The Abyss

I was in this eternally dark place in a vision. It started as I caught someone else's eyes.  I found myself immediately brought down in what appeared to be darkness that extended forever.  I saw no one else there.  I was floating, laid out on my stomach, with my head lifted up so that I could see into nothing-ness.  I could not move, it was as though I was in an invisible cocoon, although I do not remember trying to move.  I felt frozen, in a manner of speaking, with my arms clasped to my side.  As I floated there, I felt an overwhelming sense of abandonment and despair.   

How long afterwards, I do not know, but as I floated in this what seemed an eternal darkness, there suddenly was a circle of white light above.  Even though it was dark all around, I would call this circle of light as being at a sky-high distance.   It was as though a lid had been lifted off the deep hole of whatever I was in.  I saw, for a moment, rays of light and I felt myself drawn up and pulled out of the hole in what was an instant.  Even though the rays of light penetrated the darkness, it did not light up anything, it was all darkness and there was no other visible person.  Then-- there I was, standing back in the "real" world, as though nothing had happened.  Except, that is, that I found myself staring straight into the eyes of the casual glance I had originally began.  I do not know what the other person saw, as from comments in the room, I gathered he must have been in a staring position too.  

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Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. (Luke 8:30-33)

2 Peter 2  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does^[a] not slumber.

⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

¹² But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ¹³ and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
¹⁷ These are wells without water, clouds^[b] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.^[c] 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped^[d] from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”^[e] and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Evidence from the Bible that there is one God; and that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

 

Evidence from the Bible that there is one God--and, that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

First, I don’t think mankind can ever comprehend the true scope of God, who created everything, from the innermost parts of our parts, and those of all life and creation itself.  A God who created the greatest unspoken miracles that we cannot even fathom, the creation of a soul, the creation of the ability to love, of emotions, of speech, to have wisdom, and all things we so take for granted.  But, this God of all, has given us His Word, in written form.  

The Bible has had many attacks, wherein many have used their interpretation to rewrite a Bible.  Yet the Word written today has surpassed the passage of time, as ancient relics prove His Word, as written in the Bible, to remain the same as the day they were written.  Is this a task that is too difficult for the Lord?   In this time when false Bibles are written to cover all sins, and to change and pervert the Word of God, we find it is also the time when we have the power to diligently search for the Bible that preserves the scriptures.  Were the Black Sea Scrolls discovered for such a time as this, to substantiate the writings of the Bible as remaining true.. 

There is but one God; and that one God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is absolute on this. 

Matthew 28:19  19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  (Baptizing in the trinity.)

John 8: ⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  (“I Am” is the word that God the Father used to describe himself in the old testament.)

John 10: ³⁰ I and my Father are one.  (Jesus himself confirmed there is one God.)

John 14: ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?   (Jesus tells us that He and the Father are one.)

John 14: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;  (The Holy Spirit came to us, when Jesus returned to Heaven.)

Galatians 3: ¹⁹ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.  (Jesus is our mediator that stands independent, but is one in God.)

Colossians 1: ¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  (Jesus, the first born to be raised from the dead, as the son of man, overcame death; death had no power over Him, and the power of death over the rest of mankind was lifted.  The sentence of death was taken.  Jesus is “son of man” but He also “son of God”, and He is God.   He was there from the beginning and became man to save the world.)

One cannot believe what Jesus says and then call him a liar.  He is either God, or He isn’t. He cannot be only “man” or he would not be able to overcome death.   Nor, can he be a second God, for as God Himself, from the beginning, has said, there is only one God.  Either the Bible is true when Jesus says he is God, or the whole Bible is false.  We cannot pick out true parts and false parts, it will all be corrupt.

Do Departed Loved Ones watch from Heaven

DO DEPARTED LOVED ONES WATCH FROM HEAVEN?

An expression intimating that the departed loved one is now watching over you from heaven is often given with consoling hugs.  As time goes on, the loved one sometimes see "little signs from their departed loved one" which gives them hope and a belief that their loved one is communicating with them in some manner.   Is this true?  Can departed loved ones actually see from Heaven?  

What does the Bible tell us?  Let us check this out and look at some of the verses and stories that you are familiar with.

CAN A SPIRIT RETURN TO A LOVED ONE FROM HEAVEN?   The first story is the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  Jesus tells of two departed souls that are in the afterlife.  Both are in Hades, one in Hell and the other in Abraham's Bosom.  

