Our house (Part 1)

I just had this dream and wanted to share it.

1/26/09 Early AM

I was in someone's home, not my own. It is a fairly new home, large and very nice. I sensed an urgency to make sure the house was secure so that intruders could not enter easily. It seems that I was seeing the danger in my spirit, not seeing it in real life ... like a vision. I was babysitting for three children. They were all young but all able to walk. I was going through the house showing people what work needed to be done. We found some holes in the basement walls big enough for a man to crawl through. I watched them fill the hole with cement. Windows were being checked to make sure they locked right. The work was completed, and I am looking out the window at the street. I notice a small grayish car stopped at the stop sign. The car is close enough to see the man in the front-passenger side of the car. He was an evil man. I ran through the house, making sure all things were locked and secure. I gathered the children. I had a cell phone in hand. I direct the children to go down to the basement. We are on the second floor going to the first floor. I could see the men [2 or 3 men] outside checking all the doors and windows. They were determined to get inside. We start to go down the basement stairs, and the noise of the banging from these men trying to get in was getting louder. I knew they had a good chance of getting in.

I am calling 911. I get an operator. I call for help. I give an address of 3 digits, then "Pullman Ave.". I don't remember the numbers, but I gave 3 numbers. The operator said help would be there in three minutes. Then I lost the connection. My only thought was where could I hide the children in the basement. I awoke from the dream at this point. I was fearful. I sensed real danger. Immediately I felt the dream was about the Church -body of Christ in America. It was going underground fast.

Our comments

Faithful pastoring

In the dream, sister Maureen was in a home which she knew was not her own. This points to the following passage:

"⁴² And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. ⁴⁴ Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. ⁴⁵ But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; ⁴⁶ The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:42-48)

[The word "ruler" in verse 42 was poorly translated from the Greek verb kathistemi, which literally means "to place along", referring to someone who has been placed alongside a thing to care for it. Thus, it does not have the connotation of someone being "above" something else to rule "over" it.]

The Church is full of pastors who have lorded it over the Church, thinking themselves owners of the flock. As a result, they have turned the Lord's Kingdom into their own personal queendom, and, in doing so, they have "beaten" up their fellow believers, abusing the authority given to them; this authority was for the purpose of caring for their brothers and sisters, not for ruling over them, patronising them as if they were spiritually inferior.

"¹ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: ² Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ³ Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Peter 5:1-4)

[Notice how the passage above does not say "Feed your flock" (v2). Instead, it says, "Feed the flock of God", as if to emphasise Who the real owner is.]

As we shared in the previous posting, "corruption" is the use of delegated authority over others' goods in order to further purely personal interests. Therefore, it is safe to declare that the Church's leaders have corrupted themselves before the Lord.

"²¹ How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. ²² Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: ²³ Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. ²⁴ Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:" (Isaiah 1:21-24)

Notice how the passage above contrasts corruption (i.e.- the misuse of delegated authority for personal purposes) with "faithfulness", i.e.- having faith (v21). This contrast is emphasised in other passages such as the following:

"³ Honour widows that are widows indeed. ⁴ But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. ⁵ Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. ⁷ And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. ⁸ But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:3-8)

Therefore, we can say that faith begets responsible stewardship, and faithlessness begets self-centredness. Those who have faith operating within them become concerned over the condition of those within their sphere of responsibility.

"¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:14-24)

Notice how the Spirit first speaks of faith in the context of works that provide for the "naked" and the "destitute of daily food" (v15). Despite what most believers may think, this passage goes beyond a mere call to "humanitarianism". It speaks of being aware of those around you who require emotional and material strengthening. As the faith within you is activated, you will seek to "clothe the naked" and "feed the hungry" brethren, and you will feel doubly obligated to provide for the needs of the faithful remnant brethren who are tired and weary from the intense spiritual battle that they have had to endure.

"¹⁷ Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸ For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." (1 Timothy 5:17-18)

[The word "honour" in verse 17 was translated from the Greek word time, which comes from the word tine meaning "to pay, to recompense", and can also be taken to mean "to pay a penalty". Therefore, the word time has the connotation of someone evaluating something in order to assign it the price it deserves.

The word "labour" in verse 17 was translated from the Greek verb kopiao, which literally means "to grow weary, tired, exhausted with burdens of grief". Thus, it goes beyond the simple idea of a regular "9-to-5" type of work. It speaks of strenuous effort and heartache, of believers going a tortuous "extra mile" on behalf of their brethren. These are the "elders" who must truly be honoured and deemed worthy of "double pay", for these are the elders who are giving their very lives on behalf of God's purposes in others.

The word "doctrine" at the end of verse 17 is a mistranslation of the Greek word didaskalia, which literally means "teaching". The word "word" in the phase "word and doctrine" was translated from the Greek word logos, which, as we have studied before, is spiritually related to apostolic judgments. Thus, the phrase "word and doctrine" points to both the apostolic and the teaching ministries, which, as we have seen before, are "right-handed" ministries. Because of their tendency towards law, judgements, and spiritual procedures, these ministries are "less glamorous" than either the left-handed grace-oriented ministries (prophet and pastor) or the head-authority ministry of evangelist. Therefore, those who labour in the "word and doctrine" are more likely to go unappreciated by their brethren, even when their toil and heartache is laying a red foundation of righteousness that the other ministries must build upon.]

