On my birthday, I thought I'd share some of my recent Twitter activity:‎

When God closes a door don't look for a window. Maybe just look for a couch and sit down for a few days. ~Jason Upton

Someday soon this entire painful epoch will be remembered as an insignificant dream as we settle into an eternity of laughter with Abba. ~ Greg Boyd

In God's eyes, no people group is insignificant.

Warned of false fire by fireless men, we too often settle for no fire at all. ~Leonard Ravenhill

You were born with the ability to change someone’s life for the better, don’t waste it.

What we see depends mainly on what we look for. ~ John Lubbock

I don’t know what’s going to happen to me tomorrow. That’s why I don’t save my best for last.

Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be.

Tell the truth from the beginning to the end, so they fall in love with you, not who you're pretending to be. ~ Tommy Tenney ‏

We will not change the future by declaring how hopeless today is.

Experience is not what happens to you it's what you do with what happens to you. -A. Huxley

Don't waste time explaining yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.

Don't search for a man that will solve all your problems, he won't. Find one that won't let you face them alone. ~ The Girl Dictionary ‏

Our deepest desires emerge from our souls, inspiring us to be transformed into what we are meant to be.

Make choices in life based on values and long-term objectives rather than on a need for approval.

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well. ~ Abraham Lincoln

I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done. ~ Henry Ford

Help others get ahead. You will always stand taller with someone else on your shoulders. - Bob Moawad

Your life will mirror what you focus on. Focus on love. ~ Remy Tongol ‏

Everything we do, in one way or another, speaks of what we value.

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory. -Philip Yancey

The grace of God is a bit like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't be complete without you. ~ David Liprini

Faith does not consist in the belief that we are saved, it consists in the belief that we are loved.  ~ Alexandre Vinet

It takes an intelligent man to see the need for change, but a truly desperate one to sacrifice his comfort and happiness to see it happen. ~ David Liprini ‏

Fairy tales don't tell children dragons exist. Children know dragons exist. Fairytales tell children dragons can be beaten - GK Chesterton

Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission. ~ Zig Ziglar

You may not be able to help everyone in need, but that doesn't excuse you from saying "yes" to one who needs your help. ~ Frank Viola

Christians are the most easily offended people in the world. We should be the least. ~ Frank Viola

You will discover how real your relationship to Jesus Christ is when your feelings get hurt. ~ Frank Viola

The soul that never learns to love others lives a life of wasted opportunities.

Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. ~Vanilla Sky

Some people are hurting so badly that you have to do more than preach a message to them. You have to be a message to them.

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. ~ Roger Lewin

A true encounter with God brings you to a new place from which you can never again return.You are at that moment and forever ''ruined'' for anyone but God. ~ Fawn Parish

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon

Miracle at the Wound Care Clinic

One of the more common problems with being bed confined is the prevalence of decubitus ulcers – more commonly known as “bed sores”. Just a short time spent in the same position puts pressure on tissues of the body. The pressure reduces blood flow. Reduced blood flow impedes the exchange of oxygen, nutrients and removal of waste products.

All these conditions will, if not reversed, result in the death of body tissue. The death of tissue leads to open sores in the skin, which become infected and painful. People who can’t change body positions on their own are susceptible to these skin ulcers Many of the patients we see have them.

Today we transported one such patient to clinic for wound care. The office was busy. Workers hurried from room to room, moving patients around, but one woman named Kate, wasn’t moving so fast. An immobilizer on her leg made her a little slower than the rest.

Our patient wouldn’t be seen immediately, so we parked the gurney in the hall and as Kate passed by, I asked why she wore the immobilizer.

She seemed glad to have a reason to take a break and filled me in on the details. Several weeks earlier, Kate stepped off a curb and tore the supporting structures in her ankle including her Achilles tendon which detached from the heel. I asked if she had surgery. Her doctor wanted her to try the immobilizer for a few weeks before they considered surgery. 

I asked if she wanted to be healed. She asked what I had in mind. I told her about a few people that had been healed and she said she’d like to give it a try. I told her that I catch up with her while our patient was being seen by the doctor.

