Questions & answers - How do you recognize your gifts? (Part 2)

Questions & Answers

How do you recognize your gifts? (Part 2)

First posted: September 12, 2006

This is a continuation of the word on spiritual gifts posted earlier...

Answer

The lonely quest

As we studied before, the quest to discover the spiritual gifts in us starts as we ask questions. These questions are an expression of our inconformity with our present spiritual condition. As we longingly launch those questions towards the Lord, they begin to travel at "the speed of sound" across the spiritual atmosphere. When the Lord God hears those questions and replies in His loving mercy, the ultra-sound of His voice takes us across the "sound barrier", and we begin to discover new spiritual things in God.

Those who are comfortable with spiritual dependence on men will not ask questions. Why ask questions when someone else will do the spiritual work for you? Why travail in your spirit to hear the voice of God when all you have to do is wait for Moses to come down from the mountaintop every Sunday to give you his weekly report on what God is saying "up there" (Deuteronomy 5:22-27)? As we studied before, those who depend on "Moses" (i.e.- those who prefer the "body of Moses" over the "body of Christ") become worshippers of idols, even if they are not bowing before a literal statue or singing to some "ancient pagan god" at church. Why? Because they are worshipping a static "God"; they know this limited "God" so well that they don't need to ask Him any more questions. They worship a reduced image of God, an image plastered in the "Moses" whom they follow. Their understanding of God is limited to the understanding that "Moses" has of Him. If "Moses" stops in his spiritual progress, they stop. If "Moses" moves forward, they may move forward, but only as much as is comfortable to them. Anything that challenges their spiritual conformity will inevitably be hidden under their "moronic rug". They prefer a "silent God", a God who does not confront them, who does not challenge them to break across the sound and light barriers. Such idol worshippers will never discern the spiritual potential --- the pneumatikos --- hidden in them and in others.

From all of the above, it becomes evident that the discovery of one's hidden pneumatikos is, for the most part, a lonely quest. You must be willing to heed God's red-horse shout and leave the static-idol structures of Cain in order to go to the lonely wilderness outside. There, in the wilderness of prophetic impartation, you will be exposed to the "black horse of independence", and you will learn to "produce" prophetic oil and evangelistic wine on your own. As this happens, you will become a "grace producer" rather than a mere "grace consumer". In Greek, one of the words for "gift" is charisma, which is derived from the word charis, meaning "grace". Therefore, as you become a "grace producer", the charisma gifts in you will abound and become manifest before all. The "spiritual" (i.e.- pneumatikos) side of you will become evident, and you will begin to operate above the mundane sphere of the natural, in the "supernatural" sphere, in the "supersonic" realm that lies beyond the sound barrier. As you do, you will send shock waves across the natural realm, waves that will shock the tradition-abiding Cain that you left behind the sound barrier.

Red propellers into space

For a reason that was beyond my natural understanding, the Lord dropped the phrase "Apollo 11" into my heart as I was typing the paragraphs above. I then felt compelled to read about "Apollo 11", and I was shocked to realize how spiritually related it is to all of the above. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon, and it allowed man to literally walk in a world different than planet Earth. Apollo 11, therefore, is a figure of man escaping the limitations of earthliness in order to walk in a new realm.

According to wikipedia.org, Apollo 11 was the 5th manned spaceflight of the Apollo program. The number "5" speaks of "ministerial grace"; therefore, the Apollo 11 is a figure of the manifestation of "ministerial grace" in us. The Apollo 11 was propelled into space by a 3-stage Saturn V rocket. The "V" in "Saturn V" is the Roman numeral for "5", which once again points to "ministerial grace". The "Saturn V" itself did not make it to the moon, but it propelled the Apollo 11 out of the Earth's atmosphere and onto space. After that, the Apollo 11 had to make it to the moon "on its own". This is a figure of how ministerial grace is supposed to work (in God's paradigms). When God endows you with ministerial grace ("5"), you are to act as a Saturn "5" that propels your brethren out of the natural realm's (i.e.- the "Earth's") gravitational pull. Once you reach space, you must act like the Saturn "5" and "step aside" so that your brethren may produce propulsion on their own. This is when your brethren turn into self-propelling "Apollo 11s". As we said above, the Apollo 11 was the 5th manned spaceflight of the Apollo program, which is a figure of man being endowed with ministerial grace ("5") of his own.

The above also correlates with the red and black horses of the Apocalypse. As a grace-endowed "Saturn 5", you act as a "shouting" red horse that propels your brethren out of the boundaries of natural man, calling them out into the lonely wilderness of "outer space". Once you are there, there is no earthly structure you can fall back on. Your only covering becomes God Himself, and you are compelled to produce "propulsion" (i.e.- ministerial grace) "on your own", independently of any human agent. That is when you enter into the fullness of the independent black-horse anointing.

