What's In Store For Those Who (Truly) Know the Lord

I've been pretty open about my spiritual life. Within that sphere, I am concentrating on being prepared for whatever the near future brings to our nation, and to reach as many people as I can so they know who they are in the Lord. It is important to me that they, too, will be ready to persevere and endure. But it's more than having a "prepper mindset" and knowing how to survive under adverse conditions; although that is of utmost importance, practically speaking. After all, we are still in the world and this fleshly body needs taking care of. And it's more than having head knowledge of the Word. Yes, we should all read the Bible and know what the Word says. But, this is more about having a true and full knowledge of the Lord that comes from experiencing Him through the illumination and revelation of the Holy Spirit.

I write this post from a heart that has seen people seeking knowledge out of a sense of feeling lost in the world and not possessing the true knowledge of who they are in Christ. They are earnestly seeking contentment, identity, purpose, and security from which to successfully traverse the pitfalls that life has thrown at them. They are seeking that bit of knowledge that will help them put all the puzzle pieces of their life into a meaningful and recognizable picture. While I understand that "knowing" God is the component they're missing, and I truly want to see everyone seek Him, I'm aware that it is a free will choice to both, make the decision to want to seek after Him, as well as choosing to receive the invitation when He offers it. My primary focus, today, is on those who have made the decision to accept Him; who want more of Him, but have become dissatisfied with their progress, or lack thereof. 

Because we, as a nation, have slowly drifted away from a God-centered society, people are floundering on their own, looking for something they can't even identify. They don't know how to walk in the way of the Lord, because the fundamentals of personal integrity, moral courage, and honorable character are no longer spoken of as desirable traits. Yet the human spirit hungers for meaning and purpose in our individual lives. 

I have heard the testimony of an Army chaplain, telling me that new recruits would slip out of his Bible study classes to attend the Muslim lessons, or the classes led by Wiccans, because "they are more exciting than what the Bible teaches". And my husband and I have ministered to both young and old who express a curiosity for truth and wisdom, but don't know how to find it. They have not met the Holy Spirit in the Bible, so they have experimented with the occult, other religions, and sought knowledge from a variety of theological perspectives. They come close in their explanations of their belief systems; seeking a "oneness" with their perception of God, but oftentimes coming away disappointed with what they deem hypocrisy, and ending up with a convoluted self-created idea of what constitutes the true knowledge of God.

And I suspect that God has been pretty frustrated, Himself, ever since Adam and Eve didn't follow His instructions for receiving all the knowledge they would need to live beautiful and fulfilled lives. In the Garden, they were forbidden to eat of the tree whose fruit (if eaten) would have allowed them to experience Evil. They already had the knowledge of Good through their experiences with God. In the Garden, we get a pretty good picture of what true [and pure, unmitigated] knowledge is all about -- a life that is lived experiencing God as He reveals Himself through your journey on this earth.

And how does He reveal Himself? It is through His precepts and commandments as well as His promises. As we live and experience life with Him, we see His virtue and the lessons Jesus taught [in action]. We receive the fulfillment of His promises, and our heart and spirit recognize Him through the experience. But it takes a pure heart -- one that is clean and upright -- to properly discern that it comes from God, and no other. That is true knowledge of the Lord; a spiritual connection that recognizes the Source of the experience which results in an intimate, personal relationship. 

But I want to give a word of caution ... I am also seeing a rise in the age-old religious idea of Gnosticism. This is a belief system that emphasizes the seeking of personal spiritual knowledge above the teachings and authority of the Bible or traditional religious organizations. It is also characterized by the belief that matter [man] is inherently evil and anything spiritual is good. Gnostics claim that "salvation is gained through the acquisition of divine knowledge which frees one from the illusions of darkness''. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus never claimed that salvation came through knowledge, but by faith in Him as our Savior and Deliverer from sin. 

I think this nation opened the door to this corrupted view of the knowledge of God when we removed Him from our society. Every effort to remove God from the classroom, the courtroom, and the town square only served to diminish the true knowledge of Him. It has allowed the Enemy to substitute false and corrupted indoctrination in its place. And I fear that has led to a lack of trust in the One True God from which all divine wisdom and understanding flow. If our generations have been fed lies about what constitutes God's Truth, and they have no experience with God, it will be easy for them to create their own definition of what it means to "know the Lord". What you get is a human and emotional interpretation that calls the Bible's revelation into question and declares that a person has received special wisdom and revelation by his own efforts. 

So, let me answer the implied question in my title of today's post. For those who have sought the Lord in order to truly know Him, we understand that it is the Lord who will give us wisdom to navigate the coming storm. He will speak through the Holy Spirit -- from Spirit to our spirit -- guiding and leading us each step of the way through the minefield of Evil that is seeking to destroy us. We don't know exactly what it will look like, but if history and Jesus's words in Matthew 24 are any indication, then war, famine, plagues and persecution may not be far away. As Adam and Eve learned, when man rebels against God's instruction, judgment will be the price we pay.

But we also have God's promises, and Proverbs 2 offers us the hope that our souls will so desperately need. Read and mediate upon the promise of God's grace that the true knowledge of Him can bring us...

My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, so that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding it [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

Yes, if you cry out for insight, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver and search for her as you would hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] and discover the knowledge of God.

[Here is what is in store for us:]

For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him]; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

He guards the paths of justice; And He preserves the way of His saints (believers). Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance] and integrity and every good path. For [skillful and godly] wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will watch over you, Understanding and discernment will guard you, to keep you from the way of evil and the evil man, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; Who find joy in doing evil and delight in the perversity of evil, Whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways;

And here is the promise that we can cling to when we are tempted to despair:

So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land and those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it; 

But the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous shall be [forcibly] uprooted and removed from it. 

Have no fear of the future. Seek true knowledge of the Lord, born from experience and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Do not lean on your own understanding, but learn of Him through experiencing Him in intimacy and trust. He will not let you down. There are no promises that it will be easy and without suffering. But the journey of experiencing and knowing our Lord is so worth it!

Proverbs 9:10    The [reverent] fear of the Lord [worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.  

 

Trust God To Move!

 

I know, without a doubt, that millions of people in this nation are praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 ... Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. Yet things just seem to be going from bad to worse, don't they? You may be asking, "Does God hear our prayers and the millions of voices crying out to Him"? And I can hear you thinking, "Things are getting pretty desperate down here in the good 'ol USA, Father. We could use Your intervention and a move on Your part to restore this nation to its greatness". So, I want to ask you a question ... do you trust God to move in the midst of the crises we are facing?

I know how extremely serious and grim it looks. We will soon see thousands of people storming our southern border to enter "this land of milk and honey". And with them come the threats of overwhelming every system that exists to ensure our health, safety, and economic welfare. Our government officials [at the highest level] are serving themselves, instead of the people they've been given the authority [by God] to serve. Our success and future as a nation have been mismanaged to the point that we are in extreme danger of losing who we are. The principles that we have held dear -- the right to free speech; the right to determine the degree of our prosperity and well-being; the promise of law and order that guarantees safe and secure communities; the right to defend ourselves; and the freedom to live and let live in peace and comfort -- all this seems but a moment away from disappearing.

