Isaiah 55:9 - For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Through a recent experience, I had the opportunity to watch those words come alive and to get a glimpse into how God’s economy can sometimes work.

Several years ago, I was a partner in a small auto dealership. One of our vendors held a contest and as one of the winners I was given the opportunity to choose a gift from their prize catalog.

For some time prior to entering the car business, one of my true passions was cabinetmaking (furniture-making for those of you unfamiliar with that term). I had always wanted to return to this field so I was really pleased to get to choose a new table saw from the prize offerings.

Time constraints and the pressures of trying to build a business kept me from even opening the box.

Yet there was something that kept me from ever getting rid of the thing. I had countless opportunities to sell the thing, to give it away or just throw it in the trash.

But I didn’t. There was no rational reason to keep it - there was just this “something” that wouldn’t let me get rid of it.

So I just kept lugging the thing around - for over 10 years. Still unopened, although the box was really starting to suffer from 10 years of moving, neglect and more than a few re-tapings. With each move came a new resolve on my part to get rid of it.

It just occupied a place in the garage.

And then, several months ago, I happened to come across a post on one of the few forums that I occasionally visit.

It seems that a Christian brother had asked the forum members for some advice. He was in the midst of going through a bankruptcy and had several questions.

Now, for some 10 or 12 years, that was my job in the car world - helping people through bankruptcy. As a result, I had learned a bit more about this than I really wanted.

So I contacted him and we started to communicate over his questions.

Without any prompting from me, in one of his emails he relayed his story of what had happened. Leaving a position in the millwork industry, he had ventured out on his own and started his own company.

And then the housing boom went bust.

Returning to his former trade as a finishing carpenter, he had been able to get occasional work but was unable to accept a lot of the job offers he had been receiving.

You see, when his business venture turned sour, he had sold most of his equipment to raise cash.

He had been forced to sell his table saw.

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I heard back from him not long ago.

It seems the new table saw worked just fine even though the taped up box had seen better days - and he now had more work than he could accept.

If he doesn’t wear it out, he’s got plans for the table saw when he finishes with it.

He’s going to ask God who he should give it to.

Some of you may have caught glimpses of Bob here and there. The primary thrust of his ministry is to make use of the secular media in publicizing his ministry and exposing the work of the enemy. As a result, he has come under a lot of criticism from both the secular media as well as the church.

I leave it up to you to make your own judgments about Bob and his ministry. Just be sure to think for yourself and don’t fall victim to what other people say. Remember your scriptures -

Matthew 5:11- Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Since my wife was off work the day of the conference, we decided that we would go. One of the areas that she had never personally seen was an actual deliverance. Since Bob’s conferences are usually centered around deliverance, we both felt that there was a better than average chance of her getting to see one.

We weren’t disappointed.

As the conference began, we were both struck by the numbers of hurting people who had come in the hopes of getting relief - it was that obvious.

Bob began his conference by asking all who were there for help to stand. Fully 75% of the crowd stood up ( I would estimate some 80-90 people). He and his team went around the room and anointed each person from vials of oil that he had prayed over.

We were sitting in front and one man directly behind me had stood up. I noticed my wife watching as Bob approached the man. Throughout the rest of the service, she continued to glance over her shoulder at this particular man. While I thought this a little curious, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

It wasn’t until after we had returned home that she told me what had drawn her attention. Whenever Bob had anointed this particular man, he had started hissing at Bob.

Well now - that was probably a clue that something was going on. Perhaps an indication that things were not what they seemed.

After the service, the man was asked to come up to the front. Bob began to pray and command the foul spirit to show itself.

Nothing. No response - at least at first. Bob persisted.

And then it started. First of all, the man’s face began to change. It started to contort. Still - silence. Whatever was at work was being quite stubborn.

Finally it began to speak. In a deep whisper. Defiant. Resistant.

Bob continued in his efforts to force this entity to the surface and to try and drive it out. In the course of this confrontation, the demon uttered something that I found quite revealing.

It said, “We have no rights.” So - there was more than one in there.

Still, it was quite stubborn. Bob’s attempts to expel it seemed to be weakening it, but he was not able to get it expelled.

After some 30 or 40 minutes, Bob turned to one of his team and asked them to follow up with this man.

