The Waiting Room for Hell

Thanksgiving is one of the days families come together to discuss what they are grateful for as they look back at the year coming to an end. Being that Africans love an excuse to cook fried rice and meat pie, my household gladly substituted the usual mac & cheese for some authentic Nigerian fried rice, and mashed potatoes for some finger licking meat pie. We couldn't just Nigerianify (I just made this word up lol) the whole menu, so we also made turkey and corn bread to balance the meal.  

After all the festivities, I gladly obliged my bed’s calling as I was tired and stuffed, unknown to me that I was about to witness something that would forever change my life.

I had a dream that showed me the two types of people who had one thing in common; they were in the waiting room for hell.

So here’s how it all started..

I woke up at about 5 am and felt a tug in my spirit to pray, so I did. As I was reading I started drifting in and out of sleep, and shortly after was pinned down in the exact position I lay on my bed. Some of you might know what I’m talking about, but the term people use is Sleep Paralysis. Sleep paralysis is basically when you are in between sleeping and consciousness and you feel some pressure/force holding you down. You can’t move or speak.

 Now, this was certainly not the first time this happened to me, but by God’s grace it was the last. For years I dealt with this and I knew it was the enemy sending his agents to torment me. On this very day, I was sick and tired of being scared of an enemy I knew deep down I had been given the power to overcome (John 1:5). I never clearly saw the faces during any of the attacks, but God opened my eyes and let me tell you they are quite unimpressive. At the mention of Jesus, all three that held me down on that night fled and never came back!

After that happened, I still remained on my bed but the scene dimmed and out of nowhere a woman approached me. I didn't see her face, but I remember thinking she looked fly. She was dressed in a stylish business professional outfit, hair on point, and shoes looking fleek. My observation was cut short when she spoke saying “I don’t know why you keep trying to pray when God isn't listening. You don’t read your bible or pray enough. Just stop wasting your time because you’re going to hell”

The condemnation that she spoke kicked in, because indeed I felt like I wasn't doing enough of those things and I thought “Lord, I know I’m not perfect but I didn't know You had given up on me”

She then took me into another room that was lit up and packed with lots of people, some of which I knew personally. They appeared happy, but deep down I knew something wasn't right about that place. As we walked through the room, I saw an area where the people treated like royalty and I asked her what it was. She chuckled and responded “They are in the VIP section”

We walked back to the first room which was literally dark, and now it was packed with people lined up in rows like soldiers. Their minds had been conditioned and I knew they had lost all hope. The woman then told me “You see, you’re going to hell so just join the line with the rest of them”

At this point I lost all hope. I just came from a room where I knew a lot of people who thought they were in the light, but I knew they weren't so obviously I must be going to the same place they were, hell. You've probably heard the saying “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are”, so I walked towards my spot on line and heard a still voice whisper “Just call on me, trust me”

For some reason I had a candle in my handle and as I blew it out, I called on Jesus and received power to pray. My faith was still low, but after every time I said “Jesus” my faith grew, and the lady who had kept her composure the whole time began to scream. She told me to stop calling the name and sent her sidekicks (the ones from the paralysis) to come stop me. I ordered them to stop in the name of Jesus, and they fled.

Then I began to scream  at the top of my lungs to the people in the room that the woman had deceived them and they didn't have to settle for hell. All they needed to do was believe. The lady was screaming and pushing the people out of the room, so they wouldn't hear what I was saying. To cut this long story short, there were a lot of people in that room and only four people left that line of doom.

When I woke up, I was shaken as you can imagine but there are key lessons from this dream that God showed me and I have been led to share.

• We cannot tolerate and let the enemy boss us around. God has given us the power to overcome the adversary, but when we don’t know who we are we run scared. There is power in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21)- don’t sit inactive.

•   The lady represented those people in our lives or around us who we look up to, and because they “appear” to be trustworthy we take everything they say as gold. The enemy will use people who you hold at a certain level of honor to deceive you.

 Have you ever watched those toothpaste commercials? They use doctors in lab coats to promote because subconsciously people have this trust factor when someone is represented as “knowledgeable”. In my case, my field of study is business so when I saw her and admired her from the start, I was more susceptible to take what she said as the truth. If you want to be sure whether a person is speaking from God, then line their words up with His word. This lady brought condemnation and the Holy Spirit brings conviction. The difference is one points to hell as the ultimatum, and the other corrects but brings hope (a solution). Don’t be deceived just cause someone is “dressed up” for the part doesn't mean they are from God.

•      Those in the lit room who thought they were in the “light” were actually not; instead they were in the appearance aka facade of light. When you deceive yourself long enough, you begin to lose sight of what is real and what isn't.

“..I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.” (Revelations 3:1b, NLT)

We unfortunately, live in a world that places so much emphasis on outward appearance that we forget how to truly examine bad fruit. The bible says to test men by the fruit they produce (Matthew 7:16), but we test by how well kept their outside appears to be. Make sure to check inside because the exterior isn't always a reflection of the interior. People put on the garment of “good works” and that is classified as a life lived under Christ when it’s not. Faith, which comes from the inside, is what should propel the exterior work we do.

You can be outwardly vivacious and spiritually dead. Christ died so that we might come alive spiritually, not settle for a perception of life. The people in the VIP section represent those who have been bestowed great callings, as whom much is given much is required. It is possible to start out right, walking by faith and the unction of the Holy Spirit, and then settle for works to be seen. God is looking at your heart condition.

•      I can relate to those that were in the dark room as I almost joined the queue of those who didn't assume they were in the light, in fact they had mentally settled for hell. God examines the heart, and you may not even know that subconsciously you don’t believe you can make it to heaven. Sometimes we think that our sin is too great to forgive or that we are too messed up for God, but in reality who you are and your sin does not scare Him.

          God is not intimidated by our past or present or even future.

      Before the foundations of the world, He knew every decision we would make and still chose to die for us. We have to learn that we are saved by grace which is a gift bought with the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8)

Sure, you might not be were you think you need to be, but grace has covered you. The reward for the sacrifice of Jesus is a chance to have a relationship with you, yes you! He bore your sins and shortcomings on his back thousands of years ago, so that you didn't have to carry the weight. Rest in Him, and rebuke the enemy. You belong to Jesus. Be encouraged!

Prayer: Abba, please reveal to us if we fall into any category, and give us the strength to accept that indeed, Your grace is sufficient. For those that feel condemned, I ask that you whisper Your words of hope to their hearts. Remind them that You foresaw it and made provisions, and all they have to do is listen to Your voice. Examine us Lord! If we are dying spiritually, revive our hearts, and help us set our minds on things above. All this we ask in Jesus name. Amen!