But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (2 Corinthians 2:14 Amplified Bible)
While running God spoke the following message to me:
Give much
Love much
Forgive much
Laugh much
Life is precious
This life is short
Value everyday
Value every minute
“My way is eternal” says the Lord
“Do not fear death in this life”, “I have defeated death for you.”
Live as the eternal creatures I made you to be.
Lead others to the light by sharing my love.
During these moments when nothing in my life goes right, how do I know God still works in my life?
I experience a lot of those moments, more than I care to admit. I feel unsure if God sees and cares about me. I cannot sense God’s presence!
I realize now I could not feel God’s presence because I tend to focus on all the many problems in my life. For instance, I’m working so hard for a job I don’t like anymore. I, however, don’t want to change jobs again. Second, I’m living paycheck to paycheck. All my bills are overdue, and it’s a job in itself just trying to stay above water mentally! By the time my day ends, I’m so mentally and physically drained I can’t sleep. Also, each work day just seems more painful to get through. I don’t have any more mental space to process anything else. By the time the weekend comes, I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything. I barely have the energy to do housework. By the time Sunday evening comes around, I’m crying inside. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through another week! I don’t even know if I will have enough money to make it until payday once everything clears my account.
Until one day I came to the realization that I can’t feel God’s presence because I eliminated Him from my life. The worst it got the less and less time I spent reading my Bible, praying, and giving my concerns to God. I got so wrapped up in my troubles, my worries, my situation, I didn’t know how to let anyone in, even God!
God always works in the background, but it is up to us to put him front and center stage of our lives every day! I wasn’t doing that. It is still a work in progress. I can catch myself faster and faster each time those dark moments come because I am aware! Those moments still come and more intense than I would like.
On October 28, 2015 I made a same day appointment to see my doctor because I’ve been having chest pains off and on for two days now. By the time I went, my blood pressure was 209/147 and my EKG was abnormal. I was transported to the ER where blood work and another EKG was done. My blood work was fine, but my EKG came back abnormal. I was sent home with a referral to see a cardiologist for a stress test.
On November 5th I went for the stress test, but my blood pressure was high again and my EKG was still abnormal the cardiologist didn’t want me to do the stress test. She ordered an angiogram to check the blood flow of my heart and working in the medical field I knew what that meant.
I automatically start thinking the worst. I have clogged artery. I’m going to have to have a stent or bypass surgery.
I go from thinking the worst to feeling guilty because these are preventable problems. I know better. I should have been eating healthier, exercising more, doing more! By the time I got home I was an emotional wreck!
I didn’t know how I was going to tell my parents. I had to get myself together before my son arrived home from school. I decided the only way I’m going to do this is by giving my problems to God!
I’m not going to worry because I don’t even know the results yet. I put on some uplifting music and started preparing dinner. By the time I went to bed, I felt grateful that God gave me the strength to deal with this today! Tomorrow is Friday, and I have the weekend to breathe a little.
On Friday November 6th, I find out that the pharmacy I’m presently working at was closing down and we are to report back to the main pharmacy on Monday. So I tell myself at least I still have a job. It’s nothing to stress about. My son takes his SATs on Saturday November 7th and his 17th birthday is November 11th.
I am too blessed to be stressed! On Sunday November 8th, my husband and I made dinner to celebrate and try to get the week started off on a positive note. Monday is a little stressful being at the main pharmacy, but I made it. On Tuesday November 10th, work was so busy I barely had a moment to eat, but it’s fine with me. Tomorrow is my son’s birthday, and I have a few things to pick-up on my way home. As soon as I clocked out and just about to walk out the door, my boss calls me in the office.
