Nomadic Kindred Hearts

Posted on December 4, 2013 by opendooreurope

Yesterday at the conference I met Rosy. Right from the start she seemed to be the most interesting person in the room. I met her just before the Ladies Coffee, which was a social time built into the conference. I didn’t register for the Ladies Coffee right away just because the idea of a Ladies Coffee didn’t really appeal to me. I don’t really fit in with most of the women there. But the Holy Spirit had urged me to register for it at the last minute, so I did. I asked Rosy if she was going to the Ladies Coffee, and she said that she was. So we went off together, leaving her boyfriend, Bobby, to attend the next session without us.

Rosy is doing something that I had always dreamed of doing, but never had the freedom or the resources to do: she lives in her fully-equipped camper van and has been traveling around the country since she was laid off from her job. That’s a courageous and daring thing to do, and I admire her a lot for doing it. When I bought my camper van in 2011 (see my first book, Look, Listen, Love) I had thought of doing that, but in Europe. My camper was stolen, which put an end to that dream for me. Nevertheless, I still think about it sometimes when I’m traveling around in Europe.

Rosy also blogs. So there we have a lot in common: writers, nomadic at heart, plus we’re both attending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Conference, so we both keep our ears open for the trumpet’s sound. I love all the new friends God has for me! God is good!

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Posted on December 2, 2013 by opendooreurope

Greetings from Dallas!

I am here attending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Conference. The conference has only just started, but already God has been very merciful, helping me through what could have been a couple of bad logistical problems.

The first was the drive to the airport. I left Asheville yesterday morning to drive my son home to Chapel Hill, and then turn back and on to the airport in Charlotte. I had budgeted about seven hours, even though Google Maps had predicted that the total trip would take only a bit over five. I had added an extra hour to my driving plan so that we could have lunch together at his local sushi palace. Leaving him on his doorstep with a full stomach and sushi leftovers, I headed on toward Charlotte. Google Maps either didn’t know about the construction on Highway 85 or that it was the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend and certainly both played a part in the drive time taking every bit of seven hours. I didn’t really hit delays until about 35 miles outside of Charlotte, but I was really glad that I had decided to head straight to the airport and not take my time. In the long term parking lot, I hailed a passing bus that had just gone by the shelter before I could get there. The driver graciously stopped for me even though she was not at an official stop when she did it. On entering the airport, I was especially glad that I had my boarding pass with me and no luggage to check. The flight was delayed by nearly half an hour, but that’s not a problem when you have no connection to make. It gave me an opportunity to breathe and even get a light dinner before boarding.

In order to avoid the expense of renting a car that I would really only need twice a day, I had selected an airport hotel near the conference site, which was another airport hotel. My plan was to take the shuttle to the airport and then catch the other hotel’s shuttle. My hotel’s shuttle departs for the airport every hour on the hour starting at six AM. As I thought about this plan, the enormous hassle and potential of hours lost waiting for one shuttle or the other began to worry me. Rather than worry, I simply prayed instead. After a good night’s sleep, I had thought to catch the six AM shuttle to the airport and arrive finally at the other hotel in time for the conference start at eight. Good plan, but I missed the six AM shuttle. I decided that it would be OK if I were a bit late for the conference. And who knows? I might arrive on time for the conference anyway. So I got a quick breakfast and signed up for the seven AM shuttle. The shuttle driver was there, and he asked me what terminal I was going to. I told him about my crazy shuttle plan. He wanted to know where the other hotel was, and I told him. He said that since he had only two stops to make this morning, he would take me to the other hotel. In fact, he said that he’ll be working all week, and that he would take me every day, assuming that he doesn’t have a lot of stops to make. That is an answer to prayer, and one I would never have thought to hope for!

So once again, I’m feeling like God’s favorite kid. God is good!

Dream Analysis

Posted on November 24, 2013 by opendooreurope

CN Tower, Toronto

My cousin, Betsey, does life coaching, and she offered to analyze a dream for me. The one I picked out was a doozy:

We lived at the top of something like the CN Tower in Toronto (or the Space Needle in Seattle, but I don’t know the city). Because we lived there, we didn’t have to wait in line for the public elevators. At some point my lifelong friend, Maggie, came to visit. She brought me something, but I don’t remember what it was.

