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Click here to listen to this teaching. This talk is R-rated, for adults only. Our world is full of empty words and slogans that really don't do much for any of us. Examples: “I'm sorry for your loss,” “thank you for your service.” “How are you?” when you really don't want to know? Why not try, “Wow, I heard your mom passed. That's such a big change.” “I'm so glad that I live in a country where powerful young people choose to defend it.” Followed by, “Can I buy you a beer, a dinner?” or “Thank you so much.” “I haven't seen you in a while. I'd love to catch up either now or sometime soon.” I'm not really looking for more and better buzzwords. I'm just saying, really talk to someone like they matter, even if you don't know them. Which leads me to my main topic: certain slogans that are empty and almost powerless. In many cases that we say in church and to each other: “Have faith.” “You must have faith.” Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” It is not endurance. It is not hanging in. I have heard people encouraging each other and even going so far as name-calling, saying, “You don't have enough faith.” When really they're trying to say, “You don't have enough determination and endurance.” Sometimes that wins the day, but often it does not. In Ephesians 2:8–9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3–9, it says that the gift of God is faith, a supernatural gift that moves mountains. It is not the same as waiting patiently. Many times church people do not move towards solving a problem that needs to be solved in another way. Faith without works is dead, as the body without the spirit is dead. What is the work? The work is connecting with God in a powerful and substantial way so that the gift of faith inhabits your prayers. It does not mean “grab a shovel” in most cases. What is prayer? It's a movement of power, force, and energy. It is not endlessly begging God to do something on your wish list. Do your prayers work? Do they bring about change in a timely fashion, at least as a general rule? If they don't, you need to reset. Many people would rather be given a cup of coffee than an empty “I'll pray for you” or a praying hands emoji. For many, this basically means a symbolic show of support without much power or effectiveness. When you do empty things, there's no room for you to move toward doing effective things. The answer is not to go up, but to go deeper with our generous Father, loving Jesus in a way that actually moves you. Like kissing someone for the first time that you plan to marry. Many of us have been raised on formula. And what do you give a baby when the mother has no milk? Formula. The problem is not that the scriptures are empty. We are—sometimes our lack of connection with a powerful God who loves us. How many of you love your children because you should, or out of an intellectual assent that you should, rather than joyfully connecting with them because you love them? That's the kind of connection we need with God. The body is dead without the spirit. So are all of our prayers and slogans without the spirit inhabiting and animating them. It's a good hint, if our prayers don't work, that we're not doing it right. Slogans are bad because we quit too soon. With a warm sense of satisfaction, without checking, “Did it work?” Many of us noticed that most of our prayers don't work, and we become discouraged and cynical. The Bible says, “Judge by the fruits.” Well, what are the fruits? I know there are some, but don't quit digging; adjust your fire; ask the Father to show you how to pray more effectively, with more of his strength inhabiting what you do. Jesus said to be as a little child: growing, changeable, interested, teachable. We have enough arrogant, empty adults who talk a good game without much demonstration. Don't settle for that. We were created for much more. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. If you are humble, you will have a demonstration of power. Look to the past; practice some of the monastic practices: silence, any kind of communion, fasting, meditation, deep prayer, spiritual exercises; put time and intention, and you'll get results. I remember going to a gym once, and my main contribution was wearing the gym T-shirt. I looked cool, but it didn't do me much good physically. Going to church and listening to a talk once a week and giving each other a hug at the end is not what the Bible says that we are to do, at least without the following: heal the sick, raise the dead, make disciples of all men, cast out devils, visit me in prison, give me, being Jesus, a cup of water. I haven't ever raised anyone from the dead, but I've had the joy of doing all the rest. There is a great hunger in many to speak, but not so much to do. If we have to look up to a person, how about Heidi Baker or Randy Clark, someone who does a lot more than talk? We used to call it “doing the stuff.” Be a doer of the word, not a hearer only. You cannot be a successful Christian without supernatural power. It is a supernatural calling, not a physical calling. Well, I may have made some of you mad, but I, I like the saying—“Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”—will get us a lot further than settling for way less than we should. My goal is not to make you unhappy. Just take a look at what I'm saying; test and see if it holds up. If your spiritual life can't be challenged, it must not be very strong. This is a two-way street. I live this way myself, and I am happy to trade comfort for growth, at least at times, because without it, I've stayed the same, which is boring and leads me to being an ineffective Christian. Be blessed in Jesus' name and the Father who loves us as we are, as dear children that he wants to see grow, as any good father would.

