Having denied Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and the repentance of sin for decades, our Father’s patience ran out, and He pulled back some blessings from me. This included taking away a portion of spiritual protection.
In 2007, God’s actions gave a clear overall message – “you don’t like my Son, Jesus?! And mock me with a lack of gratitude for the gift of life and all the blessings that I’ve given, then this is just a little of what you truly deserve – view the difference!”
Every day for about a year, I felt the spirit of the enemy and the Spirit of God’s wrath very apparent in my life. On one typical day, I was driving on a misty, foggy, country road, just North of Philadelphia, and a lightning bolt was suddenly shooting right at me in seeming slow motion! And just as it was about to hit me – it hit a utility pole just to my left, and a fireball exploded onto the ground! A flood ruined some of my possessions, a divorce occurred with deceit, there was hurtful slander, my back blew out and I was crawling, room to room, in anguish, cancer, heart issues, a suburban residence was gone, Kissa my cat was gone, no steady place to live, then a dangerous Philly residence, flash mobs, regular police and ER sirens around my immediate neighborhood, swat teams at the corner trying to contain wild celebrations, 86 people arrested in one night, violence roaming, all night long loud parties in the below apartment, a heart issue getting worse and eventually unable to walk 200’ feet and my breath was cut off, financial problems, and after starting with 50 dollars in Philly and working for years – my 46 rental property portfolio was gone, the enemy kept presenting temptations and trouble, and casual evening walks in the neighborhood were out of the question. But our faithful loving Father also kept helping me, and clearly saved me, repeatedly! This included through extraordinary manifestations of God’s Holy Spirit, Angels, and human messengers – and I certainly had new faith in God’s existence!
At times, it might seem that we are getting away with sin, including long-term sin, or by doing many good works and rationalizing just one little sin. But flirting with the enemy…and denying Jesus and His Word, in any regard, will face truth, either in voluntary repentance – or ‘one’s own truths, involuntarily, and at times, suddenly,’ facing righteous truth, to end the destruction! Abruptly having a conscience to the details of our sins from God’s enlightenment, including of the magnitude of damage to ourselves and residually to others, can yield a hell of suffering, regrets of an unbearable torture, yearning for some way to escape oneself and one’s own conscience, but not able to! Wisdom’s reasoning reveals: better than to not, is to voluntarily care about and respect deserving Holy glory, who gives us everything that we have, including life, hope, a planet to live on, and the immensity of God’s Son Jesus on a cross!
Later, I realized that, all along, our Father was blessing me exceedingly for a conversion! God was cleansing me, stripping me of things worldly, and infusing growing seeds of righteous truth’s wisdom of love within me, to live for lasting things, including for eternal purposes and God’s glory!
Through the experience of such a transformation – from pride’s contempt unto truth’s humility, yielded such things as gratitude, wisdom, and a fervent desire, to give testimony of Holy glory’s exceeding mercy through Jesus!
In May of 2008, I repented my overall sins and accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I praise to know God and His Holy Spirit, and to be tied as the richest person in the world, enlightened to embrace and reciprocate God’s love, thankful and humbled, to testify of the eternal Holy name of life, love, and glory, our Holy Savior, Jesus Christ!
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye sees thee.
1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Written by James Rathman: [email protected]
