Identity Crisis or Spiritual Schizophrenia!

[BCyrus]

By Blake Higginbotham – Pt. 1

For the last few days, I have been meditating and agonizing over the topic to which I will now write. It is my hope, that you will not prejudge my heart or the content of this word, until you have taken the time to prayerfully consider it in the light of where we are today. If after you have prayerfully considered it, you still do not understand or agree with my view, then you must know I will be moving on with my life in 2010. I will also be communicating and working with people who are clearly hearing and obeying the voice of the Spirit, and who have both embraced His heart, and possess the skill to address these problems in order to rectify our current dilemma.
 
There are so many things that need to be addressed in the body of Messiah that it may very well take the rest of my life to speak to all of them. So let me start by condensing what needs to be said to one or two points concerning the stated topic. If you will continue to read my weekly articles, I think that you will discover that I am in tune with what the Sprit is saying to the Ekklesia, and that I do have a finger on the pulse of what we are all now facing. 

As I see it, some of us are suffering from an identity crisis that is equal to spiritual amnesia. In other words, we have forgotten who we really are in Him, and have become detached from the land of our fathers, and the people of our tribe. We have become confused and insecure, and have begun to take on the dysfunctional and destructive behavior of this society. Now I realize how important it is for some people to be socially accepted and I am presently writing to and reaching out on several social networks. Unfortunately, a vast number of the people on those sites have become engrossed in a virtual reality of life that has all but taken the place of any real and living relationship. How sad it is when someone lives their life out without the challenge of personal human interaction, or the warm embrace of loving friends and family.

Just so you will know I put my theory to the test on facebook last week, when I announced that I would no longer be actively involved in posting to facebook after the first of the year.

I announced to my 800 + virtual friends that in my estimation facebook was a gross waste of time and energy, and that very little real and living relationship was being developed out of wall posts and chats. To my surprise, two of my facebook friends, from whom I hardly ever hear immediately tried to correct me and one of them thought it necessary to private message me with his opinion and concern. After two or three more virtual communications they both decided that I had a valid argument, or they just ignored what I was trying to communicate to them. To be honest with you, it did not come as a surprise to me, because I have never used facebook or any social network to openly communicate with my friends. I have never played ‘Mafia Wars’ or ‘Farmville’ so we do not have a lot in common with the people on facebook. Instead I have shared snippets of my life with them, and have used facebook and other social networks to communicate the gospel of the Kingdom as well as the heart of the Father. The scary thing about all of it is, I have twenty or more apostles and prophets in my network of friends on facebook, and only one or two of them have ever personally communicated with me at any level. As a final attempt to get their attention I removed everyone from my friends list that either refused or failed to post a profile picture on their page. The reason that I removed them had to do with my recent discovery that thousands of registered sex offenders and perverts had registered accounts with a number of social networks and it is not fair for them to live vicariously through my life and ministry without the benefit of knowing what they look like or what they are presently doing. Also, you will discover that some people open up accounts in fictitious names in order to peer into your life and world in order to gain personal information.

I caution you as a brother and friend to protect your identity and personal information by only posting on facebook and other social networks what you are comfortable with everybody in the world knowing. The internet is a wonderful tool and the volume of information available is mindboggling; but you have to use wisdom and common sense. To be honest with you, it is not a place for minors or impressionable and gullible people. I have personally heard of people who were seduced and drawn into dangerous and abusive relationships with someone who was living out a fantasy online with someone other than their spouse.

I want you to know that I am not talking about giddy or goofy interaction. I am talking about forsaking friends, family and wise counsel to chase after someone like a buck deer in rutting season. Get the picture?

Folks, we need to consider that our life and ministry consist of a whole lot more than the interaction that we have with one another through the internet or by telephone. It is always great to hear from you; but it is better to see you face to face. Remember, I am just getting started. Be patient with me, and I will associate all of this apparent rambling with something that will make sense to the informed reader.

The reason that so many people are suffering from an identity crisis in this generation is because most of them have been denied the impartation of a loving father, (Naturally and Spiritually) and they have not received the proper care of a nurturing mother. (Naturally and Spiritually) With absentee fathers and mothers pursuing career paths, we have all witnessed the emergence of a latch-key generation of electronically babysat children, who have been primarily raised without the benefit of a solid and secure family unit. What is alarming about all of this is that the divorce rate in the American Church System is equal to or worse than the world per capita. You may ask how can this be, or you may shake your head and get dizzy thinking about it; but the truth still remains that our nation and civilization is in the middle of one of the biggest crisis in our lifetime and history, and unless we make some serious adjustments and changes right now, we are going to be destroyed by forces within. Yes, I am telling you that if we do not get a handle on the real problems we are facing right now, these issues are going to destroy us as a people. Within that next two or three years this nation and our civilization will change as we have known it, and it will never be the same again. I realize that some of you do not want to hear about the grim reality that we are all facing; but it is going on around you just the same. The deterioration and decline of our nation can be clearly seen in every area of our life and culture. You do have to go very far to see the effects of our failure to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit and live our lives according to the principle truths of Yahweh’s Word. Our failure to hear and obey His voice and our refusal to align ourselves with His Word has led to a lawless generation of people that have cast off restraint and doing what is right in their own eyes.

At some level, we all have been corrupted and affected by the spirit of capitalism, and the pursuit of our own personal happiness. Some of us have begun to recognize that we are on a runaway train that cannot be stopped, and therefore jumping off before it reaches the end of the track.
 
I, for one, have decided that I will no longer compete for ownership or attempt to stake my claim in this planet. I have spent far too much time and money living horizontally when everything I am and do emanates forth from a real and living vertical relationship with Our Heavenly Father. My question and primary concern revolves around this issue alone. Why do we live out our whole life, pretending that we are remotely concerned with the things that are important to Yahweh, when all we are willing to do is continue to look for ways to add more comfort and security to our lives in this present world? The last time I checked the earth, while our domain, is only a training ground, the rite of passage, with a big promotion at the end.

Therefore, I would rather dedicate the rest of my life to preaching of the gospel and the advancement of the Kingdom of Yahweh, and at the end of the day I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I fulfilled His practical purpose for my life. I have two new sayings for 2010. ‘A well lived life is purpose filled’ and ‘Life is too short to waste on unproductive endeavors’ blh

My advice to you is this. If that with which you are presently involved is filled with purpose, then by all means continue to develop it; but if it is obviously lifeless and unproductive, then mercifully disconnect the life support system and graciously put the thing to rest. Ok! Now I want you to shout “Hallelujah” three times, and audaciously move in a new and different direction. You will quickly discover that Yahweh is already waiting for you in your new future. You are a son of the Most High Yahweh and you are a joint heir by birthright. You no longer have to pursue that which is rightfully yours. Hold on to this thought in 2010 and beyond. ‘That which is rightfully mine is moving in my direction, because I am moving in the direction of that which is rightfully mine.’

More on Spiritual Schizophrenia in the next edition of ‘A New View’

(To Be Continued)

[BCyrus]

By Blake Higginbotham – Pt. 2

Hold on to this thought in 2010. ‘That which is rightfully mine is moving in my direction, because I am moving in the direction of that which is rightfully mine.’

I made this statement in the first part of this article, and you will need to read it before you will be able to really understand what I am going to share with you next. You need to know that I am an eternal optimist when it comes to believing and receiving what Yahweh has already said about us; but my optimism is not based on a soulish New Year’s Resolution or established in false hope. What you need to understand about my writings is they will always be open, honest and the truth as I see it. That said, I am not saying that my view is preeminent or the only angle on any given subject; but if you are a son of Yahweh, and you can hear the heart of the Father, you will hear His voice in my words.

Whenever I address a subject, I am writing out what I know to be true, not what I hope and pray will become reality someday. If you are only interested in positive, uplifting articles filled with wishful thinking, then you are reading the wrong author, and my writings could serve to further depress and disappoint you in the future. If you are content on existing in the Matrix that is being provided for you by religious zealots and government propaganda, then what I am saying will sound jaded and controversial to you.

The reason that many of you are suffering from an identity crisis is because you were born in captivity and raised in Babylon. You have lived most of your life as a displaced captive in a strange and foreign land. You have now matured into adulthood and the repressed memories of the past have begun to surface as you remember who you were in creation before formation. You are confused with your surroundings and have become disoriented in the way. You have come to realize that the camaraderie and fellowship that you have known and embraced does not represent the people of your tribe or family, and because you have very little in common with them it is almost impossible to discover and lay hold of your purpose.

To everyone around, you are hearing a very different voice and are marching to the beat of a very different drummer. You have done your best to adapt to your environment and go with the flow; but a battle is raging in your soul, and the inner dialogue is getting louder and louder.

You find yourself in the very confused state of mind questioning everything you have learned in the past and wondering if you will ever be able to recover what has been lost. Your trust has been violated and your confidence eroded. You really do not know who to trust anymore. That said, there is a voice in your head that agrees with the noise and ground clutter going on around you; but there is another voice in deep within your spirit that speaks out of your DNA (Divine Nature Attitude) and brings you a sense of comfort and peace. It is that voice that continues to reinforce what you know to be true and in the darkest of nights, it is that truth that you hold to as the anchor of your soul.

It is the loving words of your Father (Yahweh) who is speaking to you by His Holy Spirit and as you slumber and sleep He whispers in your ear, “I love you son and I know where you are. I AM here for you and everything is going to be alright. I have always been here with you, and I will not leave you orphans, nor ever forsake you. I have called you out and I will bring you in. You are My son and I AM your Father. I want you to know that I have a place prepared for you in My house and Kingdom.”   

Now, I recognize that you have only done as you were instructed to do until now, and you have behaved for the most part like everyone else in your life. I also realize that you did it because you wanted to curry favor with those in leadership, and you needed to be received at some level. However, you have arrived at a better conclusion, and that just does not seem to work anymore. The son in you has been suppressed for far too long, and your heart is crying out for release and freedom from man’s system of religion and government. You have made up your mind that you will no longer nurse from the breast of the great harlot; but you have yet to be properly or fully weaned.

Therefore, I understand the trauma you experienced when you were weaned from the breast prematurely, or when you were separated from your mother, and left to yourself to live or die. The reason that some of you have suffered from an identity crisis is because you are ignorant of your history, heritage and destiny.
Others have suffered from an identity crisis because they were abandoned and left to themselves in the wild to be raised by a pack of wolves, in a den of thieves. (False prophets and teachers) Some just do not know any better and they are caught between a rock and hard place. On one hand, they have bonded with their fellow captives and have grown accustomed to their environment, and on the other hand, they are lonely, miserable and unfulfilled.

There was a time when they longed for freedom and for a brief moment explored other possibilities; but at some point they gave up on that idea, growing weary with their wilderness wanderings, and returned to the compound to receive their new assignment in the work camps of religion.

Everybody knows that a foster family is better than no family at all, especially in the mind of an orphan; but every orphan knows not to bond or grow attached to their foster family because they may grow weary with you after a while and decide not to adopt you. Then you may be transferred to another foster home, or returned to the orphanage where you will continue to exist as a ward of the state. Everybody knows that the homeless can find community in alleys, under bridges, and in the woods with their fellow hermits and freeloaders; but every homeless person and street urchin knows in their hearts, that there truly is no place like home, or replacement for family.

With all this in mind, is it really that difficult to see wherein the source of the problem lies. Is it still unclear how drastic the measures that must be taken in order to recover this generation from hell’s grip?

Religion has produced some of the most angry, bitter and frustrated people that I have ever encountered. They are capable of killing and eating their own young, kicking a brother when he is down, and that while pouring salt into his wounds. In some cases they would throw a bucket of gasoline on a burning brother, just to watch them burn.    It is no wonder that their children and young people don’t want anything to do with religion, and have videoed themselves publically renouncing all religion as they openly blasphemed Holy Spirit, and made their position clear. They are saying give us liberty or give us death.