Later that night, when we had returned home, my wife went to bed before I did.

Shortly after she had gone to bed, she called me to come in there. Asking her what was going on, she told me she was experiencing fear.

I remembered quite well my own experience with this right after attending my first conference. This seems to be a recurring tactic of the enemy - try to scare people off early on. I also remembered the prayer that I had been led to pray whenever I had encountered this.

Leading her in this prayer, she experienced instant relief. It was gone!

As God lifts these veils, we are called into a realm that defies our ability to fully describe. Entering into this realm is at once fascinating, breathtaking, dangerous and rewarding.

This is a realm that defies our feeble attempts at logic. Our minds, our intellect, our thought processes are incapable of grasping this. And yet, it is a reality that cannot be denied.

2 Corintians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight:

It has been our great blessing that as God lifts these veils, we have been given no more than He has prepared us for. Yet, with each encounter we are forced to stretch - to increase our faith. To draw closer to Him.

As I see it, it’s just one of the ways that Jesus Christ takes us further up that mountain.

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Footnote:

Some time back, we developed a habit of giving our Bibles away. It started when we worked together at the car dealership. We had bought a case to give away in our work.

Whenever a believer would buy a car, we’d give them a Bible. And, whenever a non-believer bought from us, we’d stick one in the glove box, usually along with a tract.

Once we ran out of these give-aways, we would occasionally give away our personal Bibles to those in need of one. I had last given mine away some months ago.

A few days after attending this conference, I got a clear message -

You need a new sword.

Guess we’ll have to buy some more for give-aways.

When I told my wife about this, her initial reaction was - “Uh-oh. I wonder what’s about to happen.”

I have to confess - that was my reaction as well. Not fearful, mind you…. just a little curious.

A fair amount of travel, the launching of several new websites (a listing of which will get added to this site in the near future) and other pressing matters that just really took way too much time.

Here’s hoping you like the new site design - as always your comments are welcome. If you’re an RSS reader, stop in and check out the new look.

Recent updates include a new download - it’s a PDF file of The Devil and Karen Kingston. It’s in the “Warning” section, so be advised. An interesting read, with excellent documentation and a slew of witnesses to the actual encounter.

Both my wife and I continue to be amazed at how God is working in our lives. This site (and a couple of the others recently launched) just continue to grow. Someone has put the video of the 700 Club appearance on Youtube and it’s now approaching 10,000 views.

If you’re new to this site, I suggest you start with the story behind this site - A Walk In The Valley.

Next up is a post entitled “Lifting A Veil, Part 2″ that documents our recent visit to Bob Larson’s conference held here just a few days ago.

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.

A little over a year ago, we had gotten the bad news that a dear family member was diagnosed with cancer. The prognosis was not good as this particular type was highly aggressive.

Radiation and chemotherapy was begun in an effort to combat the effects of the disease. The initial reports following this treatment were encouraging but cautious.

Just a few short months later, the news turned grim.

It was back. It had spread. The worst possible scenario was suddenly upon us. A new round of therapy was planned. Short, intense and not without great danger. To buy time - without it the prognosis was grim - maybe 6 weeks. If the therapy was effective - maybe 6 months.

The therapy was completed in quick order. Improvement. But still, a heavy cloud over everyone.

And then - an overwhelming sense of urgency was upon me. It was obvious - God was telling us to go. Go NOW! Speak of Salvation. Time is short. These are My children - show them the way back home to Me.

God was with us on that trip. Leading. Directing. Speaking.

The enemy showed up, too. As he always does. Unexpected spiritual battles unfolded. But they were no match for the power of God.

As we prayed together, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Brokenness, repentance - and then the overwhelming peace and soaring of the spirit that comes with salvation. You could almost hear as the angels rejoiced.

Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, “This day is salvation come to this house…”

On our trip back home, the Lord impressed upon me just what had taken place. Those scriptures at the start of this post were literally thundering through my thoughts.

And along with it, that unforgettable and dramatic scene that accompanies those scriptures in the movie “The Ten Commandments.” (Yes - the one with Charlton Heston)

You know the scene - the fiery column holding back the enemy, rendering him powerless while the seas are parted by the breath of God for us to cross over.

The Israelites were allowed to “see” the Salvation of the Lord.

