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


Showing posts with label Evil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evil. Show all posts

July 29, 2022

Sodom And Gomorrah & Lawlessness in America


I know that sounds like a sensational and overdramatized title for today's post, but let me share some information with you and see if you might not agree that it is appropriate. Our little Home Church group has been studying Genesis and considering all the resources throughout history that give us a broader picture of what was going on in this pivotal Book of the Bible. 

So much history of the world [and man's relationship with God] is packed into these 50 chapters and sadly, much of it is ignored, skipped over, or disavowed by the modern [and make that Western] Church, that I fear we don't see the comparisons with our current generation. Not only is the average citizen unaware that Satan planned to corrupt mankind's God-created DNA in Genesis 6, but they don't see that that perversion mirrors all the present-day scientific experiments with vaccines, gene editing, DNA sequencing, and human-animal hybrid experiments -- and neither do Christians see it!

So, our little Home Church just finished getting into the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 and 19. To be honest with you, the Bible gives very little detail about what made these two cities so evil in the eyes of the Lord. What we do know from Scripture is this: The Lord Jesus, accompanied by two "men" appears to Abraham, sitting outside his tent. Abraham runs to them and bows down to the ground, indicating that these are no ordinary men, but actually this is Jesus and two of His angels. who have come to announce to Abraham the promise of an heir from God. Remember, Abraham is familiar with God's voice. If you are a student of ancient texts such as the Book of Jasher, then you know that Abram studied at the feet of his Eight-Times Great-Grandfather Noah, so he knew all about YHWH, and heard His voice call him out of the land of Ur to go to Canaan. So by the time Abraham is 99 years old in Genesis 18, he's pretty familiar with the Lord!

After this amazing promise of an heir, Genesis says the Lord and His angels "got up and looked towards Sodom". It seems that their visitation to earth had a two-fold purpose. The Lord says that the outcry of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so great, and their sin so grave that He was going to see for Himself if they had acted as vile and wicked as the cries coming to Him indicated (Genesis 18:20-21).  It is hard for us to imagine just how wicked because there is little detail given in Scripture to describe the lengths that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah went to in their rebellion and perversion.

But, the ancient Book of Jasher (referenced in Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; and 2 Timothy 3:8) leaves no doubt as to why the Lord and His angels came in answer to the cries that had ascended to Heaven! For those who shy away from this historical reference material because it was not included in the Canon, the fact that God chose to reference it in the Bible tells me that it carries some credibility with Him. I use it for historical perspective and have found that it aligns with Scripture; it just gives us more details that expand our understanding of what the Bible reveals. 

That being said, here is just a portion of what was understood by the ancient Israelites regarding the abominations of wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah:  And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them. And as he lay down, three men would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure him by the length of the bed, and if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him. And if he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the man had reached the gates of death. (Jasher 19:3-5)

And when a poor man came to their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a proclamation in the whole city not to give him a morsel of bread to eat, and if the stranger should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to obtain a morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would come and take their silver and gold which they had given to him. (Jasher 19:8)

Then the Book of Jasher reveals that Lot, who lived in the city of Sodom, is blessed with a daughter named Paltith. Her soul was moved with pity for a man who lay in the center of town, starving from hunger... she fed him secretly with bread for many days, and the soul of this man was revived. For when she went forth to fetch water she would put the bread in the water pitcher, and when she came to the place where the poor man was, she took the bread from the pitcher and gave it him to eat; so she did many days. And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah wondered how this man could bear starvation for so many days (Jasher 19:27-29). It wasn't long before the townspeople became suspicious. Why wasn't this man dying? So three men hid to watch and see who was feeding the stranger in their midst. They discovered it was Paltith and took her before the judges and asked what her punishment should be. Jasher 19:35 reveals her fate: And the people of Sodom and Gomorrah assembled and kindled a fire in the street of the city, and they took the woman and cast her into the fire and she was burned to ashes. 

Paltith wasn't the only one who suffered because of her righteousness. A young woman in the nearby sister city of Admah also defied the wickedness of her city and gave bread and water to a sojourner. When it was discovered that she transgressed their law, the judges also sentenced her to death ... The people of those cities assembled and brought out the young woman, and anointed her with honey from head to foot, as the judge had decreed, and they placed her before a swarm of bees which were then in their hives, and the bees flew upon her and stung her that her whole body was swelled. And the young woman cried out on account of the bees, but no one took notice of her or pitied her, and her cries ascended to heaven. And the Lord was provoked at this and at all the works of the cities of Sodom, for they had abundance of food, and had tranquility amongst them, and still would not sustain the poor and the needy, and in those days their evil doings and sins became great before the Lord.  (Jasher 19:36-44)

The rest of Jasher 19 coincides with what the Bible reveals ... the Lord sends the two angels to Sodom to destroy it because not one is found righteous among all the inhabitants. Not only have they been starving the poor and oppressed, but they demand that Lot send the angels out so that they might have sex with them (Genesis 19:4-5). Haven't heard that in your Church? Here is what the Amplified version of the Bible says: "the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house, all the men from every quarter; and they called out to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them [intimately].” The Complete Jewish Bible (an English translation of the Hebrew Tanakh) actually says, "Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them"! So, here we have a suggestion of sex between angels and men that mirrors what happened in Genesis 6 when Fallen Angels came down and had sex with earthly women. We saw how that ended! God chose to flood the world!

 As if all this is not enough to show us just how evil and wicked Sodom and Gomorrah had become, Jasher also reveals this ... In those days all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the whole five cities, were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord and they provoked the Lord with their abominations, and they strengthened in aging abominably and scornfully before the Lord, and their wickedness and crimes were in those days great before the Lord. And they had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day's walk, and in it there were fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water. And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives and children and all belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances. And in the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor's wives, and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his wife and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word. And they did so from morning to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his house and each woman to her tent; so they always did four times in the year.

I share all this with you to ask you to pray for our nation. If the events I have described in ancient Sodom and Gomorrah resulted in the Lord deciding to destroy it, what can we expect from the rising lawlessness in America? Although we have slowed down the abortion rate, it is still allowed in some states. I do not doubt that the cries of the victims of Child pornography and human trafficking have reached the heart of Jesus in Heaven. And everyday, there is another horrifying video on the nightly news of some wickedness done against an innocent person ... a mother pushing her child in a baby carriage is run over by a hit and run driver; a celebrated athlete is nearly blinded by a pipe thrown at her head by a homeless man as she simply walks down the street; a pedestrian is run over by a car, and the passengers jump out and rob the victim as he lies motionless on the street; our highest judges in the land receive death threats, while our government leaders appear to line their own pockets as they sell us down the river to foreign entities. And I don't know if you remember actress Lucy Lui appearing on Oprah and sharing that she has sex with angels. Sure looks to me as if Sodom and Gomorah have nothing on us! It is now becoming commonplace to see articles like the one written by Nick Burns, titled Savagery in America is a Symptom of an Increasingly Disordered World, and another one by Abraham Blondeau, in which he states, "Violent Crime is Consuming America."

