Why It's Important to Understand the Relationship Between God and Satan, And How It Affects Us

 

In this season of my life, my mind has been swirling as I consider my understanding of the dynamic of Satan's part in God's redemptive plan for restoring my relationship with my Father in Heaven.  I've been thinking of how this battle has been going on since before the creation of man. We tend to think that our battle is unique and our struggle is like nothing anyone else has encountered in the last 6000 years or more. I think our natural inclination is to see ourselves as the Biblical figure of Job -- a righteous man or woman whom God has allowed to be tormented by Satan. But is that the reality of our situation? And what is the truth about the relationship between our Enemy and God and us? That's quite a complicated triangle and I'm not sure we Christians fully understand the forces at work [or the history] in this relationship.

This is a Biblical concept that has always intrigued me, and unless you are willing to connect the dots in the Bible, it will be difficult to fit all the pieces together. As far back as 2015, I wrote that not only has Job been called the oldest Book in the Bible, but in many ways, it is the most difficult to understand. Christians have a hard time comprehending that Satan was allowed access to the Throne of God in order to accuse Job, who the Bible says was "blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God]."  He is also called "the greatest of all the men of the East."  So why would God allow Satan to torment this righteous man, and what are we to understand about this complicated relationship in this famous Book of the Bible? What is the history between God and Satan, and how does that translate to our struggles?

First of all, let me say that I have a rather unorthodox understanding of the purpose of the Book of Job. Unlike many Christians, I do not think God's inspiration for this book is to teach us how to endure like Job did. Although Job's constant faith is certainly a model we should follow, I firmly believe that the Book of Job was written to show us how Satan operates and how God controls Satan. It is ultimately a book all about Authority. The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 5:19, "The whole world is under the rule of the Evil One".  So the questions that arise from that statement are the same ones that we ask regarding Job.  How much authority does Satan have? Can he do anything he wants to, or are there restrictions placed on him by God? And how did this dynamic of conflicting authorities come about?

To answer that last question, it is imperative we understand the history of how God and Satan came to this impasse and how it affects us. The most detailed Scripture that explains the collapse of God and Lucifer's relationship is found in Ezekiel 28:12-18. Here, the characteristics of Lucifer are attributed to an earthly king of Tyre. But God gives us a perfect picture of how Lucifer became Satan ... he was created by God in perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; he was an anointed guardian cherub in Heaven, placed by God in the Throne Room. He was blameless until he let his pride, arrogance, and rebellion bring him to the point that he planned on usurping God's Throne and Authority over all creation. So, God cast him out of Heaven "to the ground" ... "in Eden, the garden of God". And since Job 38:4-7 shows us the angels were created before the earth was created, and Ezekiel 28:13 says that Satan [as the serpent] was already in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve to sin, he must have been cast out sometime after the angels [and then the earth] were created and before Adam and Eve sinned. 

And it's interesting that Jesus, Himself, says He "saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven". This is said in context to the joy that the 70 disciples experienced when Jesus sent them out with His authority to heal and cast out demons. He is reminding them that He was there when He saw Satan cast out of Heaven, and it should be no surprise to them that they were able to defeat the devil as they ministered in the countryside. They needed to recognize that Satan is a fallen foe, and has always been subject to the authority of Jesus, as the Son of God. And that is a lesson for us, too! Jesus has given us His same authority that He gave those disciples! We should not be questioning that we can "trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy". In addition, we should be mindful of what Jesus said to point them to a bigger truth ... “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. Casting out demons is a fruitful and beneficial pursuit while we're here on earth, but it doesn't come close to comparing to our eternal life in heaven.

So, we know why, and possibly when, Satan was cast out of heaven, but that still leaves us with the question of how he was able to accuse Job before God. Apparently, during Job's time, Satan still had limited access to heaven and the throne of God: Job 1:6-7 tells us, “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, ’Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it’”. The Bible gives us no explanation as to why God would permit this, after casting Satan out of heaven. So, we're back to our questions: How much authority does Satan have? And can he do anything he wants to, or are there restrictions placed on him by God?

We know what Satan wants to do ... steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  But the fact that millions of human beings are alive on the planet today, tells us that most of the time, he doesn't get his way.  So, it's apparent to me that we, who are alive, are existing because a greater power (God) is protecting us. That is what Job 1:12 says : And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. That is a very valuable piece of information to have: Satan's authority is limited by God.  And in the case of Job, I think God set very strict limits for Satan; the Enemy was not allowed to take Job's life.

But here's the concept we need to consider... since we have been given the authority of Jesus [by Him], and He has all authority over Satan, God can and does limit Satan's authority. But we also see something else in this verse and the entire Book of Job.  Sometimes God grants greater authority to Satan than is ordinarily his.  In this instance, Satan requested permission to launch a special attack on Job to try and prove that Job wasn't as righteous or loyal as it was attributed to him. And that permission was granted to him.  Not only was he allowed to take all of Job's possessions and cause the deaths of all his children, but Satan was given permission to attack Job's health as well.  The majority of the Book of Job is an account of the suffering Job endures because of Satan's attacks.  But there is one very important fact we need to keep in mind.... God was the One who gave permission for Satan to attack. And He limited the severity of the attacks. I believe what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a testament to Job's circumstances: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. God was in control of Satan's attacks against Job to prove Job's character and the strength of his faith.

So, by now, many people might be asking, "Then does that mean that God has given Satan permission to attack me?"  Here's what we need to understand... Satan has been given real authority to harass and, yes, even attack us.  But he is only successful when we give him permission to do so.  We have the authority [and power] of Jesus, which is greater than any authority Satan possesses. Job didn't have that choice.  Jesus had not yet come to offer salvation to mankind, so Job did not possess the authority to overcome Satan. God, in His sovereignty, chose to allow Job to suffer, without Job doing anything to prompt the attacks. Yet God protected Job's life and rewarded him by restoring the fortunes of Job and gave him twice as much as he had before!

If Satan is going to be able to exercise the authority he wants to exercise, he needs human cooperation, a human partner.  That's what he was trying to accomplish when he tempted Jesus in the desert. Remember, at the time, Jesus was in his human state, and Jesus resisted him. It is important that we understand that in reality, the devil has very little, if any, power or authority other than that given to him by us. That's what happened in the Garden of Eden... he was only able to bring about the fall of man because Adam and Eve obeyed his request to partake of the apple.  He had no authority to make them do it!  They cooperated! That is why James can confidently tell us to "Resist the devil, and he will flee."  

We must begin to understand that we have authority from our Father, just as Jesus was a man under the Father's authority. We have the power of God's Holy Spirit, which is transferred to us at baptism, just as it was to Jesus when He was baptized in the Jordan River. And Jesus made it clear before His ascension that when He left, He would send the Apostles (and all who would follow in their footsteps) the Holy Spirit -- the One who had empowered Him. They would be able to resist Satan and all his powers to steal, kill, and destroy. 

