tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72349469373140688162024-03-12T19:49:11.056-07:00Feed TiaWhen they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” --John 21:15-17 Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664215353136707007noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7234946937314068816.post-58917113662640520782017-09-25T09:22:00.006-07:002017-09-25T09:22:54.842-07:00Open Letter to Evangelical Christians<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Dear Brothers
and Sisters in Christ,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I, like you, would love to see this
country run based on Christian values. I want to live in a nation where we love
God and our neighbors. I want us to love God instead of Mammon. I am writing in
hopes that you will open your mind to the possibility that our economic system
is severely impeding America from becoming a nation ran by Christian values.
Matthew 6:24 states that you cannot serve God and wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By allowing corporations and the wealthy 1%
to run our country, we have chosen to worship Mammon instead of wealth. In
fact, we should change our dollars to read “In Mammon we trust.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Capitalism by its very nature involves
accumulation of private wealth as well as encourages vicious competition and
coveting of others property and wealth. There is no biblical basis for this
type of economic system. In fact it is quite the opposite. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In ancient Israel, charity was
indeed mandated or as you claim today, “Charity at gun point.” God instructed
Israel how to run their country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Leviticus 23:33, God mandates that the Israelies leave their gleanings of
harvest available for the poor and alien. Deuteronomy 14:22-29 goes into
explicit detail of how to share your wealth with the rest of the community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the New Testament Christian communities
were in fact communistic. For example Acts 2:44-45 states, “All who believed
were together and had all things in common;<b><sup> </sup></b>they would
sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds<sup> </sup>to all,
as any had need.” Jesus commanded us not to hoard and store wealth such as Luke
12:13-21.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the basic tenants of the
capitalistic economy, charging interest, is in fact forbidden in the Bible.
According to Deuteronomy 23:19, “You shall not charge interest on loans to
another Israelite, interest on money, interest on provisions, interest on
anything that is lent.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that,
but prophets demanded economic justice such as Isaiah 1:17: “learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the
widow.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going in further, the Bible
commands us not to exploit workers and pay low wages. Jeremiah warns against
living in lavish homes while exploiting the workers (22:13-17).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I understand that you do not trust
the government, and you shouldn’t because the government is run by
corporations. The enemy is not the government; it is the corporations running
it. Humans are fallen beings. Can you really trust broken, sinful beings not to
exploit each other? If God believed humanity on its own would help each other,
then why did he mandate charity in ancient Israel? Another point I would like
to make is that democracy is not synonymous with capitalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Capitalism is an economic system, not a type
of government. You do not have to fear losing your freedom if we were to
abandon a capitalistic economy. In fact, you might feel freer than ever because
you would not have to worry about not being able to feed and provide for your
family. You would be free to focus on spiritual matters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I encourage you to take the time to look
at scripture through a difference lens. Remember that Golden calf? Take a look
at that charging bull on Wall Street. See any similarities? Before we can ever
become a truly Christian nation, we have to start worshipping God rather than
Mammon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Yours in
Christ,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Joy</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664215353136707007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7234946937314068816.post-2859400258645015832013-12-03T15:11:00.001-08:002014-03-18T09:18:48.931-07:00Christmas Message<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christmas would be much better if there were a lot less
consumerism and bickering about word usage, and instead a lot more love,
tolerance and compassion. Christmas can bring out the worst and most hateful
side in people. Sometimes I am ashamed
of what my fellow Christians do over the holidays. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Do not get caught up in consumerism. If a business is open
on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day then that means these workers are not able to
spend the holidays with their families. Please boycott these companies. Do you
really have to buy something in the middle of the night on Thanksgiving or
Christmas? And do you have to pull out
those credit cards? Would Jesus want you becoming “slaves to lenders” on the
celebration of his birthday?<o:p></o:p></div>
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And don’t forget the spirit of Santa Clause. Santa has been turned into a market ploy so
people will spend more money. Santa was originally about giving to kids who had
nothing. Be Santa for someone this year instead of rushing all over the malls
and supporting the Corporate Clause. Give
to a child who will not get something from Santa this year. Instead of focusing
on what Santa will bring your kids, remind them about the gift of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Please lose the obsession over Christmas vs. Holidays. I once received messages on a social network
from a fellow Christian who was encouraging people to boycott his buddy’s party
because it was called a “holiday” party rather than a Christmas Party. How are you supposed to witness to others if
you cannot even attend a party because it is called a “holiday party”? Would
Jesus really care what the party is called? What is it Christians are so afraid of? Are
you that weak in your faith that you cannot celebrate the holidays with someone
of another faith? How would you feel if a Jewish friend did not show up to your
Christmas or Holiday Party because you did not call it a Hanukkah Party? <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not sure where this originated, but it circulates in