Black propulsion onto the moon

After Apollo 11 detached itself from Saturn 5, it was propelled towards the moon by a module named the "Command Module". Therefore, the "Command Module" is a figure of the "self-induced" black-horse propulsion that no longer depends on the external push of "Saturn-5 ministers". As you are propelled by the "Command Module", you begin to operate in the fullness of the black-horse anointing. As we have said before, black-horse riders are apostle-prophets "hidden" in the blackness of "outer space", launching invisible judgments against the earthly structures they left behind.

As the Command Module pushed on towards the moon, its only "attachment" to Earth were the invisible radio signals it transmitted back to Earth from outer space. It had already surrendered its last visible attachment to the Earth, the Saturn 5, which had taken it to space from Earth. Therefore, Apollo 11's invisible radio signals after its detachment from Saturn 5 were evidence that Apollo 11 was surviving on its own, and are a figure of the spiritual indictment launched by black-horse riders in the wilderness to the cowardly Church they left behind. By surviving on their own and thriving spiritually, God's black-horse riders in a sense act as condemnation for the believers who chose not to let go of Cain because they believed that they would not be able to survive spiritually without a visible, earthly covering. In short, the radio signals sent by Apollo 11 were black radio waves of condemnation against those who chose to stay with earthly Cain.

The Command Module's invisible radio signals were being launched from the emptiness of outer space. Therefore, they are a figure of how God's black-horse judgments release "impartations of emptiness and scarcity" to the Church they left behind. The remnant's black radio waves act as a red river of fire that devours everything temporal in its path.

Green-horse landing and return

As you journey in the loneliness of "outer space" under the black-horse anointing, the time comes when you must enter into the fullness of the "green-horse" stage. This correlates with Apollo 11's landing on the moon. As we have said before, the green horse is spiritually related to the "eagle". Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Lunar Module that landed on the moon was nicknamed "Eagle". Prior to Apollo 11, two other manned missions had already orbited the moon (according to wikipedia.org). However, Apollo 11 was taking a risk that the other missions had not taken before: landing on the lunar surface. This correlates with crossing the river Jordan as you utterly die to yourself. In a spiritual sense, landing on the moon and returning safely to Earth represented the "Promised Land". Other missions had seen the Promised Land, the "Promised Land" prophesied by JFK in May 1961, but Apollo 11 would be the first mission to actually reach it.

To reach the Promised Land, you must have a sense of "utter abandonment". You must be willing to take the "quantum leap of light" and act as a "crazy fractal believer" who is willing to die in green-horse sacrifice so that the purpose of God may be fulfilled in others. When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, he did not see it as a personal achievement, but rather as an achievement for the sake of others. This is the reason for his famous phrase, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". This illustrates how the "apparently insignificant" sacrifice of one human being can release life for countless others.

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, Aldrin said, "Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation". Therefore, the moon was a figure of the desolation and emptiness of Sheol. In that sense, landing on the moon is a figure of green-horse believers dying and going to Sheol. Once a believer lands in the desolation of the "moon", he or she has no one to hope in but God Himself, for He is the only one capable of releasing us from the grips of Sheol. No "minister" or human "institution" can redeem us from the grips of green-horse death.

"⁸I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. ¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:8-11)

[The word "hell" in verse 10 was translated from the Hebrew word "Sheol"]

"⁶They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; ⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: ⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) ⁹That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption." (Psalm 49:6-9)

[The phrase "ceaseth for ever" in verse 9 was translated from the Hebrew words chadal meaning "to stop, cease, desist" and olam meaning "everlasting, eternal". In other words, the redemption of a soul requires "desisting eternally". This points to a green-horse surrender that completely desists from any human means and is willing to die and rest in the eternal ways of God.]

"⁶O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. ⁷Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. ⁸Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. ⁹I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ¹⁰As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? ¹¹Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalm 42:6-11)

Therefore, Apollo 11's safe return to Earth from their lunar landing is a figure of God's green-horse riders resurrecting from Death and Sheol. Those who return from Sheol come back with a new, resurrection nature that is no longer bound by the limitations of time and space, because it operates in the eternal light-nature of God.

As we have said before, in Scripture, the "moon" is often a figure of the "soul", and "setting your foot down on something" is a figure of "conquest". Therefore, when Armstrong and Aldrin (the 2-witness A-Team) set their foot down on the moon, it was a figure of God's green-horse riders conquering the soul matriarchy through their sacrifice. As we have said before, the green horse comes to uncompromisingly obliterate the dominion of the soul so that God's Spirit (pneuma) nature may shine forth in full force.

Cronus the devourer

Interestingly enough, the word "Saturn" in "Saturn 5" refers to a god in Roman mythology that was considered the Roman equivalent of the Greek mythological god "Cronus" (spelled "kronos" in Greek). As we have said before, legends and myths are often distortions of realities in the spirit realm. Therefore, when one reads many of these mythological stories, one often finds spiritual realities that are embedded in them. This is the reason why these mythological gods and legends had such a lasting impact on the people who believed in them. In a sense, they were a reflection of (distorted) realities which people's subconscious somehow perceived as true. These myths and legends resonated with people because they did contain spiritual realities. Obviously, these legends were then used by satan to distort people's understanding and behavior, guiding them towards ungodliness and unrighteousness. Even so, the spiritual realities in many of these myths and legends still stand.