So, as our Home Church discussed the evilness in the Bible of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was mentioned by someone, "I sure hope we aren't that bad, yet". I'm not so sure. The way we are headed certainly seems as evil to me. Abraham asked God to relent from His plan to destroy the wicked cities if He was able to identify 5 righteous people. I think God readily agreed because He already knew that no one was righteous and He would be carrying through on His threat. Now, I know we still have righteous people in our nation and we are all certainly praying and repenting. But there are times it seems that the wickedness is outrunning us. So, I just want to keep encouraging everyone that we walk as the Ekklesia and we must never acquiesce or concede our role! The world may know and embrace lawlessness, but we know the Law of Heaven and the Judge of Righteousness! We will never bow or yield to anyone but Him!

2 Peter 2:8 ...  (for that just man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by what he saw and heard of their lawless acts),        


  

August 23, 2021

Wickedness on the Earth: Do We Really Understand the Depth of It?


 

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". We 21st Century Christians will recognize this verse as immediately following the controversial Genesis 6:1-4 revelation of fallen angels mating with human women to produce a race of giants called Nephilim. We know that it so greatly grieved God's heart that He regretted creating mankind and He determined that He would destroy all men, animals, crawling things, and birds of the air from the face of the earth. And then came The Flood.

From our Sunday School classes, we know the rest of the story ... or we think we do. Noah builds an ark, and as the only righteous man on earth, God saves him and his family from the 40-day flood, and then commands them (and all the living creatures) to go forth, be fruitful, and multiply on the earth. I think most Christians assume that the evil Nephilim perished in the Flood, and wickedness and corruption were reborn through some genetic carry-over from the Nephilim bloodline.

But here we are, somewhere around 4300 years later, and those events are regarded almost as folk lore -- even if they're believed at all. The stories of a race of hybrid giants born to fallen angels and human women [in Genesis 6], and our God so grieved over the state of wickedness in the race of humans He created that He determined to destroy them [in Genesis 7], are viewed, even by Christians, as seemingly disconnected and autonomous from our reality in the 21st Century. We convince ourselves that there's nothing in our existence that compares to the wickedness that occurred then. Every evil thing that happened before the Flood was destroyed and God simply pushed "restart" with Noah. Sounds simple, right? But how did mankind get back off track so easily? Can we simply blame the devil for tempting man to sin? 

I think it's quite apparent that Evil is still alive and well in our modern world. We may not understand its origin or source, but those who have been redeemed by Jesus are familiar with the Scripture that tells us "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" [Ephesians 6:12]. But do we even have a concept of who or what those titles mean? Are we so removed in time or spiritual adeptness that we are oblivious to the identity and effect these evil forces have had down through the ages? That what was "then" is still at work now?

It has been interesting to delve into the ancient writings and see them hinted at in the Bible. It's like seeing puzzling reflections in a mirror. I know there is more definition than what I am seeing, but it has been blurred or obscured by thousands of years, corrupted theology, and Satan and the fallen angel's attempts to counterfeit the government of God. The Bible records the sanctified partners of our Holy God ... Seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-7); Cherubim (Genesis 3:24); Thrones, Dominions, Rulers, Authorities (Colossians 1:16); Powers (Ephesians 1:21); Principalities (Romans 8:38); and Archangels and Angels (I Thessalonians 4:16 and Luke 22:43).

But remember that Lucifer served God in the Throne Room, so when his pride led to his ejection from Heaven, he was able to commit spiritual forgery with the deceived angels who followed him. These condemned ranks of spurious angels would become the forefathers of the Nephilim race of giants, and they were alternatively known as Watchers, Archons, and Rulers. These are the rebellious angels that Jude is referring to when he calls them, "heavenly messengers in rebellion who went outside their rightful domain of authority and abandoned their appointed realms. God bound them in everlasting chains and is keeping them in the dark abyss of the netherworld until the judgment of the great day."

According to ancient Jewish lore, Azazel was the leader of the 200 angels who followed Lucifer in his rebellion. He is charged with teaching mankind the art of war, the art of jewelry, all forms of conceit and arrogance, metal work, medicine, promiscuity and illicit sexual pleasure. He is represented in the Hebrew ritual as the "scapegoat"; plunged over a steep cliff as a reminder to the people of his perpetual punishment for all sins of rebellion and transgression in the pre-Flood world. It was Azazel who commanded and taught other rebellious angels to infiltrate the earthly realm with corrupted heavenly knowledge that held forbidden secrets for mankind. They did it by seducing the women they slept with and teaching them enchantments, root arts and magical arts; astrology and secrets to the zodiac signs; the art of building instruments of war and killing (swords, breastplates, knives and metalworking); secrets to herbs and spices; using paper and ink for spurious purposes; the depths of evil and spirits, and abortion. 

All this led to an increased ignorance of God, and a loss of the concept of the difference between war and peace. The women began to murder their children through abortion, as they participated in initiation rituals to a new religion, the bull cult of Poseidon. Idolatry led to sexual immorality, which led to adultery, and treachery. The Book of Wisdom, also known as Wisdom of Solomon is considered by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Orthodox Churches of the East to be a canonical book of the Old Testament. These churches were founded mostly from 200 BC–AD 70, before the definite separation of the Christian church from Judaism, and are therefore some of the earliest churches teaching Christian theology. They take note of what the Book of Wisdom says about the influence of the corrupted Watchers in the Pre-Flood world: "Everything was a complete riot of bloody murder, robbery, deceit, corruption, unfaithfulness, disorder, falsehood, harassment of innocent people, ingratitude, moral decay, sexual perversion, broken marriages, adultery, and immorality. The worship of idols, whose names should never be spoken, is the beginning and the end, the cause and the result of every evil".

The Nephilim, the offspring of the utterly and unnatural union violating God's created order of being, were so ferocious and terrifying that the people of the Pre-Flood epoch fled before the tyranny and intimidation because they feared for their lives. They also fled from their convictions of the true God because they lived under a powerful and totalitarian regime. They lived under the evil dictatorship of cruel and corrupt giants who soon became the Kings of the land -- whose descendants would one day become the Nephilim giant kings that Abraham, Moses and Joshua would battle. Because of their unbridled violence, plundering, and slaughter, the omnipotent, true God, exercised His divine judgment to stop the carnage through the manifestation of The Flood. 

But here is the point I want to get to, as I wrap up this deeper, historical explanation of the significance of Genesis 6 and 7 ... we should not be so naive to think that this level of wickedness vanished in the aftermath of The Flood. The arrogance, the idol worship, the tyranny, the rituals, the mysticism all survived! It was taught by the fallen angels to earthly women and their offspring, the Nephilim. Most of us probably believe that the Nephilim were wiped out by The Flood, and their influence was washed from the face of the earth. But the Book of Enoch [in Chapter 15] says, “Now the giants [Nephilim], who have been born of spirit and of flesh, shall be called upon earth evil spirits, and on earth shall be their habitation. Evil spirits shall proceed from their flesh, because they were created from above from the holy Watchers was their beginning and primary foundation. Evil spirits shall they be upon earth and the spirits of the wicked shall they be called. The habitation of the spirits of heaven shall be in heaven, but upon earth shall be the habitation of terrestrial spirits, who were born on earth. The spirits of the giants [Nephilim], shall be like clouds, which oppress, corrupt, fall, contend and bruise those upon earth.” 

So, this appears to be describing the disembodied spirits of dead Nephilim, to be called what we know as demons. And I know that the Book of Enoch is not considered canonical Scripture, but since it is referenced in Jude, I am willing to consider that God verifies it as a historical resource. Then there is the curious wording in Genesis 6:4 ... There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame). If we yield to the assumption that Noah and his family were the only survivors of The Flood [and there are disparate views on that hypothesis], then how could the Nephilim be on the earth? As disembodied evil spirits, called demons, is the most probable answer.

I submit this hypothesis to you with the purpose of suggesting that the depth of wickedness on the earth was greater than we have been taught in our churches. And the result of that wickedness and rebellion against the Creator of the Universe [and everything in it] has led to cruelty, tyranny, the murder of innocents, and all kinds of perversion and corruptness. It's all been part of Lucifer's revenge. And until his final judgment, he and the spiritual forces that align with him will continue to wreak devastation, destruction, and desolation on the earth and its inhabitants. We can still see mankind falling under the influence of the original Rebellious One and his army of subordinates. We must never forget that these rebellious angels did not foresee God creating the resurrection of human-kind into the eternity and the spirit realm of heaven through the Word, Yeshua HaMashiac. We may soon encounter the same level of evil that precluded The Flood, but like Noah, we will be delivered from its intended purpose, and we will emerge triumphant, declaring the Majesty and the Power and the Glory of the One True God. Keep the faith and stay focused on Eternity!

 I wish to give thanks and much credit to author Gary Wayne, for his extraordinary knowledge and research on this subject. Be sure and check out his website, genesis6conspiracy.com.

Matthew 25:41    Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'


 

 

 

 

 


March 11, 2021

A Call To The Ekklesia: Stand Against False Gods & Fallen Angels!


There is a stark reality we must face in our nation. We are all aware that for 60 years or more, we have been pushing God out of our national identity -- culturally, socially, and legally. But if we create a vacancy, it is the law of nature, that something will fill that space. Do you remember in 2015, when the powers that be in New York gave permission to an art exhibition called "Projecting Change" to impose the image of Hindu demon goddess Kali on the side of the Empire State Building? Kali is the goddess of Destruction and Dissolution in Hinduism and is known for destroying ignorance. Her name means "The Black One". The meaning of Dissolution, by the way, is termination, demise, extinction. And just five years later, in 2020, we now witness the State of New York updating the number of nursing home deaths from Covid-19 to an astounding 15,000!

When a nation removes God from His central and foundational position, then other "little g" gods are only too willing to take His place. And there are dangerous consequences when we let that happen. I want to make you aware of a new and menacing threat to the Christian underpinning of our country. An article on The Gateway Pundit website on March 10, reported that the state of California has proposed an "ethnic studies" curriculum that calls for the "decolonization" of American society and a "counter-genocide" of white Christians. Now, if we want to, we can just chalk that up to another generation discovering their ethnic roots and wanting to throw off the shackles of "American imperialism". But a more in-depth look at this issue finds a curriculum that includes the worship of Aztec gods and chants that call for human sacrifice and cannibalism.

If you are spiritually attuned to Satan's agenda, his goal is to corrupt and destroy human relationship with the Most High God, and substitute the worship of his company of false gods and fallen angels. It's been his plan since he was expelled from El Elyon's heavenly throne room. And the human race has been so easily tempted to abandon righteousness for wickedness. Beginning with the Book of Genesis, the Bible clearly shows us this precept, and the world's history backs it up. 

The curriculum materials will tell you that the goal is "name, speak to, resist, and transform America's cultural identity of dominance through white European neo-colonial policies". The suggestion is to see a transformation towards "social justice" through ethnic resistance. How is that accomplished? Would you believe that the curriculum teaches that students can become "warriors" of social justice by appealing to the Aztec gods to release a spirit of "revolution"? The problem is, these gods are real!!!  We don't even have to approach the obvious conversation -- that this form of "education" doesn't seek to reconcile and unite the various ethnic groups in our rich American heritage, but rather, to alienate and estrange us from each other.

This is the kind of Anti-Christ agenda that, as the Ekklesia, we must determine to see defeated. This Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum [as it is known] instructs teachers to help students challenge "racist, bigoted, discriminatory, imperial/colonial beliefs" and recommends that they lead their students in a series of indigenous songs, chants, and affirmations, including what is known as the "In Lak Ech Affirmation" which appeals directly to the Aztec gods. Students first chant and clap to the god Tezcatlipoca, whom the Aztecs traditionally worshiped with human sacrifice and cannibalism. Often considered as the supreme god, he took on a bewildering array of names and manifestations depending on where and by whom he was worshiped. Invisible and omnipotent, he was known as a Creator god, the god of sustenance, a patron of warriors and as the bringer of both good and evil, he was the very embodiment of change through conflict. He was seen as a god of war, and in one of the special ceremonies honoring him, a prisoner of war was sacrificed and his heart removed to honor this god.

But Tezcatlipoca is not the only false god to be summoned during this Ethnic Studies curriculum. Students are also taught to chant to Tezcatlipoca's brothers, the gods Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtili, and Xipe Totek. These gods are all supreme deities in the pantheon of Mesoamerican creator gods. All are associated with death, war and human sacrifices, whose blood would feed and strengthen the gods. I ask you, do you see any redeeming value to teaching students to chant and summon these fallen angels-turned into false gods? The chanting comes to a climax when students declare "liberation, transformation, and decolonization" as they are convinced they need to pursue "critical consciousness" of their oppressed state in society. 

