I had stopped believing in the existence of the devil and quickly suffered a life-threatening condition that sent me to the hospital, fighting for my life. I passed over into the spiritual realm, where I experienced the realities of the devil, hell, the Lake of Fire, and the Judgement Seat, where I stood before God with stains on my garments.
Although I returned to life, the devil had me on the ropes, and although I did not know it, he was coming in to finish me off. He continued attacking me in the hospital as I fought for my life. In my previous two postings, he attempted to suffocate me (MY ABILITY TO BREATH IS ATTACKED) and starve me to death (UNABLE TO GET ENOUGH NUTRITION TO SURVIVE .) In this posting, he persuaded my doctors to get me to consent to a risky and unneeded operation. He repeatedly brought mayhem into my life with a relentless wave of events designed to abort my destiny and life purpose.
Somewhere along the way, I picked up a Bible, conceding that it may be an appropriate time to reach out to God. I began by reading the book of Matthew and finished the book by reading just a few chapters each day. However, the words it read didn’t resonate with me then. The book delivered a series of beautiful accounts of Jesus’ life, but I could not grasp their spiritual implications. I subsequently resumed my reading program by reading Mark, but after a while, I gave up. Little did I know, however, that God would reward my meager attempt to move closer to Him.
BAD NEWS COMES
After being in the hospital for two months, a staff surgeon came to discuss the results of my recent CAT scan. He said the test confirmed my pseudocysts were not reabsorbing into my pancreas as hoped. He also stated that leaving them in this condition would be risky. He then delivered a long list of the perils of avoiding this operation and strongly advised me to have it done.
I inquired about the risks of surgery and found that the operation required a fifteen-inch cut in my abdomen and the removal of my stomach, kidneys, and some intestines. These steps are performed to access the pancreas, which is positioned near the spine and is otherwise unreachable. The pseudocysts would then be lanced and sewn onto the inside wall of the intestines giving them a safe place to drain. Once completed, they would reinstate the removed organs and stitch me up. The physician felt the risk associated with the operation was justified because of the significant, possibly fatal, episodes that would occur without it.
But the complexity and risk of this procedure seemed unreasonable to me. After all, I felt from the first day that my body would heal and I would recover. I declined to let pessimistic sentiments from the physician change my mind regarding my outcome. It seemed to me that the operational risks were higher than the potential injury from a pancreas malfunction sometime in the future. I did not want to die on the operating table. This surgery seemed to be an intrinsically bad idea to me. It seemed wrong in my head and my gut.
A HEALING MIRACLE FOLLOWS UNWAVERING FAITH
Some in my family, nevertheless, felt differently. Of course, they knew much better than I, just how fortunate I was to be alive. After a discussion with them, I searched for the right decision for quite some time, eventually choosing to get a second opinion. So I contacted my family doctor to see if he could help. He investigated and found an experienced pancreatic specialist who worked in another hospital across town. So, I asked my family doctor to set things up for me.
Little did I know what a firestorm I started by bringing in a physician from another hospital. My view was that I wanted the best I could find and did not comprehend why anyone would do differently. I also knew a second opinion by another doctor in the same practice would have political implications, which could sway opinion toward their colleague’s original findings. I wanted a fresh set of eyes and an open and independent mind. Fortunately, my family doctor did an extraordinary job playing the middleman in making this transpire. He pulled all the strings required to get the second opinion set up.
On the morning the second opinion exam was scheduled, I was sitting in bed, listening to the nurses and the doctors talking in the hallway about the outrage of having an outsider evaluate me. It seemed like everyone in the building was talking about this issue. They were insulted that such a thing could occur. With all the fuss they were generating, you would have thought that someone had robbed a bank, and maybe, that is what it was all about.
In any case, the doctor showed up and did an excellent job. He asked me multiple questions, examined me, reviewed my records, and ordered another battery of tests, including CAT scans, X-rays, and blood tests.
A few weeks later, he reported his findings, and their consequences were surprising. He conveyed that by comparing the most recent CAT scan with the previous one, he discovered that my pseudocysts were shrinking! They were being reabsorbed back into my pancreas, and he forecasted they would vanish within three to six months. My body was healing! What great news!
Jesus is the Light of the Wordl
Looking back on it now, it is apparent that something transpired between my first and second series of examinations. That something was that I had desired to find God by picking up a Bible and reading it. Regardless of how feeble my effort was, God responded with a healing miracle! Yes, that is right. When I thought about it, the physicians could do nothing but offer a risky surgery, resulting in a patch job while causing much damage to my body and organs. On the other hand, God gave me a genuine healing that returned my body and organs to their original state without damage or risk.
My faith that I would be healthy without the surgery is something God put in me that first night in the hospital. God honored my attempt to find Him, and it did not matter that I found the experience lacking. It was as if God was responding to me, “Okay, son; you took one step in My direction, and you thought nothing would come of it. But you have My heart. I am going to show you that I am real. I desire that you live.”
As it was communicated in all the other incidents I have reported in this blog, God was there for me again. He continued watching over and protecting me, even though I did not know it. I often wonder why the Lord would have loved me so. After all, He saved me from the lake of fire (SWIMMING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE) and brimstone, the pit of hell, and the devil’s savagery (MY EXPERIENCES IN HEAVEN AND HELL). He has given me life even though I stood before Him on Judgment Day with the stains of sin on my garments. Nothing could be more significant than being saved from these things. Then later, He also healed me when I attempted to find Him by reading the Bible.
Sweet God in heaven, I praise Your holy and sacred name. I praise You for loving someone unworthy of Your love, who could not have changed the error of his ways without your loving care.
The truth is that God was willing to develop a closer relationship with me then, but I was not ready. I still had not recognized that He was my protection and healer. I, therefore, did not give Him the praise he deserved for doing so. However, by not giving credit to God for my healing, and since I had not renounced my disbelief in the devil’s existence, my penalty would be that the spiritual warfare over me would continue.
DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS
When the hospital staff acquired the second opinion report, I expected they would oppose it. I expected the hospital surgeons’ warnings that I would encounter severe consequences without the surgery. I remember thinking, “After all, a surgeon only makes big money when they operate, right?” But the surgeon was not the only one encouraging me to go ahead and have the surgery. Members of my family also tried to persuade me to have the procedure. After all, I understand that they were afraid of losing me.