According to wikipedia.org, Greek mythology says that "Cronus" devoured his own children because of a prophecy that said that he would be overcome by one of his own sons. This illustrates a fact about "Saturn 5". Most of the time, the "Saturn-5" believers who are designed to take us out of the Earth and onto outer space turns into "believer-devouring" Cronus bears. If you choose to remain attached to "Saturn 5" because you are unwilling to spiritually "venture out on your own", the Saturn 5 you place your trust in shall turn into your black-hole tomb. Most of the time, the "Saturn-5" believers designed to enable us are gripped by a spirit of ministerial elitism that subconsciously turns them into enemies of anyone they perceive as potential "competition" that will replace them. Like Herod, these "Cronus 5"s will try to kill the "Jesus" in their brethren before He matures and becomes a challenge to their illegitimate kingship over the Church.

The Greek name "Cronus" is very similar to the Greek word chronos meaning "time". This is no spiritual coincidence. When "Saturn-5" believers turn into "believer-devouring" Cronus bears, they trap believers in the realm of chronological time, i.e.- the realm of the natural. As we have said before, believers who operate under the covering of these Cronus bears become involved in chronos-consuming activities "filled" with Hittite purposelessness and Canaanite soul interaction, activities that serve no prophetic purpose and that do not forge the apostolic righteousness of God. Once you are trapped in chronos time, it is impossible to discern the kairos time of God. You will be unable to discern the kairos doors of opportunity that God opens up in the spirit realm, and you will miss out on His visitation. You will be trapped in spiritual stagnation, and you will be unable to welcome the visitations of God which were intended to propel you into the next dimension.

The dark side of the moon

According to wikipedia.org, Apollo 11's "Eagle" Lunar Module was on the "far side" of the moon when it separated from the (black-horse) "Command Module" on July 20, 1969, in preparation for landing. This pre-landing separation represents the transition from the black-horse into the green-horse stage. The fact that it happened on the "far side" of the moon also has spiritual significance. As indicated on wikipedia.org, the "far side" of the moon is the side of the moon that is never visible from Earth. This side is also known as the "dark side of the moon", not because it is lacking in physical light, but because it remained completely unknown to man for centuries until the advent of space travel.

As you operate in the black-horse anointing, you become spiritually fruitful, which means that you will experience the "bright side" of walking in the anointing of God. However, as we have said before, those who surrender their lives in green-horse sacrifice understand that there is a "dark side" to God's anointing; it is the side that calls us to die for the sake of others. Those who enter the green-horse stage are those who understand that we are anointed to die. Just like the dark side of the moon, this dark side of God's anointing remains hidden to natural man, and it has remained hidden to most believers in the Church. We cannot enter into the true, overwhelming brightness of God's anointing without experimenting the dark side first.

"For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial" (Matthew 26:12)

[Notice that Jesus did not say, "She is preparing Me for My ascension as King". The anointing He received that day was announcing His upcoming death, as when a dead body is anointed to be buried. It was not an anointing of kingly-ascension but rather of servant-descent unto death (Philippians 2:7-8).]

"¹In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ²And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. ³His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ⁴And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. ⁵And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ⁶He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." (Matthew 28:1-7)

[Notice that these angels appear in radiant white after Jesus is resurrected from the death. The 2 Maries had to endure the gloomy darkness of Jesus' death before they could witness the overwhelming brightness of His resurrection.]

In 1 Kings, the Holy Spirit says something that most believers are not aware of:

"Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness" (1 Kings 8:12)

This verse defies the human understanding of most believers. How can God, who is Light (1 John 1:5), "dwell in the thick darkness"? This "paradoxical" fact, however, is repeated throughout Scripture.

"¹⁴The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. ¹⁵That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14-15)

If the Lord is Light, shouldn't "the day of the Lord" be a "bright" and "cheery" day? Why, then, does Scripture describe the day of the Lord as "a day of darkness and gloominess" and as "a day of clouds and thick darkness"? Because God's Light is only accessible as we fully die to the temporal and move in the realm of the eternal (1 Timothy 6:14-16). We must face total darkness before we can behold the fullness of His light. We must be willing to face the "overwhelming emptiness" of death before we can experience the overflowing fullness of His Life. This is the "dark side" of following God that most believers would rather hide under the rug.

God has deliberately hidden Himself in a mantle of "thick darkness" to prevent carnal man from beholding Him and understanding Him.

"¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ¹⁵For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Matthew 13:13-15)

To know God, we must be willing to approach and His fearsome veil of darkness and walk through it.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4)

Those who are comfortable with their limited understanding of God (i.e.- those who believe in a static, "idol" God) will shy away from this veil of darkness and "stand far off". They will reside in the comfort of the natural light and never know the overwhelming, supernatural light of God.