When the time arrived, we rolled our patient into an exam room, gave them a quick report and left them to do their thing. That gave me 20 minutes to get Kate’s foot healed.

I went to the receptionist desk, where Kate worked and told her I was ready. We walked to the staff break room to avoid drawing attention. Sometimes a crowd is appropriate for the miraculous, but in the work place, I try to respect people’s wishes for privacy.

We sat down and I explained what I do. I asked about her pain and range of motion then shared a few testimonies, including the people who’d recently been healed of a torn Achilles tendon.

I placed my hand on the immobilizer near her ankle and told her she’d probably feel either heat or tingling. I commanded spirits to heave, asked the Holy Spirit to bring His presence to touch her and commanded pain and inflammation to leave. I spoke to the ligaments, tendons, bones, nerves and blood vessels to be healed. I asked what she felt.

“You know it’s funny you mentioned tingling, because as soon as you started speaking I felt tingling on the side of my foot by your hand.”

I commanded the Achilles tendon to reattach to the heel and asked what she felt.

“Now the tingling is up in my calf, which is where the tendon is torn.”

I asked if she had any pain. She replied that it was all gone. I told her I was confident that she was completely healed and she could probably take the immobilizer off and walk without pain. She was reluctant to take it off, but she seemed to agree that she didn’t need it any more.

I told her the pain might come back and explained that God really did heal her, but the enemy might try to convince her she wasn’t healed.

“Healing is a battle. Sometimes you need to push back against the enemy. You saw what I did to get you healed, so if the pain comes back, command it to leave in the name of Jesus, like I did. Then continue to believe you’re healed.”

Kate let me take a picture of her leg and I gave her info on how to find me here. I encouraged her to keep in touch and let me know how she felt in a few days.

I was thinking today how easy it is to find people to pray with. I haven’t received a word of knowledge in months. But there are people all around us who need a healing touch or an encouraging word from God.

Anyone can do this stuff, you know. It’s not just for a few people.

It’s for everyone.

Even you.

Back Injury Healed

This testimony is from a woman healed of a spinal injury she'd had for 20 years. Her primary symptom was sciatic nerve pain. He doctor also testified to her healing.

A New Season - Healing Mental Illness

On Sunday night (the 24th) I had a dream about healing people with mental illness. In the dream, I met people from my past. Each person had some type of mental illness. As I spent time with them, something I said or did set them free of it. In this season of “new things”, it appears that we'll be solving one more part of the healing puzzle.

I feel pretty confident in the realm of physical healing. Although not everyone I pray with shows signs of immediate healing, my confidence that God will heal them is pretty high. That’s not the case with mental illness.

I rarely pray with people who have mental illness, though I meet them nearly every day. I don’t have the same confidence that God will heal them and like most people, I’m afraid to pray because I don’t think they’ll be healed. I guess Papa has plans to change that.

I know mental illness can be healed. I’ve posted some great testimonies about conditions that God has already healed. But setting people free of mental illness is controversial. Sorting out truth from myth can only be done by asking Holy Spirit to do some mythbusting. In the days ahead, I'll share whatever I learn from Him.You’re welcome to stick around and learn with me. 

On Monday (the 25th) I had another interesting dream. In the dream, I met people on street corners and gas stations who didn't know who they were. They'd lost all sense of identity. As I talked with them, I reminded them of who they were and their identities were restored. 

Identity theft by the enemy isn’t a new trick. Many of us have yet to fully understand the implications of who we are in Christ and how it impacts the world around us. If God has plans to help restore our identities that may be worth sticking around for as well.

It's a new season with new challenges and new things to learn. I hope you're blessed by what you find here.

PICK UP YOUR MAT & WALK

Healing Conference

Phoenix, AZ

July 12-14, 2012

Healing.  Deliverance.  Freedom.  Training.  Impartation.  

Come join us for this powerful healing conference.  You will not want to miss one session of this amazing event!  Move to your next level of power and prepare for a supernatural encounter!!  Glean from these anointed speakers learn how to heal your soul, receive your miracle, soak in the presence of God, and advance the Kingdom. 

SPEAKERS:

Katie Souza is Founder and President of Expected End Ministries. She is an international speaker, radio and television host, and author. She has been featured numerous times on TBN, The 700 Club, God-TV, Patricia King's "Extreme Prophetic" and Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural." 

