Brigham City: Satan Took A Hard Blow

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Dwayna

Hello Everyone,

Well, victory is sweet! I am smiling ear to ear as I write! As I left Brigham City today, all of the Christians there in the Lord’s army were smiling, too! We had bathed the day in prayer, and the Lord was victorious.

We had 9,500 DVDs and 300 Christians show up to help. Many came from Calvary Chapel in Salt Lake City. We hit every single house in Brigham City! We left the DVD, “The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon,” on all of the doorknobs in a plastic pouch with the web site and phone number to the church! It was snowing, which was also God’s mercy on us today, because it kept most of the people inside. Conversations could have been acrimonious if more people had been outside available to talk, but today went very smoothly. Leaving it on the door was best. The DVD is strong and well done for God’s glory, and now we are praying that the Lord will move on hearts tonight as many will be watching the DVDs we left for them this afternoon.

We all met first for prayer. This man sat beside me, and after about fifteen minutes of not talking, he turned and introduced himself and whispered sheepishly, “I am so scared to be here! I have only been going to church for a month, and I used to be a Mormon. I am just now calling myself saved.” I smiled. He continued, “I woke up this morning and listened to Walter Martin on the radio.” I interrupted, “You listen to Walter Martin, in Salt Lake City?” He answered, “Yes, he is on the radio there.” I started to laugh out of joy, just thinking about God’s faithfulness. He continued, “Walter Martin was the one who really made me think twice about all of that Mormonism.” I told him about the street ministry I do, and he said something that was probably the best compliment anyone could give me. He said, “So it is like something Walter Martin used to do.” I laughed again out of joy! I answered seriously feeling humbled with thanksgiving, “Well, yes, it is like something Walter Martin used to do.” He said, “I have the Maze of Mormonism and that big thick book he wrote on the cults. He really got out there with the lost, and he is the one who really made me see the lies of Mormonism.” I told him that Walter Martin’s ministry had made a profound impact on my life, too.

He continued to tell me that how he was “scared” as we made conversation. We stood in line for our DVDs and he said, “I’m scared. I am a fifty year old scared man.” I told him that everything would be ok. He asked, “Would you be my partner?” I told him that I would be happy to walk with him to leave the little DVD packet on the doorknobs. We got to our street and before we started walking, he said, “But I am scared.” I laughed (just thinking about the way Satan loves to scare us when we are right where God wants us to be). I said, “Let’s pray,” so we prayed, and I asked God to take care of us and be glorified.

Our first place was an apartment building. Well, believe it or not, he had trouble getting the packet to stay on the doorknob, and he kept saying, “What if they come out? They are Mormons just like I was!!” I stood there laughing. He was making so much noise trying to get the packet to stay on that doorknob, and I was sure they could hear what he was saying. I laughed until I cried. He finally got it on the door, and, glory to God, no one came out!

We were walking along, and one woman was leaving her place, and he turned and whispered to me courageously, “I’ll talk to her.” He approached her with a big smile and said, “Hello! We are here with a gift for you and your family.” She took it and was very nice. He turned to me and assessed, “She probably didn’t know what to think, because she is probably a Mormon just like I used to be.” He turned back to me and commented gregariously, “This is fun! I can’t believe I was so scared.”

We walked along and he said, “I have started going to church and reading the Bible, and I really need God 24/7! I mean, I NEED God.” I said, “Well, that is just where He wants you to be—very needy.” He said, “I am shocked, but I have come to believe in Jesus, and here I am witnessing to the Mormons who are just like I used to be.” He whispered, “I am going to be honest with you—my life is a wreck.” I said, “Well, your eternity is looking great!” I told him that we were living for eternity and that he was investing in all of his eternity today by helping distribute those DVDs!

We walked along, and I have never seen anyone happier in my life. He turned to me and said, “This is a landmark day, and I want you to know I am DONE WITH SIN.” I said, “Well, just keep your eyes on Jesus, because it may not be done with you…but God never asks us to give up something without giving us something better to take its place, so sermons and good books are important as we stay away from sin.” We talked about how walking in obedience gives us confidence with no shame. I suggested sermons by John MacArthur, and he stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk and got out his little pocket tape recorder. I couldn’t help but laugh. He said, “I record things in my business I need to remember, so will you please speak into this machine what you just told me?” I laughed. He turned it on and he held up the little recorder to my mouth, and I announced into the machine the words: “Sermons by John MacArthur.” He smiled and said, “Thank you. Now I will remember that!” I said, “Sermons by Charles Stanley are good, too.” He interrupted, “Oh, I like that guy! I already listen to him on the radio.” I said, in hopes of sobering his enthusiasm just a little, “Well, keep listening.”

He raised his arms enthusiastically in the snowy air and said once again, “This is a landmark day! This is the first day that I can just feel that God is mine!” (I smile as I write it). I said, “Well, that is the Holy Spirit.” He said, “It is crazy, but I feel like a child. I am so happy. And I can’t believe I was scared to come.” He continued, “I heard at church that I am not supposed to trust in my feelings, but I feel so good.” I said, “Well, Walter Martin said that a Christian is most happy in service to the Lord.”

We had missed a house and ran out of DVDs, so we got some more. He said, “You know, this may sound crazy, but I just have to go back to that house we missed, because what if that had been my house? What if someone had missed me, and what if God had passed me by?” I said, “Okay, we will go back to the house.” We went back, and there was a DVD already on the door! Another team had gotten the house. We both smiled. He said in amazement, “There is already one on the door!” I said, “Well, what does that show? It shows God doesn’t miss anyone.”

By the end of our route, he went inside the 7-11 and boldly offered the clerk a DVD! He saw some people remodeling an old apartment, and he said, “We can’t miss them,” so he stopped in and gave the workers all DVDs. I’ll tell you, my facial muscles are tired tonight from smiling so much!

We met back at the Brigham Community Center, and every Christian there looked happy. It really did remind me of an army of soldiers who were just celebrating victory. I got many DVDs on Mormonism to give to Mormons who come up to our booth in Boulder, Venice Beach, and West Hollywood, and I was glad that I had journeyed to share in the victory, because Satan took one hard blow in Brigham City, Utah today!

It is raining back here in Salt Lake City, and my flight leaves early in the morning. We won’t get to hand out any tracts tonight at the Temple due to the weather. I am headed now to leave the tract/articles, Saved or Unsaved, http://www.witforjesus.org for the hotel staff who may be Mormons and talk to them tonight about Jesus. I will come back afterwards and pray here in my room for God to save them and thank Him with all of my heart for such a wonderful day of deep pleasure in Him.

In His victory,

Dwayna

One Fine Day in Brigham City 3/19/06:
 We distributed around 9,500 DVDs today to every single home in Brigham City! It has been one of the happiest days of my life. A little boy (pictured above) came to join us with his mother toward the end of the route, and his grandmother stayed in the car as we walked around leaving the DVDs, The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon, on the doorknobs of all of the homes and apartments. We got back in the car, and his grandmother started to share with me her testimony of how God saved her from Mormonism. She was telling of how she used to be a Mormon and the freedom she has in Christ today…and when we arrived back, I didn’t want to stop talking to her and get out of the car! I said, "We will continue to this conversation in heaven." She reached out and touched my hand and said, "God bless you." Tears filled her eyes, and she said, "Yes, we will." We were all very happy! It was our pleasure to serve the Lord today with an army of 300 Christians who hit the streets for Jesus and the glory of His name.

© LTW Worldwide March 2006

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Venice Beach Update and Freemasonry

Posted on December 2, 2005 by Dwayna

Hi Dwayna –

I got there last Saturday and was unloading the various storage bins, small file cabinets, the table, etc. on the new convertible dolly, which makes moving everything much easier. I also had a small box of clothes and a large armful of some clothes on hangers to give to the homeless. A guy, Richard, walked up and asked if any of the vendors needed help moving stuff to the boardwalk. I did, and he carried the clothes for me as we walked about a block on the boardwalk to an open space. I paid him a couple of bucks and offered clothes to him, and he was able to use some of them.

