A Message From God

Your old men will dream dreams…am I that old?? I suppose to a twenty-something, I’m really old! Yep, I remember thinking that way. The scripture is in Acts chapter 2 verse 17: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Well I do believe we’re in the last days….things are shaping up with awful speed. And as promised, God has promised to communicate with us through His Holy Spirit.

You can ask God anything. He is deeply concerned with you! Every little aspect of your life! Jesus said, “²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” in Matthew verses 29 through 31.

So when I have a perplexing situation I ask God to show me what to do. I currently have been looking for gainful employment and I had been called for a second interview for a pool company. The company has a good reputation, lots of benefits, and wasn’t very far. But the more I spoke to the people, the more I realized that all was not quite kosher. I began to realize that these folks were never going to let me sleep…literally. The hours were supposed to be 8:30 to 4:30 …or so…with half and hour lunch….but sometimes the guys will call at 7:00 am and then a lot of times in summer, you’ll work till 8:00. Um…that’s 13 hours!!! And people wonder why they can’t get help. Well, I really need work….actually I need money…let’s be real. And the most frustrating thing was what could have been the total disappearance of time with my family and any time I had to write for God and His gift to me, painting and photography (www.yorkbeachart.com if you’re curious). I mean, I was actually feeling a little nauseous.

In that thought pattern I was asking God out loud what I should do, so He gave me a dream this morning. I was in some sort of gig for a very wealthy woman. She was civil enough. I was in her bathroom. I was looking out for her little girl. The woman said she appreciated it. It was lavish with a day bed and a grand piano. It had a pool in it as well. I wondered if there was a hot tub too, but my honeybunch said no. My sweetie had gone to a good drug store to buy me bath oil. I had gotten out of the shower and when I went to use the oil, it had broken open and was leaking in the bag. I was freaking out that the oil was being wasted. I then felt sure there must be a hot tub, looked for it, and I found it.

Okay, so this is often how I hear from God. As I mentioned, this was regarding a pool company, and it’s very high end. I was taking care of the woman’s little girl. In other words, “her baby”. Perhaps this was the attitude of the clientele’s personal property…a bit too important in the scheme of things. I was was cleaning myself in the shower, which is odd. But It could mean I was feeling…not clean. Now in my old job I was allowed to listen to the internet and listened to Daystar.com or Sid Roth, or any number of Christian stations while I worked with my earphones. I was even more saturated when I could see it at home on cable. I realized there may have been no opportunity for that and was extremely concerned that I would have blown away what Holy Spirit I have, as represented by the oil. But by continuing to look for what I really wanted, it would come. I really like hot tubs!

Well, they did not schedule an in person interview after all. And despite the situation, I sighed a sigh of relief and feel much better, and at peace. Because of the dream Holy Spirit gave me I was calmed and shown what to do.

John 14 verse 27 Jesus says,” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

I love when God talks to me. Very often I just jabber out loud to Him like I’m in a coffee shop with my best friend. He knows everything about me and still loves me and is faithful to forgive me. And I am not old, because He renews my youth as the eagles! (Psalm 103 verse 5)

WHO’S BETTER THAN GOD?!!! NO ONE’S BETTER THAN GOD!!!

He cares for you! HE cares for you! He cares for YOU! Every little thing, and thought, and need, and desire. Just talk to Him! And thank Him!

Would you like to hear answers from God? Would you like to know Jesus and where you will go when you pass from the earth? You can easily do this by believing Jesus and saying this out loud:

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m asking you into my heart and my life.  I know I am a sinner. I ask your forgiveness for every sin I’ve ever committed.  I believe you died on the cross for my sins, that you stood in my place and took all the punishment that was due to me when you were there. I believe that you rose from the dead and are alive. I believe you have paid the price for my sins. I thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of sin with your blood. Thank you for making me right with our heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen and thank You!

You might enjoy taking a look at sidroth.org and looking at the It’s Supernatural video section. There are many miracles and excellent teachers about God.