He does the same for us today.

Mark 16:17 - And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Patrick had first come into our lives about 2 years ago. Visiting us at the dealership we worked in, he was in need of a new car.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, we managed to get financing for him and put him into a car. He didn’t get to keep it long. He lost his job - then was forced to move from the house he had been living in.

The situation quickly went from bad to worse. He made several visits to us during this time and our conversations eventually turned to faith (as they always seemed to do). Yes, he had faith. Yes, he believed in God and seemed sincere in wanting to draw closer to Him.

One of the comments he repeatedly made was something like this: “Why is this happening to me? I just can’t believe it.”

His underlying attitude was one of “poor, pitiful me.”

We attempted to try and minister to him throughout this time. Arming him with prayers, praying on his behalf and giving him financial support so he could feed his family. Not much seemed to work.

And then, he sort of drifted away. Not showing up very often. Maybe once every 3 or 4 months stopping by when he needed more money, but for the most part - out of touch.

Then he re-appeared. By then, I wasn’t working with my wife any longer so she had the thrill of dealing with him alone for a while. She gave him some solid guidance and he seemed to be sincerely convicted that just maybe he needed to change some things.

She arranged for him to visit our church, along with his wife. Both of them at that time re-committed their lives to Jesus Christ and were baptized. And then, he faded away again. But not for too long.

Calling me, he related how he had been evicted, his family was now split with his kids living all over town and he and his wife were living with his wife’s sister. With his previous track record, I really didn’t have any great interest in getting involved with him again.

But then I realized - God puts people in our path for a reason and I had to do my part.

I was led to go visit him and start acting as his personal taxi in order for him to work out his problems with the state’s welfare system. He would get benefits for a while, then lose them. Usually his fault.

So - that was the first area we worked on. And worked on, and worked on. Until he finally started getting his benefits again. But there was something else going on here and I really couldn’t put my finger on it.

On the second or third occasion that we went to visit him, I had prayed beforehand asking for guidance and asking what to do. I was led to talk with him about the book of Hosea.

Hosea? Yep. I’ll confess up front that I really didn’t understand. And then I was led to Henry’s commentary and it became clear. Patrick had been listening to some really bad advice from others.

We went to their apartment and I spent about 30 minutes talking with Patrick and his wife about “listening to wooden posts.” Taking advice from people instead of turning to God for answers. And he broke down.

It was amazing to actually “see” the sword of the spirit pierce someone and then be witness as they prayed for forgiveness. As John the Baptist said, “The Lord loves a repentant heart.”

But we weren’t finished just yet. My wife loaded Patrick’s wife and youngest daughter in the car and took them shopping. The little girl needed shoes.

I stayed behind with Patrick. Something was leading me to spend a little time with him. I sure had no idea about what we were in for.

Patrick was still wallowing in his self-pity. After a while, it sort of starts to grate on your nerves. And then, I recalled having read in one of Derek Prince’s books that he had discovered that self-pity may be spiritual in nature. In other words - demonic.

So I started to coach Patrick through a series of prayers. He was more than eager, and that was encouraging. The prayers were some that I had learned over time - their purpose was to cause any demonic spirits to manifest. Nothing happened.

That was when God showed up. It suddenly came to mind to lead him in a simple prayer - “Lord, reveal to me the true enemies of my heart, my soul and my life.”

Patrick had trouble with the prayer. Tongue-tied is the only way to describe it. Couldn’t form the words. So we tried - again and again.

Finally, he got it right. And started to shake and shiver. As if he had stepped into a howling blizzard.

He jumped (yes, jumped) from his chair. Still trembling, his eyes were like saucers. “What was that?” he asked. I suggested he pray it again. At first he didn’t want to, then he started it over.

Same reaction. Jumped out of the chair and was shivering - uncontrollable shivering. I realized that we were on to something - and told him so.

I told him I wanted to try it again - and as he would say the prayer, I was also going to be praying. I just didn’t tell him what I was going to pray. So he started once again. By now he had the prayer down pat and didn’t need any coaxing.

As he prayed, I started to pray - aloud, but quietly. My prayer was - “Father in Heaven, I thank you that you have given me all authority over the enemy and all his works in Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, I now claim that authority. In the name of Jesus Christ, I speak now to this foul spirit that is tormenting Patrick and in Jesus’ name I command you to leave.”

