Mel Gibson warned actor Jim Caviezel that playing the character of Christ was going to be very difficult and that if he accepted, he most likely would be marginalized by Hollywood. Caviezel asked for a day to think about it and his response to Mel who was funding and directing the movie was: [Continue at..] The Story Behind Passion of Christ — Clever Journeys
I continue being humbled by the long-running theme of how Deut 19:15 (a matter is established by the mouth of two or three witnesses) applies to what arises for this blog! Now, the Lord speaks to two modern-day servants about the parable of the ten minas in Luke 19.
Thursday tasks, correspondence and blogging action list for four weeks ago today (4×7 days) 23rd February is shown below because it applies to what I heard from the Lord first thing the following Tuesday (28th):
The ‘Occupy’ item resulted in this post quoting Chris G Bennett and Bishop J.C .Ryle’s classic Are You Ready For The End Of Time? (Read all blog’s ‘Occupy’ posts here)
Now four weeks later our dear sister posts this, which I share and refer to an online chat on 27th February in a bible group about the Asbury outpouring:
Here’s what Veronika published on 21st March at His Kingdom Prophecy based upon Luke 19.13 (KJV):
TAKE IT! TAKE IT NOW!! OCCUPY ‘TIL HE COMES!!!
“I Say Take It! Take It Now! And Occupy Till I Come!”
I hear The Spirit say, ”As you decrease, so I will Increase! As you go lower, so I will take you higher!
For I will resist the proud and the arrogant, and those who are puffed up in their own achievements and amazing accomplishments — have no part in Me.
Beloved, you have a high calling! You are My Ambassadors, My Representatives on the earth.
There is no need to hold on to the honour and recognition that the world bestows, but rather, embrace the Grace that I give to the Humble, for a broken and contrite heart mark those who have been chosen for true Greatness.
So, lay aside your own abilities, your plentiful resources, and your fierce determination to do things in your might and human power, and let My Spirit bring you Guidance.
Let My Holy Spirit pour into your life, like the oil that fueled Zechariah’s lamp-stand.
I tell you, human weakness is no obstacle, for My Power is perfected in the face of hardships, times of difficulty and persecution. When you are weak, I AM Strong!
Let Me free you from your enemies, and not with weapons, armies, or horses and charioteers, but by My Power, as The LORD your God.
Let My Spirit guarantee you Success and Victory, in the midst of conflict and chaos.
I say to you, do not be anxious about the future; wars and rumours of wars; the rising fuel prices and the cost of living; what you will eat and what you will wear!
Has not My Mercy always made a way where there seemed no way?
Has not My Grace always been sufficient for you?
And has not My Wisdom brought unexpected answers and timely solutions?
My Child, can you think of one time in your life when My Love ran out on you?
NO! For did I not promise, to never — no never! — no never, to leave you, nor abandon you?
But Look! Though the Storm Clouds are gathering — fear not! — for The Light of My Glory lines every dark cloud on the horizon, and My Grace flows beneath every cross-current, for surely I tell you, even the contrary Winds will only accelerate you closer to the Divine Destiny I have for you!
Stop leaning on your own understanding and thinking you know what is best! Every obstacle on your path, and every valley on your journey, only propels you higher and takes you deeper into the place of Promise and greater Prosperity, that has been prepared for you.
I only give the greatest battles to My Strongest Warriors. I AM purposeful and deliberate in all that I do in your life. [RB: note well underscoring re next post]
Seasons of testing and trials are inevitable, though I understand you may seek at times after a life of ease and comfort.
I know, that this would be counter-productive, even destructive, to the Destiny I have for you. My Ways may seem harsh, and My methods controversial — and even contradictory to the ways of the World — But I AM more concerned about your Character, Beloved, than I AM about your comfort and ease.
A True Disciple is what I AM fashioning and forming within you.
One who will see the violent Winds and the raging Waves, and will fearlessly and courageously step out of the boat — to walk on the waters with Me.
One who has no fear of man, and will walk into the fiery furnace with Me.
