An Open Letter to Bro. John MacArthur

Dear Brother MacArthur,

When I first learned of your claim that all miracles had ceased, I was very distressed and spoke out against you quite clearly. Some have said it was because of my own personal experience with God, as if having an experience with God was something we ought not enjoy -- as though there was something wrong with experiencing God in our own little lives. Of course, this is convoluted thinking, because God has been involved in the lives of men and women since creation. So, the actual accusation, I believe, is that we seek the experience rather than God.

Here’s the thing: I haven’t been seeking the experience. No, I have been seeking God; and time and time again, He has revealed Himself dramatically.

I know that seeking tongues, etc. is something that some do. However, it was not what I was doing when I sang in tongues, had prophetic dreams, etc. Understand, I’m not saying I never sought these things; because on rare occasions, I did – though, not in earnest and not until after I had experienced them. I was not certain these things were still from God, myself, until after I experienced them. Then I realized they were as authentic as ever, meaning my experiences fit with Scripture and how God has dealt with man throughout time.

I mean that, every experience I have ever had with God is completely in line with His word. With few exceptions, they were also the result of seriously in-depth seeking on my part -- again, not seeking an experience; but rather, an answer. God was the One who decided to make that answer miraculous, not me. I just wanted an answer to my question.

Each time He responded miraculously, I was completely surprised. When I broke out in angelic song, I was so startled that I cut them off. It was beautiful, truly beautiful. I knew it was praise. It was as if every fiber of my being was elevated with His praise. I didn’t hear words in my head. I didn’t think what to say. The song just literally flowed through me. I had been praising Him and weeping for joy at His presence. Then I opened my mouth to say “thank You”, again, and this angelic song just poured out. I, literally, sat there listening and wondering whose beautiful voice I was hearing. Logically, I know it had to be me, but it sure didn’t sound like me. It was too pure, too immersed in utter adoration.

I know it happened because I had been feeling a need to worship Him more abundantly. I felt like no matter how hard I tried to phrase His praise with all the adoration I felt, I couldn’t begin come close to putting it in words. So, God assisted me. It was an incredible blessing, but it came out of a need to praise Him better. At the time I hadn’t even considered tongues.

When God spoke to me audibly, I was so startled that I stopped what I was doing and looked around. I knew in my heart it had to be Him. I’d never heard anything quite so powerful or authoritative in my life. Yet, His voice was gentle on my spirit. He made me smile from ear to ear. I simply could not stop grinning. To this day I grin spontaneously when I think of it. I just can’t help it -- this awesome God taking time for little ‘ole me.

I had never even read the Scripture (I was very young) that describes His voice as “many waters”; and yet, that is exactly how I described it when I told others. My Godly grandmother had to show me the Scripture in Revelation (1:15). I knew it was Him, but I had no idea there was proof it was Him. Again, this came in response to my speaking specifically to Him for months on end. Literally, I did little else besides speak to Him regarding a certain issue, and He responded, dramatically.

The angels I’ve seen have often frightened me at first. They can be quite intimidating. The one that met me outside an abortuary scared me half to death. I thought it was over. I thought I had done something so wrong that he had come to take me home. It wasn’t until he leaned over and smiled at me that I started breathing again. I was just that frightened.

I had been asking God to send angels to help us reach mothers for the truth of His position against abortion, but I never expected to see one. I still get a chill when I think about him. He had a huge sword and stood about 10 foot, and – boy, did he mean business. (If abortion proponents could see him, they’d never enter another clinic.) It did not even occur to me to ask God to show me the angels, but there he stood.

These are just a sampling of what I’ve experienced through the years. I don’t know about your journey with God, but mine has been full of things that can only be termed miraculous. I was miraculously called as His witness. That calling was miraculously confirmed, and I have been experiencing these things every single time I sincerely seek Him out. He never fails to respond, never.

Now, I don’t know if this makes me “charismatic” or not. If your stance is the standard for Calvinists, I’m certain I’m not one of them. But being Calvinist or charismatic or Pentecostal or whatever, has never been the issue for me. No, I want to be whatever God wants me to be and to do whatever God wants me to do. I give myself to Him and I tell Him, “You tell me. You lead me. Wherever You want me --- whatever You want of me, that is what I want”, because God is what matters to me. No offense, but I don’t care if I don’t fit your mold, because I fit God’s. He continues to move in my life and lead me, and there is plenty of evidence that it is Him in my life.

