Influencers

For years now, Vanessa and I have been discussing influencers…along with SEO, marketing, websites, starting a business, etc. At times, these topics have dominated our conversations. Fascinating stuff to learn, discuss and understand. In the beginning, I didn’t understand the parts and pieces of it all. Then I watched a documentary about fashion and all the puzzle pieces clicked into place and I understood. I had a picture and could see clearly the concepts I needed to see; the ones Crystal had not yet been able to see.

Sitting at this particular coffee shop brought up the topic in my mind again about influencers. It connected with another topic in my mind.

30 years ago, I remember so clearly my drive home from my first Obstetrician visit when I found out I was pregnant with my oldest child. I lost the baby before her. My doctor gave me a lecture that scared the Hell right out of me. I was so scared that day. So scared my drinking was dooming this baby to death. It was an long hour drive home, and that drive changed my life forever. 😳

The Impact

I KNEW experientially…I had no f…ing clue what I was doing. I didn’t know how to be a parent because I couldn’t even make one healthy decision for myself…AND I was an “adult.” How was I going to raise a child when I KNEW I was still a child?

You see Father says…come to Him LIKE a little child. What He is saying…is with HUMILITY. Great humility. Like you KNOW you don’t know…just as a child knows.

My 4-year-old granddaughter constantly asks questions. How does this work? Why this? Why that? Can I do this? Can I do that? Can I have this? Can I have that? That is how we are supposed to come to Him…just like that…knowing we don’t know. ASKING our Father…our parent. Questions…and for His permission BEFORE we do whatever it is, we FEEL like doing.

The Test

Years ago, I was having a conversation with a woman about my relationship with Father. She could not understand my heart…how I followed Him. She was super condescending to me…like I was an idiot. To prove her point, she said ok…I have a scenario for you. Here it is.

You are driving down the road and you see a family with their vehicle broken down along the side of the road. You know you would be able to help them. Do you pull over?

My response…Idk…I would ask Father…do you want me to pull over and help them or not? I would listen to His Spirit and follow…obey Him.

She was frustrated with me…annoyed…irritated…etc. One of the things she said to me was this…I couldn’t live that way. If I knew I could help them then I wouldn’t wait to ask Father, I would just pull over and help them.

Ok…I already knew that was how she would respond. Didn’t learn anything new in that convo. 🤷‍♀️

The Difference

I held my tongue because Father didn’t release me to respond to her attitude, but I get the freedom to share here. Here is the difference between her heart and mine. In her heart was rooted pride and arrogance…along with selfishness, self-centeredness, impatience, disobedience, and rebellion…to name a few. My heart was rooted in humility…along with obedience, selflessness, patience, love, etc. She would have done it HER way. I would have done it HIS way. See the difference??

See…this is the attitude I walk in…I DON’T KNOW what I need, nor do I know what other people need. I don’t know. Without Him, I KNOW NOTHING. Without Him, I AM NOTHING. That is the bottom line for me. I love Him and I simply do whatever He tells me to do.

No pressure in life that way…at least from the aspect of daily decisions and expectations. There are most certainly stressors that come from following Him to that degree. More than I could ever express in this life…but for me…it is less painful in the long run to follow Him…than it is to follow me. I WILL MOST CERTAINLY MESS IT UP. Every single time.

I am a Fool

Back to the day I was traveling home from my doctor’s appointment…the day I realized I was a fool. Up until that day, I had been the foolish man building a house on the sand. Every single decision I made from that day behind me…was a death decision. Every single one. I had ALWAYS chosen death and I discovered the deathstyle made me miserable. The consequences of choosing death…is…well…death. Go figure! A miserable place to live in. Dead end road. 😩

As I was reflecting on the fact that I was a fool building on the sand…making nothing but death choices, I realized I couldn’t follow myself any longer. I wasn’t worth following. Why would I follow someone who only chooses death??? That is pretty foolish right???? Like I am not an idiot here, once I saw the truth…that Crystal was a fool making death choices…the conclusion was pretty easy to reach. Well…I need to follow whoever has wisdom and life. Wow…there is an idea…I guess the only option for me was…well…Father. There ya go! Now you know!

