edification, exhortation and consolation 1 Cor. 14:3

Dear friends,
I’ve been blogging since 2007 and am now, after 700 posts and these many years, being led to end my Witnessing Encouragement blog. The content shall remain up though.

The Called Out: Now What? blog will remain active for continued future posting. The Called Out blog is a collection site of testimonies and articles written by others (moderated by myself).  I have written at WitnessingEncouragement all that I was led to write on this blog. I’ve done what He has wanted me to do here.

I am not done speaking. I desire to share and continue to speak and fellowship with you, in private on Facebook, and via email. I’m inviting all my regular readers at Witnessing Encouragement to keep contact  via those venues. Find and request me on Facebook, “Loretta Heiden” of the San Francisco Bay Area. If you read this and want to be added to my private email contacts, please leave a comment in the comments here, with your name, and I’ll automatically see your email in the comment moderation page. Thanks for all your encouragement and support!

I hope to contact you, on an as needed basis in the future, via private email for the same purpose of fellowship, encouragement and “for edification, exhortation and consolation 1 Cor. 14:3”

Thank you for almost 10  years of blogging fellowship, edification and love. You all mean so much to me and I love you all. I hope I have been some encouragement or blessing to your walk, here on this blog.

“What shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?” 1Cor. 14:6

Keep speaking, to those you are led to speak to, the things He tells you to speak, and do all that He tells you to do.

God bless you all in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

with love in Christ,

Loretta

Announcement: Currently blogging at Glory to Christ my King

the writing case

…and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. Ez.9
I’ve become a political atheist. That means I don’t believe in (trust in) Roman Imperial Empire politics/government, which includes all of the USA Government. This makes me sound like a “crazy conspirator” to those who do trust in government.

I’ve also become a religion atheist. That means I don’t believe in (trust in) Roman Imperial Empire religions, which includes all of Organized Institutional Christianity. This makes me sound sound like a “heretic” to those who do trust in organized religion.

Accusations and threats of disloyalty, heresy and damnation no longer scare me. I’ve been through worse.

Concerning Roman Imperial Government (USA) and Roman Imperial Religion (Christianity), I’ve already said what I have to say.

I’m out, and staying out. He led me out. He put me here. I like it out here; there is sanity, peace, love, truth and freedom at last.

I’m not speaking (writing) about those topics at this time, because I’ve already said what God has given me to say, about Babylon Government, and Babylon Church.

I’m not about exposing ALL the lies, delusions and abuse..…if I did I’d never have time to live the life God has given me.

But He is not calling me to expose everything. This is why I have nothing to say about this election, the candidates, or what is currently going on in The Church.

But I have given my witness. I have given some encouragement (I hope). As He commanded me. I’ve said what He has given me to say. About Jesus Christ, about the truth, about my testimony, and warnings about the false gospels of Babylonity, ie Church&State-ianity.

There it stands. I’ve published it abroad to the world. Read it and be warned. Read it and weep. Read it and praise Jesus.

There is plenty to do where I am at, outside the Roman Imperial System (Babylon). There is community. There are many needs. There is much to do. There is opportunity. THERE ARE PEOPLE. I must go about my Father’s work.

I’m not for want of Kingdom work.

I have come to observe that my writings have only resonated with and benefited those who have been groaning and sighing all along with me, at the abominations. They have been ministered to. But those who do not care about these things, have either despised and angrily rejected my writing, or else they have given it absolutely no regard whatsoever. They don’t care. They don’t want to hear it.

Those who have sighed and groaned along with me all these years, have also been writing for the benefit of others, to establish the witness and to encourage one another. Mutual encouragement!

We all have been helped by sharing and receiving the “witness” (testimony/teachings/warnings) and the “encouragement” writings of one another.

You have been given a task. You have been given a writing case. You’ve been sent out. Do whatever He says. Do what He has commanded you to do.

Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.” Ez.9

light shines in the darkness

That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1

I have a friend who still dabbles in involvement with Churchianity. He does so, in search of loving fellowship and opportunity for Christian service. He continually gets hurt and confused, yet he keeps going back to Churchianity-sponsored events, like a battered victim going back to an abusive lover/spouse, in hope that things will be “different this time”.

He is a light in the darkness. The darkness brings discouragement and rejection yet the light brings joy and love. He is a bringer of Light’s joy and love, even in the darkness of Churchianity’s corruption and dishonesty.

He wants to serve. He wants to help. He wants to give. In the name of Christ, and in the love of Christ. These are his simple, loving and profound gifts to the world.

He went to a big Church ministry event, offering himself as a servant helper. He also has ideas to contribute. The leader of the ministry berated him, chewing him out verbally, putting him down and in his place for overstepping his bounds and not keeping his “place” as obedient mindless volunteer. (His crime was offering a few ideas for how to do the ministry in a more effective manner.)

But that day, he also had the opportunity to lovingly, gently minister to the spiritual needs of one family and he was a blessing to them. His light shined in the darkness of the hypocrisy of this big well advertised, well attended, Church-State, pop “outreach” event.

He went up to The City to join a popular ministry organization, to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of San Francisco’s poorest people.
When he went online to sign up, he found out he had to pay $25. for the privilege of working with this organization in their holiday outreach event. This was money he did not have to spend. He can’t afford to pay a fee to a 501c3 Incorporated business, in order to freely give what he has (love, kindness, help) to others.  He also knows that we sheep should not have to pay the “Clergy” or any business for the right or privilege of doing evangelism, encouraging others or feeding the hungry, or using any other spiritual gifts for that matter. He sadly went elsewhere and found some other place where he could feed dinner to the homeless on that day, without paying a fee to do so.