Then I went out and forgot my key, so I had to buy a ticket for the elevator like everyone else. My Companion (I don’t remember who it was) told me that I should explain that I live there, so I did. The Ticket Lady was in her 60’s and sort of gruff. She said that I had to buy a ticket and use a public elevator, but she would go up with me, and refund my money when she saw that I really do live there. The tickets cost $7.50 each, and they were gray and long (about 6-7 inches) and a little thinner than tickertape.

The Ticket Lady told us to go ahead and get in line. She busied herself with closing up her ticket booth. There were 5 ticket booths, all of them manned and lines at each. But the lines moved pretty fast. My Companion and I had gone to the booth at the far left.

We went through an opening in the wall directly behind us and into the waiting area. The line for the elevators was in a wading pool, the water was nicely warm and clean, and amazingly less crowded than the ticket lines. People really enjoyed the pool as they waited for the elevator. There were 3 elevators, but they were in a straight line, not curved as you would expect around the tower. The middle elevator had an enclosed area that hid the people waiting from view. It was common knowledge that the enclosed area was a Jewish bathhouse. So I stood in line for the elevator on my right because I’m not Jewish.

The “wading area” for all 3 elevators was between 2 playgrounds for a really tough inner-city elementary school, and we were separated from the playgrounds by cage-like wire. As my Companion and I waited and enjoyed the water, I looked at the kids on the playground. One boy on a swing turned and made eye contact with me. And he gave me the most malevolent look I’ve ever gotten—and he was young, about 6-7 years old! That look made me shiver.

Then it was our turn to get onto the elevator, and the Ticket Lady was in the pool area, but she didn’t make it onto our elevator. The elevator was wedge-shaped (like a pie, with one curved side) and it was like an amusement park ride. There were wire seats that looked like lawn chairs and we were supposed to seatbelt ourselves into the seats. But the seats weren’t bolted down. I pulled mine (on the curvy side at a corner) into alignment with the other seats before I sat and buckled up. The ride to the top was quick, and at the top we met the Ticket Lady. We knocked at the door and Mom let me in. The Ticket Lady was gone, but I was sure that she had gone down to get our refund. Mom scolded me for leaving without my key, and said, “Those bathhouse Jews are homosexuals.” I said, “All of them?” and she nodded emphatically, “ALL of them!”

I hadn’t felt threatened by the Jews (gay or not, though I doubted that they really were gay), but the kid on the playground had really scared me. This dream was populated by lots of people I knew, both in our apartment and down in the wading pool. But the only people I can recall are Mom, Fleur, and my youngest son, Kevin.

The way Betsey analyzed my dream was to actually show me how to analyze the dream myself. Together we picked out the things that seem to be important symbols and themes: the tower, the elevators, Maggie, whatever Maggie brought me, the key, the tickets, my companion, the ticket lady, the refund, the lines, the ticket booths, the opening in the wall, the waiting area/wading pool, the Jewish bathhouse, the playgrounds, the cage-like wire, the boy on the swing, the wire seats, Mom, the Jews, and Kevin.

Then we went through, item-by-item (or person-by-person) and Betsey instructed me to “be” the item or person. And she asked me these questions:

Name three adjectives to describe yourself (without thinking too much).
(Item/Person), what is your purpose in this dream?
(Item/Person), what are you trying to tell/show Alisa?
(Item/Person), do you have something to say to Alisa?

I took notes, but not on the things that didn’t seem important, so here are some of my notes:

Tower – tall, see everything, over everything; “Come up here!”
Elevators – open, waiting, enclosing; “Let’s go up!”
Maggie – “There are gifts all around if you open your eyes.”
Whatever Maggie brought me – “You have gifts that you have not opened.”
The key – gold, shiny, important; “Open it up!”
Tickets – “I am a substitute key.”
My Companion – “I’m here to remind you!”
Ticket Lady – “I have tickets for you.”
Refund – “Things lost can be restored.”
The lines – I don’t think the lines were significant. I live in a big city (Milan), so lines and crowds are an everyday thing.
Ticket booths – “I have tickets for you.”
The opening in the wall – “I’ll take you to a different reality.”
Waiting area/wading pool – “Take a moment to relax/This is a safe place to relax.”
Jewish bathhouse – Chosen, exclusive “You’re not one of us.”
Playgrounds – “If you forget your key, you’ll be in danger.”
The cage-like wire – thick, impenetrable, transparent
The boy on the swing – “I’m gonna get you!”
The wire seats – Cold, uncomfortable, unsteady
Mom – Home, safety, love; here to reassure; “Everything is going to be OK.”
The Jews – Chosen, rigid, conservative; “You’re not one of us.”
My son, Kevin – Young, irresponsible, unpredictable; here as a symbol; “You grew out of this phase, so will I!”

