The Glory of God Will Soon Be Seen In His Remnant; For His Judgment is Nigh

The title of this post may read like its contradicting itself, but if you will allow me, I would like to share what I discern is a vital truth of God's character. I will attempt to tie together the ideas of His Remnant to include both His Judgment and our Hope. As we continue moving into these Last Days, I have been ruminating on Isaiah 1:9 for the last few days ... Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 

An important aspect of what I want to say today is the understanding of what "remnant" means to God, and its significance throughout Scripture. It is most often referenced in the Old Testament, citing the condition of the Israelites. But it is also used in the New Testament to describe the state of Christians in the End Times. 

The meaning of the word Remnant is often understood to mean "that which is left or remains". And in the Old Testament it refers to the people, whom the Lord in His mercy, spared to be His Chosen People (Israel). They were subjected to all kinds of calamities and catastrophes, such as war, pestilence, and famine. But often, they were the cause of their own affliction and misfortune, due to their disobedience and rebellion towards YHWH, who was so faithful to them. There is plenty of evidence of God maintaining a remnant through the prayers of the prophets ... from Moses to Jeremiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Isaiah, and Zechariah, who announced that a remnant would be present at the time of the coming of the Messiah's kingdom. Of course, we have the blessing of being on this side of the Cross to know he was referring to Christ's Second Coming! [Read Zechariah Chapters 12 and 13 to recognize the prophecies in Revelation]. 

Also, I want you to understand that there is a twofold theme which emerges from most prophetic passages concerning the remnant: First, that a remnant will survive when the people are subjected to punishment; and Secondly, the fact that a remnant does survive and does remain contains a note of Hope for our future! But it is essential that the Body of Christ grasps the truth that both God's Judgment and His Mercy lend themselves to the existence of His remnant.    

That idea is present in Isaiah 1:9. I invite you to read the entirety of this chapter. I am struck with the anguish God exhibits over the iniquity and rebellion among His people; they are totally estranged. And I can recognize our situation in these ancient words from Almighty God. He is not afraid to openly declare their sins for the world to hear: The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds... [untended, unwashed, unbandaged]. Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; [it is destroyed by outsiders while you watch]. 

And then comes a spark of Hope for the remnant's future! If the Lord of hosts [God of the Angel Armies] had not left us a remnant [a few survivors] we should have been like Sodom [desolate] and become like Gomorrah [doomed]. It is important for Believers to know that, to God, the Remnant is holy! Even in the midst of a sick world, full of wounds, bruises, decomposing and rotten flesh, shattered hearts, seared minds and counterfeit, desolate houses of worship, God holds dear a remnant that is set apart and dedicated to His purpose(s).   

While the world deserves His outstretched arm of Judgment, we still have what I believe is a brief and pregnant pause from that fearful judgment while He still holds open a door of Mercy to us. He calls to the Remnant to fearlessly carry forth His Glory and His Majesty as banners of Hope among the wicked and the lost. As Appolus wrote on a favorite blog of mine, "The voice of God still cries out to the proud, the religious, the self-satisfied, and the blind. Shall the haughty humble themselves? Shall they cast down the idols of their own hands? Shall they forsake the dead traditions of centuries, those polished pathways of men that have led them farther and farther from the fountain of all life?"

I'm afraid, my friends, that this is where we find ourselves. Do we understand that the works of men will collapse and disintegrate when we continue to rebel against our Holy God? Make no mistake! He WILL have a remnant in this age -- in spite of the world's governments promoting AI and the subjugation and eventual demise of Mankind. Those whom He has set apart to glorify Him will succeed in their devotion to His Name and cause.     

His hand is still outstretched to us. Will you find it stretched towards you in Judgment or Mercy? Will you repent of all the ways you have rebelled against Him, and seek His Presence and His Truth? Will we, as a nation and a world, experience the terror of Him turning His back on us? Or will we witness the fullness of His Glory as it shines on a restored people? I look forward to the day -- and I discern that it is near -- when the realm of His Glory appears and I can step into it with unsurpassed joy and humility. Yes, a Remnant often is formed out of God's Judgment, but oh, the reward of being a part of it and witnessing His Glory! Lord, let me be found acceptable in Your sight to join Your holy remnant of faithful servants!

Micah 7:18    Who is a God like You, who forgives wickedness and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He [constantly] delights in mercy and lovingkindness.  

 

 

Celebrating Memorial Day With Hope In A Time of Despair

I dedicate this post to:

Captain John Charles Hardy, USAF. Length of service 8 years. His tour began on January 15, 1968; Casualty was on April 3, 1968 in North Vietnam. Hostile, died while missing. Fixed Wing Crew Air Loss, Crash on Land. Body was recovered.   

Each year on Memorial Day, I run a blog post that I first wrote in 2013, with my updated thoughts and feelings. This year I am discerning a new awareness of its significance. So, let me begin with my traditional opening and then share where my heart and spirit are positioned now ... Today our nation will be remembering those who have been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we, the people of the United States, could continue to live in peace and prosperity. My own father signed up for WW II as a young 17-year-old Midwest farm boy, [with his parents' permission] as a tailgunner in the U.S. Navy's Pacific fleet of PV-1 Ventura's. I'm blessed that he survived, and I steadfastly believe that those who have gone before us, and paid the ultimate price, should never be forgotten.

I hope that everyone honors Memorial Day for what it really is: a day to remember and commemorate the people and events of our history. And in context of the Bible, the meaning of the Hebrew word for memorial actually means "to remember". And God makes it very clear that He feels memorials serve a valuable purpose to remind us of all He has done for us.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Joshua 4:1-24. The Lord was finally delivering His People into their inheritance, and had appointed Joshua to lead the tribes of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua was given very specific instructions ... have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people into the Jordan, and God would stop the flow of the river (which always overflowed its banks during this harvest time). The priests were to stop on this high ground, in the midst of the Jordan, while the people of Israel passed to the opposite shore. 

Then the Lord directed Joshua to send one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to where the priests were standing, and to gather a rock from the riverbed. They were to bring them back to where the people were lodging on the west bank. The purpose for these 12 stones was very important to God: "Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' then you shall say to them. 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever." 

This very visible memorial would be a reminder to all future generations that the Lord of all the earth had delivered them out of the land of Egypt and into the Land that had been promised to their ancestor, Abraham. The memorial of stones would cause each succeeding generation to ask of their meaning, and then be reminded of all that the Lord of all the earth had done for them. It would be a lasting reminder and memorial forever of the goodness of God. 

