LXXXIX

2 CORINTHIANS 11:13

FOR SUCH ARE FALSE APOSTLES, DECEITFUL WORKERS, TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES INTO THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST

SEVENIA SALLIE (GIRL PROPHETESS)

Along with the joy of the arrival of my baby brother, I was secretly glad that his birth gave us a reprieve from Devin Easton, his supernatural entity, and the new age Christian guru who was rapidly gaining a worldwide following, Darius Doom.

I sought the Lord earnestly with prayer and fasting. I ended up having a dream, a night vision of an encounter with Melanchthon. He instructed me that since my father disregarded the warning to steer clear of an interview with Devin Easton and his entity, he should go ahead with a second program. In it, I was to converse, debate if you please, with Darius Doom and Devin Easton. My dad would moderate.

In the dream, I pleaded with Melanchthon that I couldn’t do it. Who was I to verbally duel with a charismatic, smooth talking, preacher like Dr. Doom? Apparently Darius has a doctorate in psychology. He was gaining a worldwide following with over a million followers on social media. I was sort of an assistant to the pastor of a small country church with only a few hundred friends on social media.

Melanchthon encouraged me to put on the whole armor of God. (See Ephesians 6:11-17). When I pointed out that I had just graduated from high school only a month ago and that Doctor Doom was a professional speaker with a PhD, he told me I would be given what to speak in time of need. (See Matthew 10:19). My faith was refreshed, and I felt comforted.

Nonetheless, I was relieved when I awoke and realized it was only a dream. But it wasn’t an ordinary dream. Doubts played in the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit seemed to fight it by bringing Jude 1:3 to my mind. “Go, and earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

In an adjoining bedroom I could hear my stepmother with her week old baby. I tapped on the door, and with a smile I didn’t necessarily feel, called out, “Oh, step mommy?”

“Come in, Sweetest of Peas,” she answered back, doing a play on my father’s nickname for me of Sweet Pea.

With a genuine grin, I went in and found her sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, breast feeding my baby half-brother. Her big beautiful dark eyes were a combination of tired but tranquil. I rolled a desk chair around and sat in front of her.

“Your grandma really loves little Benjamin,” Zella smiled happily. What was left unsaid was the absence of my grandfather when Six brought her down from Minnesota to see the baby.

When my father had announced Zella’s pregnancy to his parents, his father, who is suffering from dementia, went on a racist rant about my dad not only being in a relationship with a black woman, but having a child with her as well.

“I’m sorry about Grandpa,” I told her.

“He’s not well,” she replied. “I’m sorry for you too, Honey. He’s your grandfather.”

During my grandfather’s rant, he also mentioned my mother’s Hispanic ethnicity in an unfavorable fashion.

“Tell me about your dream,” Zella said matter of fact.

“Huh?” I replied, slightly startled.

“You know, Sweety,” she said with a laugh. “I acknowledge that when I practiced psychic readings, I wasn’t actually psychic. But the reason I was able to get people to pay me for them is because I can read people pretty good. I detect in your demeanor that you had another profound dream.”

I laughed. “Dad always says you would be a great poker player because you can read people’s tells like nobody else.”

I talked to her about my dreams as well as my thoughts and feelings. “Okay, Miss Intuitive, tell me your opinion.”

“Mrs. Intuitive,” she said with a big grin as she showed me her wedding band.

I always marveled at Zella’s beauty. Not just because her chiseled features were on the order of a model, but her cool, easy going manner made her extraordinarily attractive.

“Right, Mrs. Intuitive,” I grinned. “And awesome Mommy and Mom. Tell me what you think.”

Mommy was for Benji, and Mom was for me. Her face turned serious before she spoke. “Thank you for the respect, Sweety. But I know I can never replace your mother, God rest her soul.”

“She’s not here though,” I said and shrugged. “And there’s nobody I’d rather have in her role than you.”

Zella bit her lip, and her eyes misted. She knows how special Destiny is to me, but Destiny is now mothering two adopted daughters of her own. Zella motioned for me to come with her finger and then held out her hand. I took it and she pulled me toward her. She kissed my forehead and said, “I love you, Daughter. With all my heart.”

