THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS

THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS – LEARNING TO CHANGE TO LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT ALCOHOL

From that point onward, most of my physical problems subsided. Although my general health gradually improved, my tribulations were not over, as a new series of troubles would begin. At that time, I had been in the hospital or on home care for over four months and was eager to get back to work and everyday life. When I thought I was ready to do so, I even disregarded my family doctor’s warning that I was not as strong as I believed. Nonetheless, I went to my company’s personnel department and took the required physical exam to return to work. I could start on a minimal schedule of just a few hours daily.

Unfortunately, despite all the evidence that God was behind my improvement, it had 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 in my life, suffering one spiritual attack after another, not knowing I was even in a war.  

A DIFFERENT LIFE

As I began working and reengaging in social life, I discovered things had changed. I had not anticipated the consequences that my medical condition would have on my life. My doctors laid out a prognosis of my medical condition and how it would impact my future life activities. They told me that a pancreatic dysfunction, like the one I experienced, typically arises from one or more of 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 factor is alcohol consumption, and therefore, I would have to quit drinking. The other factors are a high-fat diet and a high-stress lifestyle. 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; all these things applied to me.

These doctors then went on to explain that a second pancreatic attack like the one I had experienced would result in a much worse outcome, particularly after heavy alcohol consumption. They then presented the following statistics to make their point: If I started drinking again, I would have a ninety-nine percent probability of having a reoccurrence of pancreatitis, and the damage to my body would be much worse than my first attack, ninety-nine percent of the time. They then told me that my likelihood of surviving the first attack was one in three, and a second attack could take my life. I then understood that I would be a walking dead man if I began drinking again. Drink or live, that was the question. I chose to live. 

STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH

I only comprehended how difficult it might be to quit drinking once I tried. When I did, I began to realize that drinking had become a common denominator of my interpersonal relationships. My friends were drinkers. Alcohol was consistently entangled in my social life and, quite honestly, had become the foundation for many of my friendships. Drinking was a significant component of the softball leagues, as well as canoe trips, camping, bowling, poker, parties, traveling, and other pursuits. Without it, I would face a large void.

I initially believed I could avoid going to bars and social events, but when I did, I noticed that my friends, who I have high esteem, were not as friendly as before. It was as if they were announcing that since you have elected not to drink with us, we are unsure if you are still our friend. Sure, they were cordial and gracious every time we got together, but even so, a new distance separated us. I can not fault them since they were right. I was not hanging out with them like I had previously. 

Then I thought, what the heck? There is no reason I should avoid 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. My world-class comedian buddies were not as amusing when I was stone-cold sober. 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 dumbed me down, and that was not what I wanted either. In the end, I dropped out altogether.

I suddenly felt like an outsider with them and realized that my old life was gone! To top it all off, I was also unhappy 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 afterward, I was alone in my apartment, and the phone rang. I answered, and a horrific-sounding voice responded, “This is Satan.” The voice sounded mechanical, like a monster robot in a science fiction horror movie, loud, garbled, and possessed a ringing or reverberating tone. The voice had several well-defined vocal threads, each sounding in a distinct octave that sounded like multiple voices were speaking out of synchronization, which delivered a bizarre result. 

Based on my recent encounter with Satan in Hell (IN HELL – CONFRONTED BY THE DEVIL,) you can imagine what I must have been feeling. I was terrified out of my mind, trembling, and in terror, I quickly hung up. I reasoned that there must be some explanation, perhaps a prank. 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 Hell. 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 had been considering relocating to another city and was using the National Business Employment Weekly to look for job opportunities. I spotted an ad requiring my skill set and called the number in the ad. I was excited about this great opportunity and wanted to express my qualifications and skill set. Instead, a voice answered, “This is Satan.” Yes, it was the same garbled voice as before. I replied, what? The voice replied again, “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 because, believe it or not, I redialed the number, reasoning that perhaps I had accidentally misdialed it. Not surprisingly, the same thing happened once again. I hung up, terrified, knowing 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 now had a lovely lady who would soon become my wife and play a big part in helping me through the troublesome times that were to come. She would likewise contribute to helping me find the pathway to the Lord. I felt like I was now reinventing myself, moving to a new environment, having love in my life, and a new place to call home. I was delighted. 

Things were not perfect, however. My dad died of a prolonged heart condition, and by losing my dad, I lost the one person in this world who truly believed in me. 

In addition, I began having work-related problems. There had been a departmental reorganization, and I started working for someone I did not see eye to eye with. The situation became strained as time passed, and I wondered if I might lose my job. Late one night, while my wife was in bed, I found myself pacing our hallway, pondering the consequences of potentially being out of work. It would be difficult to obtain another job in the current down turning economy. More than anything, I reflected on how it would feel if I let my wife down by being unable to provide for her adequately. With everything else I had been through, this situation became a breaking point for me; I 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 came straight from 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 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 then, I was about to see the manifestations of God’s power and glory. I had been saved from the dreadful fate of the second death and placed on a pathway leading to God’s glory.