"And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." (Exodus 20:21)

God's cloud of darkness is like an ominous tornado that comes to bring utter death and desolation. Even though this tornado is completely under God's control, there is a fractal, chaotic nature to it. This tornado brings anarchy and havoc. It "blasphemes" against everything held "holy" and "reverent" by natural man. It obliterates the "order" and "structure" brought about by the paradigms of man, rendering those paradigms null and void (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). God's green-horse riders understand this "chaotic" nature in God's visitation. Therefore, they comprise the army of "great people" that is bringing utter chaos and desolation in these latter days:

"¹Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; ²A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. ³A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. ⁴The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. ⁵Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. ⁶Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. ⁷They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: ⁸Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. ⁹They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. ¹⁰The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: ¹¹And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" (Joel 2:1-11)

Norway

A few days ago (on September 6, 2006), the Lord (out of "nowhere") prompted me to meditate on the spiritual meaning of Norway. Because of this, I searched the Internet for information on this country. These are some of the things that the Lord God impressed upon my heart:

Norway's hidden "green" connection

	Erik the Red One of the most famous Norwegians in history is "Erik the Red", who, according to wikipedia.org, was the first person to establish Nordic settlements in Greenland. As we have studied before, the name "Erik the Red" is spiritually related to the green horse of the Apocalypse.
	The raiding and pillaging Vikings Norway (along with the rest of Scandinavia) was a land of Vikings between the 8th and 11th centuries. According to wikipedia.org, etymologists believe that the word "Viking" was first used by Anglo-Frankish writers (as "vikingr") to refer to "one who set about to raid and pillage". This is because of the Vikings' long-standing "tradition" as raiders and plunderers. As we have said before, God's green-horse riders are an army of "plundering buccaneers" who are called to obliterate and desolate the matriarchy of the soul on Earth, as shown by Joel 2:1-11 quoted above. Therefore, Norway's Viking past points to a "green" nature that reminds hidden in the spiritual calling of Norway.
	Norway's connection to Celtic UK According to wikipedia.org, Norwegians founded the modern-day Irish cities of Waterford and Limerick during the Viking age. They also established trading communities near the Celtic settlements of Dublin and Cork, which went on to become Ireland's 2 most important cities. According to wikipedia.org, the Vikings exerted large influence over the Celtic nations of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall. The Celtic peoples often sought the Vikings as allies to fend off Anglo-Saxon expansion in the British Isles. All of this reveals a spiritual connection between Norway and the modern-day UK, a connection that has gotten lost in the annals of chronos time. As we have said before, the Irish (and the Celts in general) have a strong spiritual connection to the green horse of the Apocalypse. Therefore, Norway's connection to the Celts emphasizes Norway's now-hidden green calling.

Norway's "blackness"

Its early petty kingdoms
According to wikipedia.org, Norway consisted of a number of "petty kingdoms" before it was finally united under one king (Harald Fairhair) in the year 872. According to wikipedia.org, a "petty kingdom" is the technical term for independent realms that recognized no "suzerain" and that controlled only a portion of the land held by a specific nation or ethnic group. A "suzerain" refers to a power that allows the ruled kingdom some limited domestic autonomy while retaining control of its foreign affairs, often demanding a tribute in the same manner that feudal lords demanded tribute from vassals during the Middle Ages. Therefore, the fact that Norway was comprised of a number of "petty kingdoms", even into the 9th century, points to the independent nature of the Norwegian people, which, in turn, points to the black horse of the Apocalypse, since it is the horse that promotes spiritual independence from spiritual "suzerains".

Its sparse population

Norway is a relatively large country, larger than either Germany, Italy, or the UK. In non-Scandinavian Western Europe, only France and Spain are larger. Even so, it is a very sparsely populated country. At present, Norway has a total population of less than 5 million people; by contrast, the population in the smaller country of Germany is above 82 million (over 17 times greater). Norway is currently 202nd in the world (out of some 230 countries or regions) in terms of population density. This sparse population correlates with the black horse of the Apocalypse, since black-horse riders are believers who choose to live in the lonely wilderness of scarcity where they are basically "on their own" (humanly speaking).

{Information on country sizes and population densities was retrieved from wikipedia.org}

Its high per-capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

According to wikipedia.org, Norway presently has the 2nd highest per-capita GDP in the entire world. This means that Norway has a highly productive economy, which again correlates with the black horse of the Apocalypse, since black-horse riders become highly productive people (spiritually speaking) -- in the midst of temporal scarcity -- as they learn to produce spiritual grace on their own. As we have said before, the black horse helps believers to make the transition from being spiritual "consumers" to being spiritual "producers" (i.e.- producers of pneumatikos).

