Green Vomit = Deliverance!

This, from Andrew Peters:

I recently spent some time over in India, and find the spiritual climate there “oppressive” at best, and downright “hostile” most of the time. For me, that means that any doorway the enemy has had success in attacking in my past he’ll come at full force while on the ground there.

Last time I was there I experienced some temptation around pornography (which was unexpected), and while I didn’t submit to that, I still was on my guard this latest time. What ended up happening, though, was a much more subtle attack that was just as deadly to my spirit. All week, as I went about my business, I was hearing (in my head) a lot of harsh things about my body/body image/overall health. I was constantly hearing things like “Man, you’re so ugly. You have got to lose some weight” or “Wow you look fat. You’ve really let yourself go.”

At the time I didn’t think anything of it (I hadn’t listened to Steven’s talk yet), until my final day there. I received an email that morning from a friend. Here it is...

Hey dude,
I got an email from Rachel tonight... (Don't listen to the enemy right now)... Tara's prayer for you is that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit to the point of throwing up. Crazy but it feels right somehow. Anyway, we love you.

So I sent him a note back, thanking him for the encouragement, and letting him know I felt great physically and I HATED throwing up. In that moment, though, I just said a simple prayer to God, something along the lines of “God, if I need to throw something up to get more of you, I’m up for it.”

I hit send on my email, stood up from my desk, and IMMEDIATELY started dry heaving. Violent stuff. My initial reaction was, “Of course I am...this is all totally in my head...,” but I decided to go with it and see if the Lord had something for me. I ran to the bathroom and sat down on the floor, and just kept dry heaving into the toilet. Thankfully I had some music on I like worshipping to...so there I sat, alternately dry heaving and singing. If this sounds weird to you...good. It was super weird for me.

So as I was sitting there, the following thought came to mind...”Accusation and body image.” Suddenly the Lord revealed what had been going on the whole week I was there. It was like some curtain had been pulled back. I just started repenting for all the times I’d wished I had a different body, and for agreeing with the enemy that somehow my body wasn’t good enough. I told (out loud) the spirit of accusation that he had to leave, because I was in Christ, and had the power to kick him out. I think I ended with something along the lines of “spirit of accusation, get out.” Right when I said that, I had three violent dry heaves, then a stream of green bile came out of me. Not like “Exorcist” fire hose stream, but a line that was disgusting and tasted like bile. Then it was done. I just sat there on the floor, and started crying. Suddenly I started looking at my body, and I was amazed at how beautiful it was, and how it all worked. I started thanking the Lord for my hands, and feet, and how I could walk and run and jump. I probably sat there another 20 minutes, just considering all that stuff, and how awesome the Lord had created me.

Then I stood up, and that was that. What’s funny to me (apart from green bile), is when I got back recently, I’ve had a number of people come up and say things like “Man, you look great. Really healthy. Are you losing weight?” I just smile and say thanks.

ap

PS-I listened to the accusation talk on my flight home...and felt like yelling out “Hell Yea!” after much of what was discussed...but I didn’t. Thought that’d be inappropriate.