A Prayer for the Reign of Grace over Your Life from Pastor Mark Driscoll

This prayer is too significant and needed by some not to share it as much as possible--by me, by you--with anyone in need of grace for one or more of the challenges listed in Pastor Mark's prayer. The link to his knock-your-socks-off teachings on the book of Romans is listed below.

For the Christian who is aware of their sin, and the pains and problems it causes, we can be so consumed looking down in shame that we forget to look up and see our Lord Jesus Christ ruling and reigning over our lives. Thankfully, His reign is a reign of grace that rains down grace upon our lives in the times and ways that we need. I prayed this prayer over the dear people at The Trinity Church in Scottsdale where I pastor and I am praying it over you as well.  Dear shame-filled saint who gives grace to others but not to yourself - The Holy Spirit has grace for you to cover your shame forever in Jesus’ righteousness. Receive the grace of God!  Dear religious saint who keeps making rules and punishing people – The Holy Spirit has grace for you both to transform your relationships with God and others. Receive the grace of God!    Dear theological saint who keeps making God into a concept to master rather than a Person who is a friend – The Holy Spirit has grace to pour out the love of Jesus into your heart. Receive the grace of God!  Dear burdened saint who is haunted by your past – The Holy Spirit has grace for you to transfer your burdens to Jesus who carries them for you and with you. Receive the grace of God!   Dear abandoned saint who keeps getting disappointed in people who ignore and use you when you need them most – The Holy Spirit has grace for you from Jesus who will never leave nor forsake you. Receive the grace of God!  Dear weary & broken saint who is struggling to pull it together – The Holy Spirit has grace to heal you and strengthen you and will not stop until you are with Jesus and like Jesus. Receive the grace of God!  Dear failed saint who feels they don’t measure up – The Holy Spirit has grace to lift you up into the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Receive the grace of God!  Dear addicted saint who is ensnared by a dark desire – The Holy Spirit has grace to set you free and change your desires because who the Son sets free is free indeed. Receive the grace of God!  Dear fearful saint who is anxious about the future – The Holy Spirit has grace waiting for you in the darkness of tomorrow from Jesus who rules the future. Receive the grace of God!   Dear controlling saint who fears that giving people too much grace will permit them to sin – The Holy Spirit has grace that not only forgives and covers us but transforms and empowers us. Receive the grace of God!  To find the free Romans study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit realfaith.com or download the realfaith app.

In Him,  Pastor Mark

And here is the link to his phenomenal (awesome, amazing, Holy Spirit-filled, etc.) sermons based on the book of Romans. Fourteen such sermons are posted at the link at the time of this publishing, but Pastor Mark still has more to cover. Yay!!!                 https://realfaith.com/sermon-series/romans/ 

ALL IN ALL, YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER BRICK???

About Bricks

While the Tower of Babel was made of bricks, their use for an altar to God is forbidden in Scripture (Deuteronomy 27:5). God requires uncut stones for His altar because it represents the body of Christ and the power of our sanctified uniqueness in its construction. Nimrod and the spirit of Babylon demand conformity, uniformity, and interchangeability. With this in mind, you can now better understand many of the current political winds within the Progressive and Socialistic Movements worldwide--from wealth redistribution to removing the distinction of the sexes toward a unisex philosophy. We must all conform and be interchangeable, so we can serve as bricks in the new Tower of Babel that the Illuminati Elite are building.

The above is a Briefing Note excerpt from Dr. Michael K. Lake's book, The Shinar Directive: Preparing the Way for the Son of Perdition, published in 2014.

Here's the (familiar to some) Pink Floyd song, with lyrics--but please finish reading this brief message before you go to the song--thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN5Z28Dfl7o

2014 -- 6 years ago as I write this. And don't we all feel the Progressive pressure these days to fall into place, with or without covid. Thankfully, you are not and never will be "just a brick" to our Lord God, the Almighty, in Whose image you and all humans are wonderfully made.