Daniel, the guy who has been involved with Hare Krishna and Buddhism, stopped by to say, “Hi.” He is continuing to read the literature I gave him which quotes from the Bible about how to be saved. In the space next to me was a guy who carves wood, but he didn’t speak any English. I gave him the Gospel of John booklet in Español. Later a friend of his showed up and had various southwestern jewelry for sale. He spoke English fairly well and sounded like he was well educated in Mexico. He said he didn’t have a lot of formal education, but he seemed smart. I also gave him a Gospel of John booklet in Spanish. We talked off and on about nothing in particular. Towards the end of the day I mentioned that the clothes were available. They went through them and took a few. When it was getting windy about 4 PM I packed up and left the clothes there to come back and get them… The younger one selling the jewelry gave me a hug to thank me for the clothes and Gospel apparently. When I came back they had packed the remaining clothes neatly in the box for me.

During the day two Jewish women came by the table and we were discussing Christianity. I mentioned that Christianity is Jewish (since Jesus is the Jewish Messiah). She took a CD of Stan Telchin who is a Messianic believer (i.e., his testimony of how he got saved). I mentioned to her that he went from thinking Christianity is anti-Jewish to wondering why the Gentiles “hijacked our religion”—that his daughter had become a Christian while away at college, and she challenged him to examine the evidence… for him to realize, when he started reading the New Testament, that it was thoroughly Jewish. He eventually surrendered to God (on God’s terms). She seemed interested in his testimony and promised to listen to the CD.

Jason, who is in Hare Krishna and listened to part of a Walter Martin tape a couple of weeks ago, stopped by, and we talked about original sin (Adam and Eve, etc.). He was also interested in what the Masons believe that is a perversion of the Genesis account, turning it upside down virtually. I will take him a flyer on that next Saturday (see below*).

When a family was walking by, I heard them talking with heavy accents. I asked where they were from. It was Armenia. The father was exited when I gave him a cassette tape in Armenian. He was showing it to his family as they walked down the broad concrete boardwalk.

There were various other people who came by the table as well. I also talked with the lady (Adja) from the Caribbean again. She was directly north of me and also sells jewelry, purses, incense, and the like. Her little daughter (2 years old) comes by and visits during the day. I have an extra chair, so she sits there.

Please pray for all of these people’s salvation.
.
*Info. on Masons/Shriners:

After a Bible study I mentioned to the leader that Masonry is Luciferianism (Satan worship)…I forgot about a book I have that quotes from Albert Pike. Pike wrote a book called MORALS AND DOGMA, the official book on Masonic beliefs and published by the Masons (originally in the 1870s).

Here is a quote from the book:
… the Prince of Darkness… made Adam, whose soul was of the Divine Light, contributed by the Eons, and his body of matter, so that he belonged to both Empires, that of Light and that of Darkness. To prevent the light from escaping at once, the Demons forbade Adam to eat the fruit of “knowledge of good and evil,” by which he would have known the Empire of Light and that of Darkness. He obeyed; an Angel of Light induced him to transgress, and gave him the means of victory; but the Demons created Eve, who seduced him… (MORALS AND DOGMA, Supreme Council of the Thirty Third Degree of the Scottish Rite, 1871, page 567)

Pike said that our Lord (from the Masonic standpoint) was the “Prince of Darkness” and “the Demon” (the serpent) was “an Angel of Light.”

Here is another passage:
”…Lucifer. the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish Souls? Doubt it not! For traditions are full of Divine Revelations and Inspirations…” (Morals and Dogma, page 321)

A passage from another book:
”When the Mason learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands…”(from THE LOST KEYS OF MASONRY by Manley P. Hall, Macoy Publishing, Richmond, VA, 1923, page 48)

In the late 1800s Helena Petrovna Blavatsky became a Mason and created a pseudo-religion called Theosophy. Here is an excerpt along the same lines from her writings:

In this case it is but natural… to view Satan, the Serpent of Genesis, as the real creator and benefactor, the Father of Spiritual Mankind. For it is he who was the “Harbinger of Light,” bright radiant Lucifer, who opened the eyes of the automaton created by Jehovah, as alleged; and he who was the first to whisper: “in the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as Elohim, knowing good and evil”– can only be regarded in the light of a Savior…

And now it stands proven that Satan, or the Red Fiery Dragon, the “Lord of Phosphorous” (brimstone was a theological improvement), and Lucifer, or “Light bearer” is in us: it is our Mind– our tempter and Redeemer, our intelligent liberator and Savior from pure animalism. Without this principle… we would be surely no better than animals. (from THE SECRET DOCTRINE, Volume II by H.P. Blavatsky, Theosophical University Press, 1888, page 243, 513)

Some of the people who read her books and embraced her philosophy include Adolph Hitler, Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood and a racist), Thomas Edison, William T. Stead, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Henry Wallace.

This stuff is disgusting, but it explains a lot of what happens in the world. I took this all from the book BROTHERHOOD OF DARKNESS by Dr. Stanley Monteith. He is a strong Christian. He goes through a recounting of a lot of history and politics first and then, at the end of the book, explains how much evil in history came about directly because of this stuff. It will open your eyes about history, and how it is a spiritual battle. Various political events around the world and in the United States illustrate it every week.

Bob Pegram
Venice Beach leader

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“Submission:” A Politically Incorrect
Word in the 21st Century

Posted on October 17, 2005 by Dwayna

When we get to heaven, God is not going to ask, “What was your I.Q.?” or “What was your grade point average? …Ok, well, come on in!” or “How many books did you read (or write)? Well done!” He didn’t save me to make me an “egalitarian” or a “complementarian”….He saved me for Him. At the foot of the cross, NOTHING matters except Jesus. We can only boast in our weaknesses, so that He may get all of the glory. He chooses weak vessels—He cannot be glorified from vessels who think highly of themselves and see themselves as capable. He uses people who see themselves as needy and weak. There is strength in meekness and strength in any woman who chooses humility in the home. Women should be admired for this and not derided as “weak.”

When I am around my sweet, little nephews (ages three and five) the attention is on them. I turn the computer off and take an interest in these little children and delight as they recite their Bible verses to me and tell me all they are learning about the planets and our solar system. I see their art, and we sing songs together. I listen to them tell me all they are learning in home school. I want to go to soccer games, to see my little nephew, Luke, play. Otherwise, I am sure I would have no interest in soccer. The point is that children inspire me and convict me to invest my time in their lives in a selfless way if I am going to love them and know them intimately. Though I have never been married, I realize when I am with my nephews and little niece (a one year old) there is no higher calling than to be a wife and mother.

My grandmother was in the hospital recently, and I noticed that she was too nervous to cut her food. I said, “Here, I will do it for you.” I cut her potatoes and thought to myself, “There are so many things I need to be doing with my time! This is mundane!” Immediately, I felt convicted. God has not called me to a “ministry” or to a “cause”, but He has called me to Himself. I am called to be a servant and that means whatever He wants. I have to be willing. Why would I not be willing if I am truly saved? The next day I returned to the hospital prepared to cut up more vegetables for my grandmother and feed her small bites with a little more alacrity, because I felt it was what God wanted me to do as a servant, and I realized that service is close to His heart.

The question is: If God asked an egalitarian “Christian” feminist to “submit” to her husband, would she be willing to obey? I would think the answer to God would be a resounding, “Yes!” Because if she would not be willing to do anything for God, and if she is getting her sense of belonging in her ambition, how does she know she is saved? Our ambition is to be pleasing to God as His people. He is our ambition. When our lives are over as Christian women, we should all be remembered as humble servants. It doesn’t matter how much biblical knowledge we have gleamed if we cannot be known for our humility. Giving selflessly of our time to children and to a husband is good medicine (as my grandmother says) for keeping a humble heart, and it is an antidote against the post-Christian, postmodern mindset of American culture. And it is work to be praised.

Like all women, Christian feminist women have many gifts. But those gifts are nothing at the foot of the cross. (Sometimes these women come across as if they think of themselves as more gifted than others, as if they see themselves as more intelligent. It is very unbecoming, but is prevalent in self-proclaimed “Christian” feminists such as Mary Daly, who is now a self-proclaimed goddess worshipper! A little bit of this attitude goes a long way…sadly, in a direction away from the cross).

Our depravity has to be something very real to us. We will see that our gifts of attractiveness, articulation, enthusiasm, intellect, drive, ambition, plans, creativity… mean nothing–absolutely nothing–at the foot of the cross. We are to be poured out vessels of honor, and it only happens one way—it takes a lot of dying. Once we submit to God in this, He can take our lives and live through us by His Spirit. But we have to learn to love the word “submission”, for it is not an option for a Christian.

There is a book by Richard Baxter called The Saints Everlasting Rest, and it says that we will never be at rest until we get to heaven. There is always a battle to fight and a burden to bear. We need to pray for our families and give of ourselves sacrificially, as this brings honor to God. And we need to be a faithful witness in this proud world of ours for Jesus through a humble testimony of what it means to be a woman of true wisdom, not the haughty wisdom of the feminist “spirit of Sophia”. Whether it is Christian feminism or pagan feminism, sadly, the same spirit is at work.

To read more on this and listen to sermons for free go to the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood at: www.cbmw.org

In the Spirit we long to embrace,

Dwayna

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Word in the 21st Century

New Age Quest and Venice Beach

Posted on August 10, 2005 by Dwayna

Last Monday night a team of us went to a New Age gathering where Benjamin Crème channeled the “Lord Maitreya” (demonic, counterfeit spirit of “the Christ”). For details on the speaker, Benjamin Crème, please go to:
http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display/20571/index.php.

I had a bag full of tracts called “New Age Quest” (the testimony of Tal Brooke’s experiences in India and how he became a Christian today, only to define in hindsight all of the miracles he witnessed in the East to be that of the occult. Matthew 24:24 became his life verse: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible the elect”). I also had a big stack of the booklets I compiled, “Meditate on This” which quote from the Satanic Bible to show that the New Age Movement is teaching the same thing essentially as Satanism.

We sat there listening to Benjamin Crème talk about how people are gods. It was interesting because he opened up his talk and said, “It is so good to be here in San Francisco .” The people said, “It is Santa Monica .” He said, “Oh yeah, Santa Monica .” I whispered to my friend, Amy, beside me, “He can’t be too enlightened, he doesn’t even know where he is!” I was thankful my God was better than this “god” of Benjamin Creme!

So, I wondered, how will we distribute these booklets and tracts? I looked around the room and prayed silently, “Lord, these people were created in your image. Have mercy on them.” I thought about giving everyone a booklet and/or tract as they left, but I realized I would get kicked out before reaching everyone with the truth! I thought about putting one on each chair when they took a break, and I was almost fully persuaded to act on the idea when Amy whispered, “You could go downstairs in the parking garage with Judy and put one on every car.” I hate it when people leave things on my car, but I thought it was a sure way of getting a biblical explanation and admonishment out to everyone, and I knew that God could use the effort for His glory, as He saw fit. Besides, it was a small parking garage underneath the conference center and easily accessible to us. Judy, another Christian from my church, and I headed down and left Mr. Crème still talking about the starvation of the children in Africa . (The whole speech was somewhat of an advertisement for socialism).

We got down to the garage, and we prayed. We put a tract on every car until we ran out of the booklets and tracts. Judy left early, and I returned upstairs to sit back down beside Amy. I leaned over and whispered mischievously, ” Mission accomplished!” She just laughed. And guess what? Benjamin Crème was still talking about the starvation of the children in Africa!

According to Crème, there have been apparitions of this “Lord Maitreya” here and there, and this is believed to be “the Christ” of the Age of Aquarius by the New Agers. I felt sort of wimpy putting the literature on cars, but it was better than getting kicked out without having the chance to give the tracts to everyone. There were too many people to reach individually through conversation.

It made me recall the Eckankar visit we made a while back with a stack of Walter Martin CDs on “The Riddle of Reincarnation” and the “Meditate on This” booklets. The room was small, and we had the chance then to hand every single person there a CD and even have conversation with them and ask the speaker questions in front of the whole group. It was an exhilarating time in the Lord from a mission standpoint. This group, however, was much too large for such an opportunity.

I was thankful the next day I did not have any hateful messages on my cell, since the number is on the back of the booklets. I looked around the room and realized the people were all searching. Sadly, though, they are searching in rebellion of the Bible and dabbling in the dangerous forbidden realm of the occult (Deut. 17, 18; Isaiah 47) enticing their egos and their flesh. If Jesus was no different from Buddha and this “Christ” in this “Lord Maitreya”, and if Jesus was just “highly evolved” and not God incarnate–the ONLY son of God–then why did Jesus allow the people to crucify Him? That is a question I have asked the New Agers and Mind Science folks only to hear such blasphemous answers like, “Well, He made a mistake on that; He shouldn’t have let them kill Him.”

So, if Jesus was like the other Gurus, what Guru died for the karma of the world? (I learned to ask that question from a seminary professor who used to be a friend of mine).

It made me wonder how anyone could even assume this “Lord Maitreya” could be synchronized with such a Savior as Jesus of Nazareth! It is interesting to me how all of these people want the “enlightenment” of Jesus and covet his glory (like Satan does, for that matter), but they don’t want the suffering.

A psychic at Venice told me recently that we can all be like Jesus with the “christed energy” or “christ consciousness”, and I answered, “Oh, really? We can all be beaten bloody and hung on a tree, and given vinegar to drink when we are thirsty, and have people spit on us, and call us names, and have spike nails driven in our wrists and feet. Wow! I never knew we could all be like Jesus so easily! …And we could have a crown of thorns put on our head with our scalp bleeding.” I smiled facetiously and said, “It so fun and easy to be like Jesus, isn’t it?” She didn’t respond flippantly to that.

Speaking of Venice , I worked recently with a wonderful youth group from Christian Fellowship Bible Church in Walnut, CA. We had a great time. They came for a day mission trip. They all memorized basic verses to lead someone to Jesus with just the Bible and no tract (see Giving Your Life Away program for details). They covered the whole boardwalk offering people the Gospel, defending the faith. There is an attached picture of a few of them contending with the Atheists United! It was a wonderful day in the Lord. I work with another youth group tomorrow at Venice , and an update with more pictures will follow.

“Also, we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
–Ephesians 1:11-12

Dwayna

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The Character of Our God

Posted on June 17, 2005 by Dwayna

Hello Everyone!

I was thinking today about the character of God according to the Bible. It refers to what happens supernaturally in the heart of a person when the Holy Spirit comes inside to dwell in the person through faith in Jesus. Why would our God’s Spirit be called holy?

The issue of whether or not homosexuality is right in God’s eyes provokes one to consider the character of God. Is the God of the Bible pure? (See Psalm 119). Yes! The God of the Bible is pure, and clean, and holy—when someone becomes a Christian a miracle happens by the work of the Holy Spirit—the seed of Christ is planted in that person’s heart by a mighty work of regeneration, and the righteousness of Jesus is imputed on that person through a work of God.

1 John, chapter 3 and verse 9 reads: “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.” Then, this wonderful book of the Bible goes on to mention much about love—the whole book was written to people who were professing to be Christians, but who were really not followers of Christ.

The Bible says that Satan is a great deceiver, and he blinds the eyes of people…many people will say, “…Lord, Lord…” and God will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you…” It is interesting that they are calling him “Lord.” Yet, sadly, these people are not saved—they have been deceived to think they are Christians when really there has never been any regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name?’…and I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me you workers of iniquity.’”

Yes, the Bible teaches that all it takes is faith in Jesus for salvation. But there is a difference in the Jesus of the Bible (who talked more about hell than He did heaven, by the way) and a “Jesus” who is a figment of one’s own imagination. 2 Corinthians 11:4 says that there is more than one Jesus being preached.