I, therefore, abandoned the risky surgery and accepted the path of natural recovery because I believed in a good report even before there was one to contemplate. I knew I did not need the operation, and I told my hospital doctors and everyone else of this belief. Many people tried to change my mind, but I declined them all.
The hospital physicians tried several strategies to get me to recant about having the operation. I, however, was always unwavering and to the point. Eventually, they pressed me so hard that I had to rudely tell them this was the end of the line. There would be no more discussions about an operation.
Interestingly enough, I encountered the top surgeon who recommended the operation while on an airport shuttle bus several years later. I was in much better health by then, and he may not have recognized me, so I reintroduced myself. Would you believe that he started preaching to me about the operation again? I guess he did not get the message. He refused to accept the test results that confirmed that the pseudocysts had disappeared and that there was nothing on which to operate!
In my next posting you will learn about my insurance company blocking my ability to go on home care despite my doctors recommendations. After being in the hospital for almost 3 months and even though they would save tons of money doing so, they persistantly blocked my ability to go home.
Despite all the evidence that God was behind my improvement, it had not registered with me. It never occurred to me that I should be giving thanks to God for delivering me from the second death or for healing my body. This ignorant and foolish position would result in a torrent of calamities that would come into my life.
At this point, I had been in the hospital or under in-home care for over four months, and my physical condition had steadily improved. I assumed that I was fit to return to work and dismissed my doctor’s warning that I was not as strong as I presumed. So, I went to my companies personnel department and underwent their physical exam required to return to work. They allowed me to start work on a limited work schedule of just a few hours per day to start.
A DIFFERENT LIFE
As I began working and reengaged in social life, I found that things had changed. I had not foreseen the implications that my medical complications would have on my life. The docs had previously laid out my medical condition and how it would affect my future life activities. They told me that pancreatic dysfunctions, as I had, typically stem from three lifestyle determinants and that I would have to work on all three to stay healthy. They told me that the first and most dangerous determinant is alcohol consumption, and consequently, I would have to stop drinking. They also identified a high-fat diet and a high-stress lifestyle as the other factors. Well, when I thought about it for a moment, I drank to excess on occasion, ate loads of fatty and deep-fried foods, and had an extremely stressful job. They were right.
They went on to explain that critical pancreas infirmities like I had are much more likely to be succeeded by an even worse re-occurrence, particularly after heavy alcohol consumption. They then presented me with the following statistics to make their point: If I started drinking, I would have a ninety-nine per cent probability of having a relapse, and that any such condition would be much worse than my first attack, ninety-nine per cent of the time. They then told me that the likelihood of surviving the first attack was one-in-three. I then understood that I was a walking dead man if I began drinking. Drink or live, that was the question. I chose to live.
STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH
But I never comprehended how difficult it would be to quit drinking. What I was about to discover is that drinking had become the hub of my interpersonal relationships. Liquor was almost always involved in my social life and, quite honestly, had become the basis for most of my friendships. I was involved in numerous activities, but I soon discovered that they were simply excuses to party. Drinking was the reason for the softball leagues, canoe trips, camping, bowling, poker, parties, traveling, and other pursuits. My life centered around drinking, and without it, I would face a large void.
I initially believed that I could avoid going to bars and social events that involved drinking. But when I did, I noticed that my friends, for whom I still have high esteem, were not as friendly as earlier. It was as if they were announcing that since you have elected not to participate in our drinking activities, I am unsure if we are still my friend. Sure, they were cordial and gracious every time we got together, but even so, there was a new distance separating us. I can not fault them since they were right. I was not hanging out with them as previously.
Then I thought, what the heck, there is no reason I should bypass going to these activities with my friends. I will drink ginger ale or club soda and skip the alcohol. In practice, however, that did not work either. I found that my world-class comedian buddies were not as amusing when I was sober. I’m sorry, but their jokes were not all that humorous most of the time. I saw myself being the stick in the mud—the only one not laughing. Then I thought, well, maybe I will try recreational drugs. Perhaps this will allow me to get down with the crowd. But these drugs only dumb-ed me down, and that was not what I wanted either.
In the end, I dropped out altogether. Then I started thinking about how few of these people came to visit with me in the hospital. I suddenly felt like an outsider with them and realized that my old life was gone! To top it all off, I was also discontented at home and eventually moved into an apartment about a year later. I needed to reinvent myself—build a new life. I had to change, but into what?
SATAN CALLS
One day shortly afterwards, I was alone in my apartment when the phone rang. I answered, and a horrific sounding voice replied, This is Satan. The voice seemed mechanical, like a monster in a science fiction horror movie. It was loud, garbled and possessed a ringing tone. The voice consisted of several well-defined vocal threads, and each one sounded in a distinct octave. The resulting sound reverberated as if numerous people were speaking identical phrases slightly out of synchronization, which produced a garbled result.
Based on my recent encounter with Satan in hell, you can imagine what I must have been feeling. I was terrified out of my mind, trembling, and in a panic, I quickly hung up. I reasoned that there must be some explanation for this, perhaps a prank of some kind. Possibly someone was having some fun with me—using an electronic device to frighten me. But who would do such a thing? No one I knew would, nor would they have the capability. Besides, I had not told anyone of my encounter in Hades at that point. So, just as before, I tried to put this terrible memory in a faraway place in my mind; I made it small and rationalized it away. But, just a few days later, an identical incident transpired, and I then understood that the devil was relentlessly coming after me and that his harassment was not likely to stop any time soon.
Somewhat later, I considered relocating to another city and was using the National Business Employment Weekly to look for job opportunities. I spotted an ad that asked for my skill-set, and I called them. I was excited about this great opportunity and hoped to express my qualifications for the job. Instead, a voice answered, This is Satan. Yes, it was the same garbled voice as before. I replied, what? The voice replied This is Satan. My heart was pounding as I smashed the receiver down. How in the world could this be? No one I knew could have set anything like this up. How could this be? You know, sometimes a person just will not read the handwriting on the wall. That was me. Believe it or not, I redialed the number, reasoning that maybe I had miscalled by accident. Astonishingly, the same thing happened once again. I hung up, terrified that Satan was still coming after me.
THINGS CHANGE
After that experience, things started looking up for a while. As it turned out, I transferred to the Dallas/Fort Worth area with my current employer. I also had a lovely lady in my life who would become my wife and play a big part in helping me through the troublesome times that were to come. She would likewise play a contributory role in helping me find the pathway to the Lord. I felt like I was now reinventing myself, moving to a new environment, having a new love, and a new home. I was delighted.