But I love it that Joshua, himself, also erected a personal memorial in the middle of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood in the dry riverbed. Perhaps he wanted to offer a personal memorial to God, separate from the corporate one that would be erected on the west bank of the Jordan. But I think there is a much more consequential meaning to Joshua's actions. We must take note that once the priests continued with the Ark of the Covenant and set their feet upon dry ground on the opposite bank, the waters of the Jordan were released and this memorial was buried under the raging waters, never to be seen by anyone. Is there significance to this memorial, as well?

Perhaps we can glean some meaning from the waters of the Jordan as being symbolic of judgment, just as the waters of the Flood condemned all corrupted flesh in Genesis 6; and the waters of the Red Sea buried the Egyptians; and Jonah was buried under the waters as part of his own judgment. Then there is Hosea 5:6, when God says, "I will pour out my wrath on them like water".

If this interpretation is a possibility, what is the difference between the two memorials? Why is one established in the Promised Land, and one is buried under the Jordan River? If water is judgment in this instance, then it makes sense to me that the memorial on the west bank is a picture of being saved from the waters of Judgment. The Ark of the Lord, which typologically points to Christ, stood in the midst of the Jordan, holding back the waters and allowing the stones to be brought up and erected on the shore as a memorial and sign of God's Deliverance.

But the other memorial of stones was covered by the Jordan. They cannot be a sign because they cannot be seen. Those stones are a warning! It was Joshua alone (whose name means YHWH is Salvation) who did the work of setting up the twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan. It is not only Joshua's name that points to Jesus, but his actions. Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead. Those 12 stones are a warning about death and judgment! If people do not repent and trust in Jesus, they remain in the miry clay of a river -- and that river will overflow in judgment at death.

Those same 12 stones represent the unredeemed, who have rejected Jesus and are buried in death by the righteous judgment of God... "And they are there to this day". But here is the really sad part ... they will never be seen or inquired about. They were quickly forgotten and there would be no evidence of them for the rest of eternity.

As we celebrate the Memorial Day established by our own nation, it is my prayer that we would share our own memories of those who so bravely gave their lives as a testimony of their belief and faithfulness to this country. Do not let those memories be buried and those men and women forgotten. But let us also share what the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has done in our individual lives. Don't let the unsaved think they are safe on whatever dry ground they are standing upon. They will be judged, as we all will be! Tell them how they can be saved from the waters of judgment. Tell them how, through the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, and the work of Jesus on the Cross in saving and sanctifying them, they can be a memorial stone of remembrance of God's goodness and rulership. Let this Memorial Day mark a new remembrance of the work of the Lord in our nation.

And this is where I return to my opening statement to honor those who sacrificed their lives so that we might live "in prosperity and peace". But, for me, those attributes don't seem as assured as they once did. My spirit discerns that there has been a crucial shift in our national foundation and not only our prosperity and peace, but our standing with God, may be in danger of being shaken and overcome by judgment. All the generations of young men and women who have sacrificed their lives to pay for our liberty and freedom seems [to me] to be disrespected by those who have been instituted as our governing authorities. But what is even more alarming, it appears as if the authorities of all the nations are equally at fault! They are more interested in acquiring wealth and power for themselves than they are in strengthening that prosperity and peace they espouse as their goals. 

The precious lives of our youth are offered on the altar of pride in oneself and self-glorification. In Genesis 6:3, God declares, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is flesh...". Make no mistake -- God sees humanity's moral decline and corruption. My spirit discerns that His patience with human sinfulness is coming near to filling up His cup of wrath, and the deterioration of the earth in the midst of man's moral decay serves as a warning that He may be preparing to bring His righteous judgment on a deserving world.

So, would you join with me in praying that this Memorial Day is the last that we remember war and death, and that mankind will realize their need for repentance and turning to Jesus Christ for redemption and deliverance? May we all gather our own memorial stones and erect them for future generations as symbols of God's sovereignty and promises. And let this Memorial Day mark a new remembrance of the work of the Lord in our nation. Happy Memorial Day!    

Jeremiah 29:12   "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you."  

 

Christians: Please Stop Seeking Validation From the World!

I'm just going to be honest here today. This post won't be lengthy, or verbose. As I discern that we are coming closer and closer to the fulfillment of the prophecies Jesus gives us in Matthew 24 and 25, I become more aware of how many people (including Christians) whose validation comes from the sinful world, rather than from their Redeemer. And it bothers me. And yes, it might be due to the paper I wrote in third grade titled "My Personality", in which I made the direct and terse statement, "I don't like fake people", that has described my opinions of disingenuous people ever since. [Note: I'm happy to say that my eight-year-old self learned to curb my judgment and offer grace]. But I'm still aware of people who crave validation, and not always from the best sources. 

Because my husband and I are studying the Book of Revelation, I am deeply conscious of Jesus's letters to the Churches, and the accusations He has against them. I am also sensitive to the devastating price that Jesus paid for my opportunity to be spared from the righteous wrath of God against His creation. Therefore, I am greatly disturbed by the self-seeking and self-serving attitudes of the masses -- both believers and non-believers alike.

Believe me, I know that I have my own catalog of sins and times I've disappointed Jesus; a list of thoughts and actions that fail to fulfill His hopes and expectations of me. And there are the times I've been tempted to seek meaning and my value from the approval or recognition of another. But, after coming into my personal relationship with Jesus, I have found that no one, nor anything else, meets the level of validation I receive from my Lord. He calls me His own, and I only want to walk in His image. The world offers me nothing that exceeds His approval and praise.

So, when I see people who need to compete for attention -- whether it is on social media, or in their church titles, I am [admittedly] both saddened and angered. Sad, that they are  caught in endlessly exhausting cycles of seeking validation from the world; and, yes, angered that they seem unawares of the devastating price that Jesus paid to free us from the temptations of the world. And when I see Christians who are  focused on receiving their "earthly crowns" more than they desire to direct the world to the Glory of Christ, I wonder just how much it breaks His heart. Do they understand He paid for our freedom through all eternity, and the price He paid was His lifeblood? We belong to Him; our bodies are His temple; and He counts each of us worth His life! 

Is there any other in this world that considers you so valuable? Does His love or affirmation shift with the changing algorithms of the day? And do you constantly feel like you need to keep updating your qualifications in order to be appreciated or recognized as worthy? Are you always performing? That's the trap the world sets for you! 

When you know who you are and Whose you are, you can truly be in the world, and not of the world. Being rooted in your Godly identity is the only way you can stay grounded and stable. Your life doesn't collapse when someone criticizes you or rejects you in a crowd. Your value isn't invalidated when your hair turns gray, or your position in the workplace is revoked. Jesus's presence in your life is all the assurance you need of your worth.

