CHAPTER 24: THE HAUNTING / WARNING 2025

In the results of the elections last night, I’m sure many of us had a bad feeling and for good reason. However, at my age, having seen many things over such a span of time, I assure you God is on the throne and none of this comes as a shock or surprise to Him. Ah, having said that, yes, we do have feelings that are correct. Some are true knowledge based in experience, others are fearful, meaning not with information causing unease, uncomfortable, or possibly terror, even for those staunchest of believers. That may be a Warning. A warning from God to draw near to Him, study His Word and pay attention to what He has given you, rather than what is happening in the world. Now, when Warnings come, best we all pay attention. Generally not a good way of living in the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. You ever get a bad feeling about something, do it anyway and wish you hadn’t? Well, good. If that still happens you’re okay. Might be an indication that your conscience is still operating correctly. If it doesn’t happen it might be an indication that your conscience is no longer operating properly, surpassed your time to feel right and wrong and for that hopefully there are people praying for you.

Romans 1:28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Scary passage, right? “All” have that little voice that says, “don’t do that, not a good idea, better re-think..” God never tells me to do something stupid, so when I’m about to do something stupid, I really must ask myself, “am I listening to the voice of Reason or the voice of treason, the devil’s whispers or the voice of God?” Let’s state that up front. Both the devil and God talk to me and you. The devil haunts me, God warns me. I’ll say it again, the devil haunts me, God warns me.

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you”.

But will I listen? I have clients that crash and burn because they just don’t want to believe the things that need to be done. Instead, they want to believe, their way and they want to believe their way is God’s way. When that happens, sadly what could’ve been will never be revealed. Meaning, what God had planned for you, ain’t gonna happen until you find your way. Do I really want to be fiddling around with one of the devil’s shenanigans? His voice brings condemnation, shame, and feelings of worthlessness to me day and night and ultimately sin and death. Look, I didn’t make it up, I’m just telling you what it says. I got a better idea, if I can remember to do it. Go with God. God is not here to make you feel good, the bible is not here to make you feel good, the world can do that in a number of different ways, but it is temporary. God, the book, the Warnings of the Holy Spirit is telling you how to navigate and find peace in the disasters of the World, knowing God is directing all of it. Stay the course with the list you have been given and learn God in your life, allowing Him to guide.

Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

The elections can be a drag, a balance sheet can be challenging, a court hearing, a direction from an attorney, time, or the lack of time given or not given to relationships. We, you, me, are challenged by all kinds of things we, I, you, don’t want to do, yes, things you don’t want to do and you should do. Ultimately in my life of turnaround, I promise you I’ve seen the bitter end of a “stubborn nature.” God brings a solution, and behold, the solutions is vetoed by a traveler, and that traveler’s life begins a slow sad spiral into crash and burn. Look, I’m not making this stuff up, I see it, every year, stubborn, against God’s suggestion, correction, all of us just go shopping. “I’ll do this, but not that, and bla, bla, bla, I’m so busy with the gifts God has given me, I don’t have time to achieve or succeed.” Defiance. Doesn’t pay well. Maybe not at the time of the defiance against direction, but slowly, insidiously, defiance, disobedience, arrogance and stubborn undermines everything. My eyes have watched ships sink, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The Captain has a finger in the air to all that has been offered to save the ship. The captain chose the path, the captain chose the course, against all direction and assistance. Why? Haunting/Warning, Chapter 24. Listening to the wrong voice. Did you hear warnings from God? Sure you did. Did you listen? No. Neither did I. However, you were saved, I was saved, given a second chance. What are you going to do with your second chance? How many of you will be here next year, the year after? Second chances are not for the stubborn, arrogant or faint of heart. Fight against yourself, do what is inconvenient, push through your old habits of failure and corporate dementia, i.e., unbridled negligence. This is not a business problem, it never is.

Ephesians 2:2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

In a second chance is it possible for God to interrupt a person going sideways? Yes, yes, yes, I’ve seen it so many times! All part of Divine training!

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

This chapter advises one to pause and truly ask, “what do You, God, direct here?” Not what my wife wants, my husband, co-worker, government, group, club, whatever!!
Listen for the warnings of God, ask in prayer to silence the voice of hauntings that would surely destroy what is good.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Listen for God’s warning, pray for the direction of the Spirit. You know, there is a story, and tale if you will, that outlines one of the devil’s strategy that I actually relate to, here we go.

