Ouija Board Strategies In These Last Days

Blessings from my home to yours.  May the title of this blog grab your attention to read on about how the Devil has attempted to steal, kill and destroy from the time you could first remember.


Revelation 2:4-5  Yet I hold this against you:  You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first. 

Revelation 3:3-6  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.  Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.  They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.




I don't know about you, but there is such freedom to read the book of Revelations without fear. We tremble in the presence of the Almighty, but our days of fearing the unseen and the future are over, as born-agains.  What is it saying to us?  To the churches?  Do you see the relevance for today in this book? 

I first started reading the Bible at about age 9 years of age.  I also read the newspaper pretty regularly as well at an early age.  I boldly read the world events and editorial sections of the paper, along with the Gospels and Revelation.  I grieved over world hunger and wars and such.  This intercessory gift was present always.  My parents were curious about me.  I was the baby of 5 girls.  I had an imaginary friend named Sharon for quite awhile.  I was a dreamer, a David.  A Joseph, that is for sure.  I was musical and creative and loved to play alone (with dolls, pets and my imagination).  

I started life like most of you.  Singing about Jesus in Sunday School.  Bible School and learning with vigor about Bible characters.  We sang some Negro spirituals in Jr. Choir at church.  "Do, Lord, Oh Do Lord, Oh Do Remember Me".  See this Youtube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCpQF9LYylU


I don't know how our American Lutheran Church liked it, but my volunteer choir leader Shirley, had us sing some great Jesus songs.

Yes, as children we can sing "Jesus Loves Me" easily.  Then comes the teen years.  The wicked Jr. High years.  The loss of interest in church.  The draw to the opposite sex.  The cliques, the pimples, the early hardships.  The exposure to alcohol and cigarettes.   The rigid, legalistic parenting that we go home to, that doesn't explain the "why" behind the "no".  We get a message to keep out of their way and don't embarrass us with blemishing the family reputation.  We don't hear about the exact heartaches they suffered, because their generation and the generation before doesn't talk about their mistakes and certainly never apologizes.  Once we are off the hip of our mothers, we are shooed away and the intimate relationship ceases.  This continues into life.....

Many of us went from skipping around singing Jesus songs, to quickly growing up without a way out of our sin. 


I personally suffered of this.  I read the Bible very early and no one to explain the beauty of the answer!  A Redeemer!  We have a convicting preacher in our church, but no way out of our sin.  The term, "Born Again" was not used in any of the churches I attended, and even now, it is rare to find a church that states this necessity.  Other terms are used, yes, but regardless of any negative connotation it was given possibly in the 70's, it best describes (and is Biblical), what is necessary for us to have New Life. 

I hope many of you reading this can relate.  But, let me continue to The Ouija Board Of Life.......



 

But, what if in this mix of life someone gets born again? 

Here are the pitfalls for you to beware of:  1) Someone talking you out of a believer's baptism.  2)  A church that extinguishes the Holy Spirit.  3) Mature Christians trying to suppress your joy, or telling you that it will "pass".  4)  Healing of the Lord being shunned.  5)  The constant negative discussion of the speaking of tongues and its place in our lives, if we are indeed gifted with it.  6) Not spending time in the Word, daily.  7) Understanding that you will need to make a change in who you hang out with, even if it is family.  8)  Christians telling you about your "freedom" in Christ so much that "their" religion is based on so much grace that you need not quit habitual sinning.  9) Hanging on to a pride issue that will talk you out of getting on your knees daily in prayer. 



On to the conclusion of this blog:

Don't let this happen to you.  So, like me you had a rough start.  A late start.  But, are you on the bus finally like me? 

The title of the blog is to explain that Satan can have you on a chess board situation of life.  A Ouija Board of sorts.  His demons are especially interested in you, now that you are born again.  They will try to convince you of all sorts of half truths.  They will attempt to entice you to not worship with your heart and soul.  They will put certain people on your path to derail you and many of them may be "Christians" with all kinds of advice. 

You need only one Teacher.  That is the Holy Spirit.  The Gift that Jesus promised.  Get quiet, get alone and go into the wilderness for the time that God has gifted you with.  When you come out of that desert time, be watchful and aware. 

I am coming out of my desert time.  I am still filled with at least the same amount of joy I had the day the Lord touched me.  I have many, many obstacles in life, too many to list.  I still am so in love with Jesus and what He did for me, that it is difficult to imagine not feeling joy over these worldly circumstances. 

