THE MIRACLE OF CREATION a trip to heaven from my book "Majesties of His Kingdom"

The Lord came to me saying, “Get ready. I want you to fast twenty-one days. Take Six days off then fast for three more. Then I will take you to heaven.”

I marked the day on my calendar and began my fast. When the Lord had told me that He was going to show me how He created things on earth. My imagination went wild. I imagined him waving his finger and all the molecules coming together to form some object. Little did I know that what God was about to show me would not only shock me but also change my life forever.

All day, I sensed a strong anointing and it excited me knowing this was the long awaited day. I went to bed that night eagerly awaiting my trip.

I was flying straight up through the air. I felt a familiar person beside me, like a friend I’ve known for years. He was holding me and carrying me as we flew. We approached a submarine shaped cloud that looked artificial. It was puffy on the bottom like cotton candy and flat on the top, with a hedge around the outside perimeter, hiding it. It was a secret place. As we flew over the hedge, I saw level ground on the other side and groups of people standing around talking to one another. It looked like a church social. Everyone seemed full of joy and oblivious that we just flew in. "I am in heaven!" I shouted!

As we approached, I saw a flat roofed house without a door. It looked like any earthly house. My escort ushered me into the house, through the main entrance and through the hall, into the main room.

Jesus was on one knee, talking to a young woman sitting in a chair. He was radiant. His long robe was just as I imagined, glowing white and full of majesty. His hair was long and flowing and was difficult to see from the intense light coming from him. I could feel the love He had for her and I felt ashamed that I even doubted his love for me.

The young woman looked about 20 years old and had that girl next-door look. She was wearing blue jeans and running shoes. Her top was a white blouse that was ordinary.

She was reading a poem to Jesus that she had written to him. She was articulate and had no fear as she expressed her love for him. It seemed odd to hear someone express such love openly in front of others. Jesus was helping her with her poem by lovingly suggesting new lines that fit better. At first, I thought this would offend her but instead it excited her about the changes that Jesus suggested and she showed it.

All this time, I studied Jesus. I was seeing him unveiled, in all his glory.

He stood up and started to walk towards me. My heart leaped inside. Finally, I am going to have a conversation with the King of Kings. He walked right up to me, looked me right in the eyes, and said, "This is the room where things are created. These people are here creating things" I looked around the room and I noticed that everyone was doing something artistic.

I wanted to talk to Jesus more than anything. I asked him “can we talk?” He looked me right in the eyes and said" No, we cannot" I heard a great moan in the distance. It was one of the most horrible sounds, I have ever heard. I saw the hurt and pain in Jesus’ eyes and I wanted to cry. I knew that something terrible had happened in the Great War.

He then said," I have to go but I will give you this angel to show you around and He will answer all your questions”. For some reason I did not feel rejected but I knew something very important had happened.

A man came up to me and started to show me around. I knew that this was the angel Jesus had spoken of and the one that had brought me here.

I looked around the room and I noticed several people sitting in chairs. One person had an electric guitar and was writing out a song and then playing it. Another young woman was making little crafts with her hands. She was making a little stained glass sun-catcher that you would hang in your window. I noticed it wasn't a cross or a dove or any religious shaped article. It was just something she had created. Some people were drawing pictures and they held no religious significance.

He took me down a hallway that was at the end of that common room. I noticed a door that was open on my right and I looked in. It was a bedroom. Trays filled with all kinds of crafts hung at the foot of the bed. Some were made of wood, some of stained glass and some were metal. Crafts covered the plain white wall. I knew that this room was the room of that young woman who was making crafts in the big room. The room looked like a normal bedroom. It had a single sized bed and a little night table.

As I went further down the hall to look in another room the door closed by itself, preventing me from seeing inside. It was something I was not permitted to see. I turned around behind me and walked over to a wooden display case with a glass cover. In the display case were all the best crafts and poems these people had made. I noticed above it an X-Ray machine on the wall, as you would see in a dental office. A hospital bed sat in the center and the room looked a little like a Doctors examining room. I thought it was strange seeing a dental x-ray in heaven. I walked back into the common room where all the people were.

I began to think about the incredible peace I was feeling and thought if it was possible for it to be like this on earth. As the people were walking around me, I began to realize that they were dead! I started to panic thinking that I was here forever not just a visit. Thoughts of my children flashed through my head. Things I needed to do still, made me want to return.