Another excellent bible teacher..this guy knows his stuff backwards and forwards…is Joseph Prince. His website is really good for understanding the bible.

https://www.josephprince.org

Forgiveness, that’s an order

5/10/2019 Update: The Holy Spirit had told me this additional important information regarding forgiveness….it’s towards the end and marked with a star.

Happy Resurrection Day!

It’s all about forgiveness and love. We were forgiven and our sin was paid for on the cross by the Son of God and we thank god for that every year around this time.

I was struck by a showing of Sid Roth It’s Supernatural a couple weeks back by a woman who said she had gone to hell and got a real shock.  It was regarding the idea of “super grace”. That’s what some Christians believe . It’s the thought that simply having said a prayer out loud, declaring Jesus died for you sins and rose again is all you need to do and then go on your merry way.  Some call it the “fire insurance” version of Christianity.

There’s just a little more.  Here’s the link:https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/laurie-ditto/?src=banner_tv

I was a bit disturbed by it to say the least.  Laurie Ditto said the she saw Christians in hell for unforgiveness.  Oh boy.  Is that scriptural? So I asked God to show me if this was right information or not. He woke me up that night and I opened to the book of John Chapter 3 verse 36 which specifically says, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
” – That’s from the International Standard Version.

Here’s a stronger evidence.  When Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them to pray He spoke what’s known as the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 verse 12: ^:And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” That was from Jesus Himself. It is assumed to be a daily prayer, so obviously He knows we’re not going to be stellar examples off the bat for sure.

Well there’s more…From the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth he wrote in Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 9 through11 : 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  (Here’s some hope! 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.…)

I was convicted for sure by this. Now, don’t misunderstand me.  NO ONE will get to heaven  but through believing in Jesus.  Do I believe he washed me clean of my sin and iniquity? Yes. I’m still a work in progress. I’ve been known to not speak well of others, and be judgemental.  Jesus did the work and He said it is finished. But what kind of example am I to others if my behavior isn’t changed? I believe this is why He said to obey him. How will I be a decent witness to others if I’m exactly the same as unsaved people?

Here’s the other commandment. “Love one another, as I have loved you. ” That’s John 13 verse 34. I’m no fool….this is the hardest one of all. How do I love other people as HE did?

Forgive others…..I had a hard time with this as well. There was a woman who was daily backstabbing me at work, as well as a number of other things. A major snake….and she was never going to stop. So I asked Jesus, how am I supposed to forgive her when she keeps on doing it? Jesus said “I forgave them when they were killing me”. Mmmm okay, got me there.

So what’s to be done? Repenting when you catch yourself doing these things. Talk to God about it and ask for His help. Say, Hey Father, I don’t know how to love like you did. This looks impossible to me. Ask Him to help you change.

We also have weapons to use. Don’t forget that Jesus said,  “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Speak the verses aloud to the situations causing the trouble instead of gossiping. Try to be loving when you speak those verses. Speak better behavior over yourself. There is power in speaking His word. For instance: Psalm chapter 29 verse 11; “‘The Lord gives strength to his people’ and ‘blesses his people with peace’ ” Say it out loud, but replace “his people” with “me”.

Jesus said in the book of John Chapter 14 verse 21: Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Just another note as further evidence. In Revelation chapter 2 verse 4 and 5, Jesus said in a vision to John:  “But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. 5Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” That message was to a church in Ephesus. That means they were saved AND were even born again.

This can be a tough message. But we all want to be with the Lord in heaven one day don’t we?  Yes, he saved us, but we need to work a little harder on being true disciples. God help us to do so.

* When I was talking to God about this, He said that the evil things that go on are part of the tricks of the Devil. When terrible things happen, it’s very hard to forgive.  The devil is actually behind these awful events to cause unforgiveness and thereby keep us from going to be with our Father in heaven.  He wants to hurt us, and he wants to hurt God by hurting us. Food for thought. Me myself, when I heard this, thought the last thing I want is for that evil creep to keep me out of heaven.