He tells me they are cutting my hours to part time effective immediately, and I can only do four more hours this week. My heart dropped to the floor. I couldn’t believe they would wait for the last minute to tell me. Why not tell me on Friday when we found out we were to report to the main pharmacy on Monday. I told them that tomorrow is my son’s birthday. The boss said, take tomorrow off and just do four hours on Thursday. Then my boss goes on to say you can use this time to do so much such as: go to the gym, this could be a positive thing and just work on you. The whole time he was talking to me I was thinking: this is my son’s senior year in high school, I have so much to pay for, tomorrow is his birthday, I have my car, rent, insurance, the holiday season is right around the corner, and I have no idea what is going on with my heart until November 19th!
On my way home my mind was all over the place! I thank God for protecting me and everyone on the road with me because I was mentally not there! I spoke with my husband and of course he had a million and one questions! I just listened because I was not in the mood to argue. After dinner I had a checklist of things I had to do in my head for my son’s birthday tomorrow. I, however, made it through the night and my son had a wonderful 17th birthday.
On Wednesday November 12th, I went into work trying to stay positive. Part time is better than no time. Well that didn’t last long. I was called in the owner’s office to find out that they were letting me go. I had to sign a separation agreement and was given $1,000 a month for six months. I didn’t know what to say. I just signed and left. I didn’t know what to do. I had never been through anything like this before. I sat in my car around the corner and cried. I asked God, “Why?”
I’ve tried not to worry and to stay positive. The more I try not to worry, the more things kept happening. I prayed and tried to settle down before driving home. Now I have to tell my husband some more bad news, and it’s just not a good time!
My husband took the news as expected, but I was okay. I had applied for a job months ago and my test date was next week. I had prepared and even went on Lynda.com to brush up on some software I haven’t used in a while. Tuesday November 17th came. I’m prepared and left a little early to make sure I gave myself time to get there. Something, however, kept telling me to look at that email one more time. As I’m waiting for the car to warm up I read the email I printed out and the test date was Monday November 16th not Tuesday November 17th. Before I could even process whatever emotion was about to come over me, my husband pulled up behind me. I got out the car, and he immediately asked me “What’s wrong?” I showed him the paper. He saw the look on my face and said, “Come on let’s go in the house.” I couldn’t even feel anything. My mind went straight to my angiogram on November 19th, and I couldn’t stress even about this!
Wednesday November 18th, the day before my angiogram was the scariest day I can remember! Everyone was calling to show their support, but by midday I was terrified! I couldn’t even tell my husband how afraid I was. I thought the following: “I believe in God! So why am I afraid?” I felt guilty for feeling afraid. I didn’t go to sleep until after 3 am. When my alarm went off at 6 am, I was already up and so afraid I was numb.
My appointment was at 9 am. After all the nurses, techs, doctors, and pokes, my heart was functioning fine. I had no clogged arteries. I was so happy! All the other disappointments didn’t matter because God answered my prayers for the one thing that counted the most! As long as I have good health, I have another chance to get it right and to do what I was created to do!
I’m still trying to process everything that happened the past three weeks. I’m taking it in a little at a time because as grateful as I am it’s still too much all at once. In retrospect, I know god has been working in the background through it all. I see His hand at work protecting me from things that never even made it to shore. Whatever God wants me to learn from all this, I want to make certain I get it! I don’t want to have to go through these same painful lessons again!
Thus far I discovered that God works in my life during these difficult moments to teach me to trust and rely solely on Him. God waited for me to take my problems to Him knowing He was my last resort. He came through for me. He wants me to trust Him to be my first choice with both the joys and troubles of life.
Why is it important to draw close to God in the good times and the bad? How can your testimony make a difference in the lives of others? Why share your testimony? How can others benefit from hearing your testimony and how God works in your life?
I pray and hope my testimony gives you the courage to trust God in all things whether you feel His presence or not–know that God loves you!
If you want to know if God is working in your life, open His word and start believing what He says. If you honor God by honoring His words, God will make Himself known to you. You will discover that God answers many prayers of the righteous. God is working in the lives of those who believe in Him in other words believe His words to us.
These examples below can strengthen you and help you to persevere through the challenges and uncertainties–you must believe His words to us to become a friend of God!