Things were not perfect, however, as my dad died of a prolonged heart condition. By losing my dad, I lost the one person in this world who truly believed in me.
In the center of all of this, I was having work-related problems. There had been a departmental reorganization, and I ended up working for someone whom I did not see eye to eye. As time went on, the situation became very strained. Late one night, while my wife was in bed, I found myself pacing the hallway, pondering the consequences of being out of work. I speculated that it would be difficult obtaining another job in the current down turning economy. More than anything, I reflected on how it would feel to let my wife down. This situation became at a breaking point for me; I simply could not handle all the turmoil in my life anymore. As I walked down the hallway of my home, I finally gave in, slumped against the wall, and blurted out the words that were in my heart, Okay God, I give up. I will do whatever You want me to do.
I did not comprehend it then, but several beautiful transformations began in my life when I surrendered to God that day. God was about to lead me toward a vision of the future, and I would receive His blessings and favor as I walked toward it. Although I did not know it at the time, I was about to see the manifestations of Gods power and glory. I had been saved from the dreadful fate of the second death and placed on a pathway leading to Gods Glory.
A GLORIOUS VISION
Just a few nights after yielding to God, I had a supernatural vision. It appeared when I was in bed, while in that twilight place, somewhere between slumber and consciousness.
A florescent orange globe appeared, fronting a steel blue-black backdrop. The vision was exceeding beautiful as its colors were vivid, emitting light from within. Immediately, I understood that the orange globe was earth, despite the missing oceans and continents.
As I watched as a small black arrowhead appeared above the North Pole and traveled due South while dropping a thin black line behind it. I thought of the arrowhead as being a shuttle of some sort. It flew a perfectly straight line until it disappeared beyond the Southern Pole. Shortly after, it appeared at the North Pole again, now circumnavigating the globe on a new longitude, once again disappearing at the South pole. The shuttle then continued in this manner until it had printed all the vital longitudes across the face of the earth until the planet resembled a peeled orange.
With the longitudes now printed, the shuttle appeared at the Eastern Equator, now traveling on a westward course, and proceeded to circumnavigate the planet until it had painted its significant latitudes. When completed, the sphere looked like a replica of the earth that you might find in a school or office, except that it is bright orange and the longitudes and latitudes have remained.
Next, the skin of a single orange slice began peeling back, starting at the top and then coiling downward into a scroll at the Equator, and therein uncovering an astonishingly gorgeous pink under-layer. Each section then, one at a time, unwound in the same fashion. When completed, a beautiful pink upper hemisphere existed above the rolled-up orange skins at the Equator. The silky pink surface then revealed itself to be the petals of a young, tightly wound flower that matured as I watched. I could see new growth forming and then expanding at the flowers’ nucleus. This expansion forced the outside petals to flow over the edge, creating a waterfall of pink petals streaming downward.
I was awestruck by the majestic beauty of this ever-expanding flower. I couldn’t help but continue watching this awe-inspiring sight, but then wondered if I might be dreaming all of this. I thought, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them and lifted my head, and looked around my bedroom. To my astonishment, I was able to see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had semitransparent video projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could happen, I immediately re-closed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this beautiful experience. Then I started to wonder why this was happening to me? Why should I know this and, of what importance should this be to me?
Then abruptly, everything around me began moving. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, such that my view was directly over the hub of the flowering planet, precisely where the new growth was emerging at the North Pole. Next, a hole dilated open at that very point, and an unseen force pulled me inside. I looked around and discovered that I was at the feet of a Jesus that filled the earth from pole to pole. When I looked up into the perfect clarity, I saw His outstretched arms, and I believed He was delivering blessings to the souls of the earth. That is when all of the heavenly peace of my vision faded away.
Interestingly, I received this vision of a world filled with Jesus just a few days after I surrendered to God. I was unsure of what this meant at the time, but the reality is that everything in my life would rapidly change for the better afterwards.
GODS PLAN BEGINS WITH BLESSINGS
The morning arrived, and it was back to the reality of everyday life. I may have received a magnificent vision of a world filled with Jesus, but my struggles in the physical world remained. One of these struggles was a strained relationship with my boss that I created by opening my mouth and telling the truth too often. His retaliation came in the form of a much lower performance evaluation than my history of outstanding reviews. Even though his critique was unfair, it still resulted in what the corporation viewed as a satisfactory rating and one certainly not warranting remedial action.
Despite this, he called me into his office shortly after my performance review to convince me that I was not managerial material and should volunteer for a downgrade. I frankly refused as I knew that he did not have a legitimate case to demote me, and that was what he wanted to do. I also knew that I had years of excellent reviews filed away to challenge his deception if he ever tried. But what became crystal clear from this meeting was that he was out to get me by hook or by crook. And as fate would have it, a golden opportunity to do so would soon come his way.
The economy had substantially turned down, along with company revenues and profits. Our top executives reacted by directing an across-the-board headcount reduction. It soon became common knowledge that my boss had planned to surplus my job and lay me off as a part of this reduction in force.
However, shortly afterwards, the corporation offered an Early Out incentive package to senior employees to help reach their headcount reduction objectives. It was an exceptional proposal that included health insurance, a years salary, and free space available travel for life. To qualify, an employee had to be near early retirement age and have a minimum of twenty years of service. Unfortunately, I would not meet the age requirement until my next birthday, just a few months away. So, I explained the obstacle with the Personnel Department and received a management leave of absence to bridge me to my birth-date.
When my manager discovered that I had applied and qualified for the Early Out package, he promptly took action to get me fired. I caught wind of what he was attempting and went to the Personnel department to object, stating that I would file an age discrimination lawsuit if they permitted him to do so. Fortunately, they were very concerned about being prosecuted and promptly advised him to alter his course of action. He unbelievably responded that he had surplussed my job and had no work for me. He demanded that they fire me before I qualified for the Early Out package. Afterwards, I discovered that the two were shouting at each other, battling behind closed doors over the issue.
A few days later, the Personnel department called me to inform me that a director I had previously worked for agreed to move me into his organization until my retirement date, ensuring my severance package. That was a real blessing.