But, I will ask you again ... Do you trust God to move in the midst of these crises? I ask because I want to share a concept expressed in a sermon by Pastor Marty Strait, of Pathway Church in Longview. TX.  The good Pastor said, "It's not a question of IF God wants to move. The question is WHO is He going to move through"? Ponder that for a moment ... I know that there will be people who will say that God no longer makes big Biblical moves in the world today. They will say He doesn't show up in the pillars of cloud and fire like He did for the Israelites in the Exodus; He doesn't divinely guide us, appearing in a miraculous way to lead us out of this quagmire we have built for ourselves. The Bible makes it clear that it pleased God to appear to His people who cried out in the midst of their bondage in Egypt. Perhaps it appears to some today that God is not likewise pleased to answer our cries and groanings for deliverance. Why is He silent? Why does He not move in our land?

Those are some serious questions that deserve some serious attention. First, I would like to state that I believe it always pleases God to move in the affairs of men, and He desires to lead and guide us in miraculous ways. He is our never-changing Immutable God! We were created for relationship with Him from the beginning in the Garden, and He has moved, is moving, and will always move through those who are uncompromised. So, when we ask where He is during this, our moment of need -- or why hasn't He responded to our prayers to rescue us -- perhaps we need to ask how many of us are compromised? Which of us are unquestioningly and consistently "turning from our wicked ways", which is a prerequisite to God hearing and responding to our prayers and restoring our land?

It's not enough to just pray and worship our Righteous and Holy God. We have to change and turn from our wicked ways. Sadly, I think too many of us have compromised with our culture -- exchanging our "works" for the Lord and our "worship" of His Majesty for self-proclaimed righteousness. Have any of us accepted standards for our society that are lower than God has commanded? Be honest! Have any of us modified God's commandments in order to strike "a bargain" or make concession with the rest of society? Have we been agreeable to take the middle ground in moral issues rather than the high ground, in order to avoid conflict? 

If we've answered "yes" to any of these questions, or even have doubts as to how we should answer, then we have not fully turned from what God considers "wicked ways". And because we have not been attentive to changing our ways -- by compromising and making concessions -- perhaps we also haven't understood the consequences of breaking relationship with God and how it leads to disharmony, and ultimately the breaking up of what is good and desirable [in God's eyes] for man and society. 

When I did a deep dive on the meaning and understanding of the word "wicked" in Strong's Concordance, I found a most interesting exegesis... "As absolute Sovereign, the Lord creates a universe governed by a moral order. Calamity and misfortune will surely ensue from the wickedness of ungodly men. When He purposely withdraws His powerful hand, resorting to providence and sovereignty, and leaves the situation to ungodly men, He has created a situation wherein peace and wholesomeness will not stand. The ungodly men will wreck the peace and establish that which is poor, less than His reflection, and hurtful to all considered". In other words, a nation, a society -- and yes, even a Church -- that has been willing to accept  compromise, lower standards, and concessions that do not represent God, can expect ungodly men to rule the day. 

That is unacceptable to our righteous God! He will not honor anything but our complete and full repentance. We cannot rightly serve Him if we are not "all in". Make no mistake, I believe He wants to work through us and display a Mighty, Miraculous Move in this nation! But let's take seriously the conditions our God lays before us ... humble ourselves; pray; seek His face; and turn from our wicked ways -- REPENT WITH A CLEAN HEART. He makes it clear: IF we will do these things, THEN He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and wicked ways, and restore our land! There is no compromise, no doing it half-way! Be bold in admitting the mistakes we've made and how we've taken Him for granted! And then trust that HE WILL MOVE in a mighty way and restore our nation. This is no time to doubt or fear; it's time to commit, submit, and trust that God is who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do! 

2 Chronicles 6:30-31    ... then hear from heaven Your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart You know, according to all his ways, for You, You only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, that they may fear You and walk in Your ways all the days that they live in the land that You gave to our fathers.

It's All About Your True Identity

In today's world, identity is everything. We all are searching for our "authentic self"; what makes us original, unique, distinctive -- what makes us stand out in the crowd. That's what all the tweets, Facebook posts, endless selfies, and number of "likes" is all about. So many are desperate to create an image of who they want to be. But too often, that identity is based on external characteristics, such as height, race, or age -- things we have no control over. It can also be defined by our politics, our moral compass, or what/who we believe in. How do we get that true image of who we are? The Bible tells us [in Genesis 1:26] that we are all made in the image of God; that our identity can be found in Him. So, what does that mean, and how do we begin to understand, determine, and know our "authentic self"? 

That is a struggle that has endured since the Garden of Eden. The serpent challenged Eve to disobey the commandments of her Creator, resulting in a catastrophic transformation in her identity, and the opportunity to lose our identity as well. You see, in that same verse in Genesis 1, God gave mankind dominion over all the earth, and "over every thing that creeps and crawls on the earth". Eve forgot her identity! She had authority over that creepy, crawly serpent, yet she let him sow seeds of doubt about her spiritual and moral identity, and she abandoned her true identity in favor of a false one -- that she would be omniscient like God and know the difference between good and evil. 

God never intended for man to know evil; he was given authority over the earth to administer it and make it be like Heaven, where there is no evil. But the temptation to be more than what God made them to be overcame Adam and Eve, and their capitulation to the serpent initiated both a curse upon the earth and a fallen, sinful condition upon mankind ... until God himself came in the flesh to offer us a new identity established and formed in Him. As painful as it is to admit, man cannot be trusted to define his own identity.

I said at the beginning of this post that we are all searching for ways to make ourselves stand out; to be validated for our uniqueness. But can you see that oftentimes that effort results in trying to mimic what we value in someone else or a standard that the world determines is the ideal identity? People just end up trying to all look alike. Sadly, the world's population is still repeating Adam and Eve's mistake ... being tempted by what is offered them in the world, rather than understanding that their identity comes from God. Even if we, as human beings, can grasp that our identity doesn't come from our job, how much money we make, or how many followers we have on Social Media, it's still not enough to claim the label "Christian" as a means of defining and understanding who you are. We must understand who God is! We must understand His character, His nature, and His traits. And most importantly, when it comes to our identity, we must understand what He says about us. 

Now, here is where we can fall into another trap. Too many Believers identify themselves as a Christian, as religious, as spiritual, or a number of other credentials to validate their identity with God. We know that God sees us and all we say and do. But just like the serpent did in the Garden of Eden, the Enemy of God tempts us to take our focus off the One who created us [in His image] and what He has done for us, and instead, invites us to center our attention on what God thinks about all we've done in an attempt to prove to Him that our identity lies in Him. If we're not careful, that perspective can become self-serving and our faith becomes rooted in works. We have an attitude that says, "Look, God, at all I've done for You", instead of one that says, "Look world, at all that my Father in Heaven has done for me. I am blessed to be loved, chosen, forgiven, and delivered into the family of God"!

It is important that you know your identity in God. And one of the most important sources is His Holy Word to understand who He says you are. While there are many good leaders in the Church to help you on that journey of discovering your identity, it is important to not rely on their word alone. Seek your Creator, His Son, and the Holy Spirit to reveal the depths of your identity. They alone can reveal your purpose while on this earth and who you were created to be. What they offer you is far greater and of abundant worth, compared to what the world tries to convince you is valuable. The things of this world -- the accolades, the titles, the praise, the applause, the compliments, the number of "likes" you yearn to achieve -- fade away and pale in comparison to the Eternal gifts given to you when your identity lies in Christ and what He did for you by shedding His blood on the Cross.

I felt encouraged by the Holy Spirit to approach this subject today because I am greatly concerned for our younger generations and the identity crises I see in their lives. I am blessed to witness all the new births within my family and friends, and I rejoice as we all celebrate each child and their individual personalities and we watch them grow. But I see the plan of the Enemy and the increasing threat that He brings against those precious children. God has created them with the opportunity to be in relationship with Him as He guides them into their distinctive purpose to re-establish man's dominion on the earth. But the devil has set up networks within the framework of our social order to cause confusion, self-doubt, and spiritual blindness. Our youth are fearful of not being accepted by the world, so they try to be like everyone else. They rely on corrupted systems to define who they are -- letting teachers, Hollywood, Social Media, and their peers establish their image and reflect it back to them. 

To safeguard the existence of mankind, it is imperative that parents, grandparents, and Godly mentors take back their influence in our children's lives. When we, as humans, no longer identify with the One who created us, we are susceptible to eradication. When we no longer know who we are in Christ Jesus, then anything and anyone can become our god -- political systems, entertainment giants, the old pagan gods [who are still wielding their power]; even Artificial Intelligence. Is it still possible to raise a generation that believes they are all God says they are? Lord, how I pray it is so! Let us raise a generation that is capable of examining and challenging the false identities that Satan is sowing. Lord, I pray that they will throw off the mantle of lies that has them seeing themselves through a dirty veil, and they will step into the glorious Light of Your Truth and recognize their authentic self: a child of God, growing to look more like You every day, and less like who the world tells them they are. 

2 Corinthians 2:14    But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

 

A Review of Where We've Been and Where We're Going

It's been a few days since I've written because the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about things He revealed to me several years ago, and asking me to revisit those posts in light of what He is unveiling today. It actually feels like I've made a complete circle and it's time to reiterate some topics ... Jesus's voice never becomes outdated and we sometimes need to be reminded of what He has said.

It's been nearly 12 years since the Lord asked me to write this blog for Him, with the purpose of speaking to anyone who was becoming aware [and alarmed] over seeing the changes in the inherent character and nature of our country. I was to write of my own thoughts, as well as the truth the Holy Spirit would reveal to me; always pointing the reader back to the Sovereignty of God. There were days that I had no idea what to write, and He clearly led me to His heart. 

So, I've spent these last few days taking a bird's eye view of where I started in this journey and where it looks like we're going; examining how my perspective has changed [if any], and how far down the track this runaway train has traveled. It's been interesting to see that the Lord began by highlighting the political aspects of our changing world, then focused me on "preparing for what's coming", then led me to the knowledge of spiritual warfare and the advancement of the Kingdom of God as our assignment. I'm actually astounded at all in which He has counseled me, and at the rate He has chosen to disseminate information to me. Now, I find that there are some things we need to reassess to see if we are still in alignment with Him.

I look back on the things and ideas and plans that were at the forefront of our changing way of life, and realize that those things are still important and at the center of my everyday existence. In 2008, my husband and I wanted to escape the "expendable" and "throw-away" mindset of our American generation, and return to the sustainable lifestyle of our grandparents.  We wanted to embrace the lost traditions and skills that allowed past generations to perpetuate and preserve things of value.  We didn't want to take anything for granted -- and that included our ability to provide food, shelter, and protection in any storm that threatened our lives. 

And because of the precarious state of our economy and our national security, those ideals seem even more important today. If anything, the storms that threaten our lives have increased in number and intensity! Back then, we were just considering the possibility of economic hardship. In fact, the reality of a worldwide plague, the scarcity of food, the loss of our national stature in the world, and the threat of World War III weren't on anyone's radar. But just as I stated then, I knew to the depths of my soul, that we were about to enter into a spiritual battle that most Christians would be unaware of and unprepared for. 

Their 'Normalcy Bias" kept them believing that not only were we indestructible as Americans, but they believed what a lot of our Churches were teaching: that we would never face the onslaught of Satan's evil because Jesus was going to swoop down and rescue us to take us to Heaven before any "of the bad stuff happened". I have been encouraged in these latter days from seeing Christians becoming more open to the truth that the Bible prophecies the trials and tribulations that are now squarely in front of us. But I find that there are still those who think that this terrifying future will be played out in an organized, structured, and orderly fashion -- in a manner that we will clearly discern and anticipate. But that's not how our Enemy plays the game.

I am thankful my Lord and the Holy Spirit have continued to reveal the truth to me -- no matter how ugly it was to be. My husband and I were shown what was to come years before the actuality was evident: the fundamental changes to our society; the economic decline; the growing threats of foreign enemies; the domestic threats to our peace and tranquility; the slow and stealthy erosion of our Constitution; the plagues and pestilence that were being readied to be unleashed; the consequences of lax security at our borders; the impending death of the American dream for the coming generations; and the rise of chaos, disorder, and lawlessness.

BUT, we were also blessed to be shown the power and hope that the Lord will bring to the Faithful Remnant who refuse to bow down to the Anti-Christ spirit that seeks to pervade the Earth. We feel a greater responsibility and duty to care for those who were not as farsighted as we, and we will ALWAYS take a stand for God's Kingdom. I will be honest ... there have been times it has been overwhelming. There are so many who have been oppressed and tormented by the Enemy to keep them off the spiritual battlefield. And there are not enough of us who have overcome those attacks and stepped into our Divine purpose to set those captives free to help in the advancement of the Kingdom. So we sometimes feel exhausted and tired from our greater responsibilities and duties; we can become mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually weary. But, we declare that we cannot, and will not give up! We will never accept defeat! 

And I renew my pledge to my Lord that I will continue to share what He shows me; I will not shy away from the revelations of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, I do not revel in being the bearer of bad news, and do not take delight in what I see coming upon the world. And I don't profess to know how the Lord's plans for us will play out, but I do know this ... He is not the Author of evil, nor does He seek to harm those who belong to Him. He endeavors to warn us, so that His good, and perfect, and acceptable will for our lives can be realized. But all people -- Christians and unbelievers alike, must recognize that Evil exists and it is mounting up what may be the final attempt to eradicate who it perceives as its mortal opposition ... the human race. 

So, as a summary, where the world has been is where it's continuing to go; and it's building steam for a cataclysmic conflict between Good and Evil. It cannot be avoided, but how we decide to face it is up to us. We've been given free will to determine our mindset and our path. What I wrote in 2014, still holds true today, nine years later ... "We were chosen for this time because our Maker knew He could count on us; He knew our steps would be sturdy and our pace would be constant. He knows we will be unmovable and unchanged in our purpose, posture, or position. We can handle the load and tackle the task [He has given us]. We will survive and overcome because our strength and perseverance lies in the Lord. And the best part? He's right beside us, sharing the load [and leading us into the battle]. Yes, we've been given a lot to cope with these last few years ... but too tired to go on? Not a chance! We've just been toughened and tempered for what lies ahead ... and we're ready, willing, and able"!  

I pray that your spirit is enlightened and encouraged. Don't be afraid! You have been redeemed by the Lord and summoned by name. You belong to Him!

Psalm 62:5-6    "Yes, my soul,  find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken."
 

 

Our Choice is Clear: Fear or Fortitude

It should come as no surprise that we are battling for not only the soul of this nation, but our very existence. Since the beginning of our colonial history, the Framers of the Constitution fought to avoid the political and social divisions that ripped England apart in their bloody civil wars. It was a tenuous time as they desperately tried to start our new nation on solid ground. Less than 100 years later, that ground was shattered and bloody from our own civil war. And I'm not sure we ever fully recovered, politically or socially, from those fractures. But somehow the fabric of the nation held, we bound up our wounds, and have managed to survive through two world wars, and multiple foreign wars [all of which made international bankers and champions of the war machines wealthy], at the cost of millions of lives.

So, here we are, nearly two-and-a-half centuries later, and our survival as a nation seems to be just as tenuous. Actually, the world, itself, seems to be on the verge of destruction! I mean, how many people in the world sense that unprecedented Evil is about to come upon the peoples of this planet?  Both Christians and nonbelievers have a heightened awareness that there is danger and darkness in the offing; and how many of you have heard the warnings and prophecies forecasting that 2025 is the culmination of the final age of man?  I've heard everything from world-wide economic collapse, to serious natural disasters, and of course, the beginning of WWIII... all guaranteed to strike fear in the hearts of men and women.

How could it not? There doesn't seem to be much good news to look forward to, right? But we have a choice in how we will confront the possibilities. Will we allow a spirit of fear to render us silent and cowering in a corner; submitting to the forces of evil who wish to eradicate us? Or we will we approach the uncertain and scary future with fortitude; with courage, resilience, moral fiber, strength of mind and character, and steadfast spirit? Those choices couldn't be further apart, but are most likely what it will come down to for each individual. There is no middle ground.

And there is no middle ground in this spiritual war between the God we serve and the Enemy of all mankind. Because of how much evil is being brought against God's creation, His anger is mounting and I believe His cup of wrath will soon be filled to the brim. And the Lord's sheep are sensing it and becoming full of worry and apprehension. How are we to prepare for what's coming? What should we be expecting from ourselves? We all hope we will face the future with confidence in the Lord, and with the courage and fortitude of Christ. And since we look to Him as our model in all human circumstances, let us consider how He responded in His hour of fear and uncertainty...

Could anything we face compare to the anxiety and dread that our Lord must have felt in the Garden of Gethsemane?  If I may paraphrase one of my favorite Bible commentators, Matthew Henry, "Jesus had an awful sense of the wrath of God, of the weight of sin. His human nature was ready to sink under that heavy load, and would have sunk, had He been forsaken of help and comfort from God; but He was heard in His prayers, He was supported through the agonies of death."

This understanding, along with the example Jesus gives us on how to approach God in our times of distress and agony of soul, is something that I wish us all to embrace. Yes, we have examples of Jesus praying throughout the gospels, including His rising early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35), praying all night (Luke 6:12), and praying while fasting 40 days (Matthew 4:2).  In fact, the disciples saw how important prayer was to Jesus and asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1).

But in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus's prayer was not casual or routine; it was intense and passionate. Let's look at what is involved in His prayers during this time of apprehension and foreboding. The most common component of many of our prayers is tears, which Jesus also exhibited during His time of intense prayer. Tears are often a sign of pain in our soul. Jesus had a heart full of compassion for His creation and could feel in His heart the sickness, suffering, and coming death of mankind. Our "lostness" pained His heart. Our pain was His pain. He wept for us as He prayed.

Notice also that He prayed with great shouting. Have you ever shouted out loud to God during your most private conversations with Him? Shouting is often a sign of resistance. In times of spiritual warfare -- and believe me, there was a war going on in the spiritual realm as Jesus faced His crucifixion -- we all face the forces of sin and Satan. While shouting and praying, Jesus was fighting in the spiritual realm against the moral darkness of the world.  He was opposing evil and overcame it. In His fervent prayer, He was fighting energetically [and vehemently] on our behalf. And I believe He is doing the same today -- and boy, do we need it!

The political and spiritual forces have aligned to try to strike fear in our hearts and render us silent, powerless, and impotent. For a Biblical example, we only have to look back at the Biblical story of Joshua and Caleb, who were part of the contingent of 12 spies sent into the Promised Land to determine if it could be conquered. But ten of the spies came back and reported that they were defeated before they ever began. They were filled with fear and let that fear completely vanquish them. But it was Caleb who said, "But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God". 

Caleb was free from fear, and he used his trust in God to try to help the people of Israel overcome their fears. And those of us who are like Caleb, and surrender to the will of God, have something to say to people who are afraid. Our surrender to God is the only answer to the problem of fear. It doesn't mean we ignore the facts, or we stick our head in the sand, and pretend that there will be no difficulties; we cannot and should not persuade others to escape reality. That is a disservice to others. But all people would be well-served to remember Caleb's words. He didn't deny the giants existed, or that it wouldn't be difficult to overcome them. Instead, he said, "We are well able". This does not mean that he had confidence only in himself.  Nor did he put undue emphasis on the military strength of Israel, either.  No.  He was emphasizing where their power really came from. It came from firm confidence in God’s power.

We are well able! We are able to overcome our differences and work together for the good of the country and the world -- if we are willing to follow the One who offers us hope. We are well able to join forces with the Heavenly Host to battle the Enemy's demonic partners who seek to destroy us physically, spiritually, and socially. We are well able to survive whatever is coming -- our ancestors made it through the Depression; the Jews overcame the Holocaust, and survived the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Millions of people throughout the ages have suffered in genocides, plagues, slavery, and totalitarianism. None of it was pretty or easy. In fact, it was diabolical. 

The truth is, none of us know what the future holds for us, and I'm sure many of us are consumed with fear over the possibilities. I also know that most of you are joining me in solemn and dedicated prayer, asking God for mercy and forgiveness in His coming judgment (that we so thoroughly deserve). Let us strive for an attitude of fortitude -- the same kind of courage Jesus showed in His adversity on the eve of His most frightening and devastating experience. It's OK to cry out to the Lord and shout to Heaven in our moments of agony, fright, and doubt. But if we approach our Father with godly fear and reverence, He will hear us and will provide the means for us to be carried through whatever awaits us. I truly believe that!