Patrick’s reaction was instant. His whole body started twitching and jerking. On the verge of convulsion. He was jumping around the room now. He let out a loud and painful moan - “Ooooooooo.” He wrapped his arms around his torso, his eyes and mouth wide open.

And then, it stopped. As quickly as it had begun. Patrick was rubbing his arms. “Something had hold of me! Something had hold of me! Oh, oh, oh! What just happened? Oh - it’s gone! It’s gone!”

The transformation in Patrick was instant and noticeable. Overnight, he was a changed man. Within a matter of days, he had gotten a new job, found him a place of his own and was truly trying to walk with God.

And - no more self-pity. Confident, assured and happy. Enjoyable to be around. The personality change was startling.

I count it as a true blessing from the Lord Jesus Christ to have been given the privilege of being a witness and participant in this man’s miracle of deliverance.

Unfortunately, I have to say that all has not worked out well.

As a footnote to this incident, I want to mention that it has now been about 6 or 7 months since these events took place.

Once again, Patrick has returned to his old nature - slipped under the radar again. We’ve seen him a couple of times and he’s still free from the “poor pitiful me” attitude. Working in his new job, moving up in the company and providing for his family.

My wife and I occasionally discuss Patrick and his family. There’s still much work to be done and we are sorrowful that he apparently hasn’t continued on the path that he had begun. We also recognize that these things are beyond our control.

I just have a strong feeling that we haven’t heard the last from him.

While I was the one with the injury, I wasn’t the only one involved in the recovery process. We sometimes forget what others encounter whenever a loved one is sick or injured. Having gone through that part of it myself on more than one occasion, it’s equally important that we maintain our awareness of how these situations impact everyone involved.

Especially during the early phase of recovery - that time when I was at my most helpless - my dear wife was almost overcome with the tasks she was forced to endure. Working in an industry that can only be classified as harsh and cruel, she was forced to deal with an unsympathetic employer - no, we can’t afford for you to take time off to care for your husband.

Working long hours, coming home and then tending to me was starting to take a heavy physical toll. Not to mention the emotional worries that her long hours of absence had started to produce. The load was starting to overwhelm her.

She related how, on more than one occasion, she had been overcome with all that was upon her. And she would hide away for a while, just to let the tears out. And then, she prayed. I prayed. We prayed together. For all that was upon us. Healing for me. Strength and wisdom for her. And comfort. Assurance in knowing things would work out.

All I can say is, God responded. In a big way. Pouring strength and comfort into her. And into me. The transformation was instant and powerful. Prayers were answered, almost as soon as they were uttered.

Most of us realize, in a general sort of way, that God hears our prayers. Yet when He answers our prayers for specific needs, it is always overwhelming. And humbling. To know that He hears us - and answers us - never ceases to produce a sense of awe.

Throughout the attack, throughout the recovery, throughout all the trials we faced in this, one thing emerged with a clarity we never would have imagined - He was there. The whole time.

And He used it for good. He brought both of us further up the mountain.

It was late February 2007. My son was moving back to Kentucky and I had agreed to help. My thinking at the time was - take your time - be careful. It didn’t work.

There wasn’t a great deal of moving to be done, so we had rented a cargo van to haul things. The weather had been extremely cold and there was still snow and ice on the ground. And in the driveway where we parked the van.

We had just finished loading a couple of items and I stepped back from the rear of the van. As I started to move around the van, I went down.

The best description I can make is that it seemed like some great arm swept both feet from under me. I want to make a point here - having studied martial arts for 20 years, one of the skills we develop is learning the right way to fall. But it didn’ t help.

I went down too fast and too hard, landing with literally all my weight concentrated on my right hip. And I knew in an instant that I had hurt something. Rolling onto my back, I couldn’t straighten my leg.

For those of you knowledgeable in such things, the most common fracture of this sort involves the neck of the femur. I was to find out a little later that I had not only broken the neck of the femur but had shattered the femur as well.

I’m not going to bore you with the details. It hurt - a lot. The surgeon told me that my bones looked pretty healthy aside from the fractures - so, no hip replacement. Just a hip full of hardware. Pins, screws, wires, a steel rod extending almost to my knee.

