Goodbye Times Square

It goes without saying that New York is a busy place. It is even busier during Christmas. But New York City during Christmastime is a beautiful and nostalgic place to be. Despite that, I am writing my last post from this Times Square Church blog. John Jenkins and some of the guys from His Place drove up to Manhattan this past week, and they offered me a ride home. After some thought, I took the offer on one condition: that I could leave with the blessing of my boss, Earl. After being given his blessings, I packed my things and loaded the van. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to go with them since there were six guys in the van already. But since two of those guys stayed in New York, I was just able to fit my things and myself in the van. Fortunately, I was able to work it out for my arrival to be a surprise to all! As I write, I am at the Starbucks where my beloved fiancé, Helen, is employed. I walked in without her noticing, snuck to the back with roses in hand and said, “Surprise!” It was great!!! HA HA! She nearly fainted! So now I am happily in sweet home, Alabama, with my family, friends, and fiancé.

The day before I left New York (Saturday, the 12^th of Dec.), I certainly had a lot of nostalgia and time to reflect. I had a unique experience that day. I strolled over to Rockefeller center, sat near the 72 ft. Christmas tree, and smoked a pipe, while wearing my wool overcoat and brown fedora. I just sat and enjoyed the festive scenes and happy people. I watched as so many couples showed warm affection, and for the first time ever, I beheld those sights with joy knowing that my own lovely bride was waiting back at home for me. I can definitely say with the psalmist that “the Lord has caused the lines to fall in pleasant places” for me. He has surely directed all my paths and has kept me to this day.

It’s been a good time at Times Square Church. I have left with a sense of accomplishment from my work, with the blessing of my boss and co-workers, and with a deeper work of sanctification. I’ll miss it. I will miss the urgency of prayer which consists there. I will miss the refreshing words from the man of God, David Wilkerson. I will miss the prophetic sensitivity of the pastoral staff. I will miss the sound teaching and exposition of Pastor William, especially in the context of the Ministerial Intern Program class. I will miss the leadership of Earl and Rick. I will miss the mentorship and compassionate advice of Joshua. I will miss Hector’s consistently joyful attitude and constancy in prayer. I will miss Larry’s background music (he sings praises to the Lord at all times throughout the day). I will miss the friendship of Billy, Ramesh, Louie, and others. I’ll even miss opening and closing the church at the Friday night youth service, The Gate.

If I could carry away some thoughts/principles/memories from my experience in New York City, what would I seek to retain? It would be foolish and a failure on my part to claim that I didn’t learn anything new while I was there. I became adapted to big-city life—learning the subway system, the right places to shop, and how to drive in Manhattan. I also learned from Larry and Joshua how to plaster walls properly. In addition, I became aware of how a mega-church operates. But more importantly than those things, what spiritual lessons did I learn? I may be presumptuous if I am too quick to answer that question comprehensively. Perhaps I may not know all that I have gleaned from being at Times Square Church until years from now. But stay tuned, and I will try to convey that as time passes. Right now, I am in the process of getting re-adjusted in Alabama with my wonderful fiancé. Pray for me as I look for a new job.

I will be concluding this particular blog, but starting another one. I’ll give details as I decide what to call it and what the purpose and theme of it will be.

Until then, grace to you all.

The Desolation of Rape and God's Ultimate Justice

I had initially desired to write today about some interesting and inspirational items that the Lord has been showing me in His word. However, I now feel compelled to share with you a true story which I was made aware of just a few minutes ago.

My friend and co-worker here at TSC, Louie Perez, knocked on my door just about a half hour ago. When I opened to him, he proceeded to tell me that his friend “Kate” from California (I’m not using her real name for the purpose of protecting her) was raped last night by six guys while she was jogging in a park. Louie asked for prayer and would have asked for so much more if more could be done or given in order to aide Kate in her dire situation. Kate was a virgin; only 18 years old. To make things worse, Kate has been in and out of the hospital this year with scares of heart trouble and breast cancer. She has already gone over the brink of a nervous breakdown which nearly incapacitated her in this, her senior year of high school. I need not ask this, but PLEASE pray diligently for her. She is not saved and Satan has inevitably made major inroads into her soul from these things that she has suffered. Pray and fast for the healing and salvation of Kate.

The most prevalent question which arises in our hearts like steam exploding out of a kettle is “why do things like this happen? Why would God allow this?”

If it had only happened to Kate, those questions would still resonate with as much searing vehemence as if no one else in the history of the world had ever been raped. But the even more tragic fact is that Kate is not alone. If only she could find some consolation in knowing that so many others can relate to her.

The fact is, every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted. This is the calculation made by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), based on the 2000 National Crime Victimization Survey, performed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice. In fact, 17.6 % of women in the United States have survived a completed or attempted rape (that’s just about 1 out of every six American women!) And according to the FBI, it is estimated that only 37% of all rapes are actually reported to the police. The U.S. Justice Department statistics are even lower, with only 26% of all rapes or attempted rapes being reported to law enforcement officials. So the number of rapes among American women is even higher than the available statistics can show. I know at least two people myself who have avoided the statistics, but have survived completed or attempted rapes. Actually, the number of sexual assaults per year has decreased over the past 30 years, but there is still much violence in the land.

Can’t you hear the cry of the victimized in the words of Tamar, the daughter of King David?

“No…do not force me! For no such thing should be done! Do not do this disgraceful thing!”—2 Samuel 13:12.

Tamar was raped and used by her own brother, Amnon. He burned with lust for one moment of temporary ecstasy, promising that he loved her, but afterwards he hated her and cast her aside like an old, dirty rag. And this is exactly how she was made to feel. The Scriptures say afterward, “So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.”—2 Samuel 13:20. And this is the awful, final state in which we find Tamar; she is never mentioned in any other way again in the Bible. In fact, the last mention of David’s daughter, Tamar, is that Amnon had forced her to lay with him (2 Samuel 13:22). She would forever be known as a rape victim. Tamar was the virgin daughter of the king, but she remained in that state of desolation, apparently, ever after. But Amnon’s fate was no better. Tamar’s other brother, Absalom, had Amnon murdered for his disgraceful act. Eventually, Absalom too was killed in an insurrection. This portion of the narrative of King David’s family does not have a happy ending. And the question still remains: “Why?”

