Page 28 - Evidence of Things Unseen

I could have had a truck that was probably a better truck than the one I ended up
purchasing, and I could have paid cash for it and remained in the will of God by not
incurring any debt.
There is no nice way to put it. I acted very foolishly. Having been a partaker of God’s
grace and mercy, and having recognized His hand of discipline in my life, I returned to the
same folly I had just been delivered from. Lest you should contemplate doing a similar
thing, consider well the words of the apostle Paul.

Hebrews 12:11-13
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who
have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and
make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out
of joint, but rather be healed.

What the apostle is saying is that if we do not respond rightly to the original discipline,
“the limb which is lame,” then the discipline will get more severe, “the limb will be put out
of joint.” Paul revealed this same progression of the severity of discipline in writing to the
Corinthian church. He said “some are weak and sick, and some sleep (have died).” Even in
our nation’s judicial systems we see this pattern adhered to. First offenders are often given
a light sentence, but repeat offenders are treated much more harshly. Little did I suspect
what was in store for me.
I purchased this truck that I was lusting after, and it was not too long before I was
justifying other purchases and I once more obtained credit cards. During these years I was
receiving many raises at work, as I was advancing from one position to another. I never
went back into the depths of debt that I originally knew, and I felt I was doing well by
keeping on top of paying all of my bills, yet I was walking in disobedience.
During these years the Lord made it known that He had a calling on my life to be a
minister to the body of Christ, and I was ordained as an elder at one church, and a year later
I was ordained as an elder and pastor at another church. I really had a heart to serve God,
and I was passionate about understanding the truths of His word, yet I had areas of my life
that were out of order. I did not discern the many ways in which these areas of disorder
were hindering me in fulfilling the ministry God had called me to, but God knew, and He
loved me enough to choose to set matters straight.
I believe it was early in the year 1999 that my life began to head down a track I had not
anticipated. The next years were to be some of the most beneficial, painful, instructive,
corrective, enlightening, purging, fruitful years I would know. Pain and victory, sorrow and
consolation, suffering and growth were all to be mixed together.
In early 1999 we had a couple visit our church and home by the name of Charles and
Nancy Newbold. Charles is a Christian minister and author who lives in Tennessee. He had
come down to our church in Georgia at the request of some of the other ministers to do
some teaching. On this particular day, as Charles and Nancy were preparing to leave our
home, they asked if there was anything they could pray for us about.
At this time I had been reading some books by Rick Joyner, and in one of the books
(I believe it was The Harvest”) he described a dream-like experience where he was taken
to an island. On this island there was much activity going on, some good and some evil.
There were two different types of people present, some who appeared glorious, and others