Randy Clark, an international speaker, demonstrates the Lord’s sovereign power to heal, with great tenacity.  Randy’s anointing in healing is only surpassed by his unmistakable teaching gift. Using his extensive educational background, Randy delineates even the most difficult concepts to the lay person. 

Patricia King is a respected minister of the gospel, successful owner of four flourishing businesses, and an inventive entrepreneur. She is an accomplished itinerant speaker, author, television host, and media producer and has given her life fully to Jesus Christ and to His Kingdom's advancement in the earth. She is the co-founder of XPmedia.com and overseer of Christian Services Association.

WORSHIP:

Julie Meyer is a longtime and beloved worship leader and songwriter at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. She is a prophetic singer who carries the glory and the presence of God as an abandoned worshipper. Her passion is His presence as she trumpets the message of the Bridegroom searching for His Bride!

JoAnn McFatter is currently traveling nationally and internationally as a worship leader and/or speaker. Her ministry, Inside-Eternity, is partnering with WhiteDove Ministries, based in Foley, Alabama. 

SCHEDULE:

Thursday, July 12th

  7 pm - 10 pm

Friday, July 13th 

    2 pm - 10 pm 

Saturday, July 14th 

    10 am - 10 pm

REGISTRATION:

$40 online / $50 at the door

VENUE:

River of Life Church

4039 E. Raymond Street

Phoenix, AZ 85040

A Response to Obamacare

On Thursday morning, the US supreme court upheld the controversial program for universal healthcare known as Obamacare. The president is no doubt, relieved by the court ruling, since healthcare reform was one of his major campaign issues. I rarely involve myself in political discussions, but today I'd like to share a few observations.

The argument for Obamacare comes from those who believe that everyone should have health insurance, even those who don't feel they need it. Obamacare would mandate health insurance for everyone - even those who don't want it. There would be penalties for people who did not carry health insurance and its this part of the program that I disagree with most.

The first problem with Obamacare is one of priorities. I know they have good intentions, but supporters have prioritized health insurance over a freedom US citizens have  always enjoyed - we have the right to purchase or refuse to purchase whatever we want, without government interference. Under Obamacare, the government would have the right to force us to buy something, whether we want it or not. Sacrificing constitutional liberties for the sake of federalized healthcare seems to be a poor trade off.

I'm opposed to the idea that the people I elect as my representatives should have the power to tell me what is best for me. When government is granted such power, a host of problems will result. Not the least of which is the question, "What will be the next thing that we're required to buy?"

A federalized healthcare program will necessitate the creation of administrative and regulatory agencies. Government bureaucracies are neither responsive nor efficient and if Obamace is allowed to do what Government programs do best - we can expect substandard healthcare at a very high cost.

People are worried about their health and I suppose they should be. But creating more government agencies isn't the solution. Jesus modeled the solution for us.

Jesus didn't expect Rome to solve the problems of human suffering and sickness. Wherever He went, He healed the sick and set the oppressed free and taught His disciples to do the same.It's actually the responsibility of His disciples (that's us) to care for the poor, the sick and the outcast.

If I've taught you anything, I hope I've demonstrated the fact that a simple, untrained person like myself can make an impact in the lives of people who struggle with health problems. Healing the sick is easy once you believe God will actually heal the people you pray with. I'm not particularly gifted. I've never taken formal training for ministry. I'm just an average disciple with an extraordinary God who is able to do more than I could ask or think. And so are you.

Programs like Obamacare are becoming more popular because the body of Christ has failed in it's mission to relieve suffering and heal the sick. We are the solution to the healthcare problems of the world. If you don't want to see this trend continue, perhaps you'll consider becoming a part of the solution.

Inflammation: What to Eat to Reduce Your Risk of Many Diseases

By Cathy Sherman, originally posted here, on Natural News.

Inflammation is a double-edged sword. While it is very critical for the healing of wounds, it is also a bodily response that can become too much of a good thing. Any infection, injury or toxicity problem inflicted on our bodies is handled by the inflammatory response that occurs automatically. Unfortunately, if certain substances in our bodies become unbalanced, the inflammation switch can come "on" at the wrong time or forget to go "off" when no longer needed.