Luke 16: ¹⁹ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  ²² And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: 

(T)he rich man also died, and was buried; ²³ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹ Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. KJV

Abraham's Bosom was a place set aside in Hades (spiritual underworld for the dead) for  believers before the death and resurrection of Jesus.  From Hell, which is also in Hades, the rich man sees Lazarus and Abraham.  The rich man, although he sees Lazarus, does not speak to him, instead he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to his brothers.  

 From Abraham's response we learn that spirits cannot go from Hell to Abraham's Bosom, or back again.  We also see that the rich man's spirit was not able to leave Hell to go back to earth.  That the rich man, at that moment of eternity, understood that the only power that could send someone back to earth is though the power of God.  The prophet Abraham was his hoped for intermediary to God's power.

IS PARADISE NOW STILL IN HADES UNTIL JUDGMENT DAY, OR IS IT NOW IN HEAVEN?   After Jesus defeated death and arose, resurrected in body and soul, He ascended to Heaven.  He delivered us out of Hades, we now go to be with the Lord.    Paul speaks of life after death, and it was to be with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. KJV

2 Corinthians12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in thebody, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 

 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

 Philippians 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: KJV

DO THE DEAD HAVE KNOWLEGE OF EARTHLY HAPPENINGS?  Let us look at the Old Testament story of Saul and the witch of Endor.  Saul was the king of Israel and he was in trouble for disobeying God.  He sought God for help, but God was no longer with him. 

Samuel, the last judge of Israel, was a great Prophet of the Lord.   It was the Prophet Samuel who anointed Saul as king, when the People of Israel asked for a king.  Now Saul, desperately needed advice from the Lord.  In these verses he disguised himself and went to find the Witch of Endor to bring Samuel the Prophet to him.

1 Samuel 28: ³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

⁴ And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

⁵ And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

⁶ And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

⁷ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

⁸ And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

⁹ And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

¹⁰ And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

¹¹ Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

¹² And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

¹³ And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

¹⁴ And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?

And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

¹⁶ Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?  ¹⁷ And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

¹⁸ Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. ¹⁹ Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

²⁰ Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.  KJV

From the above verses, we see that the witch had a familiar spirit (a demon, a fallen angel) and that she summoned the Prophet Samuel.  Prophet Samuel appeared up out of the earth, but the witch not only saw  the Prophet Samuel, but described what she saw as "gods" rising from the earth.   If the familiar spirit possessed the witch, then she did not see the familiar spirit within her bringing him back, so what other spirit or spirits were with Samuel?  Why was the witch shocked and afraid when she saw Samuel, after all she just summoned him?  Who, or what the witch thought she was going to see, we do not know.  She did not recognize the "gods" coming out of the earth.  Samuel not only rebuked the king, He also gave him a message from the Lord.  Would it not have been the power of God and an angel of the Lord that was with him.

What is the power of the angels that they could bring Samuel out of Hades and above the earth again?  Below we are told that the angels are sent by God to minister to us, the saved.  They have power from God to do His bidding.

Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?KJV

Revelation 6, also,  is sometimes, also, believed and interpreted by some to confirm that the saints on earth know what is happening.  

Revelation 6: ⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. KJV

Some interpret Revelation 6:9-10 as saying that the saints cried out because they can see what is happening on earth and  know they have not yet been avenged.   

These are the saints coming out of the tribulation and crying for justice.  We do read that they cry out before they receive their white robes and enter into the rest of the Lord.   They have seen what is happening on the earth.  Having just come out of the tribulation, they have first hand knowledge as they enter heaven.  The verse does not tell us they are watching from Heaven, rather that they are crying out before they enter into the rest of the Lord.

DOES ALL OF HEAVEN AND THE DEPARTED IN HEAVEN REJOICE OVER EVERY SAVED SINNER?  Let's look at verses where Heaven is rejoicing over a lost sinner. 

Luke 15:⁷ I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

 ¹⁰ Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. KJV

Above, we see that the angels have knowledge of the saving of a lost sinner, but there is no mention of all the departed having knowledge of this happening.  The verse does not say if all the angels in Heaven know.  Angels are not omnipresent, they are ministering angels, messengers, or whatever it is that God sends them out for, and that they always see the face of God who is in Heaven.

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. KJV

When the guardian angel rejoices with the once lost sinner that has repented, that angel is in the presence of God.  The Joy of the Lord will be with them.   We are not told that all of Heaven is watching us.

ARE WE ABLE TO SEE SPIRITS OF THE DEPARTED?  Jesus and His disciples go up on a mountain and there they see the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of both the Prophet Moses and  the Prophet Elijah. 