You see, the problem that Job had is not the same as our problem.  His particular circumstances were controlled by God, and to show us that Satan's authority is limited by God.  He did not have the authority of the Holy Spirit because Christ had not come. Our problem is that we don't exercise the authority we have been given; or worse yet, we ignore or deny the limited presence and power that Satan possesses. When we recognize the history between God and Lucifer/Satan, we begin to understand how they relate to each other. And we can see that, just like Jesus, we have been given the right to use our authority to bring about whatever is in accord with the Father's will.  In Job's case, it was God's will to allow Satan to attack him. We may never completely understand that Sovereign decision, but we know that Job did not contribute or cooperate with Satan. Now it is time for us to recognize that we are entrusted with Divine Authority passed from the Father to His Son, who conferred it to us, and that authority conveys a truth that we can resist being led into temptation, and expect to be delivered from evil -- just as Jesus taught us to pray.

As noted by Dr. Charles Kraft, a wise man of God, under whom I have trained, "If we are Christians, we have no choice as to whether or not we possess this authority. It is part of the package given to us with the Holy Spirit. Our only choice is whether we learn how to use this authority and whether we actually make use of it."  Job didn't have a choice. Will you exercise yours?

#GodandLucifer #Satansfallfromheaven

Revelation 12:10-12   Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death.   

 

Waging Spiritual War For Our Children

At the end of my last post, I promised to share my perspective on the spiritual battle we are in for our children. This includes the issues of abortion, gender identification, child trafficking, and the opioid crisis that is killing our children at an alarming rate. Understanding that not everyone in the world is a Believer, it may seem like an over-simplification, but it is imperative that mankind comprehends and accepts that not only does God exist, but that Satan is real; and that he employs a multitude of devices and forces, in his position as "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  It is important that 1) we recognize it is our duty [as Christians] to fight against this Enemy; 2) the four important areas of his influence; and 3) we have a power stronger than his in which we can wage spiritual war.

But what is spiritual war all about and how do we wage it? At a very surface level, spiritual warfare requires that we understand who we are and why we are here. And that is going to take a level of mature faith that not every Christian possesses. How many Christians do you know that even acknowledge we are in a war against God's Enemy? If your faith is lukewarm and "surface only", then I doubt you will understand the deeper implications of what it is going to take to wage war in the spiritual realms. Have you digested the "meat" of Scriptural understanding of spiritual warfare, or are you still on "milk"? Only the mature Christian should expect to be equipped to engage in battle with the Enemy of God.

And being mature means you understand the cost of becoming part of God's Army on earth. When Jesus came the first time, He announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived, and in effect, declared war on Satan's kingdom on earth. As the disciples of Jesus spread the word that eternal salvation was available through faith in Jesus Christ and His defeat of Death on the Cross, the territory in people's lives that Satan claimed as part of his domain [through sin and evil] began to be reclaimed as conquered territory for the Kingdom of God. But Satan is not about to relinquish territory without a fight. He must prevent mankind from knowing who they are created to be, and to keep us from knowing the authority Jesus left His followers to engage in battle for our own lives and the lives of our children. And it will come with a price. It will cost us to serve His Kingdom, but the inheritance we have waiting in Heaven will be worth the time we devote to take back territory for God.

When we become a Believer, we are adopted as children of God. Satan's goal is not only to keep that from happening, but to employ all his forces to hinder our maturity and to cause doubt, unbelief, and confusion; to convince us to join him in killing our own children and supporting his lies about their God-given identities. But we can't even fight for our children if haven't overcome our own battlefields of the mind, flesh, and soul. That's the first line of defense for saving our children -- to understand who we are; who we are fighting; and recognizing the schemes of the Enemy so that we might receive the strategies of our Lord.

So, who are Satan's forces that are coming for our children? The Satanic kingdom is highly organized, and Satan is at the head of this kingdom; and there is a rank of ruling spirits under him that are subject to him and assigned over areas such as nations and cities. They are the entities Paul recognizes in Ephesians 6. The first in the rank of these ruling spirits are Principalities. We must grasp the reality that Satan, as the Enemy of God, can have a powerful effect on the leaders of nations, states and cities.  It is necessary that we realize that our spiritual warfare not only includes our individual lives, but communities, our nation, and the world!  This is not just some Biblical folklore, folks!  Principalities rule over Kings, and Presidents, State legislatures, and heads of world health organizations. They can all be leading at the behest of Satanic Principalities. And they derive their power from their spiritual leader, Satan. 

And Power is another rank of ruling spirits. Power implies "authority", and tells us that the demons Satan has placed over these various positions and territories have been given the power and authority to carry out whatever orders they've been assigned... Satan's orders that result in deception, control, and destruction.  "It's not a baby, it's just a clump of cells".... "My body, my choice".... "Some people are simply born in the wrong body.... "You do  not have to accept the gender you were assigned at birth"....  "One pill won't kill you".... "It won't happen to me". These are just some of the lies that Satan's Powers use in their spiritual warfare. And we must enlist God's warrior angels to fight alongside us as we renounce these lies and declare God's Truth: our children are divinely conceived by the Spirit of the Lord; our bodies are not our own, but are the Temple where God resides; God doesn't make mistakes when He creates us; and pharmaceuticals used to harm our bodies and souls are what the Bible calls sorcery. They will kill us when Satan uses them for his purposes.

Another of Satan's forces we face in our spiritual warfare are the Rulers of the Darkness of this World. But we need to embrace and believe the truth that when Jesus conquered Death [the Enemy's most powerful weapon against mankind], Satan became a defeated foe of our Lord.  The Devil is really just a trespasser in this world, and he has no legal rights over us Christians. Our debt has been paid by the Blood of Christ, and we belong to Him. So, if he's doomed to defeat, why does Satan still seek to rule this world, and why has he gained such success through his "rulers"? It is simple: neither the Church nor Believers have recognized or risen up in the power and authority given them. It's time that we use our spiritual weapons and strength, and take the offensive to the Enemy! But the Church and Believers have to recognize that this battle cannot be won politically or socially. God is bigger than politics and social convention! And if we don't start seeing Satan's agenda and strategies in these areas, then we will continue to find ourselves battling and losing ground. Just look at how fast the indoctrination of our youth into ungodly ideologies have happened in our lifetime! As their parents, we can present our case against our Adversary, the Devil, in the Courts of Heaven and ask God for His righteous judgment. If that is something that interests you, email me and I will send you my Courts of Heaven prayer that you can do in the Spirit.

I also want to mention the force known as Spiritual Wickedness in High Places. Obviously, the key here, is "wickedness".  In the Greek, that word means "depravity; malice; plots".  That can encompass all kinds of spiritual battles against not only abortion and gender identity in the lives of our children, but child pornography, the occult, "Black masses", or even a babysitter, teacher, or parent who has allowed a spirit of sexual perversion to rule their impulses. The point is that we have very real spiritual enemies coming after our children. They are the enemies of both God and man.  And while we Christians have the promise of victory in heaven, we still can be afflicted and tormented here on earth. The key to our victory in this realm is to use our authority as it has been given us. 

We must not bury our heads in the sand and think that the Enemy is not coming after our kids! Obviously we pray in the spirit with all power and authority given to us by Christ, and we commit the care of our own children and this generation to the protection of God. The power of our prayers can storm Heaven's gates as we team up with the Heavenly host to go forth in battle. Prayer is powerful, indeed, but we can do more! We can no longer tolerate ungodly Story Hours or inappropriate books on our public library shelves. We must stand and fight in both the physical and spiritual realms. We must boldly proclaim God's Truth of Revelation 20, that our Enemy has already been defeated and he will be thrown into the lake of fire and tormented forever and ever. We use that Truth to claim victory for our children and dispel the lies and half-truths of Satan and those in league with him. We ask for Divine guidance and to be shown the strategies of the Enemy, so that we might go in the spirit to erect spiritual barriers around our children to protect them from demonic influences, as well as seek holy counsel to tear down strongholds in the spiritual realms that control evil institutions and individuals that seek to do the devil's bidding in capturing our children. 