Wisdom and Righteousness

In my mind, He was the source of wisdom, righteousness, truth, life, love, light, etc. To me…if HE truly was the Creator of the Universe…AND the Creator of me…then He ALONE would KNOW what was best for me. It also stood to reason He would also KNOW what was best for the child I was carrying in my womb…and every child that came from my womb in the future. Super logical to me. Made perfect sense.

I needed to grow up…and I knew He was the only one that could bring me to maturity. I knew my earthly parents didn’t know how to get the job done or they would have done the job when they had the chance. See? He was my only source.

So, I started following Him that day…partly out of fear, partly out of desperation, but a whole lot out of knowing the truth. Crystal is an idiot…and so is everybody else.

NO NOT ONE

That day, I intuitively knew man was not worth following. Not only me as man…but ALL of mankind. NO man was the source of truth. No man was the source of wisdom. No one is righteous…no, not one…WITHOUT Christ within. It was that day; my true journey of LIFE began.

Here is a major problem with man…they THINK they know. They really do. Man thinks he/she knows what is best for them…so they go their own way. Then they arrogantly think they know what is best for everyone else too…so they tell everyone else what to do.

Mind-boggling to me. ABSOLUTELY mind-boggling! 🤯

Family Drama

Many years ago, I had some family drama. A brother of mine told me I was called to answer to him.

Excuse me???? Where did you get THAT from? 🤔

The Bible…it says so in the Bible.

Oh…do tell. Tell me what scripture says that because I have read the Bible MANY times from cover to cover and it doesn’t say that. 🤨

He couldn’t remember the scripture he was referencing.

Yes…just what I thought. 😏

Part of the drama was over how I raised my children. My family thought they knew best how to raise the children I gave birth to. They wanted me to follow them in how I was to raise my children. Get their permission on what my kids should and shouldn’t do.

Wow. I disagreed. I don’t remember Father ever giving anyone else the responsibility to raise the children HE entrusted to me. When our judgment day comes…I answer for how I parented those children…no one else answers for me. When He gives someone the responsibility of a child…they answer to Him for that child. If you abdicate your role as a parent…you answer for that.

My family and I parted ways on that note.

The Arrogance of Man

I remember so clearly sitting in his living room in complete awe of the arrogance of what I was hearing. I was stunned speechless. Mind blown. Had no words. Just listened to the toxicity vomited out all over me and wondered how someone could be so arrogant.

This is where my mind went with it.

Over the years of raising my children and even NOW today having adult children…before I speak to my children…I speak to Father ABOUT my children and the situation at hand.

How I raised my children and made my decisions for the children…was being prostrate on the floor with my nose in the carpet BEGGING Father to tell me what He wanted me to do in this current situation. NOT kidding. Before my brother decided what was best for my child…did he get on the floor and ask my child’s creator??? I don’t think so.

Here is why I went to the carpet each time…I KNEW I didn’t KNOW what was best for HIS child. That child…was only “mine” for 18 years IF He gave me 18 years with that child. Some parents don’t get their children a full 18 years. He LOANS them to us. We are responsible for raising them how He wants His child raised. You get one shot. You mess up those 18 years…you don’t get a do-over. I KNEW that. To me…that was a HEAVY burden.

I am not so arrogant to think I know what He wants for the children He gave me on loan. So many parents do though. And so many relatives…and non-relatives. It is the nature of man to be arrogant.

Influencers

Back to influencers…I have never wanted to be one. It goes back to raising children…it is a HUGE responsibility. I don’t want the job. I KNOW I am NOT smart enough to know what is best for myself let alone any other human being. I don’t understand how the arrogant believe they are smart enough to know how to lead themselves and also everyone else.