email during Christmas. I found this copy on a <a href="http://christianstiredofbeingmisrepresented.blogspot.com/2010/12/open-letter-from-jesus-about-christmas.html">blog</a>. This pretty much
sums up how feel about Christmas. Please read this “letter from Jesus.” I hope
it opens your eyes up to some things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A Letter from Jesus about Christmas<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>My Dearest Loved Ones,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>It has come to my
attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the
season.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>How I personally feel
about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you
who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the
day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Now, having said that
let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a
scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen
and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers
did that, there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square
because there would be many of them all around town.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Stop worrying about
the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a
Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you
see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one
in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our
tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>If you want to give Me
a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something
from it:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>1. Instead of
writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated,
write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly
afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>2. Visit someone
in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to
know that someone cares about them.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>3. Instead of
writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent
out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him
and his family this year. Then follow up... it will be nice hearing from you
again.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>4. Instead of
giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need -
spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live
with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>5. Pick someone
that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>6. Did you know
that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season
because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person
is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>7. Instead of nit
picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with
the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they
aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you
from wishing them one.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>8. If you really
want to make a difference, support a missionary - especially one who takes My
love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>9. Here's a good
one... There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will
have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to
give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give
them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they
will make the delivery for you.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>10. Finally, if
you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then
behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My
presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Don't forget - I am
God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to
do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work;
time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>And do have a most
blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember...<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>I Love You,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Jesus </i>(Christians Tired of Being Misrepresented (blog).2010)<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664215353136707007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7234946937314068816.post-61017189664417973232013-10-24T00:59:00.000-07:002018-03-24T14:04:19.162-07:00My Testimony: From Satanism to Christianity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wHcyg1M56vDzYN2VAzaEAEJB1j1z-jZYLNJFixq_01tLGMH9Nqd0SGQd5BeBTDDy0TdlNXLxvrltYmAvXWBOX_kdvDLzpZgUAfA_qH9x8n0HyHOehtIegxmKVbBXUiMqcMVutqHgWkQ/s1600/mug+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wHcyg1M56vDzYN2VAzaEAEJB1j1z-jZYLNJFixq_01tLGMH9Nqd0SGQd5BeBTDDy0TdlNXLxvrltYmAvXWBOX_kdvDLzpZgUAfA_qH9x8n0HyHOehtIegxmKVbBXUiMqcMVutqHgWkQ/s320/mug+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
will start with a brief overview of my journey to Christ. I spent five years practicing the occult in
some form; Ultimately, I became a Satanist and formed a coven with my husband.
In October of 2008 I was saved and baptized. My spiritual journey has been a
long and winding road that eventually led me to pursue a Master of Divinity
program in seminary school. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
grew up with a single mom. My father left when I was three; my sister is 14
years older than me so I was mostly an only child. My mother had multiple
mental health issues growing up and never got over my dad leaving. As a child, my mother was a Christian; we
attended a Southern Baptist church quite regularly. When I was 5 or 6, my mother pulled me aside
while we were visiting my grandmother. I remember the exact spot in her living
room next to the huge window overlooking the front yard down a long gravel driveway. She told me that if I did not let Christ into
my heart, I would burn forever in fire. She had me kneel next to her and led me
through a prayer to accept Christ. I was
terrified at the thought of the eternal fire; I did not feel Christ in my
heart. I prayed multiple times as a child asking him to enter, but I never felt
him, and I did not understand why. I was
haunted by nightmares about burning in the lake of fire throughout my
childhood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Eventually,
my mom became more and more depressed and we stopped attending church. Any time we did attend church or talk about
church, it was always a church that was really fundamentalist, judgmental and
talked a lot about Hell. Every Christian
I knew spoke about the law and Hell and how you should or should not act, or they
were just plain hypocrites. I never had
a good Christian role model and certainly was never shown the loving side of
Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
a child, I remember a lot of unusual things around me. I often felt a presence
as if I could sense spirits. I dreamed
vivid dreams There were other things that led me to later seek out the occult.