I believe we are about to enter a period in the history of the world when the only opinion that matters is the voice of our Savior. The latter days are described in the Bible as marked by War, Famine, and Pestilence. And, in case you're not paying attention, they are all being widely proclaimed. And, yes, I know they have always existed, and people throughout history have thought they were nearing the End Times. But don't tell me that you can't feel Evil and Lawlessness getting ready to join forces with the Antichrist spirit. At the same time, my spirit is sensing the presence of the King of the Universe as He prepares to separate the wheat from the tares, and the sheep nations from the goat nations. I'm feeling the heat of the Refiner's Fire as God readies His process of purifying and transforming His people to become validated representatives of His kingdom on earth.

So, while I will not judge the hearts of anyone as to whether they are "fake" or "genuine" -- that's God's responsibility -- I will judge their fruit and pray that we all understand that our value comes from God and the One who made us and set us apart from the world. We are made in His image and He loves us. That's all the validation we need!

1 Peter 2:9       But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.   

 

Discerning Current Headlines and Biblical Prophecy

 

I have recently become hyper-focused on the spirit of Deception as I clearly discern we are entering the Last Days. I understand that I have no idea how long it will be until the Lord returns, and that God's timeline is different than ours. But I've been given "eyes to see and ears to hear", as well as a spirit capable of receiving God's messages, whether through the Word, or what He communicates through the events of this world. 

I am sensitive to the the headlines that cross our TVs and computer screens; discerning between those that are hyperbole, obvious propaganda, outright lies, and those that actually suggest a modicum of truth that we maybe ought to take a closer look at. One such topic that caught my attention a couple of months ago was regarding the abundant energy resources necessary to support the fierce competition for AI escalation in the global economies ... specifically the resources of oil, water, land, and gas [both natural and diesel]. It's only been two months since God tapped me on the shoulder and pointed me to that information, and just this past weekend, the seriousness of His counsel went from a gentle tap on the shoulder, to a shaking of Biblical proportions. The headline read, EIGHT WEEKS TO EMPTY SHELVES. SIXTY DAYS TO FAMINE. 

If this substack by Mark A. Shryock doesn't make you sit up and pay attention, then you need to make note of Proverbs 6:9 ... How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? So, how and why does Mr. Shryock come to his ominous prognostication? His article is really long, but I suggest you read it in its entirety, because I truly believe [as he explains it] your life and the lives of your loved ones may depend on it. Please, just take the time to read it, and you will see why I find it so important. [NOTE: His information on the energy and food shortages we are facing seem well-documented, and I find them credible. But I will warn you that towards the end of his article, he presents a clear political bias regarding this Iran War and the current administration. That is not what I'm addressing in today's blog, and I'm not interested in either supporting or opposing his viewpoint. I simply want to focus on the similarities to the warnings that appear in End Times Biblical prophecy]. 

And because it is such a long and detailed article, I will try to give you the high points and then share the Scripture with you that God emphasized to me. We all connect Iran and the Middle East with the world's oil supplies and exports. That's why the spotlight is on Iran in conjunction with the Global economies. We are all experiencing higher prices at the gas pump, largely assigned to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But there is so much more that is happening with this event. 

Consider this information that Mr. Shryock revealed in his article: On May 3, [just 9 days ago from when this article was written], a Hong Kong-flagged tanker called the New Corolla docked at the Port of Long Beach, California. It was carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil loaded at the Port of Basra on February 24, four days before the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That tanker was the last one. The last oil shipment from the Middle East to reach American shores. It arrived, it unloaded, and now it is gone. 

So, to be abundantly clear, we are no longer in a price crisis. We are entering a physical shortage. A point where fuel stops being available at any price because there is none left to sell. 

I could give you lots of facts about the U.S. commercial petroleum inventories; production and consumption; strategic reserves; the costs and time needed to build new refineries, etc. All that is in the article. But for the purpose of this blog, I want to show you the cascading connections that lead to the dire warnings of an economic collapse.The first thing we need to understand is that Diesel runs out first. And when there's no diesel, America comes to a standstill. Here are the facts: 70% of all agricultural and food items are transported by truck. Think of every truck, every tractor, every combine harvester, every refrigerator trailer that keeps food cold on the way to your local grocery store, and every freight train hauling grain cars ... they all run on diesel.

When trucks stop moving because there's no diesel, food rots on the farms, never arrives at the processing plants or driven to the distribution centers. Your grocery store shelves are empty. And that takes only eight weeks to accomplish! But diesel is not the only fuel that we are in jeopardy of being without. Shipments of Petroleum products are stalled as Gulf exports are collapsing. This affects the raw material for plastics, solvents, and industrial chemicals. This will affect plastic packaging, medical supplies, fertilizer components, and heating fuel for homes that use propane. Can you see the beginning of crumbling supply chains? 

And finally, we cannot take our eye off the importance of water in this equation. We all know that we cannot afford droughts when it comes to providing the foods that we still need to get into the supply chain! Besides droughts, we now see another water crisis we are facing. Those data centers, which are such an important component of the afore-mentioned AI escalation, need water [for cooling] to keep all the heat that is generated by thousands of servers in a controlled environment. And the use of fresh water is surging, raising not only environmental justice concerns, but straining the aquifers that serve our communities.    

So, taking all this into account, is there Scripture that we can turn to in order to see God's perspective and how this could have an impact on the survival of man? God pointed out Jeremiah 14 to me, titled Famine, Sword, and Pestilence, and I hope you will take the time to hear the voice of God through His Word:

"The Word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

 Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. Because of the ground that is dismayed, since there is no rain on the land, the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass. The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation.

Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you. O, you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? Why should you be like a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save? Yet you, O LORD are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us.

Thus says the LORD concerning this people: They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins."

The LORD said to me: Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence."

Lying Prophets

Then I said, "Ah, LORD GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.' " And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and word, with none to bury them -- them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

"You shall say to them this word: 'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound, with a very grievous blow. If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land and have no knowledge.' " 

Have you utterly rejected Judah? Does your soul loathe Zion? Why have you struck us down so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror. We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against you. Do not spurn us, for your name's sake; do not dishonor your glorious throne; remember and do not break your covenant with us. Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.

What I have written today is just a small picture of how the world is going to impact every man, woman, and child on the earth. I just wanted you to understand that things are beginning to happen very fast, and we must be diligent to seek the Lord for His instruction on how we are to discern the times and how to stand as a  representative of God's power and authority; a witness to testify that Jesus Christ's Kingdom on earth is alive and active, and it will exist for eternity. 