If you would like to invite Jesus into your life, say these words out loud:

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m asking you into my heart and my life.  I know I am a sinner. I ask your forgiveness for every sin I’ve ever committed.  I believe you died on the cross for my sins, that you stood in my place and took all the punishment that was due to me when you were there. I believe that you rose from the dead and are alive. I thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of sin with your blood. Thank you for making me right with our heavenly Father. Please come and live within me and fill me with your Holy Spirit as You promised. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Who Do You Say that I am?

There’s the big question that Jesus had gotten around to asking his disciples after they had traveled the country witness miracles of healing and provision. And your very soul depends on the answer you give.

Jesus was obvious and specific about who He is and repeated himself over and over again about who He is and His mission and purpose. So let’s see for ourselves what He said.

In John chapter 10 verse 14-15 “14 I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, 15just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.” Earlier in the same chapter verse 9, He says “⁹ I am the door: by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.“. He says He is THE door to eternal life, there are no other doors.

In John chapter 14 verse 6 Jesus says “⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Again, he’s very clear He is the only way to eternal life. When we repent and declare Jesus is our Lord and savior we are agreeing with God that Jesus is the only way to eternal life.

He said He is the vine. In John chapter 15 verses 4 and 5 Jesus says”⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”  This describes how Jesus and the Holy Spirit come to stay within us and when we focus on Him and are receptive to the way he communicates with us, by reading His word and asking for His direction, we will produce good works for Him.

At the last supper, when Jesus was speaking about what was about to happen to him to his disciples, he said in John chapter 14 verse 9: “Jesus said unto him, “Have I been so long a time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; …”

Jesus was in the temple and the Jewish leaders gathered around Him demanding a plain answer about who He is. In John chapter 10 verses 24 – 30 Jesus responds: ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.³⁰ I and my Father are one.”  This really got to the leaders and they began to plot as how to kill him.

Jesus said “I AM” during the first trial in the house of the high priest Caiphas  in Mark chapter 14 verses 61-62 also referencing His soon return. 61…Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” This statement has a double meaning because this is the name that Moses was told to say when he went to lead the Jews out of Egypt in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’” That’s when Caiphas freaked out and accused Jesus of blasphemy.

IN John chapter 12 verse 47 Jesus said”…For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”

Again in the book of John, chapter 9 Jesus had healed a blind man who had been blind since he was born.  Jesus healed him on the sabbath. The former beggar was questioned at length by the temple authorities and then tossed him out of the temple! Nervy to say the least. But check it out, Jesus went looking for him! Verses 35-37say 35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, he said, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and he it is that speaketh with thee.

When Jesus was about to raise His friend Lazarus from the dead, He spoke to Martha in the book of John chapter 11: 25-26,²⁵ Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:²⁶ And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Do you believe this? Do you know He is seeking you out like he did the blind man? (otherwise the Holy Spirit probably wouldn’t have prompted you to be reading this)

Make it official. This is what to do to declare Jesus as your saviour and be saved.

If you would like to invite Jesus into your life, say these words out loud:

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m asking you into my heart and my life.  I know I am a sinner. I ask your forgiveness for every sin I’ve ever committed.  I believe you died on the cross for my sins, that you stood in my place and took all the punishment that was due to me when you were there. I believe that you rose from the dead and are alive. I thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of sin with your blood. Thank you for making me right with our heavenly Father. Please come and live within me and fill me with your Holy Spirit as You promised. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Now go and enjoy Christmas!

 

Passover, the Jesus Connection

Did You know that Jesus fulfilled the Passover and that He is strongly represented in the Passover that Jews around the world celebrate this week?

Every few years, Easter week coincides with the timing of Passover. Since we are on a different calendar than the Jewish system, and this year Good Friday coincides with Passover, I thought it would be interesting to point out the similarities. By the way, there is no word in Hebrew for coincidence.

The Passover, for those who don’t know, began in Egypt, God through the prophet Moses,  intervened for the Jews who had been in captivity over 400 years.  This in itself is interesting as Jesus, our redemption and our freedom was preceded by the prophet John the Baptist (John chapter 8 verse 36 says So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.)

Let’s talk first about the sacrificial lamb.