So, dear Bro. MacArthur, I wish you all the best. I really do. But I intend to continue following my Lord as He leads. I’m certain you will continue on in the path you believe to be His for you. But, let us not be enemies, dear Brother. Whatever differences there are between us, as long as we serve the same God, we are still part of the same family. It does God no service if we bicker like unregenerate siblings. No, that does the body and all watching more harm than good.

Here’s the thing: God has not been silent. Since He called me in 2001, He has been very adamant about my getting the word out to this nation. By prophetic dreams, visions, etc. He has continued to warn me and tell me to warn this people that He is very angry with us. We have forgotten Who He is. We have turned from His truth to our own will, and He is very near to leaving us to our choices.

Why do you think you have chosen this time to come against prophecy? Do you think that timing is just coincidence? I tell you the truth, dear Brother, it is not time to spurn prophecies (1The 5:20) for the proof is in the pudding. Literally, the dreams He gave me have already been partially fulfilled. Would you wait until the whole wrath is poured out? Do you really want that responsibility?

I plead with you to recant your stance, Brother MacArthur, for it is not one that you will long be pleased with. I have seen far too many of these dreams fulfilled to not know that this one stands ready. And I assure you, dear Brother, you do not want to be counted as having kept those who would have repented from doing so.

God does not lie. He may not be speaking to you in a miraculous fashion, but I urge you, dear Brother, leave room for the Spirit and be not so proud that you cannot hear.

God’s peace.

Discerning False Teachers

Dear Brothers and Sisters, today I’d like to share with you what the Lord has shown me regarding the discernment of wolves. Certainly sometimes we just know. The evil in them offends the Spirit in us and we are repulsed by them. Certainly we do know them by their fruit (Mat 7:16). But sometimes, especially when others we know value these teachers, it can be difficult for us to separate them from those who truly work for God. So, how shall we know?

This best way is to know the Scripture, because wolves invariably pervert it. From an ever so slight twist to the out-right lie, wolves use the Scripture to fleece the flock, turn believers from the truth, and discourage the unprepared. So, be faithful to study His word. You will know the truth if you are diligently seeking it from God, because God does not lie and His word is firm to us. Further, He has promised to be faithful to us if we are faithful to Him:

            You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. – Jer 29:13

Another way to judge wisely whom you will listen to is to look at where their focus is. Is it on earthly wealth, personal fame, etc. or are they centered on God? To be sure this can be problematic, because we don’t always have access to the overall picture. Fortunately, there are ways even when the evidence seems thin.

Personally, I am automatically suspicious if one is considered or represented as a “Prosperity” teacher. It tells me that their priority is more likely to be money; rather than, God. I generally move on at that point, because I’m not really interested in money. No, I want to know more about God. So, be careful here, because it isn’t just about what others teach, but what we are really seeking that matters.

There have been a lot of people taken advantage of by prosperity wolves. They basically teach that giving to them, as “God’s” representatives, will increase the giver’s wealth. What they don’t tell you is that the god they serve is usually the god of money.

Again God does look after His own, but there is a world of difference between being fed by ravens and living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Many prosperity teachers bear more resemblance to Hollywood stars than Elijah or John the Baptist, etc. We need to have open eyes when it comes to these truths and look at the teacher before we accept what they teach. Ask yourself: What is their goal? Does it benefit them or does it glorify God? If they are sincerely seeking to do God’s will or teach His word, they cannot also be seriously devoted to gathering wealth.

Here’s the thing: Our Lord did not own a single house or chariot. He did not gather earthly wealth nor encourage us to do so. So, when you see someone focused on earthly wealth, think to yourself: “How do they reflect Christ?”

The answer is very simple. They don’t. Our Lord is not reflected in the love of wealth. More importantly, if we were to be focused on wealth, He would have told us so. But that is not what He said. No He said:

            “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Mat 6:24

So we see here that what they are devoted to is also the one they love. Therefore if the prosperity of the flesh is the primary focus of a teacher then we can be certain that teacher is not focused on God.

Again, I’m not saying God does not provide for His own, but I am saying don’t expect mansions or a fleet of luxury vehicles in this age. Or do you think you are more deserving than our Lord? That is the line, folks. He lived a life of poverty, preferring to please His Father over all else. If we are truly following Him, pleasing God will be our priority, as well.

God’s peace.