In the 6<sup>th</sup> grade, a teacher pulled my mother aside and said she was
“scared” of me and that I made her nervous. This same teacher was an extremely
fundamentalist Christian to the point where she did not want to discuss evolution
in class nor allow “trick or treating” on Halloween. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
add to that, my mother told me that the other family members thought I was
“strange” or “different,” and “selfish.”
My mother kept us isolated from nearly everyone. I practically had to take
care of her as a child due to her mental health issues. She had me believing
that all we had was each other and that no one else cared about us. She always pitted me against my dad when she
had financial issues and made me call him up asking for money. By the time I was a teenager, I hated my
family. I saw them as living the good life with plenty of money while my mom
couldn’t afford to feed us. I didn’t realize that she was in fact spending all
her money due to bipolar issues. I
started to struggle with temper and rage issues. I became outraged over social injustices that
affected my mother. Over time, I think I started to believe that I was alone,
strange and different, and then when the demons said I was different because I
was special or “chosen,” I started to believe it as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
had a friend in high school who was involved in the youth group at another
Southern Baptist church, but it seemed to me that all the church ever cared
about was homosexuality and abortion. Plus, they openly promoted Rush Limbaugh
whom I despised. I happened to be a liberal and I started to feel isolated
because of that. It was all about
politics, the law, Hell and judgment. I went to the youth group to be with my
friend, but it never meant anything as the focus was always on how we should
not act, how terrible the world was, and how everyone was going to Hell. One of our Sunday school youth group lessons
was about the details of the abortion procedure for instance. This church was the perfect example of a congregation suffering from what
Lane and Tripp call the “Gospel Gap” in <i>How
People Change</i>. The gospel gap according to Lane and Tripp is a vast gap in
our understanding of the gospel which undermines all of our relationships, our
decisions, and our attempts to minister to others.<a href="file:///Z:/Joy's%20documents%20backup/Blog%20posts/My%20Testimony.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This church certainly failed at ministering to me as a youth and instead pushed
me far away from Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
did very good in school, and was active in student government and politics. I
was a leader and I had the respect of others, but I had no really close
friends. My mom smothered me and doted
on my so much that I felt guilty not spending time with her. I was nominated as
“most likely to become a politician” when senior superlatives came out our
senior year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
attended Cornell University, and loved every moment of it. For the first time, I had close friends. I
was very bold and ambitious. I liked to challenge the status quo and question
standard beliefs. I enjoyed the attention of a good debate. Whatever I did, I
became a leader in it as always. I was not religious and did not really care
about it either way. I got my buckets filled so to speak in politics just as I
did in high school. Looking back, I
believe I started to like the power and crave it more and more. On top of that,
I started to struggle more with anger issues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
was not until after college that I really sought out the occult. I was active
in politics and various social and peace movements. During the Iraq War, I became
active in the peace movement and for the first time actually really sought out
Christ because I witnessed loving Christians in the peace movement. This was the closest I had seen to Christians
doing Christ like things. However,
something happened. Looking back on it now, I realize it might have been the
final seed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
in the Middle East, I came across a group of “sun worshippers” in a village. I
don’t think it was intentional, but seeds were planted. As I said before, I was
always attuned to spirits and things around me. The place felt strange and
uneasy. Part of me didn’t want to go
into the temple, but I did. After that I started to delve into paganism,
fascinated with Babylonian mythology. I
want to emphasize here that I do not blame people of other religions, but Satan
used that as a gateway to reach me and the seeds had already been planted as a
child. It was not any one person’s fault; it was simply the energy around that
village. Others were there with me and
to my knowledge were not impacted by it, other than one individual flipping out
about the fact that these people are also rumored to worship the devil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I came back home to the states, I realized that there was an active occult movement. I liked the empowering
energy and craved the knowledge and power that might come with it. I learned Reiki which opened me up even further to the
occult. I became a Reiki Master and started to teach others about the occult. Reiki itself was not bad, but I used it to open myself up to darker energies. Opening
yourself up to strange “energy” and “channeling your spirit guide,” is a wide
open gate to demons and Satan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During
this time, a coworker introduced me to a Christian book series called <i>Left Behind</i>.<u> </u> I read the series and then studied Revelation
more in the <i>Bible.</i> The series was
really a hateful, graphic and cruel portrayal of Christ and the end times. I
would not recommend it for a seeking person.
