The Way to the Celestial City
by AK James
I was praying late one night and I am not sure whether I was in the Spirit or actually physically present but I became an observer of these events and will relate to you what I saw and heard. I was there intimately yet the participants seemed unaware of my presence.
I came upon a scene which was most unusual. Dusk was approaching. There was a vast hilly wilderness landscape enveloped in fog in all directions. Through the fog there were many fires and pillars of smoke dotting the landscape. There were roads everywhere. I could make out the vehicle headlights on them. Suddenly, I was lifted up above the fog and could see the terrain more clearly. To the far far north I could see the Celestial City glowing in its white light. I had been told this was "the City of the Great King on the sides of the North". I marvelled at what I saw for a while. I then looked to the east, the west and the south and all I could see on the horizon was a strong red glow. I pondered this for a moment unsure of what this meant.
It was then given unto me to observe the roads more clearly. The roads heading north looked to be narrow, rough, full of potholes and ruts. These roads seemed dangerous as some traversed along cliffs with sizable drop-offs. There were only but a few vehicles as I observed their headlights heading north on these roads. Some roads appeared to come to a dead end with vehicles seemed to be stuck there or trying to turn around. Then I observed this wide smooth road and there were many many vehicles on it. What seemed strange was that all the vehicles were heading south. My next observation puzzled me greatly for on the wide road there was a large sign lighted in bold letters saying "The Celestial City". As I was pondering these things I had been shown suddenly I was back at ground level.
My focus came now came to a 4 door sedan with a trailer sitting in a pullout on the side of the road. It looked a little beat up. Driver front fender was dented in quite a bit. The body paint and finish was faded with numerous scratches, dings and dents. The windshield was quite cracked and I imagined quite difficult to see the road; little alone a foggy road as dusk was approaching. Even trying to look inside the car it appeared to be quite smoky or misty. I could make out what looked like a lady in the drivers seat and three people in the back seats. They did not seem to recognize my presence as I approached closer to their vehicle.
As I neared, the lady seemed quite shabbily dressed in dark clothing. The lady's countenance seemed a mix of being troubled, confused and burdened. Her three friends were dressed differently. The first friend was dressed in a bright orange robe, the second friend was dressed in what looked to be a very expensive suit, the third friend was dressed in a robe of purple and scarlet. Her three friends had more of a mischievous sly look to their countenances. Her three friends seemed to know each other and bantered back and forth. Her three friends seemed to have quite magnetic and likeable personalities. As I pondered these things the lady bowed her head which seemed to immediately bother her three friends. This was a mystery to me as to what was going on.
Suddenly, as if materializing out of another dimension, a "being of light" appeared. This caught me completely off guard and I was shaken to my very core. The only thing I could say was this "being of light" gave off immense power and peace by his presence. He motioned for the lady to roll down her window. He said to the lady, "The Father has heard your silent prayer for he knows all the thoughts of the sons of men". I noticed now that her three friends in the back seat were pale and almost trembling as if they were familiar with this "being of light".
The lady replied, "Sir, I have been told there is a "Celestial City" where goodness, peace and unfeigned love dwells but I have not been able to find the way. In fact I cannot even see that City."
The being of light replied, "The Father has sent me for he saw that you prayed with all your heart to find the way. There is much enemy territory between here and the "Celestial City" and you need preparation first for the journey. You cannot make it on your own. The Father's kingdom is spiritual and the Enemy kingdom is also spiritual and both these kingdoms manifest themselves in the physical realm of men".
The lady replied, "But sir, my life has been a mess, I cannot seem to pull it together! Look at my vehicle sir, every time I do something wrong it manifests on my vehicle. The large dent on my front fender, it happened when my marriage failed! The scratches on the car were all my unkind words I spoke towards people including friends and family! I have been too proud to say I'm sorry! The fading paint on my car, every year as I age and my appearance or some would say beauty declines, so does the paint. All the dings on the car happened when I began to smoke and drink to escape my disappointments in life. It was fun at first but now I can't seem to get free of them, they are so empty. The big dents, well for some reason I trust you, you can keep a secret right? They were times where I fell into sexual temptation and sexual sin after my divorce but it only brought more loneliness.
The cracks in my windshield and haze in my car increased every time I sought spiritual activity. I went to Yoga class, I read books on self-improvement, I went to various churches which told me to just follow the golden rule or to join their sacramental life. My vision just became more and more distorted and a fog of confusion enveloped my mind.