Psalm 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I’ve learned that God is working in my life by seeking to know him better and trusting in him. I trust His words to me found in the Bible. For every situation in my life, I find words of hope and encouragement. I believe what God says in His words.
I’ve discovered the God of the Bible is a faithful God. I’ve come to know that God is real for myself.
When I pray, God answers my prayers–many of them.
By developing a relationship with God over the decades, my faith in God has grown. I’ve seen God work in my life time and time again.
God is alive and working in the lives of those who love Him and believe in His word! When you start believing God’s words, God will manifest Himself to you.
Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.…
Satan is here on Earth.
You may not know who Satan (Lucifer son of the morning) really is or his history, but he knows who you are and your history!
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Satan fell to the earth from his high standing in heaven and deceived us into disobeying God. So, God placed him here on this earth as well as humanity due to our sin against God.
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Yeshua (Jesus) Sent To Educate Us About Our History With God
There is the good shepherd named Yeshua (Jesus) sent to bring us back into good standing with Yahweh (God).
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Jesus (Yeshua) came to set the ignorant and uneducated captives free. His death at calvary became a game changer for God’s children who choose to repent and return to God–the prefix re- means “again” or “again and again”. God gives us another opportunity through Jesus’ death on the cross to live with Him again free from sin.
This is the promise of eternal life God gave to Abraham and His seed (children). This promise is the Holy Spirit. This is, also, the gospel Jesus came to deliver to humanity from His Father. God in His infinite mercy made a way for us to return to Him. God loves us (His children) and sent Yeshua (Jesus) to die and pay the sin penalty of death for us. Satan no longer possess the authority enslave us once we repent of our sin towards God. We must each walk on our own away from a life of sin towards a life of righteousness and holiness.
Satan deceived and captured many of God’s children through sin. They are enslaved on earth and left uneducated about who they really–without their true history and education they will never escape due to ignorance. Satan a terrorist and hijacker does not want publicity.
Satan’s Revolution to Overthrow God’s Kingdom
Lucifer, better known as Satan since his fall in God’s kingdom thousands perhaps millions of years ago, started a revolution in heaven to overturn the Creator of the universe: Yahweh. However, Yahweh threw him to the Earth.
Luke 10:18 “And he (Jesus) said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning falling from the heavens.”
Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
Revelation 12:7-12 ‘And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”’
Satan is after the destruction of God’s children. He caused you to lose your identity as a child of God, deceived you and enslaved you. If you continue to sin willfully, you are Satan’s slave. He exploits you for his advantage and intends to finally destroy you. The last thing Satan your enemy wants you to know is that he exist. He would rather you think he is just a myth. He operates in the spiritual realm.
Alive To God and Slave to Righteousness (Narrow Road to Life) or Dead with Satan and Slave To Sin (Wide Road to Death)
You’re either a slave to righteousness or you are a slave to sin and Satan according to Romans chapter 6. Romans 6:9-11 makes it clear that God’s children must flee sin and walk in righteousness.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:20-23 the following:
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We were born here in the flesh on earth in slavery and that’s all we know of our history; however, Yahweh sent Yeshua (Jesus) to educate us an free us from sin and the fear of death.
Romans 6:16-19
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
So Paul is crystal clear about believers needing to eliminate sin from their mortal bodies. God’s grace is not cheap grace. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin against God. Do not be deceived, you cannot continue to walk willfully in sin and think you are covered by the blood of Christ. Sin must go! Otherwise you are deceiving yourself with lies from Satan. Let God’s words to us be true and every man and woman a liar.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
God is allowing us to choose life with Him free from sin or a life of sin and death. Satan is here on Earth in the spiritual realm intent on making sure you continue to sin and die captive to him!
So, while we are here on earth passing through the physical stages of life and death in our mortal bodies, there is a war going on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm that we cannot see with our physical eyes.
How to Overcome Our Accuser
So how do we overcome Satan our accuser who accuses us night and day before God?