The word "rule" in verse 17 above was mistranslated from the Greek verb proistemi, which literally means "to place before" or "to set in front of". The word "well" was translated from the word kalos, which, as we have said before, has the connotation of prophetic purposefulness. As we also said before, the prophetic endowment emphasises a "communistic unity" in which we all have equal access to God. Thus the phrase translated as "rule well" in verse 17 speaks of people who believe in the prophetic equality of all people and who do not believe that they are "superior" simply because they have been "set before" others. Such people see their position "before" or "in front of" others as an opportunity and responsibility to enable the prophetic potential of the people standing before them.

The word "elders" in 1 Timothy 5:17 was translated from the Greek noun presbyteros, which is a comparative form of the word presbus meaning "elderly". Therefore, just as it does in its English translation, the word presbyteros has the connotation of someone who is older than others. Obviously, the word "elder" in verse 17 is not used to refer to people who are literally old, but, rather, to people who are spiritually mature. In other words, those who were appointed "elders" in the primitive Church were supposed to be believers who had spiritual maturity and who could therefore impart that maturity to others as they "stood before" them, acting as fathers who could "project" what had developed inside of them into the hearts of others. Unfortunately, the current Church is full of "elders" who use their fatherly authority to exert personal dominion over their spiritual children, instead of using that authority as an opportunity to quickly impart unto others what may have taken them many years and much heartache to develop within them (Matthew 20:1-7). Responsible fathers are willing to pay the price so that their children may not have to go through what they went through in order to succeed. By contrast, irresponsible fathers couldn't care less whether their children will mature or remain stagnant, and they are often resentful of their children's success, especially if it comes at a lower price than the one they had to pay. Responsible fathers want their children to go higher than they were able to go. Irresponsible fathers want their children to be less successful and to remain below them because such fathers equate "fatherhood" with "superiority", not with "responsibility to enable".

The reference to "double honour" in verse 17 points to "double portion". Fathers would give their firstborns a double portion of the inheritance (this is the reason why Elisha demanded a double portion from Elijah because he was forcing Elijah to act as a true father, something Elijah had been reluctant to do throughout his life). Firstborns represented the continuation of the father's name, meaning that they were not seen as "inferior" to the father; instead, they were seen as individuals who were to be cherished and nourished because they had the potential to be like their father and to continue their father's name on Earth. Since true "elders" treat the believers before them as "double-portion-deserving firstborns", they are worthy of a "double portion of recompense" themselves.

From all of the above, it becomes evident that Scripture establishes a clear association between faith, stewardship, and fatherhood. It is no coincidence, therefore, that one of the persons most directly related to fatherhood throughout Scripture is also known as the "father of faith" (Abraham). Those who lack true faith become careless with their stewardship, and they begin to see any authority as an opportunity to take over God's house and treat it as their own personal fiefdom. Instead of seeing those around them as firstborns, they will see them as serfs, with no interest in seeing the fullness of the God potential manifested in them.

Stewardship requires overseeing resources owned by others, and, as we have studied before, overseeing is spiritually related to the pastoral endowment. A true pastor (i.e.- shepherd) will oversee the sheep owned by someone else, caring for them as if they were their own, valuing them as worthy of his own life. This is why David the shepherd was willing to fight against lions and bears to protect sheep that belonged to his father, not to him (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Thus, when sister Maureen recognises that the house she was in was someone else's house, and not her own, she is speaking in the spirit of a true pastor, a faithful pastor whose faith propels her to become concerned about nurturing that which is not her own.

Faithful pastoring goes both ways. It goes from those "overseeing" to those "overseen" and vice versa. The "overseer" can be distinguished from those "overseen" by the weariness in his face and the heaviness in his heart. As the overseer's faith propels him to carry the burden of others, those who are being cared for are called by the Lord to "care back". The faith acting in the overseer will be imparted to the willing amongst the overseen, which will in turn propel them to reward those who are caring for them, like a faithful son who is grateful to his parents for making the sacrifices necessary to help him become an independent and successful adult. This "caring back" will not be motivated by a sense of "subordinate obligation", but rather by sincere gratitude that turns into "spiritual obligation" in the hearts of those ruled by the law of love.

"⁷ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. ⁸ Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:7-8)

The new vulnerable house

In the dream, sister Maureen describes the house as fairly new, large, and very nice. These 3 qualities point to the 3 "male" ministries:

1. Fairly new

   As we have said before, the ministry most directly related to wisdom is the apostolic ministry. As such, it is the ministry that produces a river of new concepts and knowledge that is eventually stored up and organised by the teaching ministry. Therefore, the house's newness points to the innovative apostolic spirit.

    

   "I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions" (Proverbs 8:12)

    

   The phrase "find out" was translated from the Hebrew word matsa meaning "to acquire, attain, secure", and the phrase "witty inventions" was translated from the word mezimmah, which means "device, plot" and is derived from the word zamam meaning "to have a thought, devise, plan, consider". Notice, therefore, how the Lord associates (apostolic) wisdom to devising detailed plans and strategies. Inventiveness requires the ability to find new ways to solve existing problems and to build up detailed strategies to implement those new ways. The new idea acts as a seed, which then requires a well-considered plan that works around it.

    

2. Large

   As we have said before, the ministry most directly related to "spiritual giants" is the evangelistic ministry. The evangelistic endowment is essential in the building up of massive projects that impact people on a wide scale. Therefore, the house's largeness points to the spirit of evangelistic expansion and conquest.

    

3. Very nice

   As we have said before, the ministry most directly related to spiritual grace is the prophetic ministry. This means that the prophetic anointing points to the endowment of spiritual beauty. In that sense, we can say that the prophetic anointing has an attractive, alluring spiritual quality to it. Therefore, the fact that sister Maureen described the house not just as "nice" but "very nice" points to the anointing of prophetic beauty.