Its Government Petroleum Fund

In order to avert what is known in economic circles as "Dutch Disease", Norway has for years been saving its annual surpluses (derived from its high oil revenues) into a "Government Petroleum Fund" that is used to make investments in developed financial markets around the world. The Fund's intention is to prevent the Norwegian economy from becoming too dependent on fluctuating oil prices and reserves. It is also intended to prevent Norway from becoming a country of non-producing consumers who live off the revenues produced by its oil reserves. This once again points to Norway's black-horse nature, since black-horse riders are not comfortable in the role of mere "consumers" who live off an ever-depleting temporary reserve.

{Information on "Dutch Disease" and Norway's "Government Petroleum Fund" are available on wikipedia.org}

Its reluctance to fully join the European Union (EU)

According to wikipedia.org, Norway voted against joining the EU in a referendum in 1972, and it did so again in 1994, even though Norway does have full membership in the EU's free-trade market. This reluctance to join the EU politically but not economically once again points to Norway's black-horse nature. Black-horse riders prefer to operate in an atmosphere free of man's artificial restrictions, which correlates with Norway's participation in the EU's free-trade market. Black-horse riders, however, dislike being tied to institutions that may impose unnecessary restrictions, which correlates with Norway's reluctance to join the EU politically.

Norway's stagnation at "black"

	The dominance of Lutheranism Norway is an overwhelmingly Lutheran country, with around 8 out of every 9 Norwegians officially "baptized" as members of the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Norway (according to wikipedia.org). Norway used to be Roman catholic, but it quickly shifted to Protestantism in 1536, a few years after the Protestant Reformation breakout of 1517, which was started by Luther in Wittenberg, Germany. This means that Norway was quick to heed God's red-horse shout from Wittenberg. She was quick to leave the decaying structures of the catholic religion, and she settled with little hesitation in the black-horse wilderness of "Protestantism". In the "5-stage bowl" that we have studied before, the heeding of God's red-horse shout is equivalent to leaving the comfort of stage "3" in order to reach uncomfortable stage "4". However, the black-horse stage is a temporary stage. It is an interim "parking lot" on the way to the green-horse stage of "5". Unfortunately, most believers who do reach stage "4" have a tendency not to make the final, uphill push into "5". As they remain at stage "4", they irremediably slide back to stage "3". When this happens, stage "3" becomes a deceitful "trap stage". Why? Because believers who slide back to "3" from "4" do so without realizing it. They believe they are still at stage "4", without understanding that they are now in a disguised version of stage "3", the conformity stage they supposedly left behind a long time ago. This is exactly what happened to Lutheranism. At the beginning, Lutherans were boldly defying and questioning the Cain structures inside the catholic church. They ventured into the lonely wilderness of "non-institutional" religion and were willing to pay the price of their spiritual "isolation". However, as time went by, Lutheranism began adopting the institutional spirit it had supposedly left behind in 1517. Little by little, the staleness of institutionalism crept into the Lutheran church, and she eventually became another church bound by human traditions, a church in which believers fail to grow into their fullness of their spiritual (pneuma) calling. Lutheranism's traditionalism, however, was more deceitful in its nature, because it could claim an "anti-traditionalist" name, a name that speaks of its past, not its current, backslidden reality. "¹And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. ²Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. ³Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." (Revelation 3:1-3) Therefore, the predominance of traditionalist Lutheranism in Norway is a figure of how Norway remained stuck at the (temporary) black-horse stage of "4", without moving into the fullness of its green-horse calling.
	The "400-year night" As indicated on wikipedia.org, the "Black Death" that swept across Europe contributed to the death of the "Fairhair dynasty" in Norway. Therefore, the "black death" (brought about by the bubonic plague) acted as a black-horse agent that presented Norway with an opportunity to be free from a form of government dominated by "hereditary kings". However, Norway passed up on this kairos door of opportunity, and it passively submitted under Danish control for 400 years under the "Kalmar Union" of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. This union was eventually rejected by Sweden, which became an independent nation in 1523. Norway, however, remained in this union until 1814. During the 19th-century national romanticism movement, the 400-year period of open Danish domination became known as Norway's "400-Year Night". This long "Norwegian night" once again points to how Norway remained stuck at the black-horse stage of "4", without making a green-horse, non-compromising break with all dependence on human paradigms. Norwegians did enjoy more freedoms than the Danish people themselves because the Danish royal oppression was further away. However, it always amounted to an incomplete, half-alive, half-dead independence. {You can read about the questionable "Norwegianness" and credibility of the "Fairhair Dynasty" that ruled over Norway between the 9th and 14th centuries on wikipedia.org}
	Swedish control for decades after 1814 After the 400-Year night ended (as a result of the Napoleonic Wars), Norway declared "independence" and drafted a liberal constitution based on the American and French models. Even so, Norway chose to remain under the rule of a Danish king. Sweden, however, forced Denmark to hand Norway over. Sweden then installed its king, Charles 13, as the king of Norway (known in Norway as "Carl 2"). Norway was allowed to retain its liberal constitution and most of its independent institutions, but it was once again a half-complete independence. Norway remained under Swedish control until 1905. This episode of Swedish control once again reveals how Norway was comfortable being stuck in a compromised black-horse stage "4" that was really a stage "3" in disguise.
	Norway's current king, "Harald V" From all of the above, it is no spiritual coincidence that "Harald V" is the name of Norway's current king. This name correlates with "Saturn V", which, as we said above, is a figure of the red-horse believers who propel others into the "outer space" of the black-horse stage. Those who become too "comfortable" at the black-horse stage, however, remain attached to "Saturn V", and their "Saturn V" turns into a spiritual tomb of stagnation for them. Norway never let go of "Saturn V". Spiritually speaking, Norway was only interested in wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of "space", outside of Earth's "gravitational pull", but it has had no intention of "landing on the moon" and "returning to Earth" as a "new and resurrected Norway".
	The name of Norway's currency, the "Krone" As we said above, the "Saturn V" that propels us into "black-horse outer space" can turn into a "Kronos bear" that devours us if we refuse to let go of it. Therefore, it is no spiritual coincidence that Norway's currency is called the "Krone", since Norway, as a nation, has refused to let go of its black-horse stage.
	Norway's anti-whale stance According to wikipedia.org, many animal rights and anti-whaling groups point out the paradoxical fact that Norway is one of the few countries in the world that actively engages in commercial whaling, even when Norway is a very wealthy nation whose economy does not depend on that practice. Despite worldwide opposition, Norway remains determined to continue its whaling practices. This again reveals Norway's black-horse independence, i.e.- its reluctance to follow the orders of others "just because". However, this also emphasizes another fact about Norway. As we have shared before, the whale is a figure of "green-horse" Jonah. Therefore, Norway's active hunting of whales is a figure of Norway's refusal to yield to green-horse death. Norway has for centuries run away from its green-horse calling, just as Jonah initially fled from God's calling before accepting a green-horse death that took him down to "Sheol" (the fish's belly --- Jonah 2:2). Instead of "admitting defeat" in the whaling issue, Norway presses on, like the determined "Ahab" in Moby Dick who believes that "his" grace (produced in the black-horse wilderness) gives him the right to never face green-horse death and Sheol. A person who cannot raise the "White Flag" of surrender cannot enter into the green-horse stage of his or her spiritual (pneumatikos) walk. In a spiritual sense, Norway has for centuries been trying to kill its green-horse "whale" calling, as if to say to God, "We are OK where we are. We left catholicism and became Lutherans to follow You. What more do you want? Why do you keep sending these whales our way? Why do You keep insinuating that I must end up in the fish's belly? I'll kill all the whales You send my way, because I sure 'as hell' am not going to be swallowed up by one of them!! Hell is the last place I want to be!!"