So, my friends, remember this: The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The things He spoke to Jeremiah, in his day, about the sins and iniquities of His people, He still speaks and upholds today for us. He also withholds rain; He brings the sword, and He brings pestilence when the people deserve judgment. When the lying prophets misrepresent Him, He will cast them out from His presence and His mercy. And I believe He has been showing us since the dawn of this century that Jesus's prophecy of wars and rumors of wars, famine, and pestilence are coming. Pray and ask Him for wisdom and counsel; for strength and peace; and for protection from the Lawlessness coming upon the earth.We serve a Mighty God and praise His Holy Name! We will be Saved from our Enemy!

Jeremiah 23:20.    The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. 

        

  

These Last Days: Deceitful Spirits & Teachings of Demons

It is evident to me that Satan knows his days are short, and therefore we are seeing increasing lawlessness, lies, and deception. It seems that each day the shadows of darkness grow longer. That's not to say that the Goodness of God has decreased in comparison. No! In fact, it is, if anything, even more observable because it stands in such stark contrast to the evil that is rapidly encroaching upon our lives. Remember, God never changes! His Truth remains absolute; it is never relative. It is never susceptible to the maxim "whatever it means to me".

But that is the oldest argument since the Garden of Eden ... Did God actually say??? Yes, the spirit of Deception came into the garden, and has been here ever since, convincing men to question the authority of God's Word. And this spirit took it a step further, persuading mankind that they would actually receive a new truth; that they could become their own god, turning aside from the path of righteousness that God has established and departing from God's commandments and guidance. 

We see it throughout the Old Testament; the deception from the devil and the consequences of the judgment from God ... David deceives Uriah  in order to take Bathsheeba for his wife. RESULT: the death of their son; Jacob deceives Isaac in order to receive Esau's blessing. RESULT: family division, exile, and years of suffering. But Deception didn't end in the New Testament, even after Jesus brought a renewed Covenant to men. Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit about how much they donated to those in need. RESULT: immediate divine death and God warns about hypocrisy. And here we are in the 21st Century with a preponderance of false prophets and teachers. This deception in the Church is especially dangerous because it mimics righteousness; cunningly imitating the wisdom and counsel of God, while eroding His Truth and Character. 

I think the biggest problem we have today regarding Deception is that we have abandoned our responsibility to be Biblically literate; to study and be knowledgeable regarding God's Truth as He presents it in His Word ... not the world's truth; not our truth! Instead, what I see is individuals in the world proclaiming their opinion and version of what they perceive is the Truth of the Bible. Yet many have not read the Bible or studied it as it deserves. They've left the gates to the Church wide open and Satan and his followers have walked right in and infiltrated God's holy sanctum with their lies and false beliefs. 

For those of us called to be watchmen on the wall, God has warned us about the ways in which Satan is deceiving the faithful. I advise you to read Scripture and use your discernment to see if you cannot perceive how the "Spirits of this Age" have crept in hidden and unnoticed. To begin with, many churches have become an institution that Jesus never commissioned. Churches have become a business for personal benefit [accepting special advantages through their 501[c]3 status], and personal gain [through fund-raising projects and building brands. Worship has become more about entertainment rather than legitimate reverence and glorification of the Lord. Pursuing reputation and self-idolatry has become an ugly by-product of a church's aspirations. And, increasingly, churches have become a hotbed for sexual immorality. The recent scandal involving Shawn Bolz [that damaged the good work of Pastor Bill Johnson and Bethel Church] has highlighted the trap 21st Century churches can fall prey to when they offer a sinful member easy grace instead of Biblical discipline. 

That brings up another lie that the Devil has convinced the Body of Christ to believe in ... that in these Last Days, the Church needs to be preaching that God is only Love, Mercy, and Goodness. The spirits of Deception will whisper, "We don't need to point to His Justice or His Judgment." But that is just as much a part of His Character today as it was in the days of Israel's rebellion in the Old Testament. Remember that Jesus chastised the churches in the Book of Revelation for the exact same things that modern churches are doing. See if these verses from Jeremiah 5:26-31 apply just as much to the current state in our churches:  For wicked men are found among My people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich; they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?" An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; My people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?  

I have personally attended churches where I have witnessed pastors whom I admired for their devotion to the truth of the Scriptures, only to suddenly begin preaching "a new paradigm" to bring the Church into a new 21st Century model in order to reconfigure it to engage with a future, changing culture. Another Church adopted a new doctrine called "Progressive Christianity" whose tenets saw the Earth as worthy of worship. They asked, "Did Jesus really walk on water?" or is that story in the Bible just a metaphor for the uncertainty and instability of Life, showing us that Jesus is able to ride the "waves" and possesses courage, sure-footedness and confidence, trusting in the buoyancy of God. REALLY?!?!? Who would fall for that deception? Evidently our younger generations find it more comforting than the Truth of the Bible! But Jesus did not promise comfort as the time grows near for His reappearance on earth!

This is why we need to be literate about the Bible! We need to understand its context and meaning in the Hebrew and Greek, discerning the never-changing Truth of our Most High God. And that's why Satan is pulling out all the stops with Social Media, Technology and AI -- all more examples of his lies and deception. Social Media targets your identity; how many views or "likes" did you get today? It targets your purpose; why do you even exist? It targets your value, according to the world's opinion. And most frightening of all, it targets your theology; what you think about God, sin, grace, and truth. 

Behind every sin is a lie that he whispers to you and which you believe. Behind every spiritual collapse, or "falling away", is a deception that was accepted. Behind our self-destructive patterns in life are false ideas that have been allowed to live unchallenged in our mind. Here's a truth you need to know: Satan does not need to possess you if he can deceive you. My final condemnation of Social Media as a deceitful spirit: It has become a tempting trap that leads you away from who God is, who He says you are, and what He thinks you're worth. 

SATAN'S LIE: God is only a god of Grace. His wrath doesn't exist. Jesus took all that on Himself. GOD'S TRUTH: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Romans 1:18). I hope you are able to discern the truth of God's Word ... His wrath is real and it will be revealed soon! The Man of Lawlessness is heaping up wrath for himself as man's rebellion and own lawlessness overwhelms the earth. It's not that God can't stop it all in a moment -- but He wants the fullness of the Gentiles to come into His Kingdom so that He can restore the remnant of His Chosen People back into their original purpose. The timing is His, and there will come a moment when He's ready to execute those final plans for all who love and obey Him. Come, Lord Jesus!

All that I have mentioned so far are just a few instances of Satan's deceptions; the deceitful spirits and teachings of demons that he has unleashed upon the world. And he is not finished. He is just beginning to show us what he has in mind using AI and Technology. And I believe that it is coming fast. So, I ask, You, the God of the Universe, to use me in all Your ways to defeat Satan and set Your divine plan in motion....