Click here to listen to Dangerous Love. “This love is getting kind of dangerous.” The song lyric really reached out and hit me in the face. Give a listen to the song White Horse by Chris Stapleton. There is an urgency and a passion in the music that is central to what I want to talk about today. Three or four years ago, I got very sick. I lost a lot of what I cared about and had sacrificed for. And I was greatly humbled by being so weak and out of it. Thankfully, good friends stuck by me in almost unbelievable ways. And I had pulled through and returned to a normal and even happy life. God told me, “Good, I can trust you more now because you're afraid of me in a good way.” The Bible wasn't fooling when it said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It turned out very well for me. God trusted me more and promoted me more and gave me a very happy living arrangement. Things went along smoothly for a year or two. I found myself falling more and more in love with the father as I started to experience him in many new ways. He is the best. If I was made to spend the rest of my life telling people how good, fun, and delightful he is, I would be more than happy and satisfied. But as that love grew brighter, I started to notice that, by comparison, my love for Jesus was like an old, somewhat worn out marriage, not bad enough to leave, but not exciting or good enough to want to give it much effort. As usual, the problem was me. Jesus hadn't gotten cold and distant. I had. I took a good look within and, like a little kid, I felt like he had not taken care of me during my illness, where I had suffered so much, even though he sent friends to help me in unbelievable ways. I was mad at him and had withdrawn myself, not completely, but enough to shut down much of my heart and soul to him. I realized after two years or so that I really was at fault and was missing out on one of the most important and intense relationships I'd ever had. I decided to repent and start moving back to him bit by bit. It was slow, but it started to work, like a flooded engine sputtering to life. I was talking to a friend one day about my early life around the age of 21, where I found a key that has really helped me come alive again. I have been becoming more and more fascinated with Christianity, and everywhere I turned, Jesus seemed to be there. I joined a Christian group. I was a hippie at the time. I cut my hair, started wearing a black suit with a collar and a cross so that people could see that I was available to help them. I started getting up at 5:30 AM for prayers and communion, making my bed, just so taking orders, working at a straight job, then going out at night to help people and tell them about Jesus as well. And there were many people on the street at this time. It was San Francisco in the 1970s. I gave up sex and drugs and left my girlfriend behind. I got $7 a week spending money, and yet I was happy as a clam. Had I joined a cult? Had I been hypnotized or drug? No, I had fallen into a dangerous love, head over heels in love with Jesus, not with just my mind, but with all of me. Those of you who know me know that I'm not soft or easy to influence. One of my favorite words is no. My childhood had been difficult, with four different families, and I was on my own by the day I was 17. I had a job and was self-supporting and an apartment, and I was very popular with the other kids. I even finished high school. But God kept calling me to himself. As I remembered that first intense love affair with Jesus, I wanted it again, and something started to pull me back. Things between us are so much better now. I smile when I think of his name. Enthusiasm and energy has reentered our relationship. I am falling again into a dangerous love with Jesus, and I'm loving it. Can any of you relate to any part of this story? Ask yourself the question: have I ever had a dangerous love with Jesus? If not, do you want it now? If you lost it along the way, do you want that love to come back between the two of you? Are you willing to pursue it as something you really must have?