So God was there protecting me from harm again, just like all the other experiences I have written about here. In addition, He was about to move me to a place where I could see the power of God and learn how He worked through his people. I had pledged to do whatever He wanted, and now He was guiding me to a place where I would get spiritual enlightenment while He showered me with blessings and favor along the way. This circumstance proved to be the start of the new life that God had in reserve for me.
With my early retirement anxieties resolved, I commenced looking for another job. Surprisingly, a very well known entertainment corporation in California called me about an opportunity they had. Since I had not sent them a resume, I was interested in how they acquired my contact information. They responded that the hiring director found my resume on his desk, but he had no idea how it got there.
When I interviewed with the hiring director on the phone, he was so impressed that he wanted to hire me on the spot, but I had to continue working to safeguard my retirement package. I responded that I needed to learn more about the job, the work environment, and the culture before making a decision. I knew that arranging these things would push my potential start date back a week or so.
Consequently, they flew me out to California, where I had the opportunity to meet with many of the people I would be working with, and all went remarkably well. The only issue was that the hiring director wanted me to begin working immediately, even without providing a customary two-week notice to my employer. After some negotiation, I had persuaded him to wait until I became available.
So, we relocated into a lovely Santa Monica residence that featured beautiful views of the mountains, ocean and the beach, just three blocks away.
We also arrived with a 30% improvement in salary, a year’s wages in cash, health insurance, and flight privileges for life with the airline. Quite a change in circumstances! Especially for someone who was still clueless about God being at the center of all these increases. At that time, God had set everything into place, and I merely walked through the open doors that He had set directly in front of me.
A HEART FOR GOD
Shortly after we had relocated to our new home, our daughter, who had recently graduated from college, and had the summer off, came to visit. One day after arriving home from work, I found the two of them in the living room laughing and having a great time while talking about God. Sadly, I could not relate to what they were saying, and for some reason, I spontaneously blurted out: Whatever it is that the two of you have, I want it!
THE HEALING CONNECTION
Then one evening, not long after, I was in the loft flipping through channels looking for something to watch when I passed by a man in a white suit who was speaking about God. Something he said caught my attention in that split second that lead me to turn back to hear more of what he was saying. The longer I listened, the more I liked what he had to say. I then asked my wife to watch with me, and she also loved what he had to say. We discovered that he would be speaking at a church in Anaheim, and we agreed to see him in person.
I had never visited a charismatic church service previously and was unsure of what to expect. When we reached the church grounds, we saw a long line of people encircling a large round building and eventually found the end of the line. As it gradually moved forward, we overheard the people in front of us discussing what a big deal it was to have this pastor here. Eventually, we entered the church and promptly took some available seats. I noticed that a group of about ten musicians occupied the right side of the stage, and a choir of about forty people, standing in five rows of bleacher seats, were on the left side.
The service began with the loudest praise and worship music I have ever experienced. I was unfamiliar with most of the songs but did my best to keep up with the congregations singing. I saw that many people were raising their hands in the air while singing praises to God, and I decided to join them. Throughout all of this, I was feeling a strong desire for a real connection with God.
Later the church pastor came out to lead the people in prayer and, I remember hearing the people sitting next to me praying in a language that I believed was Latin, and I wondered what this might mean. I speculated that perhaps they were foreigners, but then, they spoke perfect English before the service. All of this was remarkably unfamiliar to me.
Afterward, the pastor introduced the visiting evangelist, who then came out attired in a white suit.
He began by reading Bible verses and preaching a message based on them. Once he had completed this teaching, he led the people in praising God and invoking the Holy Spirit in song. The entire congregation was reverently engaging. Then without any warning, he rolled his right arm around the left side of his body, then quickly swung it back past the audience and back toward the choir while shouting, choir, receive your anointing. Amazingly, the entire quire fell in unison into the bleacher seats. I could not believe my eyes because they dropped as if they were all a part of a single unit. The precision of their falling together was so perfect that it appeared as if a trap door opened below them. I conclude that what I saw could not have been a stunt. Even if they practiced for years, they would be unable to deliver this high level of synchronization.
A spark of anointing also hit me as the evangelist slung his arm past us. I did not fall to my seat along with the choir, but I felt something like a bolt of electricity hitting my heart. This powerful charge ignited a burning sensation in my chest that persisted thru the service. I turned and looked at my wife and said; Isn’t this a touch from God? I then told her of my encounter, and she admitted that she had received the anointing also. I looked around the congregation and saw people down in their seats all over the building. It was all around me. God was touching people here. I had just experienced an applied lesson in God’s anointing.
For someone who was seeking God, I sure got what I was looking for that night. God had once again taken me to where He wanted me to go. He took the initiative by providing a message on TV, and we answered by following His lead to this church.
COMING TO CHRIST
We began attending this church regularly right after this first visit. Our pastor would typically give an altar call every Sunday and, there were always lots of people who would come to the altar to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For me, it only took a few weeks before I was one of many who stepped forward and gave my life to Christ. The pastor was flowing in the spirit on that day I officially dedicated my life to Jesus. The pastor had one hand raised high above his head as he started shouting praises to God, and as he approached, his eyes blazing directly at me. I remember thinking to myself—there are twenty people up here—why is he staring at me? Much later, he told me that he had sensed a shift in the heavens. I thought that this was a spiritual victory achieved by the Lord, snatching me right out of Satan’s hands. I had not previously told the pastor this story, so God was communicating with him that day.
SIGNIFICANCE TO THE VISION
The devil kept attacking me, but I turned to God and declared that I would do whatever He wanted. He responded by showing me the end state vision of a Jesus-filled earth, blossoming into a beautiful flower. He then moved me to a church and ministry where His Holy Spirit was active, and there I publicly surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, and a magnificent victory for God’s kingdom transpired in the spiritual realm.
I eventually learned over time that a world with Jesus at its core is Gods desire for His people. It, therefore, is an expression of His love for all of us. I present Revelation 21 here as it reveals what it is like living in this new world.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said [b]to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. 6 And He said to me, It[c] is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes [d]shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My Son. But the cowardly, [e]unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
So, we are to overcome the evil that exists in this world today. We are to keep ourselves clean and bring others to know the one true God. Matthew 28 provides our Grand Commission.
Matthew 28
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. [d]Amen.
To the Christians who want to make Jesus the center of their world, this message is for you. Seek the spiritual realm for a connection with God for guidance. When directed, put on the armor of God and enter into the spiritual battle. The cumulative spiritual victories of the body of Christ will bring about sweeping changes, and a great awakening will ensue, and extensive conversions of the people of the earth to put their faith in Jesus.