    

From all of the above, it becomes evident that the house represents the remnant outpost where the 3 "male" ministry endowments are being restored. Through His spirit-centred remnant, the Lord will end the matriarchy of the "female" soul so that the "male" Spirit may exercise dominion on Earth. In this outpost, the 3 "male" endowments, represented by the 3 children, are being prepared for a massive release upon the Church and the world. However, the soul matriarchy that dominates the world abhors the Spirit of God, and she is currently launching a full-fledged, last-ditch attack to destroy the "male" remnant and prevent their manifestation.

Even though the remnant are endowed with the inherent strength of the Spirit, they must be willing to be wrapped up in soul weakness, for that is a prerequisite for God to tabernacle amongst men on Earth. The completion of man's journey and destiny on Earth is impossible unless man can prove that he can manifest the eternal nature of God in the midst of weakness and vulnerability. As a result, the remnant house in which the 3 "male" endowments are being prepared must remain vulnerable to attack, even if it is soundly built and cared for.

The end of Perizzite dependence

In the dream, the 3 children were "young but able to walk". As we have shared before, "walking" is a figure of exercising the authority to make apostolic judgements and to carry out evangelistic conquest. Because of her anti-judgement pastoral shield, the pastoral matriarchy has raised up a Church of spiritually weak Old-Covenant believers who are permanently dependent on their "ministers" and who are stuck in perennial immaturity, like the Israelites who perished in the desert.

When done in the Spirit, the 2 "female" ministries of pastor and teacher act as responsible "nannies" who take care of the sons of God during their childhood until they can grow up and take care of themselves, without promoting a perverse dependence on or subservience to them.

"¹ Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ² But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: ⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, ⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. ⁸ Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. ⁹ But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (Galatians 4:1-9)

The pastoral and teaching endowments are supposed to create a safe environment in which the spirit nature of God's people may be free to grow. This environment of "sure tabernacles" and "quiet resting places" (Isaiah 32:18) is intended to protect the mind and the emotions from any hindrances that may prevent the growth of the believer's spirit. Neither the pastoral nor the teaching endowments are designed by God to produce substantial spiritual growth. They can do no more than create a nurturing environment where this growth is possible, for only the "male" ministry anointings (which operate at a level not visible to the natural eye) can produce significant spiritual growth in the believer. If the "female" ministries create an environment that is antagonistic to apostolic judgements, prophetic inconformity, and evangelistic conquest, the believers growing up in their environment will eventually be stunted and crippled, regardless of how much material and soul effort the pastors and teachers may invest into that environment. An environment that is indifferent to the spirit-enabling "male" anointings will inevitably become antagonistic towards them (Matthew 12:30-31), and an anti-"male", soul-glorifying environment will inevitably lead to a congregation of Perizzite cripples, of mediocre believers who will never fulfil God's purposes for their lives.

Clear and present danger

In the dream, sister Maureen says that she could see the danger in her spirit, "not seeing it in real life ... like a vision". This points to the invisible nature of the spiritual attack the remnant are currently going through. Whereas most believers in the Church have felt as if things are "going on as usual" over the last few years, those who are of the remnant have experienced an increased spiritual attack and torment in their lives, especially as they have gone through the 4th- and 5th-seal periods. However, as the 5th-seal period is drawing to a close, the intense battle and anguish that the remnant have been enduring is spilling over from the spirit realm into the natural realm, and those who live in the natural are being given a taste of the DDD ("death-desiring despair") that the remnant have gone through. People in America (and even the UK) have been losing their homes, which correlates with the homelessness and lack of covering that the remnant have been forced to endure. People have also been losing their jobs, which correlates with the sense of "uselessness" and isolation that the remnant have been tortured with. Thus, the homelessness (i.e.- "nakedness") and sense of unemployment (i.e.- "hunger") that the remnant have been enduring is now being experienced by those in the natural. The overwhelming cloud of darkness and hopelessness that the remnant have toiled under is now being experienced by those in the natural. The unshakeable sense of uncertainty about the future that the remnant have been suffering through is now being experienced by those who walk by the light of the natural sun.

In the spirit realm, the remnant's loud and faithful witness has constituted a clear and present danger to the matriarchal order, and, in retaliation, the soul matriarchy has enveloped the remnant in an atmosphere of clear and present danger, for Jezebel is a vengeful whore, and she will retaliate against anyone who so much as dares to speak out against her.

Foundational covering

In the dream, sister Maureen establishes 2 layers of protection for the house:

1. Covering foundational holes

2. Making sure the windows were locked right

In order to understand the spiritual meaning of the first layer of protection, we must consider the following passage:

"²⁷ When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: ²⁸ When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: ²⁹ When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth" (Proverbs 8:27-29)

As certified by Proverbs 8:12 (quoted above), the One speaking in the passage above is Wisdom. Notice, therefore, how wisdom is essential when carrying out deep, foundational work.

"¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. ²⁰ By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew." (Proverbs 3:19-20)

"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding" (Jeremiah 10:12, 51:15)

As we have shared before, wisdom is for the making of apostolic judgements. Therefore, we can say that the establishing of a good foundation requires the making of judgements. However, as we have also studied before, these judgements may become distorted if you lose your "first love" (Revelation 2:4), forgetting the prophetic purpose behind your judgements and the "evangelistic firstborn" calling of those you judge.