Regarding John MacArthur and his "Strange Fire" teaching:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, as I considered this man who has come out against many of the ways the Spirit of God moves among us, I asked Him what the proper approach should be. (We all know I saw a little red after reading the man's comments. Though not as much at him as at myself for letting his followers post his deception on my page.) After I had asked I opened my Bible to continue my study in Matthew, and found my eye drawn to the text before me in Acts. (I know some will find this an unacceptable, but God has spoken many times through the years in just this fashion. And I would suggest the nay-sayers first consider the likelihood of finding just the right Scripture so quickly, for I did not flip through the Book. I just opened it.) Anyway, this is what lay before me:

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."

At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin -- the full assembly of the elders of Israel -- and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.

Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead -- whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." -- Acts 5:7-33

So, we see, Brother and Sisters, that there is confirmation in the Scriptures that we are to continue teaching and working as God has called us to. We also see that it is proper that we speak against what is taught in opposition to His word just as the apostles were bold enough to speak against the leaders of their day. Indeed what this man today is teaching is an interpretation of certain Scripture that I, and many others, believe is in utter opposition to what the Scripture actually refers. In addition, this man took the actions of wolves and not only declared all guilty by their actions, but condemned obvious evidence of the Spirit among us because of their perversions. Clearly no one who is judging according to God’s Spirit does to that.

All that being true it is also important that we speak out against those who are guilty of perverting the gifts of the Spirit; for they, too, offend God and attempt to hamper His work among us. In the coming days I intend to share what the Lord has shown me regarding these issues, because I do agree with the man on one thing. It is the job of those God appoints to identify and call out such breaches of conduct where we know of them. No, dear friends, I do not intend to start a "witch hunt"; but rather, to point out how to recognize these wolves from those who truly seek to serve at His pleasure.

God’s peace.

More from "The Air of Heaven" from "Regarding Salvation . . .", "It's Not About the Money"

If our hearts are truly His, we do not serve for money. The satisfaction of knowing we’re pleasing Him is high reward for us. We’re not in it for prosperity’s sake. That isn’t to say that those who work don’t deserve to be paid. They most certainly do, but such payment should not afford the worker a lifestyle worthy of “Forbes” nor should it be obtained at the cost of misrepresenting His word.

The simple logic of it is that if Christ, Himself, lived a life of poverty then we, as His follows, should not think that we need to live lives of opulence. Yet, many get caught up in just that. Some even try to justify taking advantage of their brothers and sisters in Christ as necessary for the work they are called to. This is not Biblical. I hear it all the time, but it simply is not Biblical. No, that’s arrogance.

If we are to be crushing our brothers and sisters to maintain the lifestyle we think we deserve, how are we to be discerned as different from the lost? Peter didn’t take advantage of Paul nor Paul of Timothy, but the Christian aristocracy often takes advantage of its fellow laborers. Where do we see Christ demanding a second or even a third home? He didn’t have the first one and He had to borrow a ride. So, when you crush someone who is working in the Spirit, what you are really doing is saying that what you desire is more important than what the Spirit desires.

Money is a tool. When it becomes more important to us to have what money provides than to be in line with His will, we have stopped serving the Master and started serving ourselves.

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. – 1 Tim 3:2-3

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.  – 1 Tim 6:10

From "The Air of Heaven", Section Titled "Seeds", Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your merciful patience.
Thank You for Your generous mercy and grace. Forgive our sin.
Father, help us to recognize the seeds that we have planted
and the weeds those seeds have birthed in our garden.
Help us to return to Your Holiness, away from our sin.
Help us to lay ourselves bare before You for Your pruning
that we might become the servants You called us to be.

Open our eyes, Father, and unstop our ears. Convict us
that we might recognize our sins and turn back to You.
Do not punish us as we deserve, but deliver us, Father,
Our only hope lies in You. Allow us to cling to You
like little children who have nowhere else to go.
In Your great mercy do not send us away.

You, Father, are the great I AM. We are Your creation.
You speak and everything listens. We tremble before You,
knowing we are totally dependent on You for everything.
You are worthy of all praise and glory. We submit to Your authority.
Have mercy on us, Father. Turn us back and lead us to revival.

Let our hearts praise You with great gusto once again.
Let our feet rush to serve You in all that You ask.