Betsey then gave me her perspective:

You live at a higher level than others, always moving up. Maggie reminds you of gifts that you haven’t opened. Gifts may be related to keys and tickets. Your companion is a guide, so is the Ticket Lady. Lost things can be restored. There is a place that you can get to with substitute keys. There is an opening from one reality to another, from busy to tranquil. There is an unwelcoming, exclusive place. The playground area is scary and menacing. Mom is reassuring and reassuringly normal.

Then I told Betsey about my interpretation:

In a nutshell, this is a Rapture dream. The tower-top apartment is the heavenly destination. The tower says “Come up here!” just like in Revelation 4:1. The elevators are a conveyance to take me higher (they never went down!). The unopened gift is my belief that we don’t use the gifts God has given us to the extent that we ought to (like the first century Christians). Maggie and my Companion both are the Helper, the Holy Spirit (perhaps the Ticket Lady was also the Holy Spirit). The refund is the restoration of things to God’s original design. The playground is the world left behind after the Rapture. Mom’s warning about the bathhouse Jews was weird and completely in character, therefore reassuringly normal.

The Rapture has been on my mind for about a year now. I believe that it’s going to be soon. Don’t get left in the playground! Come up here! God is good!

Seattle’s Space Needle

The Edict of Milan

Posted on June 17, 2013 by opendooreurope

I recently attended a conference, calling itself an “alternative conference to those applauding Emperor Constantine and the signing of the Edict of Milan.” This year marks 17 centuries since Emperor Constantine signed the Edict, legalizing Christianity in the Roman world. It’s called the Edict of Milan because he signed it here in Milan.

On the surface, it seems like the Edict was a good thing for Christianity. After about 300 years of persecuting and exterminating (feeding Christians to the lions, soaking them with oil and lighting them as torches, and crucifixion), instead of ending Christianity, it had continued to grow.

Constantine was no fool. He decided that if you can’t beat them, join them. So that’s what he did. Was he sincerely converted to Christianity? Only God knows, but probably not. The Edict was a political move to bring Christianity under government control—the opposite of the Biblical model, in which the government is under the control of God. The result was the ritualization of what had until then been Spirit-inspired rites (the Lord’s Supper, for example). And little by little through these rituals, the human doctrines replaced Biblical soundness (infant baptism and praying to saints, for example).

On December 8, 1854 the Immaculate Conception became a doctrine of the Catholic Church—a fact that many Catholics are unaware of. Many Protestants don’t realize that the Immaculate Conception is not about the sinless purity of Jesus, it’s about His mother, Mary, being born sinless. Of course, if Mary was a sinless, divine person, then Jesus could never have died for our sins. The only way that He could die in our place is if He was 100% human in body. If you’re interested in reading more on the subject, here’s a link: Immaculate Conception.

Ironically, the Edict, which was called the “Edict of Tolerance,” gave birth to a new anti-Semitic form of Christianity: Replacement Theology (link for those interested in knowing more about that). Before the 4^th century, Christians were very much aware of their Jewish roots. But with the government-controlled version of Christianity, came a way to control the Jews. Despite having been scattered all over the known world, the Jews continued to grow in population and most refused to convert, but remained Jewish. Replacement Theology basically says that God gave up on the Jews and turned His attention and affection onto the Christians, instead. Of course, this doctrine shows a basic lack of understanding about God: He is not a man and He does not change His mind (Numbers 23:19). God is more than able to love Christians while still loving the Jews. It’s like being a parent. My sons are as different from each other as brothers can be, but I can and do love each of them equally. If I, as a flawed human mother, can love my children equally in their differentness, can’t God also love both the Christians and the Jews? Of course He can!

There were professors and clerics (Catholic, Evangelical, and Jewish), docents and intellectuals that spoke at the conference. They spoke on their particular areas of expertise, and in the end we were given the opportunity to sign a petition declaring repentance and true tolerance for the Jewish people and for the State of Israel.

Recently, I have lost some friends. These are Christian people who disagree with me on the true nature of grace. They have decided to stop being friends because I believe that grace does more than save your soul. (You can read more in my blog posts: Stop Complicating the Simple Things, Gracious Grace, Dis-Graceful Conduct, Generous Grace, and Blessed Reassurance, Part One.) I wanted to agree to disagree—extending grace to them—but they were unwilling. One of these former friends showed up at the conference, and was so surprised to see me there that when I greeted her warmly, she smiled and kissed me back. Then she scurried away from me, ostensibly to find a seat, and never said another word to me. This is at a conference about a new declaration of tolerance? I tried not to let it hurt my feelings, but I am human, and I did have genuine affection for this person. She used to be my cell group leader, for crying out loud!

This morning, the Word that the Lord gave me is Isaiah 65:17: “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” In meditating about this verse, I realized that God isn’t saying that we won’t have the ability to remember, but rather that we won’t have the motivation to remember. It’s like when you’re on vacation in a beautiful, tranquil place. It’s not that you don’t remember the stress of your daily life, it’s just that there’s no motivation in that setting to do so.

Promised Land

In considering these things even further, I remembered a sermon I heard by Chuck Missler in which he described this world as a digital simulation of the real world: An Extraterrestrial Message. I recommend watching that sermon (follow the link) because it is one of the most amazing explanations of the proof that the Bible is a supernatural book. His point is that Heaven is a more real reality than this world. I really like Chuck Missler because he’s unashamedly and unapologetically both Christian and intellectual. The 2 are not mutually exclusive!

I understand very well why the Bible says that all creation groans to be set free from the bondage of decay (Romans 8:21-22). I am groaning for it, too! I look forward to the day when all these injustices (as with the Edict) and misunderstandings (as with grace) are a thing of the dim past that is not worth remembering. God is good!

Blessed Reassurance

Posted on June 6, 2013 by opendooreurope

Part Two

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

If viewed from an historical Jewish point of view, the evidence for the Rapture to occur before the Tribulation is overwhelming. Also overwhelming is the venomous response that some people have to the idea of a pre-tribulation Rapture. Between those 2 things, I almost feel intimidated about trying to present it all here in a way that will make sense.

Nevertheless, I will attempt to do so because I believe that it is very important for believers to be ready. Those who have been following my blog know that recently I fasted for 21 days, putting the question to God: “Given that these are the End Times, what should we be doing to be prepared for what comes next?” It was during that fast that I became aware that the Rapture is likely to be “what comes next.”

To begin with, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet about the End Times. Every wacko theory is broadcast on the internet from Obama being the antichrist to the “mark of the beast” being to worship God on the wrong day of the week. Because the things written about the End Times in Daniel and Revelation are so fantastic, many people take them as allegorical. Some of those same people take Noah’s Ark, the Burning Bush, and Jonah in the Fish (see my recent post A Pipsqueak and a Fish Story) as being literal, yet they say that the future things are allegorical. That kind of inconsistency doesn’t even make sense! If any of the Bible is untrue, then all of it comes into doubt—especially given the usual things that have been recorded in the Bible (like fire from Heaven that burns up a soaking-wet offering).

So, future events recorded in the Bible are to be taken every bit as literally as past events. In other words, when the Bible says that we will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), that’s exactly what it means.

Some people don’t believe in the Rapture at all, simply because the word rapture isn’t in the Bible. It’s true. The word rapture is not in the English language Bible, but that word came from the Latin Vulgate. In the original Greek Bible, the word is harpadzo (pronounced har-POD-zoh, and written ἁρπάζω), and means to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch out or away. The Latin version translated harpadzo as rapiemur, from the root rapio, meaning to seize, snatch, carry away. So although the word rapture doesn’t appear in the English translation of the Bible, the concept is clearly there, and it seems like it would be perfectly acceptable to translate Paul’s word harpadzo as rapture.

The next problem that people have with the Rapture is that they confuse it with the Second Coming of Jesus. The Rapture and Second Coming are different events. I can understand the confusion, but let’s look carefully at the differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming:

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am,” (John 14:2-3).

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Those 3 passages describe the Rapture. The Rapture is all about the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The words from John: “I go and prepare a place for you, and I will come back and take you to be with me,” are what the bridegroom tells his bride in the Jewish wedding ceremony. Here is a link to an excellent video that shows the Jewish wedding ceremony and explains the connection with the Rapture: The Rapture Revelation. There is a connection, and it’s important because you must remember that Jesus was a Jewish man speaking to Jewish people. So when He these Jewish men: “I go to prepare a place for you,” they understood that He was speaking to them as their Bridegroom speaking to His Bride.