But here's what is even more concerning ... this curriculum is not only suggested for college-age students, but also for primary and secondary schools, serving a population of 6 million students! With the ever-increasing number of refugees from Central America [the very countries these gods had influence over], California could see racial tensions and gross social upheaval in its population -- which is exactly what Satan has in mind! It is imperative the Ekklesia stand guard against the gates of Hades who would impose this evil curriculum in our nation's schools! Lest you think these gods are just harmless mythological characters, I will tell you that, as Inner Healing Ministers, the Lord has shown Mark and I their very real presence in the iniquity we find in generational bloodlines of Hispanic Beloveds. 

We have seen tremendous freedom come when we expose the covenants made with these fallen heavenly powers by ancestors, and then stamp them with the blood of Jesus and command the altars be destroyed.  Most people don't know the origin of their bloodlines, so we cover the major ancient civilizations by cleansing their bloodlines with Living Water, and renouncing and returning every form of counterfeit inheritance from the Aztec god Queztalcoatl; the Mayan gods Ah Puch and Kul Kul Kan; and the Incan god Viracocha. As I said earlier, the influence of these gods is still in the world, and their wickedness can be summoned through chants, dance, sacrifice and other forms of worship -- even if you call it "education" or "social justice". Ekklesia, this is a call to fulfill our mandate: to stand in the gates of righteous government for the Kingdom, and to prevail [triumph, overcome, rule] against the forces of evil that would come against God's desire for this nation. This agenda will not succeed!

Isaiah 59:7-8    Their feet run to evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. Their roads they have made crooked; no one who walks in them knows peace. 


February 11, 2021

God Is Exposing Evil To His Light; Not To Scare Us, But To Empower Us!

Ever since we have entered 2021, my spirit has been on hyper-alert --- I'm sure many of you can identify with me. I have written that God has seemed to be silent, yet I am, at the same time, seeing things more clearly. So, I know He is present and still imparting words of knowledge and visions about what He wants us to know in this season of Time. 

While it may seem as if Evil is growing more apparent and powerful [and with no constraints], I assure you that our God is preparing us for what He is soon going to be doing in the earth. And yes, I do believe the Lord is close to returning to deal with all the evil and injustice in the world. Here is the Scripture that keeps resonating in my heart ... “So do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed [at the judgment], or kept secret that will not be made known [at the judgment]. What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people]" (Matthew 10:26-27).

 

Have you noticed that the lies, corruption, and chaos sowed by the Anti-Christ and his beast system is being rapidly exposed? Take just a moment and look at all that has happened in just the last year. The world [and our nation] have undergone some of the most radical changes in recent memory. And if you step back a century, you can look at how from World War I until today, we have committed all the things which are abominations to God: haughty eyes [an attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others]; a lying tongue; hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that creates wicked plans; feet that are swift to running to mischief; a false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths]; and one who spreads strife among brothers.

 

From the outset of World War I through the current wars in the Middle East and Africa, a cabal of international bankers have plotted to make money off wars that have killed over 187 million military personnel, all for profit and self-wealth. And we can just go down the list ... to the countless lies that have been fed to us by corrupt politicians. leaders, and media to advance Satan's kingdom; to the 40-50 million abortions in the world every year; to the wicked hearts that plot with Satan to defeat God's Goodness and promote evil agendas in the world [funding riots and murder, spreading false witness,  manufacturing hostility, conflict and hatred among the brotherhood of man; and corrupting God's divine design of man] ... it all adds up to a conglomeration of iniquity that will bring judgment by our righteous and holy God.

 

It is in Matthew 10 that Jesus not only shares the incredible insight that evil will be exposed and subsequently judged, but He also gives His disciples power and authority to serve His Kingdom [on earth] while they are in the midst of Satan's dark kingdom. And then He tells them to Listen carefully. He warns them they have a hard road before them because Satan will use evil men to impede their journey, as well as their service to Him and their fellow man. And then He gets serious ... He tells them  that persecution is inevitable and they will be hated by those who hate, despise, and rebel against God. But then comes the passage, Do not be afraid of them....

 

These are among the reasons that I believe Christ is close to coming. Evil is not diminishing and is accelerating at a rapid pace. BUT, God is also exposing the evil and the result is that Evil will be its own instrument of defeat. It is important that the Body of Christ understands that hard times will precede our victory in Christ. We must prepare in our flesh, souls and spirits to endure the evil that will come against us from men who deny and reject Jesus. And we must understand that Jesus is coming back to judge with a sword before He delivers the world from evil. That does not mean we escape the trials and persecution that is already being fomented against Christians in this country as national security threats. Remember, Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:34, Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]; and in Matthew 10:38, he who does not take [up] his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. 

 

Those are sobering words to those of us who profess faith in Christ. We must not cower in fear over what is coming [nor deny it!]; but we are to endure, knowing that no matter what happens here on earth, if we conform to His example, we shall share eternal life with Him in victory! We are His disciples! We must not be counted among those men and women whose hearts fail them for fear. Instead we are to nurture and spiritually develop hearts that are rooted in the power of Heaven in us. We must believe that our prayers are powerful and that they are heard! We must be willing to let YHWH display His Power and Might in us [and through us] as He did Moses in his battle with Pharaoh; as did the Maccabees in their war with the Anti-Christ spirit in Antiochus Epiphanes; as did the Disciples and the First Century Church in the face of violent persecution from the Roman Empire. 

 

Yes, we keep the eyes of our heart focused on Christ and our victory in Him! But we are not to be blindsided by the very things Jesus warns us must come before He judges Evil and delivers us into that victory! We must be obedient to the whole counsel of God, not just to the portion that makes us feel good. We must become unified, courageous, and committed followers of our Lord and Savior, willing to carry out our orders from the Lord of the Heavenly Host. Let us be willing to wait in the silence, while being alert to see what He wants to show us. Hear what He says about the darkness that is coming, pray earnestly for wisdom, and then declare and renounce it in the midst of His Light! We can defeat the power of Evil by shining God's Heavenly Light on it. And let us always have our spiritual armor on, being willing to fight alongside Jehovah Nissi in the spiritual realms, being mindful that He goes before us and never forsakes us, no matter how dark it may get. Let us join together and ask the God of the Universe to keep revealing the Evil so we know how to pray against it. Expose it, Father, and we declare that we will not falter nor lose faith. Here we are! Use us for Your Kingdom!

 

Luke 21:25-28    And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. 