One whom I can trust, in whom to manifest My Glory on the Earth, Beloved.
So be patient! Hold fast! Though the days are getting darker, the Light of My Glory is getting brighter.
Know that sufferings and afflictions are all working towards a consuming Glory, a Glory that shall diminish the darkness!
Therefore, lift up your voices — not in complaining or in unbelief — but in high Praises coming from a heart full of Hope, Expectation and Faith.
Rejoice in the Victory promised but not yet seen! Celebrate in advance for the Triumph that is already yours.
Let the sound of a New Song fill and shift the atmosphere of doubt and fear. Satan cannot stand in the presence of Praise, his demonic assignments are cut down, and his evil deeds are dismantled and demolished.
Finally Beloved, Mighty Overcoming Ones, let this day not be a day of lethargy and passivity, regrets and complacency, but let this be the hour that you Arise as My Spiritual Storm-Riders!
As you place your life under My Loving Hand, I will lift you up, and strengthen your bones!
Only believe that I have formed and fashioned you for higher things, to Rule and Reign from heavenly places, that you may take the land I have allotted to you, as your Kingdom Inheritance.
I say, Take It! Take It Now! And occupy till I come!”
Blessings to you all.
~ by Veronika West
In celebration of the previous post on The Rapture showing a published total of 4,212 I’m re-posting this one from my testimony and which explains the deep significance of number 212 in my utterly unexpected and blessed foretaste of Jesus’ return:
‘…but mercy (full of glad confidence) exults victoriously over judgement’ – James 2:13 (The Amplified Bible)
Quite some time was needed to gain a full understanding of that awesome visitation 33 years ago and being confronted by the absolute holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. (On 13-14 September 1989.)
No wonder I was intensely convicted and suddenly knew personal judgement definitely IS TRUE! As mentioned, I fully expected to take my last breath there and then and be dropped down into Hell.
It was a few years until I heard that “mercy triumphs over judgement” – yes indeed it does and thank you for being so gracious to me, my Lord. May it be similarly so for the multitudes who don’t yet know You.
That life-changing encounter used two personally intimate aspects of my life, unknown to any living soul, to grab my attention and thereby validate the experience as being real, not imaginary. Even more amazingly, both validations are directly related to the 1st and 2nd Advents! Thus, they could not but enhance my interest in End-Times that had begun only a few years earlier when reading The Invisible Hand (as described herein). Yet it took me 30 years for it to dawn upon me that when that happened I’d been given the first two pieces of an ‘invisible jigsaw’!!!
The First Advent was when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea about two thousand years ago. Hence, the four weeks leading into Christmas are designated within the church calendar as Advent, and which start the church year. The Second Advent is coming soon and is expected to begin in the city of Jerusalem.
FIRST VALIDATION
I inwardly ‘knew’ that heavenly visitor was indeed Jesus Christ himself, and that His impressive swift descent was a foretaste of His promised return in all His glory.
The event reminded me of my favourite picture in mother’s Missal, or service book of the Roman Mass. This gave the scriptures for Sunday services throughout the year together with a picture symbolising the theme for each service. As a boy very keen on astronomy I’d been fascinated by the picture for the First Sunday in Advent. It depicted Jesus standing on the clouds over a burning earth in the midst of sun, moon and falling stars, telling of events before his Second Advent! Continue reading
In my very first email of 9 February 2009 The Endgame is now in Play circulated to a few friends and church leaders and about which I’ve blogged on several occasions, I refer to looking up Matthew 13’s parable of the wheat and tares only to hear “This is ALL about to be fulfilled!”
The remainder, however, hasn’t been covered until now. Remember this was 12 years ago and it reads:
‘Have you studied or read/heard/given any teaching on this topic lately? So, let’s watch closely what’s happening here and globally. When I’m by a news stand it’s noticeable that the Daily Telegraph is the only paper to headline matters of Christian concern – several within a fortnight recently. Eg. on 6 Feb it broke the news of Nurse Caroline Petrie’s suspension for offering to pray for a patient with front page headline ‘NHS staff face sack if they discuss religion’. (Daily Mail often supports Christians.)