Rapture deniers and others who don’t believe in a Pre-tribulation Rapture say that there won’t be a secret Rapture. It won’t be a secret when it happens. I heard a prophecy that when we are caught up through the devil’s territory (remember, he’s the prince of the power of the air), there will be an EMP effect. Follow the link for that prophecy: EMP Effect at the Rapture.

The following are passages that describe the Second Coming of Jesus:

On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name, (Zechariah 14:4-9).

Immediately after the distress of those days, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other, (Matthew 24:29-31).

Where the confusion comes is with this trumpet in Matthew and the trumpet mention in both 1 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians, above. Here’s a link for a video that explains the difference between these 2 trumpets: The “Last Trump” Explained & Revealed.

There is also confusion with the last part of that passage in Matthew, which sounds like the Rapture. However, it can be explained by understanding the Jewish harvest cycles. The harvest isn’t one single event in Israel, but a series of events. First they take a part of the field that has ripened the fastest—usually from the center of the field. That goes to the Temple, and it is called First Fruits. Then is the general harvest, but they leave the corners because of what is written in Leviticus 23:22: “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord your God,” (AMP, emphasis mine). The very same is repeated in Leviticus 19:9. So they leave the corners until after the poor have had a chance to gather what they need. Then they harvest the 4 corners, and that is the harvest alluded to in Matthew 24:31, the very last part of the harvest: “He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” To see a great illustration of how the Jewish harvest cycle ties in with the Rapture and the final harvest, see Are There Really Over 7 Rapture Scenarios?

Something interesting that most people overlook is the fact that the book of Revelation is chronological. We can know that by the frequent use of the word then in the book of Revelation—54 times in the NIV.

To sum things up, there are some vast differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming, which I’ve put below:

Rapture—Comes suddenly and without warning (Matthew 25:13)

Second Coming—Preceded by many signs, including the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:1-2)

Rapture—Believers will meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Second Coming—Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives to meet believers on earth (Zechariah 14:4)

Rapture—Mount of Olives remains whole (no change is noted at the Rapture because Jesus will not come all the way down to touch the earth)

Second Coming—Mount of Olives splits when Jesus touches down on it, forming a valley east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4)

Rapture—Believers get glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)

Second Coming—Bodies of remaining believers are unchanged (no such change is noted at the Second Coming)

Rapture—Faithful go to Heaven (Revelation 19:6-9)

Second Coming—Believers return from Heaven in glorified bodies, earthly believers (living Tribulation Saints) remain on earth (Revelation 19:14)

Rapture—The world is not yet judged (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12)

Second Coming—The world is judged and righteousness is established (Revelation 19:17-20: 15)

Rapture—The Church is saved from God’s wrath (Isaiah 26:20)

Second Coming—Remaining believers have endured the wrath (Matthew 24:22)

Rapture—Only the saved are involved (Matthew 25)

Second Coming—Everyone is involved (Matthew 24:30)

Rapture—Satan remains free (Revelation 18)

Second Coming—Satan is bound for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3)

Since the Rapture and Second Coming clearly are different events that do not occur at the same time, this would rule out a Post-Tribulation Rapture scenario.

Lately I’ve been waking up with the Rapture on my mind. I believe that it will be soon. And this morning I asked the Lord if He had a Word for me today. I turned to Zephaniah, and here it is, with the section title:

The Day of the Lord Is Near

“Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated His guests,” (Zephaniah 1:7, ESV).

Be silent before the Lord! The Lord has consecrated His guests! Sounds like a wedding to me! God is good!

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Posted on April 29, 2013 by opendooreurope

Yesterday I went to Pastor Ivan’s church in the kindergarten. Some of the newer team members were surprised and a bit dismayed to hear that I was going to a different church than the team. But the head of OCE (Operation Capitals of Europe – oceprayer.com) was not dismayed. I have joined the team often enough that he knows I don’t go off on my own without a very good reason. I had already told him about the visit Wednesday to Pastor Ivan’s church and praying for the pastor, so I think he wasn’t surprised to hear that I wanted to return to encourage the pastor some more.