The angel was standing in front of me and his expression changed to unbelief. He spoke, “YOU WANT TO GO BACK!” I realized he could hear my thoughts, and with that, I suddenly shot back to earth.

I woke up in bed with the same anointing still with me.

The lord brought two scriptures to my mind, one “That I was fearfully and wonderfully made" and the second "Man gave names to all the animals".

As the morning rolled on the Lord began to speak to me and teach to me about what I saw. This is what He told me.

“When I created man in my image I also created him to create. The creative ability that man has is a gift given to man by me. When you create poems, stories woodworking crafts and many other things called hobbies you are glorifying me. The enemy has been feeding man a lie. You were told that you couldn’t make crafts or write or many other things unless that somehow led people to salvation. The enemy knew that God had built into man immunity to mental illness and depression through your God given creative ability. Many people had stopped dreaming because they felt that it was not Gods will, but God gave man these dreams and the potential to fulfill them. I could have easily given names to all the animals but instead I chose to let man do it”.

God let man create! For those of us that have children know how exciting it when one of our children creates something with their own hands. God created us to create and when we do, we glorify our creator.

I WILL SHAKE EVERY NATION!!” June 20/2003

Friday, June 20, 2003
I was in prayer yesterday (July27th and got almost the identical word from the Lord as this one from 2003)

Dreamed I saw a globe of the world on the floor of this shabby house. As I got close to, it began to shake violently at least four feet off the floor. At this, I thought it must be the enemy doing this, so I began to rebuke it. I tried to open my mouth but was unable and could not rebuke it. It shook even more violently! I saw a small baby, naked and lying on the floor, in its hand, a cutting blade that was sharp like a razor.

This is what the Lord said when I awoke. “I am going to shake this world. No amount of prayer or fasting will stop my hand. I will not relent until the cries of the unborn have stopped. Apathy has taken over my people. They worry about Harry Potter and start big campaigns while innocent children are murdered everyday in the hands of these wicked people. Who has ever seen such insanity! My hand is coming against these nations that practice these detestable things. I will shake every nation!!”

It prompted me to make this Anti_abortion video that almost got me booted off youtube for good. It got about 40thousand hits in two days! and an unbelievable amount of comments mostly protesting it.

Meeting Moses and Enoch 2002 From my book "The Majesties of His Kingdom"

In the summer of 2002, I had a visitation from the Lord. The father stood beside me. He seemed huge
somehow but I had no fear. I looked up and saw a cloud descending with Moses and Enoch on it. Moses was dressed in a white robe and was shorter than Enoch. Enoch seemed well over 6 feet tall.

Daddy spoke to me. “This is Moses. He was called to lead my people. He was not perfectly obedient to me and he received his allotted glory. This is Enoch he was my favorite. He didn’t care what man thought about him only what I thought. He accomplished nothing in the eyes of the world, but he was my favorite. He only cared about his relationship with me. He is my cherished son. I loved him so much that I would not allow him to taste death so I took him home in a chariot. I have called you to be an Enoch not a Moses. You are my Enoch. You are my son. Everything in me wanted to explode in cheers. I looked up at the Lord but could only see his side.

I awoke at that point. For weeks after that, I kept looking over my shoulder for some chariot from heaven to take me away. Frankly, I was nervous. I already had several dreams over the years of the Lord taking me away in a chariot.

I think too many people think "being called" means ministry.

THE ENCOURAGER from my book "The Prophetic Manual"

THE ENCOURAGER
I had been in prayer for some time, preparing to minister in a small church. Several people had asked to be part of my prophetic ministry team. I had so many requests; I could only take a few at a time. I was in a quandary about what to do in choosing, who would be best. I then asked God figuring He might know.

This is what He said. “Those who are natural encouragers would be the best choice”. It seemed obvious when He said it. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. He then went on to say, “Take those photos that you have taken of your daughter and send them to all the people who have requested to be part of your team. Then wait to see who e-mails you back and encourages you in your photography.” I thought, that’s a great idea! I got up from my prayer time and scanned a few photos that I had taken previously. These photos were what I thought were the best from that selection. I took these photos in my studio with full lighting and a backdrop. Each pose was delightfully cute. I sent them out to everyone, which indicated that they wanted to go on a ministry excursion with me.

At least a month went by before I decided that it was enough time to wait. The results shocked me, leaving me with more questions than when I started.