Matthew17 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. KJV

The disciples saw the glory of God on the face of Jesus.  The spirits of the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus  and talked with Him.   After the cloud of Heaven came down, God spoke from it and the men fell to their faces.  When they looked back up, the vision was gone.

The disciples had witnessed two of the departed prophets stand with Jesus.  The appearance was with the power of God, they were with God.  Both of these prophets were departed from this life.  Elijah was taken alive up to Heaven, and Moses was buried by the Hand of God.  We do not know if these two prophets had resurrected bodies, or if they were in spirit.  We do know that they came from Heaven and were witnessed by the called disciples.

DOES HEBREWS 12 TELL US THAT OUR LOVED ONES ARE IN HEAVEN WATCHING US?   In Hebrews 12 we are told that we are "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses."  Some believe this Bible chapter proves that are our loved ones can see what is happening in our lives. However, in reading Hebrews 11, the chapter  before Chapter 12, Paul speaks of Abel, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Sarah, Isaac, Esau, Moses, Rehab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,  David, Samuel, the prophets and all the saints persecuted for their faith and their testimony.  Hebrews 12:1 starts out "Therefore, we also," cannot refer to loved ones watching us from Heaven, but rather of all the prophets and people of God in the Bible, who were witnesses of God. 

Hebrews 12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. KJV

IN SUMMARY, we are told that the departed cannot come back from the dead, or have knowledge of what is happening on earth, unless by the Power of God.

God knows our most innermost self, He knows our prayers, our hopes and those we loved.  

Psalm 37:4Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. KJV

Not finding any such passage, or reference to the departed seeing their loved one on earth, we will have to believe that only God and the angels can see from Heaven.  

When little things happen that trigger memories of a loved one, thank the Lord for His comfort. The departed in Heaven are in the Peace of the Lord, they will not be interacting with happenings on earth.  Perhaps messages would be at the hand of the loved one's angel reminding you of the departed one's love.  Only God can tell us.

Do they sit up in Heaven watching and cheering us on? It seems pretty safe to say that the answer is no, in that regards.  Stay in your walk with the Lord, and when the Joy of saving Grace comes to you, may that  Heavenly Joy be known by your departed loved one in Heaven.

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MY WITNESS:   A verse that Jesus spoke has kept me from speaking of some of the things I saw, although I have shared with some.

"Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."KJV

Jesus tells us not to waste our time and the Holy Word of God on those who reject God and His Word.  You have the Bible, the precious Word of God, follow and believe it.  This message is for those who are believers and those who seek the Truth.  It is a witness that God is with us.   

My witness is of a vision that happened to me in church one day.  I was walking down the aisle and met a man who was coming toward me on his scooter.  Knowing he was a godly man, I had a lot of respect for him and his walk with God, in spite of his burdens.  I reached out to shake the hand he offered.  The moment I met his eyes and touched his hand, I instantly found myself in a cloud in heaven.  I was aware there had been some kind of noise that came down, but only for a instant.

The cloud had a walled courtyard type of "cloud" fence, but it was not tall.  I was awestruck by the Peace and contentment that was with me.  I was, also, aware of others, but they were more inside the courtyard.   Looking over the wall I could see the earth far below.  I could not see people, but only what looked like little bolts of electricity going to and fro and covering the earth.  The next moment the vision was gone and I was standing in front of my church friend, shaking his hand.

MY WITNESS:   A verse that Jesus spoke has kept me from speaking of some of the things I saw, although I have shared with some.

"Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."KJV

Jesus tells us not to waste our time and the Holy Word of God on those who reject God and His Word.  You have the Bible, the precious Word of God, follow and believe it.  This message is for those who are believers and those who seek the Truth.  It is a witness that God is with us.   

My witness is of a vision that happened to me in church one day, the date was somewhere between 2002-2003.   I was walking down the aisle and met a man who was coming toward me on his scooter.  Knowing he was a godly man, I had a lot of respect for him and his walk with God, in spite of his burdens.  I reached out to shake the hand he offered.  The moment I met his eyes and touched his hand, I instantly found myself in a cloud in heaven.  I was aware there had been some kind of noise that came down, but only for a instant.

The cloud had a walled courtyard type of "cloud" fence, but it was not tall.  I was awestruck by the Peace and contentment that was with me.  I was, also, aware of others, but they were more inside the courtyard.   Looking over the wall I could see the earth far below.  I could not see people, but only what looked like little bolts of electricity going to and fro and covering the earth.  The next moment the vision was gone and I was standing in front of my church friend, shaking his hand.

