Prophetic word by Bro Arcovio "no election"

[Aquila]

I'm now leaving this thread.

[Jito463]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm now leaving this thread.

Without providing the evidence I asked for?

[jediwill83]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Note to the reader:

I'd like to say that I don't know the guy this thread is about. Nor have I even heard the prophecy that was allegedly given. I was only making a general comment about how a prophesy might indeed be fulfilled in a manner that we might not realize. The statement was not intended to defend or condemn any specific person or so called prophet. It was simply an admonishment to slow down and consider things, think them through. Don't heap condemnation on a prophecy as a "knee jerk" reaction. God has chosen to speak through a donkey. God has also chosen to speak through the false prophet Balaam. So be careful and look at things from many different angles before getting a bad spirit. Judaism proves that many of the prophecies of the OT were misinterpreted by their religious authorities. They were so misguided, they completely missed the fulfillment of those prophecies though they were being fulfilled right before their eyes. It was only a word of caution.

However, Evang Benincasa took opportunity not to ask what I meant, nor to ask me to clarify. But rather Evang Benincasa purposefully took me to task on my premise. Which isn't so bad in and of itself. A hearty and lively debate can be beneficial. However, peppered throughout his response were a number of personal jabs, misrepresentations, and personal insults. One insult was with regards to my PTSD. Something that has taken me years to understand and manage. Something that has led to a lot of regrets and painful memories. Something that even contributed to a failed marriage. As a vet, and as just a general decent human being, I find that repugnant and beyond the pale. Especially for a man who places, "Evang.", before his name. He represents why I don't trust conservatives and why I don't have any interest in attending a traditional church. Such brazen insensitivity and disrespect is something I've not encountered in the house churches I'm affiliated with. I thank God have found gatherings wherein I can often find a peace that doesn't have the triggers that I'm vulnerable to (loud banging, clanging, shouting).

Now, I am not going to place Benincasa on ignore just yet. Instead, I want to use this as an opportunity to share what having PTSD is like....

It has taken me years to understand my PTSD. Those of us who served and suffer from PTSD and understand it will be the first to tell you that... You THINK you know what this is all about, but you have no clue.

Do you know what it is like? Let me describe it...