When inflammation occurs, it can be seen externally as a rash or swelling. A more dangerous kind is that which occurs internally. If it goes on too long it can cause damage to any organ or organ system. People with auto-immune and chronic inflammatory diseases are very familiar with the problems inflammation can cause.

Diseases in which inflammation plays a role are heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, cancers, arthritis, gingivitis and other "itis" disorders.

On the positive side, since the growth in such diseases can be correlated with and related to our increased diets of fast, convenient foods, it is possible to end the inflammation process with a change in diet.

Not only do we need to eliminate saturated and trans-fats, refined sugars, starches, commercial meats and artificial sweeteners, but we can reverse problems of chronic inflammatory diseases by choosing certain foods and herbs available at the grocery store.

It is being shown time and again that the common therapy for inflammation – pharmaceuticals - has been a miserable and costly failure. Rather than submit your body to the side effects of such drugs, please consider the much healthier alternatives discussed below.

Dietary polyphenols, found in many edible plants, are being found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies on animals in the lab have demonstrated such properties, and studies done on different human populations have shown that those who consume polyphenol-rich foods have lower incidences of inflammatory disease.

Fruits rich in this phytochemical include blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, sour
cherries, pomegranates and cranberries. If you drink these in juices, make sure to read the label and avoid any with sugar added.

Another group of dietary nutrients receiving much publicity today are the omega fatty acids. Don't be
confused by the wording here. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, while omega-6 acids can actually help cause inflammation. That is why we need to balance the use of omega-6's with omega-3's. If your diet has been predominantly rich in the omega-6 oils, you will have to do more than achieve a balance by increasing omega-3's and drastically reducing the omega-6's.

Other foods rich in omega-3's include oily fish such as herring, sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon
(preferably wild); oils made from these fish; hemp, flax, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and their oils; high-fiber, non-starchy vegetables such as dark leafy salad greens, spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and onions.

We often overlook the turnip, but from a Chinese medicinal view, it and the radish both aid digestion by cooling and soothing inflammation and phlegm.

Quercetin is a flavonoid, and a very powerful one. It is found in red grapes, red and yellow onions, garlic, broccoli and apples.

Anti-oxidant properties in some foods also help fight inflammation by protecting the body from free radicals. Vitamin C-rich foods fall into this category, including carrots, orange winter squash, bell peppers and tomatoes.

To reduce swelling and inflammation quickly, eat half of a fresh pineapple or papaya daily. Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain and papaya contains papain. Pain and swelling should go down in two to six days.

Eating at least five servings of such fresh fruits and vegetables daily is a minimum. If inflammation is a problem, it is recommended to increase the intake of this food group. In fact, some natural health experts advise a diet that is 75% raw foods.

The flavorings and herbs used in cooking your lean meats and fish are very important as well in fighting inflammation. Turmeric, and its yellowing substance curcumin, are most commonly found in Indian foods like curry and in mustards. The author makes capsules of grocery store-bought turmeric, which has helped with arthritis symptoms. At least one naturopath has stated it works much like anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, without the side effects.

Ginger is another flavoring that has many healthful properties, one of which is an anti-inflammatory.

Garlic has been the object of much research and has been shown to inhibit the growth of 23 organisms,
including bacteria, mold and yeast. It is also very helpful as an anti-inflammatory.

Remember, while adding spices like turmeric, it is just as important to decrease, if not eliminate,
flavorings such as salt, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Also avoid colas, white flour products and junk foods.

Just one precaution: Herbs and spices should be used with medical supervision if one is also taking
medications because their medicinal properties can interfere with the drugs.

When it comes to soy and soy products, the advice and research findings are contradictory. More research is needed on these foods.