It’s a great weather station.

Following the surgery, I spent 2 days in the hospital. I received what I later learned was some not-so-great physical therapy. Trying to learn to use a walker according to these therapists directions, I wound up pulling a couple of muscles. Great. Just what I needed.

Going home, I spent a couple of really bad days confined to a hospital bed. So the decision was reached that I should check into a rehab center for a couple of weeks of further physical therapy.

Rehab center. I found out quick enough that in these parts that’s just another name for nursing home. We hired a van equipped to haul me in a wheelchair. The driver was really a great guy - turned out to be a believer. On the way to the nursing home he made one comment that was just a bit disturbing.

“I take lots of folks to these places (nursing homes). But I don’t ever take any of them home again.”

It wasn’t long after my arrival at the nursing home that something started to really nag at me again. Having experienced this before, I decided to listen. There was an overwhelming sense of urgency telling me - “Get out! Get out of this place.”

That was motivation enough for me. The following morning I went for my first physical therapy session. I had a long talk with the therapist and they agreed that it was ok for me to learn how to use crutches so that I wouldn’t be immobile. But first they wanted to test me.

After that first hour, which was more than a little painful, they agreed that crutches would be OK. The only problem was, they didn’t have any. This was Friday afternoon and they agreed to try and get some for my next session.

On Saturday, I couldn’t wait. I hauled myself out of bed and wheeled my way to the physical therapy department at the far end of the building. Yes, they had managed to get some crutches. No, I was too early and it wasn’t time for my session yet.

When the time finally came, I got to try it out. After about 15 minutes I was moving around pretty good. Slow down, they said, you’re going too fast. You don’t want to fall again. They just didn’t understand - I HAD to get moving.

Returning to my room, I called my wife. Get the driver, I said, and get me out of here NOW.

The nursing home people were not thrilled. They delayed my departure for what I considered an awfully long time. Getting the paperwork ready for me to sign. AMA - against medical advice.

Returning home Saturday night, I was one happy camper. That night, as we prayed together, my wife called on the Lord - “Jesus, you’re the healer and we ask for your healing now.”

The next morning I awoke virtually pain-free. From that point on, an occasional dose of Tylenol (the regular kind) was all I ever needed. Our insurance company surprised me in all this. One of their nurses called. She knew of my escape from the nursing home and arranged for in-home visits from a physical therapist.

Recovery from this, to me, seemed to take forever. The surgeon, on the other hand, was amazed at the speed of recovery.

About six weeks into the recovery, we were on our way to church one Sunday. Up to this point, I confess I had wondered about all this. But I hadn’t made any direct inquiries to the Lord. I didn’t have to. He revealed to me what had taken place as we were on our way to church that day.

Yes, it was an attack.

And it had come because of my prayers.

A couple of months before my injury, I had begun to ask the Lord to fill me with the same spirit as Elijah. And that was the reason - because of my request.

A little background

Derek Prince wrote a great teaching article about our prayer life that offers us some insight. He references the writings of both Paul and Daniel. In the book of Daniel, we learn that the enemy tried to intercept the answer to Daniel’s prayer and succeeded in delaying it for 3 weeks.

Paul writes about being taken up into “the 3rd heaven.” If there’s a “3rd heaven,” it follows there is also a 1st and 2nd. To reach into the 3rd heaven, the dwelling place of God, our prayers have to travel through the 1st and 2nd heavens.

Derek Prince concludes that the 1st heaven is the sky that we see around us, the air that covers the earth. The 2nd heaven is represented by what we call outer space and the 3rd heaven is that place where God dwells.

If he’s right about this, it provides us with some insights into why things can happen as they do. This brings up an interesting question. Who controls the air around us? The prince of the power of the air. This is satan’s domain. It naturally follows that anything we pray travels through the enemy’s domain on its way to God.

Not only do our prayers ascend before God, we actually have an enemy eavesdropping and trying to intercept them on the way. We already know from Daniel that he can sure get in the way of us getting our answers. Is it unrealistic to think that he attacks our prayers in the same way in both directions?

Now that thought will sure change the way you pray. I know it did for me.