Let the earth ring with Your praises from the mountains to the shores.
Let the angels sing and all of Heaven rejoice before our Holy Lord.
Let Your name be exalted for all the world hear.
Let our hearts return. Do let us draw near.
We ask it, Heavenly Father, in Yeshua’s precious name
and thank You, dear Father, for answering our plea; amen and amen.

"The Air of Heaven", from the section on "Who He Is": Completely Holy

Holiness is so intrinsic to who God is that we simply cannot separate Him from it. Today, the love of God has been taught so extensively that many do not even comprehend the relevance of His holiness. Much like ancient Israel, we have stepped away from the reality of who He is.

When God created man, He created him without sin. The fellowship that God intended to have with man was tied to that lack of sin. And God walked and talked with man – the Creator with the created – having him name the animals and assigning him to keep the garden of Eden. Then the serpent tempted Eve and sin came between God and His much loved creation, corrupting the relationship that God sought. It was sin that caused the Holiness of God to curse His creation and send man away from His presence.

If we appreciate the effort expended creating us, we can begin to comprehend how great a loss this was for Him. He didn’t just get angry with man, His Holiness required a separation from sinful man. So, Adam and Eve were driven from His presence out of the garden and forbidden to return. In seeking to be equal to God, they had cut themselves off from God.

If we look at Noah, we see God’s Holiness requiring the near extinction of His creation.

And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had  corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.” – Gen 6:12-13

Man had separated himself so far from God that he committed evil continually. So, God sent the flood to cleanse that evil from the earth. This time they weren’t just sent away. They were destroyed to prevent further corruption. Noah and his family were all that remained of man. Clearly the Holiness of God is something with which we need to be deeply concerned.

Then there is the defeat and exile of ancient Israel. After bringing them up out of Egypt – which was no small feat in itself – leading them through the desert for 40 years, empowering them to defeat the nations occupying the “promised land”; God turns them over to be slaughtered and carried away as captives.

We know that He loved them and called them His own. We know that He went to great lengths to reveal Himself to them as the true God He is. Yet, once again, when man turned from God and became intolerably evil, the Holiness of God required separation. In this case separation not only meant the deaths of many, but sending them far away from the land He had given them and ending His provision and care for them for a time. What we need to identify with here is that if He would not spare His chosen people, neither would He spare us.

When we strip away His authority over us – such as by choosing which of His laws we will obey, we are literally attempting to place ourselves on par with Him – like Adam and Eve. We think He will not treat us as He did them, because Yeshua is our redeemer. However, the Scriptures do not say that. We have just read this meaning into them.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. – Joh 15:5-6

Yeshua answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our abode with him. – Joh 14:23

Then we have this from Paul:

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. – Rom 11:19-21

So, we see that continued, willful disobedience separates us from God. If we are to draw near to Him, we must turn away from disobedience. We must identify sin as sin and submit ourselves to His holiness. We must remember that it was God’s holiness that required the sacrifice of Yeshua. It is sheer folly to think that after such great sacrifice, He would now decide that sin was no longer an issue. If then, we are to breathe the air of Heaven we must first require holiness of ourselves.

“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy.” --- Lev 11:44

Yeshua Cleared the Temple

            When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Yeshua went up to Jerusalem.

            In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others

            sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all

            from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money

            changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, “Get these

            out of here! How dare you turn My Father's house into a market!” – Joh 2:13-16

In today's Christian society this kind of Holy outrage would be considered "unloving". We would isolate the individual, label them unacceptable and seriously advise them to repent from their “obvious” lack of love. This is partially because we have mentally separated this incident from the rest of Scripture, categorizing it as merely “zeal for His Father's house”. Indeed, it was zeal, but the thing we need to realize is that it had a purpose. It wasn't just included in Scripture as an interesting side note. It was included to point out that even in the meekness of Christ the holiness of God is something to contend with. And there other areas where this holy fire is revealed.

The entire 23rd Chapter of Matthew is devoted to the Lord's rebuke of the religious teachers of the day. He doesn't make one gentle remark in the entire discourse. He does not waltz around their duplicity or attempt to cajole them into agreeing with Him. No, He nails them to the wall with precise clarity:

            “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the

            kingdom of Heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you

            allow those who are entering to go in.”

            “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows

            houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall

            receive greater condemnation.”

            “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea

            and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice

            as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

            “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is

            nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'”

            "You fools and blind men, which is more important, the gold or the temple that

            sanctified the gold?”