"¹¹ The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. ¹² Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. ¹³ In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding." (Proverbs 10:11-13)

Verse 12 above has often been used to justify a pandering, pastoral love that condones unrighteousness and abhors judgements. This view, however, ignores how the two surrounding verses temper verse 12. The verse that follows (v13) speaks of how those devoid of understanding deserve to have the rod striking their back, which emphasises the need to make judgements. By contrast, the preceding verse (v11) declares that the mouth of the wicked is covered with violence, which speaks of the unrighteous violence carried out by those who pronounce judgements that are based on the soul and not the spirit. The word "violence" in verse 11 was translated from the Hebrew word chamach (pronounced "ham-ack"), which is etymologically related to the name "Ham". As we have studied before, Ham and his son Canaan represent the anti-judgement Canaanite spirit that is vitriolically vengeful against those who dare to judge them. As shown by the behaviour of the political far left in America, those who claim to extol the virtues of "mercy" and "compassion" are generally the most ruthless and savage destroyers of those whom they deem to be their enemy. Both the word chamach and the name "Ham" are related to the concept of "heat", which speaks of words charged with passion and emotionalism that are not tempered by sober and unbiased judgement. Even though the Jebusite spirit of merciless legalism and the Canaanite spirit of unbridled compassion seem to be complete opposites, they are very similar beneath the surface, for both are inclined to making emotion-based judgements that brutalise the innocent and destroy the redeemable. Because of this, the Jebusite and Canaanite spirits often tend to manifest themselves together.

Based on all of the above, we can now discern the spiritual meaning behind the covering of holes in the basement walls that sister Maureen describes in the dream. The "basement" speaks of a foundation, which points to wisdom and to the making of judgements. The holes that a man could crawl through point to the infiltration of earthly, human thinking into those judgements, thus perverting them. The "crawling" itself points to man acting like a 4-footed animal and not like a true human being who can walk on 2 feet. As we have studied before, walking is related to the making of judgements, which means that a "crawling man" in this context represents a man who makes judgements like an animal and not like a true human.

"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." (Proverbs 12:10)

[Notice how this verse emphasises the ruthlessness and ferocity that is hidden in the "compassion" exercised by those who oppose the righteousness of God]

The word "life" above was translated from the Hebrew word nephesh, which literally means "soul", and is translated as such in the King James version 475 out of the 753 times that it appears in the Old Testament. This certifies the fact (implied throughout Scripture) that animals have souls; unlike humans, however, they do not have spirits. Thus, "to make (crawling) judgements like an animal" means to make judgements in the soul, not the spirit. When we make (walking) judgements in the spirit, we begin to consider aspects and dimensions that are hidden to the natural, soulish man (1 Corinthians 2:13-16), and we begin to exercise a legitimate pastoral compassion that is based on truth and righteousness, as opposed to the false Canaanite compassion that is based on emotionalism and personal soul interests.

"⁷ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. ⁸ And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:7-8)

[The word "charity" in verse 8 is a terrible mistranslation of the Greek word agape meaning "love", and the word "multitude" was translated from the word plethos, which is derived from the word pletho meaning "to fill". Thus, verse 8 could be translated as, "... for love shall cover all types of sins", which means that Peter was quoting Proverbs 10:12, studied below.

It is worth noting that the call to "sobriety" correlates with the covering of the foundation holes in sister Maureen's dream, whereas the "watch unto prayer" correlates with the windows being locked right.]

"¹⁷ Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. ¹⁹ Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; ²⁰ Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:17-20)

[The word "hide" near the end of verse 20 was translated from the Greek word kalupto, the same word that is translated as "cover" in 1 Peter 4:8 above. Notice, therefore, how the "covering of sins" in love does not mean to simply "look the other way" in the face of unrighteousness, for verses 19 and 20 first speak of converting the person if he or she goes astray from the truth, which points to Proverbs 12:17 (quoted below). In verse 17, the Lord speaks of an Elijah who "blew forth" judgement over the land of Israel from his mouth because Israel had strayed from the truth, and verse 18 speaks of an Elijah "blowing forth" word of restoration when the intended process had been completed; that is when the "covering of sins" can begin.]

"¹²One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. ¹³This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; ¹⁴Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. ¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1:12-16)

Notice how Paul did not exhort Titus or the prophet in Crete to "cover the sins of the Cretans" by simply ignoring their faults. Instead, he commends the prophet for calling the Cretans "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (v12), for to have said anything else would have been a false witness (v13, Proverbs 12:17). Notice also how Paul is also critical of those who were promoting the Old-Covenant ways by teaching "Jewish fables" and "commandments of men" that turn people from the truth. Just as was the case with Peter before he saw Cornelius (Acts 10), these men believe that the "laymen" are "inherently less pure" than the so-called "ministers", and they are unwilling to believe that God truly covers the sins of those who repent in sincerity (Acts 13:46). These evil men continue to issue decrees (invented by them) as if they had been given "godship" over the "lesser people of God". These commandments end up straying people away from the truth instead of enabling them to fulfil God's purposes for them. The "first love" is not in these men, and their judgements are totally unreliable, for they are birthed in the soul and not the spirit. They make for a shaky foundation that is easily penetrable by satan.

The shame prerequisite

Scripture establishes a parameter for "covering" others:

"A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame" (Proverbs 12:16)

Notice how this passage correlates the covering of shame (i.e.- "nakedness") with righteous prudence. In this passage, however, there is an implied assumption that most pastors fail to understand, and that assumption is that the person being covered has a sense of shame or weakness. If a person is committing a shameful act but feels no shame in committing it, there is absolutely no "shame" to cover, and the passage above does not apply at all. Thus, when the shame is absent, words of truth and judgement are required to evoke it, and, once it is evoked, it can be covered in love.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise" (Proverbs 12:15)

[Notice that a fool feels no shame over his folly, but the wise man (i.e.- a person who wants to abide by God's righteous wisdom and judgements) is open to righteous counsel. This verse "happens to be" the verse that immediately precedes Proverbs 12:16 quoted above.]