You're hanging out with some friends from work with your family. You hear a firecracker and you startle. It's ever so slight. But... at that moment... the dominos begin to fall. Suddenly you feel "flushed" in the face. You're still hanging out with your friends and family, smiling and talking. But your face feels flushed. You take a deep breath and focus on the conversation. Suddenly you can feel your heart start to beat faster... you still nod along and carry on your conversation. Thoughts feel hurried, racing. You don't realize it, but your smile as left your face and you clearly don't look so good because your wife or your coworker asks, "Are you okay?" You smile and say, "Yes, I'm doing good!" You begin to feel very hurried, anxious, irritable. You feel like it's hard to focus on the conversation. It's like someone has grabbed the "marry-go-round" of your mind and has started spinning it at 100mph without your permission. You CAN'T control this. It's as uncontrollable as the clouds that darken the mid-day sun. You begin breaking into a cold sweat. You feel stuffy and like you can't breathe. You excuse yourself because you need quiet. No talking. No interaction. No noise. No light. No stimuli. You walk into the bathroom and turn off the lights. You look down, your hands are shaking. You stare at them like they belong to someone else. Why are they shaking? It was just a stupid firecracker. A STUPID FIRE CRACKER!!!! You begin to feel anxiety and rage. You want to SMASH THE MIRROR OVER THE SINK AND SCREAM. You begin to get intrusive thoughts. The electric bill is due... and you're short on cash. You want to grab your wife by the throat and shake her because she overspent at the mall. If she walked in on you right now, it would take every ounce of your will not to. And what about Sgt. Richards? How's his wife doing? You shake yourself, Sgt. Richards? Why am I thinking about Sgt. Richards??? HE'S GONE! And that dead beat pastor who played you for a fool... took years of your devotion and then trashed your chances at ministry. You'd like to get your hands on him too! What? Why are you even thinking about that guy??? You haven't been in his church for over 8 years. Are you crazy? You feel like you're crazy. You feel like you're loosing your mind. That mirror... you want to BREAK IT. Why? You don't even know why you want to do this. You breathe. Breathe in... breathe out. Breathe in... breathe out. If you don't control your breathing, it too will continue to race. It's like your body has a mind of it's own and is on a roller coaster. You remember your rapid eye movement therapy that helps to stimulate the brain in a manner that eases the nervous system. You sit down on the toilet. You close your eyes and breathe. You rhythmically move your eyes back and forth, from side to side. Intrusive thoughts come and you just let them go. You can't stop them. That day grandpa died and you performed CPR for 40 minutes, you lost him anyway. The day your mom died. Her funeral. Sgt. Richards. That pencil-necked pastor who said all of this is in your head and you just need to "decide to be whole". You sit there, thoughts racing in and out. 10 minutes... 15 minutes... 20 minutes. You realize that your thoughts have slowed down. Your breathing is less hurried. You don't feel so flushed. Blood pressure is stabilizing. Then out of the blue... you feel like crying. You just want to curl up and cry. You're fighting back the tears. Your wife knocks on the bathroom door. "Honey, it's been a half-hour, are you okay?" You reach out and hold her close. You quietly cry. She says, "Honey, what's wrong?" You answer, "I don't know. I think it was the firecracker." She holds you like a child as you quietly let it go on her shoulder. All those heightened emotions and intrusive thoughts... they are slowing down and melting into weeping. You're exhausted. She tells you that you should go lay down and get some rest. She states she'll tell your company that you just started feeling ill. You lay down and you pass out within seconds of hitting the pillow. You wake up five hours later, soaked with sweat and feeling like you didn't sleep a wink.

This might happen once or twice a week. Sometimes once or twice a day. Triggers can be firecrackers, raised voices and/or loud laughter, loud motorcycles, preachers shouting through booming speakers, the slam of a car door, someone's McDonald's cup standing in a parking spot, an unexpected telephone call. Sometimes it settles upon you after discussing bills or the little lady nagging you. Stress. Normal people process stress normally. Your brain sends your entire body, emotions, and memory into alarm. Like the anti-theft alarm on a car. You're flashing and honking... flashing and honking... like some machine gone crazy... and you can't stop. Flashing and honking... flashing and honking... like some crazy machine that won't stop.

Here is a rather informative video:

PTSD isn't something you can just deal with or "get over". It is very real trauma to the brain. And the pressure to just "be delivered" can reduce you to contemplating suicide.

If you know anyone who struggles with PTSD, take the time to understand it.

Bro I've never served but I had to deal with years of abuse and also a pretty traumatic job dealing with death and injury.

My wife also was abused and dealt with rape and sexual assault, self harm, dissociation, suicidal ideations.

Only recently has she found freedom.

I'm not judging you for needing a atmosphere less chaotic. I went through the same thing and even out in the world I avoided loud crowds because they made me have panic attacks.

God has brought me a loooong way and has brought Kat even further.

He's able. Love you man. He's touched by the feelings of our infirmities...A man of sorrows acquainted with grief...The chastisement of our peace was upon Him...Surely He hath borne out griefs and carried our sorrows.

U.

[Esaias]

How come its only been since Vietnam that vets have "PTSD" that requires all this therapy and avoidance of triggers and so forth?

Speaking of which, my dad was a Nam combat vet. Point man, tunnel rat, volunteer for a recon company, in I Corps in 67-68, A Shau Valley, Kham Duc, even went to Laos (off the record, of course). Had 17 confirmed KIAs, one by hand-to-hand with a knife (turned out to be a 15-16 yr old girl doing her part for Uncle Ho). Plus a dozen or so unconfirmed kills. Held several close friends as they died, entrails blown out, brains leaking out the back of their head, etc. Infantry, it's what's for dinner in the Meatgrinder.