Entering into spiritual battle will bring victory over evil right here on earth, and in doing so become the fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer:
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9 – 10).
Therefore, the victory is in our hands, but we must have guidance from the Father. Mathew 11 tells us what Jesus said about the spiritual warfare in heaven and on earth.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matt 11:12).
Therefore, enter the battle field through prayer and fasting.
I thought it appropriate to start this book with my earliest memories, and then move through my life while sharing my spiritual experiences. At the time, it seemed to be a nice way for the reader to get to know the author and his background. The surprise was the earth-shattering discoveries that I uncovered while I was writing. During this process, I came to realize that God had been working in my life from the very beginning; I just did not know it. He gave me people like my mom and dad, who were good people who cared for me and gave me good direction. He issued warnings of danger in ways that could have only come from Him. He showed me the truth of spiritual good and evil at a very early age. He took me by the hand and led me in the steps that I would walk. He closed all the doors but the ones that He wanted me to walk through. In addition, He protected me from harm time after time and did it in such a manner that His divine intervention could be the only possible explanation.Things that have no explanation just kept happening to me, and they were always for my benefit even though that may not have been the perception at the time. I was blind to the fact that God was at the heart of these unusual events. This blindness made it extremely difficult for me to rationalize these experiences, even to myself. To me they were true mysteries. I rationalized them by thinking that perhaps I was just lucky to have escaped harm, or that I was smart for having the foresight to know a better course. In some cases, I could not come up with any rationalization at all so I pushed the entire incident into the back of my mind and kept my mouth shut. I thought that it was better than having the whole world know with certainty that I was out of my mind. These events would always take me back to the question: why were these things happening to me? Why me? I would discover the answer to these questions through the creation of this book. Writing this book enabled me to see the big picture of what God had been showing me over the fifty plus years of my life. It revealed that God was protecting me because He created me for a purpose. God created me to possess the vision.When the time came and I turned my life back over to Him, He opened my eyes. Looking back on it now, I am amazed at all the things that He did to protect me or get my attention. The simple truth is that I had been dancing through life not paying any attention.I did not recognize many of the wonderful truths that God had been showing me. In some cases I did not recognize them even after I returned to Him.This book tells how God has communicated with me over the course of my lifetime. It is a story of the past, the present, and the future. It is a story that has value for everyone. In it you will learn the spiritual truths of this world and the next. This means that you will learn about the realities of heaven and hell, the angels and the devil, the portrait of the bride and even the judgment to come, just as I did. It is a story of God giving me a purpose that came to me in a line upon line, precept upon precept manner, just like the Bible tells us. I have no recourse but to pass these understandings on to you so that you will know the truth also.So fasten your seat-belt. What you are about to read will include some of the most fascinating experiences you have ever heard. Many of the stories in this book may be difficult to believe because they span beyond the laws of nature as we know them, and yet they are true. Many of the stories are parables. They communicate a true earthly narrative that is easy to understand but they also contain a heavenly message. So be warned, you will be stepping into the supernatural quite often as you proceed through this book. These events may shock you and leave you mystified but my prayer is that when you finish this book you will also know how to possess the vision.
This posting is the third in a series of communications that look at God’s deliberate actions to reunite with His people. In our first posting we established that it is God’s desire to once again dwell with His people as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Our second posting provided a generalized outline that demonstrated God’s repeated efforts to reunite with us. Today, we will look at one of God’s most influential covenants, one that became the foundation for the three most prevalent religions of the world today.
So, lets find out more about this covenant by looking at the 17th chapter of the Book of Genesis. As many portions of this scripture are prophetic of Jesus, I have inserted notes to identify them. I hope to be drilling down into them in future postings.
A Meeting Of Abraham And Melchizedek
The Covenant of Circumcision
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless (as Jesus walked before the Father and was blameless). 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers (as Jesus made a new covenant with us and greatly increased the numbers of those who walk before the Father and are blameless because of the shed blood of Jesus).”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations (as Jesus is the Father of all Christianity). 5 No longer will you be called Abram (Jesus); your name will be Abraham (the Christ), for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan (the Promised Land where there are many mansions) where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. ”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant (the new covenant is a covenant of selfless love), you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised (symbolic of casting away ones own flesh). 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you (as our love for one another is a sign to others that we follow Jesus.) 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. ” 15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.
I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day.
27 And every male in Abraham’s household , including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
What does the Covenant of Circumcision Mean to us?
Now while this seems like a nice story on the surface, it is very profound when you start to think about what happened here. God communicates with a 100-year-old man whose wife is barren and tells him that he is going to be the father of many generations. How many 100-year-old men do you know that have fathered a child? Most people would say that such a thing is highly improbable. Then God tells Him that His barren 90-year-old wife is to be the one who is going to give birth to his male child. I believe that this is an even more unlikely possibility. So we have a situation here that is doubly improbable, and even impossible to most people I know. Certainly, it would take an act of God to make these promises a reality and we find that Abraham has so much faith that he immediately follow His direction.
From my point of view the act of circumcision that Abraham performed is so contrary to the basic nature of man that I would also believe them impossible. Most men would most likely say something like, “What, are you kidding?” To cut the flesh off the tip of the organ that represents manhood, and throw it away as worthless is counter intuitive from my point of view. To start with, just think of the pain associated with this procedure. I might be able to believe that Abraham would be willing to circumcise himself, but then how did he convince the other members of his family to do so as well? Let’s internalize this for a moment. Visualize in your mind a situation where a member of your family comes to you and proclaims that they have heard from God and that all the men in their family were required to have a portion of their sexual organ cut off as a result. What would you say? Most likely you would say, “you are as crazy as a loon.” So once again we see a circumstance that appears quite impossible, but despite this Abraham does not even question the point with God, but rather simply complies and get’s his family to do so as well. How great a faith is that? For this reason, several of the New Testament scriptures proclaim that Abraham was deemed righteous based of his faith alone.
So when we look at this from a standpoint of God’s promise being the basis of our relationship, what we see is just another example of God directing His people in a way that leads them back into a relationship with Him. God trying to lead us back into a relationship like He had with Adam and Eve in the Garden.