The Other Side--God's Love Revealed

This is a sort of a biography and a bit of an autobiography.  The main point of the book is to lead you, through the eyes of the mother (me) and Sarah, up unto the end.  Sarah was an extraordinary girl, who survived in spite of the odds against her.

The book starts out with what I call the most beautiful setting - a quiet life on the farm.  Then came the ever-changing pace of life when I went out into the world.  When Sarah came, we gave her the quiet peaceful setting of life in the country.   She was a joy and truly a gift from God. 

She had a vision when she was a three year old.  It was me that was holding her and I can, and do, testify as to what I saw. That winter, when this world's suffering, whatever means it came from, overcame her, God was there waiting for her.  

I witnessed the Love of God for her, and know the Hope and Promise that she now has received.

https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Gods-Love-Revealed-ebook/dp/B079BHJLZC

Happy New Year!

Wishing all a happy new year.  It seems that we have a lot of unhappy, unfulfilled people that live in our world.  Perhaps a little less self-absorption and  a little more caring is in store.

Darkness has its own allure, as many fall into the trap of fantasizing a world that centers around them, as they deem themselves a sexual "Aphrodite", or the invincible force, or whatever worldly pleasure drives them. The pull of Satan is strong to a weak and pliant seeker. 

May this year be a year where darkness and light indeed collide in all our lives, and we see the Truth.  May the darkness of deceptive people be exposed and we all find our way to the Lord, our Savior and King of Glory, Jesus Christ. 

Exploits

A couple of  nights ago,  I had a strange experience.  It was late at night and I was asleep.  Now, first to tell you where my bed is. The door to my bedroom sits across the hall from the bathroom.  But, not directly across, it is offset and perhaps 10 inches of the doors are across from each other.  When the girls take their bath, I can sit at the end of my bed and watch the tv in my room, and keep an eye on them playing in the tub.   On the far end of the bathroom sits the tub, and high above it is a long, narrow window.

That night, I was asleep and the next thing I knew I was awakened by a sound, maybe like  "whoosh", as I felt a power come into the room and come over me.  The next thing I know I was in the air and I can't describe the speed, it was so spectacular.  As I was leaving the bed, though, a confusion flashed through my mind, as to who was it.  As I "flew" above the bathroom I could see up and beyond, but the image of the girls in their beds flashed through my mind (or did I see them, as they were on the other side of the wall and asleep there in their beds),  and I resisted, I couldn't leave them.  The next thing I knew, I was in bed, awake, and all was quiet.  I know it wasn't physical, it was spiritual.  

Tonight, I turned on the tv and was just in time to watch the End of the Age show.  I was busy with Facebook and half listening, until I heard Rev Baxter talk about people knowing their God and carrying out great exploits.  I have been waiting for God to use us in the end times and  I can see how He can use a lot of people.   They are scholarly, pious, humble, of good character, and diligent in their walk with the Lord.   What can the Lord do with me, though? Here is Rev. Baxter talking about exploits, so I jumped onto Biblegateway.com and clicked.   The search for keywords link came up with the word "exploit" already in the box for the key word.  It is totally possible that I looked it up before, but I have absolutely no recollection of it.  

Here is the passage in Daniel 11:  

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time."

 Well, I still don't know anything, except that God is in control and we wait on Him.

Plea to the Senate Judiciary Committee on PERSONHOOD

The following is the latest plea to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Take time and search the information, to see where you stand on the issue, and email your legislator.   This is written to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is meeting tomorrow:

HB 425 is an amendment about human life.    It does not give qualifications or markers that are impossible for a child to reach before the child’s natural developmental timeline.  It does not discriminate against the sex of a child, or its abilities, or lack of abilities.  The amendment does not give extra rights, but rather gives this one little life the same chance to live, and to have life, that all Montanans have. 

A woman’s right to choose, concerns her body.   The unborn child is a separate person, with a body of his/her own, and is independent of the mother, although it relies on Mom for nourishment and shelter.  And, in all likelihood, remains reliant on the mother for usually the next 18 years.  

Will this amendment result in a travesty of justice, where women are questioned by the State for miscarriages and still births, or, will guardians ad litem be appointed to monitor a woman’s actions?  There will be no more of an overreach, by the State, of the mother now, as there was before abortion was “legalized”.    If a mother is abusing her unborn child by giving it  drugs or alcohol, or abusing it in some other way,  she should answer for it, and be given help.  Consequences should not be different than that of a mother of an abused child that has already been born.