When someone becomes a follower of Jesus, they are saved—not by works—but for good works. Saving faith is accompanied by repentance, a hatred for sin, a love for the Bible, and a walk in newness of life empowered by the Holy Spirit. God does not take away our weaknesses when we get saved, but He is glorified through them, and He draws us closer to Him through obedience. The life of a Christian is not free from temptation. I have spoken to some homosexuals who seem to think that God is not doing His job if He does not “zap” them with some sort of magic wand where they will automatically not have the same temptations and struggles—there is no teaching for this in the Bible. God says in our weakness, He is strong. Victory over sin means a total surrender to the Lord and allowing Him to teach us what He wants us to learn through our repentance (turning from sin).

As the old hymn says “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.” God will make a person want this exciting life in Jesus when they are truly saved. The Bible says demons believe and tremble (James 2:19), so not all faith is saving faith.

See Isaiah 47:10: “You felt secure in your wickedness…your wisdom and your knowledge they have deluded you.”

The Bible says to examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith. Are you convicted by sin? Would you like to live in newness of life, or are you contented to go on sinning? Do you have a longing for the word of God? Do you love all of the Bible, including the verses which are in opposition to your own desires, or do you only believe the verses which do not challenge you to repent? The whole entire Bible is loved by true Christians—those who are not true Christians believe only the verses that suit them and renounce the others that go against their own fleshly desires. This is because the Holy Spirit inspired the entire Bible, and the Holy Spirit lives inside the heart of a person when they are truly saved. Therefore, the person loves what the Holy Spirit loves and hates what He hates as a result of true regeneration.

Do you love Jesus, or are you like Judas who walked with Him, knew much about Him, but was only using Him for personal gain or show? How sad the thought—especially when everything else outside of this precious Truth (see John 1) is a lie.

The book of 1 John was written to let people know the difference between a follower of Christ and someone who is deceived to think they are saved (apostate or nominal Christians) when really there has been no work of regeneration in the person’s heart after all.

The Bible says no one understands without the Spirit of God. (Romans 3:11). As Stephen Bennett puts it, that is why unsaved people just don’t “get it” when they hear a riveting testimony from someone who was once a practicing homosexual, and who has been made new in Christ to walk in newness of life! (Read Stephen’s testimony at www.sbministries.org).

The verse, 1 John 3:9, refers to an enjoyment of sin—someone who finds sin pleasurable vs. a saved person who has been made new to love purity and hate sin. This is all the work of God and indicative of that Seed being planted in the heart and that person being sealed with a promise by the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13). It teaches God’s responsibility to sanctify his own to a lifestyle of holiness.

See Romans 8:7—“because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God…” Please continue reading Romans 8 to find the difference in someone who is a slave to sin and a Christian who has been set free from sin. By the way, the occult is all about freedom—freedom to sin. Jesus sets us free from it.

Glory to His name!

When Jesus prayed for His own, he prayed: “I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” –John 17: 14-15

Love in Christ to everyone,

Dwayna

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LTW to Eckankar

Posted on April 24, 2004 by Dwayna

After we fed the neighborhood and gave out devotionals, reading some of the Bible verses to the vendors, we headed back to my place to prepare for the Eckankar seminar. It was important to saturate our minds with the truth beforehand, so we listened to the whole CD together before we went. We put a label on the CDs that read, “The Riddle of Reincarnation- Past Lives Testimonials.” It’s true that Walter Martin does go over several past lives testimonials on the CD with, of course, a Biblical perspective. We took about ten books of quotes from America’s Founding Fathers, and I packed my purse full of Meditate on This booklets which have specific verses that are opposed to the New Age Movement, as well as excerpts from the Satanic Bible to show that the New Age Movement is essentially the same thing as Satanism. So, off we went praying in the car for the Lord to go before us and the Holy Spirit to meet us there.

We got there early and spoke to Wendy who was sitting by herself. I asked her how she was doing, and she said, “Not too well.” Long story short, I explained how to become a Christian. I prayed for Wendy after she told me about some physical and emotional problems she was facing. She took the Meditate on This booklet. She said she didn’t believe in reincarnation, so we didn’t give a reincarnation CD to her.

We were greeted very warmly by the Eckankar teacher. Eckankar is a belief system with a focus on dreams and interpretations, past lives, and “Soul Travel”, including astral projection (where the soul leaves the body, travels, and then comes back to the body) through meditation. They have potlucks, worship services, and temples. It was founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell who was born in KY. He was a “seeker” from an early age and was introduced to a group of “Vairagi ECK Masters” who would change the course of his life. They trained him to be the living ECK Master. I asked for more details on this, as I assume this was a spiritual encounter with these masters and not physical, but the teacher did not give me any further details. Their ECK brochure says this man, Paul, explored “a wide range of spiritual traditions under different teachers. The high teachings of ECK had been scattered to the four corners of the world. Paul gathered these golden teachings of Light and Sound and made them readily available to us.” Today, Eckankar is a non-profit, religious organization having members in over one hundred countries with its “spiritual home” at the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. They claim their teachings can be traced throughout the spiritual history of the world and have been passed on by ECK Masters since before recorded history. They describe it as “the religion of the Light and Sound of God.”

We had been praying before we arrived that the presentation would not go smoothly for the teacher. We walked in and the teacher announced, “Well, for some reason the video can’t be shown because the VHS player won’t work! And also, we are missing our board that they were supposed to have brought us, so we are going to do something different today.” It ended up being all questions and answers! It was the perfect format for us to reach these people. There we sat in prayer. She said, “Let’s begin by saying the HU prayer and then singing the HU song.” You take deep breaths in and out and then the HU sound opens your heart up to “god.” None of us participated. I just sat there with my head bowed thinking about Scripture while they were all humming “HU.” The practitioners claim this sound will heal a broken heart, help people experience divine love, offer solace during times of grief, and guidance for decision making.
When their HU prayer was finally over, the teacher said, “Now we are going to talk about past lives. Does anyone have an affinity for a place they have never been? That means you were probably there in a past life.” One guy raised his hand and said, “I think I lived in Greece.” Another guy said, “I have a feeling I lived in Egypt in a past life…” The teacher looked at me and asked, “Dwayna, do you have a place?” I smiled and said, “No.” She went on around to all of the people in the room. It was interesting to me that everyone who had had a “past life” had lived in very romantic getaway type of places. No one had ever lived in Russia before or been a homeless person in India, for instance. That was interesting to me.

After the soul journey discussion, the teacher then announced, “Now we are going to talk about dreams. Our dreams lead us and guide us to our highest existence. Would anyone like a dream interpretation?” The guy beside me, who had been in ECK for over a year said, (and I am not kidding) “I had a dream the other night about a cat, and my cat was on my shoulder, and it felt good. What does that mean?” I thought to myself these poor people. These poor, poor people. She smiled, delighted at the chance to explain further, “Well, the cat represents love, and since it was on your shoulder that means love will never leave,” and everyone laughed. She asked, “Dwayna, do you have a dream you would like to share?” I tried my best to smile, although I’m sure that it was obvious that I was faking it. I said, “Nope. I sleep very well, and I don’t have any recollection of dreams usually.” She asked, “How about a daydream?” I said, “Actually, there are no daydreams I would like to share at this time.” She seemed a little frustrated at that point and said, “Now, come on, this is easy. You can do this. Just remember a dream.” She looked around the room and announced, “We are trying to leave our ego!” I raised my hand very meekly, and she turned to me. I asked, “Well, I have a question. How can someone be highly enlightened and yet have no ego?” The ECK guy beside me said, “That’s a good question.”
(Of course, as Christians, we know that dream interpretation belongs to God, as the Bible says in Genesis 40:8: Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not dream interpretations belong to God?” If we are ever troubled by our dreams, the Bible says we should ask God to help us understand them).

The teacher went on to say that the truth is all about love and within each of us. She said, “Where else could you find more love, than right here in this room?” I raised my hand and said, “A scripture from the Bible comes to mind. It says But God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What do you think of that?” She answered, “That is beautiful.” And then she went on to change to subject from the Bible back to an individual’s subjective experience, even trying to make the case that good and evil are the same thing.