A GLORIOUS VISION

The vision appeared while I was in bed, in that twilight place between slumber and consciousness. My eyes were closed when I saw a fluorescent orange globe that somehow radiated its orange light from within appear over a solid steel-blue-black backdrop. The thought that the orange planet was the Earth came into my mind despite the absence of perceptible oceans or continents. I found this foreknowing helpful in understanding what I witnessed here and other portions of my experience as well.

After gazing at this captivating panorama for a while, I noticed what appeared to be a small black Indian arrowhead rising over the North Pole sky, flying in a Southerly direction while leaving a thin black line or trail behind it. Once again, the thought came to me that this object could be the Space Shuttle deploying a string of satellites.

It continued southward until it disappeared above the Southern Pole. It reappeared at the North Pole a few minutes later, now orbiting at a new longitude. Once again, it deposited a thin black line behind it before disappearing at the South Pole again. The shuttle persisted in laying down the longitudes in this manner until it had printed the ones typically found on a world map. The form of the Earth now resembled that of a peeled orange.

With these longitude lines now printed, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, traveling on a due westward course and circumnavigating the planet until it had deployed the significant latitudes across the Earth’s sky. When finished, the sphere looked like a globe commonly found in a school or office, showing the longitudes and latitudes, except for its bright orange coloring and lack of topical features.

Afterward, as I watched in amazement, I saw the skin of a single slice of the orange globe (a wedge formed between two longitude lines) begin peeling backward, rolling down upon itself. The skin started rolling down at the North Pole and then coiled downward to form a scroll shape near the equator, exposing an astonishingly gorgeous pink under-layer above. Subsequent sections followed similarly, each section rolling down in order, one at a time. When completed, I saw a beautiful pink upper hemisphere radiating light above the orange scrolls now positioned above the Southern Hemisphere. Then, I witnessed the silky pink surface transform into the petals of a young, tightly wound flower that matured as I watched. I then saw new growth forming and expanding from the flowers’ nucleus. This expansion forced the outside petals to flow over the sphere’s edge, creating a perpetual waterfall of pink petals streaming downward like a waterfall.

The majestic loveliness of this ever-expanding blossom had me spellbound, and I wished it would never end. I couldn’t help but continue observing this awe-inspiring sight, but then, I wondered if I might be dreaming all of this. I thought, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them, lifted my head, and looked around my bedroom. To my astonishment, I could see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had a semitransparent video projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could occur, I immediately closed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this captivating experience. Then, I started to wonder why this was happening to me. Why should I know this information, and what significance could this be to me?

As if, in answer to my questions, everything around me abruptly began moving quickly. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, such that my view was now directly over the nucleus of the flowering planet, precisely where the new growth was emerging at the North Pole. Then, a portal dilated open at that point, and an unseen force pulled me inside. I found myself at the feet of a Jesus that filled the Earth from pole to pole. When I looked into the perfect clarity above, 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 this 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 I 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, which resulted in my receiving a much lower performance evaluation than my long history of outstanding reviews. Even though his critique was unfair, it still resulted in what the corporation viewed as a satisfactory rating and certainly not warranting remedial action. 

Despite these things, 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 refused as I knew he did not have a legitimate case to demote me, and that is what he wanted to do. I also knew I had years of excellent reviews filed away to challenge his deception if he tried to proceed with his demotion agenda. But what became crystal clear from this meeting was that he was out to get me by hook or 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 afterward, the corporation presented an Early Out incentive package to senior employees to help them reach their headcount reduction objectives. It was an exceptional proposal that included health insurance, a year’s salary, and free space available for travel for life. To qualify, an employee must be near early retirement age and have at least twenty years of service. Unfortunately, I would not meet the age requirement until my next birthday, just a few months away. So, I explained this obstacle to 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 my job had been surplused and had no work for me. He demanded they fire me before I qualified for the Early Out package. Afterward, 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, and this would ensure 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 God’s power and learn how He worked through his people. I had pledged to do whatever God wanted, and now He was guiding me to a place where I would get spiritual enlightenment, blessings, and favor along the way. This circumstance started God’s new life He reserved for me. 

With my early retirement anxieties resolved, I commenced looking for another job. Surprisingly, a 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 yet to learn 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 such a significant decision. I knew arranging these things would push my potential start date back a week or two. 

Consequently, they flew me to California, where I met 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 persuaded him to wait until I became available. 

So, we relocated into a lovely Santa Monica residence just three blocks away from the beach, which featured beautiful views of the mountains, ocean, and the city.

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 settled into 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 her and my wife 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 TV channels, looking for something to watch. I passed a channel with a man dressed in a white suit who spoke about God. Something he said caught my attention in that split second, which led me to flip 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 said. We then 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 what to expect. When we reached the church grounds, we saw a long line of people encircling a sizeable round building, and we had to walk a long distance to find the end of the line. As the line 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 songs but did my best to keep up with the congregation’s 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 felt 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.