Finally, I want to leave you with this truth. Satan is absolutely terrified of who our children will become if they should know and follow God's call on their lives. That's why he has worked so hard to keep them from even being born. And if they are blessed to be welcomed into this world, his goal is to keep them separated from God. So, he attacks their self-worth and their unique gender identity. He infiltrates their social media influences, steals their innocence, prevents them from knowing their purpose in life by tempting them to sin [or be sinned against], and constructs false ideologies on the possession of money and worldly goods -- all designed to keep them from forming an intimate relationship with God. So, as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles -- as a society -- we must affirm and lift up our children. We must become spiritual warriors and defenders of our children. We must battle in the spiritual realm [with our full spiritual armor on], and we must stand guard over their bodies, hearts, minds, and souls. But most of all, we must not underestimate the power we have been given to battle against a defeated foe. Do not believe his lies that it is too late -- do not become discouraged, disheartened, or disillusioned. This is the most important battle of our generation, and we have been equipped in both the physical and the spiritual realms for victory. Let us fight for our children so that they will no longer be victims of Satan's wicked agenda, but become warriors for God. And never forget that our Lord battles with us! 

#spiritualwarfare #warringforourchildren #thebattleforourchildren #warinthespiritualrealms

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.  For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds"   

Saving Our Children

The post today is both hard to read and hard to believe, yet we must accept the reality that Evil is boldly showing its face. As obedient followers of Christ, we cannot ignore it nor remain passive in its brazenness. In 2015, I wrote an article in the wake of the Planned Parenthood scandal in which they were accused of selling fetal baby body parts. As detestable as that alleged practice was, I discovered an even more repelling and diabolical side to the "abortion business". As I wrote then, "If you are old enough to remember the movie "Rosemary's Baby", then you have a glimpse of what I am about to share". And believe me, I do not now [as I did not then] revel in the telling of this information, but do so to convict the American public that abortion is ultimately the child sacrifice of this century, and something that God has hated since His chosen people followed the Ammonite practice of child sacrifice to their false god Molech.

In 2015 I shared the testimony of Zachary King, an imposing figure, and an ex-Satanist and former High Wizard of a satanic coven. He began practicing magick at 10, joined a satanic coven at 13, and had broken all 10 Commandments by the time he was 15 years old. From his teen years to adulthood he worked his way up to High Wizard in the coven, and he actively pushed Satan’s agenda including ritualistic abortions. (NOTE:  "Magic" is what a magician does on stage; slight of hand and parlor tricks. "Magick" is a term that designates witchery, wizardry, and black magic.) “[It all started when] I turned 14, and they told me there was going to be a sex party in someone’s house and all the males in the coven were going to sleep with this woman,” recalls King, then 47 and a pro-life activist living in Florida. Too young to understand what "abortion" meant, he asked an older member of the coven, "What is an abortion?"  The answer: "“He said ‘we say a spell and there is a baby in its mother’s womb and we kill it.’”

And here is what you need to know about why abortion is so important to Satan... it is a blood ritual and sacrifice to him. “In satanism, killing something, or the death of something, is the most effective way of getting your spell accomplished,” Zachary said. “As far as trying to get Satan’s approval, to give you something that you want, killing something is the best way to go. Killing something is the ultimate offering to Satan, and if you can kill an unborn, that is his ultimate goal.”  I can't help but wonder if abortion is some sort of payback, or revenge killing proposed by Satan because he was unable to stop the birth of Jesus, whom he knows will crush his head.  (If he couldn't stop Jesus's birth, then he will see that millions of other babies are destroyed). 

Can you see how Satan is counterfeiting God's blood sacrifice?  From the Garden of Eden (where animals were slain for skins to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness and sin); to the animal sacrifices in the Temple; to Christ's death on the Cross, God has demanded a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin.  But here is Satan demanding a blood sacrifice for his own glorification!  It is the blood that is at the center of abortion as a satanic ritual.

There is much more that Zachary reveals about his involvement in abortion as a sacrifice to Satan and you can read it in my original article. And I'm happy to report that he had a miraculous conversion and is now a follower of Jesus, and a pro-life activist. But I now want to fast forward eight years to today, and Satan's latest attempt to sacrifice the innocence of our children. An article dated February 5, 2023 by a local Fox News affiliate proclaims, "Members of The Satanic Temple (TST) plan to oppose a proposed Idaho bill that would prohibit sex-change surgery and drugs for minors by holding a "gender affirmation ritual" on the grounds of the Idaho state Capitol. A bill titled the "Vulnerable Child Protection Act" was introduced by Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug last week and would render offering puberty blockers or transgender surgery for minors a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Boise chapter of The Satanic Temple, which calls itself "Satanic Idaho," is pushing back against the proposed legislation by staging a "Hail Yourself: Gender Affirmation Ritual" on Feb. 13 to "remind [Idahoans] that not everyone uses religion to condemn, but to accept," according to an advertisement on social media.

I could write a book on the significance that all this last paragraph presents to our children and society, but I want to highlight two points that you need to know. 1) This latest agenda by Satan to destroy children comes with their declaration that "gender affirmation rituals carried out with a satanic minister "serve as both celebration of the self and a declaration to the self and others of one’s true identity" and are purposed "to dispel any shame or stigma surrounding one’s gender identity due to religious discrimination or cultural ignorance." 2) Children are invited to partake in a Satanic ritual! According to the text of the ritual, participants are invited to look at themselves in the mirror, count their breathing in three counts of six and say, "Thyself is Thy Master. I praise myself. I know myself. I love myself. Through self-affirmation, self-exploration and evolution I am able to become more of myself." After citing The Satanic Temple's tenet that "my body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone," participants must then "write your incorrect name, pronouns, other false identifiers on one sheet of paper," which must then be destroyed.

Please, do not dismiss the influence that The Satanic Temple is having in the legislative, and educational arenas of our nation! Founded in 2012, the Satanic Temple describes itself as an “atheistic religious corporation” that does not worship the devil, but rather “confronts religious discrimination to secure the separation of church and state and defend the Constitutional rights of its members.” The group, known for demanding equal access to government-sponsored religious holiday displays and after-school programs [such as the Satan Club], jumped into the abortion fight by arguing that its “abortion ritual” is protected under the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. The Satanic Temple gained tax-exempt church status in 2019. The group has filed lawsuits to block abortion restrictions in Missouri and Texas, so far without success. Praise Jesus!

And now they are opening a health clinic in New Mexico to provide "free religious medication abortion" and will name the facility "The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic" in mockery of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. TST Health, the new medical services arm of the nontheistic religious organization, will provide telehealth screenings and appointments to provide abortion pills to patients. These services will be provided free of charge as part of The Satanic Temple's "abortion ritual," though patients must still pay for the medications from a pharmacy, which typically cost around $90, according to the TST Health website.