Just as Matthew Henry wrote, I am convinced that, like Jesus, we will not be forsaken in our moment of need. We will be helped and comforted by God, who will hear our prayers, and we will be supported, even unto death. We must follow Christ's example, devoting ourselves to Him, denying ourselves (and our natural human fears); and take up our cross, follow Him unto death, [if it is God's will], proclaiming our victory over Evil. Praise the Lord for the standard He has set before us! Praise Him for His fortitude, and for showing us that God's mercy is sufficient, and enough to see us through anything the Enemy can bring against us.  God will bring order out of this chaos! He's done it before and His Word says He will do it again. Please pray that mankind rejects the lies and temptations of the Evil One before we've gone too far. The Man of Lawlessness is ready to take the stage, but God, in His Sovereignty, will determine the time of His appearance. 

Father, we pray for Your protection from the shaking that we deserve! Destroy the plans of everyone whose heart is aligned with the Enemy, and may Your Holy Spirit guide us away from a spirit of fear. You are our Hope and Strength and Refuge! Fill us with the Godly fortitude of Jesus!

Jeremiah 10:10     But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

 

 

How the Biblical Story of the Canaanite City of Ai Reveals our AI Dilemma

Once again, I am amazed how the Holy Spirit speaks a spiritual truth to me, seemingly out of nowhere. If you've been a reader of my blog since 2011, then you will know that both my husband and myself are just ordinary people who have made ourselves available to be used by the Lord to advance His Kingdom here on earth. We are not exceptional; and we hold no titles, other than "obedient followers of Jesus Christ". We don't seek unmerited favor, but are willing to receive whatever Word He has for us. So, when I suddenly [and amazingly] see a Biblical connection to something I've never been aware of before, I know, without a doubt, that it is something I need to consider and pursue. I will now share what I have discovered with you, put it into context with the the peril I believe we are facing, and ask you to pray about whether your spirit is in agreement..

Central to this article is the question, Is there a connection between the Biblical account of the Canaanite city Ai and our current unease regarding the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world? In other words, can we make a link between Ai and AI, or is it just a coincidence? 

Because I have a strong Biblical worldview, and I believe that God is intimately involved in our daily lives -- just as He was in the lives of His chosen people in the Bible -- I believe that He wants to show us things so that we can align our spirits with Him, and partner with Him for His glory. So I began with a look at the city of Ai, first mentioned in Genesis 12, as a city where Abram pitched his tent as he journeyed to the land God promised him and his offspring. There he built an altar to the Lord and "called upon the name of the Lord".

NOTE: Let me digress for a moment, because our understanding of what it means to call upon the name of the Lord is important for the sake of this connection I'm trying to make between Ai and AI. To call upon the name of the Lord means "to pray earnestly in order to know how to serve Him in obedience; to submit ourselves to His authority and will; to repent of our sins, asking for mercy, compassion, and salvation/deliverance from our circumstances".  

But what is the significance of that Canaanite city of Ai in terms of our relationship with God? Historically, it is the site of a consequential defeat of the Israelites due to the open rebellion of a single man in Joshua's army. Here's the setting: The Israelites, with Joshua as Commander of the army, is on the precipice of taking possession of the land of Canaan, just as the Lord God had promised. Joshua and the people bind themselves in covenant with God to obey all of His commands, declaring that whoever rebels against any commandment will be put to death. The test of their faithfulness came in the battle for Jericho, a heavily fortified city, and a key component for conquering all of Canaan. If defeated, Jericho would open up the interior land and cities for easy conquest. 

You will recall the history of Jericho ... the Israelites were to march around the city walls once a day for six days, accompanied by the priests and the ark of the covenant, with trumpets blaring. On the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times, seven priests blowing the trumpets, and with a great shout from the people, the walls of Jericho would fall. Result: the city of Jericho was given to the Israelites by the Lord, with the command that everyone and everything within was devoted to the Lord to be destroyed.  (except for Rahab and her family, the prostitute who helped hide the Israelite spies). There was a specific commandment that nothing was to be taken as spoil from wicked Jericho because it would make the camp of the Israelites a target for destruction and "bring trouble to it". Furthermore, "all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord". 

Unbeknownst to Joshua, there was an Israelite man, named Achan, who willfully disobeyed the command of the Lord and coveted a beautiful robe and some gold and silver, taking it from Jericho and hiding it within his tent. Because Achan disobeyed the Lord regarding His commandment, "the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel", and He orchestrated their humiliating defeat at the small city of Ai. Joshua was distraught, not understanding why they were defeated, until God revealed that someone had violated the covenant and taken things from Jericho. God instructed Joshua to give the people a night to consecrate themselves and give the guilty party time to admit their wrong-doing. Until this was done, the Lord would no longer support the Israelites in battle.

The next morning, the tribes of Israel were called before Joshua to be questioned; tribe by tribe, clan by clan, and man by man. When he stood before Joshua, Achan did not repent, even though he confessed to his disobedience. And God's justice was swift. All of Israel stoned Achan and his family and burned them with fire. Then the Lord turned from His burning anger and delivered the city of Ai and its king into the hands of the Israelites. Their destruction was complete and Joshua renewed the covenant of the people with the Lord.

It was an important lesson for Joshua, and it's one we need to understand ourselves ... the nation of Israel had entered into covenant with God, and when one man transgressed, the relationship of the entire nation was at risk. In this ancient story we can clearly see God's Nature and how important His principles of obedience and repentance are to Him. We see His holiness and the consequences upon nations whose citizens are disobedient.

Can you see the connection between the Canaanite city of Ai and the danger of today's AI? The field of Artificial Intelligence research was founded at a workshop at Dartmouth College in 1956, and the US is a world leader in the high-performance infrastructure of AI research and has developed the world's most advanced AI systems [think GPT-3, for instance]. Increasingly, we are being warned of the dangers of AI, and the inherent destruction of our nation, all humanity, and the world. AI is a creation of man, and there is no identification with the spirit of God.

The ancient city of Ai points to the humiliating defeat of God's chosen people due to the consequences of breaking covenant with Him. It also is evidence that what God designated as holy was stolen from Him. Add to the list of sins the disobedience to His commandments and the refusal to repent. So, could the defilement of our covenants as a Christian nation, and our agreement with the modern-day AI lead to our own destruction? Remember, a whole nation is held liable for the ungodly actions of one man, or a few. Matthew 25 tells us that Jesus will judge between the sheep and goat nations [not just individual people]. Sadly, our leaders refuse to repent for the unholy laws we have instituted; have violated the sanctity of life; have stolen and lied to God, keeping His bountifulness for themselves; and opened us up to invasion and ruination. What can we do about it?

I think we must continue to do as 2 Chronicles 7:14 instructs us ... Call on the name of the Lord as a people -- praying earnestly to know how to serve Him in obedience; to submit ourselves to His authority and will; to repent of our sins, asking for mercy, compassion, and salvation/deliverance from our circumstances. As Scripture says, we must humble ourselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, praying that He will hear and act on our behalf. But as the tale of the Israelites and their battles with the city of Ai show us, we, as a nation, may still be held liable for the sins of the unrepentant. Will the modern-day AI be the tool of our final destruction? If Chaos-GPT (an autonomous implementation of Chat-GPT) has its way, it will achieve its goals to destroy humanity, establish global dominance, cause chaos and destruction, control humanity through manipulation, and attain immortality.  Sounds like it is in league with the devil, doesn't it?