Click here to listen. Genesis 1:1–2 says: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void. Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” 1. What Emptiness Really Is Emptiness is not abandonment. It is not cold, endless isolation. It is not the terror of floating alone in a black universe. Emptiness is receptivity. It is the condition that allows something greater than you to move toward you, speak to you, and love you without interference. Emptiness is not the absence of presence. It is the absence of control. When you stop filling the space with effort, fear, performance, or self-protection, that space becomes inhabitable—not for nothingness, but for God. 2. Letting the Greater One Lead If you were sitting at dinner with someone vastly wiser, deeper, and richer in experience, the most natural thing would be to let them speak. Not because you are worthless.But because they have more to give than you have to say. This is how relationship with God works. You do not dominate the conversation. You do not wrestle Him for what He is already offering. You do not force intimacy. You yield the floor. And even then, love will still draw you in. God will still rope you into the conversation. But the posture matters. You are not trying to extract something. You are allowing yourself to receive. 3. The Posture of Delight There is a way of sitting before God that is neither passive nor aggressive. It is open delight. You do not manipulate. You do not strategize. You do not perform. You do not try to feel holy. You simply open yourself to what is greater than you—with pleasure. Like eating a steak because it tastes good.Not because you earned it.Not because you’re starving.But because it’s there, and it’s generous. This is how presence is meant to be consumed. 4. You Were Trying to Take What Had Already Been Given Long ago a counselee and I when we were physically together we had tussle where I made you, the counselee, play fight with me over some money. This is one of the few times I have ever actually physically wrestled with a counselee. I made you say, “Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me.” When I had already handed you the money. I tried to force you to make me hand over money that I had already given. It was completely unnecessary. You already had it. Just like you already have God’s love. The wrestling over money was a parable. The struggle was unnecessary because the gift was already in your hands. This is how people relate to God. They fight to receive what they already possess.They beg for affection that was given at creation.They fear rejection from a love that never left. “You had me at hello” applies here—but deeper. God had you at creation. He gave you His heart before you had the capacity to respond. You never stole it. You never manipulated it. You never earned it. If you could steal God’s heart, He wouldn’t be God. 5. The Myth of Conditional Love God’s love is not fragile. It is not held hostage by your behavior. It is not removed as punishment. Discipline may happen. Correction may happen. Direct confrontation may happen. But love is not revoked. Love is not on the list of consequences. The fear of being expelled is not humility. It is control masquerading as responsibility. If everything depends on your performance, then you remain in charge. And that, paradoxically, is far more exhausting—and painful. 6. Self-Inflicted Pain Is Not Spirituality Much of what people experience as “conviction” is self-authored suffering. No one handed you a manual for how to hurt yourself. You wrote it. God does not teach you to live in fear of expulsion. He does not delight in your anxiety. He does not prefer your misery to your joy. A good father celebrates his child’s success, even while addressing failure when needed. Correction serves love.Encouragement serves love.Both aim at growth—not humiliation. 7. The Womb of creation is not a Void of emptiness The phrase matters because it points to reality, not metaphor. The womb of creation is not emptiness as nothingness. It is emptiness as pure capacity. It is where the spirit man lives. The spirit cannot be dissected. It does not exist as an object in this dimension. It lives in another order of reality. The womb of creation is that dimension. You do not become the void. You enter it. And by entering it, you encounter yourself as you truly are—not the constructed self, not the defended self, not the striving self—but the spirit self. 8. Visiting the Spirit Man You do not analyze the spirit man. You visit him. You remain there. You camp there. You acclimate. At first, it feels disorienting. Then it feels stabilizing. Then it feels real. This is what was once called self-realization—not self-exaltation, but self-awareness rooted in truth. You become dimensionalized. You become realized. You stop striving to exist and start living from where you already are. 9. The Invitation God places abundance before you and says, “Are you hungry?” Not: “Prove you deserve this.” Not: “Work for it.” Not: “Be careful or I’ll take it away.” Just:“Eat what you can.” And the wonder of it is this: He is far more in love with you than you are with Him. Your task is not to manufacture devotion—only to receive what is already pouring out. That is emptiness. That is the womb of creation’s void. That is where the spirit man lives.