Here's the EU (European Union) Tower of Babel poster. Please note that the humans are -- bricks. Also notice the Baphomet-styled stars. I highly recommend Dr. Lake's books--all of them, starting with this one, where he explains more about what stars represent and the significance of how they're positioned. (If you don't know who Baphomet is, look it up. Some of the bigger box stores sell Baphomet items these days. Like bricks in a wall, the dots connect; you just have to be able to discern dots when you see them. Ask God to instruct you about this.)

May God's peace and strength fill you and yours. In Jesus' name. Amen

INVISIBLE NO MORE

    Eyes, dark and unused to sunlight, squinted past filthy, tattered strips of cloth that covered his face ravaged by time and affliction. Fabric stiffened with grime scraped against the raw skin of his hands tucked inside his robes as he shuffled bare feet across dusty ground. He inched forward, desperate to keep as much of his presence unnoticed as possible, knowing, however, that he was obvious in his attempt at anonymity. And then, the one he was moving toward, both in trepidation and inexplicable hope, turned and looked at him, as people do when they feel someone watching them. 

    All these long years of staying mostly in caves, waiting for someone to place food and water where he could reach them, once the kindhearted person had left... all the years of no one looking directly at him.... And here was this man he'd heard so much about, gazing directly into his eyes. Seeing him. After all these years. Looked at, not with repulsion but with -- not pity -- but with something he couldn't yet assign a word to. It was that unfamiliar a feeling.

    He moved forward faster, unused to approaching anyone, but desperate to not miss this opportunity--the man was always on the move, always had some place he had to go next, or so the rumors went. And though it made no sense, the man seemed to be waiting for him. 

    He picked up his pace, no longer mindful of his calloused feet or gnarled hands causing others to recoil. All he could think was that he had to hurry, that time was growing short. Shorter than what, though, he couldn't fathom. After all, a man in his circumstances wore time like a weighted burden. Silently, he berated himself for not practicing what he'd say.

    One yard away from the man whose gaze had remained fixed on him, he stopped, heart beating hard against his ribs. Through cracked lips and dry tongue, he said, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

    Had he spoken too boldly? Because some flicker of another thought altered the man's countenance. Only briefly though, and evident solely to him because of how intently he watched and waited for the man's reply. The man moved toward him. Habit born of instinct urged him to move back, to move away, as he was accustomed to doing, but he remained in place. Stayed motionless as the man reached out and lowered the coverings from his leprosy-ravaged face.

    The man wore an expression of resolve and something deeper as he said, "I am willing! Be cleansed!"

    Life instantly returned to his skin and body. He fell to his knees, grabbed the right hand of the man. Gratitude too large and too deep for words sought the only path of expression possible in that moment: tears streamed down his face and onto the man's hand as he kissed it over and over.

    "Tell no one," the man said. 

    So overcome by this immediate healing, he heard little else of what the man said. He stood in silence as he watched the man join those who always traveled with him, now thronged by others, as they walked toward the center of town. 

    Someone to his left said, "Who was that man? By what authority did he do such a thing?"

    "His name is Yeshua." He sucked in a breath. How many times in all his years had he heard that word read from the texts each Sabbath and holy day--yeshua. 

    Yeshua. Translated in Hebrew as Salvation.  

    

                                                        Image: www.bridgemanart.com

    The above is a story based on what I felt as I read Mark 1 this morning. Imagine that man with leprosy--the most physically unclean a human could be--saying to Jesus, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." I imagine that Jesus did pause for but a moment as the weight of that request permeated His entire reason for being here at that time. The man wanted his skin and body clean again. Jesus wanted the man's soul clean for eternity, and there was only one supernaturally legal way to do that: It was imperative He take every next step that brought Him to the Victory of the Cross. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13 KJV

    It wasn't nails that kept the Word of God--Salvation--on the cross: It was love.

                                                        Image: Prince of Peace by Akiane  

 

GOD NOT ONLY LOVES YOU, HE LIKES YOU!

Exalted as they are, however, the highest ranking angel hovering over the throne of the Most High is outranked--wonder of wonders--by the most insignificant human being who has been born again, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

- Paul E. Billheimer, Destined for the Throne

Has Your Brain (and Life) Been Hijacked?

 

During these covid-driven, quality-of-life-affecting months (it’s mid-October 2020 as I write this), those with eyes to see and ears to hear have observed how many of our idols and addictions are junk food, a false substitute for what genuinely nourishes us. Some fell deeper into that deceptive miasma, and desperately need our prayers. Some, once their attention was diverted, sat up and took notice of what they’d given too much of themselves to that wasn’t worth it. They saw what could be lost if they didn’t shift their attention to who and what is important. They realized that while too many have spent hours out of touch with God, the Adversary got serious about taking up squatters rights in our country, our families, and our lives.

Continue reading the full article here:

https://putoldonholdjournal.com/has-your-brain-and-life-been-hijacked/

What Blocks Prayers Being Answered?

During my morning time with God, and while reading Matthew 20 and 21, this realization entered my mind and heart:

Absolute faith (trust) in God requires absolute humility before and to God.

And then I opened Paul E. Billheimer's book, Destined for the Throne, to pick up reading where I'd left off, which happened to be about Paul's "thorn in his side," which he asked three times for God to remove, and each time, God refused for a specific reason: For Paul's protection. The following two paragraphs are found in that section on page 86.

     "... The sands of time are strewn with the wrecks of the broken lives of many who were once mightily used of God, but who suffered shipwreck upon the rocks of spiritual pride. This explains why Watchman Nee says that God's great work is to reduce us, that is, our ego. For until God has wrought a work of true humility and brokenness in His servants, He cannot answer some of their prayers without undue risk of producing the pride that goes before a fall. If God could trust the petitioner to keep lowly, who knows how many more answers to prayer He would readily give.

    "This principle may also explain why answers to prayer for healing sometimes are not received. If the answer to prayer for healing in Paul's case was hazardous to him, how much more so may it be in many others. Although no one since Paul has ever had as much reason to be exalted because of the abundance of revelations, very few have his ability to keep humble. Is it possible that one reason why some are not healed is that God sees they too might be lifted up with spiritual pride and 'fall into the condemnation of the devil'? If God felt it advisable to withhold the answer to Paul's prayer for healing to keep him humble, may this not explain the failure of some other prayers for healing?"

This pride-factor is something each of us, who call ourselves Christians, needs to be aware of. It's far too easy for any of us, and most especially those with a more public standing as representatives of His Church, to forget it's always, always, always about Yeshua/Jesus. The micro-second it becomes about us, we're falling out of humility and into Satan's camp. I know--I know! It's all to easy to do so, especially because ....

That "dead-on-accurate" meme that "puts them in their place," or the one we create or share that degrades "those people who deserve it," and on and on, wherever our Satan-directed pride takes us, takes us further from where we need to be as representatives of our Father and His Kingdom, as well as obedient to His commands about such matters. 

Pride. It's the greatest and trickiest stumbling block Satan has in order to capture us and lock us into a prison with bars invisible to our spiritual awareness. He's an expert in pride--it's what got him cast out of Heaven and made him an eternal spiritual orphan (something he works very hard at making all of us; after all, what better way to hurt a Father than to destroy His sons and daughters made in His image). 

Pride causes us to make fun of others, or degrade or criticize them, or do all sorts of things other than what God commanded: Pray for them. I do this a little differently: I ask Him to forgive me, starting with the sin of pride and where it leads me far too often. I ask Him to forgive all of us who are saved and those who still can be, to cover all our sins with the blood of Yeshua/Jesus -- not one of us can claim to be free of sin. Not one. I ask Him to continue to open all our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to HIS TRUTH.

Our world, our country (USA), our lives have been turned upside-down, relatively overnight. For His Remnant, part of our prayers is that His Kingdom come, His will be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven. To us, those are more than a line of words of a prayer recited too often by rote, rather than meant with full heart-and-soul reverence for our Father God and how they relate to what He has promised us. These upside-down times require trust in the Lord. And, I offer that this needs to be absolute trust that needs to grow exponentially, sooner than later. 