I received only one! The funny thing was, it came from someone that I didn’t even send them to! I had sent them to a woman I knew that I worked with several times. Somehow, her husband had found the e-mail and sent the encouragement to me. He was ex-homicide detective. He had vehemently opposed his wife before on previous ministry trips. He had nothing to do with church or anything else prophetically. Nonetheless, after knowing this man for several years now I have always found him to be the most encouraging person I've ever met. He is a constant natural encourager and he always finds my interests that I do, or other peoples and encourages them. He is a great example of a natural encourager.

The prophetic word that comes from our mouth should be always encouraging. It’s reasonable to assume, that we should be taking on the persona of Christ and becoming encouragers in the natural as well. One, who encourages first in the natural, will prophesy with far more purity, than one who has a critical nature.

The first stage of prophetic gifting is to encourage the body. To lift them up and revive them with a word from the Lord is awesome to watch. Sometimes it’s like an instant healing. You will see the burdens fall to the ground as a great weight lifts off their sunken shoulders.

HEARING GODS VOICE from my book "HIS GRACE"

THE FLEECE
In the early years God spoke very loudly compared to now. Now I find myself praying for a couple of weeks two to three hours a day just to hear God’s voice for five minutes. In the early years I would be out somewhere and He would tell me to go home that He wants to talk to me. I would then sit down and He would speak clearly for forty minutes.

It was during this time that He taught me about natural signs and wonders and using them to validate His words. After this one episode of the Lord speaking to me for forty minutes I asked Him for a sign that we talked together that day. He asked me “What do you want?” I said “Whenever I've asked for a sign it never happened. How about, this time you give me the sign.” God replied, “Very well! In twelve days your friend... is going to meet some friends she hasn’t seen a long time and in five minutes of conversation with these people she will repent of all her sins”.

I marked the date on my calendar and proceeded to wait the twelve days. I went to church that evening and sat with her expecting this revelatory miracle. The evening went on and still there was no sign of any of her friends. I had lost hope knowing that church was now ending. About ten p.m. she spotted her friends and jumped up and ran to them. I watched her and her friends from my chair. After approximately five minutes of conversation she came back to me with tears in her eyes and told me that those were her friends from out West and that their testimony totally convicted her of her sins.

There it was, the sign I was waiting for. This then became the norm for me that whenever God would speak to me I would ask Him for some natural sign. On one occasion He told me to go outside at 12:05 a.m. and I would see a meteorite streak from the east to the west and this would be a sign to me that He talked to me that day. He used many natural occurrences like earthquakes, odd snowstorms, unusual news headlines and many other meetings with old acquaintances.

After a couple of years of this I felt that this was more an act of faithlessness than something that was necessary. Nonetheless it was clearly refining God’s voice to me. I no longer look for natural signs and wonders. I know God's voice more intimately than I have ever known and when He speaks I know it’s Him.

THE NEW CHURCH.

by- EJ Ouellette

I find many people get set free from religion for what seems a season and then seem to fall right back into it. I myself did this. I was escaping one church that I thought was so religious and then without thinking ended up in another that was really no different.

I grew up in the Catholic Church and even went to a Catholic school. When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit I attended a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting. After a season of that I got frustrated with the religiosity of the Church and ran to a ‘Spirit Filled’ church. I was there 12 years when I realized it was exactly the same just under a different roof.

Walking in the kingdom is discovering that WE are the church! When we come to this realization maybe we can finally experience all that Jesus meant for us to enjoy.

I was having a conversation with a couple of older Christians one day and they seemed perplexed at my vision of the true church. That night I had this dream. I dreamt I was standing near a railway. On my left were some old tracks that were very rusty. On my right were some brand new rails just laid. From around the corner I heard an old steam train approaching. It was your typical black steam engine from the late 1800s. Plumes of steam rose up at slowly timed intervals. As the engine slowly approached I got on the tracks and tried to lift the engine. My intention was to put the old train on the new tracks. It seemed logical in the dream. The two men that stood near me must have thought I was the stupidest thing they ever saw. I screamed for them to help me but they just stood motionless, looking at me in disbelief. I awoke at this point and realized how stupid that was and laughed at myself. A new church is coming and I doubt the old will want it. I don’t know what it will look like or what things will be different but it is coming.

This little bit of enlightenment caused an axe to fall in my life and I had to re-evaluate everything I understood about the true church. One thing is for sure, the ‘old’ will not embrace the ‘new’ easily.

Mothers with Narcissistic Personality Disorder & signs of a narcissist

Mothers with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are in a very good position when you think about it. Where else would a Narcissist get such a ready, biddable, vulnerable source of Narcissistic Supply than from her own children?