Lord Yahweh, we thank You that You trust us to be vigilant and stand on the Wall as Watchmen of Your Word and Your Truth. We ask for discernment in receiving guidance and understanding from the Holy Spirit so that we might rightly reveal only the warnings with which you have entrusted us. Protect us from being deceived by the Enemy and give us the courage to complete our assignments. We praise You, Lord, for You are worthy to be praised, and we will be saved from our enemies. We commit to serving You faithfully all the days of our lives. Amen!

Isaiah 43:10-11.    Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me, there is no Savior.  

    

 

There's a Spiritual Battle Over Biblical Truth Within the Body of Christ! Are You in the Fight -- Or Part of the Apathetic Church?

As I concentrate my personal studies in the Bible around the Last Days before Jesus's return, I can feel the tension in my spirit as I recognize the compromise and deception that is propagating within the Body of Christ and The Church in regards to Biblical Truth. 

Let me start by clarifying something ... I prefer to make reference to "the Body of Christ" rather than "the Church", and let me tell you why. To me, the Body of Christ signifies those of us who are part of a unified entity of individuals following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy and sanctified Son of the Almighty God of the Universe. As the Body of Christ, we gather together to encourage and uplift each other, and at the same time, have access to a personal, individual, and spiritual relationship with Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. We see the Word as our guide to staying committed to the statutes and commands given to man since our creation; infallible, unerring, and true. There are so many other attributes of that term, [the Body of Christ], but these are the aspects that pertain to this blog post. 

On the other hand, I see "the Church" as an organization that has grown into an entity unto itself; an institution that often transforms the Word of God into something that benefits and supports itself -- professing faith in the Father and the Son, but oftentimes choosing to follow the world in compromise and agreement; or as 2 Timothy 3:5 says, "having a form of godliness but denying its power". 

And as a Watchman on the Wall, [commissioned by God to walk in His instruction as described in Ezekiel 33:1-9] I recognize the spiritual battle we are in. Too many, within both the Body of Christ and the Church, have let the Enemy come in through "the wide gate", a metaphor for one path available to us to live our lives on this earth. This wide gate is a path that leads to destruction, both in the here and now, as well as eternally. It is characterized by taking the easy, unrighteous way and seeking the popular choice. The "narrow gate" represents the more challenging path of following Jesus's ways that lead to Life, again both in the here and now, and in eternity.

And it is by believing and following the Truth of the Word, that we stand a chance of being delivered into that sanctified Life. Jesus IS the Word, and the Bible reveals Him and the Life-saving Truth that delivers us and guides us. But ever since my husband, Mark, and I said YES to His calling on our lives, the Lord has been revealing to us the battle in the spiritual realms to dissuade and discourage the acceptance of this Truth. The Enemy has entered the wide gate, made available to him and his followers. And Satan brought DECEPTION with him!

Simply put, this deception comes in many forms, but its purpose is always meant to mislead someone, or cause someone to believe something that is contrary to God's nature, according to Scripture. If Satan can corrupt God's Truth in the Bible, and then get us to question it or modify it so that it resembles authentic Truth, [with a satanic twist that denies its real power], then he will continue to make inroads towards cancelling God and claiming authority over man and the earth. He certainly made progress towards that goal in 1963 when he convinced the US Supreme Court to rule 8-1 against Bible reading in public schools. By eliminating God's established Truth in the Bible, the Enemy can send in his troops to distort, corrupt, or cancel the Truth and establish his anti-Christ theology. Likewise, by establishing the IRS 501(c)3 tax-exempt status, prohibiting attempts to influence legislation or participate in any political campaign activities, the devil can manipulate God's Truth [for example] about whether Abortion is intentional murder. If the Church avoids that difficult question and hides behind the law of the land, it is denying that God's law [established in His Truth] takes precedence. And Satan wins that round!   

But Remember! God never changes -- His Truth is not relative; it does not change according to your personal perspective. Yet, we hear individual Believers, as well as Leaders in the Church, declare their own "biblical justifications" on topics like the War in Iran; the Jew's position in Israel; Abortion; Same-sex marriage; Christian Nationalism; Illegal Immigration; God's Judgment; the Rapture; Social Justice; Gender Identity, and on and on. 

Folks, the Bible is a guide for every problem known to man; a manual for helping us to discern the narrow path and the way in which Jesus leads us. But it takes time to study it, to research it, to listen to God in order to hear His voice and understand, to practice it, to examine how to walk it out, to embed it in your heart, mind, soul and spirit. And the more time we spend in this powerful and symbiotic relationship with Him, we will learn to trust our discernment in His Truth. He will never steer us wrong or lead us astray! And if you are solidly walking this world with Him, you cannot miss the Spiritual battle over Biblical Truth. The question is ... what are you going to do about it? Will you stand in alliance with the Word ... or will you take the wide and easy path that yields the most self-comfort and join the part of the Church that has grown apathetic and lacking in the Spirit?

As I watch this battle playing out in the Spirit and on the earth, I am left wondering, "How much deception is the world willing to tolerate when it comes to Biblical Truth?" We can't define what makes someone a woman? REALLY?!?!  And Matthew 24:24 warns us that even the elect have the potential to be deceived. When someone like Bill Johnson, who has devoted his spiritual life to knowing God and trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, can be deceived and succumb to Satan's lies and treachery, then we see our own prospects for being led astray. He opted to protect his Church's ministries and reputation rather than look at (and reject) the sin that Jesus admonishes and rebukes. Johnson offered mercy and grace for the sin, but did not require repentance for forgiveness. As the Ekklesia, the Body of Christ needs to look at the fruit of the actions taken -- do they mirror God's Truth in His Word? Who better than Jesus to recognize the Truth; He, who had reason to soften God's commandments, to make them more convenient, palatable, and less painful for Himself? Instead, He showed us the self-sacrifice and reckoning that is required to pay the price for our sins against God and His Truth. 

I despise having to call out the agreement with Deception among the Body of Christ and in the Church! My assignment as a Watchman finds me often looking like a "Negative Nelly", as my grandmother would say. It's not that I don't see the goodness and authenticity of pure faith and obedience... it's that the lawlessness, led by Satan, is becoming so prevalent, that the Lord is highlighting His message to His Watchmen: Blow the trumpet loud and warn your people that they might be saved from My Judgment that is coming! Please believe me, I don't issue these warnings and thoughts for my own pleasure. I do not wish to see anyone denied entry into God's House or Family! But I don't want to be responsible for their blood on my hands! We all need to work together, from whatever assignment you've been given by God, to see the narrow path flooded with people of the world seeking the righteous path of Jesus Christ. Let's leave no one behind! The Lord is about to mount up on His Steed of Righteousness! Encourage the people of the Earth to hear the warnings!

