Why We Americans Have A Hard Time Understanding The Kingdom of God

     

      I am guilty, as I'm sure many of you are, of reading my Bible for years and never grasping or perceiving what Jesus meant when He talked about the Kingdom of God. To be honest, it's almost as if, when reading the Word, I was incapable of recognizing that concept, and therefore just ignored it.  I had been taught throughout my Church experience that the primary message of Jesus was the one of Salvation, yet I only find that word used or referenced six times in the four Gospels, and only once by Jesus (He spoke of being "born again in John 3:1-5). Yet, the Kingdom of God is mentioned at least 62 times, and nearly every time by Jesus, Himself. So why haven't I asked the appropriate questions about the Kingdom, or sought more understanding of why my Lord and Savior spoke so much about it? Why haven't I heard the Gospel of the Kingdom of God taught from the pulpits of the churches I have attended? As simple and absurd as it may sound, I believe those answers lie in the fact that we in the Western world, and especially here in America, have no concept of what it means to live in a kingdom or under a King.
     Think about it. Our nation is both a republic and a representative democracy. And that makes a huge difference in our ability to understand the importance of Jesus's declaration that the Kingdom of God has arrived! A republic is ruled by representatives of the citizen body. Modern republics are founded on the idea that sovereignty rests with the people. As a representative democracy, we have a Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. And, as a nation, we have adopted Abraham Lincoln's quotation from his Gettysburg Address: "we must ensure that government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
     Can you see that the focus is on "the people" as the arbiter of government? Yet, Jesus clearly said that we should desire to seek and enter the Kingdom of God. And where does the sovereignty and government derive from in a kingdom? Not from the citizens -- but from the King! But most Westerners, and specifically the citizens of the United States, have never lived in a kingdom nor under a king, so we have little idea of what that looks like or how a kingdom is ruled. In fact, our national DNA is founded on rebellion against a kingdom and king! We even wrote a Declaration of Independence from that king, declaring that Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness were inherent rights, endowed by our Creator. And then in that same paragraph, we set the tone for generations of Americans to miss the knowledge that the Bible has tried to impart to us ... there is a Kingdom that we are to enter that will secure all those rights, privileges, benefits, liberty, security, abundance, health, and welfare that we seek as citizens today. But it is a kingdom of heavenly origin, not earthly, and the Ruler of this Kingdom in Heaven determined to establish a colony of His Kingdom here on earth, ruled by men made in His image, serving as Vice-Regents [assistants with power to act when their superior is absent]. 
     To further understand how this "kingdom concept" pertains to the Bible and helps us to comprehend our purpose on this earth, we need to agree that the foundation and qualification of kingship is rightful ownership of land. In a kingdom, the land is the personal property of the king, and it is this ownership right that designates him as Lord [Master]. In a kingdom, all the land within the kingdom belongs to the king. Psalm 24:1-2 tells us, The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are His. He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.
     True, Psalm 115:16 says, The heavens belong to our God; they are his alone, but He has given us the earth and put us in charge. Now, to us Greek-minded Americans, we must be reminded that this verse is not saying God gave us ownership of the land called earth. At any time, He could take it back; that would be His exclusive right. When God "gave" us the earth, He did not relinquish His ownership. We possess the earth as a trust, or stewardship. He gave us dominion [authority, jurisdiction, right to govern in His stead] over the earth in order to extend the government of Heaven to this earthly realm. He gave us rulership, but not ownership. It is a privilege to rule this earth, and we must not take it for granted; we will be held accountable to the King for how we manage His kingdom here on planet earth.
     I'm sure some of you can see how the Enemy has perverted that concept in our modern era. We have segments of our population who sound the alarm that we are not good stewards of our planet and demand that the health of the planet be our top priority. There are also church denominations who preach a "green gospel" about caring for the planet. I agree that we are to be good stewards of the earth and environmental issues should not be ignored. But I'm left wondering if these people understand that the earth is not their land; that it actually belongs to [and is owned by] the King of Heaven? 
     But back to my original premise -- there is a struggle for us in the Western world and America to truly understand the Gospel of the Kingdom; the Good News that Jesus came to reinstitute the government of Heaven on earth through the rulership of Saved men. The Cross and faith in the risen Christ is the doorway [entry] back into the Kingdom of God on earth that was first established in Genesis and which was relinquished in the Garden of Eden. Jesus went to the Cross to restore the Kingdom of God on earth and to restore our rightful role as ambassadors of Heaven's kingdom. In essence, He came to earth to declare that He was King; that a King had come, a Kingdom had arrived, and this Kingdom was available to anyone who wanted to enter.
     At this point, it is very important that we understand our identity within this Kingdom. In John 1:12, the Bible says, But those who embraced Him and believed in His name were given authority to become the children of God! In other words, Jesus came so that we could receive the full rights of sons and daughters of the King. Even though the earthly kingdoms we have known throughout history do not meet the righteousness of the Heavenly Kingdom, they still represent the kingdom model. Therefore, a son of a king will be a king. That is why Jesus is called "King of kings". We are destined to be kings; to rule and reign as sons and daughters of the King! 
     Just as a king is never voted into power, nor can be voted out of power, our authority comes from our birthright as sons and daughters of the King. And just as a king's word is law, we should be the determiners of the laws of our land, according to our King's decrees and statutes. An earthly king who was after God's own heart wrote, The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous (Psalm 19:9). 
     When a king is present, his authority resides in his very presence -- not in a document or a place. Because our King Jesus is always present with us, His authority is present -- the same authority He has conferred upon us. We need to start walking in that authority because we are Kingdom citizens [having entered the Kingdom through our salvation experience] and sons and daughters of the King. We represent His glory, His righteousness, His justice, and His compassion; reflecting His Nature and Character. 
     We are not to confuse our citizenship in the Kingdom with our American citizenship. I found it interesting that the five top traits of being an American are listed as Independence, Opportunity, Innovation, Diversity, and Generosity. But in the Kingdom of God, it is His traits that matter because in a kingdom concept, citizens are to be obedient followers, not self-governing and independent. America is known as the Land of Opportunity, where the wealth of self-made men is revered. But in a kingdom, the king owns everything in his kingdom, and a righteous and benevolent king amasses his wealth for the welfare of his citizens. That is why Jesus tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat, or drink, or wear; because our Heavenly Father knows what we need. But we are to seek His kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to us. At the same time, the Bible tells us that we have a Father who has a Kingdom in Heaven, and wants to give us good gifts. Our welfare is the responsibility of our King and He will take care of us. 
     Then there is Innovation, which is highly prized in our American DNA. It is said that we lead the world in creativity and originality. But our Father's Kingdom is perfect; there is no need for us to alter or transform His original design; His Kingdom is the model. Again, in America we take pride in our Diversity; it has made us the melting pot of the world. But in a kingdom, the king is the ultimate and only source of authority. Our King is sovereign and His sovereignty is absolute; there is no room for diversification or multiple standards. Finally, there is the subject of Generosity. One of the rights we have as Kingdom citizens, and heirs of the Kingdom, is that we belong to the King of Heaven, who is a righteous and benevolent Lord who graciously allows us to use and fully appropriate and distribute His riches and resources and all good things -- as long as we remember who owns them. If we begin to give to others from a frame of mind that we own it and it is ours to give, then we make ourselves a lord. In the Kingdom of God on earth there can be only one Lord. 
     I know this is only a cursory examination of why we Americans have trouble understanding the Good News that the Kingdom of God has come and is now operating in the earth. But I wanted to give you something to think about, and a concept that might be new to you. In summary, let me ask you a few questions ... Can you renew your mind to accept and apply the understanding that we are not to be independent-minded followers of Christ, but rather citizens in a Kingdom governed by a benevolent, righteous, and just King who is Lord of our lives? Has Religion redefined your original role and purpose in the Kingdom? Are you willing to see yourself from God's perspective and step into your Kingdom assignment?  The answers to these questions can change your identity and transform your life. Spend some time with the Father and hear what He has to say on the subject. Blessings!