Norway's consequences

Norway's black metal

According to wikipedia.org, Norway's main "contribution" to music has been its black-metal "artists". Norwegian bands have been the driving force behind the second wave of "black metal" music that began in the late 1980s. Black metal is a strident and chaotic style of music filled with very dark themes and satanic lyrics. Black metal is blasphemously anti-Christian, and it relishes in themes such as "hell" and gory, torturing deaths. Black-metal artists are "famous" for wearing "corpse paint", a type of skin paint that makes the skin look like it is decomposing. Black-metal music is, in essence, raw anarchy with no redeeming purpose whatsoever.

As one meditates on all of the above, it slowly becomes evident why Norway (of all the countries on Earth) became the hotbed for "black metal" music. As we have said before, wherever the visitation of "green-horse Joseph" is rejected, a spiritual vacuum is left, a vacuum that is then filled by "Hittite Yusuf". Green-horse Joseph brings spiritual chaos from God, chaos bent on life and regeneration. By contrast, Hittite Yusuf brings chaos for chaos' sake. Green-horse Joseph brings "anarchy" fully contained within the supernatural order of Almighty and Fearsome God. Hittite Yusuf, on the other hand, brings anarchy that punishes without edifying, anarchy that destroys and does not regenerate. Even though green-horse Joseph brings destruction, it is all necessary destruction. By contrast, Hittite Yusuf's destruction is unnecessary destruction that could have been averted had the green horse been welcomed, as was the case when Nineveh received green-horse Jonah (Jonah 3:3-10). Hittite Yusuf's destruction brings tears and lamentation that reap no joy. To those who have not been cast off for good, Hittite Yusuf's destruction brings nothing but lamentation that forces them to return to "Square One", to the original "square" where they are once again confronted with accepting green-horse Joseph. To those who have already been cast off, Hittite Yusuf's destructive anarchy brings an endless stream of torture that acts as "taunting right jabs" from God; these jabs set up His eventual deathblow, an out-of-nowhere "left hook" of utter devastation.

"Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness" (Jeremiah 13:16)

Therefore, the outflow of "black-metal" music from Norway is a manifestation of the spiritual vacuum left in Norway as the green-horse calling has been rejected there time and again. As Norway has chosen to remain stuck at the black-horse stage, she has set the stage for black metal music to emerge. No amount of intercession will remove this hideous scourge from Norway's spiritual atmosphere until the "green issue" is dealt with.