1 Timothy 6:12    Fight the good fight of the faith [in conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession of faith in the presence of many witnesses.  

          

 

 

 

 

There's a Direct Correlation Between Bible Illiteracy and the State of American Society

If I asked you how knowledgeable you were regarding the Bible, would you answer honestly and with a sense of fulfillment; with the sense of having achieved something that is profitable for your soul and spirit? Or would you inflate how much of it you've read in order to look good in the eyes of the world -- or defiantly question its value at all? Can you even admit that it is worthwhile to be educated in the Word of God? 

Maybe you don't think these questions are important to ponder. Maybe you think there is nothing in this ancient book that offers answers to the problems in today's world, so why waste your time? As someone who spent far too much of her younger years seeking answers to the world's problems from the world, itself, I can tell you that it wasn't until I cracked open the cover of my 1049-page King James Bible, and then graduated to my 1547-page English Standard Version (with its critical examinations of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts), that I began to experience a growing hunger to understand their importance. Reading them from cover to cover transformed my life! 

I believe the Bible exists for mankind, because there is an instinctive sense within each of us that there is something more for us in our lives than self-gratification, in which the end result is emptiness and a meaningless life. We are created to have value and purpose beyond ourselves. The Bible is the only source I know [in this world] that is able to instruct us how to find the true meaning of our existence; who we are and why we're here. And that understanding transcends making money, being popular, exploring our sexual identity, and indulging or satisfying our own desires. If you aren't seeking those answers within the Bible, then everything the world offers will be inadequate. Take a long, honest look at the world today ... that's exactly why we must encourage Biblical literacy.

To give you an idea of just how lacking it is, a survey by Lifeway Research revealed that 87% of adult households in the US own a Bible, but only 11% have read all the Bible once, while 30% said they've only read a few passages or stories. And let me be clear -- reading the Bible and understanding it are two different things. It is such a deep and multi-layered revelation of the character of God and His relationship with His creation. It also discloses the war between Good and Evil and those who have chosen to rebel against His holy and righteous ways, resulting in His plan [throughout Time] to redeem mankind and establish us with Him in Eternity.

But it is vitally important to understand that Biblical literacy is more than being able to memorize names and stories, to explain Christian terminology, or pass a trivia test. All that is knowledge, but it's not the same as knowing God. And you can't claim Biblical literacy just because you go to Church every Sunday or hold a title in your congregation. That doesn't mean you know God ... or that He knows you. True Biblical literacy requires a commitment to search out the deeper awareness and meaning of every word in the Bible, which is how you get to really know who God is, and who you are, in order to develop a personal, genuine and authentic relationship with the living and active God of the Universe. He's not just a mythical character. He's real and involved in every minute of every day throughout all of history -- from its beginning to the very end. 

And He wants to interact with each one of us and reveal Himself to us so that we can engage with Him. He doesn't want to be some remote and isolated figurehead who works independently to govern the world. He made us in His image; to work with Him, glorifying Him through our words and deeds; helping Him to govern the world with righteousness, goodness, mercy, and love. I repeatedly quote my husband Mark's favorite verse of the Bible, Proverbs 25:2 ... It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, while it is the glory of kings to search it out. This is a perfect way for me to show you the difference between Biblical knowledge and Biblical Literacy. 

Mark doesn't just quote this verse over and over as an example of what the Bible says is an attribute of God's character; he lives it by example. By studying the etymology -- studying the origin and evolution -- of words in the Bible, like glory of God, and glory of kings, along with their comparative meanings in the Hebrew and Greek texts, he began to understand the historical context of this verse. In addition, he received the revelation from the Holy Spirit that God loves it when we inquire about His meaning of Scripture and endeavor to understand what He wants us to know about Him. When God conceals certain matters in His Word, it can cause us to see that He possesses infinite wisdom, and create a hunger in us to know Him more. In turn, God takes great pleasure when His creation makes the effort to run after Him. He doesn't want us to be robots who automatically glorify Him... He wants us to CHOOSE to spend the time to seek Him. And believe me, when your quest enables you to connect the dots from a concept in the Old Testament to one in the New Testament that you've never known before, it's a supernatural high that keeps you coming back to the Bible for more!

That's a little of what Biblical literacy is, and what it isn't. Now, I'd like to talk a bit about why it's more important today than it's ever been in our country's history. Living in today's world is a battlefield of Good vs Evil. And the Bible gives you the weapons and tactics, as well as the armor you will need to survive. When this country was founded, it had a solid foundation of faith and the Bible on which to stand. The Bible and its principles were taught in every school, and Pastors were solid in their study and exegesis of the Word. Over the 250 years of our history, those practices have slowly declined and our society has reaped the consequences. Churches have compromised those values in favor of more entertainment, drawing in bigger crowds, gaining popularity, and filling their coffers to overflowing. 

Biblical literacy among their flocks is no longer prioritized. The Early Church in the Book of Acts gathered for sound teachings; examination of the Word, recognizing that it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). That's what it used to look like in this country. But the Church no longer appears set apart from the world, but, sadly looks to compromise with it. And by accepting a 501(c)3 designation, the Church has abdicated God's authority and laws in favor of man's form of government. We have limited the Word and it's meaning and power to what is acceptible in the eyes of men.

And Heaven forbid that you want to invite a serious discussion that your own study has evinced; not to cause discord or division, but to glorify God in the search for His truth. But believe me, if the Pastor is not Bible literate himself, you will be seen as a trouble-maker and a threat to his power and authority, if not (gasp!) an outright heretic. Ask me how I know! It is extremely sad to me that the Church is afraid of encouraging its flock to dig in and take a deep dive into the life-giving Word of God! Instead, I discern that the lack of Biblical literacy in this country has opened the door to false teachers and false prophets, whose self-serving influence has led to lukewarm faith and the growing prospect of a great "falling away" as the world abandons its moral compass and reaps the inevitable oppressive and relentless power and force of Satan and his followers. 

We must not fear this conflict, because if you are Biblically literate, then you know this battle is coming. It will happen because the Bible tells us so. But if you are one who chooses to only cherry-pick the verses that tell us Jesus wins in the end (and Hallelujah, He does!), then you will be ill-prepared to persevere and endure the dark days before Christ's Divine Hand of Justice delivers Satan into the Lake of Fire. We must study and know and understand the complete counsel of God in His Word! And our efforts to do so glorify Him throughout the Heavens! So, I invite you to join me in these perilous times. The Bible is a rich and abundant treasure of God's wisdom, encouragement, and strategy to walk in victory in this world. God has given it to us to be tasted and consumed. Trust me. It is life-giving!