I continued, “So, are you saying that there is nothing wrong with rape? That is not wrong? It is good?” Another Christian in our group raised his hand and said, “I need a manual to work a computer, and I need a manual for my car. What is your manual? Do you guys have a manual for living life? The Bible is my manual.” An ECK guy sitting close by me joined in and said that his manual was the Bible, as well as other books. I reached in my purse and I handed him a pocket sized Meditate on This booklet and earmarked the page for Day 8 which reads, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength…Jeremiah 17:5” The guy read it and said out loud, “Oh, my goodness!”

I asked how the world was formed according to ECK, and she said that it was formed by the Holy Spirit. Another Christian in our group asked how she knew the difference between the Holy Spirit and the other spirits. She said it call comes from within.

She asked if there were any more questions, and I raised my hand and asked, “What do you think of Jesus in the Bible? I mean, the person of Jesus Christ was not just some cosmic christ consciousness.” She said, “He was wonderful and very highly enlightened.” I continued, “Because the Jesus of the Bible didn’t just kiss the babies, but He also called people white washed tombs and talked about hell.” I went on to give my testimony to the whole class and share with the whole class the Gospel! The teacher said, “That was just beautiful. One thing about ECK is we don’t turn anyone away. Christians are welcome just like everyone else.” I said, “Well, I have everything I need in the Bible, and I don’t have a need to be back, because I just can’t go for all of this that goes against the Bible.” A person from the class asked, “So, if anything goes against the Bible, you can’t believe it?” I answered, “Right. It doesn’t make sense, like why did Jesus die, if there is such a thing as reincarnation? Why did He die on the cross? ”

The whole class started to participate and many hands were raised to the point where the teacher was losing control a bit. One of the long time members said she was having “soul travels” while we were talking about Jesus. The teacher looked as if her karma just may have shifted a little…Slightly agitated, she warned,” We are going to have to wrap this up now. People have been debating these types of things since the beginning of time.” Then, her “Stepford Wives” dazed expression returned as she said, “But, Oh, how I have loved the conversation. What a unique day this has been.”

They sang one more round of the HU, and we Christians just constantly quoted Scripture softly under our breath while we endured it! Every single person in the class took a Walter Martin CD on reincarnation, a Meditate on This booklet, and the book of quotes from presidents, etc. to show America’s Christian heritage!

Our prayers were answered, because the people were receptive. We will probably never see them again (unless someone from the group gets saved and we see him or her in heaven). I am sure I wouldn’t be welcome to visit again, even if I desired to do so after they hear that Walter Martin CD. They asked, “Does the CD really cite past lives testimonials?” I said, “It sure does.” What I didn’t tell them is the first sentence he speaks is, “We are now entering the world of the occult.”

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight.” – Isaiah 5:20-21
Enjoying the Lord with you,

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LTW Update: The Dalai Lama in Pasadena

Posted on April 13, 2004 by Dwayna

Hello Everyone,

I met my friend, James, at 8:30 A.M. this morning across from the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena to get a cup of coffee and pray about the day and for the people. The marquee flashed, “His Holiness, The Dalai Lama” as thousands lined up to hear him speak. James is a former Buddhist with a Christian ministry to Buddhists, and he had tracts written specifically to reach Buddhists with testimonies of former Buddhists who had become Christians, along with verses of the Gospel.

I got there early and looked over the crowd waiting in line at the Civic Auditorium. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would block the message of the Dalai Lama somehow in the hearts of these people. At the coffee shop, we prayed with our eyes open in a normal tone of voice during the morning session. We were looking out the window toward the auditorium as we prayed Scripture for them. I prayed, “Lord, we pray against the spirit of enchantment; we thank You that it is not Your will for any man to perish, but for all to come to repentance…” James continued, “Lord, we pray for confusion; that the people will not be able to grasp what he is saying; we pray that it will not be accepted in their hearts and that they would question what he says with their minds…” I continued, “And, Lord, we pray right now for You to bring to mind the scenes from the Passion movie, to all those who saw it, of You being beaten and crucified, shedding blood for the people in that auditorium. Bring it to their minds, and let them picture You on the cross. Right now, we pray they would know the difference between You and this man.” We continued to pray like that for about twenty minutes, praying Scripture to God for the people, knowing that we were praying according to God’s will, because He died for them and for their sins. We prayed for God’s elect in that crowd, and that God would somehow bring them to us. If someone had been observing us, I am sure he or she would have assumed that we were only in conversation to each other, as our praying was not conspicuous. It was so powerful, though, that I felt tired when we were done.

James pointed out to me that there were so many devout Buddhists there with such hard hearts, that we should expect to just plant seeds. He said the average Christian convert in Asia takes thirteen years of missionary work due to the occult strongholds and possession of this sub culture. He said, “Where I think we can actually do the most good is at UC Irvine on Friday. The Dalai Lama is speaking to our youth there in the public schools.” I started to cry. With my eyes filled with tears I said, “He’s coming after our children. He is going to get our children?” I wiped the tears from my cheeks and said, “You know, I have devotional stories for kids I hand out at my booth about the Bible, and I have this other book of quotes from our Founding Fathers to show our country was founded upon the Bible and Christian principles. Maybe I could bring them and give them to teachers that would be receptive. It is just so sad that he is able to come after our precious little children, when they are not allowed to say the word God in the pledge.”

Please pray for us on Friday, as we will be at UC Irvine, where the Dalai Lama is speaking to the youth of Orange County. Pray that a door will be open by the Holy Spirit for us to leave something about the Bible with them. Pray that this Dalai Lama gathering will even be cancelled, and please pray for spiritual protection for our children on Friday. It is public information that the CIA pays the Dalai Lama over $100,000.00 per year. He is protected by our government secret service men at these venues. James warned me today, “Be careful; eyes are watching.”

The coffee house where I sat overflowed with people when the session broke for lunch. James took off to do some witnessing and prayer walking around the place. I stayed there nursing an old cup of coffee. Observing all of the people in the room, I scanned table by table praying for every single person there. I put a book up over my face to make it look like I was reading it, as I sang softly “Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place/ Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place/ Omnipotent Father have mercy and grace/ Thou art welcome in this place.” I had to look out the window in the opposite direction a time or two, so the people wouldn’t see my eyes flooding over with tears as I prayed.

Right before the last session, James and I decided to call it a day. I told him I would be there around 7:30 tomorrow morning to walk around the auditorium praying against the demonic spirits at work. Interestingly, while the Dalai Lama meeting was taking place today, many Christians were gathered in Pasadena praying for the Billy Graham Crusade scheduled there this summer. I am sure it stirred the principalities at war in the spiritual realm.

The people were standing in line for the last session of the day, and I walked around asking the Lord to show me if He wanted me to talk to anyone. The devout monks were speaking Chinese amongst themselves, and the hippies in tie dye were mainstreamed with the business men as they all stood in line waiting for one more round. We heard one woman say, “His holiness is a very special person. I never thought I would have the chance to be in his presence.” I kept walking through the crowd in prayer, but it seemed the Lord didn’t want me to speak to anyone. Then, at last, I came upon some college students sitting on the ground. I walked up to them and said, “Hey! Are you guys here to see the Dalai Lama?” They all nodded yes. I asked, “So, tell me about the morning session. Was it interesting?” They agreed unanimously and said, “Yeah, it was interesting.” I continued, “So, tell me. What did you learn?” One guy answered, “Um. Well, we learned. Um.” He looked to a girl in the group for a clue, and she answered, “We learned about the four laws.” I said, “Oh. So, what are the four laws?” They all just looked at me very perplexed and another said, “Um. Um. Well, um.” He paused, looked up to the sky, and finally proclaimed out of frustration, “It’s hard to understand!” I just laughed and said, “I know. It is high, high, lofty knowledge, isn’t it?” They all agreed. Apparently, they had been in the presence of “His Holiness” for two hours that morning and had not retained a thing! I took out the tracts James had given me with the Christian testimonials from former Buddhists and said to one of the kids, “Hey, I wanted to give you something. The cover of this little pamphlet was hand painted by someone who used to be a Tibetan Buddhist.” He answered, “Oh, neat!” Another student said,” I want one!” And another asked, “May I have one?” And another, and another, and another until I had given them all out to every student there.

Do not fear for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not hold them back.” Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no Savior besides Me. –Isaiah 43:6-7, 10.