I am indebted to the late Dr. Myles Munroe and his teachings on the Kingdom of God. I have grown in my understanding and spiritual insight, thanks to his faithful preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom!

Matthew 25:34    Then the King will turn to those on His right and say, 'You have a special place in My Father’s heart. Come and experience the full inheritance of the kingdom realm that has been destined for you from before the foundation of the world!' 

Mixed Messages

     I am oftentimes perplexed at the interpretation of Scripture from people whom I greatly respect and who I know walk in reverent obedience to the Lord. No wonder the Body of Christ is often confused and question their own life's journey and purpose. For instance, I was excited to receive my monthly newsletter from an organization founded by a Scripturally-sound Messianic Jewish leader. The lead article was entitled Rock and Key, and perfectly coincided with the recent teachings Mark and I have been conducting on the Gospel of the Kingdom.
     I was encouraged by the message of Matthew 16:13-19 that represented a historic breakthrough for the disciples following Jesus, and should be serving as a rediscovery for us in the 21st Century. These important verses read as follows:

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my ekklesia, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

     I agreed with the article Rock and Key that this passage is important on so many levels. First, notice that Jesus asks who the people say the Son of Man is -- not the Son of God. Here, He is wanting to see how He is being perceived. Up til now He has been careful to guard His deity from the general public, and has concentrated on preaching [and teaching His disciples] that the Kingdom of Heaven was to be restored to the earth. This moment at Caesarea Philippi marks a decisive change in His ministry. Now He is ready for His disciples to gain the bigger picture of who He is, why He came, and that He must soon be rejected, killed, and will rise from the dead three days later. This leads to deeper knowledge that all those who choose to follow Him, must be willing to suffer in this life, as He's about to, in order to gain eternal life in Heaven's Kingdom.
     The fact that Peter receives the revelation that Jesus is the Son of [the Living] God means Peter and the disciples are ready to receive authority from heaven through Him. If they can rightly know who He is, then they will soon be equipped with spiritual authority to carry on His assignment. I agreed with the author that this spiritual authority can be administered directly through His Name -- by declaring in the Name of Jesus. Then the author said it could be delegated through the leadership of the local congregation. In both ways, all spiritual authority comes through submission to the One from whom it is given. And being under the cover of authority is a place of protection, where it is safe, secure, and stable -- that is where the rock comes in.
     It is from the stable foundation of Jesus and the covering of His blood that we are protected from the forces of evil in this dark world and able to release God's good, perfect and acceptable will into this earth. In fact, we are so confident in the power of God in us [Holy Spirit] and our authority from Heaven that even the "gates of hades" cannot defeat us. [This particular site at Caesarea Philippi was considered the entrance (gate) to the underworld of death]. We have so much power and authority to release God's will that what we "bind" or "loose" on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. And I understand the Scripture to mean that the Lord Jesus said He would build His ekklesia (legislative body of believers] to govern the earth in the model God has established in heaven. 
     As I have pointed out before, Jesus did not say He would build a Church, as in a building full of believers. He would build a group of believers gathered together to carry out the government of Heaven on the earth. So, when the author of this article wrote "if we do not have a personal revelation of Jesus and/or we are not members in a local congregation, we have little authority to influence the world for good by the kingdom of God", well, I was dumbfounded. He went on to say that our influence requires both the revelation of Jesus (I agree!) and the active membership in a local congregation.
     To me, that negates the authority of the believer as an individual. Now, I agree that the power of a committed ekklesia can be more powerful by virtue of the number of obedient spiritual warriors [working in their legal authority] to pray down strongholds and govern in the Name of Jesus. But to say that you must be "an active member in a local congregation" does not fit the biblical model that Jesus shows us. I cannot find anywhere in the Gospels that Jesus demands of His disciples that they must be members of a local synagogue to receive His power and authority. In fact, our English Bibles only record Him using the word "Church" twice, one in the aforementioned Matthew 16:18 and again, in Matthew 18:17-18. In both instances, the English word is mistranslated and He actually used the Greek word [adopted by the Romans] of Ekklesia, meaning "a political assembly of citizens" -- it is not a religious congregation. But down through the centuries, we have loosely substituted "church, congregation, and assembly" for this very deliberate word of "ekklesia". 
     Yes, Jesus taught in the synagogues, but the purpose was to introduce the Gospel of the Kingdom and the government of earth according to the Father's will. He taught in order to defeat the works of the devil [and his kingdom] by bringing a superior kingdom that offered Salvation as the entry point to a life spent transforming the earth [and the lives of men] to reflect Heaven on earth. 
     To say that this can only be accomplished in a religious group setting does not sound like anything my Lord spoke. Now this particular author doesn't go as far as others I have read, who say that Matthew 10:1 (Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and imparted to them authority to cast out demons and to heal every sickness and every disease) was only for a particular group of people for a particular time of ministry. This is known as Cessationism, a doctrine which teaches that spiritual gifts, power and authority ceased when the original apostles died. 
     So, I guess the whole point of this blog post is that it concerns me when leaders of our faith tell us that we have no power and authority as an individual. What I see is that all the parables are teaching lessons that revolve around individuals -- not groups. Everyone He healed was on an individual basis. They came to Him, one-by-one, and He healed them. Even the early Church knew their mission was to raise up disciples of Christ who would go out into the world, as individuals, continuing the work He commanded. As a disciple of Christ myself, I am not on any roll of a local church or congregation. But Mark and I are working to be a part of a committed ekklesia who will come together as a local body of believers who, in contending prayer and fasting, and our legal power and authority, can transform our families, communities, and nation. 
    But, even when not in the company of these obedient ambassadors of Heaven, I know that I, as an individual believer, have been given Christ's authority and the power of the Holy Spirit to effect change on this earth; to take back territories from the kingdom of darkness for my Father's Kingdom in Heaven. Could this just be another tactic of the Enemy to shut down our ability to defeat him? If  he can convince us [out of fear or a lie about needing a covering other than Jesus], then we will be rendered ineffective in stopping his kingdom from advancing. 
     This is what I know for certain: that when I encounter someone in a WalMart parking lot that needs a healing hand; or Mark and I sit with a wounded and tormented believer at our table; or we are called to teach a hungry group of Christians about the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are under the covering and protection of our Lord Jesus. He doesn't require our membership in a local church or congregation to continue His work. His Word tells me that whoever believes in Him will also do the works that He did; and greater works than these will we do, because He has gone to the Father (John 14:12). He needs all of us -- individuals and corporate bodies of believers -- to continue His work! And His Word tells me that He has imparted to me all His authority to trample over Satan's kingdom. I can trample upon every demon before me and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm me as I walk in this authority (Luke 10:19).
     Again, I say that He needs us all! Don't believe Satan's lie that you do not have our Lord's permission to represent Him! You are an ambassador of Heaven, and a child of God, made in His image. Your authority comes from God's Word, and being diligent to follow the Word, not your own will or any other man's. Your power comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit in you. And whether you walk out your faith as an individual, as a part of an Ekklesia, or within the corporate body of the Church -- He can use you! Do not be made irrelevant by man-made doctrine!

Titus 2:13-15   ... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
     


     

Vanity of Vanities!

     I was going to title this blog post "Nothing New Under The Sun", a quote from Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, in which the author bemoans, "That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun ... There is no remembrance of earlier things, Nor also of the later things that are to come; There will be for them no remembrance by generations who will come after them." Then I recalled that I had already used that title in a post from June, 2013. But once again, the headlines have made it relevant.
     As I see God moving among His remnant, and see the Gospel of the Kingdom being rediscovered among Christ's followers, I hear the Holy Spirit and our Lord warning me not to become so immersed in teaching the Good News of the Kingdom that I am unaware of what the Enemy is doing in response to our obedience. They are saying "Don't stay focused on the world, but be mindful of [and informed about] what is going on. That is the duty of a 'watcher on the wall'. And when necessary, give My Sheep the knowledge to overcome". And that is the purpose of today's post.
     If you've paid any attention at all to the news cycle in recent days -- and believe me, I do not obsess over them -- then you cannot escape the evil machinations of Jeffrey Epstein, the politically, financially, and socially well-connected financier, who also happens to be a registered sex offender, and has now been charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex. As abominable as these charges are, they are not the purpose of this post. An article in The New York Times this week revealed that Epstein had plans to repeat one of Satan's strategies that is as old as the Bible. Let me explain...
     The article's headline reads like this: Jeffrey Epstein Hoped To Seed The Human Race With His DNA. A sensational headline? For Sure. But as a Christian, this plan should sound familiar. If it doesn't, then Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 should enlighten you ... There will be no remembrance [of earlier things] by generations who will come after them. So, why should this news about Epstein strike a chord with Believers? God is trying to show us that what the fallen angel, Lucifer, tried to do to prohibit God's plan to redeem mankind is still very much on the Enemy's radar. Those of us who have ears to hear, will know what I am implying.  It's as if, in recent years, God has removed the mystery of Genesis 6:4 to modern-day Christians.  Where once, we just read this passage ("there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them") as meaning earthly kings married women against their will and produced giants. 
     But as our desire to understand the Hebrew origins and words of the Bible has intensified, we have come to understand that the Hebrew word translated as "giants" in the King James Bible, is actually the word "Nephilim", which in the Hebrew means "to fall; fallen; cast down."  So are you beginning to see where I'm headed?  These "men" who bore children to earthly women were part of Satan's contingent of fallen angels, and part of the spiritual battle to corrupt the DNA of God's creation.  If Satan could pollute man's holy genetic code, (which produces a body worthy of housing a spirit made in the image of God), then he could prevent God's Son (who is perfect) from being born and becoming King of this world; which in turn made it possible for the Kingdom of God to be reinstated upon the earth, thereby defeating Satan's kingdom.
     Satan failed in that plot, and King Jesus was not only born, but He has commissioned us as His ambassadors to overcome the ruler [and god] of this dark world, and to reclaim our dominion over the earth on behalf of our Creator, restoring His will "on earth, as it is in Heaven". But that isn't the only time Satan tried this same strategy. History has recorded that he attempted it through his human agents as recently as the last 90 years or so. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Adolph Hitler was interested in the occult, magic, and the paganism of his Germanic roots.  He is said to have marked extensive passages in a 1923 book, titled Magic: History, Theory, and Practice, including one that reads, "He who does not have the demonic seed within himself will never give birth to a magical world". Can you see the same ideology as Genesis 6:4?

     Put simply, our DNA is a highly prized target of the Enemy. It plays a critical role in controlling how cells, organs and other tissues behave. When writing this blog five years ago, I ran across an article in which scientists claimed that beginning 5 to 20 years ago, our DNA began changing. Supposedly, the scientific explanation was this:  "It is a mutation of our species into something for which the end result is not yet known."  One doctor reported that "people are changing at the cellular level. I am working with three children right now who have three DNA helixes (we normally have one double helix)."  What was especially alarming was the scientist's response when asked what characteristics these children displayed:  "These are children who can move objects across the room just by concentrating on them, or they can fill glasses of water just by looking at them. They’re telepathic. You would almost think by knowing these children that they are half angelic or superhuman, but they’re not. I think they are what we are growing into during the next few decades."
     That should be a huge warning to us, but it is amazing how quickly our culture will embrace any kind of technology that promises we can escape the deterioration of the human body. Just a few posts back, I wrote about Elon Musk's company Neuralink that is ready to "begin outfitting human brains with faster input and output by next year", all done with a chip to "achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence".
     But Satan isn't only relying on new technology to change our DNA. He is still willing to engage in his old plan of a "seed war", as exemplified by Jeffrey Epstein's diabolical story. As The New York Times article alleges, "Mr. Epstein, over the years, confided to scientists and others about his scheme ... [his] vision reflected his longstanding fascination with what has become known as transhumanism: the science of improving the human population through technologies like genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. Critics have likened transhumanism to a modern-day version of eugenics, the discredited field of improving the human race through controlled breeding." But breeding with whom? Or what? Certainly, Genesis 6:4 shows us one view of demonic breeders; Hitler had another plan with his perversion of eugenics; and apparently science now has a way to alter or mutate our DNA through genetic engineering by, of, and possibly with artificial intelligence.
     With his millions of dollars, and his fascination with "perfecting the human genome", Mr. Epstein attracted scientists such as George M. Church, a molecular engineer who has worked to identify genes that could be altered to create superior humans; and Stephen Jay Gould, a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist. Add these scientific connections to Epstein's desire to inseminate multiple women with his sperm to give birth to his babies; and his desire to have his brain and penis frozen through cryonics, and you just have to wonder if this is Satan's latest plot to corrupt humankind's DNA.
     But I just want to go on record as quoting Dr. Fritz Albert Popp, a noted German biophysicist, who said, "We know today that man, essentially, is a being of light ... We are still on the threshold of fully understanding the complex relationship between light and life, but we can now say emphatically, that the function of our entire metabolism is dependent on light."
     Too bad that the world of Science doesn't recognize that it is the Light, with a capital L, that sustains our bodies and our spirits.  If our DNA is mutating, it is by diabolical means in an all-out spiritual battle.  (See this recent post about the ability of AI to bend light in our bodies). Remember, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:37, "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in the days of Noah".  Spiritual warfare, and polluted and corrupt DNA is what He is talking about.
     Five years ago, almost to the day, I wrote "We're almost there!" But then, the evidence of Satan's schemes were mostly undercover in the scientific community. Today, the inventions of Elon Musk and the depraved sinfulness of Jeffrey Epstein are freely proclaimed; out in the open, visible and undisguised.  
     "Vanity of vanities" is how Ecclesiastes, chapter one begins. The Hebrew word for "vanity" is Hebel, meaning "something worthless or purposeless: signifying an idol, which is unsubstantial, worthless, and vain".  All these efforts to defeat man's design are part of Satan's schemes, and they are all in vain. And man's vanishing pleasures and empty satisfactions, as terrifying as they may seem, are fleeting. All the answers to life are found in God. Those in opposition to the Holy Spirit and spiritual men will only find that which is futile and temporary; all this has been tried before -- there is truly nothing new under the sun. What has been tried in ages past, will be tried again ... and God will always be Sovereign. But it is incumbent upon us to remember, and watch, and warn. Keep your spiritual eyes open!

Romans 2:5     But because of your calloused heart and refusal to change direction, you are piling up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 
    
     

The Holy Spirit : The Key To Enter The Kingdom of God

   
      This past weekend, Mark and I gave a presentation on the Gospel of the Kingdom for Luke 4:18 Ministries in Austin, Texas. As the time approached, I will tell you that I was a little nervous. Speaking in front of groups of people is getting easier for me, but it does not come naturally. Then my good friend, Mary, gave me a new perspective about this disposition of mine. When we arrived at the venue and I expressed my concern, she looked me right in the eyes, and said, "Oh, that's just your flesh. Your spirit is excited!" And at that moment everything changed. She was right! My spirit was excited about the opportunity to share this important message about the Kingdom of God to the people gathered there; all of whom I knew were never going to be the same after we showed them what they'd missed in their Bibles and in their Churches. After all, we wanted them to have the same experience of divine revelation we had when this amazing Truth was revealed to us. 
     It was such a joy to see minds being renewed to God's original plan for mankind. There was so much to share, and to be honest, I feel we barely scratched the surface of what God wants us to rediscover in His Word.  There are so many aspects of the Gospel of the Kingdom that we need to bring to light, that we could spend days teaching on the "Good News" Jesus brought.  For this day, it was important to show that the reason we were created was to be God's representatives and ambassadors on earth. The word representative is a very serious word. It means one chosen or appointed to act or speak for another; and someone in particular. I sometimes think we forget, or don't see, who we were made to be, and what is our role in the earth.
     Genesis 1:26, 28 make it very clear that we are made in the image of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit [Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness]. I love a teaching by the late Dr. Myles Munroe, in which he says, "You don't have a spirit .... You are a spirit!"  He goes on to teach that, as the Bible says, God formed man of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7), so we are "a spirit in a dirt body, known as a human".  This is important because we need to understand why God only gave humans the authority [to represent Him] on the earth. Dr. Munroe gives a quick etymology lesson: the word humus is the word for dirt. The word for man is Ish, and man is a spirit being. Man is a spirit, but his body is humus.  In essence we are a humus man [spirit being in a dirt body], shortened to human. Follow me, so far? 
     When you think about it, that is a complicated concept, but it is important in knowing God's plan and our purpose. His plan began with giving humans dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26, 28): Let them (humans) have dominion over all the earth ... God said to them, subdue it and have dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth. So the only being that has legal rights and authority to dominate the earth [given by God] is a spirit being in a dirt body. 
     God's Word never changes, right? So, here is a nugget of wisdom from Dr. Munroe that rocked Mark and I, and I think it will you, too .... "Any spirit without a dirt body is illegal on earth. Now you know why demons are illegal. Your most powerful weapon on the earth is not your spirit. When we die and lose our body, we become illegal, too, and we have to leave the earth. We call it death. We need to understand that our bodies keep us legal on the earth, and this is why demons are looking for a body to enter. They are trying to become legal, so they can become functional on earth".
     NOTE: I want to stop right here and interject an important point. I am not saying that someone who comes to us for Inner Healing and Deliverance and is being tormented by a spirit of anger, or a spirit of unworthiness, etc. is possessed. That is why when we confront these spirits [in a deliverance session] we ask if they have legal authority, and they say "no", because the person is being "oppressed" by the demon of anger, and is not "possessed" by it. It is a matter of torment and not possession, because the demon has not entered their body, they are just whispering lies that the Beloved is believing. That is why we can cast them out, because they have no legal authority according to God's own rules. And we must remember that our Father is a God of order and has set spiritual laws in place to govern His Kingdom, which is why our legal authority is so important. Obviously, I am not saying that our spirit is unimportant -- it is the connection with our Lord and how we have relationship with the Father. But in order to carry out the assignments our spirits have been given, we must have a body here on earth. Make sense?
     Now, it is also important to understand Scripture as God intended. He gave man dominion over the earth instead of giving it to Himself. He created us to be His agents, or ambassadors, who would extend His Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. So He wants to use us in order to become involved in the earth. But it is the spirit in us [which is Him in the form of the Holy Spirit] that enables Him to rule through us. It is God's plan to rule the world through the unseen Holy Spirit, living in the unseen spirit of man, which dwells in our physical [seen] body. 
     Consider this, the Holy Spirit didn't indwell anyone in the Old Testament. He came upon men when God needed them empowered for His service, giving them special skills to perform certain tasks. For instance Judges 3:10 tells us, And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel, younger brother of Caleb), and he judged Israel, and went out to war; Judges 6:34 says, But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him; Judges 14:6 says this about Samson: And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. And the Bible records that "the hand of the Lord" came upon all the Old Testament prophets to prophesy and do His will.
     That's the difference between the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant and the New ... there wasn't a person who could permanently host the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament because there wasn't a sacrifice good enough to make them holy. The Spirit would come upon them to do God's will [through a miracle, a prophecy, or to be strong to do a great work] and then He would leave. And it is important that we recognize that while Jesus was on the earth in the New Testament, there is no record of anyone else hosting the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the power of the Holy Spirit entered Him at His baptism and He carried it from that day forward! And His ultimate assignment was to get the power and the authority of the Holy Spirit into us so that we could carry on His assignment to restore the Kingdom of God on earth back to man.
     You see, while Christ was on the earth, He lent the power of the Holy Spirit that was in Him to men. Luke 9:1 validates this truth so well: And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. But after His resurrection, He appears in the Upper Room and breathed on the Disciples and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, He said, As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. What was Jesus sent to do? As He says over and over in the Gospels, He was sent to bring the Good News that the Kingdom of God was going to be restored on the earth. And it would be accomplished through Saved men. How do we know that?
     Every parable He taught was a lesson on what the Kingdom of God in Heaven was like, and how we are to walk in it on the earth. He told us to seek the Kingdom first, above all else. He told us to pray that His Father's Kingdom would come, on earth as it is in Heaven. He told us to "ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." He told us that our Father in Heaven knows what we need, and if we, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those of us who ask Him! And, He told us it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom... but it is incumbent upon us to use our free will to ask for it, seek it, and knock until it is opened to us. He will not force it upon us. And the door to enter into the Kingdom is our Salvation ... unless one is born [again] of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit indwells us at our Salvation experience and is the key to entering the Kingdom of God!
     It is so easy to see once the veil is removed from our spiritual eyes. In fact, everything about the message of Jesus in the four Gospels takes on new significance. Just read the Word again with a new perspective ... underline every time Jesus talks about the Kingdom and ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind about what your purpose is. We are a spirit in the likeness of our Father and Creator, sent here to live in a body and to continue the work of our Lord, restoring the dominion of the earth to God's original purpose... that earth would perfectly reflect Heaven. It is time we recognize the fullness of our purpose and take back the spiritual government of the earth, ruling it as it is in Heaven.

Mark 1:15    The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand [has arrived]; repent [change the way you think; seek God's purpose for your life] and believe in the gospel [the Good News].    

Is Your Biblical Worldview Hebrew or Greek? It Makes A Difference!

 
      I absolutely love the study of history! I love to investigate why and how the modern world arrived at a certain philosophy or state of being; studying the origins and transformations that have occurred down through the years. And nothing excites me more than studying our faith in relation to the Bible and history.
     You see, it is critical for us who follow Christ to develop a Biblical worldview. That is, we must rightly view the world through the lens of God's Word. But if you study history, it is easy to see that the manner in which the Body of Christ/the Church has viewed God's Word has changed through the centuries. And I remember waking up to the reality that just because we believe certain things "according to the Bible" today, it may not necessarily be consistent with the original writings and intent of God's inspired Word. Will that sound blasphemous to some Christians? Probably so. But, I assure you that I am not casual nor arbitrary when it comes to determining my belief system. The Bible is always the foundation, and I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me, counsel me, and reveal God's Truth. But I will also admit that I have had my theology rocked through such divine instruction and I have learned that He is always willing to grow me in my understanding, which sometimes involves changing what I've believed.
     I say all this to come to the point of this blog ... from the beginning of the Bible's existence there has been a tension between the Hebrew mindset and the Greek mindset when it comes to interpreting it and understanding it. After listening to a fascinating podcast on Dan Duval's show with Todd Weatherly, it confirmed what I had already discerned about most of the Western Church: first, they do not read their Bible; and second, they do not understand that the Bible is a Hebrew book, written from a Hebrew perspective. Too many Christians have wrongly subscribed [whether intentionally or not] to the belief system of Replacement Theology [ a Christian doctrine which asserts that the New Covenant through Jesus Christ supersedes the Old Covenant, which was made exclusively with the Jewish people]. In other words, adherents of Replacement Theology believe that the Church has now replaced the Jews as God's Chosen People to lead the world to a knowledge of Him.
   Nothing could be further from the truth. Just read Romans, Chapter 11. But getting back to my original premise, we must view the Bible from the perspective of who it was written to (the Hebrews) and how they would have understood its teachings and wisdom. That translates into how we view the world through the eyes of Scripture and the One who inspired it. In doing so, we hope to develop the mind and character and heart of our God. So, it's important to know which mindset God has, don't you think?
     Todd Weatherly summed up the differences between a Hebrew mindset and a Greek mindset in this simple way: The Hebrew mindset says, "I will do it [through obedience], and then I'll understand it." He says the Greek mindset thinks like this: "I need to understand it first, and then I'll do it".
     Here's another way to look at the differences .... the Hebrew mindset allows for layers upon layers of meaning. In fact, the Hebraic rabbinic schools taught four different ways of interpreting the writings of the prophets and the Law: 1) the literal, straightforward meaning of the text on which all else depends.  No further levels of interpretation can contradict the literal sense, but they can build upon it;  2) the implied meaning of Scripture, where you build on the implications that Scripture leaves believers to figure out for themselves, but provides the clues for it;  3) using analogies or moral lessons to explain the meaning of the Bible, and  4) the hidden level of interpretation.  The hidden nature of Scripture is how something that seems simple and straightforward and pointless (for example, obscure laws and stories and genealogies) applies to us personally.
     In addition, the Hebrew mindset can be taken too far. There is a mystical side of Hebrew religious philosophy that becomes so entangled in hidden and secret meanings, that it threatens to idolize human ability to gain spiritual knowledge, instead of recognizing that all giftings and knowledge comes from God. That's why the Bible warns us to Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. To sum it all up, the Hebrew mindset allows for varied interpretations, and a passage can have multiple meanings [both in the physical and the spiritual realms] -- all to be revealed to the reader from God's perspective.
      On the other hand, Greek thinking is very black and white; laden with precise exegesis rather than being rich in possibilities. Greek thought nails the meaning down; it can mean one thing, and one thing only. When we consider that Socrates lived 400 years before the crucifixion of Christ, and is considered the father of Western philosophy, we can understand why the Greek mindset would have been in direct conflict with the Hebrew mindset at the time the Bible was written and translated. The Socratic method of learning can be summed up, thusly: learning through the use of critical thinking, reasoning, and logic. From there, one questions, analyzes, and simplifies to get the one correct answer. The physical world contains the answer; the spiritual influence isn't considered.
     We can see the tension between these two mindsets exposed in the Bible.  Remember, Greek philosophy was not discontinued just because the Roman empire defeated the Greek empire. The Romans did not destroy the vast collections of Greek literature or the Greek philosophical schools and traditions of thought. The Romans were smart enough to preserve the Greek language, culture, and philosophies; even adopting much of the Greek religion, renaming the Greek gods and making them their own. Therefore, we see, in the New Testament, how the "Hellenizers" [Greek-influenced Jews] come into conflict with Hebrew Jews. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora [taken into captivity during previous attacks upon Israel's homeland], who had returned to settle in Jerusalem. Acts 6:1 portrays this reality: Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews (speaking Aramaic), because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 
     Why should all this matter? It matters because the way you think about God determines your ability to perceive His nature. If you read the Bible from a Hebrew mindset, then a Virgin Birth is possible; the parting of the Red Sea is seen as a miracle of God; Joshua's Long Day is unquestioned; turning water into wine really happened; the feeding of 5000 men and their families was a reality; the resurrection of Christ really happened; and we have been given authority and power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.
     A Greek mindset would read the Bible and say the Virgin Birth was based on pagan myths, or that the word "virgin" was a Greek mistranslation of a Hebrew word which actually meant "young woman". The Greek mindset explains the parting of the Red Sea as the phenomenon of "wind setdown" - where strong winds can push water away from one place to pile up elsewhere. Joshua's Long Day is explained away as a repetition of a Greek myth of Apollo’s son, Phaethon, who disrupted the sun’s course for a day. A Greek mindset will say Jesus didn’t really feed [the 5000] or anybody with actual food, did he? He fed them with information – food for the soul. The fish and the loaves are metaphors with symbolic meanings. Those with a Greek mindset will explain the Resurrection this way: Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, who became the Roman god Bacchus. There is a Greek myth which says that Dionysus was raised from the dead. Therefore, some early Greek Christians might well have been former worshipers of Dionysus, and since there was 40 years since the death of Jesus and the first written gospels, there is plenty of time to mold "the Jesus story" to replicate the Greek myth. And finally, the Greek mindset will have no trouble in believing in the doctrine of Cessationism, which states that the supernatural does not exist in this age, and the spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing ceased with the apostolic age.
     Can you see how the events of history have influenced the way people interpret the Bible today -- even Christians!? There have been many intellectual and philosophical movements throughout history that have affected man's interpretation of Scripture, even to the point that we now have versions of the Bible that contradict each other! The translation from Hebrew [or Aramaic] to Greek to English hasn't helped, either. But perhaps the one that has had the most lasting effect upon our culture is the Enlightenment, also called The Age of Reason. The Greek mindset was at the heart of this philosphy, which scholars describe as "an epistemology (a method of thinking and knowledge) based on the presumption that the natural [physical] world is best understood through the use of close observation by the human mind, coupled with a reliance on reason." Doesn't leave much room for God's supernatural and divine will, does it? Perhaps this conflict explains Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 10:5, We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ...  
     As God is awakening His people to the re-discovery of the Gospel of the Kingdom, it is important that we know which mindset our Biblical worldview is based on. The Greek mindset has been reinforced since the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment. But the Kingdom of God is not reasonable! It demands our life, even to the point of martyrdom. There is no amount of critical thinking or analyzing that can make laying down your life for Christ seem logical. It is the power of faith alone that leads us to that conclusion. One only need to read 1 Corinthians 4:20 to understand this correlation: For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power.  
     There it is! The Hebrew mindset will allow you to see the power of the Bible. The Greek mindset will attempt to logically debate its promises. That results in the ability of the Enemy to build structures in your mind that are barriers to the supernatural knowledge of God and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. When an attack comes, it is then far too easy for us to revert from what we know in our heart [the spiritual knowledge of Jesus] to a Greek mindset of trying to overcome in our own power, using logical thinking. So, take the time to answer these questions ... Do you read the Bible to know the Most High God? And if you are reading the Bible, what is the mindset of God? Is He revealing Himself from a Hebrew mindset, or a Greek? And finally, What is your Biblical worldview? Your ability to walk in the fullness of God's purpose for your life depends on those answers. They are important. Take them seriously!

1 Corinthians 1:22-25     For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy, but we preach Christ crucified, [a message which is] to Jews a stumbling block [that provokes their opposition], and to Gentiles foolishness [just utter nonsense], but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. [This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].
     

Being Sanctified and Spiritually Worthy

    
     I recently ran across this quote by noted theologian A.W. Tozer: "The popular notion that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false. Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread it." I spent a lot of time contemplating those wise words and trying to listen to God about how they applied to me.  I would imagine that each of you reading this have the same thoughts yourself. While I want to share where the Lord took me, I understand that what He is doing in each of our lives may look different, but I believe His ultimate objective is the same -- that we submit to what we are called to, allowing our Father to sanctify us before we "get up and go" to fulfill our purpose.
     So, I find myself asking, "Am I spiritually worthy to carry out my assignment?" Along with that question, comes the awareness that my sanctification -- my being set apart for this purpose/assignment -- is an ongoing process. What it looked like at the beginning, is not what it looks like now; nor do I expect that it will look the same at the end of my life. Sanctification is a personal and continuous experience.
     In fact, I am so blessed that my husband and I received our sanctification as a team. Mark clearly heard from the Lord one night in his sleep, and the exact same message was confirmed, word for word, the next night. He was told that he was to sanctify us and our property unto the Lord, with exactly how to do it with oil [that was prayed over and blessed to be made holy for the Lord's will].  No word as to what exactly we were to be sanctified for, but we just stepped out in obedience and waited; choosing to dive into the Bible until God's plan for us was revealed. 
     Somehow, instinctively, we knew that God was the Source of whatever we were being called to, and to step out without Him or clear direction from Him, would be doing something in our own power. I will tell you that this period of time in which we were being sanctified was among the most rewarding [and exhilarating] of my life. I witnessed our spirits come alive as God worked in us to release the chains of bondage that had held us back from seeking why we are here on this earth. We were fed and nourished by the Lord as we hungered for more knowledge and revelation of His Word. We were being cleansed and purged of wrong thoughts, wrong living, and wrong theology. We were "being made ready". And as our assignment(s) grow and change, God will continue to make us ready.
     That brings me back to A.W. Tozer's statement. Is it really not our purpose -- mine and yours, and the corporate Body of Christ -- to spread/share the gospel "to the uttermost parts of the earth?" After all, doesn't Matthew 24:14 say, 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? As I read this sentence over and over, I began to change my perspective. Was this meant to be read as a command ... or as a prophecy? Of course, I immediately recalled the clear command of Jesus to the twelve disciples in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We know this is directed at the Disciples, what their assignment is, and how it will come about. The same is not true of Matthew 24:14. We only know that it will be done. Only God knows how He will arrange for this prophecy to be fulfilled.
     So that perspective made me focus more on my obligation to the Father. If we know that we have been called out of the world to serve Him, it is not as important to know where He is going to take us, as it is to allow Him to take the time to sanctify us and make us ready. We don't know when the prophecy of Matthew 24:14 will take place, or when the end will come. While I still believe we are to proclaim the gospel ... for as Paul says in Romans 10:14, And how shall they hear without one who proclaims Him? ... it is important to submit to God so that we are "spiritually worthy" to carry out the work He has planned for us, while still proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. 
     I think part of that process of being sanctified, made ready, and becoming spiritually worthy, is the process of maturing. If we are not willing to let God take His appointed time to grow us and equip us, then we may step out too early, causing harm to ourselves, others, and ultimately, to God's plan. Submission to God is the first step. We must prepare and be prepared spiritually before we can physically go. I personally am concerned when I see someone step out ahead of God in their calling. My husband is so good at reminding me [in my calling] to always look where Jehovah Nissi is [the Lord is my banner]. He goes before us when He calls us, and if I see that I've marched ahead of Him, I instantly know I am on unstable ground.  Jesus knew He could do nothing on His own, so He was always under the direction of His Father [doing only what He had heard the Father instruct Him, or seeing what the Father showed Him]. 
     We should rejoice in knowing that when the time comes, Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled, just as God ordains it.  We shouldn't worry about making that our end goal. Instead we should rejoice that He has chosen us, is sanctifying us, and preparing us spiritually for specific good works and assignments, "which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We must allow Him to set us apart, to prepare us spiritually, and to mature us in our walk. It is then that we are the most effective for the Lord, and we can produce the most fruit for the Kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 2:12      We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

      
     
    
    
    

Invention of the Devil

     There are some days that the Holy Spirit shows me something and my human spirit screams "Noooo!" At the same time it hears the Lord say, "My people perish for lack of knowledge. Show them this." I promise you that what you are about to read is absolutely 100% true and for those with spiritual eyes to see, it will be a warning of things to come on the earth.
     If you have any awareness at all of what is going on in the world, then you cannot ignore the rapid advancement of technology and the growing relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and human beings.
     Six years ago, in 2013, I was writing a series of posts on this phenomenon and shouting the warning signs of how Satan will use this to separate mankind from God. At that time, the Holy Spirit counseled me to focus on those aspects of the world [for a season]. Then God pointed me in a different direction that ultimately led to our Inner Healing Ministry and an assignment to write/teach on the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Kingdom of God. But when I saw an article on Elon Musk's new start-up tech company, Neuralink, I was prompted to go back to see how far the Enemy has advanced his agenda in the last six years.

     In 2013, Holy Spirit was shining a light on Ray Kurzweil, who had been the Director of Engineering at Google, but whose fame is now centered around his reputation as a revered futurist. In a June 2013 article on a U.K. website, he claimed that we are not far away from replacing our flesh and blood body parts with mechanical parts. Combine that with the scientific community's plan to develop a technological system by which your mind can live forever in a digital state, and you basically get a robot version of yourself. In the article, Kurzweil said, "Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we'll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold." Because of the astounding developments that have taken place in genetic sequencing and 3D printing over just the last few years, scientists will be able to combine the abilities of a computer with God's created human brain, and basically usurp man's natural state and produce a machine that we were never meant to be.  We will no longer be made in the image of God, but in the likeness of a machine-driven computer.
     That may sound like I am fear-mongering, but consider Ray Kurzweil's forecast: "We're going to become increasingly non-biological to the point where the non-biological part dominates and the biological part is not important any more. In fact the non-biological part [the machine part] will be so powerful it can completely model and understand the biological part. So even if that biological part went away it wouldn't make any difference."
     Back in 2013, he predicted that the intelligence gap between humans and computers would be closed by 2029. Here's how he made his case: "We can now see inside a living brain and see individual inter-neural connections being formed and firing in real time. We can see your brain create your thoughts and thoughts create your brain. A lot of this research reveals how the mechanism of the neocortex works, which is where we do our thinking. This provides biologically inspired methods that we can emulate in our computers. We’re already doing that. The deep learning technique that I developed uses multilayered neural nets that are inspired by how the brain works. Using these biologically inspired models, plus all of the research that’s been done over the decades in artificial intelligence, combined with exponentially expanding hardware, we will achieve human levels within two decades." He said that in 2013, which was six years ago. According to his timeline, we are within 14 years of that nefarious accomplishment.