“I love you too,” I said as happy tears leaked from both our eyes. Then, slightly embarrassed, we both laughed. “Okay, so talk to me about this Devin and Dr. Doom situation.”

“It’s pretty simple, Sweety,” she replied casually.

“Well, I’m glad you think so, but could you elaborate?”

“It all comes down to Ecclesiastes 12:13.”

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: For this is the whole duty of man,” I quoted.

“Don’t you see?” Zella asked happily.

“Well, I love that scripture, but what does it have to do with this Dr. Doom situation?”

“You have a knowledge of scripture, while Darius Doom has an agenda.”

“Darius Doom has charm, charisma, education, a large following, and he’s a professional wordsmith. And I’m a timid teenager.”

“Who’s bold as a lion when speaking, teaching, and preaching the word of God,” she said, and then her gaze intensified. “I’ve seen you in action, girly. Why just now I mentioned a special Bible verse and you just rattled it off like nothing.”

“But this is different. I wouldn’t be teaching or preaching. We would be having opposing dialogue on my dad’s podcast.”

“Stop looking at it as a debate.”

“Well, what else would you call it?” I inquired, focusing on not whining.

“Here’s my advice,” she said “Treat it as though you are teaching. You know the word of God as well as anyone I know, and I’ll put the plain truth, the word of God, against anyone’s charisma or agenda any day.”

“Well, yeah,” I replied. “But that doesn’t mean people will accept it.”

“That’s beside the point. Some will. You just do your thing, and leave the results with God. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep His commandments.”

I felt peace wash over me as we said the last part together. “For this is the whole duty of man.”

As if on cue, my dad entered the room. His face expanded into a huge grin as he looked at his wife and two children. “Well how about this, the whole family’s together and little Benji’s even having breakfast.”

“Good morning, Dad,” I said.

“Morning, Sweet Pea.”

“I’m willing to be on your podcast with Devin and Darius Doom,” I told him.

“Huh?” he replied with a puzzled frown. I told him about the dream.

“See, and you told me not to do that initial interview with Devin,” he responded.

“Honey,” Zella said with a gaze that was both scolding and sympathetic. “Did you miss the part where she was given the go ahead because her father disregarded her warning?”

“Spiritual damage control, I guess,” I added with a shrug.

“Oh,” the venerable Seven Sallie said with a hang dog expression.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 9)

“When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.” Matthew 6:5

Have a place for secret prayer. Jesus had select places for communion with God, and so should we. We need often to retire to some spot, however humble, where we can be alone with God.

In the name of Jesus we may come into God’s presence as a child. No person is needed to be a mediator between us and God.

God would have us understand how earnestly and tenderly His heart yearns over us. He invites us to take our trials to His sympathy, our sorrows to His love, our wounds to His healing, our weakness to His strength, our emptiness to His fullness. Never is one disappointed who comes to Him.

As we make Christ our daily companion we shall feel that the powers of an unseen world are all around us, and by looking unto Jesus we shall become assimilated to His image. By beholding we become changed.

The soul that turns to God for its help, its support, its power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Outward troubles cannot reach the life that is lived by faith in the Son of God.

“When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do.” Matthew 6:7

The prayer that comes from an earnest heart, when the simple wants of the soul are expressed, as we would ask an earthly friend for a favor, expecting it to be granted—this is the prayer of faith.

“When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites.” Mathew 6:6

Let the self-denials and the secret heart trials be revealed to the compassionate Savior. Let the burdens be left at the foot of the cross, and go on your way rejoicing in His love who first loved you.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth.” Matthew 6:19

The love of money was the ruling passion in the Jewish age. Worldliness usurped the place of God and religion in the soul. So it is now!

The service of Satan is full of care, perplexity, and wearing labor, and the treasures men toil to accumulate on earth is only for a season. You can’t take it with you!

Character is the great harvest of life. And every word or deed that through the grace of Christ shall kindle in one soul an impulse that reaches heavenward, every effort that tends to the formation of a Christlike character, is laying up treasure in heaven.