Moses had reached the last plague which would finally break Pharoah and coerce him to let the Jewish people go. It was the plague of the death of the first born. In order to escape the plague, one had to sacrifice a lamb. The blood of that lamb was then smeared on the doorposts and lintel of the Jewish homes and only then would the angel of death pass them by.  Without that blood everyone in the land would have perished.  And that’s just the start.

Jesus is called the lamb of God. John the Baptist prophesied when he saw Jesus coming to be baptized and said exactly that…in John Chapter 1 verse 29: The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Now this sacrifice had a condition that the bones of it not be broken as stated in Exodus 12:6 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.” In the new testament, in the book of John chapter 19 verses 31-34 John says at the end of the crucifixion ….” ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath (Passover). Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  Such accuracy is mind blowing, and this was done by the ruling Jewish elders and Roman soldiers who were not in the least bit interested in fulfilling scriptures about Jesus!

The prophet Isaiah foresaw the great sacrifice that would bring permanent atonement and said this about Jesus, (Isaiah 53:7) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. This was also fulfilled in the new testament in Matthew 27:12, “And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.”

One more thing before moving to the Passover facts…Jesus told the people about how one’s heart should be while making a sacrifice to God in Matthew 5:23-24…23 Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leaveyour gift there before the altar. First go andbe reconciled to your brother; then come andoffer your gift.

Jesus offered up himself as our perfect sacrifice and said this from the place of his own death by saying this in Luke 23:24…”Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”….(since He also declared “I and the Father are one.” in John 10:30) He forgave and therefore, even then, retained the perfection of his sacrifice on the altar.

Cup of Sanctification: A blessing is said to bring in the presence of God.

Bitter herbs dipped in salt are to remind us of the pain and sadnesses that were thankfully left behind in the land of Egypt. Indeed the life without hope or purpose is left behind when we repent and give ourselves to Jesus.

Next is the bread. This is unleavened bread. Leaven represents sin in the bible so this is bread without sin. Jesus said in The book of John chapter 6 verse 35 ” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus himself was also without sin.

Take a look at the Matzoh bread.  It’s striped and pierced. It’s a symbol of Jesus Christ’s body on the cross. Now even more amazing is that when the bread has been broken in the passover ceremony over thousands of years, one piece is always wrapped in a cloth and set aside….as His body was wrapped in linen and set in the tomb.

Mahror is bitter herbs…some must be left, as the bitterness is left behind. Charoset is next and it is actually a mix of apples and sweet potatoes and is said to represent the mortar from the bricks the Jews made while in captivity building foreign cities.  Let’s face it, sometimes sin gets pretty comfortable, even familiar. These are both placed upon pieces of the bread. Get it? Our sins and our past are upon Him.

The Cup of Judgement represents the plagues of Egypt…..the last dipping of this cup stops at the last plague and only then is drunk….the plague of the death of the first born. Jesus  God’s firstborn son.

At the end of the meal, the piece of bread that was laid aside is now brought out and unwrapped. This is also shared. But this is really astonishing….Jesus himself, the sacrificial lamb of God broke this bread himself and handed it to his disciples saying, Luke 22: 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” He was fully aware as He was passing it to His disciples of this symbolism of Himself.

Then the Cup of Redemption is also drunk. This is also the cup of the new covenant That Jesus spoke to; The book of Matthew chapter 28 verse 28 “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

The doors are then opened to leave the old life and run to the new.  This is where the mystery cup comes in…The Cup of Elijah is prophetic in that not only did John the Baptist come in the Spirit of Elijah as Jesus said in the book of Luke Chapter 1 verse 17 “And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” This same cup also points to the future end times and the return of Jesus as prophesied in the book of Malachi Chapter 4 verse 5 “”See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” It is believed that the one of the two witnesses in the book of Revelation is Elijah. (See Book of Revelation 11:1-14)

We move into the Cup of Praise.

If you would like to see a passover seder (meal) explained here is a really excellent link with messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VCMsqgBjmo

Then Psalm 118 is sung! This psalm written hundreds of years before Jesus also has passages referring to the messiah.

I hope this fills out the connections between the ancient prophetic Passover ceremony and our savior this Holy week!