As we have said before, the black horse comes to kill the Goliaths, and the green horse calls God's people to remove their cadavers and pillage the enemy. When God's people do not rise up in response to the green horse, they become followers of "zombie" leaders, of "walking cadavers", undead Balaams whose spiritual calling is gone but who remain as the "leaders of the people" to the undiscerning, natural eye. Therefore, it is no coincidence that black-metal "artists" love to wear "corpse paint". They are a reflection the spiritual leaders that people end up following when they overstay their black-horse stage.

As we have said before, "metal" is spiritually related to the teaching ministry in a positive sense and to the Girgashite spirit in a negative sense. As we have also said before, the black horse comes against the spirit of Balaam, which is a distorted prophet-evangelist (a Hittite-Amorite) gone Girgashite because he lowers prophetic grace and evangelistic grace to temporal, earthly levels. Therefore, it is not surprising that a country that overstayed its black-horse stage went "Girgashite metallic" in a gory and gruesome Hittite way, becoming internationally renowned in an Amorite way.

One of the main precursors of "black metal" in its initial wave was the British group Venom. "Coincidentally", one of this group's members used the nickname "Cronos", in "honor" of the children-devouring mythical god mentioned above.

Islam and secular humanism

At least nominally, Norway is overwhelmingly "Christian". According to wikipedia.org, the two largest organized belief systems after "Churchianity" are Islam and Secular Humanism (at 1.5% each). Humanists are organized around the "Human-Etisk Forbund" ("Human Ethical Union"), which, according to wikipedia.org, has over 60,000 members. When compared to the number of inhabitants in Norway, it is by far the largest national humanist organization per capita in the world. In other words, Norway has become a mighty stronghold of secular humanism on Earth.

As we said above, the black horse comes to battle the spirit of Balaam, which is Hittite-Amorite in its nature. The Hittite spirit is a covert spirit of terror, and the Amorite spirit is a spirit of pride and self-exaltation. Therefore, the presence of Islam and Secular Humanism in Norway are no spiritual coincidence. The presence of Islam is a physical manifestation of the Hittite spirit of terror (for reasons that need no explanation), and the presence of Secular Humanism is a physical manifestation of the Amorite spirit, since Secular Humanism seeks to exalt man to the status of a "god" that is not accountable to an independent, Almighty God (according to John 10:34-35, we are gods, but we are gods in Him and because of Him; apart from Him, we are ephemeral gods who end up like dust in the wind --- Psalm 82:6-7). Since Norway refuses to move from her black-horse stage, she has failed to remove Balaam's "cadaver", and, as a result, his cadaver has drawn Hittite "flies" (in the form of Islam) and Amorite "flies" (in the form of Secular Humanism), because Balaam was a Hittite-Amorite.

A "new Norwegian" has been held back
According to wikipedia.org, the Norwegian language has two officially recognized written forms: Bokmal and Nynorsk. Bokmal is a "Norwegianized" version of Danish, and is a reflection of Norway's submission to Denmark during the "400-Year night" mentioned above. Nynorsk, on the other hand, was created by a Norwegian named Ivar Aasen in the 19th century. According to wikipedia.org, Ivar Aasen spent most of his life studying Norwegian dialects, traveling all over Norway to do his research. Because of his dedication and linguistic talents, he was financially supported by the Norwegian government as he did his work. He eventually created a formal new language, including formal grammatical laws and a dictionary. This language was given the name "Nynorsk", which literally means "New Norwegian".

Currently, Bokmal is used by 85 to 90% of Norwegians, while Nynorsk is used by some 10% of the population. This means that Norway has chosen to stick with a language that reflects a past of unnecessary dependence on Denmark, rather than adopt a new language that was carefully drafted by a person who invested his life learning and uniting the various Norwegian dialects. The "Nynorsk" ("New Norwegian") language represents Norway completely breaking with the past in order to enter into a new, green dimension. By contrast, the "Bokmal" language represents Norway's stagnation in its black-horse stage. It points to a "400-Year night" in which Norway was unwilling to remove the "Denmark cadaver" when it had the chance, choosing instead to follow a "walking zombie" for 400 years. Therefore, the dominance of Bokmal speaks of how a "new, green Norway" has been held back.