According to Revelation 12:11, we can overcome God’s enemy by asking God’s forgiveness for disobeying Him when we listened to the lies of Satan. When we repent and acknowledge our sin against God by asking God to forgive us for sinning against Him, by turning from our sinful lifestyle and acknowledging that Yeshua (Jesus) died to pay the sin penalty for our sins and sharing our stories of God’s goodness with others, we can help others to know the truth about the mercy of Yahweh.
Revelation 12:11-12 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
You can overcome Satan by Jesus’ death on calvary and your testimony.
Why Did Satan Take The Risk and Disobey God In Heaven?
In Isaiah 14:14, Isaiah wrote that Satan said the following:
“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Satan intended on being like God. What he really wanted was to replace God and take His position. He told us in heaven if we disobey God’s commands, we would be just like God knowing both good and evil. Since we believed Satan’s lie over God who provided us with everything beautiful in the garden of Eden (heaven), we disobeyed God’s commands. We were foolish. Thus, God removed us from Eden (heaven with Him). This is our true history with God our Father and Creator. This is also the history of slavery to Satan we humans found ourselves born into here on earth. Satan is our God and he rules us here on earth as long as we continue to walk in sin.
The Battle to Overcome The Enemy
We must want our freedom and risk our mortal lives to get it! This takes courage and faith in the record God left for us. We do not need to continue to listen to Satan’s lies.
History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.
Maya Angelou
We can return back to God and beg for forgiveness and intentionally eliminate sin from our lives–with the power of God’s Holy Spirit living within us.
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
Mahatma Gandhi
We can make a difference in our eternal life not only for ourselves, but we can help to save others in our family and among our friends. We can save our brethren that God sends to us. This takes courage. We fight a real enemy we cannot see with our mortal eyes, but we know Satan exist.
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Nelson Mandela
I’ve Discovered Our Real History Through The Holy Bible and My Experiences
History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.
Napoleon Bonaparte
The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
Mark Twain
I want you to keep these quotes in mind knowing Satan is behind the scenes of this world.
History is a set of lies agreed upon.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Personally, I’ve always believed in God from a very young age. This child like faith helped me to recognize early spiritual experiences in which God manifested himself to me. These spiritual encounters over the years served to strengthen my faith.
I learned that God is not only real, but He is faithful to those who love Him.
I’ve, also, discovered for myself that Satan exist. I heard his voice speaking through another individual. It wasn’t the individual I heard that I knew, it was Satan. I knew it in retrospect. I cannot use the scientific method to prove it, but I can say empirical evidence should suffice! The behavior, personality and everything had been taken over. The arrogance, haughtiness, calm and deliberateness like a high profile attorney trying to gather information. Within forty eight hours this individual took someone else’s life and then took his own–based on the evidence I heard and what I knew of the individual.
When you stand on God’s word and remain obedient to God’s will for your life, Satan attempt to thwart your plans to serve God. If this means he needs to come and speak to you audibly through someone else, he will do so. Remember the story of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days and nights getting prepared to do what God sent Him here on earth to do. Satan attempted to stop Jesus (Yeshua) like he tried to hinder me.
Matthew 4:3-10 (KJV)
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
You must remain obedient to God! The more I trust in God’s word and record sent through His Son recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, the more evidence I discover that supports God’s record to us.
My belief in God stood not for long on blind faith, but living faith built upon experiences and encounters with God.
One day I gave my life to God–asking God to help me remove all sin from my life to serve Him.
A few months after I had this encounter with Satan. I did not immediately recognize him speaking through an individual I knew.
Satan turn his head towards me and said with arrogance, “What are you doing?”
Struck by the odd question, the odd voice, the odd personality and the stranger before me, I said “what?”
The what was also me saying who are you, what is this strange voice and what is this odd personality coming through this individual. I felt perplexed.
In addition the question made no sense to me. I obviously was not doing a thing. I had just sat quietly down.
He repeated the question: “What are you doing?”
In irritation and with indifference “I’m not doing anything. What are you talking about?” He did not respond. He just turned his head ending the conversation and left with the coldness and arrogance of Satan.