Put on your Spiritual Eyes.  You will need them.  Keep off the Ouija Board of life.  Walk in the Spirit.  Keep faithful.  Ask the Lord for revelations on those things you do not understand.  Find a good Holy Spirit church. 

Never quit praising the Almighty!  Amen!!!

Repent. It is the only word you need to know.

Blessings from the Midwest.  The Lord is good and gracious and I cannot praise Him enough!  I have my list of struggles.  I do my best to not let them be "a part of me".  May I advise that you do the same?  How quickly I make idols of my problems.  Be weary of your words, who you counsel with, how many you counsel with.  I am learning.  Sometimes the painful hard way.  So, we go on praising and worshiping our Saviour!  He deserves our praise! 

I just finished reading the book, The Harbinger.  I think I am going to go and buy many copies to give away.  This may be another choice of book for evangelizing.  More Than A Carpenter is one I give to people who are unbelieving or severely questioning their faith.  The Harbinger may be an all around good book to spread the Gospel, as there is the salvation message for the "religious" in the end, as well.  A book of warning.  It will shake you to your roots.  It should, just as most sermons should in your churches. 

Reading The Harbinger actually put me into a newer state of awareness, and at this point, I am still processing what it has and is revealing to me.  Many in our community are speaking of revival of incredible significance.   The birth pains are present.  I have heard prophet after prophet speak of this and what is being revealed to them through dreams, signs and revelations.   Yes, I mean now.  Shut your Bible and pray if you continue to imagine that "that book" is about the past.  It is breathing.  It is pregnant.  It is ever-present and perfect.  It is trying to talk to you about today, tomorrow and yesterday.  Put your thinking-cap away and read with your heart.  Dream, imagine, wonder, pray.  Become the child He wants you to be.  If you call Him Father, you are a child.  Throw away terms such as baby Christian and mature Christian.  I see too many get stuck on these and label.  Look at people's hearts and that is all you need to know.

Being a new believer (I personally own decades of "religion"), I am trying to put together the past.  I am piecing together Nazi Germany.  I am piecing together the Old Testament and its prophesies.  I am piecing together how in the earth, when I was 6 years old, abortion became legal.  How, in our country, African Americans were not able to have the same freedoms as my parents, in 1960!  Obviously, the Lord has had me piece together my ENTIRE life up to the day of my salvation.  As you have read about in my previous posts, it has been a rapid, bitter-sweet journey. 

I can weave around all kinds of ways in these posts, but my hope is to keep you entertained enough to stay with me. 

The turn of events in my thought process, since reading The Harbinger and more closely watching world events is that I am greatly concerned that the crumble of America may happen prior to the Rapture and this is important for me to consider. 

Do you want to continue reading?  Push through. 

After my being filled with the Holy Spirit approximately 1.5 years ago, I quickly read the New Testament with hunger.  I also read book after book about everything from Hell to dead churches to spiritual warfare to fasting.  The cool thing about these books is that they all lead me back to the Bible.  I get a "reference" from each book that puts an interest in me to read a certain book of the Bible. 

Then, after finishing the New Testament (I am reading through it over and over again still), I started reading the major prophets.  Daniel was actually revealed to me in a dream (Daniel Chapter 10), and I read that with wonder.  It certainly helped me understand spiritual warfare more perfectly, along with prayers to be answered and why some take longer.   I speaks to me, personally. 

Most interesting, is a note I put in my Bible next to Isaiah 26:5-6.  I wrote "Twin Towers". 

I can't imagine a born again Christian not reading the prophetic books of the Bible and not correlate the warnings to Israel (the Jewish people wherever they were and the actual country) over and over (and destruction that followed) to God warning American to turn and repent.  Yes, I easily see the message needed for America, founded on Christianity, to repent.  Turn and change.   I found this to be a reality to me very quickly after reading the Bible, as a born again believer.

It is difficult to find Christians who dare go this deep.  Shallow is not the way.  Ephesians 3:17-18 states: So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.  There is such a "depth" to the scriptures.  How can you continue to be shallow? 

What a relief for me to find these Scriptures.  I was someone who was told all of my life, the contrary of most of what is Biblical.  Praise and Glory to God for His Word! 

What does America need to repent?  Do I dare list?  Let alone legalization of abortion and same sex marriages, let's just look at the saturation of alcohol in our country.  It is incredible what has happened over the last 10 years alone.  Numb people don't make sensitive to the Spirit Christians.  Born again Christians should quickly ask after their conversion if alcohol is really part of God's plan for them.  Many do not. 