This type of thing only makes you accept Christ out of fear, not love. It would be okay for a solid, secure Christian,
but not a non- believer. I could not
understand how a loving God could destroy his creation. I started to become
sympathetic to Lucifer “Satan,” I saw him as simply God’s adversary trying to
protect humanity from his wrath. I slowly realized the new age spirit guides
were demons and I saw Lucifer as a “light bringer.” I started to channel his energy and pray to
him and it felt empowering. I started
communicating with the demons on a regular basis, and was told to form a coven,
a coven that would become an army. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ultimately,
myself and a few others founded this coven, naming it the Order of the Morning
Star. This is where I met my husband,
Joseph Craig. We had known each other
for a few years, and he was also into paganism and the new age. He happened to
have started out with Nordic paganism where as I came from Babylonian paganism.
He like myself had grown up around a very judgmental church and family, and
also was attuned to spirits. He joined
the Order of the Morning Star and later we started formally dating. He could channel demons as well and was a
great teacher like I was a good leader. We recruited more and grew the coven. We actually thought we could win Armageddon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We also had a more legitimate business as a
front called the Indigo Dawn. The Indigo Dawn was our “new age” cover where we
offered Reiki healing, spirit guidance, channeling, divination, etc.</span>
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<a href="file:///Z:/Joy's%20documents%20backup/Blog%20posts/My%20Testimony.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Timothy Lane and Paul
Tripp, <i>How People Change</i> (Greensboro:
New Growth Press, 2008), 2.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUn5HREtdEyct9Amr8MYsKmAoZbBRC-nDn8sPMpgFsmqToGCosNXj5Fw0-LbGg_qr79m4PYg0_MjoM1d-0spciDxbLY3CioIZzPiYB7g4pNO-CviILiXyiD0Xo2usEM3fx67rGob1kDw/s1600/Indigo+dawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUn5HREtdEyct9Amr8MYsKmAoZbBRC-nDn8sPMpgFsmqToGCosNXj5Fw0-LbGg_qr79m4PYg0_MjoM1d-0spciDxbLY3CioIZzPiYB7g4pNO-CviILiXyiD0Xo2usEM3fx67rGob1kDw/s320/Indigo+dawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At
various times we let other members of the coven live with us. We opened up our home as a place to teach new
members. We believed we were doing the
right thing, that we were enlightening humanity to the truth. However, over time, the demons started
becoming more violent and forceful with us, and in turn we became more coercive
and harder with other members.
Eventually, things kind of became a blur. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
was falling hard. I had a one way ticket
to Hell. I had a raging temper during all of this and the slightest offense
would set me off. I had started to
realize that Lucifer was indeed evil and started embracing the violent,
destructive side of it all. I had no morals and thought I was invincible. I realized that Satan was not going to win
the war and that the only end for me was Hell.
I did not care though as I had come to accept my fate. Part of me
thought about getting out of it, but Satan and the demons threatened me. They
said they’d kill everyone I loved if I didn’t do what they asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
I did all they asked, until one day the Durham Police showed up. They arrested Joe and myself for assault. Two
members of our coven had turned us in saying we had beaten and abused them. Apparently, they wanted out and the only place
they knew to turn was the police. We
weren’t guilty of all the charges, but we weren’t innocent either. We had
dragged these two to Hell with us. Granted they were Satanists too, but we were
their leaders and we were hard on them just as the demons were hard on us. It was a violent path, and all who follow it
eventually figure that out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
spent three weeks in Durham County Jail until I could afford to bond out. My
friends and family stood by me and showed me nothing but love. I had friends
put up their own money to bond me out. Even as I set in jail, it all seemed
surreal to me. I am thankful for the inmates that taught me about Christ. I
remember the passage that one inmate showed me. It was Psalm 27. The inmate giving it to me was in jail on
charges of murder. She was facing more time than I could imagine, yet she
talked to me about Christ. I was sort of
sulky at first. I didn’t believe I deserved to be in jail. Then another inmate
asked me bluntly, “So you never did anything wrong before?” She was right; I did deserve to be
there. My time in jail really opened me
up to what injustices were really out there. I had been a peace activist and social
activist, but it took suffering with others in jail to really make me see what
I had missed. While in jail, I prayed to
Christ and reached out to him. Also,
while in jail, I was very worried about my dog, a pitbull named Tia. She was my
baby and I was terrified the police would search the house and shoot her
because she was very defensive. I prayed
for Tia’s safety many times. It turns out the police did search our house, and
an officer was able to walk Tia outside with no problems at all. She is still
with me today. That was not in her nature, and the only way I can explain that
is God. For some that might not mean much, but to me that meant everything.