Proverbs 2:4-5        If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver, and search for her as you would hidden treasures; then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] and discover the knowledge of God.   

The Confusion Over Biblical Zionism & How It Pertains to Today's World

Before we start this conversation, I want to make it clear that the fundamental reason I wrote this post is the personal questions I have when regarding various foreign policies; the social and cultural attitudes they stimulate; the historical implications of such policies and belief systems; and how they all come together to create a mixed bag of imbalance on the global stage. And mind you, it is all my opinion, but it comes from the biblical underpinning of how I look at the world.

The questions I have lead to a long and convoluted discussion; a labyrinth of intricate, involved and complex entanglements that have resulted in the problematic situation we see being played out in the world today. While it's happening in the 21st Century, this crisis has its roots set in centuries-old covenants and God's promises. I think it's time to examine why we are in the mess we're in, and the unacceptable consequences of our false and misunderstood belief systems.  

Let me first say that, while it may appear that politics and foreign policy is at the center of my position in this blog post, I want it understood that it is God and His Truth that I seek for my answers. Ultimately, it requires that man understand Zionism in its fulfilled and Biblical context ... NOT Jewish Zionism, Christian Zionism, or Israeli Zionism ... BUT BIBLICAL ZIONISM! And without intentional study of God's Word, I contend that it is impossible to understand God's plan for the final and fulfilled Zion. 

Let me begin by saying that understanding the truth about who and what Zion is, is a very contentious and debatable topic, and it is at the root of so much conflict between peoples, nations, and governments. Let me further state that it is only God's Truth regarding Zion that ultimately matters as we barrel towards His fulfillment of this Age. And in all honesty, I must admit that my understanding of the term "Zion" and its significance in both secular world history and God's plan of Redemption for all mankind, has morphed throughout my years as a Christian and has undergone a gradual process of transformation. But what I want to share has [I believe] relevance for all people.

Historically speaking, the word Zion has signified so many things ... 1) A stronghold held by the Canaanite tribe who inhabited Jerusalem, called Jebus, before the conquest begun by Joshua and completed by David (2 Samuel 5:6-10). 2) A name for the city of Jerusalem; also signifying "City of God", where God resided (Jeremiah 31:6). 3) Zion also designates the land of Judah (Jeremiah 31:12), and 4) the nation of Israel as a whole (Zechariah 9:13). I find it interesting that Zion occurs over 150 times in the Bible, and it essentially means "fortification", and has the idea of being "raised up" as a "monument."  

From these initial understandings of the word "Zion" in the Bible, we see that it is synonymous with "City of God", and it is a place that God loves and where He dwells with His people. But Zion is much more than a place or characteristic of its geography, as in "Mount Zion", the high hill on which David built a citadel. It is the spiritual heart of Israel, representing God's presence among His people. Zion/Jerusalem became the seat of power in Israel's ancient kingdom. As Biblical time marched on, Zion grew figuratively to mean Israel as the people of God in the Old Testament, who were recipients of God's promise to their Patriarch, Abraham... "All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring [seed] forever."  That's the way I think the world sees Zion today -- the geographical land claimed by the nation of Israel as their inheritance from their ancestor, Abraham. They are seen as the seed of Abraham.

But not so fast! Abraham is revered as a Patriarch in three major religions in the world, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, Abraham is the founding father and first Hebrew patriarch who began the covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and God. In Christianity, he is the spiritual progenitor/ancestor of all believers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish. And in Islam, Abraham is a link in the chain of Islamic prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Muhammad. Abraham is regarded as the common forefather of both the Arab people through his son Ishmael, and the Jewish people through his son Isaac. 

So, it shouldn't surprise us that Zionism is defined in different ways by the different peoples who claim it for their own ... Jewish Zionism, in its current form, is primarily political, seeking establishment and preservation of a Jewish state in the historic land of Israel. A religious [or spiritual] view of Historical Zion is largely missing from the modern state of Israel. Christian Zionism, [including MAGA Zionism], believes that Christians should support the modern political state of Israel because it represents the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy; at least its physical territorial fulfillment in the Middle East. Biblical Zionism, is its own definition. Its significance is found in the belief that the promises God made to Abraham -- including the promise of land -- have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the singular "seed" of Abraham ... The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds", meaning many people, but "and to your seed", meaning one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16).  

It takes a deliberate and serious study of Scripture to see the complete story that the Bible reveals regarding Zion and Zionism. It begins in Genesis and runs to Revelation. As the fascinating article Biblical Zionism: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter? states, "It [Zionism] moves from creation to covenant, from covenant to kingdom, from kingdom to Zion, from Zion to Christ, from Christ through the Spirit to the nations -- a unified narrative with Jesus at its center." 

All of Scripture points to Jesus as the ultimate seed of God's promises to not only Abraham, but to all mankind. It redirects our understanding of Zionism from territorial disputes over geographical land, and wars between earthly kingdoms, to the Kingdom of God and the King of the Universe. Christ is the true Zion -- and our union with Him supercedes political agendas, changing national leaders and borders. Governments will come and go; national leaders will be replaced, and our rights to inherit the Kingdom of God are unalienable. I want you to read that, not as in "Alien", like "illegal alien." Rather read it as "un-a-lien-able"; a form of security interest granted over something [or "someone"] to secure the payment of a debt. Our right to inheritance in Jesus have been given to us by God, and are not subject to a lien by any king or ruler. And Jesus has paid the debt we owe.

Zionism has been misunderstood in the last couple of centuries and manipulated to fulfill human definitions that meet human agendas. But the promises of the true Zion have already been fulfilled in flesh and blood, and in death and resurrection. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's promised land. He is alive and eternal, and He offers us an inheritance that can never be renounced or abandoned. Can you see that from the beginning to the end, God's promises are fulfilled in Christ? And no matter how many promises the Father has made, they are all answered with a resounding "YES" in Christ! Jesus is our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer! He is Zion in all its Glory! Amen!

Isaiah 2:2-3     "In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."    

  

"What's So Good About Friday?"

In the 15 years I have been writing this blog, I have rarely borrowed someone else's words. But every once in awhile someone writes something that is of such profound wisdom and adequacy that my spirit tells me, "This must be shared". This post is that kind of writing; a master stroke. It was written by Dead Hidden and then re-posted by The Biblical Man. I have also found it worthy to be re-posted. I hope you will open your hearts to receive it, and seriously contemplate what is written. It is what I have believed for a long time, and it magnifies the glory of our Lord as He so richly deserves, as we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Day!