Parents don't have Bibles on their coffee tables, don't read the Bible and don't read the Bible to their kids (I am guilty--now I see the light) and they gripe that there is no prayer in school.  Parents, wake up!  You didn't even start it in your home!  No prayer in school?  Do you pray from your heart with your husband and kids?  Or do you settle for a memorized prayer at supper?  Or do you watch on Sunday morning when you get your newspaper the neighbor going to church while you sip from your coffee mug? 

I am guilty of many of these things.  But, there is One who set me free and my guilt is gone.  Now, I pledge a warning to all to kick it in gear and get with it.  Jesus following is not a fad, it is not a phase that you go through as a "new believer".  It is a way of life!!!!  I can't number the people that indicated to me the opposite.  "Oh, I remember when I used to feel about Jesus that way".  Wow. 

Parents, grandparents, any and everyone.  Please read your Bibles.  Read The Harbinger.  Lead others to Christ and do it now.  God will do His work, but He needs people to reach people. 

Here is an interesting story to end this blog with.  This is how infantile so many are about conversion and the need to repent:

Arthur Blessitt, a great evangelist spoke on this:  He was out and about and came upon a car crash.  He stopped and tried to help.  The person in the front seat was injured severely and he didn't realize there was another in the car.  This person was semi-conscious.  Arthur was speaking to this person of the Gospel and the need to have Jesus as a personal savior.  There could have been only moments left is this person's life.  Then, a person chimed in from the wrecked car, in the back seat.  This person has the nerve to say, "Quit talking to him that way.   You are going to scare him."

God forgive this person in the back seat.  God bless Arthur and all of us trying to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God help heal our broken hearts over the pharisees comments, jeers and road blocks. 

Please, all that read this.  Pray for God to activate your gift of evangelism.  Amen. 

Franklin Graham simply exercising Romans 1:16

http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20May10/Art_May10_01.html

Romans 1:16   I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first the Jew, and then the Gentile.

Acts 4:29-30   Now, Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 



Glory and Praise to our Heavenly Father.  May you find this blog to be inspiring. 

I heard about Franklin Graham through a Christian Television Network.  (see article at the beginning of this blog) I have to be honest, what I heard mostly was that he was told to not use the name, Jesus.  That was enough to tick me off enough to write down the information and make sure I visited the situation later. 

Let me assure you, we are in perilous times.  We are in times of a blessing of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, but as well we are seeing an increase in pestilence, depraved minds, deceit, God-haters, arrogance and perversion.  (Romans 24-32,  Luke 21:7-11).

You will see an incredible increase in prophetic messages from the great preachers and authors of today.  Dr. David Jeremiah has written in the last couple of years, book after book speaking of the signs of the times.  He is incredibly respected, but he is obviously under the gun with the Holy Spirit to get this message out.  Praise the Lord that the book of Revelation is being shared and spoken openly without excuse or blush.   See the warning at the end of Revelation regarding adding or removing anything from this great book.  (Revelation 22:18-19)

On the most eternal, high note:  We are seeing a flood of the Holy Spirit in my community.  I pray you are as well. 

I am talking to person after person who is experiencing dreams, signs, huge Holy Spirit promptings including significant fasts and increase in prayer.  Real prayer.  Not prayer for stuff, money, jobs or health.  Prayer for revival, for the Lord's Return.  Prayer on knees with weeping.  Let me tell you, there are so many that are weeping and being moved by the Spirit that I speak with. 

I love to find these people, or they find me.  They are tired of the ho-hum Christian life of "I am a weary Christian".  How dare we act that way.  The Lord put on my heart months ago that He is a jealous God.  He said this especially to me during times of group prayer and personal prayer of praise to Him.  I have found the conclusion to that revelation to be that He is growing impatient with complaining Christians.  Christians that want to limit the work of the Holy Spirit.  Christians who have set in their brains what "they" want out of their religious life.  Many Christians are not asking the Lord what He wants of them.  It may have gone on so long in them that they don't even realize the blindness that Satan has set in.  Become innocent, young, new, open, believing, surrendered and hopeful and you better do it quick.  There are many souls to reach and if we are complaining, stone faced or stiff necked Christians, why would they ever want to have our life?  Or worse, if we are boozing, gambling, selfish, sex-lusted Christians, we are hypocrites to them.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you with your weaknesses.  Or are you having too much fun?  It is time to make a choice.  Habitual sins have no place in your life.  You can be freed.  There is absolute freedom in Christ.  He will heal you from these sinful practices. 
 
The neat thing is that the people that seek me out or that I encounter and can sense that they are eager to speak of Christ and His love, is that they are incredibly open!  They are not afraid to speak of their dreams, visions and promptings.  No longer are we worried of being labeled "crazy".  We already know that is a given.  It is worth sharing our supernatural!  Discernment quickly shows us who to share what with.  I am working hard on that.  I am sometimes surprised by who is disinterested in speaking of beautiful, glorious Jesus things.  I will not waste my pearls to be stomped on any longer. Working in health care my tender heart was broken during an audit of a chart and a physician labeled a patient "hyper-religious".  Guess what?  Go ahead and label me.  My salvation is at hand.  My fire to try to touch others and spread the Gospel is too strong to be worried about some doctor and his diagnosis.  Does it surprise you the things I blog that I see going on in this world?  Keep coming back, as I have so much to blog that is evident to me. 

Before I close I want to point out some really great things that I want you to concentrate on.  Look at the Christian music available.  Chris Tomlin is so very blessed, along with Christy Nockels, Mercy Me, Casting Crowns and Newsboys.  Lots of lyrics from the book of Revelations and the prophetic books of the Bible.  Look at the internet and the availability to view a sermon from preachers of yesterday and today!  Look at the cable TV channels of TBN and The Church Channel. 

There is such a blessed movement in our favor.  Everyday people are having the Spirit poured out on them to produce these songs, lyrics and sermons.  These are born again people, now being very obedient and active with what the Lord is asking them to do.  Many have left their professions to full time ministry.  Is this a possibility for you?  Are you getting any promptings?  Alot of people are, that never dreamed they would be called into ministry. 

I pray you will concentrate on the goodness of what is happening.  The out-pouring!  Be a part of it and don't hide in fear.  Be active to share your testimony, but most of all do not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyjD5Zw2ew

Yes, there is power in the name of Jesus. 

Are you able to say the name "Jesus" five times out loud, sweetly, without feeling uncomfortable?  Try it.  Can you say "God" more comfortably?

Arthur Blessitt, the man who has carried a 12 foot cross across the globe (check out his website) is a great evangelist.  He put it nicely:  The name of Jesus makes people uncomfortable because it causes conviction. 

The name of Jesus causes great emotion.  Terms such as Jesus Freak and Jesus Hippie are not exactly soft descriptions.  They bring out feelings of "going overboard".  Cult type thoughts come to our heads.  Sandals, robes, long hair and beards. 

God seems to have anointed me to be an evangelist of sorts, and I am walking the walk He intended for me.  It is ever evolving.  It is exciting.  Because He has told me to have "Loose Lips For Him", it doesn't really feel like I am obeying.  It feels like this is what I am supposed to do:  To spread the Gospel against all odds.  If I am having a conversation with you, it is nearly impossible to not speak of beautiful things.  If you want to just talk negative, I really struggle with that.  It is in my soul to speak of healing, restoration, new life and grace.  Those are automatics.  Do I sometimes get on a negative road about my past and my life:  Yes.  But, my gracious Holy Spirit Helper actually taps on my right shoulder (Yes, He really does) and I know I have gone too far.  Then I stop and redirect my conversation or just end it on a quick, positive note.

Today at our church our Bible School kids performed about 4 songs.  They were dancing and wiggling and shouting.  They were so great.  They sang and shouted the name "Jesus" so lovingly.  They didn't wince. 

We need to act like that. 

I remember Vacation Bible School in our Lutheran church growing up.  I believe I have blogged on that before.  It was wonderful.  It was not like our weekly pomp and circumstance Sunday service  Almost hauntingly chanting the Apostles Creed.  As if we would be struck dead if we smiled while we said it.   But, ahhh, Vacation Bible School.  Jesus you were there.  Cookies and green Koolaid and Red Rover.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  Jesus' pins to wear.  All kinds of crafts to take home. 

I know in my heart I accepted Jesus as my Saviour as a kid.  I just didn't know what to do, other than to just go to church and Sunday school.  The growth in my Sunday School was memorize the books of the Bible and Luther's Catechism.  There was no talk of a personal relationship.  Just check off your stuff and get confirmed.   There was very little, if any Bible studies for adults.  Once you were confirmed, you were "done".  Yes, the cake was done, hallelujah.  Really? 

The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon wrote this, " The sad fact is that when you enter many of our places of worship you will certainly hear the name of God mentioned, but except in the benediction, you will scarcely know that there is a Trinity.  In many places dedicated to the Lord, the name of Jesus is too often kept in the background."

Do you want to follow some great preachers of our day?  Check out Creflo Dollar and TD Jakes.  They will make your soul quake.  The will arise in you the Holy Spirit, if you are willing.  Jesus is knocking.  Please answer that door!!

I have heard and read of great stories of people saved during airplane and car crashes that shouted the name "Jesus"or "Jesus save us" during the impact.  They lived to tell that they were saved from fire and great injury while the ones who just screamed, "We are going to die" perished. 

As I grow in my relationship with my Father, it almost causes physical pain when I hear someone say the Lord's name in vain.  I have to tolerate this at work.  It just is painful for me.  I hear the Lord's name profaned in so many ways in this person.  "Jesus Christ", "God", "Jesus".  Our words are so powerful.  We cannot hide from our Creator.  How do we ever rewind all of this that spews from our mouths?

Let me tell you this:  I so enjoy blogging, bragging about the Alpha and Omega who saved my sorry soul.  I get energized to type these eternal messages.  It is an outlet for me to be heard.  It is in my bones to spread the Gospel, in any way possible.   As I told a few preachers, "Just give me a microphone, will ya?" 

I ask that you consider what the name of Jesus, spoken out loud by you, does to your inner being.   If it is uncomfortable, count that a blessing that you are reading my blog.  You are reading it for a reason.  Get on your knees (Yes, that is important) and ask the Father to reveal to you any hidden sin.  If you are not sure if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, get on your knees and pray for this treasure, essential for your salvation.  Find a Bible packing church.  Open up your Bible and pray that the Lord will take the scales off of your eyes to reveal its Glory.  You will notice that it is illuminated once you are filled.  The actual Word Of God will bounce off the page, take you down roads you never dreamed and make you starving for more.  The work of the Devil, especially for decades has hidden the Gospel from people who think they are saved.  If the Bible does not come to life for you, you need to realize that and take action.  Humility is key.  "Lord, open up the rooms in my heart that you need access to.  Reveal my Gods.  If they be even food, alcohol or sports.  I put them before You, and I am sorry".  Search and seek and get on your knees daily.  Read the Word daily, even if it doesn't make sense.  It will.  It took me about 4 months!  And, WOW! 

Blessings my sisters and brothers.  Keep searching and learning.  Praise His name always. 



Acts 4:12  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Philippians 2:9-10 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Parental relationship restoration, even after the grave.

Oh, Glory to God!  Many tears today.  Tears of great worship earlier at church and now, tears of reconciliation. 

Here is a verse to get us started off:  Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

I have heard preaching on this commandment and many times, we leave off the part, "So that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Do you see how important it is to do this?  Maybe to lengthen your life?  And how could that all be true?  Does God really kill people off like that? 

Well, unforgiveness will "kill" you and everything around you.  And yes, I believe our lives are shortened because of the stress of unforgiveness and bitterness, leading to cardiac issues and cancers. There is the very touchy subject of  bad health choices including over-eating as a tool to soothe our pain.  This kills a little more slowly, through type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension.   

Part of the Holy Spirit filling me 16 months ago, is that if you let the Spirit work in you, you will go through a process.  This is painful.  Many people don't let this process happen.  They end up born again, but wearing masks and miserable again.  The process begins when you feel the Spirit tug on your heart to open it up and let the past be healed, situation by situation.

Are you brave enough to let the Spirit clean your house?  Sweep out the garbage?  I am.  And I did.  And it is still happening. 

In my personal experience, I had other people barely let me finish my sentence when I would share that I was going backwards and dealing with my past.  So quickly they would say, "You know, you shouldn't have to go back to the past as Jesus has already forgiven you of that".  Or I have heard, "Don't look back too long on those items".  I heard this after only a few months of conversion!!!  Be on alert that if someone doesn't let you finish your sentence about a faith item, or they rush to give you an answer, they are not waiting on the Holy Spirit themselves.  They are talking out of their flesh.  Get your eyes on Jesus and keep them there.  Read the Word daily and keep it that way.  You are worth it. 

If I would have listened to that, I would not be where I am now.  The Lord works in His timing, not man's.  I want you to be aware that listening to "man" in many situations after you are living and walking in the Holy Spirit, is dangerous.  There are so very, very many born agains that stopped at their salvation.  They did not complete the process, which takes the rest of their natural life to do.  And there are many born agains that are not living and breathing the Holy Spirit Life.  It is a cheap version of Christianity.  This is a life lacking true, raw faith.  The kind of faith that raised Jesus from the dead. 

God has the ultimate best for you, and typically it will not be exactly clean and easy to continue to be sanctified.  Yes, it will be worth it.  Yes, you will glorify God for the tears and cleansing.  I am a witness to this!!

My day today included listening to my dad's Korean war stories tape.  I have not heard my dad's voice since the day he died in July 2000.  It was sweet to hear his voice.  It felt just like yesterday.  He taped this in approximately 1994.  What a step for me.  I was on the floor in my bedroom, at Jesus' feet, crying, as I was listening to this.  That is a wonderful place to be.  Don't stop at getting down on your knees.  If you are lead, drop all the way down to your face on the floor at His glorious feet.  How precious.  The late pastor Adrian Rogers, as a young boy, actually dug a hole in the ground and put his face in the dirt.  If you understand this act of humbleness to God,  as I do, I am very happy for your mature Christian journey. 


Also today, I listened for the first time to a cassette where my mom taped me playing the piano in 1995.  She and dad were talking and laughing and I could hear my voice as well.  It was incredible to finally listen to that tape for the first time, today, as well. 

What Satan means to destroy, we can reclaim.  If I would not have continued my journey to my painful past with my childhood, I would have bought Satan's version of the past. 

You see, when I grew up, I didn't feel things were right in many ways in our home.  But, it is all you know.  It was not very good at times.  It was really weird.  But, after leaving the house at age 18, that was my "normal".  And there you go.  You get married and you end up marrying people who also have strange family dynamics and you both just keep repeating another generation that did not deal with the problems.  And then comes items in our lives such as divorce, alcohol abuse, emotional abuse and neglect and inappropriate everything else. 

Are you a hypocrite to call this out in your home and stop it?  I used to think so.  That is a lie of Satan.  But, our Lord gets ahold of you, and if you decide to rewind to your childhood, you see that you can be honorable to your parents, at the same time you take a stand in your own home. 

Did I always honor my parents?  Unfortunately, no.  If you read my previous blogs, you will see that.  I rebelled.  Now, it is so refreshing to take off the mask and admit that I rebelled.  It is wrong to rebel.  Period.  I did not honor my parents by not listening to them. 

After I got "saved", I did the typical reactions that you do.  Just as when you grieve a death, I believe there are stages of painful growth after being born again.  I got mad.   I got mad at denominations of churches that I attended for not leading me to Christ.  I felt lied to.  Why didn't anyone tell me about this?  Why are not churches opening the Bible during service?  Why don't churches use the term "born again"?  Why didn't the church read all parts of the Bible in our weekly readings? 

Do I still have grave concern about many main denominations of churches because of these flaws?  Absolutely, yes.  Am I mad because of my situation?  Not any more.  You see, I had to find Jesus myself.  He was still knocking on my heart, through all of that dysfunction of the "church". 

Now, on to my parents.  Did I think they could have been a better example to me?  Yes.  Do I understand why they weren't.  Yes.  They were mirroring their parents!  They were just surviving most of the time due to their own problems. 

Do I want to live like my parents?  No.  But, I do want to take the good things they did and expand on them instead on magnifying the things I do not agree with. 

They are not here to defend themselves.  They are deceased.

I took out two letters my mom wrote me prior to her lung cancer death.  She died a horrific death, but luckily Morphine kept her painfree.  Her handwriting is very poor.  My mom suffered incredible anxiety during her last 7 months of life, fighting cancer.   That, in itself is a living nightmare to witness.  What Satan blinded me of, is that I read these letters and put them in a drawer for years.  I could only see snipits of negative from them.  How unfair!  You see, I took them out a few weeks ago and cried over them!! They were loving and lovely and complimentary.  They were intimate and fresh and touching.  Satan will blind you from the Scriptures, but he will also blind you from finding beauty in things.  Things that will cause you to advance in your faith.  He knows you well.  Demons have been studying humans since they were flung from heaven.  And they have been studying you since birth. 

Let me say this:  If you have been offended in any way:  Sexual abuse, spousal abuse, infidelity:  What many of us do is drop into a depression instead of anger.  And I understand that this is actually very unhealthy.  We get depressed instead of getting angry at a person that deserves to hear our appropriate anger.  I did this many times in my life.  I saw loved ones do this as well.  It didn't solve anything in the end and the abuser did not face the wrath of what they did. 

Our culture has us walking into the Halloween shop for another mask everytime we face a roadblock.  When we will start solving things?