“I found no comfort in any of the philosophical ideas which some men parade in their hours of ease and strength and safety. They seemed only fair-weathered friends. I realized with awful force that no exercise of my own feeble wit and strength could save me from my enemies and that without the assistance of that High Power which interferes in the eternal sequence of causes and effects more often than we are always prone to admit, I could never succeed. I prayed long and earnestly for help and guidance. My prayer, as it seems to me, was swiftly and wonderfully answered.” –Winston Churchill.

Because He first loved me,

Dwayna

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An Afternoon Inside
the Corridors of Scientology

Posted on March 10, 2004 by Dwayna

Hi Everyone,

I needed a couple more pictures to illustrate other religions and cults for the opening song for a LTW video presentation, so I set out to take a quick picture of the “Church” of Scientology. I only intended to take a couple of shots of the place and be on my way. I had never been there before. I headed down Vermont to Sunset to the main location.

I got out of my car and took a quick shot, walked about five steps to get a different angle, and, within five minutes, a security guard approached me on a bike. He asked me a foray of questions: “Excuse me, but what are you doing? May I ask why you are taking those pictures? Are you a Scientologist or not? Why you are taking the pictures?”

Out of respect for the fact I was on their property, so as not to attempt to proselytize the other Scientologists passing, I whispered back in frustration, “What have we come to in this nation? Am I not even allowed to take a picture? What if I am a Scientologist, and what if I am not?”

He answered, “I just need to know why you are taking the pictures.” I said calmly, “I am a Christian. I am not a Scientologist. I just want to say, that if you went to any Protestant church, Sir, they would let you take a picture. They would not send someone out within five minutes to ask you why you were there. What does that tell you about this place? What are they so paranoid about? Have you thought about that? I mean, why would they be afraid of someone taking a picture?” I continued, “I will leave now.”

Not letting up, he asked again, “But, I have to ask you, why are you taking the pictures?” I answered, “I am doing a slide presentation for a Christian ministry and the first song talks about other religions. I am using the picture for that song.”

He inquired sheepishly, “You are not going to say anything bad about Scientology are you? L. Ron Hubbard was a great man.” It was just like I was talking to some naïve child. I said, “No, the slide presentation will be just music and pictures. I am going to show a picture of the Scientology campus while a song is playing called There’s A God-Shaped Hole In All Of Us.” I introduced myself, and I gave him my card.

He was very nice and seemed open, so I continued,” You know, I am not living for this world. I love Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is the God I love and follow, and His teachings were very opposite from L. Ron Hubbard. He didn’t say, ‘Come and follow Me, and I will make your every wish come true in this life!’ Instead, He said, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me, they must pick up their cross and follow Me; If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you.’ I am living for heaven- a place where I am going when I die to be with Jesus, who is my Redeemer. L. Ron Hubbard cannot explain the fact that the grave of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is empty today. He said He was God and the only way to the Father; L. Ron Hubbard does not claim to be the only way. And, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament to the New Testament; prophecies written hundreds of years before He was born. And, they buried Him in 100 pounds of embalmment; and, He was the only Man in history that had his tomb guarded to make sure He would stay in it! A Roman guard did not consist of just one person, but many people; and Jesus appeared to over 500 witnesses after He rose from the dead, which is one of many reasons why His tomb is empty today.”

Interestingly, the guy replied gently, “I am glad you came.”

I continued, “I will buy a book before I leave. I have read bits and pieces of Dianetics, but I will buy it and read the whole thing to find out more about the teachings of Scientology. But, listen, if I am not afraid to read something different from what I believe, please don’t be afraid to do the same. Please, please read the Bible. I have a little booklet I would like to give you. (I had one of my booklets called, Meditate on This, which is full of Scripture verses to show that man is not a god! I was planning on mailing it out on my way to the post office after the Scientology stop, but I felt led to give the booklet to this guy).

I asked, “May I take your picture holding the books?” He seemed nervous and, with a frightened look on his face, answered, “Oh, no. I can’t let you do that.” I told him that was ok. He thanked me for the books and even thanked me for coming. He also promised to read the books. He even said, “I am sorry if I offended you by inquiring about your motives behind the photograhy. “ I told him once again, “It is ok.” He said, “You know this place has really helped me. I mean, I have been through a rough time, and it has helped me deal with things better.” I whispered back, “Well, I am glad that it has helped you, and I am sorry that it has helped you, because it has deceived you away from the Bible and the only true God.” Believe it or not, the guy actually hugged me when I left. I headed for a quick stop at the resource center to pick up the Dianetics book with the motive of educating myself more on their demonic ideology to be more equipped in talking to people at my booth at Venice.

Three videos were playing of L. Ron Hubbard’s teaching on large screen televisions as I entered the receptionist reading area. Surrounded by a whole library of thick books and videos by L. Ron Hubbard, I asked if I could simply purchase a paperback of Dianetics. Again, the inquisition started. A man named Vinny approached me and asked why I was there and why I wanted a copy of the book. I told him I was interested in learning more about Scientology. He said, “So, you are in quest of the truth.? “ I answered, “I am just here to get a book to learn more about Scientology.” Well, that was the beginning of an experience I will never forget. He took me on a tour of the place. He insisted on it, so I toured the narrow corridors, one floor after another with Vinny, the “Asho Auditor”. What I saw was worse than any chapter of George Orwell’s Brave New World. I grew up Baptist, with pre-tribulation beliefs, but by the time I left that place, I had to ask the Lord if, perhaps, the tribulation had already begun. I drove back home, sort of dazed by the whole experience, as if I had just seen the most horrifying movie of my life! But it was not a movie. It was real. I remembered the sermons of Walter Martin, who said he could not say for certain whether the rapture would take place before the tribulation or if we were in the tribulation already. I popped in a CD of L. Ron Hubbard mocking Jesus, and the audience laughing in response. I sat there in traffic thanking the Lord that we would have the victory in the end, as the dehumanizing scenes from those Scientology rooms flashed through my memory once more.

All of the “Asho” workers were dressed alike. They all had walkie-talkies and cell phones. Some Scientologists on the “bridge” level were dressed in uniforms looking like pilot captains and flight attendants. They were called “Thetans.” Vinny took me to the second floor and he opened a door to a very narrow hallway. No one was in the dark, narrow hallway but he and I. He opened a door to the right and the room was full of people sitting across from each other barking like dogs. I whispered to Vinny, “It seems weird to me that they are barking.” He said, “They are working out turmoil from their past lives; they are becoming more aware.” There I stood watching these people bark at each other. I asked, “How do you know they have had past lives? “ He answered, “Oh, it all comes out. It comes on the Thetan level…the Thetan is in tune with the universe enough to know past regression. The Thetan is a state of awareness and reception with the universe.” He said, “Trust me, people find out, and they experience power.” I thought to myself, “I’ll just bet they do!” Then, we went to the left of the hall to a whole other large room where about twenty-five people were sitting with machines and head phones. Vinny said they were listening to their lessons. They looked intense and serious, all sitting silently. He introduced me to the other “auditor” in the room who was dressed just like him, monitoring the place. He introduced himself. I told him it was nice to meet him. He said, “I can tell you are from the South with your accent. I am from the South, too.” Vinny said something to him in their sub-language vernacular, which I could not understand. L. Ron Hubbard believed in aliens, teaching people how to be “evolved” like the aliens. The place did seem like another planet!

We went up to the next floor, through another corridor, to a new large room facing Sunset Blvd. The people were sitting across from each other in pairs. One person was the auditor and the other was the student trying to achieve “clear.” The student was holding two metal prongs which supposedly measured his or her energy by the “e-meter,” a machine with a needle which the auditor monitored. I heard one auditor ask a student, “Define ‘sky’.” The student would then recite back the memorized answer. The needle would move and the auditor would mark down something, in approval or disapproval, depending on the needle. The auditor would ask, “Define ‘self’ “- It was like a scene from the movie, Stepford Wives. The people were plastic like robots. We went in another room and the people were talking to the walls. Vinny said they had to memorize and rehearse the answers twenty times each to practice.

