Politics 2020: My views – day 4

Heroes!  Franklin and his family

Our great country is the envy of the world. America’s early history is full of visionary immigrants with courageous stories that reflect their overwhelming and compelling desire to come to a new land full of promise.  My daughter-in-love’s (Cheryl) father is a shining example of that monumental decision to uproot from his homeland in humble provincial Philippines.  Franklin worked in Hawaii for nearly 10 years to make enough money to bring the rest of his family.  What a sacrifice!  He was gripped with a dream that with enough sacrifice, he could change the trajectory of his family forever.  And it did!  Today their whole family lives better than anything he could have ever imagined.

Many exemplary and radical men and women made such a move to America?  Their brave spirit and deep character has been instrumental in fashioning the heart and the backbone of what we call home; the United States of America.

Today many peoples of the world dream of moving here, living here… or at least visiting here. English is the common language taught and spoken in many foreign countries.  America’s almost fantasy-like culture is imitated around the world.  The United States of America is one of the best trophies this world has to offer.

Our country’s forefathers were brilliant.  They didn’t create a democracy.  Rather, they created a republic with powerful checks and balances that would value each and every person’s rights and privileges without letting anyone subjugate the rights of others.

That system works well with God-fearing people of character.  And by far, the vast majority of Americans still have a place in their hearts for God and are still decent people of character.  But we have a very small minority who are increasing in volume and violence who want to force their lawlessness and godless values on the rest.  John Adams warned us well:

There can never be enough laws to govern every detail of a man’s devious mind if there is not an embedded law of decency and respect already in that heart.  It’s like the chasing of the wind… when every lawless whim of lust and desire is unleashed, it devises new schemes and pushes beyond well-structured boundaries.  When met with the consequences, it feigns insult.  Then, of course, denial of everything… no ownership, no responsibility.  There is no internal compunction of conscience to hold them in check.  Their moral scruples have been overridden too long and now their conscience is seared.

Our country is being buffeted by some of these strong contrary winds… winds with an expressed intention to destroy the traditional American culture; our families, our borders, our gender definitions, our legal systems.  This is real.  For the preservation of our amazing republic… for the sake of our own peace and safety… for the well being of our future generations, we must wake up, America.  And our adversaries are not from the outside… they are from within our very own walls.

“A general Dissolution of Principles & Manners will more surely overthrow the Liberties of America than the whole Force of the Common Enemy.” – Samuel Adams

Our forefathers realized the preciousness and uniqueness of their framework of these United States.  They all had some measure of the fear of God upon them as they fashioned a Constitution that has no equal.  Some considered it so sacred that they gladly gave their lives.

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” – Nathan Hale

And some realized that they were experiencing a miracle in mankind’s history.  They realized that this rare framework of a government had the capacity to not only establish peace and stability within its walls but promote peace in the world.

“Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands.  Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, because if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.” – Daniel Webster

The dream in the hearts of our forefathers has worked very well for nearly 250 years, as a tribute to them, a blessing to us and a testament to the world.  But that “experiment” is hanging in the balances.  Those balances could tip adversely.  If a few more ill winds blow over us, you and I could lose an invaluable gift that our fathers and God gave to us.

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” – George Washington

In other words, in the end, our liberty and our Republic is in our hands. We can preserve it… or lose it.

Sadly, the democratic infrastructure of our republic has an inherent weakness.  When a substantial percentage of the population lose their ability to self-govern in areas of morals, responsibility, decency and respect, they start feeling entitled.  They soon realize they can vote themselves more and more ‘easy street’.  This new ‘ticket to free things’ ends up bankrupting our financial systems, our morale, our courage and our inheritance.

“Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.  There never was a democracy yet, that did not commit suicide.” – John Adams

Just like God giving us free will… He gave us the freedom to choose our own eternal destiny… a most wonderful gift that gives us access to the riches of His love and Heaven.  But it also gives us the liberty to not choose Him.  He made Himself vulnerable by giving us this freedom.  But this setup actually shows how much value and worth we are in God’s heart.  He gives us dignity and power to choose.  Our forefathers handed us a similar situation – freedom to choose our own destiny knowing we could win big… or lose it all.  Here’s a commentary on that dynamic.

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.” – commonly attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler

Sobering!  Where do you think our country is in this cycle?  It’s not too late.  We can break the cycle!  Let’s do it!  America’s good people are going to rally and stop the tide.  God will help us!

The last few elections have been increasingly crucial, and the stakes have never been higher.  But here is good news: God loves America and He still performs miracles!!  And you know how much we all love great God-stories!  Go, God!

— MLH

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Politics 2020: My views – day 3

I have great confidence that God has great plans for America.  He is not finished with America… not by a long shot.  He’s the God of welcomed surprises.  I do not fear, nor am I worried.  Ultimately, my hope is never in the cunning or strength of man.  God has a ‘ways and means committee’ and He means to have His way!  😊  I just want to be on His side of the matter.
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Yesterday we talked about the need to evaluate the foundational widely diverging worldviews between the political platforms of the two presidential candidates.  We addressed parties and party platforms.  It wasn’t my aim to denigrate individuals, because we remember that God dearly loves each candidate beyond our wildest imaginations. 

Today, I’d like to focus on the matter of life… all life.  I think most Americans are uncomfortable with any termination of life whether it’s pre-born or aged… or for that matter, even a pet.  Thank God for a conscience that is disturbed by such things.  

First, I’d like to highlight the beginning of life… and the value of life.  How does God view it?  What does the Bible say?  In the Gospel of Luke, we have the account of Jesus’ advent into the world.  Let’s look at Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth in chapter 1. 

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. – Luke 1:39-44

Twice the Bible calls Elizabeth’s preborn, not a fetus and not tissue… but, “the baby”.  And think of this; the very first person to acknowledge and respond to the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ into the world was an unborn child.  How special!!  From this, I wonder what value God puts on the unborn? In addition, this Biblical account tells us that preborn babies have the ability to be cognizantly aware of their natural surroundings.  And beyond the natural awareness, it seems that they have the ability to be aware of their spiritual surroundings… and respond to them.  

In ancient Bible times, there was a practice among some idol worshippers to sacrifice their children to the gods of Molech and Baal.  The belief was that there must be a trade in order to get something in return.  In modern practice of commerce or exchange, there is always a tradeoff.  For money, we trade time and services rendered.  For favor, we trade a favor.  For convenience, we trade a precious life resulting from a brief elicit pleasure.  Hmmm.

BTW – It never went well for the nations or people who practiced child sacrifice.

But abortion is not just an embarrassing unseemly practice in the underbelly of our society.  Americans cringed when some of its leaders brazenly and shamelessly celebrated when new abortion laws were extended to full term.  Here are the revealing headlines of several popular papers when New York and Virginia passed full-term abortion laws in January 2019.  Headlines:

USA Today
Most Americans don’t want a standing ovation for abortions until birth. But Democrats do.
“What happened in New York last week was tragic. But it was a teaching moment in that it made clear the left’s views on a deeply divisive issue.” – Jan 30, 2019 

Washington Examiner
Disgusting: New York not only legalized late-term abortions, but also celebrated like it won the Super Bowl
“When the bill passed, the video shows the assembly chamber erupting into cheers” – Jan 23, 2019

BBC News
Virginia late-term abortion bill labeled ‘infanticide’
Jan 31, 2019

Without question, the majority of Americans are repulsed at these headlines because most Americans have a heart that cares and a conscience that can be moved.  Question: If it’s legal, does that make it right?  If ‘legal’ makes is right, then how do we feel about slavery?  It used to be legal at one time.  Was it right?  Of course not!!  So what are we going to do about this? 

Now, if one of my readers feels the guilt of having had an abortion, this writing is not in any way intended to devalue you or single you out.  We all keenly remember, “For ALL have sinned….”   The wonderful thing about God is that He has more than enough mercy for all of us.  If you need help in coming to terms with this regret, find someone soon to help you experience full forgiveness and begin a fresh new start in life.

This writing is to highlight what we all know in our heart of hearts… abortion is wrong!  I pray that none of us forget the sacredness of a life and that it is within our power to preserve that sacredness when we go to vote.

— MLH

 

Politics 2020: My views – day 2

Note: I respect other people’s opinions expressed on their own page.  Please, don’t use my public page to express your views.  As a matter of common courtesy, a private FB Message works well.  I will not publicly debate anyone.  I delete, block or unfriend contrary or oppositional comments.

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So if the personalities… or even the intellectual savvy of the two candidates are not the primary issues at stake, then what is?  As I see it, the issues aren’t even the difference in policies of fiscal, infrastructure or governmental administrative matters.  The issues at hand are starkly contrasting and diametrically opposing ‘worldviews’ on many fronts.  In my opinion here are a few:

1. God OR no God
2. Basic immutable moralities OR tolerance of ‘anything’
3. Respect for human dignity OR dispensable ‘tissue’
4. National identity VS global community mentality
5. Capitalism/individual entrepreneurship VS nanny state socialism/communism
6. Constitutional originalism VS in flux reinterpretation
7. Empower people VS government intrusion
and there are many other contrasting differences…..

Each contrast highlights deeply fundamental and widely diverging life-altering views!!!  Ask yourself, “Which ones do I want for my grandchildren?”

Can you find your party’s platform in these opposing world views?  Although both parties fail miserably in many of its practices, it should be fairly easy to identify.  Now hypothetically extrapolate out from where we are currently, if we continue in a trajectory in these opposing directions, where will we be in 10 years… in 50 years?  Is that the country and society that you dreamed of creating for your family’s future generations?

So let’s address just one of the fundamentals; God OR no God.  What were the stated intentions of the Founders of our Nation?  Was it not, for freedom of worship, among other things?  Disregarding a few isolated quotes to the contrary, most of our early American forefathers were religious and God-fearing men and they made laws that reflected the decency and order of a God-fearing nation.

In this last decade, one party brazenly removed the mention of God from their party platform.  One of New York Post’s headlines bluntly states, “Democrats still haven’t faced their God problem.”  When you excise God out of your party and platform under the guise of “separation of church and state”, then you have nothing to lean on, except yourself… nothing to measure against, except yourself… nothing to call upon in trouble, except yourself… and no wholesome standards with which to create laws or build a society, except yourself.  Has anyone ever found that over time their desires have a tendency to affect their values or standards?  Of course, we have!  So, without an external influence to curb those unbridled internal desires, where will one’s values and standards end up?  For our own national survival, we must have the God-factor to establish immutable boundaries.

So, what will it take to stop the downward suction into lawlessness?

Soberingly, we are facing a mortal battle over the identity and soul of our nation.  Yes, the downward trend has been going on for decades.  We’ve been like the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water… it heated so slowly that the frog didn’t recognize its soon demise.  Without debate, our morals as a nation have plummeted and our courageous soul to stand for what’s right, has crumbled.  In my mind there is no question, the legislations which canceled God out of the public sector have led to the devolving of morals and ever-increasing willingness to tolerate lawlessness… yes, we as a society, have created our own mess.

Here’s a quote from one of America’s Founding Fathers, John Adams;

“ … we have no government, armed with power, capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and religion.  Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

You see, our forefathers knew that if the people didn’t fear and serve God, then no decent law would be sufficient to govern a resulting lawless people.  History says, a society without a God-compass, will gravitate toward lawlessness, and from that culture, some lawless dictator will assert his iron fist.  This doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see… with 20/20 vision we can review the rise and fall of nations.

G. Edward Griffin April 3, 1969, Communist Smear Tactics, Communist Revolution in America

It’s not too late to stop the tide! It’s still within our power, with God’s help, to halt the degradation of America’s moral courage and thus, save a nation and the heart of her people.  We must muster our soul… we must rally an army of voters to do what is humanly possible to prevent our progeny from living under the dehumanizing of a socialist or communistic tyranny.