As the story goes, a man tied his horse to a post, and walked away. The Devil came along and simply untied it. The horse wandered into a field and trampled crops, leading the farmer to shoot it. The horse’s owner then sought revenge by killing the farmer, which started a chain reaction of violence: the farmer’s wife killed the horse’s owner, the owner’s son killed the farmer’s wife, and neighbors then killed the son and burned his house down. The Devil’s response to being asked why he did it was, “I didn’t do anything. I only set the horse free,” illustrating that evil can be initiated by a seemingly small act that triggers the existing malice in human hearts.

The enemy’s hauntings can come from anywhere, inspired by the devil, anyone can say anything to me and cause me to stutter on God’s path. Truly, it is best to stay strong in the Faith, asking everyday, “Lord, I feel a little off my game, are you there, am I okay, please don’t give up on me, keep me in the game!” And God says…

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Stay in the blessing, beware of traps! Hauntings, whispers of the liar, out of control ego, raw fear not taken to the Master will cause a person to act dangerously. Hauntings are from the liar, the devil, the enemy, demons, darkness, nothing good, inspiring one, badgering one, to actually do the unthinkable.

What does this have to do with your bottom line? Always the question? Here is a list of excuses that keep all of us from enjoying those things inconvenient that ultimately bring order and goodness. You’ve heard it in your head and said it out of your mouth, me too.

Dumb speak: “I don’t have time for this, just talk to me about business, I already go to church sometimes, I read the book before, God is personal thing between me and God, I get my spirituality from a number of different places, I just don’t get it and this does not make me feel good, God training is supposed to make me feel good.”

Listen to your own stupid thinking! If a business solution could get any of us out of trouble, we would have long since become successful, all problems solved. I, you, we, do not have a business problem, we, I, you, have a spiritual problem and we are hard pressed to change that, we, you, I will fight that concept to your own bitter end, to my own bitter end.

The Haunting/Warning: is my lesson, the difference between God speaking and satan. God will give competent direction, and the devil will “Promise that which cannot be promised, and offer what cannot be given.”

Genesis 3:1-7 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.

There, for all to read over and over, the first haunting. Eve listened. Many people say that’s just an old bible story. Okay, whatever, does not change what it says or what it means. That scripture is God’s warning. We all know the rest of the story. Eve, was deceived. Any different than you and me? No. The hauntings are real, very real and very destructive.

Luke 21:36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [a]wiles of the devil.

Like I tell people all the time, you don’t have to agree with me, this is my story and what God did in my life. Is it different from yours? That little voice in your head will say it is. I doubt that seriously. Either you find a better plan, or use mine until you do. Unfortunately most “better plans”, are shopping for an easier softer way, judging, pontificating on subjects we know nothing about and telling people who know, that they don’t know. Long story short, second chances are not for stubborn, stupid sissy’s. You can be sure of that.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

A quote by CS Lewis: “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” “Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.”

The measure of a person is how fast I get off of it. Dumb thinking: How fast I get off my stubborn initiatives, incorrect assessments and the silliness of my view, my limited perceptions, judgements and petty assertions that I know better than most, if not all.

Dumb thought. The petty assertion that I know what to honor instead of the almighty including the man in the mirror. Opportunity is won and lost everyday based in truth or lies. Half of the truth is no truth at all. Remember that. God calls us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5; Lamentations 3:40).

2 Samuel 22:31 This God—his way is perfect;  the word of the Lord proves true;  he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

 

2 Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A haunting is insidious. Chapter 25 is between “perspective and perception.” It’s like a twisted version of The Twilight Zone, caught between perspective and perception. Perception is the warped concepts in my head, perspective is what is actually happening. Perspective is truth, perception could be anything.

Is it easy? Like any test it’s hard even when you’re prepared, it’s impossible when you’re not. Study, prepare, slow down and spend time with God — while you can, before the arrows fly. They’re pointed at you. Unprepared is unfortunate, especially when you had the opportunity to be prepared.

Psalm 73:21 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was [a]vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. And then God says: “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.”

A haunting is the devil telling me how to successfully fail, a warning is God telling me how to successfully win.

Chapter 24 The Haunting/Warning 2025, remember, when you think you’re alone and God has forsaken you, remember, the teacher is quiet during the test. Pick up your pencils and begin the test, the clock is ticking. And if it helps, stubborn, petty, common sense is not so common and stupid is so expensive. Just stop and listen, haunting-Warning, one has a capital letter, one is a liar. What does this have to do with your bottom line? Everything, get it? Everything! I, you, we, none of us have a business problem, we have a spiritual problem, and it affects our mind, body, spirit and you guessed it, bottom line.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Hey, I got a real good reason to re-read this chapter, well, anyway it was a good reason for me.

Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Whew, woe, huge scripture, re-read that one. Amen.