So, from 2015 to 2023, Satan has gone from operating underground in abortion clinics [to perform a blood sacrifice to himself], to openly establishing and operating Satanic Temple abortion "health clinics", to deceiving our children into accepting an ungodly identity [and actively opposing legislation that would protect them from such false ideology]. What are we going to do about it, Christians! First, we better recognize that this is a spiritual war! It is pretty obvious that nothing we've done in the physical world has stopped Satan's aggression or plans. If you don't know how to fight in the spirit, then you better start learning! We cannot remain passive or pray lukewarm prayers, hoping Jesus will take up our fight for us. In my next post, I will present my perspective on how we can begin to take back this territory from Satan and his cohorts. The future of our children is in jeopardy!

#thesatanictemple #satanandabortion #abortionissatanicritual #abortionaschildsacrifice 

Resources articles used for this post: https://www.yahoo.com/news/idaho-satanists-plan-gender-affirmation-211803226.html

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/the-satanic-temple-opens-clinic-provide-religious-abortion-care-named-justice-samuel-alito-mother

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/5/satanic-temple-plans-open-abortion-telehealth-clin/ 

Hebrews 10:29   How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

 

How Do You Define The Power of the Gospel?

There are very few nationally known Pastors that I admire more than Bill Johnson. And, yes, I know he has become a lightning rod among the ultra-religious, Pharisaical branch of the Body of Christ -- those who are self-righteous and hypercritical when a ministry doesn't adhere to the strict man-made rules and traditions that they follow. Let me be clear ... I'm not advocating an "anything goes, in the Name of Jesus" model of ministering. But my spirit discerns that Bill Johnson seeks after the Father's heart and is able to make His will for us understandable and comprehensible as he shares the Truth and Spirit of God. 

So, I want to share something he said the other day that so eloquently expressed what I have been hearing in my spirit -- only he says it better than I could. Here are his wise words: "There seems to be a greater faith for the return of Christ than for the power of the Gospel ... in other words, the faith is in the return of Christ to come and fix things, instead of Him returning to something that's been fixed". Did you hear that, Body of Christ???

Ever since I came out of my fog of traditional and orthodox man-made teachings of the Bible and started seeking the revelation of God and Jesus in the Word [with the help of the Holy Spirit] I have been awakened to a clearer picture of God's redemptive plan for mankind, and how many of us Christians have been blinded to His truths. When I spent a year studying the Book of Matthew and, for the first time, I realized that the Kingdom of God was the focus of the parables in Chapter 13, and not simply a moral code I was supposed to follow. I began to see the Fall of mankind in Genesis in a different light and a much bigger picture. And I was able to connect it to the Book of Matthew and why Jesus said He came.

In Genesis 1, man is made in the image of God and given dominion over "all the earth", to govern it in the manner that God governs Heaven. Think of earth as being a colony of Heaven, and man has been created as the Governor of earth to oversee the implementation of God's Divine Laws of Heaven on earth. But observe how quickly man gives in to the temptation of Satan and relinquishes his authority, power, and dominion to God's Enemy. That dominion over the earth was transferred to Satan, and God's redemptive plan is put into play. He will spend the next 4,000 or so years trying to get man cleaned up to reclaim his authority over the earth. And because man is continually evil, the Father sends His own Son to rescue earth and reclaim the dominion for Himself.

Jesus comes the first time to wrest the government of earth away from the devil, stake His claim as the rightful ruler, and then give His authority and power [over the earth] back to mankind. He admonishes men to "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand"! In other words, "Mankind, you need to start thinking differently ... see your actions from God's perspective, and know that the Kingdom of God now occupies the earth. The kingdom of darkness is being replaced with the Kingdom of Light! Start taking back territory"!!

For the next three years, Jesus will teach people how to return to a lifestyle that not only pleases the Father, but regains dominion [rule] over the earth. He clearly states that His purpose for coming in Luke 4:43 ... “I must preach the good news [the Gospel] of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is how God's Kingdom in Heaven operates, and how it should be mirrored here on earth. But that will require that man [we] begin to step into that original purpose for which we were designed, which requires that we be made holy before the Father. Sadly, we cannot do that on our own, and so Jesus paid our debt to the Father by taking the sins of the world upon Himself and sacrificing His life as a substitute for ours. Once we make that decision to follow Christ, we are ready to be commissioned to begin taking back the territory which was originally given to man to rule on behalf of God.

But before He left this earth to return to His heavenly home, Jesus promised that He would return to defeat Evil and take the Righteous and Holy back home with Him. All who recognized and received Him as their Redeemer and Savior would have the right to be called Children of God and rule and reign with Him on the earth. But until that time comes, we must fulfill our commission and duty here on earth -- continue the work of Jesus to heal the sick [not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, too], cast out demons, cleanse the lepers [those whom society rejects and marginalizes], raise the dead, and spread this Good News about what the Kingdom of God on earth is supposed to look like.

So, for 2000 years that has been mankind's assignment from the Son of God. But Satan has corrupted that message among the Body of Christ, and false doctrine has crept in to divert us from our purpose. The most damaging to take root was invented in 1803 by a man named John Darby, and called "The Pre-Tribulation Rapture". According to multiple websites, prior to 1830, no church taught it in their creed, catechism or statement of faith... with one exception: Morgan Edwards wrote a short essay as a college paper for Bristol Baptist College in Bristol, England in 1744, where he confused the Second Coming with the First Resurrection of Revelation 20 and described a "pre-tribulation" rapture. However, this idea of Edwards, which he admitted was brand new and never before taught, had no influence in the modern population. That title belongs to Darby.

Although the word "Rapture" does not appear anywhere in the Bible, we are told in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, that upon the Lord's return we, who are still alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air, and will be with Him forever in Heaven. Nowhere is there given a time in which this event will happen. The Bible tells us there will be tribulation upon the earth until Jesus' return and we are not appointed to His wrath, which will be poured out upon the earth against all who reject Jesus to join forces with Evil. There is no overt promise that we will avoid the tribulation that is coming, and which I believe is now manifesting. 

It's only natural that man, given a choice in doctrine, would choose being a part of "the Rapture" over having to experience "the Tribulation". And thanks to John Darby, the Church has had over 200 years to embrace [and propagate] this false teaching, while largely ignoring what Jesus taught in the Book of Matthew. Think again upon the words of Bill Johnson ... "the faith is in the return of Christ to come and fix things, instead of Him returning to something that's been fixed".  Too many Christians are counting on Christ to come back and fix the problems of the world; to be our Rescuer so we don't have to experience the wars, and violence, and child sacrifice, and all the evil that has permeated our society. They have forgotten John 14:12, in which Jesus says we, who profess belief in Him, will do the things He did and even greater, because He's going back to the Father [until His appointed time to return and wipe out all the Evil that still remains].

Sadly, I'm afraid He is disappointed in how we've carried out our responsibilities. Instead of taking back territory from the kingdom of darkness, we have ceded more ground to Satan! Instead of setting the captives free from demonic oppression by healing the physically, emotionally and spiritually sick, and personifying Christ in our love for each other [which would fix nearly all the world's problems], we have abandoned our assignment in favor of hoping Jesus will do the work and bail us out. A poignant example is the fact that we have allowed the murder of over 60 million of His babies to become the law of the land, along with numerous other laws that are in direct violation of Heaven's Divine government. 