As indicated on wikipedia.org, the Normans were Vikings who were allowed by Carolingian ruler Charles the Simple to settle in northwest France (in the region now known as "Normandy") starting in the year 911. There, they thrived, and gratefully adapted to the culture that had welcomed them. They renounced paganism and converted to Christianity. After 155 years, the stage was set for what would be known as the "Norman conquest of England". In 1066, the Anglo-Saxon king in England (Edward the Confessor) died without an heir to the throne. Three people laid claim to the empty throne: King Harald III of Norway (who had blood ties to the Anglo-Saxon ruling family), William, Duke of Normandy (who also had blood ties to the ruling family), and Harold Godwinson, who was elected as the next successor by the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot (a predecessor of the modern "Parliament"). King Harald III invaded England from Norway, but was defeated and killed by Harold Godwinson's forces at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. William invaded England from Normandy, but his invasion was delayed by unfavorable winds and weather. This delay proved to be a blessing from God, since it gave time for Norway's Harald III to invade England first, which left Harold Godwinson in a weakened state. On October 14, William's Norman forces defeated Harold's Anglo-Saxon forces; Harold was killed in battle, and the kairos door of opportunity opened for William to conquer and establish control over all of England, which he did with much wisdom (by using the conquest of England as a means to enable the soldiers who had fought alongside of him). He obliterated the ruling Saxon class's control of England, and helped to cement the groundwork that would allow Britain and the UK to be the land of independent, apostolic thinkers it is today.

Both the Normans and the Norwegians fought for control of Anglo-Saxon England. These two groups of invading "Vikings" represent two "Norways": the Norway that has been and the Norway that should have been. Harald III represents a Norway that was unable to cross the sea and enter into the green land (the "England") of its calling because it was unwilling to let go of its black-horse roots. By contrast, William's Normans were willing to break with their black-horse roots while in Normandy. Because of this, they were able to cross the sea and enter into the green land (the "England") of their calling. This is what God has been calling Norway to do, but Norway has remained stuck. Because Norway is unwilling to act as a "Norman Norwegian", it has been unable to resurrect as a "New Norwegian".

As we shared above, you cannot enter into the green-horse stage of your spiritual growth unless you are willing to accept the "dark side" of God's anointing. Over 6 years ago, the Lord prompted me to purchase a Christian music CD sung in Hebrew by Messianic Jews. The CD included a song that began with an eerie chant and beat that sounded, to the undiscerning ear, like an ancient pagan ritual. A few acquaintances who heard the CD did not like it much, and they had a special "dislike" for the song with the "eerie" chant. They thought that the CD was "creepy", to say the least, because it did not fit in with their more "Westernized" and "rational" understanding of Christianity. By contrast, when I would hear the CD, my heart would be filled with fear, awe, and trembling. I would lift my eyes towards the sky, longing desperately for His mighty manifestation. I felt as if a dark, righteous cloud would cover my weak and awe-struck soul. It was as if I beheld the Lord God who "dwells in the thick darkness" (1 Kings 8:12, Joel 2:1-2), and, instead of rejecting Him, my soul would long for Him all the more. This "thick darkness" is visible throughout Scripture, in passages such as Ezekiel 9, which we have studied before, and throughout the "creepy" book of Revelation. This is the God that the Church has been unwilling to recognize, the God who takes you to and through Sheol to form a new person inside of you, the God who is willing to wipe out millions of lives in one blow in order to regenerate the Earth, as He did during the days of Noah (Genesis 6:13), the God who coaxed satan into killing Job's family and torturing Job for weeks in order to forge a new Job (Job 1:8-9, Job 2:3-4), the God who told Samuel to take a sword and cut Agag into tiny little "Agag pieces" to avenge a crime committed by Agag's ancestors hundreds of years earlier (1 Samuel 15:1-3, 1 Samuel 15:32-33). This is the "dark", "barbaric" side of God that the "civilized Western Christian" wants to relegate to some distant mythological past. Yet that is the One, True God, the God of Shem, the good God in whose image we were created, and into whose full image we are to be converted.

"¹The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. ²Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. ³A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. ⁴His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. ⁵The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. ⁷Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. ⁸Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. ⁹For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. ¹⁰Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. ¹¹Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. ¹²Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." (Psalm 97:1-12)

Of all the non-Shemite people on Earth, the people with the greatest awareness of God's "thick darkness" are the Celtic peoples. This explains why Celtic music is so "mystical" and at times a bit "eerie". This also explains why the king of Norway was unable to conquer the islands of Britannia in 1066. Because of its doubting-Thomas attitude, Norway remains unprepared to accept the "dark side" of God's anointing and fulfill its "green" calling. Since Norway has an undeniable, hidden "green" connection, it has had to "repress" its "green" nature in order to overstay at the black-horse stage. The accumulation of this repression has led to the emergence of "spiritual geysers" such as Norwegian black metal. In typical self-denial mode, Norway continues to claim that it has no "chaotic green" nature within it and that there is no "chaotic green" nature in God. As it does this, Norway exposes its hidden chaotic nature to be used by satan. The acceptance of a lie, no matter how "pious" and "proper" the lie may sound, will allow the cursed father of lies to set up a throne of purposeless destruction. This is the spiritual reason for the "black metal" stronghold in Norway.

As was the case with the first posting on how to recognize spiritual gifts, it may seem as if we have completely digressed from the original question sent by the visitor. Yet, all that was shared here is at the heart of the matter. We are continuing to lay a deep foundation in response to the original question. God willing, we will continue the answer in a future posting...