It is almost impossible to consider all the possibilities as to why such a thing is allowed to happen, for we cannot see the end result of all things. We live in a sinful and fallen world where people have free will and cannot be forced to do either good or evil, but where God can redeem any person from any situation. God is still able to work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), but it is a very complicated answer which must be made personal and specific to the individual. A better question with a more comforting and definite answer is “Will justice ultimately be done?” And the unequivocal answer is a resounding “YES!”

Consider the destiny of Sodom and Gomorrah. Concerning these cities, the LORD said to Abraham,

“Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”—Genesis 18:20-21

Indeed, the LORD already knew, He merely wanted to assure Abraham, to whom He had been revealing Himself, of that fact. After the LORD says this, then an intimate dialogue between Abraham and his God ensues.

“Abraham came near and said, ‘Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? ...Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”—vs. 23, 25.

Again, the LORD assures Abraham that the Judge of all the earth WILL do right. God responds:

“If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”—v. 26

Abraham narrows the amount down to a mere ten people, but in fact there was found in Sodom only one righteous person: Abraham’s nephew, Lot. Lot’s daughters also escaped with him, although, afterwards, they showed themselves to be corrupt like the citizens of their home city. Sodom and Gomorrah were deeply depraved in violence, pride, and sexual immorality of all kinds. Their citizens were even willing to gang-rape male visitors in the streets—(cf. Genesis 19:5). The angels of the LORD declared the verdict on Sodom and Gomorrah:

“We will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”—Genesis 19:13.

When the outcry of the innocents, the victimized, and the righteous grows great in the face of the LORD, He will send His judgment upon the wicked. Do not think for a moment that those who rape, murder, and commit acts of violence will escape God’s righteous judgment. God will not be mocked; they will reap what they have sown. Like Amnon, and like the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, they will be crushed by the weight of their own sin. In the end, EVERYONE will be judged according to his or her own ways. God keeps very detailed records. He knows all. It is written:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire… [And God said] ‘He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”—Revelation 20:11-15; 21:7-8.

So, in the end, justice will be done; the wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction and the righteous will inherit eternal life in God Himself. The real question now is, “Has the outcry against violence and immorality in America reached its pinnacle yet?” When it does, woe to those people, for destruction will come from the Almighty upon them. But for the sake of the righteous, judgment upon this nation is withheld. Yet the cowards who perpetrated that rape, who left Kate desolate, will by no means escape punishment, whether it happens here or in the hereafter. The Judge of ALL the earth will do right.

Thanksgiving Break

I was blessed this week to be able to come home from New York for Thanksgiving. A friend of Helen's family donated me frequent flyer miles in order to fly me home for free, for nine days. It's been great! Helen got to meet some of my family for the first time and we were able to spend a lot of time visiting our families and mutual friends. Helen and I had our first double date with our friend Misty and her fiance, Sam. It has been appropriate to come home during Thanksgiving, as I am certainly thankful to be home and to be with our loved ones. I was telling my future brother-in-law, Jeff, what Dr. Ravi Zacharias once said, and it was very relevant to our circumstances: "Relationships give us a clue to meaning in life." I went on to quote a phrase of which I am fond of reminding myself, "after all, people are the only things we can take to heaven with us."

I cannot emphasize enough that I have very much enjoyed spending time with my fiance, our families, and our friends. Needless to say, I am not in a hurry to get back to New York. I love it here at home, not merely because of the quiet beauty of the South, but because of the people who I love.

The evening I arrived back in Alabama, Helen took me to a beautiful botanical spot, not far from her parents house in Vestavia Hills. She and I had had a "phone date" there before, but I had never physically been there. The name of the place is Aldridge Gardens, pictured above. Immediately, I was able to appreciate the peace and quiet there and the calming sounds of nature, of which I have been deprived for 5 months. You do not hear crickets, frogs, or birds chirping in New York City. You hear jack hammers, fire trucks, and car horns. Where Helen's parents and mine live, you can see the constellations at night. In New York City you can see Times Square's billboards and a haze over the city. On Sand Mountain, at my Mom's house, Helen and I burned a nice bonfire and had some hot, homemade cider. Fresh air vs. Times Square? Do I even need to make a comparison? It's striking to me to hear of the large amount of retirees who immigrate from New York. And where do they move? To the South, especially Florida. To each his own. So I guess all I'm saying is that I love to travel, but Alabama will always be home. Sweet home Alabama.

A week late

Sorry. For those of you who are attempting to keep up with me and Helen, I haven't updated for two weeks. But you are basically up to date. Helen, her sister Melanie, and their good friend (Helen's mentor), Stephanie, are busy planning our wedding. I have a little to contribute, but can't get too involved because of distance...thankfully! It stresses me out. They are doing a wonderful job of taking care of everything: Melanie and her husband Jeff are preparing the food; Helen has got her dress and shoes; Marie is doing photography; and Stephanie is doing all the important behind-the-scenes stuff. As a matter of fact, I know very little about what all is going into my wedding! LOL! But I know without these people and others, we would be better off just going to the courthouse! So thanks to you all!

Two weeks ago, on Halloween, I thought it wouldn't be inappropriate do a study of the doctrine of Hell. I did this, rather than go outside to experience the mayhem and debauchery of Halloween in Times Square. As an aside, it was not surprising to see a man dressed as a bloodied Christ walking by the church (Billy told me about this guy. I didn’t actually see him). I don’t know what this man’s intentions were, but it only serves to remind me that even in New York City, the public’s awareness of Jesus Christ is alive and well, even if they do not wish to be mindful of Him.