This 8 min video was filmed over 51 years ago… notice the relevances to today.  You may say that this is a reckless incitement of people’s emotions.  Well, although some of the things cited herein are a little over the top, it is incredibly sobering, and should be shocking, that some of these things have already happened and are being unashamedly perpetrated on our American culture, even as we speak.  Now, consider the publicly published mindsets of the current atheistic financial backers… and the public figures who endorse their subversive plans.  The picture gets more than clear!  Hello, America!!!!

And that, my friends, highlights ONLY ONE of the above 7 contrasts of ‘world views’.  We must choose wisely!

It’s not too late.  We can do this!  May God help us!

–MLH

Politics 2020: My views – day 1

Our country’s next Presidential election on Nov 3, 2020, is less than one week away!

We’re not just talking about voting between two different men… we are voting between two very opposite mindsets, two different world views, two opposite cultures.  For us to debate or get hung up on the personal strengths and weaknesses of these two men, would be to miss the much larger picture.  The regimes and ideologies behind the men are diametrically opposed to each other.  One believes that America is great… and the other believes America is evil.  If you believe America is evil then you’ll feel free to vilify America and thus create a revolutionary path to destroy America.  Under that regime, the America that we’ve known and loved will cease to be!!  This destructive agenda is in full view… full swing… in real-time, right in front of our eyes… NOW!

This 17-minute video lays it out quite well.

In order to destroy America, the agenda is to undermine, erode and delegitimize the courageous soul of traditional Americans.  We must not be distracted by personality issues when a full swing destructive revolutionary coup is in process. Here are just a few issues…

Abortion
Human trafficking
Moral cultural issues
Anarchy and lawlessness
2^nd Amendment
Rise of socialism/communism
Open borders/immigration
Racism/reverse racism
Defunding law enforcement
‘Tolerance’ gone mad
Deterioration of our country’s Godly ‘compass’

Note: You may not agree with me.  I’m truly quite OK with that!  For the record, I have never posted oppositional comments on anyone’s public page… and never intend to.

If you don’t like my views, don’t read them… or feel free to unfollow or unfriend me.  But if you feel compelled to post something contrary to my theme, you should know that I’m VERY comfortable with deleting argumentative, contentious or mean comments… and blocking or unfriending people!

I understand that my views will not sway those staunchly holding to an opposing view.  But there are many who are undecided and I intend to do what I can to activate them into meaningful votes.

I realize that our nation’s ultimate ‘salvation’ does not rest in the hands of a man or a woman.  It is God who raises up or demotes (Dan 2:21). But our heart realities (Godly or not) and our actions (or lack of them) set a strong precedent and open ‘doors’ in the natural and the spiritual realms (Prov 14:34).  So, I intend to pray and to vote…and to activate others to do the same.

— MLH

Christian prisoners sprung out of Burmese prison

Stories to Inspire

Recently, my friend Brian in Redding, CA told me of a story that happened to him a few years ago. In their home group they had traveled in the Spirit and set captive persecuted Christians free… only to see the evidence of it in the US news a few days later. That’s the kind of results we expect to see as we mature in co-ruling and co-legislating with God.

Up till a few years ago, our plaintiff petition prayers have been our only option, when we’re asking for God to do something about a problem on earth. And it’s been the best option that we had… taking into consideration the level of revelation that we had at the time. But now we realize that our Heavenly citizenship avails us much more latitude of movement in the Spirit realm… and much more effectiveness and results. This frontier is a game-changer. It’s becoming apparent that Christian life has so many more options for growth, expansion, effectiveness and governance, etc. Exciting!

What a God!!!
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Christian prisoners sprung out of Burmese prison

“Several years ago, I was mentally transported to another location on the earth while we were in a time of prayer and worship in a homegroup that my wife and I hosted. I found myself in a prison where persecuted Christians were having a glorious worship experience from cell to cell.”

“The images were coming from that ‘God place’ of my mind that I was learning to become familiar with. I saw myself riding on the back of an angel through the prison corridors opening the prison doors and setting the captives free. I began narrating what I was seeing, play-by-play, to the attendees in our homegroup. A few of the people in the room began speaking in tongues with a distinct, Chinese sounding-dialect that one of the attendees said sounded like Burmese.”