We took exception to this and wrote to N.Somerset PCT saying we were glad their policy wasn’t in effect 3 years ago when Nina was fighting for her life! (I explained it was only because the night-duty nurse prayed that her throat immediately opened and she became peaceful, as shown on her monitor’s read-out.) So, we’re pleased to learn Caroline has been allowed to return to work, but I’m challenging the PCT’s ‘equality’ stance.
However, this is just one instance of the growing persecution of believers, principally through a policy supposedly promoting toleration but that’s now a tyrannical tool of intolerance – Equality & Diversity. There are other powers of suppression. Even the previous director of MI5 warns about UK sleep-walking into a police state (‘Abject nonsense’ responded a gov’t minister who lives on another planet). Rampant lawlessness now exists not only in society but also within legal authorities – laws not approved by Parliament – ‘snoop and snitch’ culture – correction punished and evil behaviour rewarded – ID cards and routine interception of email and phones – etc etc. Clearly, Banking isn’t the only thoroughly corrupt UK institution.
Let us, however, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we await the blessed hope of His glorious appearing. May the Lord bless you and keep you and yours,’
TWELVE YEARS LATER
NOW, Christian Concern brings a DOUBLE DOSE of welcome news, first as in these extracts:
After launching this blog I published my dear wife’s full testimony along with evidence in From ‘Disabled’ to Enabled – Jesus heals Nina’s spine.
Months after that night of destiny in 1989 I trashed my occult and New Age books, yet I kept some items that were very significant to membership in those occult brotherhoods. But very soon, troubles brewed up within my relationships. And they got worse, and worse. So I asked for prayer help and gathered all those remaining things, such as ritualistic items and pictures. Right at the peak of my trouble I heard an almost audible voice instruct me to…
“Burn what you’ve collected – NOW!”
Never, ever, would I have believed what was to happen next: Continue reading
The Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. [St Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:13-14, Amplified Bible.]
To continue my testimony upon my 33rd spiritual birthday:
As well as checking out Christians’ claims of hearing God direct and getting astounding personal evidence for that, I wanted to know lots more not only about Him, but also and especially to follow-up on the personally revelatory scriptures about false teachers.
In my great wariness of religious folk I’d assumed none would be able to comprehend my story because they’d be ignorant about those things. Doubtless, none would have been through my kind of bad, meditative ‘trips’ – or so I thought!
But direct help was again at hand from the Bible’s Author…Yet first, there’s one little-suspected aspect of His character that amazingly revealed a very personal thought and thus confirmed He knows all about me. Here’s what had happened many years earlier.: Continue reading
Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, ‘For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), and [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when raising Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], far above all rule and authority and power dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come…. [Eph1:17-21, Amplified Bible. We decree that the blindness be removed from the eyes of all the peoples of this land so they may see Jesus Christ is Lord.]
IN CELEBRATING MY SPIRITUAL BIRTHDAY I THANK GOD FOR MY EARTHLY AND ETERNAL LIVES
Lord, help me love everyone,even wrongdoers, with Your awesome, gracious undying love
Life-changing as my ‘rescue’ was in that dream-visitation on 14th September 33 years ago, I did not want to rush off to church. The event’s effect and ramifications upon my philosophy of life needed careful consideration. For example, I needed to check out widespread claims of the Bible having been compiled and modified by Church councils in the 4th Century after Christ, as well as learn about its history from authoritative sources. [Prof F.F. Bruce’s The Books and The Parchments (1991) was very helpful, especially about the ‘Muratorian Fragment’. Drawn up in late 2nd Century in the church at Rome, it lists practically all the canonical New Testament literature.]
So not only did I need to assess those personal implications, but also as possibly a new believer in Jesus Christ I wanted to find well-informed believers who take Him seriously. I soon did so, but then needed to put their claims of hearing direct from God to the test. After all, they believe we have a relationship with Him and so we have but to ask…
‘…but mercy (full of glad confidence) exults victoriously over judgement’ – James 2:13 (The Amplified Bible)
Quite some time was needed to gain a full understanding of that awesome visitation 33 years ago and being confronted by the absolute holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder I was intensely convicted and suddenly knew personal judgement definitely IS TRUE! As mentioned, I fully expected to take my last breath there and then and be dropped down into Hell.