About three weeks ago I noticed the new billboards which have been proudly hoisted on the dingy subway corridors of Manhattan. The billboards were sponsored by the Big Apple Coalition of Reason, and they read: “A million New Yorkers are good without God…Are you?” It initially makes me think of what Paul points out in Romans 1:18-32, but I’m only going to quote a portion from verses 18 and 28:

“What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind…”

Apparently, over $25,000 was spent on this billboard campaign—(see http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/10/19/atheist-subway-ads-get-publicity-in-new-york-city/). My big question is WHY? At a time when money is scarce anyway, why waste time and money promoting something like this? If you ask the Big Apple CoR, they will tell you it is “to increase awareness of secular-minded groups throughout New York City.” and to “[promote] wider acceptance of a more rational and realistic view of the universe.”— (see http://newyorkcity.unitedcor.org/). Now I can understand why evangelicals would be willing to spend that much money on a billboard campaign, since it would serve the purpose of reminding people of God and their need of a Savior, and to produce faith in them towards Jesus so that they can be saved from sin and death. The cost is worth it in that case because the outcome and the rewards are eternally significant. But I cannot understand why atheists would bother to spend ANY money to discuss something in which they do not even believe. For that reason, a billboard campaign smacks of something more than meets the eye. At least I can appreciate the honesty of the billboard’s statement. Notice that it is not making the oft tried and audacious claim that God does not exist. Instead, the atheists are merely denying God; they are proudly asserting their independence from God and proclaiming that they are “good without [Him].” But if they were really honest they would just come out and say what their real desire is and their real reason for being so willing to spend so much money on atheistic propaganda. It is because they want people to rebel against God, like they themselves do. Despite their obvious rebellion against deity, they—dare I say—arrogantly maintain their own goodness without God. Proverbs 20:6 clearly says that most men will do this:

“Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?”

Who, indeed, can find a faithful man? Who is even looking for one? Jesus asked a provocative question, (as He was known to do), in Luke 18:8,

“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Needless to say, when Jesus comes back, He will not be looking for “good people.” Jesus is looking for people who are full of faith towards Him; He is earnestly searching for “the faithful man.” That brings me back to the issue of Hell which I was studying on Halloween.

I began my perusal into Hell with C. S. Lewis’ classic work, The Problem of Pain. I reread the chapter on Hell. Contained therein is one of the most eloquent and witty treatises about the doctrine of Hell. In it, Lewis deals with some common objections to this “most intolerable doctrine.” The whole chapter is good enough to quote at length, but since I wouldn’t want anyone to rush through or circumvent Lewis’ writings, I will quote but a brief, yet poignant, excerpt:

“I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside…In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell, is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does.”—(Problem of Pain, pg. 130)

By far the predominant argument against the existence of (i.e., surrender to) God is the problem of evil—the very theme of Lewis’ book. The problem is indeed felt, but it is not reasonable, for how can the atheist raise the problem of evil? For the atheist denies the very moral foundation by which he condemns God as unjust; the atheist, in his naturalistic, humanistic framework, has no moral basis for judgment one way or the other. I cannot here expand on that question and its entailments. Furthermore, much abler men and women have dealt with that problem and I would merely be borrowing from their surplus of knowledge in order to answer the question. Suffice it to say that the atheist and the rebel often times wants to indict God for being immoral and unjust for allowing things like Hell, and events of seemingly meaningless or unmerited evil and suffering. But the fact of the matter is that Jesus endured damnation—complete separation from God by becoming our sin on the cross—for them and all of us. They have no excuse to remain angry with God about the reality of Hell. Jesus says it so plainly:

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”—John 3:17-20

It is not because God hasn’t done everything that He can to save people. He has. Some people, as Lewis points out, will not to be forgiven. They are not condemned any longer because of their sins; they are condemned because they have not trusted Jesus as their salvation. Elsewhere Jesus explains that Hell wasn’t even made for men; it was made for the devil and his angels. But what else can God do with men who adamantly do not want to be with God? To force them to come to heaven apart from their free choosing of it would be equally as torturous to them as hell itself, and worse I guess they would even disrupt the joy of everyone else who loves God and wants to worship Him forever.

I ended my exploration of hell with the video testimony of Bill Weise (it can be found on YouTube or at http://www.soulchoiceministries.org). In November of 1998, at 3:00 in the morning, Bill Weise had an out-of-body experience of hell. His testimony is called 23 minutes in Hell and is one of the most sobering and terrifying, yet hopeful testimonies I have ever heard. (I also supplemented my study with two articles; one by Timothy Keller and one by the Catholic Encyclopedia. They can be found at http://www.redeemer.com/news_and_events/articles/the_importance_of_hell.html and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07207a.htm, respectively.)

Hell is real. Jesus doesn’t want us to go there. He paid our way out, if only we’ll take it.

Pray for the 200 plus Times Square Church members who are on mission in Greenock, Scotland as I speak. People are being saved from hell daily because of their outreach. I rejoice in their work! Also pray for Pastor Rick Hagans and our friend Sunil McWan as they are in India on a mission trip. I’m praying for God to do mighty works through them and that the Lord will separate for Himself many Indians whom He will call through them. So far the trip hasn’t been easy. Pastor Rick has already been deported once. But in typical Rick Hagans fashion, he returned to India only 2 days later after getting the problem with his VISA fixed. God is moving and I believe He is bringing in the fullness of the Gentiles into His body, the Church. We need to get involved. The Holy Spirit wants us to co-labor with Him to preach the gospel to all people. And then the end will come.

A sublime week with my Helen

Grace to you all from our Lord Jesus Christ,

If I may, let me begin in an orthodox, albeit atypical way through prayer: Father I thank you for making us in such a way that we have the capacity and privilege of knowing You. Help us to know You more. Lord, You said that everyone is blessed who fears You, that they shall be happy and all will be well with them. Lord Jesus, You have made me happy and caused all things to be well with me. Thank You Lord! And help me to fear and believe You all the more. Lord, we do not want to be complacent; God, forbid that we become unsavory salt; we want to be useful to You always. God help us and forgive us of our lazy complacency and stagnant contentment. We fear men more than we fear You, so we keep You as our most private secret instead of proclaiming Your wonderful works to the children of men. Forgive us God for being disobedient. Help Your Church, in the future, from now on, and by the power of Your Holy Spirit to be Your witnesses in all the earth in order to work together with the Holy Spirit in preparing You a pure and spotless bride, just for You, Lord Jesus. Teach us to pray in Your Name. Amen.

