"Jesus is Passing the Torch to Us" 🔥🕊️💖

Today I feel led to share a testimony of how I left organized religion. I hope that sharing my story will help others, who are either questioning the faith of their upbringing. Or are trying to witness to family members and friends who are still trapped in the generational strongholds of this religious spirit.

I know that some people might not like what I have to say. But please take it all to the Lord in prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth. He will open up your eyes and ears to the truth, if you allow Him to teach you.

I grew up in a family of practising Roman Catholics. Especially on my mom's side. Both her and my grandmother were devout Roman Catholics. And that religious spirit still influences my mom, and many other members of my biological family, to this very day. I went to a Catholic school, and we attended services at a Catholic church every Saturday. We were raised to believe that this religion was the truth. And I often wondered what some of my Protestant classmates believed. Of course as a child we just go through the motions. Not fully understanding what it is all about, until we become adults.

When I came back to Jesus in 2001, after I had my "on the road to Damascus" experience, I was searching for a church family to belong too. Of course I went back to the Roman Catholic church, because that was the church that I grew up in. I also attended non-denominational churches with friends, and got healing and deliverance from one of those church fellowships. Yet I was still blind to what was really going on in the Catholic church. Even though some of my friends tried to warn me about it.

I didn't yet see the idolatry taking place in this institution. How truth was being mixed up with error. How the true teachings of Jesus Christ were being mixed up with man-made, pagan traditions. I grew up in an environment where we didn't question these kinds of things. We just accepted things as they were. At that time, I only had a religion, but not a relationship with Jesus Christ. That didn't come until later, once I became born again.

When I moved to Winnipeg, I got employment at a Catholic school as an educational assistant. I went to a Catholic church every Sunday, and even taught Sunday school there. I sang in the choirs, attended prayer groups, and met a lot of lovely friends at this church. But eventually God opened up my eyes to see the truth of what was really going, and I felt prompted to leave.

I started to see how many people were keeping the outward appearance of religion, but neglected the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like what Jesus mentions in Mark 7:6-7, "This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

I also started to notice that there was a lot of idolatry taking place within the church, and that many of the traditions and things they taught just didn't seem to line up with the scriptures. So many things were contrary to what Jesus actually taught and said. And they even twisted some of the things that He says, to suit their own traditions.

While there are still things in this church that are good, like the reading of the scriptures, the singing of the psalms, and many other beautiful songs that I still like to listen to as the Lord leads. I just knew that I had to leave that religion behind, and never looked back since. I even lost a few friends along the way, when I started to share what I had discovered. Though I still do have some friends who have stood by me, even though they still remain to be practising Catholics.

Mark 8:22-26

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

This scripture about Jesus healing a blind man "gradually" was one scripture that I received which reflects my journey into wholeness. He healed me gradually, when I first came back to Him. He didn't show me everything that I was doing wrong all at once. Instead it was "a work in progress." I guess He knew that some things I just wouldn't accept yet, until the time was right to reveal them. So He waited until my heart was in the right place. Then He began to show me more areas in my life that needed to be pruned, cleansed, and healed.

A Dream About a Flaming Torch:

Shortly after I decided to leave the religion, I had a dream that has stuck with me to this very day. In the dream I entered a room where I saw red curtains that looked like they were torn in the middle, flapping right over me in a mighty wind. Then I saw a large pillar of fire shooting up towards the sky. Just seeing that pillar of fire made me feel a mixture of both awe, and holy fear. Then a man appeared to me in the dream. He wore a robe that was grey at first, like it was covered with ashes. But then it turned into a white robe. And he was smiling at me, as he greeted me inside of this Most Holy Place. I knew that it was Jesus, who is our Great High Priest. He then took a torch, and lit it up with the fire that He got from the altar. It was from the Pillar of Fire, which represents the glory of God. And He handed that beautiful torch to me. It was glowing brightly, with a vibrant, orange glow. The flame was brighter and more full of life than the fires we normally see here on this Earth. Then I woke up from the dream.

As I pondered the meaning of this dream, I was reminded of the what happened after Jesus's crucifixion. How the veil of the temple was torn in two, and how there was an earthquake as well. What I caught a glimpse of in my dream, was the Most Holy Place. The Holy of Holies. With Jesus as our Great High Priest. And the torch that He handed to me is His Word and His Holy Spirit.

"Your Word is a lamp unto My feet, and a Light unto my path." 🔥🕊️✨✝️✨

Zechariah 3:1-5

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

I was led to this scripture from Zechariah 3:1-5 shortly after I had the dream. And it decodes the meaning behind it. Jesus is our Great High Priest, and He takes away our sins. When we approach His throne of grace, He removes the grave clothes. He removes the filthy garments from us, and He clothes us with His white robe of righteousness.

Another scripture that I was led to is John 3:1-21. "You must be born again, to enter the Kingdom of God." 💖🔥🕊️💧🩸

Lyrics: "The Light of Christ," by Don Moen 🎶🕊️🔥💖✨✝️✨