Alexander and Sheila, the Wonderful Enchanted Alligators A joyful children’s adventure about friendship and two very unusual alligators. Join Jonathan and Jane as an ordinary summer day turns into an extraordinary journey filled with transformation, laughter, s’mores, baby alligators, and the wonder of God’s heavenly world. Listen to the Story Press play, then scroll through the pictures as you listen. Or Read the Story Below Jonathan, who is a wonderful child that you’ll be getting better acquainted with in this story, felt a still, small voice waking him out of a very deep and very cozy sleep. He sat up and stretched and said, “What’s up, Father?” You see, Jonathan could speak and see and hear in all of heaven. And his favorite person in heaven was Father God. All the other angels and creatures also loved Father, so he had a lot of company out in heaven, all who loved the Father. And he felt connected to all of heaven. There was a call and kinship and a love among all the creatures and angels of heaven that Jonathan shared and was a little in awe of. His best friend, Jane, was the same. She could see and hear, and they were almost inseparable. They were separated by one year, but that was about all. They lived in different homes and spent an awful lot of time together, which they enjoyed very much. He was wondering in a happy way how he would spend this lovely summer day. Jonathan heard the Father say, “Get up and go to the lake. There’s an old friend there who wants to see you, and someone new that I know you’ll like.” Jonathan got up and washed his face and put on his outside clothes. He cheerfully walked through the kitchen, gave his mother a kiss, and grabbed a warm breakfast biscuit on his way out. Jonathan was eleven at the time. He didn’t have to ask permission to go out into the woods around his home or into the small town. School was closed for the summer, and he reveled in the freedom of that, and his parents happily gave it to him. Jonathan had learned to hear God and obey Him and, at a very young age, was safe and responsible far beyond his young years. His parents treated him more like he was seventeen years old than eleven. They got along very well together as a family. They touched in when needed but largely went through the chores and fun of life guided almost exclusively by the Holy Spirit and Father and enjoyed each other very much. Even the chores got taken care of with very little planning or discussion. There was a strong angelic presence over the property. There were some very large and powerful beings who lived on and looked over the property and considered it their home as well as their charge. On his way to the lake, Jonathan stopped at his friend Jane’s house. She was an early riser and was always up for an adventure, so he had no doubt that she would enjoy coming with him. He cheerfully knocked on the door, and her parents let him in with a smile. Jane was already up and ready to go because Father had told her to get ready to do something fun. As they walked to the lake, Jonathan shared his biscuit with Jane. He heard two very loud splashes as they got to the lake. One was very large, and the other was about half as large, but both were substantial. As he moved toward the bank of the lake, Jonathan and Jane saw two gray-green heads sticking out of the water. One was somewhat smaller and more delicate than the other, but still quite large, with large bulbous eyes staring at them from out of the water. The larger of the two called out and said, “Hello, Jonathan. Hello, Jane. Good to see you again.” It was Alexander the alligator. They had already become friends, but the new friend’s name was Sheila. They were introduced, and Jonathan and Jane came forward and met Sheila. Sheila said to them, “I have heard of humans, but I’ve never known any. And I heard of you from Alexander. He speaks of you often. I’ve been fascinated and would like, if you will allow it, to be friends with you and to find out more about you.” Jonathan and Jane thought this was a great idea and agreed to it right away. They spent a little time chatting and getting to know each other. Jonathan, ever curious, asked, “I’ve met Alexander before, but where do you live?” Sheila answered, “Would you like to see for yourself?” Jonathan said, “Oh, yes.” Jane wanted to see as well because they were lively children and never grew bored or despondent. They were happy, and almost everyone was happy to see them. Sheila said, “Children, come closer to me.” Both the children came forward and wondered what she wanted. She reached out with her stubby arms and touched them both gently on the head with her claws. The children started to shimmer and shake, and both of them changed into alligators about eight feet long. They were not as big as Sheila or Alexander, but they were substantial, with large bulbous eyes, lots of bumps all over their green and gray bodies, and quite a few jagged, sharp alligator teeth in their jaws. Jonathan was so surprised he almost fainted. Jane was a little more flexible and immediately