It encouraged Pastor Ivan very much to see me there, and he asked me to speak briefly to the church about my ministry. One surprise was the musical talent in that little church. I don’t often hear music that good in much bigger churches. I suggested to Zuzana that they should cut a CD. Books and CD’s make good fundraisers, and I believe that this little church is going to grow. They will need to be ready for growth.

Zuzana told me that my visit encouraged the whole church. Afterwards we caught up with the rest of the team for lunch and then we went to the castle. At the castle we broke up into prayer teams for various concerns: business, families & children, art & culture, Israel, and an intercessory team that remained in the castle and prayed for all the prayer teams.

I chose Israel, so we took a walk to the site of the biggest synagogue in Bratislava. It had been right beside the largest cathedral—St. Marten’s also known as the Dome of St. Marten. There was only one other synagogue right beside a cathedral in all of Europe, the one by Notre Dame. The Communists tore down the synagogue to build a bridge, but also to send a message about religion.

It was a very good time of prayer, and the anointing was so strong that at one point a blind man’s guide dog led him right into the middle of our prayer circle. At another point a man with a German Shepherd walked past us. The dog barked and barked, but interestingly, he was muzzled in a wire muzzle. Since one of the Slovaks was praying at the time, I didn’t want to interrupt to point this out, but I think it is significant—prophetically showing that the Nazi spirit would never again threaten the Slovakian Jews.

One woman prophesied over me, saying that I have been called to be a blessing to the Slovakian believers, and to the unbelievers as well. I confirmed that my calling is to support the Body of Christ here in Slovakia and throughout Europe, and through them to reach the lost. So it was very cool to be confirmed by this prophetic word. And I have a Slovakian word for how it made me feel: FEE-ha! I don’t know how it’s spelled, but that’s it phonetically. It means WOW! It’s my new favorite foreign word.

Afterward we joined the team of intercessors that had prayed for all the teams. They went to Slavin, the World War II monument and cemetery, atop the other hill in Bratislava. There we found 5 young skaters (for those over 30, that’s skateboarders). One woman (not one of our group) had just finished hollering at the skaters, telling them that it was disrespectful to be skating in a cemetery. Instead of leaving, they simply sat and waited for her to leave, and that is how we found them.

Upon arriving there, I felt an almost overwhelming desire to dance. Someone pointed out the woman and said that dancing in a cemetery would probably offend her, too. But, since others also felt moved to dance, we decided that the thing to do was to dance in a quiet and subdued way. As we worshiped and prayed, we danced mostly with our hands and swaying, but the desire to dance became stronger and stronger for all of us, until it broke out in a joyous dance. I think it is perfectly acceptable to dance in a Nazi cemetery. Dance is a sign of victory, and the Kingdom of God is indeed victorious over the Nazi spirit. Hallelujah!

When we finished, we turned our attention to the skaters, who had remained just a few feet from our group. They had seen and heard all of our worship and prayers. One man, who I call Dancing Joe, approached them and began to tell them about Jesus. One woman told me that he has such a funny, friendly style that it completely disarms people, and they love to listen to Dancing Joe. The skaters laughed together with him, and although they just shrugged when he asked if he could pray for them, DJ took their shrugs to mean OK, so he prayed for them. And we left with them all smiling and waving goodbye to us. The crabby woman had left, so they began to skate again.

One member of the team had brought a shofar with him, and he was stopped by an American Jew, who asked what our group was doing. So he told the man about finding his Messiah, Yeshua (he’s a Messianic Jew).

It was a lovely day! I feel such hope for Slovakia. God is good!

Blessed in Budapest

Posted on April 27, 2013 by opendooreurope

Yesterday was our second and last day in Budapest. In the morning we met in the Jewish Ghetto and did a prayer walk with Esther from Jews for Jesus. Although the Jews of Budapest were only confined to the ghetto for a month, it was such a difficult time, being winter, that there was no heat and little or nothing to eat. Many people died during that month, and Esther’s grandmother was one of them.

But then she took us to the Carl Lutz memorial. Carl Lutz was a Swiss man who saved thousands of Jewish children during the war, and Esther’s mother was of them. It makes the Holocaust so much more tragic and real when you meet someone so personally impacted by the war.