I want to point out that God revealed that this attack was due to my request. He didn’t say specifically that He was granting that request. He also indicated that even though I was injured, through it I had been protected. The enemy’s intent wasn’t to hurt me - the intent was more sinister.

Some observations - and a revelation

As I mentioned, during the short time that I was in the nursing home, I felt that I was under spiritual attack. I had suspected that my injury was an attack and that this was just a continuation of the assault. That turned out to be a false assumption on my part. Yes, - this was different. Overwhelming, debilitating. It took everything I had to try and fight it.

While I was there, I made more than a few trips around the place in my wheelchair. And I noticed something that struck me as rather odd.

The patients in that place all showed the same signs. Blank stares. Confusion. According to the nurses, most of the patients suffered from dementia. Senility.

Now, I would think that some of this might be expected. What I saw was shocking.

Everyone - and I mean everyone that I saw - showed these signs. Things were not what they seemed. It was clear to me - there was something else going on here.

One of my sisters works in a similar facility in another state. I questioned her about her observations and she confirmed the vast majority of the patients exhibited these same signs.

Without my asking, the Lord revealed the source of this.

Now, before I go into this - I have a question for you. In some of my conversations with Tom, we have talked about how we both have experienced a heightened sense of anticipation in the spirit. It’s as though something is about to happen. Just what, nobody can really pinpoint. In conversations with other believers, I’ve gotten the same sense of anticipation. Have you experienced this yourself?

Well, there’s a reason for this. And it has to do with what was revealed about the things I just described. It is not confined to nursing homes. It is also in other places such as mental hospitals and other similar facilities.

These places, and many others, are the domain of the rider of the pale horse. Yes, you heard that right. You’ve probable heard him referred to as the Pale Rider.

“Revelation 6:8 - And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Like I said, the attack was overwhelming. I’m confident in saying that the only way I got through it was because the Lord held it back and gave me time to get out of that place.

Read that again. “And power was given unto them -… - to kill with sword, and with hunger.” What was on your news channel today? A report on the war? Another senseless murder? Maybe a piece about the famine in one of the “third world” countries?

Time is short. Shorter than we think. Things really are not what they seem. Not at all.

Whenever I would relate to Tom that we might be experiencing what we called a sense of heaviness, Tom would respond by saying that he also noticed similar attacks directed at him. Depression - same thing going on in both places. We began to realize that all this was just further evidence of territorial spirits that we had read about in the Book of Daniel.

Tom related one particular incident that had taken place with one of his church members that was a bit out of the norm.

This younger couple had put their six-year old daughter to bed for the night. Shortly after tucking her in, they heard her screaming. Alarmed, they both ran to her bedroom.

They opened the door - but were only able to open it a few inches. Something was blocking their entrance. They could see their daughter lying on the bed, struggling against some unseen force. Try as they might, they couldn’t budge the door. It was obvious at this point - something was holding it and they were helpless to push it open.

In desperation, the husband shouted “Lord Jesus help us!” Instantly the door swung open and the child jumped from her bed and ran to her parents.

Right after this, they asked Tom to come to their house and pray. Tom also gave them some prayers to say to fight against this should it return.

Tom relayed this story to me the week following a hauntingly similar attack on my wife.

We managed to make another trip to Youngstown to visit with Tom and his church. This time, we were fortunate in that we didn’t undergo any similar attacks like we had encountered following our last trip. At least not in our home.

Work was another matter. We seemed to be constantly facing a spirit of heaviness and desolation. It seemed as though the enemy had shifted tactics and was escalating the attacks from a different front.

In November of that year (2006), I was once again up against the loss of my job. Cut-backs. A haunting similarity to what had occurred in November prior to my heart attack. The similarity was not lost on me.

Throughout this time, my oldest son had been living with us. The following February he decided to move back to Kentucky. Naturally, I offered to help.

Echoes of the past - fired from my job in November, heart attack the following year while helping the neighbors move.

And now - fired from my job in November, going to help my son move the following year. The stage was set for something to happen - again.

I should have seen it coming.

The question raised was - had Justin infringed upon Brian’s copywright of the Revolution series? Now, I’m not an expert in these matters so I’m going to limit my comments to a basic comparison. You can draw your own conclusions.