August 18, 2020

How Social Media Undermines God and Our True Identities

     

     I don't know how you feel about Social Media, but for me, I can sum it up with the condensed version of Genesis 50:20... "What Satan meant for evil, God can use for His good". I may sound unsophisticated but, for all intents and purposes, I think the developers of Social Media platforms have been deceived by the devil and ultimately serve his agenda. Yet, I will allow that I have the opportunity to use those digital creations to write this blog to you. And I thank the Lord for that!

    So, let me explain what I'm seeing in this digital/technological age and why I'm concerned that it is effecting not only our relationships with each other, but with our connection to our Creator. First of all, Social Media allows people to hide behind an invisible wall of respectability and often gives them a fake sense of courage and invincibility. People will express their opinions on everything from politics to religion to devil worship; writing from a safe distance where they feel confident to forego civility and respect and good manners, in favor of being right and projecting a position of moral superiority. 

     But nothing replaces that personal face-to-face conversation to achieve real truth and integrity. I don't think I've ever seen such ugliness, anger and vitriol. But the devil has convinced those with wounded and hard hearts that no one can see them so they can say what they want without any fear. And then when you try to engage with them, they are suddenly offended that you dare to disagree or question them. Somehow, we've lost that personal interaction and the experience of really knowing each other.

     And all I can think of is how much God is concerned about how Social Media is influencing the way we communicate with each other and how we practice our faith. Before the Covid nightmare began, more and more people chose to stay in the comfort of their home and watch sermons and Church services online and at their leisure. There was no human interaction with like-minded Believers; you tuned into God whenever it was convenient. After all, the internet is full of archived podcasts, sermons, and videos. And since March, when our nation entered a new reality of masks and isolation, it has become difficult to even make those alternative forms of faith available. So, now people just go to their favorite Religious app and get their God moment there. 

     So, I have a question ... if we are moving farther away from real human contact to having "virtual friends" that we may never look in the eye, shake their hand, or experience a hug from --- how "real" can those relationships be? And if there is no authentic relationship between humans on the same planet, how much farther will we move from a genuine experiential relationship with God? And, in the end, how does it affect us in relating to each other as the children of God?

     Here are some of what I think are very real concerns... Through Social Media the Anti-Christ spirit (which is any spirit that denies or does not confess Jesus in their life) attempts to divide and conquer us through our perceptions of who people are by the way they communicate online. It is very easy for the devil to manipulate people in his subtle and crafty ways to see people only as labels. 

     Take the issues of wearing masks or taking a vaccine. If you are a Christian, your spirit should be sensitive to these two tools to manipulate the masses and move them closer to a Mark of the Beast scenario. But if you're a humanist, or just the average Joe who gets his identity on Facebook or Twitter, then you can be manipulated in any number of ways. The Enemy whispers messages of Personal or Economic freedom and people post messages in support of those ideals. They will look something like this: Covid-19 is limiting our freedom (and so is the government), so by working together to get enough people vaccinated, we, as a society can preserve those freedoms. Or, it can sound something like this: People are out of work and financially hurting. We just all need to get vaccinated and we can go back to work. There are other reasons to get vaccinated: they will try to instill guilt; if you don't get vaccinated, you are endangering others. And they can take it one step further: those who refuse to agree with mandatory vaccinations of the population are putting the health of their community at risk. Then you become the enemy, responsible for the deaths of others. Get the picture?

     And whether you comment or disagree, it is very easy to get labeled as Selfish, Traitorous, Uncaring, or downright Evil -- all without ever actually meeting a person! That is not God's design for the human race! We are made in His image and He is all about relationship and wants us to love each other as He loves us. We are worth something to Him because His Son chose to die for us. In fact, that is one of His commandments ... Love one another as I have loved you. But, sadly, I see how Social Media is destroying that message.

     But don't count Satan out just yet! He still has some tricks up his sleeve. I ran across an article entitled 25 Reasons Why Twitter is Spiritual. Are you ready for some of them? Here goes: Twitter prompts us to focus on the present moment and in doing so we realize all we need is right here, right now. Twitter prods us to find the divine energy of joy in our daily lives and to share it with others. Twitter draws out our playfulness and celebrates, in a variety of ways, the holiness of savoring pleasure and the lightness of being. (Can you believe that one?) Twitter shows us why we need to cherish all parts of creation from ants to wolves to the Grand Canyon. Twitter elicits our wonder as we see the world moving toward us with a deluge of epiphanies. And here's my favorite: Twitter allows us to probe on a daily basis the significance of what we are feeling and thinking: it makes meaning makers of us all. In other words, it's all about us!

     I'm sorry, but using words like "divine energy of joy", "holiness and lightness" and "epiphanies" does not make this Social Media platform spiritual. Being spiritual is connecting to the Spirit of God; the Holy Spirit. It's having a personal relationship with all of whom God is... not concentrating on making ourselves the happiest we can be in our Godless lives. 

     In summary, I don't see Social Media going away anytime soon, and I only see it as further perverting God's intentions for His children. I celebrate the ways in which I can represent Him through this blog, but I know that Enemy is very aware that me, and others like me, who do not advance his agenda to separate us from each other and the Most High God. I will do my part to represent my Lord and King for as long as I can, and as long as you're willing to read what I'm inspired to write. Use me, Lord, for Your Good, and lead us not into the temptations of Social Media, but deliver us from its evil ways. Amen!

Galatians 1:10    For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.


 

 

 

    


August 15, 2020

"And Because Lawlessness Will Be Increased..."

     

     I'm going to go right to the heart of the matter ... it is time for all who are Warriors for Christ to get in the game. I dare to say that there is not a citizen of this nation that is not aware that we are on the precipice of a dangerous season in our history. And there has been a phrase that has been circulating among the secular citizenry as well as the faithful ... "As goes Texas, so goes the nation. And as the nation goes, so goes the world." I happen to subscribe to the truth of that statement -- both politically and spiritually.

     I know that Texas is a bastion of faith and prayer. I know that there is a spiritual movement across this wide and great state that is in relentless battle with the Enemy for the soul and spirit of this republic. And I see the first aggressive act on the part of the Enemy to gain ground for his infiltration. 

     Over the last couple of weeks, BLM and Antifa tried unsuccessfully to instigate the same kinds of rioting and destruction in Austin that they implemented in Portland and Seattle. They bussed people into our state capital, after one of their protestors approached a car in an intersection with a pointed rifle and was shot by the driver and killed. While still under investigation, initial reports are declaring the shooting justified. And I say "unsuccessfully instigating destruction", because the word went out across prayer networks to stand together in opposition to this kind of chaos. As Antifa plotted to take over the city by blocking the interstate and shutting down businesses, Spiritual Leaders came alongside the Austin Police Department and prayed with them for deliverance from mayhem, and the police were able to peacefully stop anything that resembled what we've all been seeing splashed across our TV screens for the last 70 days or so.