     So, advance to 2019, and an article on TechCrunch.com, and the announcement that Elon Musk, a technology entrepreneur and engineer, has a start-up company called Neuralink, that is ready to "begin outfitting human brains with faster input and output by next year". Neuralink is working on technology that’s based around “threads,” which it says can be implanted in human brains with much less potential impact to the surrounding brain tissue versus what’s currently used for today’s brain-computer interfaces. “Most people don’t realize, we can solve that with a chip,” Musk said to kick off Neuralink’s launch event, talking about some of the brain disorders and issues the company hopes to solve. 
     Notice how casually he talks about implanting a chip to solve brain "disorders and issues". I'm not disputing that there are very real health issues involving the brain, but when Musk says that, long-term, Neuralink really is about figuring out a way to “achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence" and "for now, the aim is medical" ... well, I get shivers down my spine, and that's when my spirit starts the aforementioned screaming of "Nooooo!". And, I have to say, it more than concerns me when I read that "the plan is also that the electrodes implanted in the brain will be able to communicate wirelessly with chips outside the brain, providing real-time monitoring".
     That's especially troubling when Holy Spirit reminds me that in 2013 Ray Kurzweil was noted as being a strong proponent for what he calls an "exponential growth of knowledge" and was focused on controlling the neocortex part of our brain (where we do our thinking).  He even went so far as to trying to understand why some people (like me) are so resistant to accepting this kind of research.  He seems to think that people who are resistant have disorganized neocortexes (read there is "something else" that prohibits us from being manipulated).  See if you can guess what that "something else" might be from this statement he made in reference to his friend, the late Steve Jobs (of Apple fame).  Jobs famously proclaimed, “Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent.”

     But Kurzweil had a very unique perspective on Jobs's thought.  "I call this a deathist statement .... Religion, which emerged in prescientific times, did the next best thing, which is to say, ‘Oh, that tragic thing? That’s really a good thing.” We rationalized that because we had to accept it. But in my mind death is a tragedy. Our initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is a profound loss of knowledge and skill and talents and relationships." 
      It's at this point that my spirit and my brain ask, "Where is God in this technology?" Can you see what a lack of God does for you?  Because my initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is, "What is it like standing in the presence of Jesus?"  The irony of the whole Artificial Intelligence system is that the researchers and scientists see only the significance of the human brain.  They deny the plausibility of our spirit and connection to a living God.  So while vehemently denying the existence of God, they are, in effect, trying to play God.  (Boy, are they in for a surprise!)
      I may not be able to fight their system on a scientific level, but I have to ask this question .... in light of how I plan to spend eternity versus their strategy for expanding [and controlling] knowledge, who is really the intelligent one?
     If you understand nothing else from this post, please grasp this truth:  the Age of Computers is a tool in the hands of the one who would separate us from our Creator.  But only if we let him!  Can anyone dispute that their iPhone or iPad occupy "countless ways of killing time" -- ways that keep us from engaging with God?  And can inventors such as Kurzweil and Musk deny that their goal is to fundamentally change who we are as humans, and that as scientists/inventors, they now conceive of themselves as their own god?  The tragedy is that through their inventions, they will entice far too many of us to take our eyes and hearts off the true Creator.
     Just like Nimrod and the folks at the Tower of Babel, our modern-day technological geniuses want to become famous by displacing the need for God.  Motivated by pride and arrogance, they have made a name for themselves.  But perhaps they should revisit that section of the Bible and learn of the destruction that was the result of such conceit.  God will not allow His Sovereignty to be usurped; and not only did they not achieve the greatness they sought, but they suffered His Divine Judgment.  Watch and see ... history is going to repeat itself.

Luke 1:51     He has done mighty deeds with His [powerful] arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
     

How Do We View God's Justice and Righteousness In The 21st Century?

     The concept of Justice and Righteousness can be a confusing issue among both Christians and non-Christians alike. For starters, among the various translations, the two terms "justice" and "righteousness" are often interchangeable. So, at times God's justice is His righteousness, as in the ESV version of Psalm 106:3, which says, "Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!". The structure of the sentence seems to indicate that the two clauses are similar in meaning. Yet the King James translation of that same verse indicates two separate and independent clauses: "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."
     Again, we see a confusion of terms in Deuteronomy 32:4, which says, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." Yet that same verse, in the King James version reads, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Is God's justice to be understood as His righteousness, or is it His judgment? No wonder we, in the 21st Century, have a hard time understanding the true nature and character of our God!

     In a very real sense, I believe we have lost our awareness and our perception -- our consciousness -- of what a Just God looks like. We have decided that we like the picture of a loving and kind God better than that of a God who judges and condemns people to destruction. In fact, many have decided to drive a wedge between the Old and New Testaments, saying that Jesus brought Grace and Mercy and Compassion, and there is no room for Old Testament justice as judgment in the New Covenant.
     But, because we know that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New, and that one of His characteristics is that He never changes (James 1:17), nor can Scripture be undone, annulled, or broken (John 10:35); we can confidently declare that His justice is both righteousness and judgment, as He determines.
     One of the hardest accusations against God to answer is why would He command the complete destruction of Canaanite peoples down to every last man, woman, and child? We are asked, "If your God is such a loving God, where is the justice and compassion in that?" What we need to be able to explain is that Israel had a unique calling as God's chosen covenant people. Their assignment was to prepare the way for a pure and just Messiah. That's why God was so careful in establishing purity laws; they pointed the way to the holiness demanded by God to bring the Messiah into the world.
     Jesus Christ must be born through an uncorrupted and pure bloodline. The inhabitants of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites were commanded to destroy were the descendants of fallen angels mating with human women; obviously an unholy bloodline. There could be no intermingling of DNA. God intended for His chosen people to remain pure so Jesus could be born into humanity; while Satan was determined to pollute the gene pool so that our Lord's birth would be denied.
     Furthermore, our just and righteous God instituted sacrificial laws to point the way to the Atonement that Jesus would bring. And the total destruction of the Canaanite societies was both a physical and spiritual war that pointed to God's just judgment against sins such as child sacrifice and cult prostitution. Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman summarizes these points of God's justice and righteousness like this: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. Not even the children are considered innocent. They are all part of an inherently wicked culture that, if allowed to live, would morally and theologically pollute the people of Israel.  I would add, spiritually and physically to that list, as well.
     That's a pretty simple example of God's justice and righteousness in the Old Testament. But how are we to look at it in the New Testament, and from a modern perspective? At the Cross, Jesus exemplified and experienced the full measure of God's wrath against sin. And because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven of our sin, and stand in God's favor by faith alone.
     But the war is not over! God's enemies will not be completely defeated until Jesus returns to establish everlasting justice on the earth. Until then, we are still called to do battle for God; only now it is a spiritual battle against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are not called to fight and destroy flesh and blood humans today, but to tear down and destroy strongholds and principalities in the spiritual realms!
     But have we stripped our God of His nature of Justice, which includes His administration of a heavenly government on the earth? Do we now interpret everything in the human sphere through Grace or Hyper-Grace instead of a righteous and just governmental lens? I'm not sure that the majority of Christians believe in Justice today. Could it be that we have reduced God to the characteristics that make us feel comfortable; creating a God that fits our image of what He should be -- loving, kind, gentle, merciful, gracious, compassionate, warm, sensitive ... and oh, yes, let's not forget tolerant. 
     Have we forgotten that at the beginning of His ministry, He proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived? Have we ignored the fact that a kingdom is under the legal jurisdiction of its King? Have we read the back of The Book which tells us that He comes to rule and reign; and to divide and conquer; that He is Lord, King and Judge? All that speaks of justice in terms that we don't like to apply to Him ... vengeance is His, and He will repay. 
     It is important to acknowledge that YHWH has not changed. He is the same God in 2019 that He was at the creation of this world. Even in the midst of his righteous judgment, He can be seen as merciful and loving. Through the destruction of the Canaanites, God mercifully protected the Israelites from idolatry and maintained His plan for Jesus to be born pure and holy. God was merciful and righteous in His justice to provide a way for a Canaanite woman (the prostitute Rahab) to repent and join the geneology of Jesus. A righteous and holy God would not be true to Himself if He tolerated sin. He must uphold His holiness. But we can be assured that wrath is not His heart. Because He will not tolerate sin, it shows His righteous mercy for those He loves. David Matthews, Executive Director of desiringGod.org writes, "Severity in God always serves His heart of mercy — to make known the riches of His glory to His people, who are the vessels of His mercy." 
     So, let us endeavor to remember that Jesus reclaimed the earth for the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed with that profound reality.  We need both His justice in the form of His righteousness and love; but when necessary, we need His judgment, too. It all serves to mold us into the very image of Him, and to see the completion of the restoration of His kingdom on earth.