We cannot do this on our own. This is the work of Holy Spirit in us: We must ask the Father for His help with this. Just know that the cleaner and clearer we are as temples of God, the more uncluttered space we provide for Holy Spirit to abide in us. If you wouldn't say it or do it with Yeshua/Jesus standing next to you, it probably doesn't belong in your temple.

Absolute faith (trust) in God requires absolute humility before and to God. 

What is the full measure of absolute humility before and to our Father God? 

THE BEST BOOK ON PRAYER and A Christian’s Duty to Intercede I’ve Ever Read

THE BEST BOOK ON PRAYER and A Christian’s Duty to Intercede I’ve Ever Read

Excerpts from what Max Lucado referred to as “A profound study on the topic of prayer,” Paul Billheimer’s book, Destined for the Throne.

From page 53:

Although to the natural mind this seems utter nonsense, it is nevertheless true. In spite of all her lamentable weaknesses, appalling failures, and indefensible shortcomings, the Church is the mightiest force for civilization and enlightened social consciousness in the world today. IT WAS TRUE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD THAT AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF AND REVERENCE FOR GOD DISAPPEARED, MORAL CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE SOCIAL ORDER. [Emphasis mine.] ….

It is the same today. The only force in the world that is contesting Satan’s total rule in human affairs is the Church of the living God…. If it were not for the totally selfless love displayed on the cross, total selfishness would reign supreme. And total selfishness means total hostility. Total hostility means total anarchy—AND THAT MEANS HELL. [Emphasis mine.] ….

From page 55:

Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we or our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT DISSOLUTION OF OUR EXISTING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, THESE WORDS SEEM AMAZINGLY PROPHETIC. [Emphasis mine.] ….

WILL EVERYONE BE SAVED?

From page 56:

Knowing that IT IS GOD’S WILL TO SAVE ANY PERSON WHO HAS NOT CROSSED THAT MYSTERIOUS BOUNDARY KNOWN AS THE DEADLINE, may the Church pray for the salvation of a specific individual in the assurance that he will be saved? Or, must the Church’s faith be tempered by the fact that that person is a free moral agent and that God never saves anyone against his will? Must we say, as we often do, that because so and so is a free moral agent, all we can do is to pray and leave the rest to him and God? [Emphasis mine.]

Since God has assured us that it is His will that all men be saved, we therefore know that when we pray for the salvation of anyone WHO HAS NOT CROSSED THE DEADLINE of final and permanent impenitence, we are praying according to His will. [Emphasis mine.] ….

THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN SALVATION

From page 57:

Is not this the general pattern of the journey from rebellion to surrender? Jesus says, “No man can come to me except the Father . . . draw him” (John 6:44). And the Father always draws by means of His Spirit. Since God is no respecter of persons and wills that all shall be saved, and therefore without exception faithfully seeks all (John 1:9), why is the Spirit’s wooing successful in some cases and not in others? Is it because in some instances God is so “powerless” that He cannot prevail? Or is it that some are the subjects of powerful, importunate, and believing intercession, while others have no one to pray for them? If Wesley is correct in saying that “God does nothing but in answer to prayer,” then this must include the salvation of souls. This, then, means that no soul is saved apart from intercession, and that every soul who is saved, is saved because someone—WHO WOULD NOT GIVE HIM UP TO SATAN—prayed. [Emphasis mine.]

Who God Is

The first time I read these, I wept as I read them aloud.

He is our Abba Father

He is our Advocate

He is the Almighty

He is our All in All

He is the Alpha and Omega

He is the Ancient of Days

He is the Anointed One

He is the Author and Finisher of Our Faith

He is the Beginning and the End

He is the Bread of Life

He is our Bridegroom

He is the Bright Morning Star

He is the Captain of the Lord’s Host

He is the Chosen One

He is the Christ

He is the Son of the Living God

He is our Comforter

He is an All Consuming Fire

He is our Counselor

He is our Creator

He is our Deliverer

He is our Dwelling Place

He is Emmanuel

He is the Everlasting God

His Name is Faithful and True

He is our Foundation

He is a Fountain of Living Water

He is our Friend

He is a Gift of God

He is God Over All

He is the Head of the Body

He is the Head of the Church

He is the Holy One

He is our Blessed Hope

He is the Great I AM

He is Jehovah

He is Jesus

He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

He is the Lamb of God

He is Life

He is the Light of the World

He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

He is the Living God

He is Living Water

He is the Lord of All

He is the Lord of Glory

He is Love

He is your Maker

He is our Merciful God

He is Messiah

He is the Mighty God

He is the Only Begotten Son

He is our Passover Lamb

He is our Peace

He is the Great Physician

He is the Prince of Peace

He is our Redeemer

He is our Refuge and our Strength

He is the Righteous One

He is the Rock of our Salvation

He is our Savior

He is the Son of God

He is the Son of Man

He is the Son of the Most High

He is our Source

He is our Strength

He is our Stronghold

He is our Strong Tower

He is our Teacher

He is True Light

He is the Vine

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

His name is Wonderful

He is the Word of God

Excerpted in part from Jesus: The Premise of the Promise

by Stephen Quayle (minus the Scripture notations)

Here's the link to Steve's books, etc.

https://www.safetrek.com/

FYI: This is not an affiliate link, nor do I receive any compensation for sharing this with you.

A Point of Interest about the First Adam and the Last Adam (Yeshua/Jesus)

 Adonai, God, made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

- Genesis 3:21 CJB

God said the wages of sin is death, hence the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament and in the New--up to the point of the Victory of the Cross. The blood of the animals didn't cleanse people of their sins, but God made it so that the blood covered their sins.

Which brings me back to Adam and Havah/Eve in Genesis 3:21. They had sinned and felt their nakedness (spiritual as well as physical). The wages of sin is death... but, it seems, not solely for the sinners. In order for their now-sinful spiritual and physical nakedness to be covered, God had to shed blood in order to cover their nakedness and, therefore, their sin. 

If you don't know this already, you may appreciate learning that the Hebrew meaning of Yeshua is Salvation; so every time you read the word "salvation" in the Old and New Testaments, you're reading the name of Yeshua/Jesus. 

Yeshua/Jesus -- the Last Adam, aka as the Second Adam to some -- God come to Earth in the flesh, shed HIS OWN BLOOD to pay for OUR sins, should we choose to receive the Redemption He paid for us, and all that comes with that, that is, what is required of us as Born Again in the Spirit.

I find that what I call "a first" as written about above also connects to another "first" found in Matthew 15:21-28 CJB.

Yeshua left that place and went off to the region of Tzor and Tzidon. A woman from Kena‘an who was living there came to him, pleading, “Sir, have pity on me. Son of David! My daughter is cruelly held under the power of demons!” But Yeshua did not say a word to her. Then his talmidim came to him and urged him, “Send her away, because she is following us and keeps pestering us with her crying.” He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el.” But she came, fell at his feet and said, “Sir, help me!” He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s food and toss it to their pet dogs.” She said, “That is true, sir, but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their master’s table.” Then Yeshua answered her, “Lady, you are a person of great trust. Let your desire be granted.” And her daughter was healed at that very moment.

This woman was a Gentile. She didn't have the benefit of the heritage and generations of teachings the Hebrews did. Most of them missed the signs of the time; she had no idea about what to look for--only what she could see with her own eyes and hear with her own ears. She, untutored, through her powerful love for her daughter (a perfect love that cast out all fear), believed He, Yeshua/Jesus, could set her daughter free from the demonic prison that held the girl and their family captive. She wasn't going to let go of this. But it wasn't her persistence that made the difference--it was her total trust in Him and His authority--that she had either witnessed or heard about. 

Just as Yeshua/Jesus was the First Fruits of the Resurrection, this mother was the first fruits, you might say, of the Gentiles.

Havah/Eve persuaded Adam to sin, which led to God's first sacrifice to cover mankind's sins that required blood to be shed.

The First Adam sinned and brought death upon us. The Last Adam redeemed us, giving us the choice to choose eternal resurrected life or the eternal second death.

Yeshua/Jesus shed His blood to cleanse our sins, first, when we receive what He did for us on the Cross, and then each time we repent for our sins.

Havah/Eve "persuaded" the First Adam to sin; the Gentile mother "persuaded" Yeshua/the Last Adam to Save.

The Gentile mother's love caused her to not leave Yeshua/Jesus alone until He saved her daughter. Yeshua/Jesus' love for us is what kept Him on the Cross; it certainly wasn't the nails.

The love of that mother opened the door to Redemption for Gentiles. The love of our Lord not only opened that door but keeps it open as long as possible for even the most rebellious to receive the Gift of Grace and Redemption He paid for us with His blood.

As Pastor J.D. Farag says, it's a matter the the A, B, C's:

Admit you're a sinner.

Believe Jesus paid with His blood on the Cross to redeem you.

Call on the Lord and ask Him to lead you.

Signing off now... thankful to have left the New Age Deception for the Faithful and True Rock of Ages...

The peace of the Lord be upon you and yours.

Want or Need Others to Like You?

 

Woke in this world means you suffer in the next...for eternity.

“Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts.” 

- Hebrews 4:7 CJB

Have Mercy on Me, O God

 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

you who are God my Savior,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 51:1-17

You Have Until Your Next Heartbeat To....

 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT, IT MATTERS WHAT GOD CALLS IT. HE HAS THE LAST WORD. BETTER IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NOW...BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. REPENT AND RECEIVE SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE? ONLY UNTIL THE NEXT HEARTBEAT.

What's Your Joy Quotient Today?

 One time in prayer, Jesus asked me, "Where is your joy in me?"

We Are More

 Are you more focused on the empty cross and suffering than on the Empty Tomb and the Victory?

3 Messages from God

3 EVIDENCE EVENTS. There are certainly many times in my life when God made it a point for me to know His hand is in and on my life, but there are three significant times He made sure substantial truths were revealed to me: 1) Our spirit lives beyond our physical body, 2) He’s always watching over us, and 3) His love for us is profound, profound enough for Him to visit us, in person. If you find yourself at a crossroads of faith at this time, I hope my experiences shared here are helpful for you.

Our spirit lives beyond our physical body. When I was nine, I was resting on my knees on a chair at the dining table while my mom put rollers in my hair. She got to the last two and I complained my head hurt. She said she was almost finished, but the pain became unbearable. I turned my head to the left, thinking that might relieve the pressure and pain. The world went dark. The next thing I was aware of was that I was floating near the ceiling, above my dad’s chair in the adjoining den. I could hear my parents, but couldn’t see them for the wall that covered half the room. I was so peaceful, and not at all perplexed about where I was. But, I could hear the concern in my parents’ voices and thought, “I don’t know why they’re so upset. I’m fine.” I saw my mom grab her purse, and my dad, who was carrying my body, as they raced to the door. My mother said, “I hope we can get her to the hospital in time.” My thought was, “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I need to let them know I’m okay.” As soon as I had that thought, I zoomed back into my body. I opened my eyes and smiled at my dad. Revealing something about how long I’ve been on the planet, doctors still made house calls. Our family physician examined me. I remember sitting in a chair and smiling like a fool and not wanting to speak—because I was still in a state of bliss and contentment. All that happened afterwards is insignificant. God wanted me to know and remember always that we continue after we leave our body.