“After this unusual 30-40 minute encounter, we opened up a map and felt like we had been transported into a prison in Burma. The reason we chose Burma is that one of the girls in our group had recently been there, and as I described what I saw, she felt and discerned that I was in a Burmese prison. Everything was so random and spontaneous that one could have easily brushed the entire scenario off as conjured, fake and even childish.”

“But, to our amazement, a few days later, major network news announced that Hillary Clinton had just returned from Burma where she was negotiating for the release of “political prisoners”. In Burma, the term “political prisoners” can also include Christians. You can view Hillary’s Jan 13, 2012 statement in the Treaty Room of the State Department online.” – BN

https://www.c-span.org/video/?303689-2/secretary-clinton-statement-burma-treaty

Excerpt adapted from Brian Nickens’ book entitled: ‘Hunger Driven – Overcoming Fear and Skepticism of Supernatural Christianity’. Used by permission

— MLH

A gun, angels and time travel

Stories to Inspire

Sometimes life bursts in really suddenly.  And it would like to rob our joy, our peace and our life.  We have to make a decision then; whether life is going to rule us… or if we’re going to rule over life.  This requires that we have trained our hearts to be anchored in the goodness and love of God.  This is something we can do… and must do… in order to not be robbed of thriving in life.  

But then, sometimes God breaks through and injects a dose of faith that eclipses the strain and stress of circumstances.  That’s what happened to our son John and daughter-in-love Cheryl, recently.  When life rudely invaded the sanctity of their home and family, they chose to stay in faith… but then God went ‘over the top’ with an encounter whose effect will thankfully empower them for a long time. 

God is just so Good that way, you know!  He’s the best!

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A gun, angels and time travel

Bullet holes

“Eight gunshots rang out in rapid succession in the stillness of the night… all of them aimed at our house.  They had been shot from a dark-colored Tahoe/type SUV moving slowly through our normally very peaceful neighborhood.  By the third shot, I yelled, “Get down!  It’s gunfire!”  And almost by protective instinct, Cheryl dropped to the living room floor to lay over our sleeping 4-year-old nephew.  But even though one of the bullets passed through our front metal door and tiled bathtub wall, none of the slugs did serious damage to the house and more importantly, none of the 2 adults and 5 children inside the house were injured.  Just perchance, one neighbor actually witnessed the whole scenario.  Within seconds, so many neighbors called 911 that it jammed the answering service for a while.  We quickly reviewed our security cameras and were able to slow-mo many details of the ordeal.  The police arrived shortly after calling, put up crime scene tape around the area and did their best to piece together what had just happened and gather tips as to who would have done it and why it happened.  Several theories are swirling around, but nothing solid… yet!”

“Now the good news: Five of the eight shots hit the concrete driveway and/or concrete steps before they hit our house… thus slowing them down and redirecting them (one actually ricocheted off of our house and sadly, entered our neighbor’s house).  We found two of the slugs inside our house and 4 or 5 shell casings in the street which is enough to know that the weapon was a 45 caliber pistol.  We’re hopeful that the casings may yield more intel.”

“To be honest, fear was banging loudly at our mind’s door.  It wanted to take up residence and would have gladly terrorized us for who knows how long into the future.  But we determined to not let fear take us down into its dark swirl.  Fear wants to imprison you by painting the worst possible scenario in your mind, such as: All it would have taken is a slight turning of the muzzle of that pistol and the trajectories of those shots could have altered our lives forever – literally.  BUT we were determined to stay in faith… faith that comes from knowing that our God is exponentially greater than the evil one… and He had protected us from mortal injury or casualty… or even any major damage to the house.  God spared our lives!”

“Even so, we half-seriously asked the question what would it be like to go back in time, in the Spirit realm, and change the events surrounding the perpetrator?  Could that be possible and what would that look like?”

“Well, the next day Cheryl found herself a grateful recipient of a professional foot massage.”

Cheryl: “Without any mental initiation on my part, when the soft music began to play, Holy Spirit led me back to the time of the shooting… only now, I was standing outside the passenger door of the SUV, looking into its interior.  This experience was very real.  I watched the driver reach over to pick up his gun.  I watched as he aimed toward our home and squeezed the trigger.  I followed the first bullet shot toward our home in slow-motion, while the others flew beside me in my peripheral vision.  But then, just as this first bullet made contact, I realized the wall was total ‘white’ and I found myself zooming back out to confirm what I was seeing.  It was confusing at first… but as I zoomed out from the house, I saw that the white was actually a white dome over our whole house.  What I was viewing was still a mystery, until I realized that the white dome was actually the backs of mighty angels who had surrounded our house and were huddled shoulder to shoulder, leaning in and bending over our house.  As the scene developed, the huge angels began to raise up, stand up straight and turn around to face me with arms crossed in front of their chests… as if to say they had faithfully fulfilled their job of protecting the occupants of the house.”

“This scenario was wonderfully impacting and totally overwhelming for me.  It was all I could do, while on the massage chair, to hold back sobs of joy, wonder and gratefulness.  Fortunately, there was a towel over my face which covered my tears.  I’m sure the masseur would have been confused had he known what I was really experiencing.  It took me some time to process what I had just witnessed… and how poignant its true meaning was to our whole family the night before.  Powerful angels had literally spared our lives.  The Lord let me see from His vantage point, which did more for obliterating fear than any amount of counseling could ever do.  I am now more fear-free than at any other time of my life.  Thank God!!”

“As we began processing different elements of Cheryl’s experience, we remembered that two and a half years ago, our son Eli saw an angel in our backyard, “As tall as the house!”  Remembering this, increased our faith even more!”

“We have great relationships with everyone in our cul-de-sac… and this ordeal has instantly and easily given us new emotional and spiritual inroads to every person.  We get to tell them how God fights for us to protect all that concerns us and His will for our lives… and that we are not at all fearful despite what the circumstances would like to dictate.  Most get it… sort of… because they’ve heard our previous conversations about our Good God.”

“So, is it possible to go back in time?  Yes!!!  And God can do it in such a way that makes it more real than even the physical realm.  There is another dimension… a Heavenly dimension, at work around us.  Just makes us want to become familiar with the Spirit realm more than ever!  God is such a GREAT God!”

“A few weeks before the incident, we posted a video clip of our son Asher, declaring the power of God.  In hindsight, this clip feels quite prophetic.” – JH & CH

Ps 91:4-12  

He shall hide thee under His feathers, He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.  Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

— MLH

A clean sweep and all Heaven breaks loose!

Stories to Inspire

The Spirit realm is big!  And Holy Spirit is even bigger.  And He’s a great leader: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (Jn 16:13).  This makes for exhilarating vistas expanding out in all directions. 

Who knew that our effectiveness wasn’t limited to just our earthly physicality?  Our belief system used to limit our effectiveness to only what we could do while in our physical body.  But what happens when we get liberated from the confines of this body into the expansiveness of Holy Spirit’s realms!?  What happens when we are untethered from the natural laws of physics and find ourselves able to travel and function with Holy Spirit wherever He goes?  I tell you what happens!  Christian life just takes a quantum leap into “life and life more abundantly”!  Thank you Jesus, for that quote!

Brian Nickens found himself in a Holy Spirit assignment, partnering with an angel to set the stage for a God-encounter for his whole group.  So cool!  More, Lord!

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A clean sweep and all Heaven breaks loose

“On a Monday night I was lying in bed reading a book by Praying Medic entitled, ‘Traveling in the Spirit Made Simple’.  I fell asleep but really ‘fell’ into the Spirit realm.  I found myself in the upper room of the church where I was going to teach a bible class the very next evening.”

“I was aware that there was a dark cloud or haze in the room.  An angel in the corner instructed me to remove the haze.  We were both hovering above the floor.  The angel further instructed me to use hand motions to ‘sweep’ the haze (which was fear, doubt and shame, etc) into the center of the room.  The haze responded to my ‘sweeping’ motions and collected in the middle of the room in the form of a ball.”