There's a single mom in Memphis right now staring at her Walmart MoneyCard. She checked it twice. Same number both times. She checked it a third time because maybe the app was slow. It wasn't slow. There's no money. Won't be any until Monday because the banks are closed. 

Friday ... Good Friday.

Her kids want Easter baskets. The dollar store has plastic eggs for a buck fifty. She doesn't have a buck fifty. She has $2.11 and a quarter tank of gas and a shift she can't work because the office is closed for a holiday named after the day a man got nailed to lumber two thousand years ago. 

Good Friday.

What's good about it?

Some dude in a stained recliner in eastern Kentucky just checked his reloadable card, too. Same story. Direct deposit didn't hit. Won't hit til Monday. Easter is Sunday. His kids are asleep in the next room, and he;s sitting in the dark doing math that doesn't work. He's not thinking about the resurrection. He's thinking about how to explain to a seven-year-old why the Easter Bunny skipped their trailer.

And somewhere, a megachurch pastor is rehearsing his sunrise service in a building that cost fourteen million dollars. Fog machine tested. Choir mic'd. The tomb scene has better production value than most Hollywood sets.

Good Friday.

Here's what nobody told you. It probably wasn't Friday. Jesus said it Himself. Plain. No Commentary needed. "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." -- Matthew 12:40. 

Three days. Three nights.

Count it. Friday evening to Sunday morning is not three days and three nights. It's barely two. A first grader with a calendar can see it. But nobody counts. Because nobody's supposed to count. You're supposed to nod. Sing the hymn. Eat the ham. Move on.

The Jews didn't start their day at midnight like we do. God set up time in Genesis 1. "And the evening and the morning were the first day." Evening first. Then morning. That's a day. God said so before Rome existed. Before the church calendar. Before any man in a black robe got to vote on it. Wednesday evening. That's when He was buried. Before sundown. Because Thursday was a high sabbath -- the first day of Passover -- and the body had to be in the ground before it started.

Wednesday night. Thursday night. Friday night. Three nights.

Thursday day. Friday day. Saturday day. Three days.

Saturday evening when the sabbath ended. He rose. Not Sunday morning. The women came Sunday morning and He was already gone. The tomb was already empty when they got there.  

"In 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." -- Matthew 28:1

They didn't witness the resurrection. They witnessed the aftermath. He was already up. Already breathing. Already walking around with holes in His hands while they were still carrying spices to a body that wasn't there. 

Three days. Three nights. Wednesday to Saturday. Just like He said.

So who moved it to Friday?

Men in robes who thought they knew better than a Jewish carpenter.

Men who changed the calendar. Changed the sabbath. Changed the feast days. Decided what the dirty [their word, not mine] Jews got wrong and what Rome got right. Swapped God's math for their own and slapped the word "Good" on it.

And nobody questioned it. For centuries. Because you're not supposed to question it. You're supposed to sit in the pew and nod and eat the cracker and drink the juice and go home and not think too hard about whether any of it adds up.

It doesn't add up. 

Friday to Sunday has never been three days and three nights. Shut down the post office. And that single mom in Memphis and that dad in his recliner in Kentucky? They get to feel the weight of somebody else's tradition.

But this post isn't about a calendar. It's about what we did to the cross. [The author who reposted the original post wrote something this week, and he says he can't get it out of his head]. He's calling it Crucifix Honey because "that's what Western Christianity does every April. Takes the most violent act in human history and drizzles honey on it until it's sweet enough to swallow."

He goes on to say ...  Every April, they sweeten the cross. Package the blood. Soften the nails. Put a choir behind the screaming so it sounds like music. Crucifix honey.

He died on a garbage hill covered in flies while Jerusalem ate dinner. 

Not in a cathedral. Not in a painting. Not in the stained glass window your grandmother pointed at when you were six and told you that man loved you.

On a trash heap. Outside the city. Where they dumped dead animals. Where the dogs came at night.

That's where God died.

Naked. Bones showing through His back. Mouth so dry His tongue stuck to His jaw. Soldiers underneath Him gambling for His shirt like it was a scratch-off ticket. 

His mother stood there. Couldn't touch Him. Couldn't hold His hand. Just watched the boy she nursed in a barn choke to death on a Roman post while flies landed on what used to be His back.

And the church put a frame around it. Sanded down the wood. Took the splinters out of the cross and made it smooth enough to hang around a pretty neck.

We turned the execution of God into decoration. The Romans drove the nails. We gold-plated them. Crucifix honey.

He sweat blood in a garden because His body tried to die before they could kill Him. And we walk past it every Sunday like it's wallpaper,

He carried His own death up a hill on a back that didn't have skin on it. And we put the cross on a bumper sticker between the stick figure family and the fish.

He screamed. And we made it a holiday.

That's what Good Friday is. A holiday built on bad math and sweetened death. A day the banks close and the churches open, and everybody performs grief for a man they'll forget about by Monday. A day where a mom can't feed her kids because Rome decided centuries ago that this was the day, and nobody since has had the spine to read a calendar and say no, it wasn't.

Jesus didn't die on Friday. He died on Wednesday. And He didn't stay dead. Three days and three nights later, He walked out of that tomb on His own two feet, and the rock was moved not to let Him out, but to let us look in.

The tomb wasn't opened for Him. It was opened for us. He was already gone.

This Easter, before you drink the coffee and post the cross and sing the hymn and eat the ham -- count the days. Read what He actually said. Not what the calendar says. Not what the tradition says. What He said. 

Three days. Three nights.

The math matters. Because if He said it and it didn't happen exactly like He said it, then none of it matters. And if it happened exactly like He said it -- on a day the whole world got wrong -- then maybe the whole world got more wrong than just the date. Happy Resurrection Day! 

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I am aware that my post may shock and offend some Christians who have never heard nor contemplated counting the days. I remember when I first realized the discrepancy. And I did not want to ignore the questions that arose. If there was more to understand about my Lord and the facts my faith are based upon, I wanted to know it. And I cannot tell you how much my study became enhanced and broadened after I discovered what had been hidden, and  the carefully constructed mask that stole the richness of my Lord's crucifixion story. 

I did not share this post to cause controversy or confrontation, but rather with the hope that even one more person could know God's truth in the matter and celebrate [even more] the love He has for us who believe in the sacrifice of His Son for our salvation and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. May all who read this understand God's Plan and receive the joy of it's fulfillment in Jesus's obedience. It is finished!

John 8:32    And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.