These women have, of course, all the specific traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. But they have a few other tricks too, especially for their children.

They fall into two categories - engulfing mothers who see no boundaries between themselves and their daughters, and ignoring mothers who don't particularly even see their daughters, and certainly don't care. Each is hugely dysfunctional and damaging.

One trick, or aspect, of narcissistic mothers, is that they're quite often nice. This can be so confusing - part of the head-wreckingness of this whole NPD. The niceness always has strings attached though.

One of Narcissistic mothers' favorite tricks is invalidation, including a particularly nasty and insidious form of invalidation called gas-lighting. No matter what emotions or memories you bring up, they'll dismiss them.

They master various forms of abuse, including forcing their children into the Golden Child or Scapegoat roles, and pure and simple bullying.

They're emotional vampires, feeding off yours and others' tragedies, and always dismiss or otherwise ruin your successes and celebrations. I found therefore that dealing with my narcissistic mother involved only the most banal of conversation - I could share neither my highs nor my lows. (Actually I didn't share a whole lot of anything, particularly at the end.)

They also have the twin cruelties of parentification and infantalisation, where they get you to parent them and keep you dependant on them respectfully. A narcissistic mother could do either or both of these.

Another nice trick is triangulation, where they make themselves the pivotal point of the family dynamic and everything has to go through them.

Add to this, many narcissistic mothers' extreme vanity, and their sometimes bizarre attitude towards sexuality, and you have quite a combination.

Mothers with Narcissistic Personality Disorder can't do it alone, of course. They need help, and Enabling Fathers are the perfect ones to give them that help.

Most people never even think of the possibility of narcissistic mothers. To the extent that NPD is in the public consciousness at all - which is very little - it's more considered to be men who have it. This is partly because it does seem to be more prevalent in men. And also my impression is that men with it are more likely to be violent and so more likely to come to public awareness.

And if people think of women having it, they maybe think of wives and girlfriends and friends. They don't think of mothers.

We have a huge cultural embargo upon thinking badly of mothers. We esteem mothers, put them on pedestals, worship them almost. I've read that this cultural indoctrination is why the fairy stories always feature wicked stepmothers - because to speak of wicked mothers is just undoable. I think there's a lot of plausibility in this theory.

SIGNS OF A NARCISSIST

By Nancy J. Bailey:

There are degrees of narcissism. Some are more severe than others. Some are merely annoying egomaniacs. Others are axe murderers. But if you are in a relationship that has left you feeling frustrated and you’re not sure why, you may well be with a narcissist. Here are a few signs to watch for.

Narcissis, as many know, was the legendary character who fell in love with his own reflection. A narcissist is someone who, usually due to childhood trauma or over-doting parents, has become obsessed with himself. Some cases are so severe that the person becomes disconnected from reality and fails to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with other people.

I had a few indications that the guy I was dating was pretty self-centered, but frankly I didn’t think about it much. Then one day, I was at his house, standing beside him in the kitchen, and he was putting butter on a roll. He turned to walk away, taking a bite out of the roll, and left me standing there. At that time, we had only been dating a couple of months.

A big red flag went up. To me, it seemed abnormal to prepare the roll and eat it, while offering me nothing. This might not seem like a big deal, but it was combined with a couple of other things that gave me the first inkling that I was dating a narcissist.

My family is ripe with narcissists, so I grew up thinking selfish behavior was normal. To this day (despite years of therapy) I display a high tolerance for self-centered people. As a result, I attract these relationships like a pair of black pants attracts cat hair.

There are degrees of narcissism. Some are more severe than others. Some are merely annoying egomaniacs. Others are axe murderers. But if you are in a relationship that has left you feeling frustrated and you’re not sure why, you may well be with a narcissist. Here are a few signs to watch for.

1: Lack of Empathy

Because a narcissist is, by definition, someone who is completely self-involved, he has little or no ability to perceive how someone else is feeling. Worse, when feelings are explained to him, he doesn’t care. It’s his feelings that matter. Understandably, this opens a Pandora’s Box of problems within relationships.

2: Social Ineptitude

Some narcissists can’t pay attention to what others are saying. My most recent one had a habit of walking away in the middle of a conversation, or lapsing off to watch T.V. while someone was talking to him. If I had anything to say to him, I always had to be careful there were no electronic distractions, such as T.V., radio, etc. I had the best luck with keeping my statements succinct. At a party, he would project his own thoughts, but never asked questions of others. As a result there was no give and take. “The conversation,” my brother said after meeting him the second time, “falls flat.”

There are degrees of narcissism. Some are more severe than others. Some are merely annoying egomaniacs. Others are axe murderers. But if you are in a relationship that has left you feeling frustrated and you’re not sure why, you may well be with a narcissist. Here are a few signs to watch for.

Despite this, a narcissist is not necessarily a jackass in public. In fact, many of them have a meek and likeable public persona. This makes it very difficult to explain to others about the self-centered evil that lies within them. In fact, the duplicity can be so extreme that you can begin to question your own sanity. The narcissist, as one person put it, can seem, “like a werewolf”.

3: Delusions of Grandeur

I attended a parade with a narci once, and he told me that he could picture himself being Grand Marshal one day. He hadn’t done anything remotely close to earning this honor, but he wasn’t kidding. Does your date exaggerate his achievements and accomplishments? Does he seem to build himself up? This is a common trait in Narci. If you feel he could use a big dose of humility, then this is one thing to watch for.

4: Requires Excessive Admiration

Narci is often quite good at fishing for compliments, and finding ways to get respect and admiration from those around him. Beware though, of a lack of reciprocity, which is mentioned below (see #10).

Whether it’s the best seat in a restaurant or the biggest slice of pie, Narci requires special treatment, and feels he deserves it. There may not seem to be any rational reason for why he should be first in line — he just always expects to be.

5: Preoccupied With Fantasies

Everyone has dreams. But Narci is obsessed with his own inner world. He has visions of unlimited success, power, brilliance or ideal love. He may engage you in the beginning, thinking you will help him fulfill these fantasies. As soon as he realizes you are flesh and blood, you become, basically, dog meat.

6: Exploitative

Narci has no hesitation about exploiting and manipulating the talents of others. Is there something he wants from you? Then he is probably being nice to you — for the time being.

7: Center of the Universe

Narci maintains an attitude that demonstrates the world revolves around him; and you must cater to his ideas, needs and desires. Most of us are happy to oblige someone these things. But Narci will keep taking from you without filling your well. And be forewarned, when the well runs dry, he will have no more use for you.

8: Withholding – Controlling

If a narcissist finds out what you like, he is sure to take it away from you. For instance, I told my most recent narci that I love going to the movies. Guess what happened? We never attended another one. I suspect this is more a “dog in the manger” thing than intentional cruelty. The narcissist does not want to be mean, necessarily. He just wants the world to revolve around him and his desires, his activities. If it is something you want, it isn’t something he wants, and therefore not worth his time.

9: Doesn’t Reciprocate

If you have made the horrible mistake of telling a narcissist you love him, beware. You will be punished. Because he is actually filled with self-loathing, Narci has contempt for those who love him.

This can be especially tough for people who have a generous nature. I like telling people I love them, and the compulsion is very strong when I feel that way. But the nicer and more generous you are to a narcissist, the more you will be rebuked. In this confusing and haphazard existence, a narcissist behaves best with those who set limits on him. Do not show any sign of vulnerability, because that gives him license for contempt.

You will find that none of your needs are met. You will receive no appreciation or gratitude for anything you do. You will never receive a compliment. You are a tool, a pawn, an object. Narcissus is not capable of any generosity of spirit. Sadly, he is incapable of the type of introspection necessary for change.

The bad news is, narcissists don’t change. Narci is stuck in his own universe, and his reality is completely different from ours. He is doomed to remain forever gazing at his own reflection, loving — and hating — only himself. Don’t hate the narcissist for being what he is. Educating him is fruitless because he simply lacks the capacity for self-examination. If anything, he deserves pity.

The good news is, because you have asked the question, you have the ability to save yourself. My advice is, “Run for your life!” Life is too short to be sacrificed for someone who won’t ever — who can’t ever — appreciate you. Move on to better and brighter things.

COUNTING THE COST from my book "His Grace"

Count the cost!

I often felt that John the Baptist demonstrated the greatest act of obedience next to Jesus. He left society behind and entered into the wilderness eating nothing but locusts and wild honey. Even today most people think he was a few fries short of a happy meal. Yet we all hold a certain reverence for him and his calling. He was called as a forerunner and he did his job perfectly even unto death. He left the world behind and did not care what anybody thought of him. Jesus seemed to have a more normal life than John. He was trained as a carpenter and lived in a normal family situation.