To Be Continued:

[BCyrus]

By Blake Higginbotham – Pt. 3

Hold on to this thought in 2010!

“That which is rightfully mine is moving in my direction, because I am moving in the direction of that which is rightfully mine” blh

“The first step toward greatness is to be honest” An Old Proverb

I am not sure who made the above statement, or if it really matters; but it has become clear to me that in order to be revered as a great man, one must first be remembered as a virtuous and honest one.  It is with that thought that I write to this topic. I neither claim to be great nor have I always been virtuous. However, I have always spoken my mind and that with conviction of heart. If you will take the time to get to know me better, you will discover that I say what I mean, and I mean what I say all the time. In other words, I am a man who communicates in a way that is both up front and straight forward. The problem with being straight forward and upfront in a world that has been reconditioned by political correctness and tolerance is that you must be prepared to be misunderstood, misquoted and even ignored at times. Now I realize that some people use their personal opinions to openly promote their own agendas, and others never say anything that is truly based on what they are thinking at the time. I do not want to bore or offend you in any way; but if my honesty is only based in self absorption, pride and arrogance, then you will more than likely reject my opinion anyway. That said I am honestly trying to speak to this issue without coming across as a know-it-all. I have on occasion been accused of being dead right about everything. LOL!

With that said, let us get back to the topic at hand.  It is my personal opinion that one of the primary reasons that so many people are suffering from an identity crisis in this generation, is because we were to some degree raised by insecure parents, who had an inferiority complex that they transferred to their children in the way that they both communicated and lived. Instead of instilling in their children what they needed to cope and deal with real issues of life, they were always unstable and in a constant state of adjustment, and in their altered state were unable to provide a safe and secure environment in which to nurture their children and family. Better yet, they allowed siblings to take on responsibilities for that which they were neither prepared nor equipped. Sound familiar?

What if I told you that unless you are completely emancipated from a victim mentality and that pattern of behavior, you will be no more or less than your parents, and will be the sum total of your family life and upbringing. I realize that some of you think that you have been enlightened and illumined beyond those early years, or you have totally been transformed since you came to a saving knowledge of the truth. However, the truth is, you are still struggling to overcome the fear of rejection and failure, and that because of the lack of support that you received when you were growing up. If you are like most of the adults I know, you were virtually raised by people who were paid less than minimum wage to watch for your soul and care for your life. I do not mean to cast a disparaging light on daycare workers or care givers; but they are no substitute for real time parenting and family.

You see, all of these things and more, need to be considered when you are thinking about marriage and family. If and when you are ready for marriage and family, it will be because you are old enough to understand the importance of life-long commitment, and the responsibility of both, and the thought of reliving what you survived thus far will scare the ‘Hello’ out of you. 

I am now 57 years old, and have been in the ministry for 40 years. In all honesty, I have had my share of struggles just like most of you, and the grooves that were made in my psyche long ago still haunt me from time to time. I have to daily remind myself that I am a son of Yahweh and that I was born to serve the King. His greater will and purpose and D.N.A. (Divine Nature Attitude) causes me to move onward and upward in the face of insurmountable problems and against impossible odds. I have to remember who I was in creation before formation in order to live out to the fullest, the gift of life that I have been given. In times when I do not sense or feel His presence, I have to remind myself that He is a very present help in time of need, and that He promised me that He would never leave or forsake me. I force myself to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

Phillipians 4:6-8  Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto Yahweh. 7And the peace of Yahweh, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Messiah Yahshua. 8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. KJV

One does not have to go very far to see that all of these problems and more have been carried over into “Church Life” where people find social acceptance and a community of people who become a support group of sorts, and in some rare cases, the family for which they have been looking all of their lives. I realize that we need to be realistic about this, because it is the reality in which we are now living. The fathers and leaders of this generation have allowed the enemy and the forces of darkness to rule for so long that many or their followers have developed a Munchhausen type complex with their captors, and have become bonded to man’s religion and the next spiritual experience. I am saying that the fathers and leaders of the American Church System are not trained and equipped to handle the real life issues of this generation, and it will require more than a calling and a diploma to table and address some of these problems. It will take grace and skill.