When I need a reminder of God’s love for me and to know he does not abandon us,
I just pat Tia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">When I bonded out, I
attended my mom’s church, Providence Road Church of Christ, in Charlotte.
They loved me and accepted me. I was saved and baptized. As I was
baptized I felt a wave of peace wash over me. That night I drove to Durham to
visit my husband in jail. The jail was on lock down and I was turned away. Had it
not been for that baptism, I would have lost my temper and who knows what would
have happened. A few months later, Joe bonded out again with the help of a good
friend and family. He too became saved and baptized. The church continued
to show us love and guide us in our new life and even help us with a place to
stay and money. A year or so after our arrest, Joe and I accepted a plea
deal for Misdemeanor assault. We served a year probation. After all we had been
through and the felonies we were facing, this was indeed a blessing from God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I do not know where Joe
and I would be today had we not been arrested that night. I honestly believe
that God stepped in to free us from Satan’s grip. I would say we would either
be dead, in prison, or worse doing exactly what we thought we wanted to do.
There is nothing else God could have done to get my attention. I am sure
he tried in other ways, but the only thing that would work was to forcefully
get me out of Satan’s grip. He isolated me in jail where I had no choice to but
clear my head and think about where I was headed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Currently, Joe and I are
still happily married. We are attending and volunteering at Holy Covenant
United Church of Christ. I am a student in the Master of Divinity Program
at Chicago Theological Seminary. We are sharing our story with others and also
reaching out to those in prison. I now realize that the leadership gifts
I had were meant to be used for Christ. I am still a peace and social activist,
but I am at peace now. I have righteous anger, not the violent type I had
before. I have been through it and want to be a witness to others in
similar situation. I had friends supporting me when I was in jail, but it
was still a lonely, stressful, terrifying situation. I cannot imagine how it
must feel for someone who has no support. I want to give testimonies and
tell my story about the dangers of the occult. I want to show
people the love of Christ, not judgment. If it were about the law, Jesus
did not need to die on the Cross. It’s about Grace and Mercy. No
one can fulfill the law. If you’ve committed one sin, you’ve committed them
all. If you hear more about judgment and politics at your church, then pray
about it and find another. Do not judge Christ based on the actions of his
followers. Do not turn to the enemy because you are not feeling Christ’s
love at church. Those are just one of Satan’s many tools to keep you from
knowing Christ. If God stepped in to save a Satanist, then he can save you too.
Like Saul became Paul, God will get the glory in the end.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, I want to address people who were involved in the
occult with Joe and I. I am not trying to blame anyone for my decision to follow Satan. Yes, my childhood and the church were contributing factors, but ultimately, I made the decision to follow Satan. No one made me do it. I am sorry for anyone I hurt in any way. I know
it is hard to believe I am sincere. As fanatical and hateful as I was
back then, I wouldn't believe me either. That's okay if you don't, but
don't hold that against Christ. Please give him a chance regardless of
how you feel about me.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664215353136707007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7234946937314068816.post-90687838393595400682013-10-15T22:38:00.001-07:002013-10-15T22:38:28.182-07:00Feed Tia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6LEll3OSsFy673x8EpaCUx_YYVjIWuC3tTW0Tp88_jXH3gwrC20nsJWMSsrbDvCbBUvmhjOQ9MCmaLLU7PZpBQtOhViDMWWlPfvCumjZraVZn7srQjCt_UfemHmBFWzSCOqCc1mJ-Dw/s1600/Tiababy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6LEll3OSsFy673x8EpaCUx_YYVjIWuC3tTW0Tp88_jXH3gwrC20nsJWMSsrbDvCbBUvmhjOQ9MCmaLLU7PZpBQtOhViDMWWlPfvCumjZraVZn7srQjCt_UfemHmBFWzSCOqCc1mJ-Dw/s320/Tiababy1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seeing as though this is my first blog post, I
thought I would use it to explain the title of this blog, “Feed Tia.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tia is my white female Pit Bull Terrier. I purchased her not long after I graduated
from college and moved to Durham, North Carolina. She was born deaf in one ear
and could hear very little from the other. I took her to obedience school, but still she
was always very defensive, jumpy , and protective. Unfortunately, she is everything that gives
pit bulls a bad name; she is aggressive, and unpredictable, but I love her
anyway. I raised her since a puppy and
she was always there for me when I had no one else. She knows when I am sad and jumps right in
front of me when she thinks I am in danger. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our home has a reputation of being the house with
the scary “cujo” about to jump through the window. When members of our church helped us move in,
she nearly chewed through the bedroom door.
