A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


December 12, 2015

Now For The Good News....

     I know it without a doubt.  Although yesterday's post may have left us with a sense of foreboding and angst, I can tell you with absolute certainty that we are about to enter a period of profound Hope and Expectation.
     Yesterday, I asked the question, "Why is it important to recognize the signs Jesus gives us that the 'Beginning of Sorrows' is about to take place?"  My answer was so that we may prepare to endure what is coming; be able to witness to those who may fall for the deception; and to speak God's Truth into the Satanic coordination and strategy for End Times events.  But that answer was incomplete.  There is one more reason to be aware of the signs.
      As I mentioned, Jesus tells us in John 13:19 that He is going to reveal the signs before they occur, so that when we do see them happening, we will know that He is who He says He is; and that He is the Christ; the Anointed One; the Messiah.  When we see all this misery coming upon the earth -- the spiritual and moral deception; the endless wars; the famine, persecution, and anguish precipitated against men; and the poisoning of our seas, the increase in earthquakes, and geo-engineering of our weather -- then we should remember what He told us.  These are all signs that He is coming back soon!  And He will return as God's Anointed One, with a special, God-ordained purpose to set things right according to God's will. And that purpose is to return as the Messiah; the coming Deliverer, chosen by God to redeem Israel and the world.
     If we are Bible-believing Christians -- and I mean the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments --  then that should give us great Joy and Hope!  If all these signs we see are indicating His Second Coming, then we know that our mission as representatives of God's Kingdom on earth is about to reap a great harvest!  And I can honestly tell you that I feel the stirrings of a great movement amongst His followers; even in the midst of what seems like continual and overwhelming bad news!
     Just within the last few weeks, since I took my break at Thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit has shown me evidence of a spiritual awakening within the Christian community, and it is extending beyond our church buildings to reach those who are turned off by the traditional religious experience.
     I have shared with you the direction that God is moving my husband and me... into the profound realization that Christians need spiritual healing.  People are literally coming forth in our lives with a desire to be set free from emotional, physical, and spiritual garbage that has plagued and prohibited a personal relationship with God.  And through His grace, He has shown us a path in which we work with the Holy Spirit and Jesus to "set the captives free."  We did not ask for this ministry, nor did we seek it.  He brought it to us, and we are seeing miraculous transformations in people who would never have approached the Church for help.  But now they feel confident in their relationship with God and can seek a church or group of Christians in which they can grow and mature their faith.
     Then there is the power of the Divine Appointments that God has set for our lives.  For instance, in the 20-year career my husband has had as a professional artist, we have met many interesting people, and those that have shared our faith have been extra-special.  During his career, he has traveled the American West in search of that dying breed, a real working cowboy.  There is no way we would ever have come into contact with them, had it not been for the Holy Spirit guiding my husband to trust in his God-given talent.  One such cowboy was an early and significant friend.  Although he was years younger than us, I knew we shared faith, which added to our special friendship.  But time and distance intervened in our relationship, and he had some issues he needed to work out, and demons he needed to cast out.  And my husband and I were, by no means, at the place we are now in our relationship with Christ.  We all had a lot of growing to do.
     After more than a 5-year lapse in our contact, we received a phone call that he was in Texas on business and would like to see us.  Of course we said, yes!  So he came to dinner with his business associate.  At the same time, my newly-found nephew, who has greatly blessed our lives, was coming for a day before he flew home to California for his college's Christmas break.  So here we were going to have the convergence of a Cowboy from Idaho with a Millennial from the LA area.  How was that going to work out?
     Well, let me tell you that when God decides He wants to connect His people, it is a match made in Heaven!  To begin with, everybody at the table was a Believer... it was obvious that something radical had transformed our cowboy friend, and my nephew has astounded me with his inquisitive mind and keen desire to understand and know God.  So after sharing fajitas and escapades from the cowboy world around an outdoor fire, we all retired to our living room for some intimate conversation.
     All I can tell you was that it felt like a mini-revival in that room!  The cowboy shared his testimony about how Jesus had healed him of his afflictions, restored his broken marriage and given him a beautiful family (two young sons being raised in the cowboy code of God, family & country -- with a third on the way), and set him on a path of trust and confidence in His Savior.  It was powerful and moving!  What was amazing, was that even though our years apart had taken us in different directions, this cowboy shared some of the same revelations that have come to my husband and me... that spiritual healing is what Christians need; that this is something the Church is not pursuing, and does not seem interested in exploring.  We also discovered that we both believe God is raising up a remnant who are all receiving Divine or supernatural disclosures from the Holy Spirit.  We may not all be receiving the same instruction or assignment, but it is all part of a plan to glorify the Lord and bring about His ordained purpose and return.  But one thing was for sure: we see the beginnings of holy fire sweeping across this nation!
     Let me just tell you that we stayed up til midnight sharing testimonies and glorying in the work that God was doing in our lives, as well as the work He has set before us.  But most of all we shared the hope that we have.  And it was not lost on me that this meeting of such diverse individuals was supposed to happen.  It restored a lost friendship; it encouraged us that we could see God moving in the world in consistent and dynamic ways; and perhaps, most of all, I witnessed God's Truth being spoken into the life of my nephew, who was fascinated with our friend's testimony and later told me it was all good.  The two of them -- the Cowboy and the Millennial -- were as different as they could be, but were joined in faith that night by the Holy Spirit.  It wasn't a heavy or burdensome gathering; but, rather a joyous celebration of fellow believers reveling in the Goodness of God in our lives.  There was plenty of laughter and story-telling, along with a few tears shed for His Greatness.
     So, I want to leave you with this final thought... yes, the news of this world is bad, and I am afraid it is not going to get better.  But I actually remain calm in the midst of this coming storm.  Because I know what these signs are showing me.  I know, and see, that the Holy Spirit is doing mighty works among God's remnant, and that remnant includes those of us advancing in years; those who are in the midst of raising young families; and those of us who are being shaped to become God-fearing adults in these Last Days.  I have much reason to hope, and my spirit is glad as I eagerly await each new day and what God will bring me.  Do not fear and do not despair... these are Glorious Days in which we live!

1 Corinthians 2:9     But as it is written: "What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind — God prepared this for those who love Him." 
 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks, Belle, for the reminder, and another way for those of us that struggle with what to do about Christmas when we've been led away from a lot of it. This season can be difficult when you have differing beliefs and practices, both in the greater world, but also within families. We have been trying to find a balance, and your words just reaffirm that we need to put some of these differences aside, and concentrate more on our Messiah, than in areas where we don't agree. Today, more than ever, we need to come together and the only way to do that is to put our eyes, together, on Jesus! Another great reminder. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Karla, my post on The Great Commission puts it all in perspective, doesn't it? We don't have to compromise our obedience to God and buy into the pagan roots or the commercialization of Christmas. But, at the same time, to stand so firm on that principle, yet ignore the opportunity to share the Gospel while people are focused on Jesus, doesn't make for good discernment, does it? And to let this issue create a dividing line and a gulf between Christians is not what our Lord would want. It's time we set aside our differences, respect each other's choices, and get about the work we've been given to do.

      Delete