I am constantly amazed as I look around me…in this world…on TV…on social media…all over the internet at all the people dying to be someone of influence. Wanting people to validate them. Wanting people to look up to them. Wanting people to follow them. Wanting to be a leader and a person of influence.

I watch people following someone else and see the masses saying things like…

Oh…you are SO inspiring.

You are so beautiful…inside and out.

Preach!

That!

Say it again!

Come on!

Religion

What I see is this…the influencer has started their own religion. They are the priest, and their followers are the members of their church. The members give all their praise and worship to the priest of the religion worshipping at their temple. Sometimes that is a coach or trainer at a gym. So, the gym is the temple, the priest is the coach/trainer. The athletes are the parishioners.

Sometimes that is a football player on the field. The audience in the bleachers are praising and worshipping the athletes on the field…sometimes the coaches.

Sometimes that is an MLM on the internet.

Sometimes that is a “life” coach on their personal website.

Sometimes that is an expert on their YouTube channel racking up millions of subscribers.

The list goes on and on. Do you get the picture?

A Nation of Many Religions

America has become a nation of many gods with many religions that the masses bow down and worship daily but so very few fail to worship the only one that is worthy to be worshipped…and FOLLOWED.

Even in our churches today…many go to praise and worship. To have an emotional experience with the music.

I once had a woman tell me I needed to get back into church and do corporate praise and worship because she believed in her delusional state I wasn’t following Father. I had gone off on some crazy trail because she couldn’t believe the one I followed was Father.

Listen…if you need to have music to praise and worship Father…you are clueless as to what true praise and worship are. If you need music to FEEL Him and His presence…you are in trouble. That is USING music as a drug. You are abusing music…that is born out of a selfish heart…not a heart bowing to Him. You are bowing to yourself and using what comforts you…what makes you FEEL good.

Father once told me years ago…every single time you make a decision based on the flesh of man and NOT on MY Spirit…it is a selfish motive…a disobedient act…a sin against me. Just let that sink in a minute. Every single decision YOU make on YOUR own going YOUR own way…is a sin. The sin of selfishness. An act of defiance against the one who created you. 🤯

Birthright

It is about my birthright for me. We all have one. We are born with rights given to us by Father which include our calling from Him in our lives. He created each one of us for certain purposes. You get two choices…you can get on board with His plan for your creation and follow Him to fulfill it. OR you can choose to go your own way. LIFE or death. Super easy to understand. Choose life…blessings. Choose death…curses…or what we would call today…CONSEQUENCES.

If you choose to follow yourself and your plan…you get to choose ANY path you want. You get to pick any career. Any gender. Any and all drugs you want to use and abuse. You can believe whatever makes you happy and feel good. You can pick any partner you want to live with, marry, hook up with, OR none at all. You get to choose whatever makes you happiest every single day of your life. BUT…here is the kicker…no matter what path you take…they all lead to Hell. You can sell your birthright…His created plan for YOUR existence to Satan…to a game…to a religion…to a person…to a drug…to a video game…to a car…etc. Sell it at whatever price you deem it to be worth to whomever you want…but once you sell it…you can’t buy it back again. Once lost…it is lost forever.

I can’t do that. The price is too high. Too much at stake…for me…for my children…for my seed. For generations to come. If I sell out…they all perish. It isn’t just about me. I can’t be selfish. Although at times…I want to be. Like right now…It is almost 9 pm and I am sitting at the fire with my family typing this up. I would love to sit around the fire every single night staring at the flames and listening to the fire flickering. Crazy and wonderful to my senses. I love the smell, the sound, the sight, along with the warmth of the fire.

Super Relaxing Day

I had a super relaxing day. We canned our 50 pounds of tomatoes, grilled chicken, made a blackberry pie, rearranged the furniture in the house, and spent an enormous amount of time in the lawn chairs. Exactly where I am sitting right now as I type.

Did you know the moon comes out at night so that we are not afraid of the dark? That is per my granddaughter. Love the innocence of a sweet little child.