It was a few years until I heard that “mercy triumphs over judgement” – yes indeed it does and thank you for being so gracious to me, my Lord. May it be similarly so for the multitudes who don’t yet know You.
That life-changing encounter used two personally intimate aspects of my life, unknown to any living soul, to grab my attention and thereby validate the experience as being real, not imaginary. Even more amazingly, both validations are directly related to the 1st and 2nd Advents! Thus, they could not but enhance my interest in End-Times that had begun only a few years earlier when reading The Invisible Hand (as described herein). Yet it took me 30 years for it to dawn upon me that when that happened I’d been given the first two pieces of an ‘invisible jigsaw’!!!
The First Advent was when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea about two thousand years ago. Hence, the four weeks leading into Christmas are designated within the church calendar as Advent, and which start the church year. The Second Advent is coming soon and is expected to begin in the city of Jerusalem.
FIRST VALIDATION
I inwardly ‘knew’ that heavenly visitor was indeed Jesus Christ himself, and that His impressive swift descent was a foretaste of His promised return in all His glory.
The event reminded me of my favourite picture in mother’s Missal, or service book of the Roman Mass. This gave the scriptures for Sunday services throughout the year together with a picture symbolising the theme for each service. As a boy very keen on astronomy I’d been fascinated by the picture for the First Sunday in Advent. It depicted Jesus standing on the clouds over a burning earth in the midst of sun, moon and falling stars, telling of events before his Second Advent!
The validation referred to above came almost as unusually. On a healing retreat six years later, a minister told me God would show me something after lunch. Indeed He did for a lady whom I’d never met and was seated at my table confided after lunch that the Lord told her to show me something she greatly treasured.
It was a photo taken from an aircraft over a thunderstorm. When developed, the photo bore an image of Jesus Christ as though standing within the clouds. But the facial features were hazy; exactly like Jesus in my dream because I’d not seen His face!! (I seem to recall hazy clouds at the foot of the image. This one shown is published by Bible Probe.)
My legs gave way upon seeing this photo as I couldn’t remain standing but had to drop down into a nearby chair! My companion, Yvonne, said I went so white she thought I was going to faint or fall. Continue reading
Upon awaking on 14th September 1989, I was UTTERLY happy to find I’m still alive after having had such a very close call with death in the night!
The previous evening in Pangbourne, Berkshire, I’d firmly shut the door to hearing any more about God’s Good News! But that night had been spent at my childhood home at 212 E___ Rd, Stockport, Cheshire, to undergo a life-changing event.
In a most unusual dream I went back in time and space. A dream so lucid that even four decades later it remains vividly etched within me. Here’s what happened (copied from original with comments in italics, pls bear with close-type as too much formatting code to revise).:
A HEAVENLY VISITOR
‘I am in my childhood home and standing in front of the very tall casement window in one corner of the lounge. I look up into the inky, dark night sky outside.
‘A small flotilla of large, wingless aircraft drifts slowly across from left to right at high altitude and I groan, “Oh…not that flying saucer nonsense. I must be dreaming!”
‘I’m sceptical about the existence of UFO’s, but now another ‘fleet’ of some sort appears from the right and heads towards the first.
(The dream now changes gear by going up a level from the usual mix of mental material to that of absolute lucidity…)
‘The ‘light goes on’! In my ‘knower’, I realise the first fleet is demonic and the second is masses of angels under the command of Jesus Christ. (I did not believe in them, and regarded Jesus as one of many world teachers. Here, I see no individuals but inwardly know the situation.)
‘I think I’m about to watch an amazing heavenly battle…but…OH NO! Somehow, I now know Jesus has espied me far down below and is coming down directly towards me!