He’s always watching over us. When I was twelve, a family from out of town visited with us for a few days. It was summer—scorching hot. My dad arranged with a motel, to let us use their pool for a few hours. I honestly don’t recall the trigger event, but still clearly recall the moment I realized I was drowning. I started to feel panicked, because I couldn’t stop what was happening. I thought, “No one knows I’m drowning. I don’t know how long it will be before they realize I’ve died.” As soon as I had that thought—and I can still see them clearly in my memory—two angels, one on either side, took my arms and zipped me to the surface. Not only did they lift me out of the water, they turned me around and placed my arms on the side of the pool. I coughed up water for several moments, got my breathing nearly back to normal then turned to see who was watching. No one was. My parents, the other parents, and their children had no idea what had happened. But God made certain I knew He was always watching. And because it wasn’t my time to leave this life, and because He wanted me to remember this truth, He sent supernatural help.

His love for us is profound, profound enough for Him to visit us, in person. I was sixteen, sitting cross-legged on my bed, reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (first book of The Chronicles of Narnia). I’d just read the part where Aslan gave his life to save Edward, where he allowed the witch and her followers to humiliate him (and believe they’d won), and where the witch killed him. I began to weep, sob really, because of course, this was meant to represent Jesus and the sacrifice He made to ransom us from Satan (and ourselves). I was ashamed of my flaws (even though at that age I had yet to do even more in my life to displease God). I was genuinely distraught. I said to God, “How can you love me when I’m so imperfect?” Then I became aware of God holding me like a small child in his arms. He cradled me to Him and poured His love into me. I was also aware that my mom walked by my open door. I was sure she’d see and hear me sobbing, but she didn’t. And I knew that although God held me in His arms, what my mother saw was me reading quietly on my bed. His visitation was for my awareness only.

Interestingly, I’ve seldom shared my out-of-body experience, that I’d been saved by God’s angels from drowning, or that God paid me a visit. I don’t know why, other than perhaps God had a different timing in mind, which apparently is now. And despite how extraordinary these moments were, I took detours away from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit—many detours I’ve asked and received His forgiveness for (like calling Him the Universe and other names not His; like doubting Jesus ever existed (score one, temporarily, for Satan); like buying into Satan’s deceit via metaphysics and the occult more times than I wish I had to admit); like forgetting all three of these significant events until God decided it was time for me to remember them. God let me take those detours because He knew I’d learn from them. However, He also took me off those and other detours whenever it was time. He let me carry on as I had been until a few months ago, when He nudged me and said, “It’s time to get into a serious relationship with Me.”

He had another revelation for me at the start of my returning to Him (and I’m sure it isn’t the last one). I’ve always felt deep appreciation for God’s wisdom, having witnessed it in my life so often. But one night, while speaking with Him, He asked me a question: “Do you trust My love as much as you trust My wisdom?” He asked that, already knowing the answer—I didn’t—and He knew why. So, we’ve been working on this since then. My Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are leading me forward. They know me, so They’re directing me in ways that work for me. But I also feel the need for speed, as the saying goes. Perhaps you’ve been receiving your own nudges from the Holy Spirit. If so, if you won’t heed it now, when? If you’re getting one or more nudges, it’s because you’re loved...because He wants to share His promises with you now and in His kingdom.

I pray that whether His light is a flicker or a tiny flame inside you, that you reach for His ever outstretched hand. Ask for His flame of the Way, the Truth, and the Life be increased within you. Let Him lead you. Yield to Him, even if, like me, in some ways you’re still afraid of what this might mean—how you might have to change, and how others may be discomfited by this.

I claim that the sacred blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God our Father, who came to earth in the flesh and sacrificed Himself on the cross at Golgotha for the remission of our sins and our salvation, and rose on the third day to ensure our resurrection, covers you and your loved ones with His protection, and cleanses, restores, renews, and strengthens you.

May God’s extraordinary blessings of His love, wisdom, grace, mercy, care, comfort, guidance, and patience cover you and your loved ones, and I pray that He strengthens all of us to express these blessings to others as freely as He expresses them to us. I pray that He gives us a discerning heart so that we are no longer deceived by others or ourselves, but hear and follow only the voice of our true Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.