Mr. Moneybags Part III
Steven Fish was sitting in his wheelchair facing out the window of the M.C.C. at Southlake Regional Health Centre. He was tired from having done physio/rehab earlier that day but he had just been bathed and that was always refreshing. So while he waited for dinner he wheeled himself to the window and sat looking out at the trees by the creek and the city buildings all around and the distant people walking up and down the sidewalks. It was nearly winter and the skies were grey and it got dark early.
Steven didn't have a lot to think about when it came to taking care of himself. His meals and clothes were provided to him at the hospital and his personal needs were also assisted. When he had to go somewhere else in the hospital, such as for physio/rehab, or when his social worker came to visit him, they came to him and took him where he needed to go. He did like to know when people were coming to see him however, so that he could look forward to it.
Because Steven didn't have a lot of practical things to think about, he had a lot of time to imagine things and let his mind roam freely, and where his mind liked to roam a lot was the world of the future, or at least the future he hoped would come about. In that future, Steven was a rich man, a very rich man. He was well-respected and appreciated by many beautiful women because of his business skill and his excellent writing talent. He owned and operated several small businesses and was a magician who liked to amuse his clients with tricks at the same time as he served them coffee. Meanwhile, his blog brought in a steady, large income from his Christian, science fiction, horror, and erotic stories. He even owned a small jet airplane that he used to travel to his private resort property in the Bahamas.
Steven really wanted this future to come true because it was better and more exciting than his present-day life. He hated being stuck in this wheelchair and doctors and nurses told him that it was possible that he would never get out of it. But he had one nurse who told him that all he needed to do was believe in his dreams and they would come true one day. Have faith in his dreams, she said. And Steven enjoyed doing this because when he thought about the bright future he imagined, he was able to escape from the M.C.C. at Southlake for a while in his mind. But in truth, Steven had not just started imagining this bright future for himself since his disease began. He had enjoyed imagining riches and fame years before. It was something he really wanted.
But Steven also was a Christian, and he believed in Jesus and actually knew what the Bible said quite well. Jesus said that the love of money was the root of all evil and that covetousness was a form of idol-worship. And that these things lead to destruction. But he tried not to think about that. Sometimes, when Steven was thinking about his magic tricks, the thought came into his mind that magic tricks were evil because the Bible forbade witchcraft and sorcery. He didn't really think his tricks were that kind of magic but still the thought came into his mind. Most other Christians told him that magic tricks were okay and that they could even be used to explain the Gospel to people if Steven wanted to use them that way, but still sometimes he had doubts. He enjoyed watching people who presented themselves as black magicians in music and TV and movies. Some people even presented themselves as white magicians, like the band RUSH and others, but all witchcraft is sin according to God.
The greyness outside of the window started to blur together before Steven's eyes and his eyelids began to droop. He was really quite tired from his physio/rehab exercises and the warmth of the bath had made him sleepy. He began to doze, and as he dozed he began to think about the Lord and God's love for him. As he did, he felt like the Lord was with him. In his dreamlike state, he was still looking out the window but on the other side of the window, Jesus was there looking at him, surrounded by a beautiful emerald rainbow in which, somehow, where also all the other colours of the rainbow. Steven couldn't exactly see Jesus clearly but he knew it was the Lord. Steven's mind was delighted and gently held by the wonder of the rainbow and the dim outline of the Lord on the other side of the glass. He felt a tremendous sense of kindness, peace, joy, absolute truth, and love from the Lord and it didn't stop but it continued on. And the Lord began to speak to him. He said,
"Steven, my child, I love you and I died for you, to bring you to God and give you the ability to live unto God through me. I rose again to make you a new man, righteous, and a living stone in the Temple of my God. This is what you are because it is what I have made you through my finished work. But this is not what you are living as, because you have been seduced by the devil and become fastened to those things that he wills for you to do. I have come to give you repentance so that you may come to your senses and be made free from the devil's seduction and those things he has fastened you to. He has nailed you to the lust for money and fame and carnality but I was nailed to the cross to free you from those things."