jumped in the water and started swishing her tail. She was able to swim faster than she ever had before. Both children were fascinated with their new bodies. Jonathan, ever a boy, swam out into the middle of the lake and found the biggest floating sticks and logs he could find and happily bit them in half with his new powerful jaws. After a while, they had races. They both won about an equal amount and also wrestled a little bit with their new strong bodies, which was again pretty much an even match. Then they played games of tag. Sheila and Alexander sat on the bank in the sun, as alligators like to do, and happily watched the children play. After a while, the children became a little concerned, realizing that they were now in eight-foot-long alligator bodies, and wondered what their parents might think. They said, “Excuse us, but how long will we be alligators?” Sheila and Alexander reassured them. “We will have you home by dusk in your human bodies because, you know, some adults get very upset when you come home in different bodies than what you left with.” Jonathan and Jane were delighted and thought that was a good plan. Sheila asked them, “Would you like to come and see where we live?” And Alexander said, “Follow me.” The children both cried out, “Yes, we’d love to!” Alexander led the way and dove deeper under the lake water. Sheila came behind him, and the two children followed behind. They splashed through the water, going deeper and deeper. Finally, off in the distance, there was a shining green and blue light. Alexander said, “Do you see that shining light? That’s my home.” They swam for quite a ways farther and came up to a large door. It was a large wooden door set with beautiful jewels, and engraved in the door was the word Home. Alexander came forward to the door, stared at it for a moment, and said, “Open.” The door slowly opened and granted them entrance into the house. The inside of the house was pleasantly cool, and a soft golden light radiated from veins of real gold set into the walls. The light of the walls, if you touched them, instantly invigorated you and made you feel refreshed. So the children happily dragged their tails along the edge of the walls and felt quite good until the adults finally called them into another room. There were no stairs because alligators are not made for stairs. But there were long ramps that connected everything together. There were trophies set into niches in the wall, some for winning games that the children had never heard of. There were also shields on the wall for bravery in the heavenly military and quite a few awards that had to do with alligator community awards for service and kindness to alligators and humans. Alexander and Sheila were both very honored in the alligator community and were obviously alligators of great stature. Sheila, ever the perfect hostess, led the way to a beautiful stone fire pit where a bright blue fire burned. The flames could be commanded to burn hot and high or low and slow. A pleasant warmth radiated from the fire pit, and a lovely smell came from the flames. “Who’s hungry?” Sheila asked. Alexander and both the children shouted, “We are!” Sheila went into a cove and came out with several boxes of graham crackers, big bags of marshmallows, and flat pieces of chocolate. “Who wants s’mores?” “We do!” Alexander and the children shouted. Sheila, surprisingly capable with her small front legs and claws, began to roast long skewers filled with marshmallows. As they heated and browned and popped, a delicious smell filled the room. She would take the molten marshmallows, put them on top of the chocolate, and squeeze them between sandwiches made of graham crackers. The children and Alexander all sat in a circle around her with their jaws wide open, and she would throw the fresh, hot, bubbling s’mores straight into their mouths. Alexander ate thirty, and both the children ate fifteen apiece. Sheila snacked along the way and seemed to be happy and full when they were done. Jane and Jonathan, ever curious, asked, “Where did you get the graham crackers and the marshmallows?” “At the grocery store,” Sheila said with a smile, but she wouldn’t explain any further. All through the meal, loud thumping and scratching and rattling had been coming from behind a large door set into the wall. The children, on their best behavior, had been too polite to ask what it was, but they couldn’t contain themselves any longer. So they said, “What’s behind that door making all that noise?” Sheila smiled and said, “Would you like to meet my children?” The children said, “Oh, yes, that would be great.” Sheila went over to the door and said, “Open.” As the door slowly opened, out poured twenty twelve-inch-long baby alligators, all very excited. They swarmed all over Jonathan and Jane with their little sharp claws, which tickled even through the hard hide of the children’s alligator bodies. The children laughed and rolled and played with the baby alligators for quite a while. After a while, Alexander said with a smile, “Call for the light of