Adam and Eve in the Garden
In this scripture we find God leading Abraham toward the promised land (Canna), where He planned to dwell with his people from inside the Tabernacle that would be built later by Moses. As we have reported several times, the actions reported in these stories are physical in their nature. They are in fact parables or stories that are told to communicate a spiritual message (one that we can not easily understand), by using analogies taken from the physical world that we understand very well. So for example, God’s directing Abraham to the promised land is simply a parable to communicate that there is a spiritual promised land (heaven or the Garden), that we can aspire toward inhabiting. Jesus reaffirmed this concept on several occasions when he spoke about the kingdom of heaven. Just prior to the ascension of Jesus into heaven He told the apostles that he was leaving to prepare a place for them, one that had many mansions.
The Ascension of Jesus
The bottom line here is that the actions of Abraham to God’s message are prophetic of the life, word and actions of Jesus Christ in every way.
So for example, the act of circumcision, or the cutting away of a man’s flesh serves several points. First, it points to our spiritual nature and tells us that the flesh profits us nothing (like Jesus told us). It also tells us that a sacrifice of the flesh is necessary to live in covenant with God, and this makes it easier for us to understand why Jesus had to sacrifice His life on the cross so that we could live under the new covenant, a spiritual covenant.
It tells us that there is nothing that is impossible for God and that it is in times like these, when things seem hopeless that God comes through. It teaches us that no matter how crazy the things of God may seem to the rest of the world, we must keep our faith and follow His direction. It also communicates that we must display a visible sign so that the world will know that we belong to God. In Abaraham’s day the sign was circumcision and today it is our love for one another. Therefore it is critical that people can tell that we are followers of Jesus by simply being with them.
But all of this is contingent upon us being able to hear from God directly and being sure that we can recognise His voice. So let’s take a look at this and all the other items identified here in greater detail. We will start this communication in our next postings.
Untill then, may all of God’s blessing be upon you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry – Modern Day Miracles
When our church decided to launch a program to increase membership, they secured speaking engagements from a number of well-known evangelists and pastors and offered special church services over a single weekend. To ensure that the public knew about the opportunity, they invested in an advertising campaign.
The church wanted everyone who attended these special events to get the message of our church out to our community. Therefore, they set up a number of tables just outside the church to sell books, videos, audiotapes, and other religious items. I had been asked to work the table that offered videotapes of a famous evangelist. In the course of the assignment, I struck up a conversation with an interesting man who came by the table. He mentioned that he had a food distribution ministry and had connections with several salmon companies in Alaska. These companies had a unique situation.
Due to government regulations, the fishermen had to collectively limit the amount of fish they sold each day. If they caught more than the legal limit on any given day, they had to dispose of the excess fish. This typically resulted in taking the excess fish back out to sea and dumping them in the ocean. As a result, the fishermen were dumping large volumes of fish back into the ocean on a regular basis. Now, this is where the opportunity came in. Although they could not sell the excess fish, they were allowed to donate it to a charitable organization. This was where his ministry came into play. He said that he worked with a number of people who would process and freeze the fish and others who would deliver it, all for free. I thought that this could be a great opportunity for our church food distribution program. This man seemed like a nice person, but I decided to check him out before doing anything. I asked him if he had worked with anyone else in our area. He mentioned two organizations, one about which he had many great things to say. He indicated that this organization was led by the Holy Spirit, and that the anointing there was unbelievable. The name of this organization is Friend Ships.
I was very impressed with what he told me about Friend Ships, so I called them and set up an appointment to meet one of their representatives. I also arranged for Johnnie, Wanda, and two other couples to see this organization with us. One day after work we drove over to the Friend Ships’ warehouse on the Long Beach docks. We entered the office area but found that the person we were scheduled to meet with was not there for some reason. However, there was another man there who seemed very interested in us. He introduced himself as Don Tipton. We were soon to find out that he was founder and leader of the Friend Ships organization. What an amazing and rare organization Friend Ships turned out to be. At that time they did not ask for money. In fact, they operated very well with little money because every worker was a volunteer. No one was paid a salary, including Don and his wife, Sondra.
One thing that we noticed while we were there was that there was a lack of any organizational structure and minimal planning activities. I thought that anyone who came here from corporate America would be amazed at how this group got anything done at all. The irony of all of this was their tremendous ability to deliver food, supplies, equipment, and all sorts of other things to people who really needed it. This was all explained by the fact that they had a secret weapon—their faith in Jesus Christ. They simply stepped out in faith and trusted in God for what they needed. Time after time they watched in awe as God came through again and again.
Remember: Peter Walked on Water until he Doubted
Let me give you an example. They had a food distribution program in which they collected and distributed food for the poor each Saturday morning. Amazingly, they did not make any arrangements for people to bag the food into distribution packets so that the food could be easily passed out to the poor and needy. People just showed up. The right number of people showed up at just the right time to get the job done. They trusted in God, and God delivered.
The entire operation was run this way—on God power. There was something special about Don that I liked right away. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He had seen it all, and he was serious about his commitment to God. He told us a story of how he brought his wife to Jesus prior to their marriage. They had read the entire Bible together, and once they did, the call of God became clear to them, and they went into full-time ministry.
They sold their Beverly Hill’s polo field and other businesses and started their ministry by simply stepping out in faith. Their vision was to collect surplus food from the wealthiest country in the world—the United States of America—and distribute it to the poor and the hungry people of the world.
Don told us all about their ministry, and how they got started. For example, he told us a story of how their first ship was donated to them. Soon after they had entered full-time ministry, they found their heart was for the poor and starving people all over the world. But to care for them, they would require a ship to transport goods they had collected to the places where people needed them. So, they started praying for an ocean-going ship, but nothing happened at first. Consequently, they said to themselves, we must step out in faith and start looking at ships that are for sale.
One day Don went to look at a 300-foot ocean transport ship. The owner took him on a tour of the ship showing him everything it had to offer. After the tour, the owner invited Don to have a cup of coffee with him, and they sat down to talk. The owner was obviously very interested in selling the ship, and he immediately started to negotiate the price with Don. This, however, made Don uncomfortable because he did not know how to tell the man he didn’t have the money to buy it. Eventually, he told the owner that he ran a food distribution ministry and hoped that he would donate the ship to them. The owner agreed immediately. All he had to do was to come over the following day and sign the papers. That is how Friend Ships got into the shipping business. They stepped out in faith, and God delivered.