Steven's feeling of awesome, fiery love rises to the point that his eyes fill with tears. He cannot contain the greatness of Jesus' holy, glorious, all-powerful love. He remembers the famous scripture verse, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.' The Lord continues to speak to him,
"Steven, my child, you know what I have said, that if you love the world or anything in the world then you cut yourself off from the love of God, the love you are now experiencing. All the craving and desire for things to please the flesh, to please the eyes, and to make you feel proud do not come from God but come from the world. And this world is passing away and all its cravings. The choice to have friendship with this world is the choice to become an enemy of God. But those who turn from the world and its cravings to God to do His will, shall remain forever.
"This is what I have made you and saved you for. You must carry your cross and endure the suffering of saying no to your cravings for material things and fame. You must say no to the thoughts and imaginations when they come to you. If you will set your heart to obey me, then My love and joy will be in you as you turn to me and my grace will strengthen you to be able to endure this suffering. And you will know me as I suffered, so that you might one day reach the resurrection of the dead and be made perfect.
"There is one more thing, Steven, my child. There is witchcraft you are practicing but it has nothing to do with your magic tricks. The witchcraft is trying to put faith that I will make you rich in this life and give you the world that you crave. I will not because it is against My Word. I have said that I will not give the children of God anything to satisfy their lusts. Yet you are trying to have faith to acquire the things you lust for. This is witchcraft and it is like a teenager rebelling against their parents. God is your Father and you should rejoice in this and accept where He has placed you in this world. In fact, it is a very high thing to be low in this world because I became poor and a servant in this world.
"Turn from this witchcraft to accept being a humble and low servant of God in this world and you will find rest and contentment in every circumstance. This is my Word, my promise to you. Deny yourself and take up your cross every day, and follow me. I will make your life fruitful and bless you in ways you do not expect and one day I will receive you up into glory and your pain and sorrow will be forever over.
I love you Steven, child of God and one of My brothers. Remember this word from the Bible and do not be discouraged: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
After these words, the Lord departed from him, and Steven was left with a deep and strong feeling of hope and a clean feeling in his spirit, soul, and body. He knew what he should do.
Amen.
~~~
Steven didn't have a lot to think about when it came to taking care of himself. His meals and clothes were provided to him at the hospital and his personal needs were also assisted. When he had to go somewhere else in the hospital, such as for physio/rehab, or when his social worker came to visit him, they came to him and took him where he needed to go. He did like to know when people were coming to see him however, so that he could look forward to it.
Because Steven didn't have a lot of practical things to think about, he had a lot of time to imagine things and let his mind roam freely, and where his mind liked to roam a lot was the world of the future, or at least the future he hoped would come about. In that future, Steven was a rich man, a very rich man. He was well-respected and appreciated by many beautiful women because of his business skill and his excellent writing talent. He owned and operated several small businesses and was a magician who liked to amuse his clients with tricks at the same time as he served them coffee. Meanwhile, his blog brought in a steady, large income from his Christian, science fiction, horror, and erotic stories. He even owned a small jet airplane that he used to travel to his private resort property in the Bahamas.
Steven really wanted this future to come true because it was better and more exciting than his present-day life. He hated being stuck in this wheelchair and doctors and nurses told him that it was possible that he would never get out of it. But he had one nurse who told him that all he needed to do was believe in his dreams and they would come true one day. Have faith in his dreams, she said. And Steven enjoyed doing this because when he thought about the bright future he imagined, he was able to escape from the M.C.C. at Southlake for a while in his mind. But in truth, Steven had not just started imagining this bright future for himself since his disease began. He had enjoyed imagining riches and fame years before. It was something he really wanted.
