, but the walls were like part of a living organism, resembling an intestine. The sides of the walls seemed packed with fecal matter, and the stench was nauseating and overpowering.

An Attack: The Flesh:

Although I was with the white Eagle, the filth and blackness shocked me. I was afraid. I tried to maintain some sort of spiritual equilibrium, but fear began to paralyze my faith.

Hopelessness, oppression, and despair were within the very walls of this tunnel. I knew that Jesus was protecting me, but the presence of evil was suffocating.

Then, like a trapped animal, my mind began to search for an escape: Where am I going? Why am I here? What if I fall off in this place? How can I get out of here?

Once doubt had gained an entrance, panic soon followed, bypassing all assurance of the Lord’s protection. Now, thoughts like wild dogs began to lunge at me. Did they come from within or from the tunnel? I did not know, but I was frantic with fear: I won’t make it; I can’t hold on. They’ll hurt me. They’ll kill me!

If the Lord had not shielded me, I believe these thoughts would have torn me to shreds. I clung to the white Eagle. “Jesus, Son of David,” I cried, “have mercy upon me.”

I could not tell what happened, but slowly the sense of almost being eaten alive lessened. Jesus, my Savior, had come forth in me. He had shown mercy.

I was in shock, though, and dazed, rather like a person who has been attacked by a pack of ravenous wolves and escaped only with her life. I was left weakened and trembling, badly shaken.

The Lord strengthened me, and I sighed, relaxing my grip somewhat. He would protect me. He would not let me fall.

“I am all right,” I sighed. “I am all right.” My trust in God had returned.

Then silently, more like vapors than thoughts, insinuations reached for me like tendrils of smoke.

An Attack: The world:

It has always seemed strange to me that after a severe attack by the enemy, the most dangerous period of time appears to be after the battle is over and the victory secured. Perhaps one is vulnerable because of weariness, allowing vigilance against attack to be relaxed. But stranger than this is the fact that after the heat of battle, I always forget this truth.

I forgot again.

The insinuations reaching for me were disarmingly subtle; they made the world, which is Satan’s heaven, seem to be all that I could ever desire or should ever desire. Promises sweeter than honey enveloped me, promises of having Satan’s heaven now and God’s heaven later.

Suddenly the tunnel lost its stench; instead, it emitted a tantalizing fragrance. I thought to myself, Why am I doing this? I can have anything I want simply by applying myself; I don’t need to live like this. In fact, I’m tired of living like this.

I began to think of ways to make money—and not just to make money, but to make a fortune. Only a fortune can lift me above this sort of trial, I thought. Only a fortune can give me luxuries commensurate with my taste, which deserves to be expressed and enjoyed. There is so much beauty in the world, and I want to surround myself with this loveliness. There‘s nothing wrong in that. I can do it with hard work. All I need to do is to center myself upon this goal and head for it, give myself to it... head for it and give myself to it... head for it and give myself to it...

“Wait, wait,” I said to myself. “This isn’t right. Giving myself to a life of accumulation, just satisfying my senses, can’t be right.” Such an idea was a siren song whose allure, if it did not bring shipwreck, certainly would have seduced me into a spiritual limp. This is deadly.

“No!” I said silently. “Choose you this day whom you will serve, and I choose Christ. I choose Christ,” I cried aloud.

The vaporous fingers ceased reaching for me and silently slid away. Again, the Lord strengthened me. I sighed deeply as before, relieved.

An Attack: The devil:

By this time I thought I saw some light at the end of the tunnel. I started to become anxious for relief. I wanted out.

Then, as if in my own voice, I heard, “Jesus may love you, but it’s a strange sort of love that would bring you into a place of such great danger. And I can’t see that He’s protecting you as He should. Of course, if He’d told you beforehand what you would be facing… but He didn’t. If you could acquire more knowledge yourself, you wouldn’t need to rely upon Him for protection. You could protect yourself. You deserve better than this.”

There it was: pride, presumption, unbelief, accusations against the Lord’s loving kindness, and an invitation to be independent of Him, better than Him—in other words, rebellion. All of these were the deep things of Satan.

“Oh, God,” I said within myself, “forgive me. That I would think I could do anything by myself, when I know that apart from You there is no life. I love You, and I know that You love me. You alone are the victor, You alone. You alone will do all and be all and are all; I trust You, my Savior and my Lord, my God in whom I trust.”

With great passion I cried out within the tunnel: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!”

The Gigantic Cavern:

Joyously the white eagle burst through the far mouth of the tunnel. Now we seemed to be flying inside a gigantic cavern within that mountain, but I could not be sure, for I was unable to see the top. Within this cavern, if it was a cavern, the atmosphere was gray and deathly still, but electric, as it might be in the eye of a hurricane.

Tunnels honeycombed the encircling mountain, both up high, as was the one we had traveled, and at the base.

(To be continued)

* I would like you to pray this prayer right away, if you want Jesus to come into your heart:

Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner (Romans 3:23). Right now I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask you to cleanse me, by Your blood, of all unrighteousness. I believe that Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross to take away all my sins.

I also believe that He rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him (Romans 6:23). I call upon the name of Jesus Christ, to be the Savior and Lord of my life (Acts 2:21). Dear Lord, I choose to follow You, and I ask that you fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:3).

I hereby renounce the power of Satan and sin over my life, declaring that I am now a born-again child of God (Romans 10:9-10). I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer by faith, the Word of God has promised that you are now BORN AGAIN! (II Corinthians 5:17). Welcome to the Kingdom of God! Now you have brothers and sisters all around the world. This is the most important decision that you have ever made. Take full advantage of it. Don't go back into the world. The world leads to death, but the fear of God leads to eternal life. At each moment you need to live like it is the last day, and the last time of your life.

Four steps will help you to grow in faith and grace:
1. Read the Bible (I Peter 2:2)
2. Pray (Romans 12:12)
3. Attend Church (Hebrews 10: 25)
4. Share Christ with others (II Corinthians 5:18-20)