But never forget or lose hope! Our God is still greater than anything man and Satan can collaborate on! Jesus, our Savior, will forever be with us and is our Stronghold, Deliverer, and Protector. He will be going before us in battle and leading us to victory. Praise Him! Confess and Repent! And trust that we will be saved from our enemies. He is Jehovah-Chereb, The Glorious Sword! 

Let us consider [for ourselves] if what the Lord taught Joshua through an ancient city called Ai, could be relevant to us. Could our version of AI be the means of our destruction? Listen to what the Lord said to the Israelites:

Joshua 7:12    That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.  

Defending The Word In An Age of Compromise

For the sake of this post, I am referring to all Believers as "preachers" of the Word when we share it with the lost. But how do we know we are preaching it "rightly"? After all, 2 Timothy 2:15 says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. I don't know about you, but I take that very seriously, and I consistently pray that I am representing God and His Word accurately and well. 

As we look upon our religious culture in the 21st Century, it is becoming quite apparent that there are diverse "messages" out there, all proclaiming to represent the rightly divided Word of God. But they can't all be correct, since there are contrasting views within "the Church" on God's acceptance of homosexuality; on the relevance of spiritual warfare; on the definition of the Great Commission; on His acceptance of worshiping other gods (sadly); and even on how we are to honor rituals and traditions.

How do we know, these 2000+ years later, that we are in alignment with the teachings that Jesus commanded the Apostles to carry forward as "the Church"? From the very beginning, there was an ardent desire to preserve the Lord's teachings accurately and authentically. It's important for us to know how those teachings became theology and doctrine, and just how difficult it became to do that without letting human error creep in, whether consciously or subconsciously.

I hope you will suffer me to give a cursory history of the struggle to "rightly handle" the Word of God -- from the very beginning. Just in the first 300 years, Christ's teachings were rendered and interpreted through several groups which have become known as the Early Church Fathers. You have the "Apostolic Fathers", who were a group of early Christian leaders and authors who lived shortly after the 12 Apostles. Their writings are typically dated between AD 80–180. Most of the Apostolic Fathers are believed to have known the Apostles personally or were connected to them in some way. The apostolic church fathers were the ones like Clement of Rome who were contemporaries of the apostles and were probably taught by them, carrying on the tradition and teaching of the apostles themselves. Polycarp and Clement are considered two of the imminent Apostolic Fathers, and they soon became embroiled in presenting truth to counter the theological heresies of Gnosticism and Docetism. Gnostics believed that anything done in the body was inherently evil and sinful, but it didn't really matter, because real life existed in the spirit realm only. Docetism promoted that Jesus was never fully human; He only "seemed" to have a body, and may have been somewhat divine. 

The ante-Nicene fathers were those who came after the apostolic fathers and before the Council of Nicea in AD 325. Such individuals as Irenaeus, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr are ante-Nicene fathers. The post-Nicene church fathers are those who came after the Council of Nicea in AD 325. These are such noted men as Augustine, bishop of Hippo, who is often called the father of the [Roman Catholic] Church because of his great work in Church doctrine; Chrysostom, called the “golden-mouthed” for his excellent oratorical skills; and Eusebius, who wrote a history of the church from the birth of Jesus to AD 324, one year before the Council of Nicea.

But even these zealous Early Church Fathers could not keep the Enemy of God from working his own agenda and begin infiltrating the Church with false and counterfeit teachings and doctrines. The Apostolic Fathers were passionate in presenting the gospel just as the apostles taught them, but became increasingly involved in defending the gospel from these heresies, rather than presenting Jesus's teachings in their purest and authoritative form. The very fact that the Nicene Council was convened in AD 325 is evidence that there was a growing fragmentation in the Church between various theologies and doctrines. What followed in the way of commentaries and endless examinations among these disparate groups undoubtedly has led to centuries of interpretations [and denominations] led by theologians such as Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and the post-Enlightenment theologians like Karl Barth. 

As we consider this history, we have to ask ourselves this question: So, do all these varying religious opinions down through the centuries meet the approval of God by the standards He sets in His Word? Which of these messages come from human wisdom, and which are revealed through the Spirit of Truth in the Bible? Which messages rest in the wisdom of men, and which in the power of God? 

These may seem like elementary questions, but I think we need to be very aware of the Enemy's tactics in these Last Days. I am seeing everything from a powerless Gospel being preached, to a dangerous message of unity among different gods and religions; that is not Biblical. The Word is the power of God to save us from eternal hell. But that Word must not be weakened, watered down, or compromised. The very definition of the word compromise is this: a middle state between conflicting opinions or actions reached by mutual concession or modification; an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions; the acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable. Do any of those definitions sound like they define the Nature of our God? Does He make concessions or allowances for His laws and commandments -- or ever lower His standards?

Yet, we are now paying the consequences in our society because of compromise; because of our willingness to undermine the Word of God by embracing cultural lifestyles that do not conform to the commandments of the God we pray to. There is no "happy medium" where God is willing to adapt His Glory, Majesty, or Sovereignty to fit our ideas of theology, justice or mercy. Nor is He willing to compromise His order of divine government with corrupted and unholy social ideologies that subvert His righteous rule of the nations. It is time that we, the true Believers in the One True God, declare our unyielding and unshakeable faith in the accurate Word of God. It's time to step into our authority to preach the Word as laid out in 2 Timothy 4:2: "proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spirit —with wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people". No more compromise! 

Thanks to the website gotquestions.com for the concise history of the Early Church Fathers.

I Thessalonians 2:13   And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers.

We're In A Cultural Battle Between Marxism and Christianity

 

I'm listening to a lot of people these days talking about the future of our country -- including  political, economic, and social perspectives. Sometimes it's hard to remember who said what, and there are a lot of differing opinions as to the causes and the solutions to the disorder in which we find ourselves. Sometimes I think people get too caught up in the complexity of our situation, when being able to see the root of the problem would be more advantageous to finding our way out of this mess.

That being said, I heard something this week that really got me to thinking. I'm paraphrasing here, but the idea was that when the masses [within our society] lack conviction, they are easily manipulated, and are the most vulnerable. That statement might seem self-evident and abundantly clear to you, but think of the consequences if this is a true statement. And IF it is true, then shouldn't we first understand what conviction means? And, again ... if it is true ... what does that statement have to do with the title of this blog post? How does that lead to a battle between what Wikipedia calls the socioeconomic and political philosophies of socialist revolutionary Karl Marx and the radical Jewish preacher, Jesus, who is the central figure in the world's largest religion, Christianity, [and incidentally, the Son of the Living God]?

So, let's consider what the word conviction means. From our Western Greek mindset, we understand conviction to mean "to convince, or reprove, by word of mouth or action". And carrying it a step further, from a Biblical mindset, it means "to convince the person of their sin in order to bring repentance; to change the way we think in order to see things from God's perspective". Now, let's examine the Hebrew understanding of what conviction means. That mindset sees conviction as evidence, like in a book, or a complete record of whatever you want to preserve accurately, or truthfully. 