Walking on the road less traveled will cost you greatly. It won’t always cost you everything but it might. You have to be continually detached from the world system. That does not necessarily mean you live like John the Baptist but you might be called to that. Following after God means listening to His voice daily and doing what He commands of you as a friend. He makes the choice of what that means not you. It means separating from the world’s glitter and all its glory and not worshipping the things of the world. You may be called to a traditional lifestyle and that’s fine. You may have a family and all that entails and there is nothing wrong with that.
   
 The wide road is a deceptive path that lulls you into complacency. You think you are following God but you are merely distracted from doing anything. In essence you are busy doing all kinds of works but really accomplishing nothing in the kingdom. When I was going to a ‘spirit filled church’ I was busy all the time. I went to a Wednesday service, a Sunday service, and everything in between. That whole time I attended that church I accomplished nothing of any value.

We were a sterile complacent society. We were all waiting for the calling but we didn’t realize we were already called and commanded to go forth. Somehow we were told that it was the Pastor’s job to bring home the fish but it was only ours to convince them to come to the service.

That not what Jesus said. He said
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Feeling abandoned?

I know this is a repost of someone else but it really spoke to me and maybe will to you too!
Even our brothers in Christ will abandon us when we hit hard times. When the wolf is at the door, and there are those who wait to take us down, and money is low, and our circumstances are dire; when sickness and weakness are our companions, and sadness grips us, and our lives are failing; when our enemies prowl around us, circling for the kill; when those we counted on are busy doing their own lives, not wishing to be associated with failure; when family backs away and talks against us, and trusted friends doubt us; when our own spiritual leaders quietly fade away, choosing to distance themselves; these are the times we begin to learn that men are ‘sharp sticks’ and we must not lean on them unless they are proven in the sufferings of life themselves.
Rarely will a man die for another man, Jesus said. Even a close friend. He knew first-hand the fickleness and selfishness and shallowness of men. The Savior of mankind would be abandoned by everyone, even His closest companions, and all would distance themselves, while the wolves tore Him and hung Him up to die.
Jesus didn’t trust Himself to men, which is evidenced in many places in the gospels. He hid Himself, He slipped away. He wouldn’t submit to their whims, whether the whim was to kill Him, or the whim was to crown Him. He was in charge, and He determined the timing of His life and ministry.
We are to live as Jesus did, walk as He walked. Know this, my brother who chooses to follow close to Christ, that you will experience the same suffering He did, and that includes opposition, abandonment, and aloofness on the part of those you lean on and trust. It will happen. And you must expect it. Many of our problems and doubts in our discipleship walk with Jesus come from our wrong expectations. If we go through the Narrow Gate, and walk the Narrow Road, we must expect that it will be difficult. The first apostles and early disciples taught this, because they were taught this by the Lord Jesus Himself.
What were you taught?
If you’ve grown up as I did, in modern America, you were taught an easy discipleship, which we don’t even term ‘discipleship’ anymore. You were taught to expect a normal life, such as the world lives, with the only difference being we trust in ‘Christ as our personal Savior’ and we are now centering our lives around church, instead of the local bar. And we were expecting to live happy, normal, productive lives, with God taking care of our needs, and the church providing activities and fellowship. All we need do is ‘keep in touch with God’ by having ‘devotions’ and making sure we pray a few minutes a day at least. The especially zealous (a small minority) showed their intensity by attending a regular Bible study in addition to church services, and studying for their weekly session.
We were told to listen for the highest calling, which was to go into ‘full-time ministry’, and that would involve going to Bible College, or getting an advanced degree in some ministry discipline. This would prepare us for a life-long vocation within the churches. Otherwise, we were ‘lay people’, rank-and-file members of the local church, who attended, tithed, and participated to the extent we wished in the ‘programs’ instituted by the leaders.
The church I grew up in taught us that earnestness in worship, with raised hands and loud voices, and suitably deep emotions, was very acceptable and pleasing to God. This made up for many shortcomings in our lives.
The church you grew up in may have emphasized service, which meant giving a little time to help organize church functions, or to teach Sunday School, or volunteering with this and that charity, or visiting old people in a rest home once a month. Your church might have had evangelistic outreaches, where your youth were taught how to knock on a door, and canvas neighborhoods, asking them to come out to special meetings.
No matter the specifics.
All of it is outside the Biblical model.
There is nothing but Christ. We are the branches, and He is the Vine, and apart from Him we can do nothing. We are His, and everything we do matters. Every moment, every hour, every day. We are either remaining in Christ, and bearing His fruit, or we are not. This has nothing to do with all the above churchy things which men have invented to make the ‘Christian life’ easier and more palatable to the masses.
When Jesus taught, He winnowed out His disciples, getting rid of those He knew were following Him for the wrong reasons. He was tough, giving the hard Word, explaining that to follow Him meant giving up one’s own life, laying down one’s own desires and dreams and goals, and doing only what Jesus did, and the Father instructed. When He informed the crowds they would have to die as He died, and live only on His flesh and blood as their sustenance, they went home in droves.
When He turned away the rich young man because He wouldn’t give away His wealth to follow Jesus, even His own disciples were dismayed, figuring they could never meet His high standards for discipleship. Jesus asked even the twelve at one point if they, too, were going to abandon Him as the crowds had.
We give out an easy Christianity, which is not Christ.
Therefore, when the hard times come, we are shocked. We think all is wrong, but actually, God disciplines those He loves as sons, and they are the ones going through the tough times. So not only do many fall away, but many living the good religious life, the easy churchy life, look down on their brothers who suffer. They think, like Job’s ‘comforters’ did, that it is a sign of sin in their brother, and their own prosperity is a sign of their own obedience to God. The opposite is usually true.
Obadiah’s warning extends to these complacent men who occupy the preferred pews and the places of honor in the churches.