"He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit" (Proverbs 12:17)

[The word "speaketh" was translated from the Hebrew verb puwach, which literally means "to breathe, blow, puff, blast". Thus, it has the connotation of something being propelled or promoted in earnest. Therefore, this verse speaks of those who actively promote truth. The phrase "sheweth forth" was translated from the Hebrew verb nagad meaning "to be conspicuous, make known, announce, declare". This means that those who actively "blow out truth" from their mouths enable righteousness to be manifested on Earth.

Given that this verse is the one that immediately follows Proverbs 12:16 quoted above, we can conclude that to "cover" a person's shame does not mean to "cover it up", for that would entail not declaring the shameful to be "shameful", which would be the opposite of "blowing forth truth" and making righteousness evident or known on Earth. To declare the unrighteous as "acceptable" is to be a "false witness" that releases deceit into the Earth.]

"⁸ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. ¹¹ For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." (2 Corinthians 7:8-11)

[Notice that, when softly-blown words of "wise counsel" (Proverbs 12:15) do not work, harsher winds of judgement become necessary. These words bring sorrow and shame, and, once that fruit is produced, covering and forgiveness can be applied. As we have said before, Scripture clearly shows that there can be no forgiveness without repentance (Luke 17:3).]

Friend separators

"⁹ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. ¹⁰ A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. ¹¹ An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him." (Proverbs 17:9-11)

[Notice how verse 10 and 11 emphasise the need for "increased judgement intensity" when the initial reproof does not work. When it is revealed that the person's heart is in deliberate rebellion against God's judgements, the Lord does not speak of "covering up" the person's unrighteousness. Instead, He speaks of a "cruel messenger" (i.e.- a cruel agent of judgement) being sent against that person.]

The word "repeateth" in verse 9 above was translated from the Hebrew word shanah, which means "to repeat, do again, change, alter". The word "matter" in verse 9 was translated from the Hebrew word dabar, which literally means "word", and is translated as such more than half of the time in the King James version. A study of the occurrences of this word in the Hebrew text reveals that it is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word logos, meaning that it has the inherent connotation of judgements. Therefore, the phrase "repeateth a matter" speaks of someone who goes back and rewrites the rules after they have been established, re-judging a case that has already been resolved. If a person sincerely repents before God, he or she is immediately forgiven, and the "rebuilding" process begins. Anyone who goes back and "presses charges" again is rewriting the rules, and becomes a hindrance in God's process. This is what Jebusite judges who have lost their first love do.

The word "friends" at the end of Proverbs 17:9 above was translated from the Hebrew word alluwph, which is derived from the word alph meaning "to associate". Interestingly enough, the word alph only appears 4 times in Scripture: once in Proverbs 22:25 and the other 3 times in the book of Job (Job 15:5, 33:33, 35:11). Three of those 4 times, it is translated as either "teach" or "learn" in the King James translation, due to the context in which it appears. This reveals that alph refers to "learning by association". If you "hang around" someone long enough, you will begin to pick up that person's habits and attitudes. An "impartation" (or "contamination" - 1 Corinthians 15:33) takes place when you open up your heart for soul fellowship with another person. Therefore, the Spirit is declaring in verse 9 above that, by "retrying" old cases and by not learning to "cover shame" in love, Jebusite judges get in the way between God's forgiven and Him, preventing the growth of a friendship in which God's forgiven will receive a direct impartation of God's very nature, becoming more and more like Him.

"¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ¹⁵ Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15:14-15)

"³¹ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: ³² Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: ³³ But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴ And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Notice how the Lord declares a New Covenant that ends the separation inherent in the Old Covenant. Under this New Covenant, there is direct interaction between God and His people, an interaction derived from God forgiving the people's iniquity and no longer remembering their sin (v34). Because Jebusite and Canaanite judges are bent on unrighteously "retrying" God's people, they separate God from His friends, thus hindering their restoration and the impartation of God's nature into them. Those who dare to promote the pastoral-matriarchy system of Old-Covenant subservience to "ministers" are getting in the way between God and His friends, and cursed are those who dare to hinder Him (Romans 1:16-18).

"He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him" (Proverbs 18:13)

[The word "answereth" was translated from the Hebrew word shuwb, which literally means "to turn back, to return", and the word "matter" was translated from the Hebrew word dabar, which, as we said above, refers to words of judgement. Therefore, a better translation of the phrase "he that answereth a matter" would read "he who turns back a word" or "he who returns a word". This points to those who have tried to overturn God's New-Covenant decree in an effort to revert to the Old-Covenant ways.

Those who judge in the natural are very bad at hearing God's voice, for their sole interest is to judge by sight (John 7:24) and not by ear (John 5:30). This is why it is so difficult for them to absorb God's New-Covenant truths. Through their arrogant behaviour based on visible appearance, they continue to dismiss the potential in the "little" people, and they work to perpetuate a shame system that God has already decreed is "null and void".]