With that in mind, let's take another look at the idea that I highlighted in bold face. If the masses of people lack conviction -- or, in other words, they don't desire to seek and know the truth, by having it proven by word of mouth or action -- and they are willing to go along with whatever is presented to them without challenging it, then they will be easily manipulated by any person or thought put before them. And they will be vulnerable to fall victim to any cause, philosophy, or movement conducted by the Father of Lies, Satan.

All we have to do is take a look at the effects of the acceptance of Marxist philosophy in our education system. Let me take one step backwards and explain that classic Marxism holds to the axiom that human societies develop through class conflict. Karl Marx sought to create class struggles [through economic means] between the wealthy and the poor, leading to eventual revolution and the forcible overthrow of the wealthy class and the creation of new, classless, communist societies. We see the dictatorships and repressive regimes that played out in the countries that adopted this Marxist ideology in the 20th century -- Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea. 

That plan didn't work in America, because free market capitalism actually helped the working class to elevate themselves to enjoy more prosperity. So the followers of Marx changed it up a bit. Instead of an economic revolution igniting a cultural revolution, they have been seeking to transform our Western culture into believing that a capitalist society needs to be emancipated from outdated policies, making it more equitable and inclusive for all segments of society -- in other words, destroying the classes through the back door by using identity politics to create victims within our society; where the different groups are pitted against each other and can easily become influenced to hate each other and the country.

When this ideology infiltrates our educational system, and is then validated and endorsed by social media and teachers/professors, who are in the position to influence those who lack conviction, you can see how easily the masses can be manipulated and made vulnerable to anti-freedom agendas. And since we worship a God who came to set us free, this ideology is contrary to Christianity. In fact, Karl Marx is quoted as saying, "religion is the opium of the people", and "My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism". In seeing his philosophy infiltrating our culture, we are seeing good and evil being redefined. The state becomes god, and seeks to control every aspect of our lives, even limiting how successful we can become. Private ownership and freedom to pursue your life as you desire becomes acquainted with sin and is translated as unfair and unequal. 

Sadly, we are seeing the same methods of transformation happening within the established Church. The seminaries have been infiltrated, just as the universities have been. Besides the teachers and the students adopting Marxist ideologies, we now see the pastors and the church members falling victim to the "consciousness of guilt" that comes from a lack of conviction and knowing the God-given truth. Then they are easily manipulated to supporting causes and agendas that do not align with the teachings of Christ. We are seeing our cultural identity redefined right before our eyes. If we call ourselves Christians, we are accountable to God; our salvation is a personal decision; and Jesus has the answer to knowing our purpose. Life has rewards and meaning under Jesus. Life is a struggle for power under Marx. 

Our societal culture has become divisive; your identity is based on what groups you identify with; whether you are "pro" this or that; whether you are among the "oppressors" or the "oppressed". The Marxist philosophy teaches that it takes a revolution to create the kind of society where everyone is equal and no one holds all the power. But, remember, there is no allowance for God in such a society. But when you believe in Christ, you know that He has already done all the work on the Cross to erase society of these ills. Grace is available to all, and Grace is His power in us to accomplish what man cannot do on his own. We are free to be who He created us to be, and if we would each seek our own identity in Christ, we would have no desire or need to compare to another person. We would be content with who we are, and what He has provided us. 

So, we as a nation, and as individuals, must decide. Jesus has taught us everything we need to experience Utopia on earth. In fact, His parables of the talents mirror free market principles. He teaches us how to wisely use the resources He has given us to invest and reap more from our hard work. And He shows us the consequences of those who waste such resources. Do we want the peace, prosperity, and contentedness of following Jesus? Or do we want the struggles of class politics and division? Are we willing to be convicted of the Truth -- or be manipulated and influenced because of our idle minds? Our culture is in a very real battle today. Jesus has taught us how to be charitable to those who are different from us, to care for the poor and the needy, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Why would we want any alternative system? The human race's problems will never be solved without God; and definitely not with a lack of conviction in who He is, and who we are in Him. 

I visited today with two beautiful women of God, and we all agree that Jesus is close to coming back. We may very well be at the two or three minutes to midnight countdown. I pray that the masses will awaken to pull the dirty veil from before their eyes before it is too late. Lord, let them see all the ways they have been manipulated; and let them perceive just how vulnerable we are to the designs of the Enemy. Let us take our stand, supported by the Heavenly Host, as we await the sound of the trumpet announcing Your return! Come, Lord Jesus, Come! 

#marxismvschristianity

1 Thessalonians 1:5   ... for our good news [regarding salvation] came to you not only in word, but also in [its inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your benefit.

Jesus Is My Everything!

During the Holy Week of Passover/Easter, we concentrate on the glory of the Son of God who suffered horrendously on our behalf so that we could receive forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. Our Home Church gathered together and studied the different accounts of Jesus's Resurrection and Ascension in each of the four Gospels. It was amazing to see the subtle distinctions of each version, and we appreciated how much each gospel added to the fullness of Scripture. 

Afte reverent reflection, I find myself contemplating those days that led to my Lord's crucifixion and what His experience was like. Yes, His resurrection revealed that He was truly the Son of the Most High God, just as He said He was. But prior to the moment He declared, "It is Finished", Jesus lived His life as a man; a human being just like you and me, facing all the attendant issues and matters of the flesh. Sure, He knew He was the Son of God, and could call down a legion of angels at any moment to change circumstances in His favor. But He refused to exploit His relationship with the Father for His own advantage.

From the moment He began His ministry, He experienced His assignment for the Kingdom of God as a man, not as God. I cannot even imagine the consternation and dismay that must of caused Him! Knowing that He created the earth and the people to whom He came as a servant, how it must have grieved Him to see the state of both so corrupted from what He intended. And I don't think we 21st Century believers have given much thought to the world that the Christ child would be born into, and what He would have to navigate throughout His life.

First of all, John the Baptist appeared on the scene and began to preach and teach repentance from sin and turning back to God ... Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In effect, John was preparing the way for the appearance of the Lord. We forget that before Jesus was born, God had not been heard from for 400 years! YHWH had been silent since Malachi had prophesied that He would send Elijah the prophet as a forerunner [to prepare the way for the Messiah,] over 400+ years prior. John the Baptist was that forerunner. 

But by the time Jesus arrived on earth the people of God had suffered greatly through those years of silence. Having come out of exile in Babylon, they would endure under the Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires; see their faith outlawed under Antiochus Epiphanes; witness the Maccabean revolt; and see the emergence of rival religious groups [Pharisees, Sadduces, Essenes]. By the time Jesus was born, the Roman Empire had ruled for half a century. There were obvious political tensions between governors (supported by a Roman army) and the Jewish "puppet kings"; religious tensions between the various Jewish sects; and social tensions between the impoverished and the wealthy. Yet He came to save all who would believe in Him, and carry on His work.