If you would like to invite Jesus into your life, say these words out loud:

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m asking you into my heart and my life.  I know I am a sinner. I ask your forgiveness for every sin I’ve ever committed.  I believe you died on the cross for my sins, that you stood in my place and took all the punishment that was due to me when you were there. I believe that you rose from the dead and are alive. I thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of sin with your blood. Thank you for making me right with our heavenly Father. Please come and live within me and fill me with your Holy Spirit as You promised. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

The Glory..what is it?

Hi! Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s been a while, not so easy to blog w/ a full time job, but I woke up early because this answers a question I’ve had for a while.

I concerns the famous Deuteronomy 28 blessing that Moses pronounced over the people when they came into the promised land after 4o years. The first part of this book in the old testament speaks of the blessings that will come upon them if they obey the voice of the Lord!

One of the verses had me curious, because it didn’t make much sense, given the present day we live in. I asked God about it a few years back.  How did I do this? Simple, I asked out loud, like speaking to my best friend. “God please show me what this means, I’d really like to know.”  Then I went on with my day. Whenever I came across the scripture, I’d wonder again.

Check this out.  I was reading a book by Kevin Zadai, awesome Holy Spirit filled dude, and I was dropped. It really came together.

Here’s the verse: (actually 2 Deut 28: verses 9-10) 9 And the Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep His commandments and walk in His ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they shall be afraid of you.

The thing that always struck me that was almost no human is afraid of Christians or Jews at this point in time. There is some respect that is unfortunately dwindling and in many parts of the world we’re both hated and even murdered.  Doesn’t sound like much fear there either. Hmmm. So if it’s not now….then it must be in the future. I began to feel strongly that this bit of Deuteronomy 28 is actually and endtimes prophecy. More importantly I believe it’s a New Millenium prophecy of what Christian beleivers will be like when Jesus Christ returns and establishes His kingdom. This is mentioned in the last book of the bible, Revelation 11 verse 15 says ” Thenthe 7th angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.  Also, Revelation 21 verse 3 ” And I heard a great voice from the throne saying. ” Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them.”

That’s awesome stuff in itself. Well now in 2nd Timothy 2 verse 12, Apostle Paul, the most famous converted Jew in history writes to a young minister friend who was also raised in a jewish family and says this: 11This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.…

Also very importantly in Paul’s letter to the Romans (chapter 8 verse 17) he says this: “17And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ–if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Yeah! There’s that word ….GLORIFIED. So there’s a big chunk of it.  We will reign with Him and we will be GLORIFIED.

We will have spent time at the marriage supper of Jesus, the lamb of God and in His presence.

Do you remember what happened to Moses when he went to see God? Check this out.

In Exodus Chapter 34 Verse 29 and 30 reports this! 29It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were AFRAID to come near him.

This shining is the appearance of what is called the Glory of God. It’s what happens when a being comes in close contact with God. Jesus was transformed into His true self in front of the disciples. That was related in Matthew Chapter 17 verses 1 through 9

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, TERRIFIED. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 

That’s the glory!  The bright cloud mentioned is also glory. It comes in forms of light and clouds when heaven and earth touch. The glory was so intense that the people asked Moses to cover his face with a veil because it freaked them out. Big time.

So going back to Deuteronomy….The people will SEE that you are called be the name of the LORD and they will be AFRAID of you.  It’s because we will have been changed into our new bodies as Paul told us in his first letter to the Corinthians Chapter 15 verse 53: 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

There you go! Our changed and transformed bodies will be filled with the glory of God. And all the people will be afraid….not that I want people to be afraid…but it’s an answer to a question I’ve had for a long time.

My own experience was when I woke up choking one night. I couldn’t breathe and at all. Someone appeared by my bed and He told me not to look at His face. He told me to form a curl with my tongue….hey I’m about to die, so I’ll do pretty much anything You say. I did that and he said, ” now drink”.  When I put the water by my bed to my mouth, my tongue became unstuck from the back of my throat.  I thought to myself I wish I could have more water, and the glass filled right before my eyes.   I drank it too.  Then He said you can look at my face now.  I told Him I wouldn’t because I wanted to remember so I could tell people. Then he placed is hand on my forehead and I felt such incredible LOVE.. and I fell right back to sleep. I KNOW if I had looked, I would’nt have been able to handle it. .The intense Glory was on Him. How amazing!

