Expert: Dr Don Howe - 5/26/2009

Question
First off let me give you a brief history. I have seen how far I have fallen from the truth. I for two years in a row (the Lord Jesus let me have a bible study in my home once a week.) Then It was like all that I was, loved cherished, enjoyed, was destroyed. I had been a IV drug user from the time I was 14 years old and had gotten clean and sought the lord. Not wholeheartedly but I did. Then my husband and my marriage fell apart. My home burned down. I once again fell back into my addiction. turned to a woman seeking a relationship, left my children. then later made prostitutes look righteous. Eventually I ended up in prison. I still didn't completely give my life to the lord. I studied and prayed but still chased my own flesh and sinful nature. (I tasted the good of God but did not commit to him. But I see now it was lukewarm. I one day asked "what is my husbands name? Because I am now divorced. (I started trying everything else to fill my void in my heart.) I heard Johnson. I knew a man with that name and thought "he hates me". I attended a 12 step program and  One time I got high with him and he knew I was a Christian (not a fully committed one, but I knew the truth.) He Said "your not one of those are you" and pointed to the upside down cross on his wall. Later he told me f**k you and your God. I was really good friends with his best friend. Who is of the same faith as him. Asatru or Odinism. He had went to prison again by this point but I wrote him and weeks later he proposed to me. I said yes. Not even knowing what I was completely getting myself into at that time. I was vainly seeking mans approval and not Gods. But I became seduced by this false doctrine. Because of things he knew. He wrote me letters and told me things I was doing and stuff and always added "the one who sees without the eyes." I had found a ruin called burkano in my moms stuff when she was moving and he had said before that time when I found it, that it was my "birth ruin. But I started enter mingling my and his faith together. I now know why Gods word states not to be unevenly yoked with a nonbeliever. He once told me "Jesus gave up his life and blood on the alter for all mankind then would still talk to me about all his outlaw beliefs and his asatru beliefs and Jesus and Asatru don't mix. I read something a while back and it said "May you be in Valhalla one night before the Kristian God knows your dead." I thought that's stupid. Gods knowing. All powerful... So  Like in Revelations it says he speaks like a lamb but is like a bear. He even jokingly told me stories he made up about burp the bear. I had a dream one night about him being called a beast and me being called a false profit. In my dream I heard we can fix this then I heard If your not a false profit then your mother is. Many things my mom has believed is not the truth either. Even though I grew up with her always telling me about Jesus I know that sometimes she believes strange doctrines like Reincarnation.Or she suggested that Jesus would allow that. Which I know is not true. But Here is my question... Through all of this I have experienced some supernatural stuff. I have even had him talk to me with telepathy and some other stuff. I am so ashamed to say this but I "it was like I was not in control and I once heard it in my head then the words came out of my mouth. Lord God you  are a liar. Right then I began to sob and cry. And asked God If he could fix this. And asked forgiveness. I heard I saw you in the flames of hell and remembered how much you loved me. I heard "you will play the harlot no more." I had another dream and I heard I was in the devils house. And some very Scary stuff happened I was like being tricked into thinking Jesus lied and I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE! Then I heard that I had blasphemed the holy spirit. But I fear the lord and have completely confessed all my sins and I know that The fullness of The godhead dwelled in Jesus and he is god. So that confused me. But one night I heard The God head denied you and I could only ask Jesus to forgive me and heard "Now I will show you my grace." I have since started a woman's discipleship program and I prayed and asked God to separate everything from me that is destroying my relationship with him and separating us and I now am no longer with the man I told you about. I wrote him and told him that Their is no union between darkness and light. And Jesus and lawlessness and he became very mean. But since I keep struggling to draw closer to the Lord I keep having all this spiritual warfare. And I keep hearing stuff that is not of God. Even when I pray I hear stuff like odin and other names that are of the pagan belief. But I am still truly scared. I don't want to be separated from God and I don't know how to make this stop. I heard one day that i was a sapling. What do you suggest? My pastor told me that once God has put a call on your life it is irrevocable. The spirit of prophecy is the testamony of Jesus Christ. As some one who has studied to show your self approved, That correctly handles the word of truth, what do you have to say? I know that God has not given me a spirit of fear but that of power and love and a sound mind. And he is not the author of confusion. But I still remained confused about some things and still have fear. Thank you for taking your time with me. I pray the Holy spirit guides you in answering me. Thank you, Dawn.