So, imagine the frustration of trying to bring the love of God, the Father, and to restore harmony and relationship between God and humanity. It must have seemed hopeless, yet He continued to pursue His goal, the fulfillment of His mission. So, He is intimately familiar with what many of us feel as we look upon our world today. Like us, Jesus [as the man] instinctively knew the world wasn't as it should be. Today we see the massive corruption and greed, the unpredictable and illogical violence, and the shocking number of deaths in the wake of the pandemic ... and we are acutely aware of suffering and evil in the world. Jesus can identify with that.

I recently read an article on Christianity Today, in which the author, Chine McDonald, wrote, "Like many other millennials, I have been gripped by an acute sense that the world is getting worse, with disaster around every corner. From climate catastrophes to polarization and political unrest to economic uncertainty, we have been forced to confront our own helplessness". That sense of helplessness is not limited to one age group. There is a very real sense of unease, despondency, depression, and a sense of things being out of our control across all generations. Yet, like Jesus, we must continue to rely on our Father in Heaven. We must continue to hope in His omnipotence; His unlimited and very great power to rectify all things unto Himself... to make things right and resolve the problems of the world. 

But even as the Son of God, yet fully man, Jesus wept. He personally knows our human emotions and sensibilities. He identifies with our feelings and stands alongside us in the midst of the world's turmoils. Remember, as a man, He spent an anguished moment in the Garden of Gethsemane asking His Father to remove the cup of suffering from Him -- if it was the Father's will. And then He shed tears of blood; evidence of the tremendous spiritual pain and despair He knew He was about to face -- as a man. There is nothing we may face in this world that He is not able to recognize or help us through. 

Therefore, we must cling to the model Jesus has set before us as we prepare for wherever this world is headed. He never gave up hope. He endured incomprehensible physical harm, never abandoning His relationship with the Father. He didn't give in to the schemes of the devil to enslave Him to the world's kingdom of darkness. Instead, He trained and equipped competent disciples to know the truth of who they were -- ambassadors and representatives of the greater Kingdom of God. He did all this for our benefit; to show us that we can endure and persevere through everything He did, and do everything He accomplished; and as He says in John 14:12, "even greater things". 

I will admit, I am growing tired of seeing the deterioration of the world and humankind. But I know I am only temporarily "in the world", and I will not submit to the powers and spirits "of the world". When I discern that the world is becoming a drain on my connection to Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit, I remember that He has shown me how to walk this out. He has shown me that I always have a connection to Him in the spiritual realm. I can talk to Him and hear from Him and Father and Holy Spirit, just as He did. He knows what I'm feeling and what I am capable of doing, because He experienced it first. I will be obedient to follow in His footsteps, and I am committed to training up new followers for Him so that there will never be a generation that doesn't know Him. 

It must have felt like the darkness won, on that day of His crucifixion. But He showed us that His Light is eternal, and will always shine into the darkness to reveal the true Kingdom of God, His righteous power, and the splendor of His glory; and the reality of Heaven for all those who choose to follow Him. There is no greater example and He is my everything!

Hebrews 5:7-9    In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him...

     

What Is Your Vision of Jesus Christ, The Messiah, The Son of God?

 

I pose the question in the title of this blog, because I believe how you perceive Jesus, the Savior of the World, will have profound consequences on how you walk out your faith. What preceded this question and the following thoughts, was an article I recently read on the website, Christianity Today. It was an article written by Stephani McDade, titled "Jesus Christ Is Not A Superstar". The reasoning behind her title was as simple as it was astute ... Popular portrayals of the God-Man can draw admiring crowds, but they can't create imitating disciples.

Think about that for a minute. As Ms. McDade pointed out, our culture has many images [or adaptations] of Jesus to choose from. There is the intense Jesus of Passion of the Christ; the personal and intimate Jesus of The Chosen; the ethereal Jesus of King of Kings; and the rock star Jesus of Jesus Christ Superstar. The aftermath of the popularity of the recent movie, The Jesus Revolution, has raised the very issue that McDade proposed ... what's the difference between admirers of Jesus and imitators? And which one advances His Kingdom more?

We can begin to see the importance of these questions when we consider if there are any effects of being an admirer or an imitator of Jesus. "To effect" something or someone means there has been a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause; the state of being or becoming operative [functioning, active]. We all know admirers of Jesus -- people who love Him, esteem Him, praise Him, worship Him, and delight in Him. Admiration can result in an image of Christ as He meets what we need from Him. We can find ourselves seeking that image of Jesus that feeds our image of ourselves. But do we see a change or transformation in our lives that causes us to seek less for ourselves and more for Him and His Kingdom? Or is the demand on our life [to become more than an admirer] cost us too much? Is the price too high to actually become an imitator?

So, what makes a person an imitator of Jesus Christ? First, let us consider that Jesus sought men and women who would become effective disciples; imitators of His ways, seeing and doing what the Father revealed to be His will. He never sought the admiration of crowds [although His radical message drew them]. He never wanted to be "Jesus Christ Superstar". But to be His follower, one had to believe in who He said He was ... the very Son of God, who was willing to sacrifice Himself for the benefit of others. And being a follower means imitating that character of Christ. Imitators not only look like Christ, but they act like Him!

And that brings me back to the overwhelming popularity of the movie, The Jesus Revolution. Based on the book of the same name, the film follows youth minister Greg Laurie, Christian hippie Lonnie Frisbee, and pastor Chuck Smith as they take part in the Jesus movement in California during the late 1960s. Probably unknown by most of those who are rejoicing over how well the movie has been received, is the backstory of the primary characters of the movie, Laurie, Frisbee, and Smith. Those who were there and witnessed [in person] the supernatural revival that occurred, and knew the individuals personally, speak of how sincere imitators were soon ostracized within the movement when the effects of following Jesus in Truth and Spirit became too uncomfortable for the admiring evangelists. Those who were able to receive the fullness of who Jesus was -- with all the accompanying signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit -- became imitators of the Son of God. Those who could only go as far as the admiring and prevailing conventions of orthodox Christianity would accept began to fall away from the direction the movement was taking. I am not condemning either faction -- just stating that being either an imitator or admirer of Christ can look quite different from each other.

In the end, the world needs both to point them to the Savior. And no matter how you perceive Him, we all need the Holy Spirit to help grow our vision of Him and teach us how to represent Him, be like Him, imitate Him. Jesus came to earth, as the Son of God, to draw and invite followers to carry on His work until He returns. This weekend we celebrate the culmination of His time on earth, when He sacrificed Himself so we could be reconciled to the Father, and He rose from Death with the promise that we, too, can live again eternally in Heaven with Him. And until that heavenly reunion, He calls all true followers to model our lives after His -- healing, casting out demons, raising the dead, and spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom [from Salvation to Resurrection Life]. 

We are to be all He calls us to be, effecting change and transformation in our own lives and showing the way to others. It is incumbent upon us to respect and admire Him; but when we are actually willing to risk the admiration of others for the sake of becoming like Him, then we can truly be called His Disciples. I thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to be obedient followers who declare with abundant faith, "He has Risen"!

#truedisciplesofjesus #imitatorsofjesus #followersofjesus

1 John 2:6   Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.