‘All I see is a distant bright light very rapidly getting brighter and larger as it drops down to my location, just like an airliner approaching a runway to land at night.
‘Instantly, I realise my life has been one of sin that contrasts starkly against Jesus’ own holiness. Right away I realise what’s claimed about the Judgement is true – but mine is about to happen right now!
Beyond any doubt whatsoever I suddenly realise my involvement in the occult was most definitely wrong. Consequently, I deserve the undesirable abode!
‘Groaning “My number’s up!” I inwardly tremble in fearful knowledge I’m about to die at any moment. An invisible trapdoor I’m standing on will drop me straight into Hell.
‘Utmost mortal terror strikes! I dive under the drop-leaf table by the wall to the left of the window so I can hide from Jesus. But he knows I’m hiding there and swoops down straight through the wall on the other side of the corner window. He’s standing in the room and right beside the table!
‘Cowering below the table with my back turned towards him, I glance over my shoulder and see him from the knees down, his body and face out of sight above the table.
‘Most unexpectedly, somehow I have the courage to reach my hand out backwards to grab at the hem of Jesus’ robe…
‘As I tug, the event goes into yet another level of revelation regarding my childhood…Then I awake! Thoroughly alert, further sleep eludes me!’
The dream reminds me of an evocative small picture that strongly impressed me when a child – the return of Jesus Christ:
Later I understand that my terror had been ‘the fear of God’ brought by Holy Spirit’s convicting me of my personal wrongdoing and, thus, preparing me to receive God’s grace (ie. undeserved favour).
Also, what happened after reaching for Jesus, and which I’ve yet to tell, proves He’s so closely acquainted with my intimate thoughts when a boy. The dream’s conclusion shows He’s going to topple those childish concepts and replace them with a sure knowledge of His true identity.
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 111). Mercifully, He plucked me from the domain of darkness to bring me into His own kingdom and receive its blessings. I deserved none of that. Truly, Amazing Grace – how awesome and wonderful..!
As a result of the most remarkable dream I’d ever had, I was left with no choice but to seriously reconsider all my New Age and occult notions. Meditational and mystical exercises had resulted in my having some unusual, ‘psychic’ dreams, but none whatsoever like this one.
The only one remotely similar was that of being in an ‘altered’ state of consciousness known as ‘nirvana’, or bliss, but where I’d been taken behind its alluring golden light. Sheer ecstasy turned to abject terror as the light I was in got swept aside like a curtain being removed to reveal a hideous, devouring beast of utter blackness approaching me – far, far worse than any nightmare!
I wasn’t into drugs but was ignorant of the scripture ‘satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light‘ (2 Cor 11:14). Upon reading that verse years later, I realised its truth had been dramatically demonstrated to me as a non-Christian!
But in this new dream my terrifying fear had been overcome by Jesus Christ Himself and His wonderful mercy and love. He ‘arrested’ me in my sin only to rescue me from falling into the pit of Hell.
In this stunning night the Truth I’d been searching for since a teenager turned up in Person – thank You Lord. And lots more Truth was to come as I began to open the door to His Good News!
Moreover, this amazing encounter was yet to be validated on three occasions!!!
So, if you don’t yet know Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with Him, you may wish to know more and consider this vital matter at Do You Know Jesus?
‘Twas a fateful day written in my destiny – perhaps in heaven too?
On the evening of 13th September 1989 a young man, barely an adult, came to visit and chat – but I ended up discretely disagreeing!
I didn’t know a false gospel had lured me to the Devil’s Door around the time Peter was born 21 years earlier – thus half my age. However, I was to discover it wasn’t a normal door but a trapdoor about to be sprung – with me standing on it!!
In abject terror I groaned “My number’s up!” because I’d unexpectedly and suddenly come to the end of my life!
What’s more, I was absolutely terrified to realise hell really is below me and that I’d be heading down there – even though I didn’t believe in it! I was wrong – so badly, badly wrong!!
Being anti-Christian had been a grave mistake – but it was now far too late! Yet I’m now able to tell this true story purely for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How did I get there you may ask. And, how on earth did I get out of it? Continue reading
A reprise from 2013 for background to my upcoming prayer for my contemporary, the then heir to the throne: Charles the Prince of Wales:
1962, age 14 years, at my Aunt Jenny’s house in Leicester
The intellectual freedom of higher education in the ‘swinging 60’s’ enabled me to break loose from the values of my parents and their generation. Even so, I recognised their values had enabled them to come through the destruction and deprivation of the Great Depression, World War and post-war Britain austerity with great fortitude.
As outlined in “You Shouldn’t Be At Our School!”, a formative influence upon a child of the post-war ‘baby boom’ was the disharmony and hypocrisy between churches. In my mind it tarred all Christians with the same brush and badly reflected upon the God they believed in.
Nevertheless, when a child I’d once thought it must have been awesome to have been around Jesus and seen everything He said and did.
Also, two verses from Sunday Mass got embedded into my brain and, although buried in the unconscious, they never got overwritten. One was of Jesus telling his disciples they’d do even greater works than He was doing! The other was by someone who’d been with Jesus, and who surmised: If everything He’d done was written down there wouldn’t be enough room in the world to contain the books! [John 14:12 and closing sentence of that Gospel.]
In view of that eye-witness account and churches’ misrepresentation of their founder, I became convinced a lot of what he’d taught had been lost, or even suppressed, by the early church. Continue reading
Read the remainder somewhere in https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-1926-2022/ – sorry link won’t copy from phone screenshot
Here’s the second of Tim Shey’s comments upon What Does Jesus Look Like? – and note our chat on the previous post:
Richard: This is a really beautiful and uplifting story about a small child seeing Jesus. Colton seeing Jesus reminds me of:
[I respond re. Colton “Yes Tim, and it wasn’t Colton alone but also the child-prodigy Akian who painted Jesus’ portrait.” – What is also interesting is that Kenneth Hagin describes Jesus EXACTLY as Akiane Kramarik paints him. I read a few books by Kenneth Hagin years ago. Hagin was sitting on this bed reading the Bible when Jesus walked into the room. Hagin describes Jesus as around 5’11” or 6′, very muscular, dark hair and olive skin color.]
_____
THE ARCHKO VOLUME – Historical Evidence for Jesus Christ
The full title: THE ARCHKO VOLUME OR, THE ARCHEOLOGICAL WRITINGS OF THE SANHEDREN AND TALMUDS OF THE JEWS [These are the official documents made in these courts in the days of Jesus Christ]. Translated by Drs. McIntosh and Twyman. [Previous post Pilate’s Report refers]
Here are some chapter headings: Continue reading
Tim Shey’s comments upon What Does Jesus Look Like? warrant separate postings for readers’ information. Here’s the first from his blog; note appended comments and links.
Valleus’s Notes.–‘Acta Pilati’
Pilate’s Report:
(excerpts)
To Tiberias Caesar, Emperor of Rome.
“. . . Among the various rumors that came to my ears there was one in particular that attracted my attention. A young man, it was said, had appeared in Galilee preaching with a noble unction a new law in the name of the God that had sent him. At first I was apprehensive that his design was to stir up the people against the Romans, but my fears were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke rather as friend of the Romans than of the Jews. One day in passing by the place of Siloe, where there was a great concourse of people, I observed in the midst of the group a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected, so great…
View original post 2,197 more words
[First published 7 April 2012] Upon reading my brief review of Heaven Is For Real did you, too, not end up asking that question?
Whilst reading the book I was most interested in this simply because Jesus’ face had been out of sight during my encounter, as explained here (at 1st Validation). Also, I was aware of pictures of Jesus found in New Age circles but did not regard them as authentic, just stylistic like many religious paintings.
Can you imagine how deeply stunned Todd and Sonja Burpo were whilst driving with their two children to hear their 4 years-old boy suddenly say he’d heard angels and met Jesus Christ? Continue reading
To celebrate our wedding anniversary today
Months after that night of destiny in 1989 I trashed my occult and New Age books, yet I kept some items that were very significant to membership in those occult brotherhoods. But very soon, troubles brewed up within my relationships. And they got worse, and worse. So I asked for prayer help and gathered all those remaining things, such as ritualistic items and pictures. Right at the peak of my trouble I heard an almost audible voice instruct me,
“Burn what you’ve collected – NOW!”