The argument that “abortion would stop violence against women” is a rather two edged sword.  Violence may have come to the woman and it may have resulted in a child, but turning around and killing the child does not erase the violence.  That child is also a victim, and has now become an unprotected victim.   If the married woman and her husband, or unmarried and with a partner, have children, and the partner or husband is abusive, we don’t kill the children that are already born, why, then, are we discriminating against the one that is in the womb?  The children should not pay for the mistakes of the parent, or parents.   Montana already has too many families with continuing cycles of violence that need help.   The violence will not stop; it will just leave one more trauma that they must now deal with-- the taking of the life of their own child.

The decision for an abortion is made under varying degrees of stress and duress.   The mother will be forced to make the decision immediately, or within a very short time period.   The woman’s focus will be on how her life just fell to pieces.  She may be overwhelmed by the idea of motherhood and the necessity to give up part of her life for a child, and have no idea of how she will provide and care for it.  The child, however, cannot be erased by abortion, and life does not go on as before.  The child is a reality, not an inconvenience that can be ripped, burned or mutilated and thrown away.   The abortion would not be the end.  Grief will come, along with the overwhelming trauma of suffering and regret, as the mother relives the pain she just put her little one through.   Reality sets in as the mother realizes how fragile life is – that when taken, it cannot be replaced, nor can it be given back.  An aborted child will never know his or her mother’s love, or touch, or even know human kindness, and the mother will long to comfort that child.     Post-Traumatic Stress is a condition that our soldiers suffer after the taking of lives on the battle fields, or witnessing it.  We have learned how it affects the lives of the soldiers.   Now put yourself in the shoes of a young woman, not trained at all in killing, and have her kill her own child. 

The amendment does not establish a ban on contraceptives, unless they would take a life.  The most popular form of contraceptive, the pill, has been argued to be both a contraceptive and an abortifacient, and until hard facts come in proving otherwise, it should be viewed as a contraceptive.   Science and life experiences have shown that the pill ends in pregnancy 1% of the time and the percentage goes up with the misuse of the pill.    Studies show that abortifacient properties are not proven, see:  http://www.aaplog.org/position-and-papers/oral-contraceptive-controversy/hormone-contraceptives-controversies-and-clarifications/    We see, that when taking the pill, that if conception has not been prevented—pregnancy results.

Stem cell research would be changed with this amendment.   See https://cbhd.org/stem-cell-research/overview     The unethical practice of taking a human life to harvest stem cells would not be available.  Embryonic stem cell research, while always giving the false hope of promise, has run into many obstacles in being able to produce benefits.  Non-embryonic stem cell research has given many benefits to patients, and is the hope for healing.

The life of a child should not be a political ball game.   It is not a republican, democratic, libertarian, or Independent issue.  We are talking about a human life that is completely independent of mother, but yet dependent on her.  It is not her body, but the body of her child.   Either we have the freedom that grants us a right to life, and a right to live, or we have no freedom for “all.”  Moving the marker on a life timeline, does not make the baby on the far side of it less human.  It just makes us less human.

 

We are not asking you to decide whether a child is a human life from beginning to end, but, rather, that the evidence is there to show that the amendment has merit and should go before the people of Montana for a vote.

Personhood Amendment in the Montana Legislature - 2015

Tomorrow, our legislative House members will have the final reading on whether or not to put a personhood constitutional amendment on the ballot in the next election.  It has passed the house and is on its way to the Senate.  

20 weeks Pre-born
(Life Institute picture)

Hopefully, the People of Montana will have  a chance to vote on the issue.   In our society, we all have the same standard, whether it is secular or Biblical, and that is that we are not allowed to murder.  Yet, many in our society go, to great lengths, and draw lines as to when life begins in order to take a life.  Lines that destroy life right up until the moment before baby takes his/her first breath.   We need to take away those lines.   God doesn't give us the gift of life with the intention that it is only a gift if baby breathes, or can feel pain, or whatever threshold is used to mark that line between human being and "non person."

Google describes life as having “the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.”  When the zygote (beginnings of a human baby) is formed, it fulfills this definition.  This little baby, at the beginning of his/her life, is complete.  Baby has everything that is needed to develop and grow.  Even the road map for their eye color and hair color is there.   Like all life, it only needs nourishment.

 

Is the beginnings of a person considered a “Homo sapiens” being?  Merriam-Webster describes Homo sapiens as “the species of human beings that exist today.”   When baby continues through the many stages of development  (which development continues on that developmental road map long after baby is born) is there a point when he/she is less human, or  non-human?  Are there degrees of humanity?