“The angel then instructed me to remove the ball of haze from the room.  It was now like a balloon floating about 3 feet off the ground.  As the angel ‘stood’ behind me, I pushed the ball out into the hall, down the stairwell and passed the security.  As I opened the front door and pushed it out the entrance of the church building, it got sucked out into the atmosphere.  The angel then said to go back to the upper room and release joy, peace, love, and the power of God in the room.  So back in the room, I began joyfully spinning and releasing just as I was instructed.”

“When the encounter ended I found myself back in my bedroom covered in sweat.”

“The next night when a first-time visitor from Jamaica walked into the bible study… she raised her fist in the air, shouted “Glory! The Presence of God is in the room!”  As more people arrived, they seemed to automatically get ushered into an unusual encounter with God.  For the next 30-40 minutes, people were overcome with the power of God and were beside themselves with various manifestations.  This lasted about 40 minutes.  Word got out around the building that “God was in the room” and other people in the building, including security, came to join in the experience.”

“When the unusual encounter finally subsided, I recounted to those in the room what had happened with me the night before.  With Holy Spirit’s leadership and an angel’s assistance, I had cleaned the room, and released the powerful Presence of God to usher us all into a Heavenly experience that we’ll not easily forget.” – BN

— MLH

Encouragement from the cloud of witnesses

Stories to Inspire

Heaven is getting so much more real… and so much more NOW… and so much more accessible!  I’ve recently been listening to and reading so many fresh things that it’s almost overwhelming to think of the limitless possibilities available to us as we learn to live in the “Heavenly places” (Eph 2:6).  I feel like I’m having to ‘gear-up’ to play ‘catch-up’.  It’s so much fun!

As you know, one of the areas we’ve been exploring is the idea of engaging all of Heaven’s resources which our awesome Father has made available to us.  Angels, saints… and other entities that we won’t go into right now.  I mean, if Heb 12 says, “We HAVE (past tense) come to this mountain” full of various Heavenly hosts, then I believe that it’s only natural to believe that we can and should have access to these hosts, as rich assets for growing into our full New Creation identity in Christ.  O, boy!  That’s feel like a boost of nitro!  😊

In a recent gathering, we applied ourselves to enter the “Heavenly places”.  A very dear friend had a very impacting encounter which touched her deeply and answered a troubling need in her heart.  I think you’ll be encouraged as you hear her story.

For more regarding engaging with the cloud of witnesses, try these passages:  Heb 11:39-40, Heb 12:1; 22-23, Lk 9:30-31; Acts 1:10-11; Gen 18:2, etc  
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Encouragement from the cloud of witnesses

“Recently, we were going ‘up to heaven’ as a group.  I heard Mark talk about all of us being in the Throne room with the Father and Jesus.  At that moment I felt the warm feeling of friendship and fellowship among us all as we gathered and experienced such enjoyment being in the presence of Father and Jesus!”

“At one point, I “happened” to look between some people in our group and beyond them into the Throne room, and saw my Aunt and Uncle who had passed away years ago.  She was waving wildly and had the biggest smile.  When they saw me looking, they started dancing!  It was like they were serenading me with the kinds of dances that make you laugh… and at one point they did a dance train like we do in worship sometimes.  I was vaguely aware of two other uncles or family members joining them.  After that, my aunt was suddenly beside me – loving on me.  Although there were no words between us, when she looked into my eyes, the exchange in the spirit left me feeling strengthened and encouraged.”

Cloud of witnesses

“In their earthly lives my aunt and three of my uncles were confined to a wheelchair because they had muscular dystrophy (a degenerative disease for which there is no cure).  I had given them personal care for many years.”

“This encounter was very special because I had recently been fighting through a period of pretty deep depression.  I couldn’t hear or feel God like I was used to, which frankly, had been frightening for me.  This experience was especially dear to me because God’s tender presence… and my heightened spiritual awareness… and Heaven’s powerful realities… all became so real.  Thank you, God, for Your very personal way of touching and healing my heart!” – EM

— MLH