Wells of life that kill first

In Proverbs 10:11 (quoted above), the Spirit declares that the mouth of the "righteous" is a "well of life", but who are the "righteous"? The answer is given by God Himself in Scripture:

"³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." (Psalm 37:30-31)

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." (Jeremiah 23:5)

From this, we can conclude that the "righteous" are those who live in and speak God's judgements. As the verse above clearly shows, they are the conduits of God's judgements on Earth. Therefore, the righteous whose mouth is a "well of life" are not lovey-dovey, pastorally-minded people who simply say things that make people "feel nice". They at times are compelled to speak harsh words, as shown by the passages quoted earlier, but those words are intended to produce life. Through judgements, the redeemable is restored, the unredeemable is destroyed and moved out of the way, and life is enabled. In a sense, the judgements of the righteous prepare the soil so that life may sprout forth. God's judgements are inherently righteous; therefore, those who hinder His judgements are actually hindering righteousness.

"⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." (Psalm 19:9-10)

Contrary to popular evangelical belief, the inherent connection between "righteousness" and "judgements" is not a matter of the "Old Testament past":

"⁴ So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: ⁵ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

"⁵ And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. ⁶ For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. ⁷ And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments." (Revelation 16:5-7)

[Notice how the phrase "which art, and wast, an shalt be" in verse 5 emphasises the fact that God does not change. God has always been a God of judgements because that is His nature, and that did not change after Calvary. Stubborn man may endeavour to redefine God to his own soulish liking, but the Truth of God's nature cannot be altered (shanah-ed).]

"¹ And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: ² For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." (Revelation 19:1-2)

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24)

[Notice how Yeshua Himself is exhorting us to "judge righteous judgements" in the New Testament. The righteous of God on Earth are to issue judgements, and, as they do, their mouths become "wells of life". That was true 3,000 years ago, and it continues to be true today, for God's righteous nature has not changed ... and will never change, no matter how hard the Church's pastors may try.]

British cement

In the dream, sister Maureen watched as the holes in the basement walls were filled with cement. There is spiritual significance behind this. As can be seen on wikipedia.org, the history of cement can be traced back to Roman times, but its modern history and development is dominated by the British, who began to perfect it for modern use ever since the Industrial Revolution. This is no coincidence. As we have shared before, the UK has a strong apostolic anointing of righteous judgements. There is another side to the UK, however. Just as it is strongly inclined towards truth, judgements, and justice, the UK also has a strong impartation of pastoral care and compassion. It is no coincidence that the best-known and most intelligent breed of "herding" or "pastoral" dog, the Border Collie, is a UK dog (as indicated on wikipedia.org). Another famous pastoral dog, the Bearded Collie, is also from the UK (Scotland, to be precise).

In their judgement making, people in the UK tend to be very considerate and deliberate, and their judgements are tempered by a strong sensitivity to the value of human life and the sorrow of human suffering, which betrays strong pastoral empathy. This has prevented the UK falling under an excessively strong influence of the Jebusite spirit, despite its strong judgement impartation. Thus, the UK is not only a nation of apostles but a nation of apostolic pastors.

Modern cement is made with clay and chalk. In order to understand the meaning of this, we must consider the following passage:

"¹⁰ Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: ¹¹ Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. ¹² Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? ¹³ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. ¹⁴ So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. ¹⁵ Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; ¹⁶ To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 13:10-16)

The phrase "untempered morter" that appears 4 times in this passage was translated from the Hebrew word taphel. The exact meaning of this word is uncertain, but it is derived from another word meaning "to smear". Therefore, it has the connotation of something that is spread over a surface to cover and/or embellish it. This is why possible translations for it are "whitewash" and "mortar". Since chalk's main component is a form of limestone, both whitewash and mortar point to "chalk", given that both are made by combining lime and water (as indicated on answers.com).

The word taphel appears only 7 times in Scripture; 4 of them are in the passage above. The other appearances occur in the following verses:

"²⁷Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. ²⁸And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. ²⁹The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. ³⁰And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. ³¹Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 22:27-31)

[The phrase "untempered morter" in verse 28 was translated from the Hebrew word taphel. Notice how the Spirit uses this word in the context of prophets who use their prophecies to cover up unrighteousness by lying to the people, giving them what they want to hear instead of the truth.]

"⁶Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? ⁷The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat." (Job 6:5-7)

[Oddly enough, the word "unsavoury" was translated from the word taphel. Notice how the so-called "unsavoury" needs salt to be "acceptable". As we have said before, "salt" in Scripture is strongly related to God's apostolic judgements (Mark 9:49) and to prophetic grace (Colossians 4:6). Since taphel is related to the concept of "covering", the Lord is saying that those who "cover" the sin of others must make sure that they are not doing so without first applying "judgement salt" that destroys "unrighteousness bacteria". To cover up undealt-with sin is to give it a safe environment where it can grow unhindered and fester. taphel covering also entails "prophetic salt", meaning that your covering of someone else's sin must be motivated by the prophetic potential you are able to see in the person you cover; in other words, it must be motivated by the redeemable value you see in the person, not by a generic interest in preventing suffering; you must be able to exercise your prophetic vision and see the special and unique potential in the person you are covering.]

"Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment." (Lamentations 2:14)

[Oddly enough, the phrase "foolish things" was translated from the word taphel. The word "burdens" was translated from the Hebrew word maseth, which can be translated as "uprising, uplifting, largesse, gift". Therefore, this verse speaks of prophetic words that seem generous and uplifting to the soul but are actually wrapped in falsehood. The phrase "causes of banishment" was translated from the Hebrew word madduwach, which literally means "seduction, enticement, a thing that draws aside". Therefore, it speaks of prophetic words that appeal to the benefits-seeking soul, luring you away from the truth, getting you off the path that God has set out for you. Prophetic words founded on truth "discover iniquity" instead of covering it.]