Seriously…I could camp every single night in the woods…without neighbors. I always said…I could live on a deserted island alone. I am an introvert. Quite content being all alone in my mind. For me to accept the birthright He has given me…costs my flesh…everything. My flesh has to die…bow and submit to His plans He has ordained for me…long before He created this world.

Choosing LIFE

I chose to get on board with His plans. That happened 30 years ago while driving home from the OB that day. I had no idea it would cost me what it has but even so…I go. I follow. For years I have said…even if no one goes with me…I will still follow. I have honored my oaths…the vows I have made.

At different stages in my life, He has opened new pieces to the puzzle of my future. Each new piece overwhelms me. Greatly. Beyond what man can imagine.

About four or five years ago, He led me to a video online. The video was a prophecy about me. As I listened, I was in complete shock. I had no idea anyone else knew. It made sense though later as I had told him back in 2010 or so…you are going to have to raise up people to pray for me if what you say is true. I wasn’t sure I could withstand the hatred coming for me. It was too much to bear.

He has shown me…He answered that request for me…He has people praying for me. Granted they don’t know who I am…but they are praying. I am grateful. 🥰

The Interesting Part

The interesting part for me is this…many claim my position falsely. Arrogantly. But isn’t that who the enemy is??? When you won’t sell him your birthright…your identity…He tries to steal it from you. He is the ultimate identity thief. Always stealing man’s identity from them. Planting the tares…the weed seeds of lies and deception in your hearts and minds to deceive you into believing you are somebody you are not. You don’t KNOW who you were created to be. Brilliant tactic for the commander of the opposing army don’t ya think? He may be a fool…but he sure isn’t stupid.

On occasion, I will go watch some of the videos on YouTube talking about me. I love to read the comments. Some of them amuse me…highly amused. But some… leave me speechless. I am amazed at the revelation some people are getting. Spot on…accurate.

But those that claim my position…the arrogance of man baffles me. Yesterday, I went and read through some of the comments. One, in particular, had Vanessa and I rolling with laughter. They were discussing my training in the Wilderness, so this woman said it was her because she literally just spent a week in the woods. OH…MY…GOODNESS! ROFL…not kidding. Sign me up for that kind of training honey! Easy peasy for me. Try living in Hell for 5 years straight. Try that kind of training…see if you want my position then. With great authority comes great PAIN. You have no clue…beyond man’s imagination. Indescribable. Unimaginable.

LIFE vs Death

In September of 2001, 21 years ago…Father gave me my first revelation of the days we are getting ready to come into. I have been training intently since that moment in time…training before then as well…but training with knowledge of my purpose since that day. More times than I can count, I have said to Him…I didn’t ask for this job. I don’t want this job. Give it to someone else. The demands are beyond what I want to meet.

But…I remember certain things… that hold me in this place…this position…this space in time.

I can’t forsake my children.

I can’t sell my birthright, my inheritance, or that of my children.

I have come too far to turn back now.

I have lost too much to give up and lose what I have already invested. I have paid too high of a price.

And then…also…I see all these influencers who so arrogantly believe they are leading people into life…when instead they are leading them to their death.

To be Frank

I am going to be frank with you…that just inflames me with fury and the Warrior Queen rises in me and I am ready to roll some heads with my sword. How dare you all defy the ONE who created you? If you think there are NO consequences for leading the blind to their death…you are mistaken. A time is coming dear ones…a time is coming.

A time will come for the prideful and arrogant to FALL. For the flesh of man to FALL. It is time for those who refuse to give Him the glory to be reduced to rubble. Your houses of worship and your praises of man will be exposed for the foolish behavior it is. Man WILL see even though they haven’t seen…the ONE who created it all. We will see the prideful and arrogant fall. Kingdoms will be demolished, and He will be glorified for who He is.

His season is coming. A beautiful season to come. A great and mighty FALL is upon us all. I AM ready for the FALL show. Going to be an exquisite sight to behold.