My trips to the cemetary are so wonderful now.  I cry so hard at times, though.  I wail out to God at times. Not mad at God, just cry.   But, I am so in love with my mom and dad now.  Healthy love.  My mind of Christ now allows me to just drift into the good times and good ways they tried to protect us from the world.  Those daggers of pain don't come very much at all now.  The Lord keeps revealing the love they had for me in so many instances.  The tree house we made as a family, the way they loved me to play the piano for them, the way my mom loved me to do her hair and makeup and nails.  My dad having me help him chop firewood.  Small talk with dad.  Cleaning dad's barbershop for a quarter.

My rebellion has run its course.  I rebelled against God and my parents and if I could change both, I would.  But, I cannot.  What I can do is change my home, now.  To be a good example for my children.  Ask my adult children for forgiveness for my past mistakes.  Show them a woman in love with Jesus Christ.  A Bible reading, weeping, changed soul, who happens to be their mother.

Would you join me, brothers and sisters in Christ?  Will you clean out your closets for your generations to come?  Even if you will face resistance, tears and pain for a short time?  Will you be that kind of warrior?  And end up loving your childhood for what it was, for what it did for you to now have eternal life?  Our parents gave us life.  Let us just tweek the recipe of life for the next generation of Jesus Followers. 

God Bless you all. 

Ema McKinley-Miracle healing in the Midwest

I saw this woman speak last night.  I know her cousin Linda.  I have worked with her.  God is pouring out His Spirit to the earth in massive portions right now.  Are you ready?  Are you reading the entire book of Acts?


http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ema+mckinley&oq=ema+mckinley&gs_l=youtube.3..0.1050.4876.0.5165.12.6.0.1.1.0.154.721.1j5.6.0...0.0...1ac.5OjIZdxd8z8

Money Is Dirt....Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Glory to God on this Sunday.  I am excited to start up the blog again.  I am not sure how I will find time, but I will count on God to provide.  I once shared with some Christian friends that God does bend our time.  If we honor Him with an abundance of time, He will bend it further to provide.  Just as He bends our pocketbooks when we tithe, He will do the same with our 24 hour days.  I am living proof of that.   Praise and Glory!  He is so good, and I will not take my salvation for granted!  Lest you ever rest too much in your salvation.  Beg for an urgency in your heart to reach out to the lost.  We have plenty of work to do until He comes back.  It is the kind of work that is out of a response to grace, not the "works equals favor" thought process.  Fight that off, daily.  The simple equation is:

You asked Jesus into your heart.  It was a sincere plea, that you now understand you need a Savior, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Then, out of grace, you were saved, a sinner.  You repented, changed your ways.  The Holy Spirit now inhabits your being, and assists with continual conversion until your last day on earth.  You read your Bible daily and quiet your life down to hear what God has been trying to always say to you.  You respond by changing your life, shedding your sinful desires, habits and negative, destructive people.   You accept that you will receive opposition, most fiercely from family and close friends.  You have a joy in your heart that makes that rejection tolerable, because you are praying for them now, and in time, many of them will come to Christ.  Nothing can compare with having an eternal Father.  When we were lost, we didn't even know how lost we were!

Money is Dirt.  Does that make you uncomfortable?  I am currently reading Bonhoeffer.  It is a large book.  Do not at all be intimidated by that.  I am half way through.  It is not hard reading.  Don't you think that if you are in the season of your life that you are reading a Born Again's blog, that you also are at a level of maturity that this country (USA), cannot appreciate?  Do you really want to spend your time finding out about Tom Cruise's divorce?  Is that news?  How about the news story here below that the major networks declined to mention? 


http://global.christianpost.com/news/fifty-christians-burned-alive-in-pastors-home-in-nigeria-78303/#hZemZSAjdqlpPDwe.01

I know you are big, strong Spiritual Warriors for Christ.  I am certain you are out exploring the real news, and are using discernment in this evil world to find this through good Christian sources.   Glory to God, who expands our minds to the important things of life!  He increases our intelligence, burns away the cobwebs, and makes His interests, our interests.  We now cry for what He cries for!  On the the dirt....