Carl Lutz memorial

After lunch we walked out to the middle of the Crown Bridge. Just last year they had added a couple of obelisks and crown statues to the bridge. Obelisks are ancient Egyptian symbols, which have to do with the worship of the sun. Nevertheless, obelisks are found in many churches, especially in Europe. Obelisks are also a common architectural theme in Freemasonry. The Masons claim to be a Christian organization and point to their good work in building the Shriners Childrens Hospitals, and riding around in funny little cars in parades wearing fezes, but even a casual glance at the rites reveals the satanic roots of Freemasonry. The Hungarian crown has a crooked cross on top, which I think is revealing, too. So we prayed there in the middle of the bridge, looking across the Danube at the Parliament building that we had visited the day before.

Crown statue on the Crown Bridge

One more destination was the castle and church atop the highest hill in Budapest. From that vantage point high on the ramparts, we prayed for Budapest and proclaimed her future and her people for Jesus. Those of us from other countries then prayed for the Hungarians who had come to pray with us, blessings them.

Castle ramparts high above the city of Budapest

Finally we returned to the Scottish Mission Church to worship God and have a final evening of prayer together. It was a really sweet time together, and when the Hungarians surrounded us to pray for us, the Holy Spirit fell upon all of us and we laughed in the sweet joy of the Lord. So we ended our time together worshiping, praying, blessing, and laughing. It was wonderful! God is good!

And today was a travel day back to Bratislava followed by relaxing, each in their own way (taking a run, shopping, sleeping, writing a blog post—guess who!).

Restroom sign at the Scottish Mission Church

Building a New Foundation

Posted on April 27, 2013 by opendooreurope

Greetings from Budapest!

We arrived yesterday just after noon by train from Bratislava. The difference in atmosphere between these 2 cities is like night and day. Bratislava’s sweetness is nowhere to be found in Budapest, which is a hardened city. One teammate said that she felt a Nazi-like spirit here. This was confirmed when the local pastor told us that Hungary had made laws against the Jews 3 times.

Nevertheless there is a thriving Jewish community, which we will be visiting today. I had been to the Jewish Cultural Center in Budapest 2 years ago during my Faith Trip (see my book, Look, Listen, Love). Today we are going to the Jewish Museum, which is near the JCC. Since Budapest was the starting point for my Faith Trip 2 years ago, all this feels very much like a reunion—and even more so because it was also here in Budapest that I met the head of Operation Capitals of Europe (oceprayer.com), and 2 of our teammates. I met 2 other teammates in Kalisz, Poland at the Feast of Tabernacles. None of these 4 had ever come on another prayer trip. All of this helps lighten the heavy Budapest spirit, and perhaps that was what God had in mind.

Scottish Mission Church in Budapest

Yesterday afternoon after worshiping and praying together, we had an appointment in the Parliament building with an MP. He talked to us about some of the history of Hungary, and answered our questions. Then we had a time of prayer with him and for him. Afterwards he showed us around the building, and into one of the parliamentary chambers. We only had a brief time there, so instead of prayers, we made brief declarations about godly decision-making in that place.

The Parliament building is enormous because when it was built Hungary was much larger. The MP told us that Hungary had once had 66 counties, and now it only has 16. Slovakia was once part of Hungary. The symbol for Hungary once was a 2-headed eagle, which speaks of division—and indeed, division came.

Hungarian Crown in Parliament

Budapest is currently building a new subway line near the Parliament building. Because of the work underground, the streets all around the Parliament building are dug up, exposing as it were the building’s foundation. Interesting that we should visit it just at the time that its foundation is exposed. So we made declarations and proclamations that all evil laws and corruption be pulled-up by the roots and replaced by seeds of righteousness.

We heard one of the local believers tell about a prayer initiative that God had given him called Seven Towers. They have set 7 places, 1 in each district of Budapest, as prayer towers. Each week there is a 24 hour prayer vigil in one of the towers. We recognized this as an important work in restoring Budapest to the Kingdom of God.

Weeping Willow Memorial to Holocaust Victims

So the Hungarian government will be rebuilt on a foundation of righteousness and restored to the Kingdom of God. And we will see the oppressive spirits and Nazi-like influence scatter and vanish as Jesus takes His rightful throne as Lord and King of Hungary here in Budapest. God is good!

Hanukkah Heaven or Hell

Posted on December 17, 2012 by opendooreurope

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, asher kiddeshanu b’mitzvotav, vitzivanu, lehadlik ner shel Hanukkah.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, she-asah nissim la-avotaynu bayamim ha-hem bazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

On Wednesday, right in the middle of the eight days of Hanukkah, the retirement home (where I live with Mom) had a traditional Hanukkah feast and celebration during the supper hour. The two blessings above were recited (in both Hebrew and English) as the candles were lit. It was beautiful, and I was grateful to have been part of the celebration. The Jewish people here have been very kind about all the Christmas decorations and music—much of which is of a religious nature. Nan told me: “I’m surprised that you would want to be here for this,” because she knows I’m a Christian missionary, and she also knows that I usually skip the evening meal. “Well,” I replied, “Hanukkah is the celebration of a miracle. I believe that we should always celebrate miracles!” She smiled her agreement. Nan and some of the other Jewish ladies had shared their recipes with the chef. The resulting meal was delicious, though he’d had to prepare kugel instead of latkes because he doesn’t have a frying pan.

However this happy day didn’t have a happy start. Mom and I returned from shopping to find a fire truck, an ambulance, two police cars, and a police department truck marked “Forensic Investigation” in the driveway. Ambulances are not an uncommon sight here, nor are fire trucks, but the police vehicles are. When we asked what the police vehicles were about, Jan, a kitchen worker told us: “One of the residents, a young woman wheelchair-bound by MS, had died in the night of an overdose. They suspect suicide.” We hadn’t known her, but we were saddened all the same. She was young (only 42) and she had a fourteen year old daughter.

MS is a terrible, cruel disease that robs the body of strength and paralyzes, leaving the mind intact, eventually killing the person. One person here actually applauded her for taking her life, and said that when her end is near, she intends to do the same.

I wrestled with the question: if it is kind to put a suffering animal down, why not a suffering human? When I took this question to God, however, I felt a holy anger rising up within my spirit. And with it the thought: God is the Author of Life, so killing (even yourself) puts you in league with the author of death—the devil, himself. And on further thought, I realized that suicide is the ultimate expression of faithlessness, cowardice, and unbelief.

This was a hard realization for me, having lost two people I love to suicide this year: my ex-father-in-law and a dear lifelong family friend.

The last two years of my marriage I suffered severe depression. The worst symptom—far worse than only sleeping one hour a night—was constant thoughts of suicide. From the moment I woke until I finally fell asleep, I was bombarded with suicidal thoughts. I would be in the bathroom and wonder how much of various medications it would take to overdose. Or I would be in the kitchen and linger over the choice of knives for chopping onions, thinking about which would be the best for cutting my throat. Or I would look out the window at the barn and wonder if there was a rope I could hang myself with—or a hose I could duct-tape to the muffler and gas myself with.

On and on and on, all day these thoughts tormented me. I started reading books about positive thinking, but they didn’t help. My prayers were stillborn, having died before they even started the long journey from my brain to my mouth. So I mutely searched for God, finding only more misery. The most innocent and normal things would start the flow of tears: a bird flying by the window or a pretty sunset. I read and wrote obsessively just to keep the bad thoughts at bay, but they came anyway. Our landlady’s dog became my dearest companion. He would sit with me for hours. I think he sensed the trouble in my spirit.

Our apartment was over the garage, and one day I went down to the garage and put my key in the ignition of our car. I was going to kill myself and my husband, too (he was busy working on the computer in the room above me). But instead of turning the key, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and dialed 911. I told the operator what I was about to do. He said to go to the County Mental Health Office immediately, and said that they would be waiting for me. I did, and the doctor there gave me a prescription for Prozac.

When the Prozac finally kicked in, it helped a lot. I was still in a lot of pain, but instead of raw pain, it was manageable. The Prozac gave me back a degree of perspective, which helped me to find the strength to leave my abusive marriage.

These memories are so painful that it has taken me nearly a week to write about all this. In the meantime there was the shooting of twenty school children in Connecticut. The rampage ended as many of these do, with the suicide of the shooter—proving the diabolical link with suicide. This was difficult to write, but now that I’ve done it I feel better. Although suicide would have instantly ended my misery, it would have just started the misery for all the people who love me. In the midst of depression it’s difficult to see that people actually love you.

To anyone feeling depressed and/or suicidal I say: be strong and courageous. Get help. And no matter how bad today is, tomorrow will be better. Hang on! God is good!

Walking By Faith in Europe

Tag Archives: Jewish