He showed us the way to take back the territory that Satan absconded from Adam and Eve, and even gave us His power and authority to do it. That's the Power of the Gospel and His message -- not the hope of a false doctrine that releases us from acting on our faith, as Jesus instructed us to do. It is far past the time that the Church rediscover the true Gospel that Jesus brought at His First Coming. Each human being since 33 AD will be held responsible when we stand before Him, and He asks us, "What did you do for my Kingdom after I left"? We have no excuses. We have the Word of God which has given us clear instructions. And we must ask ourselves, "Is my faith more rooted in what Jesus has told me in His Word ... or is my faith established by what man has devised to soothe our fears"? 

Jesus has had 2000 years to view how we have responded to His teachings and commands. He knows our successes and our failures. He sees how the seeds of Religion and legalism were sown and have sprouted. He sees the hypocrisy and pretences of our intentions, and how we have justified our actions and laws to cover our disobedience to the Divine Laws of God's Kingdom government. He sees how the attempts of the Early Church to follow the commission He left us has been corrupted and distorted. (That's one of the reasons I wrote my book, Through A Kingdom Lens: Rediscovering What The Church Lost). But Jesus is also looking for those who have responded to His Gospel of the Kingdom --- whose faith in that powerful message includes sharing the love of Christ and the Gospel of Salvation, which leads one into both the understanding and the entrance into the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-5). So, what doctrines and which message will you decide to follow? As for me, I will continue His work and devote every day to taking back territory from the Enemy in the lives of anyone who wants to truly know and follow Him.

#returnofchrist #powerofthegospel #falsedoctrineoftherapture #johndarbyfalsedoctrine #willjesusfindfaith

Luke 18:8    Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?

Man's Inhumanity to Man; God Will Require A Reckoning

 

 

 

I cannot believe that there is a man, woman, or child that is not deeply disturbed by the violent death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee. I don’t need to review the brutal images we have seen played out on our TV screens over the last few days. They tell a story that will be extremely difficult for me to ever forget. And frankly, I’m not sure I want to. It is time for us, as the human race, to confront this image of man’s inhumanity to man if we ever hope to escape God’s judgment of us.

 

That phrase … man’s inhumanity to man … has been used by many notable people seeking to change our societal culture from one of indifference towards our fellow man to a culture that honors our shared membership in the human race; all created in the image of our Creator God. [Martin Luther King comes to mind in his 1967 speech at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C.]. But I was intrigued to find that this phrase originated with Scottish poet Robert Burns in his 1784 poem, titled “Man Was Made To Mourn”. I’d like to share the particular verse in which it appears:

 

Many and sharp the num’rous ills

Inwoven with our frame!

More pointed still, we make ourselves

Regret, remorse and shame!

And man, whose heav’n-erected face

The smiles of love adorn –

Man’s inhumanity to man

Makes countless thousands mourn!

 

Nothing is truer today than this beautifully written prose. There are millions who are mourning what we have witnessed in the inhumanity heaped upon Tyre Nichols by his fellow man! And while others want to make this about race, all I see is a fellow human being who experienced insufferable and intolerable violence – nothing he could have done deserved that level of wickedness and evil. Instead, I revert to what God proclaims in His Word: God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth” [Acts 17:26]. Note that the word “race” does not appear in this passage. Every human being in the world is classified as Homo Sapien. Even scientists agree that we are all part of one biological family called the human race. We are all related to each other, no matter our skin color or gender; we are all descended from one man and one woman, created in the image of God, Himself.  

 

Pundits will tell us that it is time that we re-examine how we treat each other; but we have had that capability since the beginning of time, and the violence against our fellow human beings just seems to keep escalating. The soul-shattering violence against Tyre Nichols has not been lost on our righteous and holy God. How much longer will He hold back the Restrainer’s hand? I imagine that His cup of wrath [against those who commit such savagery and evil against His creation] is about to overflow. 

 

And yet, in the midst of such a visible atrocity, the mother of Tyre speaks peace from the depth of her grief. She called for calm and peaceful protests; destruction and more violence would not represent her son and the man he was. She asked for peace and prayer during the difficult days to come, and her composure and heart for God brought a degree of tranquility to a nation who grieved with her for the unconscionable death of her son. My spirit recognized where her strength came from, and I couldn’t help but think she reminded me of Mary, the mother of Jesus, on the eve of the vile and shocking death of her son on the Cross. May our Father in Heaven continue to strengthen her as she goes through the process of grieving her beloved son. And may He hold in check those that would seek to capitalize upon her grief for nefarious reasons.

Tyre Nichols was described by his friends and family as “a peaceful man”; a man who loved to walk the beaches in California and watch the sun set. He had also expressed interest in becoming a police officer to “help change the culture”. Our culture as a society [and the human race] certainly needs changing when such violence can be perpetrated without intervention by our fellow man. God will demand a reckoning regarding how we are treating each other! It’s the condition of our hearts that needs to be fixed. It cannot be legislated, and more police training is not the answer. We must recognize that each of us – all of us – are members of one human family, and it is only a positive response to an invitation from Jesus to change our hearts that will accomplish that transformation.

 

The only solace that my soul and spirit find in this tragic incident comes from what I have witnessed in the midst of our Inner Healing Ministry sessions. So many people, when seeking a spiritual encounter with Jesus to be set free from trauma and devastating events in their lives, find that He shows them He was there experiencing the pain and trauma with them. So, I think upon those lonely and agonizing 20 minutes Tyre spent until Emergency personnel appeared on the scene to transport him to the hospital. And because I've seen Him do it in others lives, I believe that Jesus was there with Tyre, cradling his spirit, encouraging him, and telling him that if our society will let Him, He will use Tyre's life for His greater glory to purge the darkness the Enemy has brought to the heart of mankind.

 

So, Lord, do not let Tyre's death be a sacrifice on Satan's altar of man's inhumanity to man. Intervene on our behalf, Lord Jesus, and cause a transformation in the family of man! Cleanse and purify our dark hearts so that the springs of Life flow from them! We desperately need it before we destroy each other even more!

 

#jesuswept #tyrenichols #godsjudgment #godsreckoning #godsjustice #mansinhumanitytoman

Psalm 11:5   The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

NYC Golden Graven Image Occupies A "High Place"

There are days I think that "Today is the day" that God will have had enough with our rebelliousness. Surely His cup of wrath will be filled to overflowing with this abominable act in our nation! And each time it seems our arrogance grows stronger as we parade our sin before His eyes. So, what have we done this time? Well, we have not only broken God's First Commandment (You shall have no other gods before Me), but coupled it with breaking the Second Commandment (You shall not make unto yourself any graven images, nor worship nor serve them...). I say, "we" because God makes it clear that He judges peoples and nations. 

What exactly is our sin this time? According to Lifenews.com, a new, 8-foot golden statue was recently installed on top of the Courthouse of the Appellate Division, First Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the city. Its purpose? It pays homage to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg [including her signature lace collar] "and her fight for abortion". The naked golden woman features braids formed into goat-like horns that come out of her head, as she emerges from a pink lotus ... supposedly to represent "feminity", but these images are often used by The Satanic Temple to represent satan and his influence.And if you're wondering why this piece of "modern art" might be offensive to me or other Christians, it's because "Hail Satan" is sometimes yelled during pro-abortion protests and because The Satanic Temple has also filed numerous lawsuits that challenge laws protecting unborn babies’ lives on religious grounds. The group claims abortion is a religious ritual! [Source: Lifenews.com].