From the uses of the word taphel, we can see how cement is spiritually related to the concept of covering, and we can see how there are two types of "covering": righteous covering based on apostolic judgements and prophetic vision, and unrighteous covering that ignores righteousness and spirit potential, focusing solely on "ending suffering" and "making people feel good".

Covering nakedness

Based on all that we have studied so far, we can conclude that the filling up of the basement holes with cement in sister Maureen's dream refers to the apostolic covering of nakedness in pastoral compassion. Those who cover in the Spirit only cover those who feel shame or vulnerability over their nakedness. Those who cover in the soul do not make shame a prerequisite, and they end up covering those who want their nakedness covered solely for the purposes of escaping the consequences of their nakedness; such people want to cover themselves from the consequences; they do not care about the nakedness per se. Those who cover in the Spirit cover those who come out into the light. Those who cover in the soul cover those who are fleeing from the light.

"¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ²² But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15:17-24)

Notice how the father was quick to cover the son with the "best robe" (v22), but only after the son had sincerely repented. The son approached his father in shame over his spiritual condition, not simply to escape the consequences of his actions. Because of this, his righteous father felt no need to recall the son's past sins. He covered and forgave them, and he was willing to provide his son with the resources required to embark on a brand new life in which his spiritual potential could be realised.

"⁸ And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. ⁹ And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? ¹⁰ And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. ¹¹ And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? ¹² And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. ¹³ And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:8-13)

Notice how Adam and his wife covered their nakedness by "hiding themselves from the presence of the Lord" (v8, 10). When confronted by God, however, neither Adam nor his wife were willing to admit responsibility for what had happened, meaning that they felt no shame over what they done. The phrase "presence of the Lord" in verse 8 was translated from the Hebrew words paniym, meaning "face", and YHWH (i.e.- "Yahweh" or "Jehovah"). This means that they were unwilling to face up to what they had done. Unlike the prodigal son, who went up to his father to face his verdict, Adam and his wife were running away from Him, and they were loaded with excuses when their actions were questioned. Unrepentant souls expect the Spirit to adapt their judgements to their actions. Submitted souls adapt themselves to the judgements of the Spirit. Matriarchal souls expect the Spirit to come to them. Righteous souls go to the Spirit to seek the covering of His judgements.

"¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, ¹¹ To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. ¹² But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. ¹³ Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment: ¹⁴ And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) ¹⁵ What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?" (Esther 1:10-15)

Genesis 3:10 declares that Adam and his wife became "afraid" when they heard the voice of God. This means that their fear was derived from the consequences of getting caught. They were not hiding in shame, but were instead shamelessly hiding from the arm of the law, like a thief who hides in his den when he hears the policeman approaching. As shown by Adam and his wife, unrepentant souls like to point the blame at everyone but themselves, bringing up the "sins" and "mistakes" of others when confronted about their own. This is why Adam was even willing to point out God's "mistake" when confronted about his misdeed (Genesis 3:12). It is no coincidence, therefore, that Mexico's president recently had the gall to blame the U.S. for the lawlessness and absolute corruption in his country. The Lord has been recently pointing His finger at the irredeemable corruption of the Aztec culture in the spirit realm, but the Aztec soul refuses to see itself in the mirror and admit its moral inferiority, so it is looking outwards, not to find redemption from its sin but to find someone as corrupt as itself, and it has deceived itself into thinking that it has found such a person. Such is the soul that seeks covering for the consequences of her actions, not for the shame of her unrighteousness (Genesis 3:7).

{You may read some of the ridiculous comments made by the naive, self-righteous, and not-too-bright president of Mexico on sky.com and articlesbase.com. The Lord God of Israel is tired of Latin America's self-delusional arrogance and unfounded sense of "moral authority"!!!

Mexico's not-too-bright president made no comment on the corruption in Colombia and the other countries in Latin America that produce the cocaine that passes through his country. In his morally retarded mind, Latin American countries are exempt from moral condemnation because they are "Hispanic brothers". Cursed by God are those who justify the unrighteous (Proverbs 17:15).

Even though Mexico's president may be trying to fight the cartels, he is still unwilling to recognise the inherent and very deep corruption in his decrepit culture. Instead of seeing Mexico's current woes as a call to national self-examination, he has decided to blame other nations before admitting that the word "Mexico" means corruption in the spirit realm. Had he been willing to recognise the shame of his country's pathetic name, God would have had mercy on him and given him victory, but since he chose to side with Mexican pride and patriotism, both his presidency and his country are doomed to total failure. Through his words, he is only proving God right for having discarded Latin America since 2003.}

When God went after Adam and his wife and found them naked, He did not immediately provide them with covering, which would have entailed pretending that they had done nothing wrong. Instead, He confronted them, forcing them to declare the non-repentance of their hearts. He then pronounced devastating judgements on them, judgements whose effects continue to be felt even to this day. It was only after man had faced His judgement that God provided covering for them by killing an animal (Genesis 3:21). Why? Because it took God's harsh judgements for Adam and his wife to finally understand the full gravity of what they had done. Prior to that, Adam and his wife had absolutely no shame over what they had done, and, as such, they were not candidates for righteous covering.