It did not occur to me until several events quickly transpired within forth eight hours following the death of two individuals that this was an encounter with Satan. Once I contemplated what had transpired and I took in all the evidence, it suddenly occurred to me that I faced Satan and survived.
The individual Satan took possession of died within forty eight hours and another individual too. This individual had recently gotten on antidepressants and decided to get off shortly without their doctor’s permission. This all transpired following the sudden and unexpected death of their relatively young (mid 50s) and previously healthy mother.
Our enemy is looking for every opportunity to destroy us. So make sure that you do not leave yourself wide open for His attacks.
The first thing when you go into battle is to recognize who your enemy is and how He attacks so that you don’t get ambushed. When attacked do like Jesus and quote scripture starting off with “It is written” like Jesus. You cannot go wrong using His model for us against Satan.
You may wonder how I knew it was Satan that I heard in this individual. I just recognized Him! After giving it just a little thought after the fact, it all made sense. I looked at all the pieces of the puzzle and put them together and it painted a clear picture.
Perhaps, also, God revealed this knowledge to me. There is evidence of this in the Bible.
Matthew 16:13-17 “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Sometimes God reveals things to us for His own purposes that help to build our faith and reveal spiritual truths to us. Thus, we can share and strengthen others in their journey with God.
I know the enemy uses subtle tactics to manipulate us into turning away from God and serving him. He tries to convince us that sin is no big deal.
Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
2 Corinthians 11: 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The Holy Spirit, however, convinces us that we must eliminate sin and walk righteously before God. We serve Satan when we sin against God whether we realize it or not. Slaves are ignorant and cannot see the truth–they are blinded by ignorance and lies.
We are not even aware we are slaves to Satan until we decide to finally do away with sin in our lives and become a slave to righteousness and to God. As slaves we do not know anything other than a life of slavery until we escape and get a taste of freedom from sin and the fear of death. Satan will probably show up to stop you. He will likely attempt to get you under his control again so you can become a slave to sin and to him. He will may question you to see if he can control you and get you to commit sin against God. I learned all this through my own personal walk with God. When you are on track with God, he will attempt to intervene to get you off course like he did with Jesus in the wilderness.
If Satan has not appeared to you and attempted to get you from following the bidding of the Holy Spirit, you may be a slave to him–based on my personal experience.
You may not realize that you serve Satan because you read your Bible and you go to church like me for years. Satan goes to church too. He runs many of the churches–sad to say but true.
Satan enslaved me to a life of sin until I had enough of feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit. I asked God to break any bondage of sin that controls my life. I cried out to God giving Him full authority to do what I learned that I could not do for myself despite all my attempts. I decided to follow faithfully the Holy Spirit wishes for my life–that’s 100% control by the Holy Spirit no matter what! I not only surrendered my life to God, I gave God full authority to run my life.
Sin had to go–no excuses! I heard about a life of freedom from sin and death from another, and I wanted that freedom.
If the Holy Spirit convicted my heart about anything, I immediately listened. I turned to God, and God answered my prayer setting me free from a life of sin and a life bound by Satan.
Satan and His demonic spirits could no longer control my life and convince me to go against God’s will for my life. Satan appeared to check out the scene to see if it was true that I would not sin willfully against God.
I chose God’s will for my life over a life of sin against God.
When Satan intervened, I rejected Satan. Satan left.
Satan’s voice was a familiar voice I immediately recognized after thinking about it like I said. It certainly was not my friend. Satan invaded my friend’s body and took control. This person did not act the same after this experience. I know the Holy Spirit warned me several times within this 48 hours not to go anywhere with this individual, which I heeded each warning–three to be exact.
I never saw my former friend again. Even prior to this 48 hour period the Holy Spirit warned me to end this friendship and to stay on alert.
I had never formally ended a friendship, but I felt compelled to do so. So I kept my distance. I intended on ending the friendship; however, the individual died.
This person changed and seemed angry all the time. I certainly did not possess a clue at the time of how to help. Satan took this individual over and destroyed their flesh.
This experience thought me that Satan is real. God is, also, very real.
Sometimes the most trying experiences teach us the most about God if we trust Him and look for Him operating in the scenes of our lives.
Jesus came to earth to teach us about God and how to overcome Satan. He revealed the way for us to return to the kingdom and how to become reconciled to God.
Jesus, also, had visits from Satan. Satan worked hard to get Jesus from following the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not budge from His allegiance to to bidding of the Holy Spirit. Satan attacked Jesus in the wilderness when He started to prepare for His ministry and do what the Holy Spirit wanted Him to do.
Luke 4:1-13 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.”
Yes, Satan is real and wants to tempt us to sin against God. He would like you to think of him in mythical terms. Satan wants you to think he doesn’t exist. He is a spirit and operates in the spiritual realm most of the time behind the scenes hidden out of sight. He does appear and can speak to us when he choses to do so. His goal is to tempt us to sin against God.
There is a Spiritual Battle Going On and Many of Us are Too Busy to Notice.
We are like sitting ducks in the hands of a highly skilled duck hunter.
God warns us that our fight is not a physical one but a spiritual fight. We need to understand God’s enemy and our enemy. Satan works in the spiritual realm unbeknownst to us–behind the scenes of our life.
Ephesians 6:12 “ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Satan tricks people into falling under his leadership. In the process they lose their liberty and become slaves to him. We become separated from God when we live a life of sin. We lose our freedom.
Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
If we want to live a life pleasing to God, we must choose a life apart from sin. We must ask God to help us live a righteous life that pleases Him. Until we are committed to becoming slaves of righteousness, we will remain enslaved to a sinful life–enslaved to Satan.
In our physical realm, we cannot easily recognize spiritual beings at work. Nevertheless, the spiritual invisible realm exist. Satan exist and so does God in the spiritual realm. Satan lies against God to get God’s creation to serve him rather than God. Let’s look at the scene where we fell in heaven in the Garden of Eden when we walked and talked with God.
Genesis 3:1-5 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.“
So Eve and Adam did what God asked them not to do. As a result, they sinned against God hoping to become like God. Satan tricked them and they were forced out of heaven (Eden).
Genesis 3:24 So he (God) drove out the man (humans); and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Due to this sin, they were removed from the presence of God. They no longer had access to the tree of life nor the life giver–they lost their freedom in God. They made a decision based on what appeared to be good and safe rather than what God said for them. Disobedience to God led to their fall and removal from God’s kingdom.
Genesis 3:6-7 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
After obeying Satan, this couple immediately felt shame and guilt within themselves. While obeying God, they felt free from shame and guilt and at peace.
God a wise, all-knowing and just God created an escape route for those lost due Satan’s lies and deceitfulness. God has allowed Satan a certain level of freedom while He allows His plan of salvation to go forward.
God gave Satan and all of us a choice. We could choose obedience to God by abiding and honoring His rules to 1) love God and 2) love your neighbor as yourself. The other alternative Satan focused upon is to 1) not love God and 2) not love your neighbor as yourself. God always gives us freedom of choice.
None I would imagine had ever disobeyed God in the realm of paradise until Satan full of wisdom fell from grace and deceived others to join him.
God could have immediately destroyed Lucifer (Satan); however, God chose not to do so until His specified time.
God a just God has a plan of redemption for those that fell due to Satan’s deceitfulness and their lack of obedience to God’s word.
On the other hand, Satan wants to argue God is unjust. God gave him freedom, beauty, wisdom and wealth. God showed love to Satan. Satan showed ungratefulness and selfishness towards God. God had already made him the highest in the kingdom. Greed led him to hate God. He wanted God’s great name. His wasn’t great enough. There was only one being that had a greater name than him and that was God. He orchestrated a plan to take God’s place and fell from grace in the process.
Although Satan messed up, God still communicates with him which the book of Job 1:6-12 reveals. God did not react in anger and destroy him. He did, however, throw him out of heaven upon this Earth.
God allows Satan to try his case in court. What is Satan hoping to attain? He already lost the battle in trying to overtake the kingdom of God yet God has not destroyed him. He serves a useful purpose in God’s plan to redeem the lost from the grips of sin.
Satan attempts to destroy God’s name in the garden of Eden Gen 3:1-5.
Satan tries to convince Adam and Eve that God isn’t who He says that He is. He is not a God of love. He is not worthy of the name He goes by. Adam and Eve doubted God’s name; God’s actual character is his name. They lost faith in God and opted out of obedience to God. They decided that God could not be trusted. Satan became their new master; they trusted Satan.
Satan is trying to prove that we all have a right to distrust God and to live by our own rules in this world. He offers us freedom and liberty from God’s rules of love for God and love for one’s neighbor as oneself.
Satan is saying why be a slave to God and a servant of God when you can have freedom to be a servant to self and a slave to no one.
Satan has a manipulative and bad argument; however, he convinced Adam and Eve to obey him rather than God. He convinced humanity to obey him and fall likewise alongside him. God gave Adam, Eve and us everything. Satan gave us nothing, but lies that led to our fall from a state of perfection–the way in which God originally made us.
This separation from God due to sin against God resulted in fear, guilt, shame, which did not exist in the kingdom of God. These undesirable attributes only exist in the world of Satan away from God.
Why does God continue to toy with Satan’s theories? Why not just destroy him?
God is wise and all knowing. He abides within his own laws of love. He wants to give each and every lost soul an opportunity to repent and return to Him. He even sent Yeshua (Jesus) to the Earth to die on a stake to pay the sin ransom to allow us to return to the kingdom in heaven–Eden.
Yes, Jesus left the spiritual realm to come into our physical realm to help us understand that our Father in heaven wants us to understand the mysteries of His will. He wants us to return home to the kingdom. He wants us His prodigal children to not remain slaves to sin and Satan.
Satan argues that beings only serve Him because of the good that they get from God. If God took away His goodness, we would no longer serve Him. He argues Job’s righteousness is self-serving.
Satan demonstrates complete disrespect for His Maker.
God’s name (His character) is on trial before the universe.
God says the wages of sin is death.
How can God’s name simultaneously represent both love and justice? How can God destroy a life that He loves? Will God’s name stand up in the face of Satan’s arguments?
Yeshua (Jesus) dies in our stead which shows He is a God of Justice–the penalty of sin is death. Yahweh sent His Son to pay our sin penalty so we can enter back into His kingdom: Eden. God sent His Son to die and pay our sin penalty. Justice is served because the wages of sin is death. God sent His Son to save us from our sins, which shows He is a God of mercy and love! Now it is up to us to decide that we no longer wish to continue to sin against God. We must flee sin by turning back to God, repenting and asking for His help! When we turn to God; God will receive us.
We serve a loving and just God! His name and character is worthy to be Praised! God’s name is His character.
Satan continues to this day to try to destroy God’s name and character to all that will listen to his lies. He convinces people God does not even exist. He says we are free to live as we please and as our own God with liberty and justice for all who reject God. We can become Gods–rulers over ourselves. Right and wrong is dependent on what we say it is and laws are meant to be broken.
Remember the truth will set you free from a life of sin and bondage to Satan. You can choose life with God or death with Satan.
God is all powerful. His word and laws of love will stand. His name will stand long after Satan is destroyed! So, I hope you choose wisely on a foundation of righteousness whom you will obey.
The host of heaven watches what takes place here on this Earth. They’re rooting for you! From their vantage point, they know who’s name is worthy to be praised–Yahweh (God)! They live in splendor with God. They see the suffering amongst the inhabitants on Earth under Satan’s control. The problem is the inhabitants on earth cannot see Satan and cannot see the kingdom of splendor they walked away from in choosing a life of sin. If they could see paradise lost, they would quickly return. Slaves of are not educated so they remain enslaved to their ruler: Satan. Yeshua (Jesus) came to spread the gospel of the coming kingdom of God. He died to pay our sin penalty so we can return back to God the Father. We have a better future in store for us as children of God.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Satan will burn. This is his future that awaits him. He is angry and wants to take with him as much of God’s children as he can take. Satan your adversary is real.
Flee a life of sin and live. How you may ask? Read Mark 16:15-20.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
All my life I followed God’s commandments to the best of my ability. I failed miserably at one point or another. I grew tired of working to be righteous to avoid guilt. One day I stood at a fork in the road of my life. I couldn’t decide which direction to go. Both choices seemed painful. I knew what God wanted me to do. I just couldn’t make a choice. I had lots of doubts about making a mistake I might live to regret.
In utter desperation one late afternoon, I begged God upon my knees with my head to the floor to take my life over and allow His will to be done! I felt confident He would grant my request. My life hit rock bottom in a little under seven months after pleading with God.
Did I make a mistake by giving God full authority to run my life in the direction He would like? I never doubted God’s judgement although the question certainly crossed my mind. I remembered the story of Job in the Bible and knew better than to ever question God. How could I a mere creature question my Creator? I would not make the same mistake Job made. I just bore the pain and drew closer to God.
This was the absolute lowest, darkest, both physically and mentally painful period within my 32 years on earth. My world had turned topsy-turvy. I couldn’t figure out how to mentally process what I was enduring. My heart ached and my upper body shook uncontrollably while crying at the sudden and unexpected loss of life of my dear friend. I had never thought of dying, but for the first time in my life at 32 I questioned what it would be like to be dead for one brief second! Satan I’m certain provided me with an escape route to avoid the torture. A consoling thought came to me, but the thought was not mine.
The pain seemed more than I wanted to face for a split second. I momentarily encountered a sense of relief at the fleeting thought of taking my life which took my mind off all my problems. I rejected the thought as quickly as it arrived. In that moment God allowed me to empathize with people who become suicidal. I always thought how foolish a thought until I faced my own cross. I had honestly never ever thought of such a thing before and could not comprehend why anyone would consider the thought!
As a true optimist, I could always see the good in a situation when I needed to do so to stay positive and persevere. So this experience helped me to develop greater empathy for others that hurt! My faith and obedience in God created a hedge of protection for me to a certain extent. Despite my circumstances I knew I could trust God in this storm in my life like I did throughout my life. Somehow I developed over the years a rock solid trust in God that carried me through this difficult stage in my life.
Furthermore, I recall telling God this was not what I asked for when I gave Him full control over my life nor did I ever dream of this happening. I knew I gave Him permission to do what needed to be done. At no point, however, did I ever feel the least bit angry with God. I recognized that I need to be more specific the next time I pray to God because I did not like the outcome. He knew that option never crossed my mind. He protected me from a greater loss. The loss of life with Him.
The same day following the death, I just remember God telling me that He loved me. I heard in my spirit about two dozen times “I love you.” This soft inner voice kept speaking to me repeating “I love you.” I knew this was the Lord. About the sixth or seventh time I started to feel loved and no longer felt all alone with my pain. I felt God right there with me in the room. His love and presence led me to tears once again.
I don’t recall ever questioning His judgement. I knew then as I have always known that all things work together for good for those who trust in the Lord. Pain can help to purify the soul by forcing us to seek God in obedience and asking Him for the help that we so desperately need and cannot do on our own. Suffering can beautify the soul when the pain gives us knowledge of the Lord, which leads to wisdom. Wisdom comes from knowing, trusting and walking obediently with God day by day. He never leaves us nor forsake us.
Looking back thirteen years later, the situation felt like a crucifixion. A part of me died. Another part of me came alive. I discovered a God with a sense of humor and a personality so real that I could never question God’s existence! God’s eyes looked on me and his ears heard my plea for help one desperate afternoon. He came to my rescue. He waited for me to call out for help before He took control of my life. He never left my side. This is my testimony.
