- araratchurch
- Mar 17, 2024
- 6 min read
[I have spoken at length in the 40 Days of The Spiritual Journey concerning all that transpired during my experience, as well as what the Lord has revealed to me through it. This is a very brief summation. If you have not, I pray you will seek out the 40 Days of The Spiritual Journey.]
On the evening of January 16, I fell suddenly ill to a level I have never experienced in terms of a regular illness. I had come close to death at the birth of my first son, who was delivered by an emergency cesarean section. Having lost a great amount of blood, they began to administer blood transfusions. They did not know, and I did not know, that the total blood transfusion I had been given at my own birth (due to complications from Rh factor), had caused my body to produce an antibody to something found in most people’s blood. Therefore, the blood they were giving me, rather than helping me, was making me much worse.
I remember, at that point in time, hearing a voice speaking to me, telling me that if I was going to live, I must decide to live. I didn’t see any tunnels of light, but was in a gray “room” with a ceiling and a floor but no walls. At that point, I said that I had to live to be with my newborn son and my husband; and—thanks be to God—I did live.
Of course, over the years I have had illnesses, but nothing like what I experienced in those days in January. And, at times of great stress, I have had some very troubling symptoms, but I’ve never experienced what I experienced from January 16 of 2024 through January 25 of 2024.
During this time I knew that a battle was raging over my survival. But the enigmatic nature of what I was sensing was that I felt I was more so a spectator, or was somehow “hosting” a battle within myself. I felt that I had become “nothing.”
Please understand. This wasn’t a feeling of depression, or despair, but it was the first time I can remember where I could not see beyond the moment I was in.
What would take place over those 10 days would be what I have been referencing as “The Spiritual Journey.”
During this time of extreme emptiness, the Lord spoke to me through a series of dreaming visions, as well as waking visions. The dreaming visions came as I was sleeping; the waking visions came when I was clearly awake, but with my eyes closed.
During the waking visions, a parade of “entities” came, offering their “help” for my situation. In each case, I recognized that they were not from the Lord, commanded they leave, and they did.
In the dreaming visions I was taken through what I came to understand to be representing the world system, full of deceit and debauchery, a “vampire” system that distracts human beings with lusts of the flesh while sucking the life force out of God’s highest creation.
I went through what I have referenced as the “arcade world,” into the “Mardi Gras world,” and into the “museum” of animals. But, then it got very personal toward the end of the dreaming visions.
As I have shared, I then became an active participant in the vision. Now I met head-on, the forces behind what I knew was a heresy, but did not understand fully the demonic nature, the demonic connection, found in what I have referenced as “Kingdom Now” theology. This part of the sleeping visions ended with me rejecting—in no uncertain terms—any connection I had ever had with that doctrine.
As I have said, I never had any inclination toward that way of thinking. In fact, I have for most of my life had a deep sense that we are living in the Last Days before the Lord’s return.
Several years ago, the Lord challenged me with the statement: “You are not excited about My return.” Of course, the Lord was right and I began to focus more on Bible passages concerning His return, and those things which must happen leading up to His return.
Then, a few years after that, the Lord showed me in another dreaming vision that my life was to be about proclaiming: “Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him.” He showed me that that message would separate me even from people very close to me.
But—what I did not know—was that having a familial connection to the Kingdom Now doctrine, as well as having participated in activities associated with a church wholly devoted to that way of thinking, was an offense before the Lord that had never been settled.
At the beginning of 2024 the Lord had spoken to me that the word for this year was “RESOLVE.”I had no idea the extent to which that would be tested in just a few days after having ministered what the Lord had given me.
As well, when I turned the calendar to January 2024, the Lord had me write, “What was hidden is seen,” and, “The Lord sees and knows and will disclose.”I did not know that what was hidden was referencing me personally.
Yes, the Lord through this spiritual journey, brought me into a direct confrontation with the spirit behind those associated with “Kingdom Now.” I saw, first hand, its demonic source and the perverted worship associated with it. The Lord, in His great mercy, gave me this opportunity to reject all past connections to it and neutralize what the enemy could use as a weapon against me.
At the time of rejecting this connection, I felt a release. But it would be a few weeks later, as my husband (who had the same illness) and I were reflecting on this experience, that “a ton of bricks” landed on my head as the Lord showed that my personal involvement in activities with those purveying this doctrine, had stood in the way of my further spiritual progression.
I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to clearly see and understand the mechanisms of the world system and the forces behind it. As well, I clearly saw the force behind those who ignore, put off, or reject entirely, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is not just a different way of viewing God’s plan, IT IS DEMONIC. I can’t unsee what I saw and experienced.
Please know, our lives must have an ongoing spiritual journey through which we, guided along by the Holy Spirit, turn more and more away from that which is of the world, to walk more fully surrendered to a holy God.