When does the soul enter the baby?  Is the awareness of the soul already with the little one at its beginnings? If baby is a human being, at any stage of development, can we deny the  child the hope and promises that has been given to all mankind?  If baby is a "person", he/she should have the protection of, and be able to possess, the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that is protected by our Government.

In the months ahead, hopefully, the People of Montana will be allowed to discuss and look into what their values are in Montana and then vote on them.

 

 

Physician Assisted Suicide -- Is it "Murder?"

In Montana, the elderly have had "Death with Dignity" advertisements continually before them.  When they've opened the Montana Senior News, there it is-- a full or half page ad, imploring the elderly to act to keep Death with Dignity legal.  The ad doesn't have much information, just a statement saying that the Montana Supreme court ruled that aide in dying was allowed in Montana, which is accompanied by a picture of an older couple, looking dignified and happy.  The newspaper is available on-line: 
http://issuu.com/montanaseniornews/docs/msnarchieved313#embed

 

As the bills for and against physician assisted suicide hit the legislature, it became time to make a decision as to whether it was wrong or not.  The Compassion and Choices' (successor of the Hemlock Society) ads claim relatives grieved at not being able to stop the pain of a loved one because they could not use physician assisted suicide to die. Or, that their death was undignified, and that physician assisted suicide should have been given them.  So, is it wrong to just give them a fatal dose that will kill them?

Is it Legal?

 

In Montana there is a great deal of pressure to legalize physician assisted suicide.   A controversy exists that revolves around whether the Baxter case, in Montana,  makes it legal for a physician to assist  in a suicide with the consent of the patient.   It is not a constitutional  right--assisted suicide is an illegal act. The court raised the defense that consent could be used (not guaranteed) by physicians in assisted suicide cases.  This does not protect the physicians, as there are a large number of qualifiers, that must be reached, to even raise the defense.  See the following article, written by Greg Jackson, Esq. & Matt Bowman, Esq: 
http://www.montanansagainstassistedsuicide.org/p/baxter-case-analysis.html 

After the 2009 Baxter case, bills have been drafted (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015) to get physician assisted suicide into Montana.  So far, they have not passed.

Should physician assisted suicide become law in Montana, where will we end up 5-10 years down the road?   Physician Assisted Suicide is a slippery slope, once the door is opened, there is no turning back.

In 2014, Quebec passed Bill 52, allowing a doctor to administer medication to cause death upon having the consent of the patient.  By February 2015, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that there is a constitutional right to termination of life for anyone with an irremediable medical condition that wants to die.  This covers illnesses, disabilities and psychological pain that the individual finds intolerant.

Belgium passed a law that legalized adult euthanasia in 2002, and by 2014 a law was passed allowing euthanasia for terminally ill children, with no age limit. 

In the Netherlands the Dutch legalized euthanasia in 2002.  The law left open the possibility of psychological pain, and by 2012 the Life-Ending Clinic began to help those whose personal physicians refused euthanasia or assisted suicide, including dementia and psychiatric patients.

In Switzerland assisted suicide includes non-resident foreigners, and is allowed to be done by non-physicians. A terminal illness is not a requirement, only that the motive be unselfish.

 

If we have no boundaries, or move our boundaries, then, in the name of  "compassion", we will start down the road to define other classes of people that are allowed to die.  Further down the road, their "choice" is no longer needed as boundaries expand and they are euthanized for their own "good", or the "good" of society, family, etc., or just eliminated because they are burdens.

What does God say?

The Bible says it is wrong.  In the Fifth Commandment,  God tells us we are not to murder.   

Exodus 20:13  Thou shalt not kill.
 

God held Cain accountable in the first act of murder committed.  In Genesis, God told Cain that his brother's blood was on his hands:

 

Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.⁹ And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

¹⁰ And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

¹¹ And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

¹² When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

¹³ And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

What problems are there with Physician Assisted Suicide?
 

This year, SB 202 was introduced in the legislature, which would have made physician assisted suicide legal.  The bill did not make it out of committee, but we will use it to look at what we should expect, if physician assisted suicide becomes law in Montana.  The bill is found at:  http://leg.mt.gov/bills/2015/billhtml/SB0202.htm   Although modeled after the Oregon Death With Dignity (DWD) law, the bill introduced in Montana adds additional language.  For comparison, the Oregon law can be found at:
https://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ors.aspx

 

The Oregon DWD law requires that an Annual Report be filed.  We are going to take a look at that annual report and see exactly what has happened with the patients.  Then we will use those statistics to see how the "safeguards" of the bill introduced in the Montana legislature would have failed the patients.   For the Oregon DWD Annual report, see: 

http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Documents/year16.pdf

 