(Guess how much they were paying to be so awakened and evolved? $14,000.00; $10K to be a “lifetime” member).

The next level was the spookiest yet. It was the floor where auditors “assist.” Meaning, they heal people. We entered the rooms. They were empty. Vinny pointed to the table and said, “The person lies there, and the auditor touches them (assists them) and says certain empowering sentences. We do not believe in drugs here. We believe that if someone is fully aware, they will be able to heal themselves. The people who assist are aware enough to heal. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you what I have seen! Well, you wouldn’t be able to accept it. I am not allowed to tell you anyway.” I asked, “Out of curiosity, does anyone believe in the power of Satan here or demons?” He practically jumped back aghast, “Oh, no we never mention such negativity.” I said, “Oh, ok.”

We walked out back toward the elevator, passing pictures of huge mansion estates. He said, “Those are all Scientology headquarters in other countries.” I asked, “I was just wondering, what contribution has Scientology made from a social standpoint? I mean, Christianity has founded The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, orphanages, nursing homes, universities, and the like. What has Scientology contributed to society on a socio-economic level?” He answered, “We are very involved in public school education and we also help out the police department.” I said, “Oh, ok.” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We walked a little further, and I asked, “So, what does L. Ron Hubbard have to say about Jesus Christ, out of curiosity?” Vinny answered, “Well, he said Jesus was a great prophet, of course, and a great teacher.” I said, “Oh, with the miracles He did?” He said, “Yes, L. Ron Hubbard says Jesus was very aware and gave people hope to some extent.” I asked, “Well, if He was so “aware” and “highly evolved,” and that was the explanation for the miracles He did, then why did He die on the cross? I mean, why didn’t that charka or “thetan” kick in and save Him from dying on the cross?” He said, “Well, L. Ron Hubbard’s explanation is that Jesus Christ was not clear enough, unfortunately, or aware enough to keep himself from being killed. He was just not aware enough to save himself from being killed.” He paused. “That was a shame,” he added. I replied, “Hmm. Then, why is there the empty grave? What does L. Ron Hubbard have to say about the fact that the grave of Jesus Christ is empty today?” He said, “Oh, he does not comment on that.” I said, “Oh, ok, I understand.”

Continuing to walk the halls, Vinny asked, “So, what do you believe?” I said, “I actually do believe in Jesus. I believe He was God and the only Man that was and is God, and I believe He rose from the dead and is alive today. I believe in the Bible, like the Founding Fathers of this country, as old fashioned as it sounds.” He suddenly changed his calm demeanor, got all excited, and enthusiastically responded, “Dwayna, imagine with me that you were once a god. Just imagine that, if it is not too hard for you.” I said, “Ok, I will try to imagine that.” He continued, “Good. Now, imagine that you were once a god, but you have regressed to being an animal, and you have to work and become more self-realized and more aware so you can become a god again.” I said, “Well, I have not been through any level of Scientology, but you know what? I know I am not an animal. You know why? Because I have the natural capacity as a human being to create a symphony. You know, Bach and Beethoven never took any Scientology classes, but they created symphonies, because human beings, unlike animals, have the natural capacity to create symphonies. Also, I know I am not an animal because I have the natural capacity as a human being to solve chemistry equations. Animals cannot create symphonies or solve chemistry equations, so I know that human beings are different from the animals.” He said, “Well, you are a thinker. I’ll say that much. Let me give you some free material, “ as we headed back to the resource center.

I asked, “So where do you think that L. Ron Hubbard is today? “ He said, “Oh, he is still alive, though he shed his body. He is on to higher things. He probably hangs around this place quite a bit. He is on to higher things, though, that is for sure.” I said, “You know, Vinny, if reincarnation is true, there would have been no reason for Jesus to die. You know the Bible says He died for our sins. He is the only Redeemer,“ Vinny interrupted rolling his eyes, “I know, I know,” rolling his eyes still, “I was raised to believe all of that.”

We returned to Vinny’s desk on the first floor, and I told him I had to go. He reached into a metal briefcase and took out his own personal e-meter machine, which in Scientology determines the worth of someone, basically, depending on the movement of the needle. It is amazing that anyone could fall for such a thing! He said, “Before you go, I want you to hold the e-meter metal cans, and let me measure your energy.” I said, “Oh, no. That’s ok.” He said, “Come on, just hold the metal cans, and I will tell you what the machine says.” I said, “Thanks for asking, but I don’t want to hold the cans.” He said, “It won’t hurt you. Come on now, give me your hand!” I said once more, “I just don’t feel comfortable with that, and I just don’t want to touch it or hold it, but thank you for asking.” Looking straight in my eyes, he replied emphatically, “This machine has the power to save people from hell!” I said, “You mean hell in this world, right? Because you don’t believe in any eternal punishment for sin, as in eternal separation from God in a place called hell, right?” He said, “Right.” I thanked him for the tour and his kindness toward me. He gave me a CD by L. Ron Hubbard, recorded in 1952, called Man the Animal & Man the God. He said, “This is gold!” Vinny asked me what I did for a living. I smiled, and I gave him the web site for this ministry. He told me that he hoped to see me again.

I came home last night and did more research on the Internet to find that people have mysteriously disappeared when they have said anything negative about the Church of Scientology. There are accounts of people committing suicide after reaching the top levels of “awareness”, people dying for lack of medical care, lawsuits against the organization and Hubbard; how Hubbard was married three times, having two wives at the same time; how people have had their lives threatened when they have left; listed, also, were names of people thought to be murdered by the church; how people have had to change their names when escaping; how there are cameras all around the place to keep anyone from leaving who lives there, and to keep anyone on the outside (referred to as WOGS) from coming in. Hubbard’s college records are now available to the public, due to his death. He was never a scientist, and he lied about all of his degrees. I saw his college records on the internet last night from George Washington University. He had a GPA of 43 and dropped out after two years. There is nothing scientific about him or the Church of Scientology. Many people have had nervous breakdowns from the e-meter procedures of dialog. But they don’t tell you any of that. They don’t tell people like Vinny that, either. I realized that it would be too dangerous for me to ever return to their property, though I wish I could help those poor, pitiful, brainwashed people. It is a multi-million dollar world wide organization that plans to take over the world.

This morning I took out the L. Ron Hubbard “highly evolved” CD lesson, Man the Animal & Man the God, from my Scientology bag of souvenirs from yesterday’s visit. There was a postage paid business reply card inside. In regard to their hypnotic power over people, I took a huge, thick magic marker, and without signing my name, I wrote over the questions in large print: GO TO INTERNET. HUBBARD ONLY HAD TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE. HIS MILITARY MEDALS ARE FAKE. IT’S ALL A LIE. THEY HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE READING THIS, ESCAPE. I dropped it in the mail, addressed back to the Scientology headquarters.

Fighting the good fight with you,

Posted in LTW to the Occult | Comments Off on An Afternoon Inside
the Corridors of Scientology

Witnessing at the Self-Realization
Fellowship February 28, 2004

Posted on February 28, 2004 by Dwayna

When Dwayna left a message inviting me to join a small team to witness at the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), I winced and took a deep breath. Talking to people at Venice Beach is one challenge, but encroaching on someone else’s holy ground is another! I thought about it for a minute and decided to take on the challenge, knowing that the Holy Spirit would open doors for us or close them.

The three of us met at Dwayna’s apartment. The team consisted of Dwayna, Amy, and me. We prayed and talked strategy regarding our approach to the people.

The ten-acre Lake Shrine reminded me of a well-kept garden in Asia or the Huntington Gardens in San Marino. The green water lake is surrounded by lush trees, vegetal archways and picturesque landscapes. A walkway encircles the lagoon with sitting benches and grassy alcoves for meditation. On the surface, the park-like setting is a peaceful respite from the chaos of the city. In reality, Lake Shrine and The Self-Realization Fellowship is a place of deception, evil spirits, and teaching of false religions. Sadly, the people there do not know this.

Entering the center, visitors see several shrines with columns reading Judaism, Islam, Christian, Buddhism, etc. These plaques would probably make most people feel at ease, believing that they have a choice of paths to God, despite what the Bible teaches. (And the testimony is this; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
1 John 5:11).