Christ and the blood of Christ onto the children and see what happens.” So the children, who had done this many times before with other angels, did it again. All the baby alligators stopped what they were doing and rolled over on their backs as one, with their white bellies showing, and kicked their feet in the air very happily as they enjoyed the power of God coming over them. The children played with the baby alligators for quite some time, actually lining some of them up and having races and making small bets as to who would win and who would lose. Jonathan’s favorite he called Blackie because it was blacker than the other alligators, and Jane’s favorite she called Whitey because his belly was so white. When it became time to go home, Alexander said, “Children, it’s almost dusk. It’s time to get you back.” So they lined up and made their way to the door, swimming together under the water, each one catching a fish or two along the way. When they got to the bank of the lake, they all crawled up and walked up the muddy bank. They gathered in a circle on top of the bank. No one else was around. They all paused, not quite willing for the day to be over. Sheila said, “Come close, children.” She reached out with her short arms and put a claw gently on each of the children’s heads. They started to glow and shimmer and very soon were back in the same human bodies that they had started the day with. Jonathan and Jane hugged both Alexander and Sheila around the neck and said, “Oh, thank you so much for a lovely day.” Alexander and Sheila hugged them back, careful not to hug too hard because now the children’s bodies were not as strong as they had been when they were alligators. They said, “Goodbye for now, children, but we would really like you to visit again. Also, we’ll keep an eye on you from afar. And if you ever really need us, just call us with your mind.” The children promised that they would and made their way home slowly, marveling at the day and not talking much. When each of them got to their homes, they gave their parents a long embrace, went into their bedrooms, and fell face down on their beds without undressing. They fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. Both sets of parents looked on in a knowing way, knowing that something wonderful had happened, but giving them time to rest and to share with them in their own time. And that’s the end of the story. For more books by Richard Kinney and Nancy Moelk Click Here

Firehouse Ministries, Inc. provides resources for Spiritual Development and Prophetic Counsel for those who are engaging in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We work with Kingdon businesses and individuals. They will find here ongoing help and opportunities for inspiration and wisdom. Firehouse Ministries, Inc. has a strong component of emotional healing and spiritual growth. Check Out Two New Books by Dr. Nancy Moelk and Richard Kinney Welcome to the Family Business: An Invitation to Join Your Supernatural Family The Dragon Bar: A Book of Modern-Day Encounters with Angels, Dragons, and Supernatural Creatures Firehouse Ministries, Inc. Sign-Up for New Events and Posts Spiritual Development, Prophetic Counsel, Emotional Healing and More Explore the Spiritual Exercises for More Daily Protection Prayers Significance and the Problem of Drama Alexander and Sheila: the Wonderful Angelic Alligators Click here to listen to this children's story. Coming to Peace by Controlling Your Mind Light of Christ Prayer and Exercise How to Do Deliverance Cleansing Your Bloodline Sitting on the Father's Lap Stepping into the Presence of Christ Spiritual Self-Defense Course Info Encounter with Big Jesus Love and Approval of God Getting to Know the Spirit Man Spiritual Atmosphere Control Light and the Spirit Man Finding Your Destiny Pillars of Fire (Protection) Stepping into Freedom from Pain and Gratitude Peace Exercise Spiritual Barbwire Hearing Both the Spirit Man and Prophecy Encounter Jesus Moment Winning the Battle Against Fear Insigts into Spiritual Warfare Intro to School of the Four Living Creatures Get Rid of Resignation, Resentment, Bitterness and Hopeless/Despair And Many More . . . Dangerous Love The Womb of Creation The Problem of Principalities All Posts (46) 46 posts Protection Prayers (6) 6 posts Spiritual Exercises (17) 17 posts School of the Four Living Creatures (2) 2 posts Family Help (2) 2 posts Prayer (6) 6 posts Emotional Healing (12) 12 posts

Books available on Amazon.com by Dr. Nancy Moelk in English and Spanish Alexander and Sheila, the Wonderful Enchanted Alligators A story for the young at heart by Richard Kinney Listen and Read Here Books available on Amazon.com Welcome to the Family Business: An Invitation to Join Your Supernatural Family The Dragon Bar: A Book of Modern-Day Encounters with Angels, Dragons, and Supernatural Creatures God Wants to Be with You Good Grief Revised, Updated, and Expanded By Their Fruit: Oil, Genocide & Faith - A Chronicle of the South Sudan Titles in Spanish Dios Quiere Estar Contigo Del Duelo al Consuelo