I pray that you will go back over the 40 Days of The Spiritual Journey. I have bared my soul to you. Please allow the Lord to speak to you through this experience. Then, get your house in order. I speak of the house, the temple of God, which is your body, your life, your calling. Let’s work together to bring in the last harvest of souls. Let’s be a light shining in darkness. And in everything we do, everything we think, everything we say, work to wake up to the truth concerning what time it is, those who are complacent, those who are living a life of sin, and those who are being deceived.
“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.“
II Peter 3:1-13 NKJV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Mar 15, 2024
- 4 min read
“O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.“
Psalms 116:16 NKJV
Jesus had just spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. When the temptation ended, the Lord departed from the wilderness, and returned to Galilee. While in Galilee, Jesus went through much of the surrounding region teaching in the synagogues, where He was well-received.
After this, Jesus came to Nazareth, the city in which He had been raised. As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath, where He would read the scripture portion for that day.
“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”“
Luke 4:17-21 NKJV
The reading of this scripture, and then His assertion that He was the One being referenced in this prophecy from Isaiah, inflamed all who were in the synagogue.
“So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.“
Luke 4:28-30 NKJV
Yes, they were so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus! However, no matter how angry these people were, and no matter how angry some people may still become when Jesus is acknowledged to be the Messiah, the Savior, the fact is that He did fulfill this prophecy in His life, and in His death. He is the One, the only One.
Indeed, the Lord, through His sinless life, His horrible death, and His glorious resurrection, has made it possible for those held captive by sin, to be set free.
At another time, the Jews took offense when Jesus spoke of making them free.
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.“
John 8:31-36 NKJV
Yes, they asserted to Jesus that they were not slaves and they didn’t need to be set free. But, Jesus made the point we must all know in order to receive Him as Savior: Apart from Jesus, we are bound by sin, incapable of freeing ourselves.
What many people still fail to realize is that they are either going to be a slave to sin, or a slave to righteousness, God‘s way of being and doing.
You see, the fact is that there is no self-rule. We were made to be spirit-controlled. Either that spirit will be the Holy Spirit or the spirit of this present world.
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.“
Romans 6:16-18 NLT
Only through Jesus Christ are we set free from sin and the penalty of death.
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.“
Romans 8:1-4 NLT
Indeed, now that the Lord has bought our freedom, we now belong to Him.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.“
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
In today’s portion of Psalm 116 the psalmist acknowledges that he has been set free, not to follow his own way, but to be the servant of the Lord, just as his mother was a servant of the Lord.
Friend, in Psalm 116 the psalmist speaks of being delivered from destruction. We have seen his wonderful expressions of gratitude as he enumerated the things the Lord had done for him.
The psalmist concludes by reiterating that he now owes God his gratitude and service for all He has done to save him from destruction:
“I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!“
Psalms 116:18-19 NKJV
Tomorrow I will share some closing thoughts about my spiritual journey.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Mar 14, 2024
- 3 min read
“Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.“
Psalms 116:15 NKJV
Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus, telling Him that Lazarus, their brother, was very sick. When Jesus heard the news, rather than hastening to be with them, He waited two more days in the place where He was.
When Jesus finally got to Bethany, He asked to be taken to Lazarus’ tomb. Then, when Jesus saw Mary and the other Jews weeping, He was greatly moved.
“Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!””
John 11:33-36 NKJV
Now, when Jesus had first heard of Lazarus’ illness, He said this to His disciples:
“When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.””
John 11:4 NKJV
So, if Jesus knew what He would end up doing, if He knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, why did He weep?
You see, man was originally created to live forever. But, the wages of sin is death. The Lord, though He knew that He would raise up Lazarus, was nonetheless moved by the tragedy of death, and the suffering and pain it causes.
Think of it, our Lord cared so much about our death, He sacrificed Himself to make it possible for us to live forever.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Romans 6:23 NKJV
As well, one day the Lord will destroy death itself.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”“
Revelation 21:4 NKJV
“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.“
I Corinthians 15:25-26 NKJV
In today’s portion of Psalm 116, we see the psalmist recognizing (through the way the Lord has worked to preserve his life) that the Lord does not take the death of His children lightly.
In speaking of God’s love for His people, Isaiah tells us that the Lord shares in our suffering.
“In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.“
Isaiah 63:9 NKJV
You can be sure that the shedding of our blood does not go unnoticed by our Lord.
“He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.“
Psalms 72:14 NKJV
Friend, the Lord cares deeply about our current mortality. Thank God that one day we will be given a glorious body that will never die or decay.
For now we can be encouraged, knowing that if we must face death in this life, the Lord will be with us through it and lead us safely home.
The Lord cares for us in life. The Lord cares for us in death. The Lord cares for us.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!