A small bookstore is at the entrance with various books, pamphlets, and fliers of up-coming events.“Gina” was at the desk inside the store. She was fielding questions from patrons, answering the phone, and taking orders from buyers. The three of us walked in equipped and eager to share Christ. We all talked to Gina, asking questions about some of the book titles, the beliefs of the SRF, as well as her own ideologies. As a Christian might share the good news of Jesus, so Gina revealed her personal testimony of becoming a “believer” in the 1990s. After a life of disappointments and a failed marriage, she began getting involved in yoga exercise in Beverly Hills. Not religious at the time, she continued in yoga and was introduced to the Self-Realization Fellowship from a friend in her yoga class. Gina was not a religious believer until a near tragedy caused her to shout out, “Help me, God!” At that moment, Paramahansa Yogananda appeared “in person,” claimed Gina. The Guru’s apparition had led her to believe in him and pray to him, solely convinced that he is with her daily, and caring for her, though he died in 1952.

Unfortunately, the store was frequented by people and telephone interruptions, thwarting further conversation with Gina. We left her with a Meditate on This booklet, along with Dwayna’s card. She said she would email Dwayna after reading the booklet.

We left the SRF New Age bookstore, prayed together, and the Holy Spirit flowed onto Lake Shrine. For the next hour, we freely and openly spoke to one person after another as we walked around the gardens. Starting conversation was easy with the movie, The Passion of the Christ, just released in the theaters.

Our plan was to have one person talk to the visitor and the other two would pray and listen. From our initial question we asked them what they believed. Many were open and willing to share their beliefs. We continued to listen and then asked them what they knew of Jesus. From that point, we shared the good news of Christ. Every situation was a little different but the underlying purpose was to share the Gospel.

We were able to talk with more than ten people, most of whom were not sure what they believed. Some actually seemed glad to learn more about this Man, Jesus (praise God!). In some ways, Lake Shrine was divinely prepared for the sowing of the good news of Jesus Christ that day. We spoke to Hindus, non-practicing Catholics, professing Christians, and others who were “spiritual but not religious.”

Concern of forced dismissal was all together real; we didn’t want to overstay our sneaky engagement so we began walking back. Before leaving, we stepped into the Windmill Chapel and Meditation Room. Inside were about a half-dozen people in chairs, facing a wall with five to seven pictures of ancient teachers and prophets, including Jesus. The room was silent. We stood at the back and prayed for people, hoping for the chance to proclaim the Gospel to some of them as they left the room. The young women sitting in front of us were the only guests, other than us, with their eyes open, looking around the room. Soon, they sat up and walked out. We followed, and Dwayna proceeded to ask them questions about Jesus while Amy and I prayed. They were from Russia and said they were “born Christians” but did not know much about Jesus and could never recall repenting of their sin. Dwayna had a nice conversation with the curious girls, shared the Gospel, and left them with a Meditate on This booklet/tract.

We realized the people were seeking after something other than themselves at the Self-Realization Fellowship, and God had us there for a reason. Seeds were planted, and questions about Christ were answered to the best of our ability for the place and time allowed. Maybe, with the wooing of the Holy Spirit, someone will read the literature we gave them and be drawn to seek the true and only Savior; the second Person of the Trinity; the true Jesus; the Redeemer for every tribe, tongue, and nation.

…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

J.T.

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Fellowship February 28, 2004

Taking a Hare Krishna Devotee
To Church: LTW Update 4/03/03

Posted on April 3, 2003 by Dwayna

Hello Everyone!

I picked up Soriya at the Hare Krishna commune last Sunday around 1:00. She introduced me to one of her friends and said, “This is Anu. Her name used to be Anastasia.” I inquired, “Anu, you look young. How old are you?” She answered, “Twenty.” She said she had been living in the Hare Krishna village since she was seventeen, and her parents lived in Santa Monica. I silently speculated the sequence of events in this young girl’s life that could have led her to joining the Hare Krishna cult. I said, “Anu, come with Soriya and me today. We are going to have a lot of fun and go to church tonight!” She said, “No, I can’t go. I have to chant.” Soriya and I left and spent the day together. I had big plans for us to take a bike ride and talk about the Bible and The Case for Christ, which she said she had been reading. We got down to the bike rental shop, and she informed me that she couldn’t ride a bike. So, I had the slowest bike ride of my life behind her, in her long sari, and her tricycle for about 2 miles along the beach! She thanked me for renting her the tricycle, informing me that she only gets an allowance of $17 a week in her Hare Krishna life. As promised, she went with me to Grace Community Church last Sunday night. Unfortunately, she was not the least bit open after hearing John MacArthur speak on 1 John and sin. On the way back home, I told her the Gospel, and I asked her how she knew her “holy book” could be trusted as God’s Word. She said, “Because I know the way it makes me feel.” I asked if there was any historical evidence or archaeological evidence to authenticate it as the truth. She just changed the subject. I said, “Soriya, I invited you to church tonight, because I love you, and if you were to die tonight, you would be eternally separated from God. There is no such thing as reincarnation. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to God.” We continued to talk, and I told her that she had been deceived in her chanting for happiness and peace. She got very, very mad. We drove for miles in silence. I realized that the Holy Spirit was not apparently working, so after about five minutes of a silent truce, I changed the subject. She told me that she was a teacher and a leader in the Hare Krishna religion. I thought to myself, if she had planned on converting me, she now knows she was mistaken. We said we would keep in touch, but I don’t anticipate spending anymore time with her, unless I can see the Holy Spirit at work in her life. She said she was extremely surprised that I could be “ignorant” enough to tell her there is only one way to God. I said, “I didn’t say that. Jesus did. I am only telling you what the Bible says.” By the end of the day trip, at least she did admit that we did not believe the same thing after all and that Christianity and Hare Krishna are mutually exclusive.

John and Inella came to the booth from the Simi Valley last week. They came all the way to Ocean Front Walk to talk to us and get advise. I gave John’s number to one of the elders at my church for follow up. He had come to the table last summer, and returned out of the blue last week. John was still very down and said he had thoughts of suicide. Inella was a Mormon. She took “Mormonism vs. Christianity,” as well as a Bible. I gave John some information on depression from Family Life Communications. We all prayed together before they left.

A man named Edward approached my table a few days ago. He was scared that someone had put a curse on him. He has been dating the psychic, Angellea, who is planning on going with me to the Creation Science Museum soon in San Diego. I told Edward that his only hope was Jesus Christ. He said that Angellea prays secret prayers at night that no one can hear. He said she bows down to pictures of herself on a shrine with candles and prays to “god.” Edward said he was doing some research on Edgar Cayce. I gave him a tape by Walter Martin on Edgar Cayce, and he said he would listen and get back to me. I gave his number to a man from my church for discipleship.

Curtis is now coming to my church regularly. I met him at the beach about six months ago. He prays the sweetest, most humble prayers at our Bible study. Jeremy is now working at the LTW booth on Saturdays. I met him at the booth about nine months ago. He stopped drinking totally and has his own place to live now. He is attending church every Sunday, and he serves faithfully in handing out bagels every Saturday morning to the neighborhood. We met Kurt last Saturday at the booth. He was extremely low. He took a book donated by Family Life Communications called Absolute Surrender. He said he had been living in obedience to the Bible, but he didn’t have any joy…He came back to the table with a big smile on his face and said, “I read the first chapter of the book. Can you tell that I am feeling better?” He was in church last Sunday and says he plans on coming back regularly.

Last Saturday three students from the Master’s College joined me. The blessing was all mine. They broke off into groups and covered the entire scope of the walkway. While they were gone sharing the Gospel, a woman passed by, read my sign “Come find out what God has to say about your future for free,” and shouted, “God? What God? Where’s God?” She saw my other sign, “A free gift for you,” and replied mockingly, “It is not a gift if nobody wants it.”

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.(1Cor. 1:18).

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Cor. 2:14)

But just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)

Because He fist loved me,

Dwayna

Posted in LTW to the Occult | Comments Off on Taking a Hare Krishna Devotee
To Church: LTW Update 4/03/03
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