     Yet, did you see that success story of lawful intervention reported on any of the news networks or news outlets on the internet? No! The spirit of Anti-Christ does not want that message shared across the nation! It only wants to spread images of upheaval, anarchy, and lawlessness. Yet, the faithful in Texas have been praising God for this victory and trusting Him that He will help Texas to be a stronghold for Him in these lawless days.  

     So, I'm sad to say that the headline today in the state of Texas is this: Texas Governor Greg Abbott Slammed the Austin City Council for its Decision to Strip $150 Million From the Capital City's Police Department. Governor Abbott said in a written statement, "Austin's decision puts the brave men and women of the Austin Police Department and their families at greater risk, and paves the way for lawlessness"

     My spirit was instantly on alert! You see, I know the significance of lawlessness. The Bible makes it very clear, and Jesus had a lot to say about it. At its root, lawlessness [in the Bible] is rebellion against God, whether viewed as the condition of your life, or as specific acts that demonstrate a determined refusal to acknowledge God. And for those of you who are interested in eschatology and how the End Times are to play out, the Lord gives a pretty easy-to-follow road map to lawlessness in Matthew 24.

     When the Disciples want to know what the signs of His Coming and the end of the age will be, He tells them not to listen to all the men who come claiming to be Him; and not to get too caught up in the wars and rumors of wars-- those have to happen as kings and nations fight among themselves. He said famines and earthquakes are to be expected, but all of that will be like the false contractions that a mother feels as her child prepares to be born -- warning signs of an impending event; in the case of lawlessness, a period of tribulation that will be coming upon the earth.

     And when that tribulation starts we should expect to be persecuted and hated for our identity in Christ, even among our fellow Christians. Jesus doesn't state it, but there will be great fear among men on the earth. Even the faithful will stumble in their faith, and betray one another and hate one another. And among all people there will be many false prophets and leaders. And this false leadership will cause lawlessness to increase and the love of many will grow cold. The essence and nature of God is love, so that tells me that many will abandon any connection to Him in their mind, soul, or spirit. The fire of the heart connection to God will be extinguished and their heart will be cold and hostile to Him.

     Paul tells us in Romans 1:28-29 that "since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness." This is the very picture of what we are seeing on the nightly news in Portland, Seattle, and now Chicago! We are seeing lawlessness exhibited as stores are looted and burned; Louis Vuitton purses are justified as "reparations". It's nothing more than unrighteousness and greed. Lawlessness is depicted in the innocent people who have been killed in the name of "peaceful protests". Let's call it what it is: murder and evil. Lawlessness is portrayed in the destruction of honest and law-abiding businesses in the wake of the chaos. That's a picture of malice and mean-spiritedness. 

     But we can take heart, even in the midst of the bad news! Jesus tells us all this will happen. Then He gives us Hope! "But the one who endures to the end will be saved". He's not talking about saved in the sense of a Salvation experience. He's talking about a future deliverance of Believers; a deliverance from the wrath of God that will be executed upon the ungodly at the close of this age, and from eternal death and doom. That's why Jesus's very next sentence is "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come"... the end of this age of lawlessness. 

     So, although I am a realist, and I believe what the Bible says will happen (and because I see it before my own eyes), I am also full of hope that Jesus is hearing our prayers here in Texas. And along with the Holy Spirit, He is interceding for us [in prayer] according to the will of God. And I know it is not God's will for Texas to give in to lawlessness! Jesus and Holy Spirit not only stand beside us in our battle, but they stand in the gap for us when we feel weak, until we are again strengthened by their Might to take our place on the wall again. 

     And I pray for our Governor that he will be fortified by the Lord because I also believe that Texas will be a battleground between God's Heavenly Host and Satan's demonic hordes. If the survival of the nation and the world truly depend on Texas, we must be led by a man who relies on the Lord. And I am hoping that Governor Abbot's statement about lawlessness and that, "In the meantime, the Texas Department of Safety will stand in the gap to protect our city" portends a Biblical understanding of the importance of Texas's response in these wicked days. Please join us here in Texas as we fight for the Lord and for our nation. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven!

Psalm 18:48-49   He rescues me from my enemies; He lifts me up high and keeps me out of reach, far from the grasp of my violent foe. This is why I thank God with high praises! I will sing my song to the Highest God, so all among the nations will hear me.

      

August 12, 2020

Satan's Same Old Playbook

      

     If you have followed me for any length of time, then you will know that I am not your conventional Christian. I'm not satisfied with blindly accepting the customary position of the Church when it comes to doctrine or ideology. I do not consider myself a conformist or traditionalist, IF it's for the sake of standing approved by men. I want to see beyond man's interpretation, which has been amended so many times that I often wonder if it represents God's perspective at all. 

     I want to understand God's heart and His truth in His inspired Word, both historically and spiritually. So, sometimes what I write about may appear far-reaching and radical; and maybe even heretical to some. But please know that when presenting it, I have spent an exceptional amount of time studying my Bible, praying, and asking for discernment. This may be one of those posts. But I hope you will read it with a heart open to new revelation and a mind eager to do your own searching. So, hear we go....

     Since I am a student of the entire Bible and not just the New Testament, I understand that Jesus is on every page of the Good Book; and that from Genesis to Revelation, we have been given God's plan for His creation, relationship, and redemption of mankind. And I will tell you that you can't just read the Bible once and see "the big picture". I have read it multiple times, and I think that's how God wants it, because if He tried to download every part of His plan to me in one sitting, my mind and spirit would be overloaded and explode. So each time I have read it, I receive a new principle of His magnificence and my "picture" expands a little more. 

     And in these multiple journeys through the Bible, I am able to see not only God's plans emerge, but how the Enemy has tried to counter God at every turn. I begin to see patterns in the devil's strategy. And the one thing I know for sure is that he is not on par with our Sovereign God when it comes to creativeness. He runs the same playbook over and over. And I'd like to compare what I'm seeing in the present with some of his earliest schemes.

     Sex and power have always been two of the devil's greatest seductive tools. From the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, we see his strategy of approaching Eve, offering her the idea that she and Adam could be "like God", knowing everything of both Good and Evil. And then in Genesis 6:1-4, we see Satan sending his Fallen Angels to have sex with earthly women, in the hopes of defeating God's plan to send the Messiah through a pure line of men. If Satan could corrupt the gene pool of mankind, then Jesus would never be born. But God brings the Flood and starts over with Noah, a man who was blameless in his evil generation and walked faithfully with Him. But once again, the devil is able to work his plan through the great-grandson of Noah. 

     The Bible refers to this descendant of Noah as Nimrod, which may not have been the actual name of this man. "Nimrod" means "The Rebel", and the name might have just epitomized someone who was rebellious against the Creator and the One True God. And sadly, we know that rebellion began soon after the Flood as civilizations emerged and expanded. This Nimrod soon established a kingdom of his own. And read what the ancient Jewish priest, scholar and historian Flavius Josephus wrote about him: "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the [great] grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through His means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny -- seeing no other way of turning men from their fear of God, but to bring them into constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be avenged on God, if He should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! And that he would avenge on God for destroying their forefathers!" (Ant. 1:iv:2) 

     Simply put, this Nimrod character was committed to violent rebellion against God, and bringing tyranny against mankind. And he was able to influence the Kings of the Earth to stand with him, and convince the rulers to counsel together against YHWH and His Anointed One. This is plainly stated in Psalm 2 ... "Let us break apart their [divine] bands of restraint, and cast away their cords [of control] from us." 

     All we have to do is look around us to see that Satan has once again influenced mankind to partner with him in his evil work. We see a repetition of how he was able to seduce man in the Garden; today men give in to his seductive whisper that they don't need to obey God in order to have the desires of their heart. They use the knowledge of evil to try to overcome good and overthrow God's government here on earth. We see it in the machinations of the Illuminati and the New World Order as they manipulate protest groups like BLM and Antifa. These groups march to the orders of powerful men who think they can "become like God".

     We see a repetition of sex [as in Genesis 6] as a tool to manipulate and control mankind through the evil practice of sex trafficking. The State Department speculates that nearly 25 million people are enslaved in human trafficking worldwide [per the 2020 Trafficking In Persons Report]. We can no longer hide from the facts or turn a blind eye to this wickedness. It is being played out on the nightly news around the world, and there are many speculations as to the powerful men and women that are involved.

     Which brings me to the repetition of Satan's use of the spirit of Nimrod. That Anti-Christ spirit has convinced men that they can rebel against the rule of God; that they can displace Him, dethrone Him, and seize His power ... that they can control the world through their own power and they can become their own gods. For example, we see that in the efforts to destroy man, who is made in the image of God, and replace him with computer brains and bionic body parts, all while manipulating our divine DNA so we become a hybrid species (think Genesis 6:1-4 again). Nimrod was a "mighty hunter of men", and do not be deceived because his spirit is still at work in the world.

     So, can you see the same old playbook being played? Rebellion/Disobedience, Sex, and Power are all the tools that Satan needs to tempt vulnerable men and women. It's all laid out for us in the first 10 or 11 chapters of the Bible and then repeated over and over throughout the remaining 65 Books. But I didn't show you this to discourage you -- I am writing to reveal the first layer of the "big picture" that God has shown me. And I am writing to motivate you to stand with me and fight against those who would pervert our Almighty God's plan for us. Know that those of us who worship and serve Him with an awe-inspired fear and submissive wonder will be blessed; we will be fortunate, prosperous and favored by God as we take refuge in Him. The Bible tells us so in Psalm 2! We just need to open our spiritual eyes and see what is being revealed to those who fervently press into Him. Take heart! Facing the monster is a whole lot less scary than avoiding the truth in fear. Our God fights with us!

 Psalm 2:4, 9    "He who sits enthroned in the heavens, laughs at their rebellion; The Sovereign Lord scoffs at them, and in supreme contempt He mocks them ... You [the Lord] shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall shatter them in pieces like earthenware."

    

April 13, 2020

My Refuge and My Fortress

     Today, I want to share a unique perspective on Psalm 91, and a testimony that will be sure to stir your spirit and heart. (Please read to the end for this inspiring word). I want to stress that this impactful psalm has been at the center of prayer lives for over 3200 years, and it is particularly relevant today.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
 
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows My name.
15 When he calls to Me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him My salvation.”
    

     In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic many Christians are finding their strength and hope in the encouraging words of Psalm 91. The ancient Jewish midrash (commentary) states that it was composed by Moses on the day he completed the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. If you are knowledgeable in the Bible, then you know that the glory of the Lord filled the completed tabernacle as a cloud covered the congregation, the covenant people of God. And this covering accompanied the Israelites as a sign of protection as they wandered in the desert. The last verse in the Book of Exodus tells us "For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys." The cloud was the presence of YHWH, who made His home in the tabernacle, and the fire is the Holy Spirit.    
     As recipients of the New Covenant with God, we are the tabernacle where the Most High now dwells, and the fire is still in us, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, I want to pose the same question to you that I asked in a 2012 blog post: Do you have the courage to believe that God literally means Psalm 91 in His promises of protection? Please take that question seriously, because it is not asked lightly, and here's why...
     I want to boldly declare that not everyone will benefit from the promises.  Like all the promises in Psalm 91, they are available to all; but only those who believe what God says in His Holy Word and hold fast to the promises within, will receive the benefits. It is essential that we choose to believe and trust His Word! Only those who are in close communion with God -- Christ lives in them and they live in Christ -- come into the secret place of shelter with the Most High. It is a promise of refuge and safety that we can trust!
     And I am sure it is not lost on you that "pestilence and plague" are prominently mentioned in Psalm 91. In referencing the "deadly pestilence", the psalm renders the promise in verse 7 profoundly comforting: A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Likewise, we find the promises in verses 9 and 10 particularly reassuring: Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. But do you see the stipulation? You must have made the Lord your dwelling place; your refuge. And verse 14 makes it clear that Because we hold fast to Him in love, He will deliver us; He will protect us, because we know His name. This is a deep and abiding relationship between us and our God, with conditions attached to His protection. But as the Lord has shown me over and over, if I am faithful to Him in all my ways, He will be faithful to me, and all His promises are mine.
     But I want to now share a comment I received from a 78-year-old in Sydney, Australia. This person recently stumbled upon that blog post I wrote on Psalm 91 way back in 2012. But their comments bring new life and relevancy to my words. Prepare to be inspired as I was...
    
     "Never was Psalm 91 more relevant to mankind than today. Your explanation of Psalm 91 is what the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me over the last few weeks, as the Corona Virus brings the whole World to its knees. Although at age 78 I am at higher risk, I have no fear, because I trust in God's promises in Psalm 91. 
     Until recently I have been teaching scripture to Primary School boys and girls (schools have been closed due to the Pandemic).  Last year the syllabus dealt with God's promises. I taught the kids, as the Bible teaches us, that when God makes a Promise, He Keeps it! I was so happy to observe how the children accepted this truth so eagerly. Whenever I would use the phrase God makes a Promise in class, the whole class would rise in unison, punch the air with their little fists and shout out loud, He always keeps it! I pray they will never forget this truth. It is clear to me (like you) that only those who truly believe in the promises of Psalm 91 will receive the protection from God which is promised in this Psalm.
     I am dismayed that many God fearing Christians (including the Pastor of the Church I attend in Sydney, Australia) when praying for God's help in this global crisis, are only asking God to help the scientists discover a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19, when the most obvious thing to ask is that God causes the virus to mutate into a harmless type. God could do this if it is His will. However, I think about another promise from God, that He will shake the Heavens and the Earth once more. This could be what we are experiencing now. After God cleansed the evil in mankind during the flood, He promised Noah He would not send another flood. However, God did not mention never sending a plague. 

     I have no spiritual confirmation through the Holy Spirit that this is what is happening now, but if this new plague is how God plans to cleanse mankind from people who hold evil in their hearts, the righteous may observe with our eyes the punishment of the wicked, [as is written in verse 8 of Psalm 91].... Can we believe that the righteous will not get infected, while the unrighteous perish? May God bless and protect [us all]."

     I closed out my 2012 commentary on Psalm 91 with the admonition that it speaks of spiritual warfare - the attacks of the Enemy: the snare of the fowler; the pestilence and destruction; and the evil. God is a moral ruler and a God of Justice, so sooner or later the ungodly will reap their due punishment. But He is also a God of mercy for those who find shelter under His wings, and He will deliver us and protect us; He will rescue and honor us. So let us join with those precious children in Australia and shout, with upraised fists, When God makes a promise, He always keeps it! And then let us walk in the weeks and months ahead in full obedience to that Truth! Amen!

February 12, 2020

What Are You Afraid Of?

    
     I have had that thought running around in my mind for several days now. I think it is coming in response to what I'm seeing in the Body of Christ as we face increasing battles in the spiritual realms. This is not meant to scare anyone, but hopefully to get Christians to come out of a place of complacency and normalcy bias that threatens to leave them defenseless from a very real Enemy who is always working in the background to maintain his kingdom of darkness.
     I continue to be amazed at fellow Believers who are unaware of the spiritual battles being waged against mankind; and who don't have any idea of what the battlefield looks like, nor anything of the Enemy's tactics, let alone that they are to be engaged in the battle! "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" is not just an Old Testament warning from God through the prophet Hosea for the people of Israel. The consequences of a lack of knowledge of God, His nature, His battles, and His enemy is not confined to a particular time period. 
     And yes, I know that God is Sovereign, and Jesus is all-powerful -- He won the victory over Death on the Cross; and in the end, we are victorious. But have we forgotten all the Scripture in the New Testament -- specifically in the Book of Revelation, which encourages us to remain steadfast in our faith [as over-comers and conquerors] as we face the onslaught of evil trying to defeat God's plan for restoration of His Heavenly Kingdom on earth? Here's just a few for you to contemplate ...
     Revelation 2:7, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
     Revelation 2:26, The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
     Revelation 3:5, The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
     Revelation 3:21, The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne.
     Revelation 21:7, The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
      These are just a few of the verses that make it clear that our Salvation alone does not make us immune to torment nor battle. But the idea that there are spiritual realms where battles are being waged over mankind seems to have eluded so many of my fellow Christians. In fact, to many, anything spoken of in "spiritual terms" is looked upon with skepticism and doubt. I venture to say that most Christians are content to stay safely tucked away within the sphere of their "Church families", keeping a blind eye towards anything that threatens to upset their naively optimistic view of the world. It's just too scary to look behind the veil...
     And really, it is no different than the fear that kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land on God's timeline. In Numbers 13, God told Moses He planned on giving the land of Canaan to the sons of Israel, but He first wanted them to go spy on the land so they would know what they were facing. Moses told the spies to check out what the land was like; whether the people who lived there were weak or strong; whether they were few or many; was the land good or bad; were the cities unprotected or fortified -- in other words, what would they need to know to be prepared to conquer the land and receive their inheritance from God. When the spies returned, ten of them reported that the people were too strong and they would be devoured if they tried to conquer the land. Only Caleb and Joshua declared that, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.". 
     At least the Israelite spies agreed to go into the land to analyze and evaluate it! So many modern Christians refuse to even look at the areas that God wishes us to conquer, let alone try to engage in battle to plant the flag of His Kingdom. They refuse to look upon the evil machinations of men who partner with Satan's demonic agendas of de-population; of the manipulation of the human genome and DNA that mirrors what Satan tried to accomplish through the Nephilim in Genesis 6; of the robbing of souls that energizes demonic structures and strongholds via sex-trafficking and trade. There is so much that could be written, but I'm afraid it would only paralyze the Body of Christ even more than they already are.
     I'm not writing this to shock or sensationalize. I sincerely want "the Church" to awaken to the truth of the times we are living in, and what our purpose is, as children of God, ambassadors of the Kingdom, and members of Yeshua's army on earth. As Christians, we can no longer be satisfied to live out our days in a benign state of uninvolvement. Plans are being made to destroy individual lives as well as enslave all mankind by those who align themselves with the kingdom of darkness. Jesus did not die to give us salvation and eternal life, so that we could simply wait for Him to come back to defeat evil on His own. We have been given power and authority in ways we don't even comprehend!
     The apostles were given the spiritual knowledge that they needed in the first century to establish the Church; the Body of Christ who would evangelize the world, spreading the Good News that God's Kingdom was being restored to the earth, even as they defeated the devil's tactics of using sickness, demons, and death to conquer men. But the Church today doesn't even employ those spiritual weapons to battle our enemy! And through the centuries, Satan has corrupted so much more --  infiltrating technology, genetics, science, government, entertainment, the land, etc. with demonic interfaces and assignments -- and we think we can pray it all away, if we're even aware of it.
     So, I just want you to think about starting to look beyond your sphere of comfort and become engaged with this cosmic war that is going on in the heavenly realms. We can no longer afford to stick our heads in the sand and think we can avoid our scriptural mandate to be conquerors and overcomers. Look beyond the veil of the nightly news and let your spirit contemplate the power it has to partner with Jesus and His Heavenly Host to defeat the works of the devil. We have all been given a purpose and a race to run. It is a race to the finish line, and Satan is counting on us Christians sitting out the race we've been called to. Don't let fear of the unknown stop you. The words God spoke to Joshua [as He commanded him to take the territory of Canaan] are meant for you, too: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Psalm 27:1   The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?