In conclusion, if you want to reduce inflammation, eat healthier. Replace your processed foods with meals like cold water fish, chicken, salads, and steamed vegetables. Avoid deep-fried foods and hydrogenated oils. Bake or stir-fry instead of frying. Use olive oil, an omega-9 fatty acid, instead of corn and related oils


Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/022701.html#ixzz1q0RMDh1S

Breaking the Father's Heart

Two nights ago I had a dream about the Father’s heart. In the dream, I wanted to show a friend what the Father’s heart was like, so I created a three dimensional image of the words “Father’s Heart”. I carefully wrapped and boxed it. My friend lived in another country, so I shipped it to him. It was damaged while being shipped. A piece of one of the letters broke off, so he sent it back to me. That was the end of the dream.

I know that God wants to reveal some things to me that are new. Not new in the sense that they’ve never existed before – but new in the sense that I’ve never been aware of them. They are things that have always been true. But they haven’t been common knowledge, at least not to me. One of the things He wants to reveal is the nature of His heart.

A few years ago the term the Father’s heart was unfamiliar to me. Matt Evans was the first person I’d heard use this phrase. In the years since, I’ve had a deepening desire to become more familiar with my Father’s heart.

I talked with Matt the day I had the dream. He have me a prophetic word about God narrowing my focus to a specific set of things that I would learn about and share with others. He felt as though my sphere of influence would be smaller during this season, due to the fact that not many people will be interested in the things God is going to share with me.

The words smaller sphere of influence would strike fear in the heart of most bloggers. Bloggers are usually interested in finding more readers, not less. But this is precisely what God has been telling me to expect in the coming days.

During the last three years, He’s shared things of interest to many people and the blog has gained readers. But in the future, readership may decline due to a change of focus. And one of the things we’ll be focusing on is the heart of the Father.

In the dream, I tried to reveal His heart to a friend, by creating a sculpture that depicted my understanding of His heart. But the sculpture was merely words, which may suggest that I have a mental understanding of His heart that can be put into words, but not an experiential understanding. Papa’s heart was broken when I tried to reveal it in this way.

There will be many changes to this website in the coming days. I’ll be writing more on subjects that I don’t usually discuss here. In order to do that, I’ll be changing the look of the website. I’ll be adding tabbed pages so readers can find specific areas of interest more easily.

We’ll be learning about the heart of the Father and I hope that the way I describe it doesn’t break His heart. Please pray that He’ll reveal His heart to us in all of it’s fullness and that we’ll accurately reveal it to others.

Thanks,

PM  

The Banker

A few days ago my daughter decided to take God up on His promise to bless her. As a college student who asks her dad for gas money every week, she opted for a financial blessing. 

The next day she received a $300 check in the mail from the college she attends. Not sure if it was a mistake, she talked to an administrator and learned it wasn't a mistake. The college had a surplus and decided to share it with the students. The money was hers to keep.

She asked me to go with her to open a checking account, so we stopped at the Chase branch near our house. The banker ushered us into his office and we sat down. She shared the story of her heavenly blessing, which made the banker (Jim) smile. He asked the usual questions, offered some professional advice and had her sign the usual paperwork. She now had her own checking account.

Jim asked if we had any plans for the summer. We told him about our plans to visit Australia. Then we then told him why we're going. He was surprised to hear we were going to teach on healing. We talked for a while longer. I shared a few healing stories and the plans we had for ministering healing to the homeless people of Brisbane. He asked if I could do anything for a blown out knee. I said we probably could.

Jim confessed to being an agnostic. "It's not that I don't believe in God. It's more that I don't like organized religion."

I told him I didn't have much use for religion either.

Jim had seen an orthopaedic doctor who did an exam, but couldn't give him an exact diagnosis. He would need an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

"If you let us pray with you, when we're through you won't need an MRI."

I'm learning that unlike the affairs of men, where you get in trouble for writing checks you can't cover, God doesn't mind us boasting about His power and goodness. I'm convinced that it's impossible for me to write a check He can't cover.

Jim said that if we got his knee healed, it would change his views about God.

"Well then....why don't we pray right now".

I took a seat next to Jim behind his desk. (How many people get to sit behind a banker's desk during their first meeting?) My daughter scooted her chair closer and we laid hands on his knee. We commanded spirits of pain and disease to leave and commanded ligaments, muscle, tendons, bones and cartilage to be healed. I asked what he felt.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean by nothing?"

"I mean it feels normal."

"Why don't you squat down and flex it, to make sure there isn't some pain left."

Jim Squatted down as low as he could. "There might be just a little pain still, but it's nothing like it was before."

"Let's pray again". I wanted him to be completely pain free, so there would be no doubt in his mind that God had healed him. My daughter and I placed our hands on his knee and repeated the same process. "Check it out again."

Jim repeated the low squatting position and shifted his weight from side to side, then sat in his chair with a look of amazement.

"You know....the first time I was afraid to put much weight on the injured knee, but this time I put nearly all my weight on that side and it feels great. I haven't been able to do this in a long time."

We talked for a while longer and I mentioned this website. He asked if I'd write the website info on his business card, so I did. I told him we took prayer requests and if he knew anyone with cancer or a serious condition he could e-mail us a prayer request.

We shook hands and left the bank.

With a grin on her face, my daughter opened the car door.

"Dad.....it seems like everywhere we go, this always happens."

To My Beloved

Graham Cooke describes how God would love you...if only you will allow Him.

The Trials of Friendship

I had a dream almost two months ago that’s been on my mind since the night it arrived. In the dream, I moved my family to Oregon and I’ll admit, the dream has had me a bit confused.

Less than a year ago, I moved away from the Pacific Northwest, to the desert Southwest, primarily because my wife and I wanted to live in a warmer climate. I didn’t receive much revelation from God prior to the move, so when I had the dream about moving back to the northwest, I wondered if I’d made a mistake.

In thinking about the dream, I knew that if God wanted us to remain in the northwest, He probably would have made it clear prior to moving. His ways are a bit mysterious, but He’s been a perfect gentleman in leading us in these kinds of things and it seems unlike Him to tell us after we’ve moved that we’d messed things up.

Although many of my dreams are literal, most of the moving dreams I’ve had were symbolic.

I’ve been feeling for a while that I’d entered a new season in my life and if I’m in a new season then a moving dream might be appropriate. Dreams of moving tend to describe (symbolically) the things we can expect in a new season. I believe it’s the city we moved to in the dream that holds the key to the right interpretation. And the city we moved to was Salem, Oregon

Now in thinking about why the city of Salem was chosen, I considered the things that the name Salem is associated with. The most obvious being the famed witch trials of 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, where dozens of people were tried and executed for the crime of witchcraft. Many of those killed were members in good standing of a church congregation.

It seems as though God is warning me to watch out for some things that might resemble the witch trials of Salem in this new season.

It’s hard to receive this as “good news” I certainly don’t have any warm, fuzzy feelings about it. And yet, God always has a purpose for the things He reveals and His purpose is always for our benefit. The things He warns us about may not be comfortable, but the advanced notice may bring comfort, reassurance and instruction on how to navigate the storm when it arrives.

So the question is – have I encountered anything yet resembling a witch trial?

Strangely enough – shortly after I had this dream, I began receiving private messages from Facebook friends, who warned me about my association with a close friend, who had become the suspect in a string of bizarre spiritual events.

This friend is very inclined to the supernatural. He writes often on supernatural topics to spur discussions about things we don’t fully understand yet. Some of his views are pretty radical and they’ve generated a lot of controversy. As is always the case with radicals -some of the people who once supported him have begun to accuse him of going off the deep end. The story took a strange turn when this group of former friends began to experience demonic attacks and as a group, they “discerned” that my friend was the one responsible for them.

This group of former friends, without any direct evidence of wrongdoing, relying solely on their own personal discernment, tried and convicted my friend of the crime of witchcraft. They have as a group, blocked him from their lives.

Of course, that’s not the end of the story. It’s not enough to discern a source of evil and remove it from your sphere of influence. You must find out how far the evil influence has spread and remove yourself from anyone who has been infected by it. Isolation from any potential source of evil is the name of the game.

So the group approached me through private messages and laid out their accusations against him. Knowing that I was his friend – they hoped I would either straighten him out spiritually or sever all ties with him. After all – what man of God would knowingly associate with a convicted witch?

(And if he was a witch and I was his friend, maybe I was a witch, too)

When I didn’t respond as they expected, most of these people unfriended me.