What made you decide to follow Jesus?

Good Question!

I never thought for one minute I would be here now, writing this out.

I began life going to a strict New England church…with strict parents and a really bad upbringing. The public image and the private image of my family were totally opposite from each other and as I grew older, I realized things were horribly wrong.  Really wrong.  We moved often and the chance to really make friends was never really there.  We’d just move on to the next town. So support systems weren’t really available.

We were well enough off in terms of money, but the emotional turmoil wrecked me as a person, and I was left with no self esteem.  Bad teaching, from the churches I remember, wasn’t much more than “You’re a worthless sinner, and you’re so lucky God loves you”  that was my perception. So why bother? God hates me, I’ll never be good enough, and that’s that.  At that time, I saw the people there, some of who I liked VERY much, oblivious to my situation.

So I began to search.  I read about many religions and thought I had found a home in a New Age community that did give me peace for a while.  I liked the meditations and the camaraderie.  I liked the books, and the empowering, supportive atmosphere.

Things improved a little, but then things began to get very dark after a couple of years.  I was doing whatever I thought would give me power to influence the problems in my life.  Why not, the knowledge was made available.  Then little by little, things began to slide.  I noticed my dreams became worse and turned into nightmares with increasing frequency.  I was a strong visionary, and I saw these horrific dreams were getting stronger, waking up with night sweats, feeling terrorized, and even seeing the leftovers of dreams around my room when I’d wake up…fully awake.  I would try to clear it out with the “new age”  remedies….sage, blessing the area, magic candles, kosher salt, you name it.  It would work for a very short while and then return.

Talk about the wrong side of the supernatural realm in spades.  I’m surprised I wasn’t driven insane.

A friend who I did tarot readings ( I did that too) with invited me to a ceremony with a group that she was involved with.  Now I knew her, and I said, “…you’re not sacrificing chickens or anything are you?” She said that it was nothing of the kind, and I agreed to meet her.

Oh boy.  The mistakes get bigger.  I went.  I was greeted at the door of a house by a woman in traditional garb who  asked me a personal question or two and was asked to remove my shoes and head upstairs to  a room that was full of people chanting.  Two men were leading the group.  I noticed how very clean the room was and thought how strange it was that for the cleanliness of the room, how odd it was that a dirty cardboard box tied with string was sitting in the corner.  One of the men grabbed the box and out it comes….the chicken.  Yep. It was alive and then it was dead.  One woman  who was also there for apparently the first time let out a yelp and began to cry. She and here husband left immediately.  I wish I’d had the brains to do the same. I was then sent into the room by myself to converse with whatever it was they called up.  I actually felt calm and sort of okay.  I left feeling very off center.

I will never know why I went back, but I did.  This time I didn’t see any sacrifice take place and I was soon to find out why.  I was sent into the room again and I was looking around, feeling angry, though I couldn’t put my finger on why.  My friend had told me that this particular “god” was a god who would help me get revenge.  I was having an awful time at a new job that I desperately wanted to work out. Rarely have I ever seen such back stabbing and cruelty in a place of work.  That I would even consider such a thing describes how far out my mind set had gotten.

Back to the room.  A display, an altar I guess was arranged in that same little room from the earlier visit.  I looked at it  and suddenly I saw it.  A chill went through me that was so intense I can barely describe it.  Sheer horror and the sight of half a head of a goat in a bowl of blood.  I frantically looked around…. and realized I was by myself.  But I knew that I was not.  I felt a powerful heaviness come over me like a hundred wool blankets.  I felt like I was being pushed down.  Then a presence stood before me.  I couldn’t see it but I knew it was there.  I knew it was real, and I knew it was evil.

I addressed it.  I told it I knew (I won’t call it him as it doesn’t deserve the privilege) that it was there and I told it I knew it could do what it was reputed to do, and that it would if I asked.  But then I thought about the people who treated me so badly without knowing me.  Believing lies from the boss and others, even wishing me dead.  Yes, they were that bad.  But I knew that something awful could happen.  And I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  So I said, “you will not touch them or harm them in any way.”  I called for Archangel Michael and his legions of light….which I was taught in New Age and DO NOT recommend.  I told the thing that the same God that made me made it too.  ( in a pinch have you noticed we all call on God?) I felt angelic protection around me and I felt the thing fold his arms across his front.  I left and never went back.  The damage was done.

I had never been so tortured with ghostly (demonic) occurrences.  Things were touching me in my sleep and my whole body would tingle.   I was afraid all the time, I barely slept, and slept with the lights on, though it didn’t matter much.

I went on that way for a while trying everything I could, the so-called magical remedies, no effect.  Water blessed by a Catholic priest who asked no questions.  It seemed to help a tiny bit.

An interesting change began, a little crack in the door.  I found a New Age book that was quoting scripture, and I realized the more I read, that she was actually using words in the Bible.  I still had the Bible I had received when I was 12 and I corroborated the verses.  Sure enough.  Interesting.

Then I went to a Christmas meditation run by another friend.  She would play music and we’d follow along with her guiding voice. Except this time, I broke off and decided I just wanted to be far away.  I was drifting off in my mind’s eye and thought how nice it would be to be at a Christmas Eve service…they’re were always so pretty and comforting.  I found in my mind’s eye  that I was in a stone church. People were singing and the church was hung with red banners.  In the center up front, an the altar was a smallish box that was opened and there were red ribbons flowing out of it, as if on a wind.  There were angels there, and I asked one what the was on the altar.  He told me they were the praises of God.  I was just mesmerized by this beautiful vision.  I looked around the church and noticed stone angels which were part of the masonry.  They broke off the walls and began to fly around in circles around the sanctuary until the church began to come apart.  The windows disappeared and I saw stars and pulling out, I saw a galaxy, swirling and a voice came out….”I AM THAT I AM, I AM THAT I AM….”.  And it repeated until I came to.

Well,  needless to say, I was done with the new age.  To me that was proof enough.  I never went back to any of the meditations or darkness. That was the beginning.

As so often happens, I still was without any guidance.  I didn’t know what to do.  I still wasn’t thrilled with going to a church.  Since my work was freelance, I was often home, and when the morning new would stop, I would turn to the 700 Club, which broadcasts news from a Christian perspective.  I would let it run as I would work around my apartment and eventually I was learning more and more about Jesus, and God and the Holy Spirit.

And guess what!!! HE LOVES US!   He REALLY , REALLY LOVES us!!!! How could I have no idea?  He even died for me so that I wouldn’t die and endure hell!  He sacrificed himself and took my damnation instead of me because because he cares for me and he LOVES me!!!!  Haa, haaaaaa!!!!

And because he is the Son of God and the Son of Man, he was the only person who human history who is qualified to take this action for us.

So how can someone like this not grow on you? I had more thing to do.  In just about every show, people are asked if they’d like to be part of the family of God.  I finally did it.  After watching Gordon Roberts teachings on the 700 Club, I finally prayed. I asked Jesus to come into my life! I asked Him to forgive me all my sins…and they are so many, and to PLEASE come into my life.  I repented of my sinful lifestyle, and I asked Him to to please also be my Lord, my God, my Savior.  And I know and confess that he died on the cross for me, for ALL of my sins.  That he died, went to hell (Acts 2: 31AMP  He [King David in Psalm 16:10]spoke of the resurrection of Christ that He was not deserted and left in Hades, nor did his body know decay or see destruction) and rose again and is alive!  And I thanked Him profusely.  I felt as if a thousand stones had been taken off of me.  I felt relief and peace for the first time in my life!

The horrible ghostly visitations stopped and on the very rare occasion they would make a reappearance, I would just tell them to get lost in the name of Jesus Christ they did, immediately.

I learned that Because (Phil 2: 9-11AMP) Jesus obeyed God and went to the cross for us God has highly exalted him and freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name.  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every , in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And that’s how I came to believe in Jesus.