Makeup

As we have studied before, there is a strong connection between "cosmetics" or "makeup" and the pastoral ministry. Makeup is used (mostly by women) to beautify the face and cover up any unflattering traits. Therefore, it points to the compassionate covering that the pastoral ministry is called to apply to righteous souls who are either in emotional distress or who are seeking restoration. The Hebrew word in Scripture that most closely resembles "makeup" is puwk, which is derived from a word meaning "to paint" and means "antimony, eye cosmetic". In ancient times, antimony was used by women to darken the brows and lashes and to draw a line around the perimeter of the eye (as indicated on wikipedia.org). The Hebrew word for antimony is only used 4 times in the Old Testament. It appears for the first time in the following passage:

"³⁰ And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. ³¹ And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? ³² And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. ³³ And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot." (2 Kings 9:30-33)

The phrase "painted her face" was mistranslated from 3 Hebrew words: the word suwm meaning "to put, place", the word puwk meaning "antimony", and the word ayin meaning "eye". Therefore, a more precise translation would read that Jezebel "put antimony on her eyes" as she faced the man who was to carry out God's judgement against her. This means that, even in the face of impending doom from God, Jezebel was bent on covering up her unrighteousness. As we have shared before, the "eye" in Scripture speaks of judgement-making, which means that Jezebel "touched up" her judgement system so as to appear innocent in her own eyes. This touching up involved "widening her eyes", which entails an artificial expansion of the "admissible" so as to include any sin that she committed. One way to become "sinless" is to stop committing "sin"; the other way is to stop calling sin "sin". As we have shared before, hypocrisy consists of people lowering their judgement standards in order to acquit those with whom they have a soul attachment. This means that anti-judgement Canaanites are the greatest hypocrites in the world, for they only oppose the judgements that do not favour their souls. Just like Jezebel, they prefer to widen their eyes by applying makeup that masks their unrighteousness in the face of judgement. This makeup turns into the mask of a hypocrite clown.

Notice that, after Jezebel applied her anti-judgement makeup, she threw an accusing comment at Jehu, referring to him as "Zimri", a captain of the army who had murdered the king he served under, becoming king in his stead (1 Kings 16:9-20). Jehu, a captain of the army, had just killed off the family of the house of king Ahab, Jezebel's husband, so it would have appeared to the undiscerning eye that Jehu was just another captain trying to ascend to the throne through "treacherous murder". However, the Spirit clearly bears witness in 2 Kings 9:1-10 that Jehu's "murderous streak of treacherous rebellion" was actually an act ordained by God to exact His revenge on the evil house of Ahab and on the treacherous, prophet-murdering Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4, 19:2, 21:1-16). Thus, it is ironic that Jezebel the treacherous murderer felt so confident about accusing Jehu of treacherous murder. Hypocritical pastoral vision is quick to see the "faults" of those who dare to judge them but are painfully slow in admitting their own faults.

Even though puwk makeup (i.e.- antimony) is used by Canaanite pastors, that does not mean that it must not be used at all, for the Lord inspired David to use it in the building of Solomon's temple:

"¹ Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God. ² Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance." (1 Chronicles 29:1-2)

[The word "glistering" was translated from the Hebrew word puwk.

As we have studied before, Solomon's wisdom was for the making of judgements. Therefore, it is fitting that the temple known as "Solomon's temple" was to be tempered with pastoral antimony that covers nakedness after the repentance point has been reached through the application of judgements.]

The third appearance of the word puwk in Scripture is in the following passage:

"¹¹O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. ¹²And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. ¹³And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. ¹⁴In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. ¹⁵Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. ¹⁶Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. ¹⁷No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:11-17)

[Notice how verse 11 above speaks of the "laying of foundations", with correlates with the filling of holes in the basement walls in sister Maureen's dream and with all that we have shared regarding "foundational covering"]

The phrase "fair colours" in verse 11 was mistranslated from the word puwk. Therefore, the Lord is saying that He will provide pastoral compassion for His tired remnant. Notice, however, that this compassion is founded on righteousness (v14,17), and the tormented remnant are given this compassion because their heart is after His righteousness. All the Canaanite-Jezebel tongues that may rise up against them shall be condemned (i.e.- cursed) by the remnant, for their righteousness is of the Lord (v17).

The 4th and final appearance of puwk in Scripture is in the following verse:

"³⁰And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. ³¹For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers." (Jeremiah 4:30-31)

The word "face" in the phrase "thou rentest thy face with painting" (v30) was mistranslated from the Hebrew word ayin meaning "eye", and the word "painting" was mistranslated from puwk; the word "rentest" was translated from the Hebrew verb qara meaning "to tear in pieces, split asunder". Therefore, the phrase should really read "you tear your eyes with antimony". The reason why the Lord uses the verb "to tear" is to illustrate the hysterical effort that emotion-centred Canaanites make in order to please as many people as possible. As they try to pander to all the groups that are pleasant to their soul, they turn their judgement system into a hodgepodge of contradictory and inconsistent values, all in an effort to make themselves "fair" to the lovers they seek to seduce (v30). The Lord declares, however, that the soul that seeks comfort in being loved by all shall be wearied by the murderous lovers she has sought to please.

The fact that the word puwk is used twice in a positive sense and twice in a negative sense in Scripture reveals how the makeup of pastoral compassion can go either way: it can just as easily be used for good as it is for evil. If you read the Bible in the books' default order, you will find the 2 negative uses of puwk at the beginning and the end, with the 2 positive uses "hidden" in the middle. This speaks of how pastoral compassion is contrary to God when it is based on visible, external parameters that are pleasing to the soul. To apply pastoral compassion in a way pleasing to God requires digging beneath the surface to lay a foundation of righteousness that may or may not be pleasing to the natural soul. Be careful, therefore, how you apply your pastoral makeup.

There is much more to say regarding this dream, and, God willing, we will do so in a future posting.