The artist who created the idol as a nod to the pro-abortion movement, explains that she named the statue "NOW" because women’s ability to have abortions is at risk right “now.” She also elaborated: "The female body has a face with its hair braided into spiraling ‘horns.’ The horns mimic the movement of the arms and are there as a symbol of the figure’s sovereignty, and its autonomy. Women in my work are always complex, proactive, confident, intelligent and in their playful stances connected to the past in imaginative ways without being tied to a heteronormative lineage or conventional representations of diaspora and nation...". Hmmm, "connected to the past" like Jezebel, Lilith, Shiva, and Freya, for instance?

Breitbart.com quotes someone named Andrew Beck on Twitter [who is apparently a Brand Consultant for building institutions]. He tweeted this: "A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” But apparently there doesn't seem to have been any public input to the installment of this golden idol on top of this New York Supreme Courthouse, which is a symbol of governmental and legal authority. Is this an overt attempt to declare that this false goddess now reigns supreme over God's laws? And if this statue represents 21st century morals and substantial support for abortion, then I think we're coming ever so close to representing the Daughter of Babylon in Revelation, Chapter 18!  

 According to DailyCaller.com, CEO and Founder of Elevate Beauty, Amanda Ensing, tweeted, "NYC Courthouse has put up a gold-horned “goddess” statue to symbolize resistance & abortion rights. It literally looks like a demon. America loves celebrating death". And I refer, again, to Revelation 18 which tells us, After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his splendor and radiance. And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [certainly to be destroyed] is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird. For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury. [A dwelling place for demons; haunted by unclean spirits; kings and political leaders have committed immorality with her; and merchants of the world have grown rich through her wealth and economic power -- (think Wall Street). Sure sounds like New York City, to me].

And in keeping with Biblical prophecy and principles, New York City seems to be becoming the 21st Century representation of the land of Canaan and its pagan worship. The Canaanites were exceedingly wicked; and the essence of their wickedness was their worship of idols. Their abominable idol worship (including the sacrifice of infant children in ovens to a god named Molech) was carried out at what they called "high places". The core purpose of a high place was to be a location for worshiping deities, or idols, other than Jehovah God. God had clearly told the Israelites that they were to 1) worship only Him, and 2) He was establishing the manner in which He wanted to be worshiped, as well as the specific place (Jerusalem).  Idolatry is associated throughout the Old Testament and the history of the nation of Israel with "high places", where idolatrous worship was carried out "on the high mountains and the hills and under every green tree." The top of a Courthouse in New York City, representing the "Lawgivers" surely qualifies as a "high place". 

Even King David's own son, Solomon, who we are told loved the Lord and followed in the statutes of his father, was tempted to sacrifice and burn incense at the high places (1 Kings 3:3). Although the Bible tells us there were righteous kings, such as Asa, who attempted to make reforms and establish Jerusalem as the center of worship, he could not bring himself to destroy the high places. Sadly our elected Presidents and legislators have not fared any better. And we should learn from history ... both the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel were taken away in captivity. The leadership of both those kingdoms were a mixture of good and bad kings; those who worshiped the true God and destroyed the high places, and those who ignored them or worshiped at them, themselves. The result: history records a divided nation with a mixture of truth and lies. The lesson is clear: When you begin to depart a little from God's path, you will get farther and farther away from His ways the longer you go in that direction.  

Just like the ancient nation of Israel, the United States is in need of serious reformation.We have grown accustomed to seeing these "high places" erected in our nation, and no one demands that they be taken down and destroyed. So their spiritual influence infects the hearts and minds of those who are easily convinced that they are honoring the "high ground" of tolerance, equity, and enlightened social values. Personal gratification has become an idol, in itself, and any attempt to restrict our fleshly desires is denigrated and maligned. But that road will only lead to our destruction. We must repent and return to worshiping Almighty God only! When we, as a nation and individuals, repent of worshiping "high places" of our own choosing, we will remove barriers that have been holding us back from fulfilling our calling as God's people in the world. But if we continue to glory, and revel, and gloat in idols of our own making, then we can surely expect Revelation 18's prophecy: we will be "completely consumed, for strong and powerful is the Lord God who will judge us".

#highplaces #worshipingidols #pagangoddesses #godsjudgment #worshipingabortion

Isaiah 42:8   I am the Lord, that is My Name! My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved idols.

Will The Next Generations Truly Know Christ In Truth and Spirit?

I ask this serious question, because I have been sincerely contemplating the state of our Christian faith in America, including my own journey. First, let me say, that I am not questioning the love that my fellow Christians have for Jesus Christ. I believe that this love is real and comes from hearts truly seeking Him. But my spirit is concerned that we do not know Him as we should. We live in a world that makes it difficult to take our focus off of it [the world]; to set it aside for a time in order to pursue the person of Jesus.

What does it mean to really know a person? Of course, it includes the "facts" of who they are -- what they look like; what they've done and what they're known for; and how they are perceived by others. But that's all pretty superficial ... and subjective; what you think about them versus the true nature of a person. But truly knowing Jesus comes from shared experiences with Him; recognizing how He uniquely expresses His love for you. And through those encounters with Him, knowing what disappoints Him, what He expects of you, and anticipating His will for you, and you alone. Truly knowing Jesus is feeling so confident in His love that you are vulnerable enough to let Him see your flaws and failures, because your relationship is so secure, you know who you are in Him, and He in you. 

And here's another way you can be confident that you know someone in the deepest sense -- you are comfortable in the silence. And with Jesus, that silence accompanied by solitude, is a blessed time to rest in Him, just listening for His voice, and in turn, praising Him for His friendship and presence in your life. And, for me, the beauty of knowing Jesus is the complexity of our relationship ... it's our intimacy, and feeling interconnected with Him at the very core of my heart and mind. It's what defines and drives my relationship with my own husband because I know how much Jesus, our Bridegroom, loves us both. Ultimately, truly knowing someone is loving them unconditionally, with all your being, until the two of you are virtually inseparable. 

But here's where my concern for future generations is being raised... Our Western world has increasingly isolated us. We are not only identified [and divided] by our race, gender, age, social status, and political persuasion, but we are limiting the possibility to know each other to 30-second sound bites, a social media image, or a few sentences and an emoji or two on our phones. We are tuned out from real face-to-face, flesh and blood interactions, and settling for distant, detached, and dispassionate associations. You will never know Christ following that agenda! And we will never experience what God has in mind for the "brotherhood of man". In fact, I don't know if you have perceived this truth or not, but our younger generations don't like to talk on their phones. They prefer only texting. So the desire to hear each other's voices is also being lost. Their time is spent constantly "plugged in" to technology and all its "noise". Where is there room for Jesus, or the ability to hear His voice in that world dynamic?

The truth is that at the heart of every human being is the desire to know others in intimate relationships and to be known themselves, for who they are. And Jesus wants to know us and to be known by us. We can all agree that it is our sinfulness that gets in the way of that intimacy. But now we've allowed technology to expand the gulf, not only between each other, but with our Creator. I am reminded of the story in the Bible of the woman at the well (John 4:6-30). The Bible teaches us that the object of this story is to let this woman know that Jesus knows everything about her sinful life, but still offers Himself as the Living Water that will quench her thirst to know all things about the Messiah. And He tells her that the Father is looking for those who will worship Him "in spirit and truth".

Can we even agree among ourselves what that means, let alone explain and encourage the younger generations how important it is? God is Spirit and we are made in His image, but I fear that too many are only interested in the image they project to the world through social media. And God wants us to worship and experience Him in Truth; those who like the woman at the well, are seeking Him honestly [and earnestly] without pretense or guile [cunning, fraudulent agendas, or deceptive goals]. Jesus isn't worried about His image or how many likes or comments He has. But He is interested in gaining followers who want to exchange this world for eternal life with Him. 

In conclusion, I know that there is an undercurrent of beautiful, powerful, and Godly faith rising up in the next generation. God always has His remnant and I am encouraged by the boldness of those I see resisting the temptation of the Enemy to invest in the false image he offers so many of their peers. It is the commission of our older generations, in the time we have left, to be bold as well. To swim against the current of society, and raise up our children and grandchildren in the way they should go. God has not yet lifted the Restrainer's Hand, and He can expand the time we have to sow into them [for after all, He created time]. Let us join together and see personal revival come to individual lives who want to truly know Jesus! Lord, let us see those numbers grow until the Spirit of Revival, Restoration, and Rejuvenation return to this land. We rededicate our lives and our relationships with You to see that happen before we leave this earth!

#thenextgenerationforgod #millennialgenerationforgod 

Psalm 145:18-19    The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth (without guile). He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

 

Twelve Truths About Who God Is

I am so grateful for the Godly people that my Father in Heaven has put in my path to lead me to more knowledge of Him. Each step along my journey, He has introduced me to men and women who have grown my understanding of exactly who God is, and therefore expanded my faith. This has allowed me to let God out of the box that religion has managed to keep Him in. 

And I would say that is the major issue we encounter in our Inner Healing Ministry ... people don't really know who God is, or know His Nature and Characteristics. I am always amazed at how people [who are struggling from Satan's oppression and torment] actually view God. He is often a remote disciplinarian; a cold, detached and indifferent deity; or an unloving and unknowable figurehead to be feared. When asked to describe any of God's attributes, there is a lack of intimacy and familiarity with His Person.

That's why I am so happy to have benefited from the teachings of Asher Intrater, a Messianic Jewish Apostolic Leader in Jerusalem, whose ministries have a vision for revival and restoration from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and back again. His Biblical teachings are on target, and he is able to give the basic scriptural "Judeo-Christian" view of the nature of God, which so many Christians need. 

I'd like to share with you one of his teachings that is foundational to understanding the Most High God. It may sound simple, but it answers one of man's biggest questions throughout the ages .... Is God real? Does He exist? Asher Intrater provides 12 Scripturally Confirmed Truths about God; each building upon the previous Truth. Profoundly straightforward, they provide a clear picture for both the religious and secular world.

1. God exists.  Because every action has a cause, the world didn't just "come into existence" without a super-intelligent Designer or Creator. There is such a complexity in the beauty and harmony of natural creation, that it demands there be a Source ... "In the beginning God created ...".

2. God is good. We know that not all who create things are benevolent, well-meaning or kind. In fact, many pagan religions have gods that are evil and selfish. But Scripture tells us that God's will is "good, perfect, and acceptable". He has good intentions for all. "O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever".

3. God is all-powerful. God has all authority and all power. All the powers in the world originated with Him. He is the One God, and therefore the single, only Sovereign. He is "Almighty God".

4. God is Spirit that created the material world. Spiritual things are not the product of a material world, but the opposite. The awesome spiritual energy of "Let there be light" initiated our universe. Scientific evidence has forced physicists to concede that there must have been a beginning to the physical universe -- an "initial singularity [uniqueness]", which they call "the big bang". The energy that created the universe is spiritual. "God is Spirit".

5. God is a person. God is not a human being. Human beings were created in God's image, both male and female. So, God is personal in nature. We are "persons" because He was first. [Note: In Hebrew, the language for God is in masculine gender, while the language for Spirit is in feminine gender]. As a person, He is "Our Father in Heaven"...

6. God is loving. The deepest quality in the human heart is love. That quality comes from God. He is love (1 John 4:8). All His commands to us are summarized in the command to love God and love one another. "Love comes from God".

7. God desires a personal relationship with you. Since God is love, His primary desire for us is to receive His love. and to love Him in return. He wants to love us. Having a personal intimate relationship with God as our Heavenly Father is the most precious and beautiful of all things. It is the purpose of our existence. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart".

8. God is neither secular nor religious. We can see that different philosophies and religions try to define God to the best of their abilities. But God is bigger than any  particular person understands. He is bigger than any group of peoples. He loves all people. He is above religion and racism. He is not an "ism"; He IS! "I am that which I am".

9. God has a plan for a perfect world. We can all agree that there are so many problems in the world today. Those problems are the result of human disobedience and rebellion against God. But God is patiently working on the hearts of people. In the end, those who submit to His plan will be part of eternal paradise. "The Garden of Eden"...

10. God has a perfect plan for your life. Not only does God have a plan for a perfect world, He has a perfect plan for every individual. Not only will paradise be restored, but each person who submits to Him will be restored and made whole. "And God will wipe away every tear".

11. God is moral. God has not only good intentions, He also has clearly defined moral values. He is not corrupt, lustful, or evil. Our moral values came from Him. The Ten Commandments give a basic framework for His morals, in contrast with pagan mythologies describing gods who sin and act selfishly, and the sinful, corrupt hearts of men who reject Him. Those gods and men are not The God. "His judgments are righteous".

12. God is holy. God is more than good; more than moral. He is Holy. Holy means perfectly good combined with absolutely powerful. This level of purity is above anything human and anything found in creation. It is the transcendent glory of a perfect God. "Holy is the Lord".

These 12 Truths about God's identity and nature are just the beginning of discovering who He is to each one of us. They begin with establishing that God is real, and He does exist, and teach us that He is powerful, He loves us, He wants a personal relationship with us, and He is moral and holy. I'm not sure how many Christians could elucidate those qualities in a manner that painted an accurate picture of His Nature. But once we grasp the enormity of these tenets, there is so much more!

Once we've established that He wants a relationship with us, and wants to make Himself known to us, we are left with even more questions ... How would He reveal Himself? Would it be internally [only]? Or would He reveal Himself in nature, also? What about through other people? Or a specific, special person? Has He revealed Himself through history? Through prophecies? Do we know Him through dreams and visions? Or through writings? And if we are able to begin to get a concept of the greater revelations of who He is, what are His expectations of us? Each new level of the knowledge of God begets more questions, and if we are truly seeking to know more of Him, then it is crucial and essential that we search out the answers. He is worthy of the effort, and our time here on earth will be more fruitful as we receive the promises of our existence. 

Thank you to Asher Intrater for his insightful manner in which he presents the uncomplicated truth of God, always encouraging us to reach for more. I believe that we will not fully understand God until we are face-to-face with Him in eternity. But this life is so much sweeter in the pursuit of that knowledge. 

Psalm 14:2    The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand (act wisely), Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance].

 

Calling Out Those Who Violate God's Divine Law

It is my opinion that we have reached a state in our national conscience where we can no longer ignore those who violate God's Divine Law. This statement comes with a lot of components. Let me see if I can unpack my heart on the subject in a coherent manner... first of all, I want to determine what "Divine Law" is. It's not a term we hear very often in our secular or religious vernacular. But here is the definition that my spirit discerns is the most accurate: Divine Law is laws of Scripture given to us through God's self-revelation; the early Hebrews and Greeks believed that the Word of God created societal and individual order, which a government could then use to take care of its citizens. I certainly believe that is God's intention for His Divine Laws, and the Bible supports God's goodwill for all people. But I think you will agree with me that our society and government have fallen short in that objective.