The accusations against my friend are growing almost daily. He’s become the official cause of demonic attacks and bizarre spiritual occurrences that happen to anyone who knows him. Forget about Murphy’s law – you can now blame my friend for all of your bad luck.

The witch trials of 1692 stand as an example of how mass hysteria operates. They’re a poignant reminder of the dangers of isolationism, religious extremism, false accusation and disregard for due process. My friend has suffered the same type of holy violence the early pilgrims endured at the hands of their brothers.

When I approached my friend about the accusations, I was shocked to learn that not one person had bothered to confront him personally. In complete disregard for the instruction of Jesus to confront a brother in person and alone when you have a problem (See Matt 18:15-18) they chose to slander and gossip about him behind his back.

Of course, they claimed that “God told them” to talk to someone else about the problem instead of confronting him personally. I suppose you can do whatever you want as long as you make it clear that “God told you” and apparently, God now endorses gossip, slander and false accusation.

I’ve taken a break from Facebook for a number of reasons and this is just one of them. The way these people behaved reminds me of how adolescents resolve conflicts in a sandbox. I expected more maturity and compassion from people who are old enough in the Lord to know better.

I want to be perfectly transparent in all of this. My friend has received a few warning dreams from God lately. A mutual friend also had a warning dream about him being in some type of danger. The three of us have solicited the counsel of several older, trusted leaders to help us navigate through these times of uncertainty. That’s what true friendship is about.

Friendship is about helping others when they’re in danger – not departing from them for the sake of self-preservation. Isolationism is not the answer. True friends see the good in others and encourage its development. They don’t overlook the bad, but they don’t make it the focus of every discussion. They nurture others and suffer along with them, bearing each other's burdens.

I may have ten thousand friends when the good things in my life are on display. But only my true friends will be at my side when my flaws and failures are in the spotlight. And it’s the prayers and encouragement of true friends during hard times that I need more than the hollow praise of fair weather friends.

If I'm the kind of friend who can be pressured to leaving your side when the adversary is having a good time at your expense, then I'm not really a friend at all.

I'm learning a lot about friendship and loyalty in this new season. And when I return to Facebook, things are going to be a lot different.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Healed

This story was originally published here.

For nearly 20 years Ema Mckinley suffered with a condition known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a rare neurological disorder that left her disfigured and wheelchair bound. Through all the pain and near death experiences, her faith never wavered.

Ema says, “God was my partner in all of this and the strength and help He would give me, I could get through one more day!”

It was in the very early morning hours on Christmas Eve 2011, Ema’s life would forever change. A miracle as she tells it, was about to take place.

“…what I saw was the most awesome white robe, this robe was so white that our human eyes, we can hardly stand to look at it. I felt my foot going from this position to this position, He totally straightened that foot. After He straightened that foot, this arm, remember my fist was closed all those years, but this arm was underneath me. When God straightened out that foot, He came up to the hand and He started straightening out my fingers. Betsy through uncontrollable tears, when God had straightened out my fingers all of the fold lines that you have in your hand, it was totally raw flesh. I literally saw God grow new flesh over that raw hand. The folds in that hand were all raw. I watched the new flesh just going over all of it.”

And after her miracle, she rested. Her sons were coming over and little did they know what they were walking into.

“We came in, I saw her walking towards me and I knew it had to be a miracle. You don’t really think about what you’re doing at that moment you just react. I just walked up to her and gave her a big hug and the tears started flowing,” said Jason Lano, Ema’s son.

Dr. Robert Stanhope has not treated Ema but has known her many years while she sat crooked in that chair. He admits, that medically, sometimes there just aren’t any answers.

But as a believer himself, he offers this explanation, “I believe she is where she is because of answered prayer and we don’t understand it. To my knowledge it’s not understood. I know her doctors told her that she would be in wheelchair for the rest of her life and that there was nothing they could to help her.”

“Speechless. What do you say? I’ve been with her nearly 16 years. I’ve seen her struggles. I’ve been in those near death experiences with her. It was unbelievable. I know miracles happen! I know Ema’s faith but to actually see it and be a part of it…it’s just been phenomenal,” said Cathy Ruggeberg, Ema’s personal caregiver for the past 16 years.