Proverbs 28:5    Evil men do not understand justice, but they who long for and seek the Lord understand it fully.   
     
      

The Beauty and Balance of Bold Faith

     In 2008, I received a word that awakened an innate love of writing that had surfaced as a child, and then had lain dormant for over 30 years. A man whom I only met once told me he had a message for me from my Father in Heaven to "be the pen and not the blank piece of paper". Only God could have revealed to him that I was meant to write, since no one -- not even my husband -- was aware that my gift even existed, let alone that it had been inoperative for so long.
     He told me that God wanted me to write because He created me to do it, and that it pleased Him for me to use my gift. That's all it took -- there was no question about it; no hesitancy at all. I was simply going to be obedient. That led to three years of writing every single day for the joy it gave me, and for the pleasure of my Father. The result was a novel that I have yet to publish because the goal wasn't to write a best-seller, but to just develop a discipline of writing ... and to please God, of course.
     Three years later, I heard a word from Him, myself. I was commanded to write a blog -- this very blog -- to calm the fears of women as we faced a radically changing world. I clearly heard in my spirit that women were frightened about the economy, the constant threats of war and terrorism, the transformation of our society and morals, and the structure of the family, just to name a few. But the Lord told me that in all these matters, I needed to point them to Him. In other words, don't shy away from examining world affairs, but give them courage to face an evolving world by looking at it through a lens of faith and the Bible. Thus, began a season of blog posts on looking at subjects like the Hegelian Dialect, Normalcy Bias, World Politics, Isis, and Prepping.
     Then in 2015, God told me to stop looking at the world, and point my audience solely to Him. I wrote about new revelations I was receiving on old, familiar Scripture. And I discussed topics like Occultism and Witchcraft; Power and Authority; and our relationship with the Holy Spirit. And if you've followed the path the Lord has led me on, you now know that He is declaring a new season of writing on the Kingdom of God.

     As you can see, He has been moving in my life and there is a progression towards knowing more of Him and His ways. But I'm not the only one! I have been blessed within the last three days to be among groups of believers just like me; people who are on an individual journey, but one that God has designed to benefit all of us. Our assignments don't resemble each other's. What's more, God is showing me how important it is for those of us who are "watchmen on the wall" to stay alert and aware of not only what He is doing in the world and the spirit realms; but what He is teaching each of us, and what we are encountering and learning; and also what the Enemy is up to in his schemes and strategies to defeat God's agenda.
     And this is encouragement for all of you who read this blog. As we focus in on our individual assignments, we can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture -- all that I mentioned above. And when God has placed you in a remote location to sow seeds for the Kingdom, as He has me and my husband, one can feel isolated and removed from where [we perceive] all the action is occurring. So, it was good for us to travel to Austin a few days ago to be in the company of a diverse group of Kingdom-Seekers and hear what the Lord's been up to, and to get a glimpse of where He's taking us.
     As you know, Mark and I have been given an assignment of working with Jesus to bring Inner Healing and Divine Deliverance to those who are hurting in this world -- the broken-hearted, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. But He has recently added "teaching the Kingdom" to our job description. Those two tasks are consuming both our ministry and prayer time. So we were able to share these experiences with the group and hear how the Lord is working differently in their lives. And that's where it got interesting and exciting!
     We had a Watchman whose assignment is to research and investigate -- and ultimately destroy -- the rapid advancement of technology and how the Enemy is using it in nefarious ways to infect and infiltrate our bodies. I'm not just talking about listening in on your phone conversations or the vaccine controversy, folks. The knowledge that the Lord is downloading to certain Watchmen makes the plots and storylines of TV Shows like the wildly popular Stranger Things seem like fairy tales. I mean, I'm talking about the fact that the Enemy knows Scripture such as 1 John 5:1, which says, This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
     So, imagine if you can, that the Lord downloads a message to you that concerns this topic of light and it has huge ramifications for the human species. I'm going to give you a very condensed science lesson and you will see what I'm talking about. According to Wired.com, an online magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics, all objects produce light. That is, we are matter that consists of energy fields and magnetic fields, which result in electromagnetic waves. All of these electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed (the speed of light). However, they have different interactions with matter. And technically, the interaction with light and matter depends on the frequency of light. And here's how and why that is important to us humans ... What happens, say if there is no light that enters your body through your eyes? What if you are in a place with absolutely no source of light? The correct answer is that you will just see black [or darkness] - forever.
     What if the Lord showed you that the Enemy has co-opted mankind to develop various ways to insert Artificial Intelligence into our bodies that will bend light, so that what is attacking our bodies through allergies, seizures, body aches, profound fatigue, autism etc., cannot be found? When the Light Source is diverted, these attacks on our bodies remain in the dark and are many, many times undiscoverable. But what if God gave you the keys that fit into the locks previously unopened by traditional and non-traditional medicine? What if He showed you that the body could actually speak to you [via muscle testing] and show you what, how, and where those attacks were originating from? Would that fit into your faith grid? Can you trust that the God of the Bible could [and would] reveal something so unorthodox and extraordinary? 
     Picture, if you will, this diverse group of obedient followers of Jesus and how we were able to reconcile our dissimilar, non-traditional paths of faith and obedience. After all, my path certainly has nothing in common with revelations regarding the quantum mechanics of the body. Yet, one could conclude that the goal of both ministries is healing of both body and spirit.
     The point that I want to make by sharing these disparate accounts of journeys with God is that, in the end, the entire group had one thing in common ... despite different paths, we all arrived at the same position of faith: no matter what this world conjures up to try to destroy our assignments from God, the blood of Jesus defeats it. We have been given the power and authority from our Lord over all the power of the Enemy, and ultimately he cannot harm us. Those of us who answer God's call to boldly walk where most people dare not tread can expect criticism and rejection. But that was the beauty of this gathering of the faithful. We were all willing to accept our assignments, even if it meant isolation, condemnation, and the possibility of failures. We might not look like the world, or even each other, but we all recognized that we have the Light in us, and when we expose the Enemy's darkness to the Light of Jesus, we can and will be victorious!
     So, I just want to end this post with this word of encouragement to you ... don't worry about how your assignment from God looks to others; and don't compare or try to emulate another's spiritual walk. There is something uniquely and exceptionally beautiful about how God designates each of us for specific purposes, and how those purposes balance each other out to fulfill His ultimate plan. We don't need to try to figure it all out or how it all fits together; we just need to be bold and persistent. That's the picture of Faith that honors and glorifies our Father in Heaven. May it ever be!

If you would like more information on the ministry of Quantum Mechanics and the healing of the body, visit Natalie Morris at Quantum Command. 

1 Corinthians 7:17    May all believers continue to live the wonderful lives God has called them to live, according to what He assigns for each person, for this is what I teach to believers everywhere.