Case in point: the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. What exactly is this Bill all about? Factcheck.org states that, as written, the legislation addresses the situation of a child born alive after an attempted abortion. It would require that a “health care practitioner present at the time the child is born alive” to “exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.” It also would require that the child be “immediately transported and admitted to a hospital” following that professional “skill, care, and diligence.” Violators could be fined and/or jailed for up to five years. 

The Bill passed the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress, but, shockingly all but two Democrats voted against it; only one voted for it, the other voted "Present". What does this say about our nation and its rulers? Is this a picture of a government interested in taking care of its most vulnerable citizens? And it pains me that I see very little outcry from the media, church leaders, or the average American about the failure of our government to protect the fundamental right to life. This is not a proposed amendment to our laws that seeks to curb abortion [as much as pro-abortion advocates want to convince you of that]. It is a proposed law that would protect the life a born-alive child from a failed abortion, just as any child born alive from any other circumstance would be rendered medical aid. It is about the sanctity and sacredness of Life!

But I see hope on the horizon! I want to share two testimonies of two men that I admire and respect; men who have chosen to speak out loud and clear on this subject. Victor Marx and Morgan Luttrell are both retired Navy Seals -- men who have seen war and death and have experienced the human condition up close and personal. Victor Marx suffered traumatic torture and sexual abuse as a child, which eventually led to a lifestyle filled with drugs, fighting and theft. It was the discipline of military life, and the faith and love of God that transformed him into the compassionate man he is today. A highly effective segment of our Inner Healing Ministry is fashioned after a teaching he received from a fellow Deliverance Minister. We were able to thank him after receiving a phone call from his staff thanking us for supporting his ministry, All Things Possible. Victor is heavily involved in rescuing children and women from the sex trafficking trade, and is known as a high risk humanitarian with successful missions to Iraq, Syria, North Africa and Southeast Asia – many times in non-permissive and high threat environments, helping orphans and widows. 

Morgan Luttrell is a retired United States Navy Seal and recently elected U.S. Representative for Texas's 8th Congressional District. His website describes him as "A 5th generation Texan raised on a horse ranch. At an early age Morgan learned the importance of hard work, discipline, and personal responsibility. He turned his strong values, deep love for America, and passion for helping others into a career of distinguished service. Like his twin brother, Marcus, [of Lone Survivor fame], Morgan served honorably as a Navy Seal. He was commissioned as a special warfare officer, and served for 14 years before being medically discharged for a severe traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury he experienced in a helicopter crash -- but not before rehabbing, recovering, and returning to the frontline. After retirement, he then created an innovative health and wellness platform to help veterans heal from their physical and psychological injuries. Now he is taking his strong values, deep love for America, and passion for standing up for American ideals to the floor of Congress.

It has been my experience in coming into contact with just a few of our military's special operators, that they like to stay in the background; keeping their opinions to themselves. But I was glad to see these two amazing men speak up publicly about their perspective on the failure of our government to protect the born-alive babies who are products of failed abortions. Keep in mind that these are usually silent men of war, familiar with death, but are now moved to become outspoken on protecting life! And in Morgan's case, he has chosen to sacrifice his well-earned personal life to enter the public arena of politics. And in declaring their thoughts on the vote count for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, both men are now on the battlefield for the spiritual heart of America. Here are their word-for-word testimonies...

Victor Marx: "Many of you know about the bill that was just passed by the Republicans to protect children who survived an abortion. The thing that has us rattled beyond belief is that all the Democrats, but one, voted against it, meaning they're willing for children to die, laying on a cold table, without rendering aid. In my world, in what we do, protecting and saving kids -- that would be considered an evil person". He then showed a horrendous photo of a dead baby covered in flies [about one or two-years old]. "ISIS had killed the parents and then left this little baby by a garbage dump, and it died. I think that this is how people need to see and understand that even what is being done in America is as evil, if not worse. Listen, if you're a pastor, [and] you've been ignorant of this [legislation], you've got to [educate yourself]. But if you know about it and do nothing, then you're a spineless coward. As for the rest of you Democrats, this is wickedness. Pure wickedness".

Morgan Luttrell [seen walking on the Congressional grounds]: "Alright, this is just a quick vote update. Yesterday Republicans passed a Bill out of the House, unanimously, on a pro-life Bill. And the Bill states if a baby survives an abortion, it must be given medical care. Only one Democrat voted for it. And it will go to the Senate and probably won't come out of the Senate for whatever reason. And I understand that Democrats and Republicans are [different from each other] on this topic, but this is what I don't understand... When my teammates and I, and my brothers and sisters in the military, were overseas fighting Al Queda, the Taliban, ISIS ... at any given time -- any given time! -- if an enemy combatant who was actively engaging us, trying to kill us, laid down their weapon and surrendered, we were to treat them humanely. If they were injured; if they were shot; we were to render medical care by law -- By law! [The law] states that any enemy combatant who surrendered was to be given humane medical care and treatment. We did that. Period! Because our country demanded that of us. So you're telling me all but one House Democrat ... they think [in my mind] that those people who would actively go out and kill Christians, women, children, and people of all sexual orientations, they (House Democrats) care more about [our enemy's] health and well-being than an innocent child laying their dying. Somebody please explain that to me! 1320 Longworth (his congressional office). I'll be standing there waiting". 

Now, I will tell you that both men delivered these comments with much more passion than these words that appear on a computer screen. And I am so thankful for Christian men like them who have given so much for the survival of our American ideals. They've both given more than most, and deserve to rest and enjoy the remainder of their lives in peace and solitude. But they have decided they cannot abandon the battlefield yet. They are righteous men who understand that now is the time to stand for Divine Law. They may not put it into words like that, but they are men whose spirits understand that God has revealed to them the way to go to secure His order in caring for His people. And they understand that now is the time to voice our support for God and His Law for the sake of our physical and spiritual survival. Even now, God is working behind the scenes, preparing to bring judgment on both men and nations that defy Him and transgress against His moral and Divine Law. 

For, can a nation whose laws run counter to God's laws expect God to continue to bless that nation [and its people]? Our Lord said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.". Are we in league with "the thief"?!? Who are we, as men, to deny that abundant life to an innocent child? And that word abundantly [in the Greek] means "superior in quantity and quality; what is above and more; superadded". My soul and spirit cry out in repentance for our nation!

Lord, raise up more men like Victor and Morgan! Let them be Your voice, crying in the wilderness to call us back to You! We repent for our errant and evil ways, and ask you to forgive us. Help us to walk according to Your Spirit, not our flesh. Do not abandon us as we find ourselves on the precipice of destruction, but recognize the righteous hearts among us who fight for your Kingdom and Your Divine Law! Bless us, Lord, and give us Grace. Amen!

#bornaliveabortionsurvivlorprotectionact #victormarx #morganluttrell #godslaw #divinelaw #righteousmeninthefaceofevil

Isaiah 33:15-17    He who walks righteously and speaks with integrity, who rejects gain from fraud and from oppression, who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks, his bread will be given him; his water will be permanent. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see a far-distant land.