He was nuts, plain and simple. Wound up drinking almoat a gallon of vodka a day for YEARS. Never missed a day of work, though, until he died at home one weekend and failed to show up Monday morning. Borderline psychotic, full blown "flash backs", the whole nine yards. Classic "crazy Vietnam veteran."

And I know for a fact he'd slap anybody silly who was talking about "I got PTSD, man, I got triggers."

We have since the 60s inculcated a victim mentality in people. Vets are told you got a mental disorder (my dad would have laughed and said "well, NO KIDDING, duuuuh"). They are told they need meds and "safe spaces" instead of being taught how to actually "deal with it".

I watched first hand how combat vets "deal with it", and it ain't by whining about how tuff it is. Might take a couple bottles of whiskey to work through it but it takes two vets, one on one, talking through things. Lot cheaper than a lifetime of psychiatric hogwash. And that's not even counting on the power of God! In which case, no liquor needed.

Good grief.

[houston]

Because he drank a gallon of vodka a day...

You answered your question.

Aquila... stop being a wimpy effeminate man...

Drink yourself to death and keep your issues to yourself.

[SJC]

Originally Posted by houston

Because he drank a gallon of vodka a day...

You answered your question.

Aquila... stop being a wimpy effeminate man...

Drink yourself to death and keep your issues to yourself.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by houston

Because he drank a gallon of vodka a day...

You answered your question.

Aquila... stop being a wimpy effeminate man...

Drink yourself to death and keep your issues to yourself.

Not even close. But that's cool, it don't mean nuthin'.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

One insult was with regards to my PTSD.

No, that wasn't a jab, or an insult. I would never placed my honorable steadfast sister in the same sentence if it was.

I gave you a slither of her testimony, and that she is over the damage going forward in Jesus name.

But, allow me.

My dear sister who was baptized in our church family in the mighty name of Jesus has a remarkable testimony. She was out with another sister at a restaurant. When they left they both walked to their vehicle to drive home. Two men were on a spree of strongarm hold ups that night and happened to come across the two sisters walking to their car. The men waited for them to unlock their vehicle and proceed to rob them at gun point. The men told the sisters to hand over everything, and while that was being done the one sister had a 38.cal held to her chest. I personally don't believe the men wanted to shoot her, but in all their fearful emotion the gun went off point blank dead in her chest. She said as the weapon went off she looked into his face and said "God bless you in Jesus name." The men ran off, leaving the sister bleeding with a gun shot wound. Rushed to the hospital and in the emergency room. The doctors streamed into her room, because they couldn't believe that one, she was alive, and two, she was so pleasantly peaceful. She told the church family she felt like a celebrity. Because of all the attention from the hospital staff.

That was Saturday night, Sunday morning I received the phone call from the elder of the church, informing me what happened that the sister was shot. I waited on the phone for the inevitable. Yet, the elder told me she was on her way to church. Needless to say I was not only blown away, but was elated to hear such a testimony of Christ. She was moving slow that morning, and you could see her pain. But it was eclipsed by the power and glory of Jesus Christ in her face.

She understands the effects that shootings have on the youth in Broward and Dade. Our young Hispanics know youth who have never recovered. Yet, she understands the difference between her and anyone else isn't some mental discipline, or human toughness. She fully understands the power of Jesus name, the power of the Holy Ghost working through her as the bullet knocked her back, the power of Christ which summoned her to tell her attacker "God bless you in JESUS name!

Bro, believe me, that was no dig, no jab, but a special moment of just one person who has overcome because of Jesus name. Not of themselves.

Hence my question was posed the way it was posted.

Listen silent pondering isn't a bad thing, but Apostolic worship in Jesus name, can take a bullet and make it a testimony.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...e64293097.html

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Listen silent pondering isn't a bad thing, but Apostolic worship in Jesus name, can take a bullet and make it a testimony.

[SJC]

Evang.Benincasa,
What an awesome testimony !