“The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,’ declares the Lord.”
--Obadiah 1:3,4

You can show your true devotion to Jesus by not standing aloof at the plight of those brothers around you who suffer. Lay down your life for them.

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER: THE NARCISSISTIC PARENT

CLICK ON TITLE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
INTRODUCTION TO NARCISSISTIC PARENT TRICKS

If you’ve read this far, chances are very good you’ve had a narcissist in your life. It may have been a romantic interest (or spouse), or it may have been a co-worker, boss or friend.

But the difference between those experiences and the experiences suffered by children of narcissists is all about choice.

The adult that suffers through narcissistic abuse has a choice to leave the relationship.

That choice may not have always been easy to see or even easy to do, but for the children of narcissists, there is no choice.
They are bound to the narcissistic parent physically, emotionally and mentally for many damaging years, at least until they are old enough to leave.

For many of these children, the physical absence of the narcissistic parent only slightly lessens the control and manipulation that has been exerted by that parent throughout their life.

Emotionally and mentally, the now-grown child is still bound in more ways than he can begin to be aware of, even if he’s fully cognizant of the fact that he was raised with such toxic love.

If this is you, parts – or all – of the following article will ring true.

For those of you fortunate enough to have escaped such a fate, you will still recognize much of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder behaviors described following.

A note about this piece:This was such an excellent article that we had to include it in its entirety. The author wishes to remain anonymous, but has graciously granted permission to reprint it on this site.

The only change made was to break it into titled sections for easier reading. Here are the nine pages:

I Will Shake The Nation Martin Banner 7/14/2011

I Will Shake The Nation!
Martin Banner
7/14/11

I Will shake the nation that celebrates it's independence from Me saith the Lord most High. I will shake the people that worship the creation more than the creator saith the Lord.

Woe to you America. For you have sown to the wind and now you shall reap the whirlwind. For I will send multitudes of devastating tornados upon your land. They shall come to the city and unto the field. They shall come in large groups and in large clusters and they shall destroy the people that celebrate their independence from me saith the Lord thy God.

For you have thought to remove me from your schools and you have sought to remove my name from your public institutions. You have thought to pray in the name of another, that is no God at all, but a false god and you have even tried to remove me from your pledge of allegiance and from your court rooms. As you have forsaken me, so I will now discipline you with severe judgment.

So hear what I am about to do to you America. I will breathe on you with my vengeance and my fury and I will spew upon thee and upon the land great devastation and the whirlwind shall come in great numbers.

For you have snubbed your nose to me and to my prophets that I have sent unto thee America, so now shall I snub my nose to thee and I shall reject thee as when a man rejects the wife who plays the whore upon him. Although you once knew my blessing and my protection, you shall now know my disdain and my rejection. I shall pull back my hand of protection from thee even further, for thy sins are many and are great in my sight.

So hear what I shall do unto thee America. I shall come upon thee with a great shaking saith the Lord and I shall shake the land. The birds of the air and the fish of the sea and every creeping thing shall know that I am the Lord when I shake thy land.

For I say that a great earthquake is coming, such as the nation has never known, nor seen. It shall come to the world and to the land of America. I will shake thee from coast to coast and I will be magnified in that day and all shall know that I am the Lord thy God the Almighty.

Keep your eyes on the Golden Gate, for I say that the Bay area shall know my wrath and my indignation and when I shake the land with a great earthquake millions will be without power for several weeks.

Did you think you could remove me from your land and not be punished America? Did you think you could pass laws allowing men to marry men and not feel my wrath?

Woe to thee America, for I say a shaking is coming to the land of America and I will shake everything that can be shaken. For a great calamity cometh upon all of the earth and in that day I shall be magnified and I shall be known in all the nations of the earth saith the Lord.

May God keep you and bless you in these Perilous Times! Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus!

"The Lily" Dying to the flesh Revelation

The Lily


I bumped into an old friend from my youth group. Things had changed a lot since then. His life was a mess. Last time I saw him he was preaching to young people. Now he was on the run. It was late at night and we sat in his car. He began to tell me the woes of his life and the presence of the Holy Spirit filled the car. While he was speaking to me the Holy Spirit began to speak to me. His voice was loud and clear.
“Do you know why Solomon in all his splendor could not compare to the lilies of the field”? He asked.
I spoke to the Lord in my thoughts, “You know, Lord, I could never figure that out. I couldn’t imagine a flower being more beautiful than all those riches”.
The Lord spoke again “The Lily is the flower of death. You see it at funerals and on Easter. When a man is dead to his flesh there is nothing more beautiful to the Lord. The man sitting next to you is dying to his flesh. I am killing his flesh day-by-day. One day he will be a Lily. That is why I walk among the Lilies and the Thorns. I look upon my lilies with delight but the thorns I despise. The thorns are those who persecute my Lilies and worship the things of this world. When man is completely dead to the flesh he does not worry about tomorrow or what he will eat or drink. Instead, like a child he relies on me to provide for him daily. This is true peace. This is walking in the Kingdom of God, free from the cares of this world.

MT 6:28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Are we still the Salt of the earth?

I met a woman that was in a bit of a dilemma and asked me to pray about it. Her 13-year-old daughter was invited to stay over at her friend’s father’s place. The only problem was that his friend’s father was a homosexual and was cohabitating with another man. To me the answer seemed obvious but nonetheless I agreed that I would pray about it and if God gave me a dream I would tell her.
That very night I had this dream. I saw her on this big wide road with all of her daughter’s friends and her daughter behind her. Also behind them were the two homosexual guys and the friend’s mother. This woman was clearly leading them all down this big road. The road had a gentle slope and it was obviously much easier to go down the road than it was to go up the road. At the bottom of the road I could see the road went into the lake of fire. Huge flames danced in the distance. She was taking them all to hell with her and seemed pretty happy about it at the same time.
The next day I told her the dream. She coughed and spat and acted very nervously. In the dream I could see clearly that she had a need for approval from men and she would rather let her daughter go into this sick relationship then to stand up for her beliefs. I could also see that Christians were like the salt of the earth and that of the world looks to them for guidance whether they knew it or not. By letting her daughter go to this house for the night, she was not only condoning the sick relationship but also putting the Christian stamp of approval on it.
The dream convicted me personally. I wondered how many times in my life or in my Christian walk that I didn’t stand up against the sin and showed everyone that it was okay when it wasn't.

ITS TIME! Prophecy by David Herzog

David Herzog:
The Lion of Judah Invading and Taking Over

I see News Media, Hollywood Films and TV Shows being taken over by Believers that will infiltrate the ranks due to the incredible favor, skill, talent and holiness of God. Just as Daniel and his friends refused to eat the king's meat, so God's people will be in these secular arenas; but people will see they are somehow different yet brighter, stronger, happier and His favor on them will open up unique doors of great influence.

The key is to be one of these noble ones that will not compromise just to fit in, never forgetting the reason you are there "for such a time as this" to bring in the Kingdom of God. Just as Esther could have been tempted to not use her position for God's people and the purposes of God, she realized she had been elevated not for her own sake but for God's glory. (This also applies to the areas of business, education, government and the entertainment industry.)



Those that are hearing God's directives will actually prosper more in this downtime than at any other time before, similar to when Egypt was shaken. Moses and the Israelites actually were the most blessed and protected for those that obeyed God's commands the night they left Egypt during the first Passover.