Never, ever, would I have believed what was to happen next: Continue reading
Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, ‘For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), and [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when raising Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], far above all rule and authority and power dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come…. [Eph1:17-21, Amplified Bible. We decree that the blindness be removed from the eyes of all the peoples of this land so they may see Jesus Christ is Lord.]
IN CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY TODAY I THANK GOD FOR MY EARTHLY AND EXTERNAL LIVES
Lord, help me love everyone,even wrongdoers, with Your awesome, gracious undying love
Life-changing as my ‘rescue’ was in that dream-visitation on 14th September 32 years ago, I did not want to rush off to church. The event’s effect and ramifications upon my philosophy of life needed careful consideration. For example, I needed to check out widespread claims of the Bible having been compiled and modified by Church councils in the 4th Century after Christ, as well as learn about its history from authoritative sources. [Prof F.F. Bruce’s The Books and The Parchments (1991) was very helpful, especially about the ‘Muratorian Fragment’. Drawn up in late 2nd Century in the church at Rome, it lists practically all the canonical New Testament literature.]
So not only did I need to assess those personal implications, but also as possibly a new believer in Jesus Christ I wanted to find well-informed believers who take Him seriously. I soon did so, but then needed to put their claims of hearing direct from God to the test. After all, they believe we have a relationship with Him and so we have but to ask… Continue reading
‘…but mercy (full of glad confidence) exults victoriously over judgement’ – James 2:13 (The Amplified Bible)
A little time was needed to gain a full understanding of that awesome visitation over 13-14th September ’89, when I got confronted by the absolute holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ in contrast to my personal sinful nature. No wonder I was intensely convicted and suddenly knew personal judgement definitely IS TRUE! So I fully expected to take my last breath there and then as an invisible trapdoor would open up in the floor and drop me down into Hell.
It was a few years until I heard that “mercy triumphs over judgement” – yes indeed it does and thank you for being so gracious to me my Lord. May it be similarly so for the multitudes who don’t yet know You.
That life-changing encounter used two personally intimate aspects of my life, unknown to any living soul, to grab my attention and thereby validate the experience as being real, not imaginary. Even more amazingly, both validations are directly related to the 1st and 2nd Advents! Thus, they could not but enhance my interest in End-Times that had begun only a few years earlier when reading The Invisible Hand (as described herein).
Upon awaking 32 years ago (14th September 1989), I was utterly happy to find I’m still alive after having had such a very close call with death in the night!
The previous evening in Pangbourne, Berkshire, I’d firmly shut the door to hearing any more about God’s Good News! But that night had been spent at my childhood home at 212 E___ Rd, Stockport, Cheshire, to undergo a life-changing event.
In a most unusual dream I went back in time and place. A dream so lucid that even three decades later it remains vividly etched within me. Here’s what had happened (copied from original, explanatory comments in italics).: Continue reading
‘Twas a fateful day written in my destiny – perhaps in heaven too?
On the evening of 13th September 1989 a young man, barely an adult, came to visit and chat – but I ended up discretely disagreeing!
I didn’t know a false gospel had lured me to the Devil’s Door around the time Peter was born 21 years earlier, thus half my age. However, I was to discover it wasn’t a normal door but a trapdoor about to be sprung – with me standing on it!!
In abject terror I groaned “My number’s up!” because I’d unexpectedly and suddenly come to the end of my life!
What’s more, I was absolutely terrified to realise hell really is below me and that I’d be heading down there – even though I didn’t believe in it! I was wrong – so badly, badly wrong!!
Being anti-Christian had been a grave mistake – but it was now far too late! Yet I’m now able to tell this true story purely for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How did I get there you may ask. And, how on earth did I get out of it? Continue reading
Richard's Watch 