14 February (around Valentine’s Day)
The evening before, I cried out to God about how lonely I was. Later that night I had a dream.
I met a short blonde woman with wide lips at the airport. We met at the security post where they check for hand baggage. The encounter felt significant enough that I asked God whether it was something real or only a lesson.
In early May 2025 I went to a church singles conference in Armenia and met a girl from Russia who looked similar. We stayed in contact. Around 8 May, when there were disruptions at Moscow airport, she and other Christians had difficulty getting home. That was when I told her about the dream. We continued talking and found a common interest in dogs.
Yet every time the conversation turned to the Bible or Scripture, she shut down. She refused to listen. She was stubborn. Her repeated excuse was that there were “too many teachers” and not enough family love. When she did quote Scripture, it was often out of context. She loved singing, but she did not seem to love the Word itself.
This reminded me strongly of many churches that present themselves as the bride of Christ. Outwardly they appear devoted, yet they become egotistical, convinced they already know enough, and unwilling to be corrected or taught by Scripture. They prefer their own words and excuses rather than submitting to what is written.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Jesus told a story that fits this pattern closely:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps… And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” (Matthew 25:1–10 ESV)
This is not merely a moral lesson about daily readiness. It is a picture of the return of Christ, the Bridegroom. The same imagery appears in Revelation: the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7–9), the call to be ready, and the reality that the door will one day be shut. Both the wise and the foolish virgins looked the part. Both had lamps. Both were waiting. The difference was whether they had oil that would last until the Bridegroom arrived. A love for singing and Christian activity without a genuine love for Scripture and obedience can leave the lamp empty when that day comes. That would be Judgment Day.
God’s Love Includes Discipline
Scripture is clear that true love from God does not leave us comfortable in stubbornness:
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:5–6 ESV)
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19 ESV)
When someone consistently refuses the Word, shuts down at correction, and prefers their own explanations, it is not a sign of spiritual maturity. It is often a sign that the heart is resisting the very discipline that proves we are loved as children.
Living in an Age of Apostasy
We are living in a time when many who name the name of Christ no longer endure sound teaching. Paul wrote:
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV)
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith…” (1 Timothy 4:1 ESV)
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV)
The pattern I saw in the personal connection — resistance to Scripture, out-of-context quoting, preference for emotional or relational excuses over the Word — is the same pattern visible in many churches that still call themselves Christian. They keep the outward forms (singing, gatherings, Christian language) while quietly refusing the authority of the New Testament.
The dream and the later meeting left me with a sober question: Are we among those who keep our lamps filled, ready to receive and obey the Word, or among those who look the part but have no oil when it matters?
Hopefully, I am still learning to cry out to God, to watch carefully for what He may be showing, and to hold fast to Scripture even when others prefer their own way.
For more detailed study on this, you can learn from https://findgod.help/en/Church.html, https://findgod.help/en/Apostasy.html, https://findgod.help/en/Apostasy2.html 그리고 https://findgod.help/en/Judgment.html Learning how to be faithful in https://findgod.help/en/FaithObedienceGrace.html