I need to also tell you about another book.  It is called Enough.  It is by author, Will Davis, Jr.  It is a book about how we need to really get rid of our stuff, our too large of houses, our fancy SUV's, quit obtaining things for happiness and just say "enough".  We work too many hours, have too much debt, ignore our family for the sake of building our retirement.   Examples:

I don't have much, but what I have, I own.  This past few weeks, I had a garage door opener that I had to replace ($355.00) and my sunroof of my car is malfunctioning.  Due to the dry summer, I haven't had it pour in on me yet.  Trying to just get it to seal and leave it.   I heard a lady on TV (watched a little local news).  She was bitterly complaining that she had just put new sod down, and now she has to water it so much, her water bill went up!  Who cares!  If you can afford sod, you can afford water.  Why are we reporting such news?  Maybe, interview the farmers.  Stop with that.

The point being, is that I don't need a sunroof or garage door opener.  I never had either in my days of less.  I never had sod.  I can say, no one really needs any of these three items.

I remember saying many years ago, that the more toys you have, the more trouble.  You are constantly on the phone, internet or shopping to repair, replace and maintain these things.  Boats, travel-trailers, cabins, video cameras, etc.  They are causing you distress, as you are trying to make them new again.  It is taking time, keeping them at the level you bought them in.  They truly own you, to a point.

I was talking with some adults yesterday, women about 8 years younger than me.  We were talking about the "drought" and then about the drought around mid 1980's.  Our local area was hit hard then.  The farm economy took a huge hit, interest rates were high, unemployment was extremely high, and our two major factories shut down in our area.  Actually, it was sort of a ghost town here.  Many moved to Texas for work.  My parents moved to South Carolina, and stayed there for 11 years!

What was interesting is that many times, we miss details of trends in our environment.  I mentioned that back then, the banks and credit union parking lots were full of campers, boats and cars, that people had lost to the bank.  It was horrific!

What is more alarming, is that these two ladies could not recall this.  Tell me, readers that you are looking around, and taking notice of things.  Tell me you are not wasting His precious time.  Be alert.

The Good News is this:  If you ask your heavenly Father what He wants of you, and you are sincere with your prayer, He will assist you to know how much is too much.  I have decided in my heart, and expressed to a witness/friend, that if my income ever increases above $60,000, I do not need more.  I will give away the rest.  Why not come up with a plan like that?  Why not plan ahead for success, and a way out so that you will not be trying to walk that camel through the eye of a needle.  (Read Luke 18:25).  Actually, there are scholars that believe there was a narrow gate in the Jerusalem wall called the Needle.  It was designed for walking access only.  Travelers could not use this entrance if they were bogged down with goods and a beast (camel).  Don't get caught up on anything other than what Jesus is saying here.  If you have a lot of stuff and money, it makes it nearly impossible to enter heaven, because excess changes us.  It changes our hearts.  And as Satan works, he works slowly and methodically.  He and his demons have been studying humans for at least, thousands of years.  And if Satan knows how to get your goat, imagine how easy it is for him to get your goat if you are secure, rich, and surrounded by beautiful things.  You are just lulled to sleep in what you "Gained due to your hard work and blessing by God".  Watch out.  The most joyful Christians are those in 3rd World Countries, who live 15 to a 12' x 12' room.  They worship in the presence of missionary teams like we can never imagine here in the USA.  Praising God, dancing, speaking in tongues and shouting for hours.  They leave their makeshift worship center to walk back into their world of rape, hunger, drug and alcohol abuse.  We have so few missionaries, and so much need.  I am planning a missionary journey in the year 2013.  I can't put this off any longer.  My Heavenly Father said to me, "I have so much for you to see", in regards to a world of need.  A need for a Jesus Christ.  They are so open to hearing about Jesus.  Their childlike faith is something our "religious" lack.  They don't sit around and argue at Bible Studies like we do about divisive social issues, how loud the music is at service today, why the prayer team is talking about faith healing, etc.   They just try to figure out who is going to carry the water (if they even have a well), and ration out food.

Would you dare join me and get to the point of searching out deep and perplexing real issues?  This blog reflects the issue of how much is enough.  By the way, if you have an annual income of $20,000 in the United States, you are in the top 11% of the richest people in the world.

I started saying about 20 years ago that I did not want to win the lottery because it would change me and my entire life.  I was a young punk, living in sin.  Living religious with my once in awhile worship.  But, Glory to God, I had my head somewhat straight then, to keep me grounded for this time now.  When I said that then, I got objections like you would not believe!  Now, I don't say it, because I quit gambling of any kind.  It offends me, as they Roman officers gambled at the foot of the cross.  No need to talk about it, unless someone wants to open up that door.  That will be another blog.

Take time to reflect on this.

Luke 18: 22-25  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then, come, follow me."  When he heard this he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.  Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God".