Answer
  Dawn, thank you for your question. Wow! You have many things going on. The problem with sleeping and having bad dreams sound almost like someone who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With all the drugs, bad relationships, etc this should be something you may want to consider.
  I would suggest to you that you find a good Christian outpatient psychiatric program, like Rapha, and get plugged into that. You need to see a psychiatrist. The voices in your head you are hearing may due to a something wrong with the chemistry in your brain. You may say “I know better than that. It could not be that.” But I work in a large County Jail and I deal with people everyday that have the same drug history you have stated above. The use of illicit drugs can alter the chemistry of the brain and cause one to be psychotic. I am not saying your are but you need to a good psych. evaluation and see what the psych. doc thinks.
  If you can not find a place like Rapha, voluntary commit yourself to an outpatient psych program that offers an outpatient 12 step plan and counseling. You need to get your head on straight, but I really think you may be in need of medication.
  Also, you need to get a good physical  and some blood work to rule out anything medically that could be causing some of the mental abnormalities you described. You would be surprised how much of the emotions that we have are effected by the thyroid and parathyroid glands, as just one example.

  Dawn, you stated “I knew a man with that name and thought "he hates me". I attended a 12 step program and  One time I got high with him and he knew I was a Christian (not a fully committed one, but I knew the truth.) He Said "your not one of those are you" and pointed to the upside down cross on his wall. Later he told me f**k you and your God. I was really good friends with his best friend. Who is of the same faith as him. Asatru or Odinism. He had went to prison again by this point but I wrote him and weeks later he proposed to me. I said yes. Not even knowing what I was completely getting myself into at that time. I was vainly seeking mans approval and not Gods. But I became seduced by this false doctrine. Because of things he knew. He wrote me letters and told me things I was doing and stuff and always added "the one who sees without the eyes." I had found a ruin called burkano in my moms stuff when she was moving and he had said before that time when I found it, that it was my "birth ruin. But I started enter mingling my and his faith together. I now know why Gods word states not to be unevenly yoked with a nonbeliever. He once told me "Jesus gave up his life and blood on the alter for all mankind then would still talk to me about all his outlaw beliefs and his asatru beliefs and Jesus and Asatru don't mix. I read something a while back and it said "May you be in Valhalla one night before the Kristian God knows your dead." I thought that's stupid. Gods knowing. All powerful... So  Like in Revelations it says he speaks like a lamb but is like a bear. He even jokingly told me stories he made up about burp the bear.” Where did you pick up this crazy goober. This man is crazy as an outhouse mouse. Get rid of him as fast as you can. This man is crazy. Get rid of him.

  THESE THINGS ARE NOT FROM GOD.
  Dawn you made the following comments:

  1), “I had a dream one night about him being called a beast and me being called a false profit. In my dream I heard we can fix this then I heard If your not a false profit then your mother is. Many things my mom has believed is not the truth either.”
  2). “Through all of this I have experienced some supernatural stuff. I have even had him talk to me with telepathy and some other stuff. I am so ashamed to say this but I "it was like I was not in control and I once heard it in my head then the words came out of my mouth. Lord God you  are a liar. Right then I began to sob and cry.”
  3). “I heard I saw you in the flames of hell and remembered how much you loved me. I heard "you will play the harlot no more." I had another dream and I heard I was in the devils house. And some very Scary stuff happened I was like being tricked into thinking Jesus lied and I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE! Then I heard that I had blasphemed the holy spirit.”