However, after Tia gets to know
and trust you, she is a sweetheart and will love you forever. The
same dog that looked like she wanted to rip your throat out will lay in your
lap and wash your face for you, but that is after she knows you are a good
person. She loves our cats and gets along generally
with other dogs, but she does not trust people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I became a Christian, I was involved in Satanism
and the occult. I had never really seen the love of Christ, only the more judgmental
“accept Christ or burn in Hell.” Long
story short (a story I will tell in more detail later on this blog), my husband
, Joe, and I shared our home with other occultists, and as expected following
such a dark path, things got violent.
Our two housemates had us arrested for assault. I spent about three weeks in jail, and one of
the things that worried me most was Tia. I was terrified that I might lose her. I knew
that if the police searched the house, they would shoot her. Our neighbor watched out for her and took
care of our pets, but one time he was away, and as I feared the police did show
up to search the house. By this time,
several inmates had shared the <u>Bible</u> with me, and I had started reading
some passages and slowly reaching out to Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One night during visitation hours, our neighbor,
Jim, showed up to visit me. He showed me pictures of our pets and assured me
Tia was fine. He said the police did search the house, and when he came over
that night to feed Tia and the cats, the back door was open and Tia was running
around outside in the backyard. There
was a notice on the door saying animal control had picked up one of our cats
because the police thought the animals had been abandoned, and would be back to
collect the others. Jim talked to the
police to find out what had happened. Apparently when the police showed up, one
of the officers was able to get Tia to follow him outside while they searched
the house. There is no way this would
have happened under normal circumstances.
I can attribute it to a kind police officer who understands a dog is
protecting its territory, but as aggressive and threatening as Tia can be in
her territory, I do not believe that was the only explanation. Thank God, all of our animals turned out okay.
One of our cats hid, and Jim retrieved the other from the animal shelter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I prayed about Tia many times in jail. It was a miracle that the cops did not shoot
her. I believe God knew what she meant to me, and that he wanted to show me his
love for me even when in the past I scoffed at Him. When I am doubting or feeling down today, all
I need to do is look at Tia and I am reminded of God’s love for me. I believe without a doubt He is the only
reason she is with us today. After both
Joe and I bonded out of jail, we had accepted Christ and shortly after our release,
we both got baptized at Providence Road Church of Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the <u>Bible </u>after Jesus had returned from
the dead, He was having breakfast with his disciples. “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said
to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said
to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”” John 21: 15-17. The most important
thing that Jesus wanted his disciples to do was love and tend to others. A lawyer of the Pharisees asked Jesus what
the greatest commandment was. He
answered, “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is
the greatest and the first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22: 34-40. God wants us to do for the “least of these.” He wants us to
love others no matter what they do. “If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even the sinners
love those who love them. If you do good for those who do good to you, what
credit is that to you? For even the sinners do the same.” Luke 6: 32-34<o:p></o:p></div>
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Had it not been for Christians reaching out to Joe
and myself, we would not have seen the love of Christ and accepted his
Grace. Members of Providence Road Church
of Christ showed us love and did not judge us despite all that was said about
our case all over the news. The case was
sensationalized because of the occult nature and the fact that I was involved
in politics. When we were released from
jail, church members offered us a place to stay, got us counseling, and even
helped us financially.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>If something happened to me, would you feed Tia for
me? Would you come to our house and love on her despite how she growled at you?
A Christian family at our church already did. They took her into their home
while I was away at court. Like Tia, we
were mean, hateful, and intolerant.
However, through Christ’s love and mercy, we were saved. Would you give a dog a chance if it were
growling at you and lunging toward you to bite? Would you be kind to someone
and show them mercy if they were insulting and throwing insults at you or if
they were beating you up? Jesus did even
as he was being beaten and nailed to the cross. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664215353136707007noreply@blogger.com0