Last week when I wrote you last, I sort of knew what I would be writing about this week. Let me say at the forefront that I am neither eloquent nor profound enough to convey to you the fulfillment which I feel and in which I have been living. I am truly blessed, and I am even more aware now of the obedience and calling of the Gospel to which we have been called. Why do I say “we”? Because, as of Friday, October 16^th, 2009, my good friend of four years and the woman through whom God revived love in me, the elegant Helen Salter, became my bride-to-be. YEA!!!! J I LOVE her with a more passionate and committed love than I have ever experienced before. What’s more is that the Father, from the beginning of our courtship, has been giving me glimpses into His love for her—the love with which He desires to love her through me. What an awesome privilege for me! It’s true that I cannot love everybody that way, there just wouldn’t be the practical or devotional time and energy to do so, but God knows I can at least love my wife with His love, and He wants me to. He wants ALL husbands to do that.

This may be a lengthy post, so feel free to come back to it. Let me start from the beginning:

I met Helen Salter in the Fall of 2005 at Jimmy and Anne Nicholson’s house in Auburn, AL. Jimmy and Anne hosted a college fellowship at least twice a week in their home. It was a wonderful time in the word, in prayer and worship, and in the breaking of bread and fellowship. It was our church home. We truly kept Jesus as our focus. We had a very intimate group of people there, and Helen became part of that group that year. I can remember first seeing Helen sitting adjacent from the entrance to Anne’s kitchen; so she was the first sight I beheld when I walked in the door that night. And what a sight to behold! I didn’t immediately know that the woman I was looking at would one day be my wife, but I did have the good sense to appreciate how beautiful she was. And to be honest, the thought of possible partnership with her did cross my mind, since, at that point in time and many times afterward, every time I saw a new girl I wondered, “Is she the one?” You see I’ve been alone pretty much my whole life. I’ve only had one other girlfriend, and now looking back on that relationship, it was a fairly superficial one. We dated for two years off and on, talked about marriage, but never kissed each other, and I came away from that relationship very hurt and confused. Needless to say, I have been looking for my wife for about 10 years now.

Of course after meeting Helen that night I realized something even more charming and appealing about her—her accent. Helen had moved from Bristol, England with her family when she was 14 years old. They now reside in Birmingham, AL where her dad is a pastor.

After we had talked for a bit, I was extremely attracted to her then! So I liked Helen almost immediately when I met her. But I wasn’t grounded on just her at that point in time and probably suppressed my attraction to her in order to keep myself from being hurt again. About a year later, my attraction to her was turning into love. In November of 2006 I wrote Helen a letter expressing my “intrigue” of her and my desire to get to know her better. Her response was well-thought out and prayed through, but she kindly declined my offer at that time, saying, “There are many things that I admire about you but I don't share the same feelings as you have expressed to me.” Ironically, she also had prayed that "the Lord would bring into [my] life the woman that He is preparing for [me] and that it would not be long from now." I have these comments from her thanks to the fact that I never delete most of my g-mails. J That is very meaningful now since she is the answer to her own prayer! I wasn’t devastated by her response, especially since Helen took care to never disrespect me in any way. But I was disappointed because I had been convinced in my own mind and heart that she would be the last woman I would ever have to date. I even burned a CD in celebration of the fact, which I entitled “Love my Woman,” and included my favorite love songs on it to remind me of her. Since I had been turned down, I began to suppress my feelings for her and we continued to be good friends.

In 2009, when I heard that Helen had a boyfriend at work, I was secretly disappointed, although I told her I was happy for her, and I meant it. I wanted her to be happy, but, of course, I wanted me to be happy too. Only a few months later, I was secretly glad that she had broken up with this young man, although I was saddened by the fact that she had been hurt and was now all alone, AGAIN! In June, when Helen came to visit Gabby and me in Auburn, we talked about it. She shared her story and I shared mine. It was the first time that either of us had talked with one another about our past (or in her case, recent) relationships. Light had been shed and more room had been made for each of us in our hearts, although I wasn’t fully aware of it at the time and didn’t want to admit it to myself. But that day, as I looked upon the dainty elegance of my old friend, Helen, once again, I just stood to reflect upon her character and appreciate her beauty. I felt compelled to snap a quick, candid photo with my camera-phone. My mind was in a state of conflict at that moment: I told myself that I was just doing it to remember my good friend Helen, who, after all, I may never see again since I would be moving to New York in a month. But I knew that I was suppressing what had been motivating my very actions that day: I was deeply impressed by her and I wanted to impress her too. Before she left Auburn, I invited her and Gabby over to my house to have a pancake breakfast. I also talked her into going with me to visit our friends David and Jillian Carden in Mobile the next week. She agreed to go. I secretly did it in order to spend more time with her, even though I never would have admitted it even to myself at the time. It’s wonderful how God works things out, for it was on that trip that we realized we liked each other. The week that I left to come here to New York, I wrote her a second letter asking her for her permission (and her dad’s) to pursue her in courtship and to get to know her better. It is now 3 and a half months later, a week after she came up here to visit me, and she is now my fiancé. I can say in all seriousness that last week with Helen was the best week of my life under the sun thus far. But before I tell you a little about that, let me backtrack for a moment.

Exactly five years ago, I was living at His Place ministries in Opelika and Helen was living in Selma with her mentors, Terry and Stephanie Grissom. During that time I was in the midst of a 40-day fast which God had called me to do for the first time in my life. He had instructed me to fast from “the thing which I love most in this whole world.” At that point in time, the “thing” which I loved most in this world was my ex-girlfriend, Lindsey. I didn't realize it at the time (or maybe I didn't want to), but fasting from Lindsey was the answer to her prayers. She apparently had wanted to break up with me, again, but, again, wanted me to do it, instead of her. Needless to say, she was very supportive of the fast. I viewed it as me giving up the supreme object of my love and thus as an Abraham-sacrificing-Isaac-type of situation. I told God, “If I yield this seed to You, to plant it in the ground and let it die, I expect it to become fruitful. But Lord, I will give up anything for You!” I said in tears. (It was later, in 2006, when God expressly promised to make me fruitful and founded it on Psalm 128:1-4). At the end of the fast, God revealed to me that Lindsey and I would break up, and He gave me the utmost grace to do it and to cope with it. During that same time, almost exactly five years ago today, Helen was at a church conference called “Harvest-Fest.” It was appropriately held during the month of October. At that conference, God spoke to her through two different members of the Body that, among many other things, she would be married, and that her husband would be “a Caleb in the spirit.” Helen has clung to this word of prophecy as confirmation as to who her husband would be. In 2005, the same year that I met Helen, I came across a teaching by my favorite bible teacher, Derek Prince, entitled “Caleb: Lessons from a Dog’s Life.” This teaching changed my life and caused me to desire to pattern my life after that of Caleb. I even began to write an epic story with Caleb as the protagonist and main character. Did you know that five times in the Scriptures it says of Caleb that “he wholly followed the Lord his God”? It doesn’t even say that about Joshua or David! I want to be that kind of man—a man who is completely faithful to God and in all things; a man of integrity and loyalty.