Another week, he signed up with that group in The City for a ministry day that was offered for “free”, ie no fee required. On that day, he (and two other men) together as a team physically and spiritually blessed and helped a gentleman who lives in a tiny SF Tenderloin apartment. His light shined in the darkness of the hypocrisy of the famous Evangelical Famous Pastor led, “serving the poor” group.

His joy overcomes his sadness. The Light within him, encouraged him. His light still shines. The darkness did not overcome it!

out of the F.O.G.

Today in Neo-Evangelical American Church, many folks will dine on sickening poisonous subtle or blatant comments from the pulpit about fear of Muslims, obligation to ‘take back America’ and guilt for not participating in politics or war and killing (“if necessary!”). But you are no longer in the F.O.G., you are in the clear blue sky sunshine fresh green grass meadows, feeding on real food provided by your real Shepherd. And you are thriving!

spiritual empowerment

Jesus Christ our Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit; we are empowered also by the Spirit of God, we also now share spiritual empowerment with others. We don’t hate, hurt others, abuse and spiritually (or physically) destroy people. In the power of the Spirit of God we walk in love, heal and bring spiritual LIFE, power, encouragement and strength to others.

Enfolding Spirituality or devotion to Christ

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

I’ve been watching this Emergent movement phenomena for many years. There are 2 streams that I am thinking about today.

1. The Ooze: (Remember that? I was on the mailing list for years, just to see what was going on.) This supposedly Christian, “embracing doubt” skepticism movement takes struggling Christians, deconstructs them and transforms them into atheists.

2. The Hatchery (and similar movements): This “alternative to traditional Christianity” mystical, transcendent, contemplative spirituality movement takes struggling Christians and deconstructs and transforms them into full-fledged New Age Mystical, “spiritualism” practicing, global spirituality (“all is one”) enlightened, spiritually evolved, wisdom sages.

http://hatcheryla.com/contemplative-activism-an-outflow-of-the-broken-heart-by-holly-roach-co-founder-of-transform-network/

http://es.hatcheryla.com/

Integral Theory, Evolutionary Human Development model of Spiral Dynamics, Enneagram spirituality? Dove and serpent power?

These are current movements in “Christianity”, which now includes the traditional institutional organized Christianity, as well as this Emergent Church Christianity.

If you go to Christian college, you will encounter all this. If you go to a Mainline denomination or a Neo-Evangelical Church, you will encounter this. If you go to a Roman Catholic Church you will encounter this. If you read popular Christian books you will encounter this. If you are involved in a Christian parachurch organization or Christian humanitarian organization, you may encounter this. Why? The whole loaf is fully leavened and it “arises” high as it grows. The leaven has made this fermenting mess impure. Jesus tells us: false Christs and false prophets shall “arise” from among you. They are showing great signs and wonders indeed. People are impressed with these lofty  (“puffed up”) ideas.

The change agents for these movements are operating inside and outside of traditional organized Churches. Their goal: your transformation and spiritual evolution. These “postmodern spirituality” and “Alternatives to traditional Church”  movements are cults.

We are either “enfolding spirituality” or devoted to Christ. God is separating out His people unto Himself, as He calls His sheep out from what is that great Babylonian mystery: “ancient free and accepted” Christianity.

Our devotion to Christ is simple and it is pure. Let this truth bring us joy today!

now i call you friends

You are my friends.

I don’t have an organization “over” me, or a Church “over” me, or a religious corporation “over” me. I don’t have a pastor “over” me or elders “over” me. I’m not part of a hierarchy, in which everyone is ranked according to levels of importance.  Jesus is my friend. My husband is my friend. My kids are my friends. My friends are my friends. I call you friend. You are not my servants or slaves either. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

shocking!

SHOCKING  teachings of Jesus:

1. BEWARE of the “Godly Religious Leaders”!

2. The kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU!

3. LOVE the people who hate your guts!

4. CARE about strangers, children, women, the social outsiders, the eunuchs and the foreigners!

5. When you go to other countries, bring the people there BLESSING and GOOD NEWS!

6. The era of religious buildings, acting religious and performing religious ritual is OVER!

7. The GENTLE people are the ones who will inherit the earth!

8. It’s the MERCIFUL who will be shown mercy!

9. The children of God are PEACEMAKERS!

10. Yes I actually DO want you to take care of the poor, homeless, vulnerable, helpless, needy, sick, suffering, incarcerated, hungry, and lonely PEOPLE!

The things I did get to do

The things I got to do in life were better than the dreams I had, better than the things I thought I wanted to do.

I wanted to be a nurse, that did not work out for personal reasons. I wanted to be
a school teacher, that did not work out (I made the painful choice to not finish college). I wanted to be a lifetime overseas missionary; that’s a long story, it didn’t work out.

But God! He gave me better things. Things He chose just for me. He let me take care of my husband for months when he was really sick (he was an outpatient). He let me teach my own children for many years. And he brought the entire world here to where I live, the San Francisco Bay Area. And He let me meet them.

I’ve met people from all over the globe, right here where I live. From 1985 to present, He keeps bringing them here and I get to meet them. I get to talk to them. I get to witness to them. I get to make friends with some of them. I welcome them! And I thank God for all His wonderful, kind and loving gifts to me, especially the gifts of “the things I did get to do”.

speak

There is a major dialectical conflict of will between speaking or not speaking of the trauma of religious abuse and lies. The conflict exists because there are major repercussions to speaking out. The flesh is afraid of this rejection and backlash. But the Spirit fills you with faith, love and strength to endure the result. Jesus Christ is victorious in this dialectical conflict (Spirit over flesh!); He speaks out, proclaiming the truth. He accepts the repercussions by those implicated (and their devotees), and the victims of spiritual abuse and lies (the sheep) are cared for, helped and freed. Will you speak?