And to top it all off every day it seems the trailer I am pulling gets heavier and heavier. If I say an unkind word to someone, a box with the weight of those words is added to the trailer. If I go out for a night of drinking and smoking the weight of these activities are added to the trailer. If I go to Yoga class or go to Mass another box called the "weight of deception" is added to the trailer. I thought all religions lead to the Celestial City? How can these things be adding a weight to the trailer? Shouldn't these practices be removing weight out of my trailer? You know my good deeds offsetting my bad? My car can barely pull the trailer now up and down these roads and hills. What do I have to offer?"
The being of light replied, "The Father has sent me to explain to you the Enemy kingdom, the Kingdom of the Father and how to find and gain entrance to the Celestial City. Long ago two representatives of the human race broke their relationship with the Father and sided with the Enemy. Since then every person born on earth is born into the Enemy's kingdom and born spiritually blind. None can see the way in this condition.
From long ago the Father knew what would happen and He asked the most loved one in his kingdom if he would go on a rescue mission into Enemy territory. His Son agreed to go. He knew the awful trial that he would face in the Enemy kingdom. He knew that the Father would also have to put on Him the sin debt of every human who would ever live. For all sin of the sons of men is against the Father and incurs a debt of sin.
But the Son purposed to enter Enemy territory for the joy that would happen to the sons of men afterwards. You see the Father is constrained by his moral justice but also has infinite love for the sons of men. The Father because of his moral purity has to judge sin. So it was determined that the Son would face the enemy's temptations and scourging as well as the Father's punishment for sin. The infinite just pure one paying the penalty for the unjust impure sons of men. The Son entered Enemy territory and won a tremendous victory over the forces of darkness.
The leader of the forces of darkness is very prideful in his beauty and knowledge and is a murderer and deceiver always twisting and perverting the words of the Father. As the forces of darkness put to death the Son they were caught unawares that this very act would open entrance into the Celestial City. The Son has triumphantly risen from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father waiting for the time of His return and the establishment of his Father's kingdom on earth and the ending of the Enemy's kingdom. Be not ignorant, for the time of the end is at hand, and all the prophetic signs are dovetailing together. They are written in The Book."
"You see the entrance to the Celestial Kingdom for the sons of men requires being perfectly righteous having never sinned against the Father. Another side of the coin for the same entrance payment would be the shed blood payment of a pure infinite life to ransom men from the Enemy's kingdom. The just for the unjust. The Son now holds the keys to the Celestial City and beckons all to repent and come through His righteousness and His blood payment."
The lady replied, "Oh I remember some of this from The Book. I have read parts of it but mostly have left it up to the experts. And they never seemed to agree on what it meant anyways so how could I know?"
The being of light replied, "The Enemy of the Father has studied The Book for nearly 6,000 years and has become an expert in bringing confusion. The Book is a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to lead you to the Celestial City but you must have the Spirit in your heart first. The Spirit will lead you into understanding The Book so that you will need no man to teach you and the Spirit will reveal to you spiritual deception from the Enemy's kingdom."
The lady replied, "How do I receive this entrance into the Celestial City and how do I receive this Spirit who will show me the way?"
The being of light said, "You must turn from driving the vehicle of your life confessing it to be all sin and receive the shed blood payment on the cross by the Son on your behalf as your only hope. Then yield the throne of your will to the Spirit and He will come into your life applying the blood payment of the Son and the Son's righteousness to your bank account and empowering you for the journey to the Celestial City."
The lady replied, "Well, I'm not used to receiving such charity without giving something back. Can I do something? I have been quite loving most times to my family, could I add that good deed?"
The being of light replied, "The Father would be highly offended at someone adding to the precious shed blood of His Son. For all sin once forever was paid by that shed blood for all the sons of men who would ever live. Adding the tainted righteousness of the sons of men would cancel the entrance payment entirely."
The lady replied, "Oh now I see, I have nothing to offer in and of myself, all was done by the Son! Can I receive the Son and the Spirit now?"
The being of light replied, "Only if you have counted the cost to leave the Enemy's kingdom."
The lady replied, "And what will be the cost?"
The being of light replied, "All who leave that kingdom will suffer persecution, friends and family may abandon you, members of the Enemy's religions may persecute you, take your goods, even kill you, they may torture you so that you will come back to the Enemy's religions, you may lose your job, you may be ridiculed and psychologically abused and the list can go on but you get the idea."
The lady replied, "But that is only short term trouble no matter how unpleasant. The pleasures of sin in the Enemy's kingdom are so enslaving and empty. And further, the Enemy's Kingdom has only a short time but the Celestial City and the Father's kingdom is forever. I want to choose for eternity."
The being of light replied, "You have spoken well. Then you can receive the Son and the Spirit now if you believe and trust in the Son with all your heart being willing to forsake your own ways and righteousness."
I saw him extend his right hand to the lady. This was the first time I noticed it was nail scarred. How did I not see before? The lady said I do and took His hand and I saw a flow of light enter the top of her head and wash down to her feet and ebb back up. When the light glow around her ebbed a bit I saw she was now clothed in this brilliantly white garment. I later realized she had been given the "righteousness of the Son" and the entrance ticket into the Celestial City. She had become born again by the Spirit!
The lady exclaimed, "I feel free in my being, my burdens have lifted! I have an inner peace which passes all understanding!"
The being of light moved to the rear of the vehicle and unhitched the trailer. I later realized that her burden of sin was removed at the new spiritual birth. I noticed other changes also, the windshield was now clear and there was no smoke or mist in the car.
The lady said to the being of light, "Once I was blind but now I can see. Look over there in the far far north I can now see the Celestial City, glowing in white light with various gems stones shining like lights off its walls and ramparts."
The being of light now sat in the driver's seat and the lady in the passenger front seat. The being of light looked in the back seat and asked her, "Who are these three friends you have here and how did they come into your life?"
As I looked in the back these three friends were now almost crazy with fear and trembled greatly!!
The lady replied, "I met my one friend in the Yoga class. He said if I let him in he would guide me and I would surely be blessed with his wisdom, peace and good fortune.
I then met my second friend at church. He said if I let him in he would reveal to me the ancient secret knowledge of The Book and would anoint me with many blessings, power to influence people and teach me how to attract all my desires into my life.
My third friend I met at the Roman church. He said if I prostrated myself and gave 100% allegiance to the mother church they can get me to the Celestial City. But only if I obeyed their teaching without question, and faithfully took all the sacraments as they directed (avoiding any mortal sins), then I would obtain obtain enough "graces" to make it to purgatory. There the fires of purgatory would burn off any remaining sin and I could enter the Celestial City. I just wanted to cover all my bases so I prostrated myself."
The being of light said to her, "Does the Spirit reveal to you who they are?"
The lady replied, "Yes, the Spirit witnesses to my heart, that these friends speak not according to The Book but are deceiving spirits working for the Enemy. True peace is having your sins forgiven, true desire is to do the will of God which is to "believe on the Son" not desiring earthly treasures, true cleansing of sin is only by the shed blood of the Son, fire cannot cleanse sin. The Spirit says that in the power of your name we can send them away. I repent of ever seeking their benefits and letting them into my life."
The being of light turned to the back seat and pointed to these three and said, "Depart from this lady and go to the place that the Father has determined for you!"
Instantly they disappeared with something like a shriek and a growl and a wondrous peace flooded the interior of the car.
The being of light then turned to the lady and said, "There is a long and dangerous spiritual journey ahead of us to reach the Celestial City as there are many deceivers in the Enemy's kingdom distorting The Book and The Way. Be aware of the wide smooth road that the Enemy's religions have built. Do not enter thereupon. For the Enemy is a deceiver and has convinced many that they are on the road to the Celestial City but in reality the road is heading in the wrong direction. Take the narrow difficult road heading north. The Spirit will guide the way at each fork in the road.
The Enemy will not be happy that you have escaped his Kingdom and will seek to oppose you but be not afraid he can only go as far as the Father permits. All trials and temptations are for a reason and a purpose from the Father to conform you to the image of His Son.
Trust in the Father, trust in Me and yield to the Holy Spirit and with each trial and temptation; we will be your power supply to overcome them. Study The Book to show yourself approved and the Spirit will teach you how to walk in the Spirit and walk in my ways. For lo, I will be with you always right to the end of your journey, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And be not afraid for greater is He who is now in you than all those that are in the Enemy's Kingdom."
As I watched the being of light and the lady slowly drive north into the darkness and I looked up and suddenly saw a cloud of angels rejoicing at what they had just witnessed. Luke 15 v 7 And I was rejoicing also!!