            “And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by

            the offering that is on it, he is obligated.’”

            “You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the

            offering?” – Mat 23:13-19

And that’s the abbreviated version. Lest we imagine He was alone in this approach, John the Baptist refuses to even baptize them until their repentance can be verified by their actions:

            But when he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to where

            he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee

            from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with your repentance. And do

            not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you

            that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already

            at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut

            down and thrown into the fire.” – Mat 3:7-12

Again, today if we were to speak as clearly, we would be ostracized. Does anyone refuse to baptize or accept someone no matter how grievous their lifestyle or obvious their lack of regard? I don’t know of many who would even consider it. And yet, it was exactly what these hypocrites needed to hear. More importantly, it was what those coming in earnest needed to hear, as well, because there truly is a difference in the lifestyle of the saved and those who only feign repentance.

Here's the thing: the Lord was not crucified because people found what He said pleasing. No, He was crucified because He seriously offended the religious leaders of the day. Just in case you missed it, the same can be said for many Christian martyrs. Just look at the disciples. The fear that Christianity would overturn the government did play a part; but it was what came out of their mouths that moved their abusers to action.

Living in a “free” society we often fail to relate to the reality of a society where the leaders consider themselves “gods”. His truth cuts like a sword. That is its purpose (Heb 4:12) and it is what the Disciples were sharing. So, people were offended then and people are offended now. Yet, where would we be if our Biblical examples had not considered the truth so much more important than ‘feelings’?

I went off on a man yesterday. I don't usually do that, but he was defending the need to be nice over speaking the truth and I let him have both barrels. My spirit was just so offended that the rebuke just poured out. So, I was pondering that this morning – chastising myself really – and I asked the Lord, "What made me so adamant? What made it seem so important?" And He began to remind me of the things I have shared with you here.

Here's the thing: when we choose “nice” over truth, we act like there was no offense to the cross. Yet, it was the most degrading and socially unacceptable way to die of the time. People weren't standing around saying, “Oh, isn't that nice.” No, they were repulsed and offended. The Son of God gave His life for their sins and they loathed Him for it.

I tell you the truth we are worse than them. Our need to insist everything be approached with complete civility and preference for everyone’s feelings has caused us – who claim to love Him – to remain silent when we absolutely should be speaking. Heaven and hell weigh in the balance and we are focused on feelings. Our Lord hung on the cross in full view of the contempt of those He sought to save, and we are consumed with the fear of offending.

While I admit I was surprised at my outburst, I still think it far better to offend you in the hope of reaching you for the Lord, rather than placate you all the way to hell. And if we’re really honest about it, so did the Lord.

More on "The Air of Heaven"

I've been working the last few weeks to format the book for release on "Scribd" or another online book service. This would save me the expense of printing and allow access to those interested for a nominal fee. There is a lot of work involved in the reformatting process and I'm a novice at it. So, it may be a few more weeks before it is available.

I'm considering $1.59 as the fee for downloading, giving reasonable access to all the poetry/songs. I feel it a small enough amount as to not be a hindrance, but large enough to help me recoup some of my expenses. There are over 30 pieces of poetry, and another 30+ dedicated prayers. So, a bargain compared to the cost of a hard copy.

As with any ministry, the issue is continuing to serve. I want to be able to come back in a year or so and share more, perhaps next time a book of praises. (I've already starting singing pieces in my sleep.) Given that I hope to continue writing both as He leads and in praise of Him, I do have to consider the costs. For instance, my computer is old and starting to have problems, and I think I about wore out this cheap little printer. (I worked it pretty hard.) Don't get me started on the cost of ink. One would think it was gold. (lol)

At any rate, I'd be interested in suggestions or comments for those who have been checking on the book's progress. I'm not looking for validation. So, please don't worry about stroking my ego. I know that what I have written has value because it continues to bless those who read it. No, what I'm looking for is information from those who have ideas or experience in hopes of speeding up or simplifying the work of getting it out there. It has truly become a labor of love.

To start the week, I'd like to share the refrain from another of the pieces. It is called "Magnificent Grace":

Magnificent grace poured down from His side.

Undeniable love melted all of my pride,

Incredible sacrifice of an only Son.

Extr'ordinary peace purchased for man.

Unmitigated pardon from our deadly sin.

Astonishing mercy, bought by the Holy One.

It sets me to singing, I pray it does the same for all of you.