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION: The CMS.gov booklet,  Screening for Depression, lists symptoms of major depression to include "feeling sad and empty", "feelings of worthlessness", "less ability to think or concentrate", "less interest in daily activities", and "thoughts of death or suicide."  Oregon’s DWD Report lists the reasons given for their physician assisted suicides as being:  

• Losing autonomy” (independence) 91.4%
• Less able to engage in activities making life enjoyable 88.9%
• Loss of dignity 80.9%
• Losing control of bodily functions 50.3%
• Burden on family, friends/caregivers 40.0%
• Inadequate pain control or concern about it 23.7%
• Financial implications of treatment 2.9%

As we can see, pain control was not the driving force for the overwhelming majority of the suicides in Oregon. Using Medicare’s description of depression, we must summarize that most of the patients, if not all, were suffering from depression, even though, in the last year, only 2.8% were referred for counseling. Furthermore, we do not know if the patients that received counseling were the ones that went on to commit suicide, as out of a total of 1,173 patients who had prescriptions written, "only" 752 patients died from ingesting the fatal dose.

TIME OF INGESTION:  In SB 202, "self-administer" was described as an “act of ingesting."  The bill did not require the patient to be the one administering or giving/taking the drug, but, instead, that the patient was the one swallowing the drug, or "ingesting" it.   There is no way to know if the patient was knowingly given the lethal drug, or forcefully given the lethal drug.  Oregon’s DWD  annual report shows, out of 682 patients, that those present with the patient, at time of ingestion, was:

• 119-prescribing physician,
• 238—no prescribing physician, but a health care provider,
• 76- no physician or health care provider, and for
• 249 there is no documentation as to who was present. 

Another statistic, in the Oregon DWD State Report, is that 95.3% died at home.  We just do not know what happened to 325 of the patients in that last moment when they "ingested" the fatal drug--who was with them, or what the circumstances were.  In addition, there was no doctor available, in these cases,  if something went wrong. 

HEALTH COVERAGE REDUCED:   Insurance coverage on expensive treatment or drugs has been denied to extend life, and instead, coverage for assisted suicide has been offered in states with legalized assisted suicide.  Here is an affidavit of Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., MD, who treated Jeanette Hall:  http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/signed-stevens-aff-9-18-12.pdf    A doctor, other than Dr. Stevens, had diagnosed her with Cancer.  She was given six months to live, without treatment.  She was steered into making the decision to commit suicide by their state DWD law.  Ms Hall then went to Dr. Stevens, who got her to change her mind and go to treatment.  She received treatment and, at the time of the affidavit, has been alive for twelve years and has been happy to be alive.

INCREASED RATE IN SUICIDES, OTHER THAN ASSISTED SUICIDE:  We already have one of the highest suicide rates in the U.S., with Montana ranking as no. 3 in the nation.  Legalizing assisted suicide would be a green light to those who are suffering from depression—whether young, old or disabled, but not limited to any age, or condition-- to use suicide as a means to get through their problem.   Suicide.org reports that over 90% of suicides have a mental illness, with depression being the most common.   Yet, despite these statistics, the Oregon Death with Dignity (DWD) Annual Report records that only 2.8% of patients requesting physician assisted suicide were referred for counseling.   Over-all 5.9% were referred during the total 16-year period covered by their report. 

CONSULTING DOCTOR NOT REQUIRED:  The prescribing physician can waive the “requirement” of having a consulting doctor.   The duties of the consulting physician is to examine the patient and patient’s relevant medical records; confirm attending physician’s  diagnosis that  patient is suffering from a terminal illness;  and verify patient is competent, acting voluntarily and has made an informed decision.   The is no safety net of having a consulting doctor for the patient, if the requirement can be waived.  

TERMINAL ILLNESS:   Montana law describes “terminal” as having a life expectancy of up to six months until death.   The Oregon DWD Annual Report statistics show that the time, between the first request and death of the patient, ranged from 15-1009 days.   These statistics give us a picture of at least one patient that lived almost three years after requesting assisted suicide.   How many years did the other “terminal” patients actually have?  How many of the other patients received a terminal diagnosis that was wrong.  See the Jeanette Hall case above, under the HEALTH COVERAGE REDUCED section.  She was diagnosed as terminally ill and signed up for physician assisted suicide.  She saw another doctor, who convinced her to receive treatment and she went on to live. 