It is important to mention that in the same month that I was drawing near to God, fasting to find my wife and fruitfulness, Helen was being told who her husband would be, even before we met! God was immediately at work, and neither of us even knew it! It is in Psalm 128:3, where it says, “Your wife shall be a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house…” This is the same verse I had inscribed on Helen’s engagement ring, for she is truly the Fruitful Vine which God has prepared for me. And I pray that I am the “Caleb” which God has prepared for her.

I proposed to Helen on Friday, October 16^th, as I said before. We had spent the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Afterward, we began walking back to TSC. We were right next to Central Park where I wanted to propose to her that day. I had the ring in my pocket, and it wasn’t raining, as it had been forecasted. Helen said, “Maybe we could go for a walk in the park tomorrow, if we have time.” I responded with a smile, “Well, we have some time right now.” This was the moment! I had to take it. So we strolled along, took some pictures and I found a scenic, quiet place with a bench for her to sit on. I wiped the rain water off the bench with my sleeve for her to sit down, but then said, “Well, this part is too wet, I’ll just sit here, in front of you so I can look at you.” I kneeled down on the ground, with the ring in my hand. Quickly and nervously, I told her that I love her, that she is my fruitful vine and that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I showed her the ring. She cried and smiled broadly. I slid the ring onto her finger. She cried some more and we kissed for the first time. Helen is my first kiss. And I can tell you this: I’ll never kiss another woman as long as I live! Why would I want to? I am completely captivated by Helen and her love for me. J

The next five days together were some of the most wonderful days I will ever have with another human being. I didn’t think it was possible, but we have grown even more intimately and affectionately in love. I think of her every moment. And while we know that things may not always be exactly this way, as my wise and best friend David Carden said to me, “the commitment never changes.” Whatever the circumstances or moods that we find ourselves in, our commitment to one another will never change.

In closing, you other guys can be jealous and gawk at me, but Helen Salter is mine and I am hers. She is God’s gift to me, as it is written: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” I am truly highly favored!

I love you, Helen!

Just a brief update

Greetings everyone!

It's beginning to get cold here in New York City. It's been consistently in the 40's at night, and is sure to keep getting colder. This Fall weather provokes me to miss home, where you can see all the beautiful colors of the leaves and where the weather is milder. Here, you can't see anything because of all the buildings. New York is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here for the rest of my life. Despite all the lights and the ostentatious façade, New York City is by and large a very dismal and lonely place. I can see how it would be very easy to get lost in the crowd here. And because of the inconvenience of time pressures, money, and distance, it is difficult to meet up with friends just to hang out. Thus the tendency of most busy New Yorkers is to be loners, or to be friends with only those whose daily paths are the same as their own. Being from the country, I'm not impressed with all the aggrandizement of this city, since I have actually seen the beauty of God's creation. God's creation surpasses man's constructions any day.

Now some readers, sympathetic to the New York lifestyle, may not agree with my sentiments. I've talked to people who love living here. That's fine. I'm not asking them to move. I do wonder, however, if they have actually taken time to look "outside of the box" in order to see the bigger picture. I'll give you an example of what I mean. A good friend of mine here at TSC, who has lived in New York his entire life, took me to visit Coney Island back in late August. When we arrived, he expressed with satisfaction, "Isn't it beautiful!?" Before I go any further, have any of you ever been to Hawaii, or Savannah, GA, or Destin, FL, or even Gulf Shores, AL? If you have, you know what a beautiful beach looks like. ANY outsider who has ever visited Coney Island, knows that Coney Island is not a beautiful beach. It is admittedly run-down, dirty, drug-infested, and the beach itself is laden with trash and old heroin needles. For my friend to proclaim its beauty only reveals that he has never seen a beautiful beach; it is the only beach he had ever known. No doubt, he had experienced fond memories there as a child, but the truth remains that he only calls Coney Island beautiful because he doesn't know any better. Now that may sound like a cruel pot shot to my friend, but I assure you that I mean no harm. I only want to point out this fact: sometimes we humans become satisfied with a lesser good merely because we don't know any better. My friend isn't stupid. I guarantee if he saw any of the above-mentioned beaches he would agree with awe that they do surpass Coney Island in beauty, aside from the fact that Coney Island is a place of nostalgia for him.

Coney Island's famous hotdog stand, Nathan's.

Aside from the goodness of nostalgia and talk of beaches, isn't it interesting how easy it is for us to accommodate ourselves to be content with less than God's best? So many of us deprive ourselves of God's abundance just because we are too lazy (or afraid) to look out of the box in which we have become comfortable. Be assured of this much at least, on my end: if I had wanted to stay in my complacency I never would have come to New York. Not only did I want to broaden my own horizons, but God loved me enough to pull me out of my state of spiritual complacency in which I had been found in Alabama.

This week, my beloved Helen will be coming to Times Square to visit me! Also, this week, I will be filling in for my friend Billy who is visiting Israel. Billy is in charge of distributing food and providing information on local shelters and food kitchens after the Sunday and Tuesday evening services. I had the delight of feeding four people this past Sunday night. We gave out 90 pounds of food! If you want to know more about Times Square Church's ministry to the homeless and poor, check out the website for the "Raven Ministry" at http://www.tscnyc.org/ministry_raven.php. It is truly a worthwhile ministry.

I'll update again after Helen and I have spent some time together this coming week.

Grace to you all,

David

*Patio*

Prayer in the Square and Spiritual Confrontation

I begin my blog entry this week with soberness of mind and much contemplation. I haven't updated in 2 weeks because I haven't had a day off in almost that long. Last Sunday was "Prayer in the Square" and as you can imagine, Times Square Church has been busy over the past month preparing for that monumental occasion.

May the Lord help me as I try to convey to you the details of the past two weeks.

The spiritual atmosphere in this nation has become quite tense as of late, and many are aware of it. There might even be a confrontation taking place. I say things like this with tentativeness because I don't want to be presumptuous about what I believe God is showing me. Such revelation about our times can certainly be corroborated by the rest of the Body of Christ as we seek Him and He reveals His plans and purposes to His servants. What I look for as confirmation is consistency of revelation among the Church at large. When God reveals His plans to different, unassociated members of the Body and that plan is found to be consistent among members, you can be fairly sure that it is God speaking to His people; it is the one Spirit enlightening the one Body. So regarding the things I am about to relate to you, consider how such a plan is consistent among the Body and in all things search the Scriptures to confirm whether these things are true--Acts 17:11.

The day before Prayer in the Square (you can watch Prayer in the Square at http://www.nycprayer.org/media_center_facebook.html) I was bombarded mentally with a rather typical attack from the enemy. Helen and some of her friends in Auburn prayed as I prayed here, and I began to be relieved. But thereafter, Satan tried to put a wedge between Helen and me, which has since been abolished. Helen also has been attacked recently, not only through that, but also with extreme physical ailments. She had surgery to remove a lump this Thursday. The operation went well, but she is now recovering in pain and dealing with additional discomfort from nausea and cramps!

Before I go any further, let me epitomize the intensity of the spiritual atmosphere over the past week: 1) Prayer in the Square was Sunday, September 20th and gathered a following of over 200 churches with around 30,000 people on Times Square. 2) The Islamic 40-day fast of Ramadan is ending this week. This Friday, Sept. 25th, an unprecedented event occurred when some 50,000 Muslims gathered on Capitol Hill for a day of prayer and fasting to close Ramadan (see http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/). 3) The radiant prayer and fasting ministry, The Call, posted an urgent message on their website this week (see http://www.thecall.com/#Urgent), calling all Christians to a week of concerted prayer with such evangelical leaders as Lou Engle (of The Call), Shirley Dobson (of Focus on the Family and The National Day of Prayer), and Tony Perkins (of the Family Research Council). The week is to end with a day of concerted prayer and fasting for the Church in America and for Muslims to come to Christ. 4) This year, on September 27-28, the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, will be observed. This too is a day of fasting and repentance for all Jews. (for more information on Yom Kippur from a Jewish perspective see http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Yom_Kippur.shtml).

What we are seeing in the religio-spiritual climate of America just this week is truly a brewing storm of religious fervor and conflicting worldviews. It is cause for the Church to get serious about our faith and about evangelism! Contrary to what atheists would prefer, America is still very much a religious nation. The the most prominent religions in the world--the Big Three Monotheistic religions--are at a crossroads of spiritual confrontation in this nation. It is because of THIS that I believe God has offered us His plans and purposes in and through these things, to act accordingly.

The following is what I believe the Lord is revealing to me:

First and most importantly, God is calling the Church to a renewed, consecrated vigilance in prayer. I believe God is in the process of setting apart a "Zadok priesthood;" a "righteous" remnant (Zadok means "righteous" or "just." For more on Zadok read 2 Samuel chapter 15 and 1 Kings chapters 1-2.) of praying and interceding saints who will be able to stand in the gap on behalf of unbelievers and have favor with people. This remnant will be able to believe and see God's promises fulfilled, for "the just shall live by faith."

Secondly, I believe God has confirmed to me a particular of my calling. Namely, that I (and many others) must be prepared to give an answer to Muslims and people of other worldviews in order to convince them of the verity of the Gospel. I believe that God specifically "told" me that knowledge is increasing, but assurance is decreasing. Our task as apologists (defenders of the faith) in this time is to provide the knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ and to persuade people of its certainty. We are to reason with people from the Scriptures, just as the apostle Paul did--(Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4; 19:8-9). We are to persuade, convince, correct, and rebuke--2 Timothy 3:17. I have been interested in apologetics for a long time and I have thought that it would be a useful discipline in helping to clear the rubble of doubt so that the Gospel may be presented unhindered to people, but never before has God confirmed to me specifically that I should be equipped to defend the truth against the myriad of conflicting worldviews. It is an answered prayer to know with certainty and specificity to what God is calling me.

And finally, I believe God has shown me in prayer recently that "the fullness of the Gentiles"--Romans 11:25--is coming into the Church, and soon the "blindness in part," that has been on the Jewish people for centuries, will be totally removed (for more, read Romans chapters 9-11 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%209-11&version=NKJV). I pray this means that there will be a great influx of the remaining Gentiles (especially including Muslims) coming to Christ and then there will also be a Jewish revival which the world has never seen, where millions of Jews will come to believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah! I get emotional every time I think or pray about this. I believe it is God's heart and God's plan, but His children must be co-workers with Him in this endeavor! What blood will be on our hands if we are just content to do nothing! We can be witnesses of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us for this very purpose!

Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."--Matthew 24:14.

The end will not come until the gospel is preached to ALL nations, Gentile and Jew alike. When the fullness of the Gentiles has come into the Church and the subsequent mass conversion of the Jews to true Judeo-Christianity has occurred, then the Lord Jesus will return to receive His completed bride, and thus all Israel will be saved!

May it be.

Bedbugs, Bistango, and Brooklyn Tabernacle

Greetings from Times Square!

I am now approaching the 2-month mark of my stay here at TSC. Next Sunday I start the Ministerial Intern Program with Pastor Will.

This week has been a bit inconvenient. I lived in Alabama for 27 years, in eight different locations and I have never even seen a bedbug. I’ve been in New York for less than two months and I’ve seen dozens of them! I also saw advertisements on the subway against them and even a large awareness billboard about them in Times Square! This place has a serious bedbug problem, among other things. So in our war against the bloodsuckers, we, the men of the maintenance ministry on the third floor, have taken drastic measures. Earl instructed us to move out all of our things, rip up all the carpets, bag up all our clothes, and then he would send the exterminator. Yesterday (Saturday), the exterminator came (actually for the second time in two weeks!) and sprayed four of our rooms and the whole hallway. He will return in a week to spray the rest of the rooms because we couldn’t all fit our belongings in the hallway at the same time. My carpet was glued down to the cement subflooring with epoxy glue. Just in case you don’t know, it was nearly impossible to get up. Thanks to whoever did that. It took me 5 or so hours to do just half of the room! And these rooms are small! If it weren’t for my friends Ramesh and Billy I never would have finished the room in time. There was something about the difficulty of the carpet, the bedbugs crawling on me at night, and moving for what will be the eighth time since last August, the fact that all my belongings were in disarray, and the fact that I had no privacy—all these things combined to stress me out quite a bit and make me irritable and full of worry. In an act of God’s perfect timing I visited the Brooklyn Tabernacle this morning and the theme of the message, which was preached by a pastor friend of Jim Cymbala’s from Michigan, was “Worry.” But before I go into that, let me tell you the side story.

Laura Fuller who is on the board of directors for Harvest Evangelism, called me on Friday to let me know that she and her husband Gary, who is the mayor of Opelika, Alabama, were coming to New York and wanted to visit me and take me out to eat. We met up, and after I gave them a brief tour of the church we took a cab over to E. 23^rd Street and 3^rd Avenue to an outstanding Italian Restaurant called Bistango (www.bistangonyc.com). The manager of Bistango is a brother here at Times Square Church named Anthony. Anthony was extremely friendly and accommodating, as it was Gary Fuller’s birthday that day, so I asked Anthony if he could do something special. Turns out Anthony had already been informed by Pastor Rick about Gary’s birthday; he had called and made reservations for me and the Fullers. The food was delectable, and Gary received two different kinds of chocolate desserts (Mayor Fuller loves chocolate) and was sung to by the Bistango staff. This outing was a very welcome retreat from the insecticide ridden, carpet-less halls of the third floor. I had a great time. This morning I also accompanied the Fuller’s to Brooklyn Tabernacle. WOW! What an amazing, spirit-filled service that was! I can’t believe there are two powerhouse churches within 20 minutes of each other in New York City, and maybe more. I guess the darker the city, the brighter the beacons must be. And also, the larger the population, the larger the churches should be. Times Square Church and Brooklyn Tabernacle are like sister churches. They are both located in old theaters and they both have a unique worship and teaching style. But I must say that the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir, under the direction of Carol Cymbala, blew my mind. They sang a new song this morning which I think is called, “You are the Sovereign God.” The song goes: “You are the Sovereign God! Bigger than all my problems, and every situation.” I had such a wonderful time of true praise. Not only that, but I felt exhorted and comforted by the choir. And that’s what a church choir is meant to do: not to entertain or build up unnecessary emotional hype, but to exhort the congregation and to lead them in authentic praise to God. I needed to hear both the message of the choir and the preacher. But something worth mentioning also happened when we first arrived at Brooklyn Tab. We got there fairly early and sat pretty close to the front on stage right. Then one of the most uncanny and improbable occurrences happened. We overheard the three people sitting directly in front of us talking about Alabama! I whispered to Laura, “They can’t be from Alabama.” So she asked the gentleman in front of us and he said, “Yes we are! We’re from Guntersville!” In response to that remark I just about lost composure. I am from Albertville, Alabama, the next city over from Guntersville! I have relatives in Guntersville and my dad volunteers for the Guntersville Rescue Squad. I grew up swimming and boating on Guntersville Lake! And sitting in front of us were Lisa Beam, and Coach Rick and Sandra Moody, all from Guntersville. Ms. Lisa is a P.E. teacher at an elementary school in Guntersville, and the Moody’s are originally from Guntersville and are moving back there soon from Syracuse, NY. Coach Moody was the women’s basketball coach at the University of Alabama, mine and Gary’s favorite team, and Gary knew the guy! This was a very pleasant gift and surprise for me, as I love my home state and was glad to meet Christian people from my hometown who know my relatives. But it took us having to meet at Brooklyn Tabernacle, some 900 miles away from home, in order to make acquaintance. This was a Divine appointment. Nobody can tell me that it was a coincidence; it was a precious gift of God to me. I am extremely thankful to God for that little gift and glimpse into eternity. What a family reunion THAT will be! Now, on to the message.

Pastor Jim Cymbala was at home with the flu today, but he invited his friend Brad from Michigan to preach in his stead, and Brad felt led of the Lord to bring a message against worry, a sin with which we are all familiar.

The talking points of the message are these, taken from the text of Matthew 6:25-34:

Worry is 1) Unreasonable, 2) Unnatural, 3) Unnecessary, and 4) Un-Christ-like. Worry and faith are mutually exclusive. If you want to overcome worry, apply these four principles from the text as spoken by Jesus: 1) Look to your Father in heaven, just like Jesus did. 2) Learn how valuable you are to Him. 3) Live one day at a time. 4) Apply Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God,” for our Father knows what we have need of before we ask it. He will provide.

In light of the fact that Helen and I are planning to be a family and share life together, I would be well advised to take this important message into consideration daily, especially to the Lord in prayer.

Grace to you all,

David

*Patio*

Promises fulfilled; prayers answered

Where do I begin? I'm sorry (if it concerns you) that I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. Let me give you a synopsis of what has happened over the past two weeks in the form of some bullet points:

- Most amazing and virtually indescribable is the first meaningful thing that I can think of that happened two weeks ago, mid-week. My wonderful girlfriend, Helen Salter, told me that she loved me for the first time! This occurred a few days after I first confessed my love and commitment to her. I knew that she loves me, but I sure was enthralled to hear it for the first time. Helen is a dainty and elegant British girl who is waiting on me back home in Birmingham, Alabama. She's quite funny and charming, I'd say even daring, and she isn't bad on the eyes either, if I do say so myself! :) She's also wise in the love and knowledge of God in such a way that is thoroughly intriguing to me. Her heart is a veritable treasure, which I alone have the privilege to search out and know. I am fondly looking forward to seeing her again and for us to have physical contact for the first time since I began pursuing her. (We started "dating" after I arrived in New York.) Ironically, what Mrs. Sledge prophesied over me was true: I did meet my wife while in New York City, and her name is Helen. :) Of course this sounds shocking to some of you who are unawares, but if you have talked to me at all in the past month, then you know that Helen and I love each other deeply. It's been wonderful building a solid foundation of communication over the phone (and texting) everyday. We are some 900 miles away from each other, but we are closer than we have ever been in the past 4 years that I've known her and been friends with her. She is truly a wonderful friend and will be a devoted wife and mother. Please pray for us. Specifically would you pray for Helen as she is currently facing possible surgery to remove two fibrous cysts. Thankfully, the results of the mammographical tests she had, returned negative. I praise God for the fruitful vine with which He has favored me in Helen--(Psalm 128:3; Proverbs 18:22). She truly is a promise from God fulfilled.

- Last Sunday (August 23rd), my boss, Earl Stocker approached me while I was working security on the third floor of the education annex, which is the children's department of Times Square Church. He offered me the possibility of joining the Ministerial Intern Program here at TSC. The MIP is a weekly class taught by Pastor William Carrol and goes from September through January, then from January to May. The class is on biblical interpretation and homiletics and is for pastors-in-training. Since I recognize the call of God on my life to teach His word, I prayed to be in such a class before I even arrived here, though I wasn't sure there even was one. I discussed the matter with no one but God. Earl explained to me that you cannot simply join the class, you have to be recommended by your department head, which in my case is Earl. He was very kind and generous to offer this to me. I will at least get to glean from Pastor Will for one semester until my internship is finished, or until I move back home to continue pursuing Helen and making arrangements for our future together. Being in this class is a great privilege and another prayer answered. Praise God! I have nothing, but He has all.

- Last Monday, I was profoundly blessed to have the opportunity to meet Pastor Ben Crandall, who is an associate pastor here and oversees the ministry to the seniors, which occurs on Wednesday afternoons. My friend and co-worker here, Billy Good, is in charge of retrieving Pastor Ben and his wife Jeanne when they arrive from Rhode Island bi-weekly. On this occasion, Billy asked me if I would accompany him to Penn Station to pick them up. It was quite an eventful day. Dr. and Mrs. Crandall are in their 80's and have been saved and in the ministry together for sixty-some-odd years! What a legacy of faithfulness they have had! Pastor Ben's messages from the pulpit and enduring perseverance in the faith have had a deep and, I pray, lasting impact on me. He is one of my favorite preachers now. He is known for encouraging the Body of Christ at large to never give up. It was truly an honor and faith-builder to meet and get to know them.

- Last Thursday, during my lunch break, I walked over to the deli on 49th and 8th to get some 99-cent pizza. On the way, I was stopped by a solicitor named Bonni from the ecological organization, GreenPeace. At first, I was a bit taken aback because typically no one talks to you on the streets of New York except beggars. She didn't just talk to me, she jumped in front of me. Impressed with her audacity, I made her a deal. I said, "Ok. You give me your spiel, and then I want to share something with you." She said, "Ok, I think." I said, "That's the deal, take it or leave it." So she did her best to tell me about saving the polar bears, reducing pollution, and planting windmills. And I told her I agree with her and that I am a Christian. Then she was really worried and said that she didn't get into religion. I said I didn't either, LOL! So we talked for about 20 minutes going back and forth. I told her that she had given herself over to this cause of saving the environment because God has created us with an innate desire to give ourselves over to a cause and to worship something. I undermined her faith in Darwinian evolution by explaining to her that if she merely evolved from an ape in a universe which is just slowly going extinct, then she has no real purpose, her life is meaningless, and she cannot even trust her own judgment because her brain itself is just a collection of evolving molecules that may never reach completion, whatever completion is in such a worldview. She had no substantial response and then I said, "God designed you with a special purpose in His mind; a special cause just for you to fulfill." I got her to agree that there is evil in the world that needs to be fixed. I also explained that for the same reason the environment is getting ruined by us, we also need a Savior to save us from our sins, for we cannot save ourselves. She replied, "I just don't believe that." We closed out our conversation and I began to walk away when the Holy Spirit prompted me to sign up as a GreenPeace sponsor, for her sake; as a witness to her. We departed with smiles.
Lord, I pray again that you save Bonni. Do not let the word which went forth to her return to You void. Make it accomplish its purpose. Seek and save that which is lost!

- Saturday my room was fumigated with insecticide to kill the bedbug infestation, so I could not sleep in my room that night. I slept in the elder's lounge, and then in the Raven Ministry office upstairs. Yesterday morning (Sunday, the 30th) I became conscious that I was in a dream state and in that state I was conscious of the spiritual realm actually and presently about me. I came under demonic attack and could not wake up from the dream. My mind was awake, but my body was comatose. I felt as though the unclean spirits were holding my blanket down around me so that I could not move. In my dream state, the door of the room I was in flung open and an eerie light shown in from outside. I could hear weird moanings and crashing sounds. Objects started falling off the tables and the walls, and I felt completely disoriented, unable to wake my body up from sleep. The enemy was using scare tactics to intimidate me. It didn't work this time. I was more fascinated than frightened. You see, this has happened to me one other time--four years ago in Opelika while I was the intern at His Place. That time the demons verbally mocked me, and when I could not move or wake up, I became panicked. Then I cried out to Jesus to save me and He did! On this new occasion, I remembered that testimony of His faithfulness and used it against the evil powers. While in the dream state I prayed, "Lord Jesus, save me. I have overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. There is power in Your name; there is power in Your word; there is power in Your blood!" At that point, immediately, I was free to wake up and the demonic intimidation ceased. However, I remained "asleep" and asked the Lord to show me the identity of those unclean spirits. He identified three: a spirit of violence and abuse, a spirit of sexual immorality and lust, and a spirit of "lack of self-control" and carousing. I didn't know what carousing meant, so I looked it up. It means "to engage in drunken revelry." I also wondered why that happened to me in that room and at church, on a Sunday no less. The Lord told me, "the devils come to work on Sunday; the devils come to church too." The reason it happened at that time of the day is because it was the time of day when people begin to get ready to come to church. The devil is not off on Sunday. He works twice as hard in order to counteract the preaching and receiving of the Word of God on that day. And so the spiritual battle is very real. The enemy sends his agents to buffett people, distract them, dismay them, tempt them, and confuse them. All the more we should pray for the dismantling of Satan's kingdom and of his schemes against mankind. Don't forget, we have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony!

It's been an eventful two weeks. I hope yours was as well. Stay connected with the Lord.

grace to you,

David