At first glance, the two themes are strikingly similar. The demo sites for each theme could be echoes of each other. Both are absolutely stunning, in my opinion. Both of these designers are starting to push Wordpress into new dimensions that go far beyond being just a blog platform.

If you’re a Wordpress user, you probably know all about switching themes for your site. And you know that sooner or later, you’re going to have to go “under the hood” of whatever theme you use in order to get things just right for you.

This is what I’m going to address. I have both themes. This site is built upon the Revolution theme. I have the Options theme running right now on a test site.

You need to understand that I’m no expert with Wordpress. Nor am I an accomplished programmer/coder. And this is where the two themes differ, aside from the fact that one is free and the other a paid theme.

The Options theme is not for the novice or the faint of heart. Justin has come up with a powerful and gorgeous theme, but you need to know your way around Wordpress, CSS and PHP to really use all the features that he’s designed into this theme.

Looking under the hood made me gasp a little. It didn’t take long at all to realize that this theme was going to take some real work on my part. So, I put it on my testsite. To play with, and to learn. Not for sure when I’ll get to the point that I’m comfortable in using it.

There is a striking difference when you raise the hood on the Revolution theme. Brian’s code is surprisingly easy to understand, even for a novice like me. The presentation, like the theme itself, is elegant, clean and insanely easy to customize for your personal preferences. And, in working through the customization, you get to know a lot about Wordpress and coding. With the Options theme, you need to bring these skills to the table or you’ll be lost.

Support, for any theme, is going to determine it’s acceptance and use in the marketplace. A quick look at the support forums for each of these themes can be revealing.

In all fairness, the Options theme is brand new and, like any new thing, has a few bugs. Justin’s forum is designed to help users with their problems and customization. He is, however, one person trying to wear a lot of hats.

The Revolution forum, on the other hand, has a little different setup. Not only does Brian hang around the forums a lot, he has enlisted the help of several moderators that truly go above and beyond normal support. And they do it quickly. Even in this instant world of the internet, their attention to problems and customization issues is quite amazing.

And that brings us back to the question - did Justin “rip off” Brian’s themes? In my opinion the answer is clearly “no.”

What we have here is two exceptionally gifted designers that have each taken their own unique approaches to the issue of designing themes. The fact that they are each currently offering a theme that looks remarkably like the other is not some matter of coincidence. It’s the logical outcome of two different approaches to solving a defined need in the marketplace.

Hopefully, this will help you decide which theme is best for you. As for me, look at the footer.

Big Idea, Part 3:

You have a part to play.

Let that sink in for a minute. It’s true. If you’re at all like me, you probably thought - no way! I’m not important.

Scripture tells us -

Isaiah 43:1 - But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isaiah 43:7 - Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Mark 16:17 - And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Luke 10:18 - And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

You have been called by name. You have been created for His glory. The first sign of a true believer is to cast out devils. You have been given power over all the power of the enemy. Do you live this way? Do you walk in this path? Are you even aware of the authority Jesus has granted to you?

The Scriptures are our guide. Filled with wisdom, truth, grace, mercy and love. A blueprint for how we should live. And yet, how often have we missed the underlying elements that these verses reveal?

There’s something going on here. What do these verses speak to you? Why would we be given authority over the power of the enemy? Why would we want to cast out devils?

Could it be that the enemy is still present, still at work? Could it be that there really are devils, demons and evil spirits at work in our lives?

The answer is clearly “yes.” We have a mandate. A command, not a suggestion. We’ve been told to fight. Why is it that the book of Acts (also known as “the acts of the apostles”) is the only book of the Bible with no ending? Look it up for yourself. It’s the only book without an “Amen” at the end. Do you think this is coincidence? Or, could it be that it’s because the story is still being written?

In general, we’re pretty clueless. After all, we came into this story pretty late. There is much that took place in the past. There is much that is happening now. There is much yet to happen. You have a part in this story. A glory yet to be revealed. To find your part, you must turn to the Author. Get to know Him. Not know about Him - know Him personally.

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Renew your mind. Think differently. Think outside the box. As you move into this realm, into the transformation that has to happen to us all, I suggest you keep this Big Idea in mind. It will help you to make more sense of this dangerous climb up the mountain.

Things are not what they seem. We are at war. You have a part to play.