What if I told you that fornication, adultery, homosexuality, fetishes, incest and bestiality are becoming more widespread throughout the A.C.S. and they are either going to be dealt with internally by capable and qualified leaders, or they will be openly exposed in the news media and broadcasted for the world to see. Internet pornography has reached an epidemic proportion, is running rampant through the house, and it is tearing families apart with problems ranging from erectile dysfunction to sexually deviate behavior.

Do I have your attention yet? Do not make the mistake of thinking that these are isolated events that only happen in Mega Churches and to Celebrity Preachers. NO! NO! NO! It is happening right in your neighborhood and could be going on right in pew next to you. Do you really know the people with whom you fellowshipping and related? Do you really know your pastor and spiritual leaders? Are the people in your fellowship being trained and equipped to deal with the real life issues of this generation, or are they being inoculated in an Alice in Wonderland approach to life and ministry in general? Are they being spoon fed only positive and uplifting things about life, or are they being served a full nine course meal in reality? Everybody knows that we should not be talking about sexual vice and incest from the pulpit. WHAT? People, we need to ask ourselves some hard questions about these issues, and put some workable solutions into practice. It is that kind of thinking that has all but destroyed our credibility as a go-to place for help, and it has destroyed our reputation as a reliable source of information and truth. These issues should be openly discussed among the leadership and adults of every congregation in the world, and the children and young people should be learning the truth about what the bible teaches concerning these issues at the earliest possible age.

Stop listening to social workers and counselors whose only option and plan revolves around arming your children with condoms, and the number to Planned Parenthood.
 
We need to rise up as parents and grandparents and tell them to shut up and mind their own business. These problems are not foreign to any of us, and we are dealing with them on a daily basis. The very same issues existed in the 1st century Ekklesia and they were addressed and dealt with in truth by the fathers and leaders of that time. They were dealt with in truth and definitive action was taken to alleviate and squash the destructive influence of the repeat offender.

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 IT IS actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, impurity of a sort that is condemned and does not occur even among the heathen; for a man has [his own] father's wife.  2And you are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done this [shameful] thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst!  3As for my attitude, though I am absent [from you] in body, I am present in spirit, and I have already decided and passed judgment, as if actually present, 4In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the man who has committed such a deed. When you and my own spirit are met together with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5You are to deliver this man over to Satan for physical discipline [to destroy carnal lusts which prompted him to incest], that [his] spirit may [yet] be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6[About the condition of your church] your boasting is not good [indeed, it is most unseemly and entirely out of place]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven will ferment the whole lump [of dough]? 7Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed. 8Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and [unadulterated] truth.9I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate [closely and habitually] with unchaste (impure) people--10Not [meaning of course that you must] altogether shun the immoral people of this world, or the greedy graspers and cheats and thieves or idolaters, since otherwise you would need to get out of the world and human society altogether! 11But now I write to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of [Christian] brother if he is known to be guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater [whose soul is devoted to any object that usurps the place of God], or is a person with a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering], or is a drunkard or a swindler or a robber. [No] you must not so much as eat with such a person. 12What [business] of mine is it and what right have I to judge outsiders?

Is it not those inside [the church] upon whom you are to pass disciplinary judgment [passing censuring sentence on them as the facts require]? 13 God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside. Drive out that wicked one from among you [expel him from your church]. Amplified Bible

This passage of scripture clearly addresses the problem and lays out the only viable solution for dealing with these issues in the event that our mourning, prayer and counsel fail to turn the offender’s heart back to Yahweh. My question to you is why are they still in your company anyway? Could it be, because it is you who are in their company in reality? Just asking!  This passage of scripture does not advise us to come to an equitable agreement or arrive at a behind closed doors settlement in order to squash such activity. Nor does it say that we should be concerned about our 501-C3 tax exempt status or public opinion either. Sorry!

(To Be Continued)