According to MedPage Today, misdiagnoses are a big problem in medicine.   It is believed that 10% of diagnoses are in error.  Yet, under the physician assisted suicide bill, introduced in Montana, the prescribing doctor does not have to send the patient for a second opinion, or for a psychological consultation, as to the competency of the patient, if he deems it is not necessary.   For unscrupulous doctors, assisted suicide would cover many misdiagnoses, or malpractice actions.  See:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/GeneralProfessionalIssues/47232    

ELDER ABUSE AND ABUSE OF DISABLED:  Oregon's DWD Annual Report Statistics show that 120 patients died with no notification to family and that 95.3% died at home.  Loss of eyesight, dementia, disabilities, emotional and physical abusive situations, loss of control of patient’s life to family and caregivers, desire to inherit patient’s property and money by family and caregivers, depression, guilt of being a burden, all leave the patient vulnerable to being coerced, or forced into committing suicide.  We don’t need to go any further than the local paper to see how vulnerable our elderly are:  http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/crime/2015/01/26/thompson-falls-man-convicted-elder-abuse/22356405/   Assisted suicide does not just pose a danger for the elderly, but for all, from 18 on up.

LETHAL DRUGS:    The time from ingestion to death in Oregon's 2013 DWD Annual Report is 1 minute to 104 hours.  It should also be noted that for 299 patients, there were no providers at the time of death.   What they experience may not, and more than likely, is not documented.  Pentobarbital and  Secobarbital are the most used drugs.

According to the Oregon 2013 DWD Annual Report, the drug second most used was Pentobarbital (45.5%) Symptoms for an overdose include the following and are  found at:
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002508.htm 

• Heart and blood vessels:◦Heart failure
• Low blood pressure
• Weak pulse
• Kidneys and bladder◦Kidney failure (possible)
• Lungs◦Difficulty breathing
• Slowed or stopped breathing
• Pneumonia (possible)
• Nervous system◦Coma
• Confusion
• Decreased energy
• Delirium
• Headache
• Sleepiness
• Slurred speech
• Unsteady gait
• Skin◦Large blisters
• Rash"

According to Oregon's latest DWD Annual Report, the most used lethal drug is Secobarbital.  Overdose symptoms include and are found at:
 http://www.rxlist.com/seconal-sodium-drug/overdosage-contraindications.htm

• "Symptoms of oral overdose may occur within 15 minutes and begin with central nervous system depression, underventilation, hypotension, and hypothermia, which may progress to pulmonary edema and death. Hemorrhagic blisters may develop, especially at pressure points.
• "In extreme overdose, all electrical activity in the brain may cease, in which case a “flat” EEG normally equated with clinical death cannot be accepted as indicative of brain death. This effect is fully reversible unless hypoxic damage occurs. Consideration should be given to the possibility of barbiturate intoxication even in situations that appear to involve trauma. 
• "Complications such as pneumonia, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and renal failure may occur. Uremia may increase CNS sensitivity to barbiturates if renal function is impaired. Differential diagnosis should include hypoglycemia, head trauma, cerebrovascular accidents, convulsive states, and diabetic coma."

When use of drugs to kill hardened criminals can bring us to tears for the pain the prisoners must endure, how can we even think of giving it  to a vulnerable and fragile loved one?  Here is a report on the use of pentobarbital as a drug used in executions,  from Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/ohio-lethal-injection-cocktail-execution-drugs

 
PROTECTING YOURSELF IN WILLS, AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS:   SB 202 stated:

 "Effect of contracts, wills, and agreements. (1) A provision in a contract, will, or other agreement, whether written or oral, to the extent the provision would affect whether a person may make or rescind a request for medication to end the person's life in a humane and dignified manner is not valid.

"(2) An obligation owing under any currently existing contract may not be conditioned or affected by a person making or rescinding a request for medication to end the person's life in a humane and dignified manner"

Would the above section leave the patient powerless to prevent the future use of assisted suicide on him/her, should some unforeseen circumstances arise, that would leave all medical decisions in the hands of another, or another to speak for, or interpret for him/her? 

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

 

HB 477 is being heard in the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee today.   It is a bill designed to make it illegal for a physician to use the "consent" defense for assisted suicides.   You can follow the bill, and read it, at the following link: 
http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_SESS=20151&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&P_BILL_NO=477&P_BILL_DFT_NO=&P_CHPT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ2=&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ=

Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee, or the senators, if the bill passes and continues to the Senate floor, by on-line message, telephone, or e-mail.  See:
http://leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/Lawmaking-Process/contact-legislators.asp    

Encourage the legislators to VOTE YES on HB 477.