But Steven also was a Christian, and he believed in Jesus and actually knew what the Bible said quite well. Jesus said that the love of money was the root of all evil and that covetousness was a form of idol-worship. And that these things lead to destruction. But he tried not to think about that. Sometimes, when Steven was thinking about his magic tricks, the thought came into his mind that magic tricks were evil because the Bible forbade witchcraft and sorcery. He didn't really think his tricks were that kind of magic but still the thought came into his mind. Most other Christians told him that magic tricks were okay and that they could even be used to explain the Gospel to people if Steven wanted to use them that way, but still sometimes he had doubts. He enjoyed watching people who presented themselves as black magicians in music and TV and movies. Some people even presented themselves as white magicians, like the band RUSH and others, but all witchcraft is sin according to God.
The greyness outside of the window started to blur together before Steven's eyes and his eyelids began to droop. He was really quite tired from his physio/rehab exercises and the warmth of the bath had made him sleepy. He began to doze, and as he dozed he began to think about the Lord and God's love for him. As he did, he felt like the Lord was with him. In his dreamlike state, he was still looking out the window but on the other side of the window, Jesus was there looking at him, surrounded by a beautiful emerald rainbow in which, somehow, where also all the other colours of the rainbow. Steven couldn't exactly see Jesus clearly but he knew it was the Lord. Steven's mind was delighted and gently held by the wonder of the rainbow and the dim outline of the Lord on the other side of the glass. He felt a tremendous sense of kindness, peace, joy, absolute truth, and love from the Lord and it didn't stop but it continued on. And the Lord began to speak to him. He said,
"Steven, my child, I love you and I died for you, to bring you to God and give you the ability to live unto God through me. I rose again to make you a new man, righteous, and a living stone in the Temple of my God. This is what you are because it is what I have made you through my finished work. But this is not what you are living as, because you have been seduced by the devil and become fastened to those things that he wills for you to do. I have come to give you repentance so that you may come to your senses and be made free from the devil's seduction and those things he has fastened you to. He has nailed you to the lust for money and fame and carnality but I was nailed to the cross to free you from those things."
Steven's feeling of awesome, fiery love rises to the point that his eyes fill with tears. He cannot contain the greatness of Jesus' holy, glorious, all-powerful love. He remembers the famous scripture verse, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.' The Lord continues to speak to him,
"Steven, my child, you know what I have said, that if you love the world or anything in the world then you cut yourself off from the love of God, the love you are now experiencing. All the craving and desire for things to please the flesh, to please the eyes, and to make you feel proud do not come from God but come from the world. And this world is passing away and all its cravings. The choice to have friendship with this world is the choice to become an enemy of God. But those who turn from the world and its cravings to God to do His will, shall remain forever.
"This is what I have made you and saved you for. You must carry your cross and endure the suffering of saying no to your cravings for material things and fame. You must say no to the thoughts and imaginations when they come to you. If you will set your heart to obey me, then My love and joy will be in you as you turn to me and my grace will strengthen you to be able to endure this suffering. And you will know me as I suffered, so that you might one day reach the resurrection of the dead and be made perfect.
"There is one more thing, Steven, my child. There is witchcraft you are practicing but it has nothing to do with your magic tricks. The witchcraft is trying to put faith that I will make you rich in this life and give you the world that you crave. I will not because it is against My Word. I have said that I will not give the children of God anything to satisfy their lusts. Yet you are trying to have faith to acquire the things you lust for. This is witchcraft and it is like a teenager rebelling against their parents. God is your Father and you should rejoice in this and accept where He has placed you in this world. In fact, it is a very high thing to be low in this world because I became poor and a servant in this world.
"Turn from this witchcraft to accept being a humble and low servant of God in this world and you will find rest and contentment in every circumstance. This is my Word, my promise to you. Deny yourself and take up your cross every day, and follow me. I will make your life fruitful and bless you in ways you do not expect and one day I will receive you up into glory and your pain and sorrow will be forever over.
I love you Steven, child of God and one of My brothers. Remember this word from the Bible and do not be discouraged: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
After these words, the Lord departed from him, and Steven was left with a deep and strong feeling of hope and a clean feeling in his spirit, soul, and body. He knew what he should do.
Amen.
~~~