But now they had to find a place to store the items to be shipped when the ship was out to sea making deliveries. They found a warehouse that was not being used and got permission from the owner to use it rent free until he could sell it. That owner sold the property after six months, but the new owner extended the agreement with them until he could lease the warehouse to someone else. The result was that they were able to use the warehouse for an additional eighteen months prior to finding their next warehouse in Los Angeles.
Again, they stepped out in faith and God delivered. This kind of thing was the norm for this ministry. There are so many stories like this about Friend Ships. Miracles prevented disaster, money was given just when they needed it, and skilled people like retired naval officers showed up saying that God sent them.
Don explained that their food collection depended on what the local businesses gave them. They also worked with church groups and other individuals to distribute the food locally to the poor. Clearly, God was blessing this ministry. Don explained all of this as he escorted us through the warehouse. We got to see, first hand, all the items that they had collected and eventually would be shipped overseas. The items consisted of all of the things that are needed to support a community including —school desks, fire fighting equipment, and medical equipment. The Holy Spirit was overseeing it all. Pat and I broke off from the group for a while and walked through all three floors of the warehouse, crying like babies most of the time. We were humbled how God had supported this ministry.
Don took us out to the dock where the newest of their three ships was being renovated for duty. The ship was longer than a football field and more than five stories above the water line. The ship was being renovated to become a floating hospital. Their plan was to bring the ship into various ports around the world to deliver medical attention to the poor. As they brought people aboard ship for treatment, there would be opportunity to tell them about Jesus. We walked through the ship and found a great number of people working to convert it for her new mission. I thought: the ship is huge, what a job it is going to be to make her ready for the mission.
The Holy Spirit was on the ship as well. Don brought us to one of the finished meeting rooms and led us in prayer. I believe that every one of us had tears in our eyes in the midst of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. What a pleasure to find a ministry working under the pure guidance and direction of God. I guess that you could say that we got more than we bargained for, but somewhere along the way we did manage to ask Don about the man who had the salmon fish distribution ministry. He indicated that he knew him, and he had been there to visit with them but they had only gotten a couple hundred pounds of fish from him.
Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/
Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.
Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/
Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.
In my previous posting (Possess-the-Vision) I communicated that I was going to present the spiritual experiences of my life that led to the creation of the Possess the Vision Mission Statement (PTV Mission-Statement.)
The experience I am about to communicate to you took place while I was in grade school. It will prove to be quite unbelievable to most people, and to be perfectly honest, would have been disregarded by me as well if it were not for all of the other unexplained spiritual experiences of my life. It is the story of a warning that comes from God in the form of a dream and then is followed up by an intervention from God.
My mom and dad would take us to visit my aunt’s family from time to time. We looked forward to these trips because we got to play with cousins our age.
Their house was about an hour’s drive across town and we were driving home late one night after one of our visits. I was tired and was trying to get some sleep in the back seat of our car. I had my head propped up against the interior wall on the driver’s side when I started to doze off. Then suddenly, I quickly awoke with a start sensing that another car was about to crash into us at the precise point where my head was resting.
Thinking about my feeling for a moment brought me to the conclusion that I was just imagining things and so I ignored the sensation and tried to get back to sleep.
But when I did I found that the experienced just kept happening over and over again and so I told my mother about it. She reaffirmed that I was in fact just imagining things and recommended that I dismiss these thoughts from my mind and try to go back to sleep.
So, I made another attempt to suppress my fear and get some sleep but the fact was that the sensation of an impending crash became very strong again and I could not help but pull my head away from the side of the car. This time the result was different however, as an auto came crashing into our car exactly at the point where my head had been resting just a second before. The accident turned out to be minor, and thankfully no one was hurt.
Still, I had to wonder about what the outcome may have been if I had not pulled my head away at the last second. The jolt of the collision was substantial so who knows what had been avoided. I suppose I could have sustained major injury to my head or neck, or perhaps even worse.
In this case, I heeded the warning and made the right choice. Still, at the time I can remember about wondering about where these warnings were coming from and why.
Just to make things clear, I now know that these were warnings from God who was protecting me from harm. I know that each of us is born with a purpose and that the devil will try to abort that purpose in any one of a multitude of ways. So please pay attention to these messages from God and act on them. Your immortal life may depend on it.
In my previous posting (Possess-the-Vision) I communicated that I was going to present the spiritual experiences of my life that led to the creation of the Possess the Vision Mission Statement (PTV Mission-Statement.)
The experience I am about to communicate to you took place while I was in grade school. It will prove to be quite unbelievable to most people, and to be perfectly honest, would have been disregarded by me as well if it were not for all of the other unexplained spiritual experiences of my life. It is the story of a warning that comes from God in the form of a dream and then is followed up by an intervention from God.
The Morning Star Rising on the First Day
THE ESP EXPERIENCES
After I entered elementary school, I started to encounter things that could not be explained by the laws of physics. Some would call these strange experiences extrasensory perception (ESP). For example, I would dream things that would come true and know things that were to happen before they occurred. You know, I would have a premonition of things to come. Here is an example:
I DREAM THAT I WAS LIKE A SUPERMAN
One night I had a dream that I was standing in the middle of the street and an oncoming car was coming toward me at a high rate of speed. Rather than run out of the way to escape, I braced myself and extended my arms toward the car to absorb the impact. The car sped directly into my outstretched hands where amazingly, it was stopped dead in its tracks.
The car was a gray 1940’s model with a v-shaped hood that culminated in a rounded point at the exact point where my hands contacted the car. I could see my hands against the gray automobile just as one would see them through their own eyes, and I was in awe of what had happened. I remember having the feeling of extreme physical strength and I imagined that this is what Superman must feel like—knowing that you can muster unbelievable power and use it to achieve incredible feats. I truly felt invincible.
A few days later, I was playing with one of my friends who lived down the block. We were flying a new helicopter/saucer toy that he had just received. The helicopter was simply a bladed saucer sat on top of a handle that launch the saucer into the sky when the string was pulled.
We were having a great time, my friend would launch the helicopter and I would try to chase it down and catch it before it hit the ground. On his last launch he pulled the string with all he had and the saucer soared high into the air, above the house tops. Just then a strong breeze kicked up that carried the saucer out into the street. Being totally focused on catching the saucer, I started running after it as fast as I could.