  These three comments and things you had experienced are not from God but maybe from your own mind and again, a reason for you to get yourself checked by a psychiatrist. But they could be from the devil influencing you also. These things you experienced are not from God.
  God does not lie. So the things He tells in His Word are true and God will carry them out. You need to be sure that the things you see, things you hear, and things you feel are from God are CONTROLLED BY THE WORD OF GOD, CONFORMED TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND ARE CONFIRMED IN THE WORD OF GOD. The Apostle Peter experienced something and listen to what God says in 2 Peter 1:16-18 about what he experienced at the Transfiguration of Jesus. Verse 16 states “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Peter is saying that what he has been saying about the Transfiguration was not a false statement but that He was an eyewitness to the glory of God.
  Verse 17 states “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Peter is saying that he was an eyewitness and heard the voice God from Heaven say “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He knows what he heard.
  Verse 18 states “And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” Peter is saying that I was an eyewitness, I know what I saw, I know what I heard, and I know what I feel, but there is something even better than this.
  Verse 19 states “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” Peter is not talking about prophecy that predicts the future here, but we have a more sure word of prophecy which is the Word of God. The Bible.
  So test the things you have said above and see if they are confirmed in the Word of God, controlled by the Word of God, and conformed to the Word of God. Conformed is a biggie because the three statements you made above do not conform to the Word of God. So they are not from God. You can always go to the Word of God and exam what you have dreamed or thought you have dreamed. Again you need to get a good psych. evaluation.  

  Asatru or Odinism

  Asatru and/or Odinism are all false religions. So do not feel that they are a threat to you. But there must be something that intrigues you about it as you keep going back to it or have some type of reference back to it. Get rid of it. It is evil.

  THERE SUCH A THING CALLED SPRITUAL WARFARE.

  You stated “But since I keep struggling to draw closer to the Lord I keep having all this spiritual warfare. And I keep hearing stuff that is not of God. Even when I pray I hear stuff like odin and other names that are of the pagan belief. But I am still truly scared.” There is truly a spiritual warfare going on since the Garden of Eden.
  The Apostle Paul tells in Eph. 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].” Note what Paul saying we wrestle with is principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. This is saying we are in a spiritual warfare that deals with evil at different levels. “Paul used a variety of terms to refer to our spiritual enemies. We should regard them as being on many different levels and of many different ranks, yet they all have one goal: to knock the Christian down from their place of standing. Ephesians 6:11 tells us that all of our warfare is combating the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). At the end of the day it is completely irrelevant if the particular opponent we face is a principality, a power, or a ruler of the darkness of this age. Collectively, they are all members of spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. They are all part of a spiritual army that is organized and established into ranks - and under the headship of Satan, the devil, who comes against us with his wiles” (Guzik).   
  
We learn more about these principalities and powers from other passages in the New Testament.
Romans 8:38 tells us that principalities cannot keep us from God’s love. Therefore, there is a limit to their power.

Ephesians 1:20-21 tells us that Jesus is in enthroned in heaven, far above all principalities and powers. Colossians 1:16 tells us that Jesus created principalities and powers. Colossians 2:10 tells us that Jesus is head over all principality and power. Therefore, Jesus is not the opposite of Satan or principalities.

Ephesians 3:10-11 tells us that the church makes known the wisdom of God to principalities and powers. 1 Corinthians 15:24 tells us that principalities and powers have an end; one day their purpose will be fulfilled and God will no longer let them work. Therefore, God has a purpose in allowing their work.

Colossians 2:15 tells us that Jesus disarmed principalities and powers at the cross. Therefore, our victory is rooted in what Jesus did, not in what we do. It isn’t that there is no doing on our part - but our doing is the appropriation and application of what Jesus did.
  Dawn, you should find some comfort in Col. 2:15 in which Jesus disarmed the powers of the devil.
  So stop fretting about this spiritual battle and lean on Jesus and let Him do you battling for you.

  Dawn you stated “But I still remained confused about some things and still have fear.” Probably one reason you remain confused is that you have not gave your fears completely over to God. You need to be sure you are saved, have asked Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, and have a relationship with him.
  I can not answer all of your questions because they are too complicated. But I did show you what the qualifiers are for the things we think we hear, think we see, and think we feel. I also gave you the verses for you to look up for your own edification that Jesus has defeated anything the devil can bring against you. But you have to believe it and calm it.
  I also told you that Asatru and Odinism are false religions.

  Bottom line is that you need to stay away from evil men like one in prison, give rid of that devil, get yourself a good psych eval, medical eval, and get yourself some counseling. I believe that some medication may help you especially with the bad dreams.

  These are only suggestions. So pray earnestly to God about what He wants for you.

  Blessings,

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD