Python

In 2009, one brother had a vision of snake. He saw a python at our meeting. The snake was stretched in the aisle in the middle, from the back of the room to the very front of the room. Its head was against the wall in front. He was huge but was asleep. Children jumped over it and played on it, people crossed it as if they were crossing cables. Another brother responded to that vision by preaching, explaining that a python is a constrictor that’s strangles it prey and that it is the spirit of lust that waits for its prey in peace and then suddenly attacks and strangles its prey. There was certainly some truth to that, but it just didn't satisfy me personally, and I didn't know what to do with it as a community of believers. How will the snake show up? What should we prepare for? How do we get rid of it?

Shortly after, a sister came with a story in which a certain girl slept with her python like a pet, but that the python was gradually changing its behavior, and instead of sleeping in a ball, it began to stretch itself next to the girl. Someone experienced started telling her to stop sleeping with the python immediately, because it means the python is measuring her, to see if its big enough to eat her.

That was certainly an important part of interpreting that vision. This means that the spirit of the python was measuring us as a community in that vision and was examining whether it was already able to consume us.

So, what do we think about that? What are we playing with as a community? What do we take for granted, that we go over it, and it won't bother us in any way? And yet it's so dangerous. What is it that kids have been used to since they were little? Is it really the bodily desire, or lust for earthly things? Sex, money, experiences, work, house, family, etc.? There is always something like that in our lives, but is it really it the main problem? Does the whole community and not just the individual, really have a problem with this? Somehow, I was still missing something there, but I didn't know what. And so, the vision ended in a drawer, I returned to it, here and there, but did not find anything else, until right now!

One brother sent me a word of knowledge a few days ago that opened my eyes. Did you know that the word "python" is in the Bible? I had no idea, because it is covered by the translation.

The English word python actually originates from the Greek. The word is used in Acts 16:16, but it’s translated as "divination." Interestingly, the translators didn’t dare keep the name of the serpent from Greek mythology, but instead "interpreted" the name, and thus translated the phrase "spirit of Python" as "spirit of divination".

According to the Greek Thayer Dictionary, the word Πύθων (G4436) is described as follows: "in Greek mythology the name of the Pythian serpent or dragon that dwelt in the region of Pytho at the foot of Parnassus in Phocis, and was said to have guarded the oracle at Delphi and been slain by Apollo".

That girl had the "spirit of Python", that's how it should be translated correctly, because otherwise we lose other meanings and the context of the fact, that it is a specific snake with historical and local connections.

After reading the whole story, I realized that it describes how the spirit of Python manifests itself. The young girl, who had this spirit, cried out, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." (verse 17.). And what's wrong with that? Isn't she telling the truth? Where's the devil's trick? I used to not understand this story at all. I did not understand that it was enough for the devil to redirect our minds from God to God's servants. If he succeeds, we will begin to follow man instead of Jesus Christ. That's enough for him to beat us. Why didn't I understand? Because I had the same problem.

There is also another interesting point that only Paul recognized the situation and it bothered him. Paul discerned this by his personal experience with God, where he became aware of his inadequacy and was humbled enough to be bothered by this undeserved attention. It's not written that it bothered others, it may even flatter them (even if it's not written there, I can only imagine it vividly). How easily God's servants can be caught! As it leads the church to be divided, separating the more spiritual and the less spiritual (fleshly), the more elderly and the less elderly, the loops of the serpent gradually tightening, and eventually the community ends as most others - by dividing into the clergy and the laity, the shepherds (servants and elders) who are presented as role models and know "how to do it" correctly, and the sheep who will suffice to follow. Gradually the personal relationship with God is lost among the sheep, the hearing of his voice, the guidance of his Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit reduce and disappear. Christians cease to perform their personal vocation, the specific work entrusted to them by God. The Church is disjointed and life ceases to flow in her, which turns into empty joint activities without the Spirit. And that has happened to us! It’s happened to us in the same way as most mainstream churches, what we came out of years ago and we thought we could do it right.

And how has it manifested itself in practice? In a variety of ways. For example, it began to be preached that we are sheep and sheep in their character have the tendency to follow those before them. And so, we are to follow those who walk before us (those more spiritual, more mature). Nice * idea. The problem arises when one of the following sheep hears the Shepherd's voice. The shepherd's voice is stronger for the sheep than the urge to follow another sheep, and so he or she begins to go in a different direction than all the others in a fellowship.

This creates a conflict within the believer: Should I follow my example in the church or should I listen to that other voice? What is God's voice? What do church leaders say, or what do I perceive? What is right? And this internal conflict is not easy to resolve at all, there are a lot of emotions in it, there are various character defects, and so it is easy to label such a person as the one who failed, who is rebellious, unyielding to the authorities, "see the way he behaves and in what spirit he is manifesting, it cannot be of God ", etc. And so, some had no choice but to leave the community. Some have been persuaded, but the conflict persists, it may be subdued, but with it the voice of the Shepherd. Those who left were labeled apostates. Those who failed because of their own problem and so on. I could continue with other potential results, but not now.

Why didn't God tell us right at the beginning what the problem was? Why such a "vague" vision without the complete interpretation? Because God does not slander but treats everyone personally. He won't give us names and say: this and that brother does this and that, this one wants to have a higher position among you, this sister is behaving in that spirit. God does not do that. Therefore, He did not give us more, but He acted and is dealing with each of us directly, and He expects that each of us will seek His face for ourselves. He treated us as he did King Saul. God rebuked him and eventually rejected him, letting him know personally, but he did not humiliate him before the others, He let him rule completely until Saul's complete fall, and even let him persecute David.

I also don't want to lower or raise anyone, that's why I didn't give any names here, it's not about them, it's about the principle. Perhaps what I have written will bless someone, maybe someone else will understand their own situation, maybe someone will be warned about the future. Maybe someone will repent of their pride, of hurting someone else, even though they thought they were serving God. I also had to repent of it, and I will probably continue to do so.

That was also the reason why God couldn't tell us straight. We would just point out someone else and claim it was their fault but would not repent ourselves. That was also the reason why I wrote it like this as my personal testimony.

And a note: I have nothing against taking the example of other people, after all, the Bible encourages us to do so. However, taking an example and following, and fixing one's eyes on someone is a fundamental difference but about that topic maybe next time.

brother Tomas

* every nice idea can be biblically supported, because my own way of thinking in my head in the background translates what I read, so I can see in certain verses what others do not see there, and very often what is not there at all

November 10, 2020