As I was not paying much attention to where I was going, my friend’s mother started shouting to me, “Joe, don’t go into the street. Joe, stop!” I remember hearing her words but they seemed faint and very far away. I was in the middle of the street by the time I caught the saucer. It was then that I could hear my friend’s mom screaming for me to come back. I turned and looked up the street and there it was, the gray car of my dream turned nightmare, was speeding toward me. There was no time to get out of the way, so I simply held my arms out in front of me, just like I did in my dream. I could hear the tires squealing in response to the locked brakes. The car hit my hands and stopped. Unlike the dream however, it was evident that it was not my power that stopped the car. I realized that I was not all-powerful as I believed in my dream. The car had knocked me backward even though it just barely touched me. I stood there and watched the front of the car rock back and forth in reaction to the sudden stop. I did see my own hands against the hood of the gray car just like in my dream though. I then realized just looked death square in the eye.
My friend’s mother ran toward me screaming at me to listen to her. Somehow her voice grew distant again as I wondered about my dream that had became reality. How could a dream possibly come true? Why were the real life details being so accurate on one hand while the feelings of power and strength are so wrong? Something stopped that much sooner that it otherwise should have, but it sure was not me. I did not know what to think about this when it happened. As fast as the car was moving, how could it have stopped so quickly?
The body of Christ - On Earth as it is Heaven
Was it possible that some power that I did not understand stopped the car? Was it possible that this power also tried to protect me from this circumstance by giving me the dream in the first place? Or was it a notice to me that that there was a power here to protect me? If so, was it possible that nothing could harm or hurt me? If so, then the big question had to be why?
Well, being like many young boys, I spent about five minutes thinking about it before I filed it in the back of my mind where it was not thought about again for quite a long time.
Looking back on this event now I can say that God intervened in my life and that it was His spiritual power that protected me. If one were to take this event as one single isolated incident then I would have to say that perhaps this was simply just a coincidence. But as it turns out, it was far from an isolated event but rather just one of a string of unbelievable experiences that either communicated a message to me or protected me from harm.
So what does this have to do with the vision? Fundamentally, it shows that we have a heavenly Father who loves and cares for us and who is willing and able to use His power to protect us. This is especially true of those who put their trust in Him and follow His direction (I did put out my hands like I saw in the dream.) I believe that it teaches that spiritual discernment can be achieved if we have faith and pay attention, and I believe that our decision based upon our discernment are critical to our overall welfare and relationship with God.
I know that much of this may be a stretch right now, but stay tuned as we share more about what happened to me in future postings.
In my previous posting (Possess-the-Vision) I communicated that I was going to present the spiritual experiences of my life that led to the creation of the Possess the Vision Mission Statement (PTV Mission-Statement.)
One of the important traditions our family kept was our frequent visits to my grandmother’s house. I rember one such visit that occured when I was still a smal child. My uncle was trying to test my intelligence and to accomplish this he had a test for me. In one hand he held a new shiny dime before me, and in the other a new shiny 1943 steel penny. These war time pennies were made of steel because of copper shortages. These pennies shined just like a dime when new.
So, he held the dime between his right thumb and forefinger and the penny between the left thumb and forefinger. He then carefully explained that the dime was much more valuable than the penny and then placed them boty directly in front of my face. He then asked me to choose the one that I wanted.
My initial move was toward the dime because of what he had told me. But when he saw my move toward the dime he pulled it back a bit and then moved the penny closer and even jiggled it in front of me. Becasue of the movement of the penny it flashed streams of light before my eyes. I thought, gee, the penny sure seems to be much more fun that the dime so I snached it out of his hand.
He then rushed to proclaim my stupidity to everyone in the room, stating that I would never amount to anything. I felt angry and betrayed. Big man!
When I look back at this event today I see that it contains several messages that are applicapable to the Mission Statement of this blog and to our lives as Christians in general.
First of all, life will always present us with choices. Some are good, others are not so good. Some good choices will look undesirable and some not so good choices will look extreemly atractive. It is up to us to discern the truth and make the right choices in life and to therin receive the best possible reward for doing so.
Our life as Christians is based on this principle. In fact, it is the only reason we are here on this earth. Do we choose to do good or evil? Do our lives demonstrate a love for others or are we focused on our own promotion. Do we choose life or death, the light or the darkness, God or the devil?
Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples
It is in these choices that will determine if we receive a wonderful reward for all of eternity or the horrible consequences of hell forever.
It is up to us to choose. When I look back on my life I can now see that these choices presented themselves over and over again. We will be telling you more about them as we progress with this series.
In my previous posting (Possess-the-Vision) I communicated that I was going to present the spiritual experiences of my life that led to the creation of the Possess the Vision Mission Statement (PTV Mission-Statement.)
My story of my first leap of faith is very unusual and yet it contains a spiritual message foundational to the PTV Mission. Like the prior posting (Dad-Comes-Home,) I recommend looking at this story as a parable, which is a story told in earthly terms but designed to communicate a heavenly message. The message is that we have a heavenly Father that wants us to step out in our faith for Him. When we do so He will support our initiative and protect us from harm. With that said, here is my story:
One day not long after my father’s arrival home my dad was taking care of me while I ate lunch in my high chair. Having had enough lunch and not liking to sit still for very long I squeezed out of my seat and stood up on the high chair tray. My dad was all the way on the other side of the kitchen when he noticed what I had done. I was very excited about achieving this feat and started jumping up and down on the tray of the chair. My dad’s first reaction was to freeze, not wanting to do anything that might make me fall. While he was looking straight at me I grinned and jumped once more just for fun. He said, “Don’t you dare.” For some reason, I thought it would be great amusement to jump and have my dad catch me as there was no doubt in my mind that he would. So, I jumped from the tray as if it were a game and when I did my dad took several quick steps before diving into a slide on the floor, catching me just in time to keep me from being seriously injured. It would seem that I had a natural trust in my father’s ability from the very beginning.
This story communicates that God wants us to act on the faith that He has given us. He wants us to take action on the desires that He has placed in our heart. Most importantly, He wants us to know that He will be there for us if things don’t always work out as planned. I offer the story about Peter walking on water as support for this message. Here is that story.
Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” Matt 14: (22-33)
Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water
So, the moral of this story is do not doubt. Get out of the boat and do what God has put into your heart. Pay no attention to all the evil winds that will blow around you, but rather have perfect faith in your Father in heaven, knowing full well that even if your faith fails that your loving Father will be there to rescue you.
SEEKING JESUS 