Inhumanity, Dehumanization, and Extermination: Satan's Tools for Destruction

I know this may appear to be a dark subject matter, but my spirit has increasingly become aware that our Enemy is launching what may be his final campaign against humanity, and especially against those whom God loves. As a daughter of a WW2 veteran, and a student of history, I have long been interested in how seamlessly Satan was able to convince Hitler and his Nazi regime to sign on to his demonic agenda to exterminate the Jewish people. But that agenda hasn't just focused on the Jews in that war. In our century alone, the world has seen genocides in Sudan; Cambodia; Rwanda; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Armenia; the afore-mentioned Holocaust in Germany; Poland and Czechoslavia; the pogroms in Russia; and now the attempts at mutual annihilation in Israel and Palestine. 

We, here in the U.S., have been largely sheltered from the effects of a State policy of intentional destruction of a people. Yes, we are not without our sins towards humanity, and we may yet suffer the consequences of our various forms of inhumanity. For instance, consider our nation's hot-button topics of human trafficking and abortion. And the way I see it is that we begin with inhumanity, move into dehumanization, and it all ends in extermination [or elimination] ... none of which is in alignment with God's Spirit or His heart and intentions for mankind. So, Let me break down my theory of this spiritual disintegration. 

Let's look at human trafficking. The victims of this horrid practice are initially seen as a product of convenience, to be sold and profited from. This "business" becomes inhumane when they are subjected to cruel and brutal behavior; treated unkindly and without feeling. The practice moves into dehumanization when the process begins defining the victims as no longer possessing human qualities or a human nature; making them less than human and therefore not worthy of humane treatment. The final stage is the most grave sin [or crime] against humanity; the deliberate and systematic destruction of a person or people group. A heartless decision is made to toss the human[s] onto the trash pile of history.

The same system applies to the topic of abortion. God's creation is initially seen as nothing but "a clump of cells" or a non-human. And like the "business of human trafficking", the fetus becomes a commodity to be sold for profit; inhumanity instigated by humans against another unborn human. The dehumanization began simultaneously with the inhumanity -- the fetus was not credited with human qualities, which allows for its easy extermination. But I have never understood why some people will mourn a miscarriage of what they will call their "child", [which qualifies as the same "clump of cells" or "fetus"], yet maintain that it should readily be dismissed as a child and aborted.

I have set this discourse up in order to bring you a testimony that will tie it all together. It is the story of Eda Edl, an 89-year-old survivor of a Communist concentration camp following World War 2. You can read more about her story here. She was only six when the Nazi's invaded her homeland of Yugoslavia after a coup of their king weakened the country and led to a civil war. For a little while her family was safe from the rampage of the Nazi's, but after her father was kidnapped to fight in the Nazi rampage across Europe, he managed to get a letter to them, urging them to flee ... the Red Army was coming, and they would be brutal. They did not get out in time. The Soviet Union sought vengeance against their former Nazi allies in Germany [who had deliberately starved 3.3 million Soviet prisoners of war, and millions of civilians].

The Soviet Union, backed by the weapons and moral authority of the U.S. and Great Britain, brought its inhumanity in the form of Stalin's hatred and reign of terror against Germany and its conquered lands. Eva and her family were Yugoslavian by birth, but German by heritage and language. The new communist government then dehumanized her people by enacting laws that barred them from voting and took away their voice in domestic affairs. Her mother was kidnapped to dig trenches for the war effort, and her two older siblings were led by bayonet to a forced labor camp. Eva and her grandmother were put on a train bound for a concentration camp. While the free world was celebrating victory over Nazi Germany and the U.S. nuclear bombs at Nagasaki and Hiroshima elevated America to the pinnacle of world power, Eva and her people were targeted for elimination. 

Although the Nazi concentration camps ended at the end of the Second World War, the Communist death camps did not; they were just getting started. But there, in the darkest depth of hell on earth, Eva found Jesus! She was miraculously rescued from the genocide and destruction of her people and eventually emigrated to the United States. Because of her own experience of witnessing inhumanity, dehumanization and extermination, she recognized the same litany of godless laws and funding by the government that resulted in a million unborn babies being killed in what she saw as American death camps. That number has grown to over 60 million since those days.

Eva soon felt the call of God to lay down her life to rescue unborn children, just as others laid down their lives to rescue her. She became -- and still is -- a vital member of the Christian community who have become voices for life and justice. She has been arrested 46 times for interfering with abortion clinics, trying to save babies from death by abortion. The 89-year-old activist now faces a possible 4-year prison sentence for her latest protest of a clinic. But she has decided to live her life by the dictates of Proverbs 24:11-12 ... Rescue those who are being taken away to death, and those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]! If you [claim ignorance and] say, "See, we did not know this," does He not consider it who weighs and examines the heart and their motives? And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul? And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?   

So, my question to you is this ... Can you see the inhumanity, dehumanization and destruction in the ideologies of modern factions of society who perceive their fellow man as less than human, whether by the color of the skin, their faith, or their ethnicity? Sadly, it all seems to go hand-in-hand with our current toxic and virulent culture. But it also all makes perfect sense when you consider that so much of society has turned its back on God and is incapable of imitating His love for others, or seeing their unique gifts, purpose, or worth. Morality is now merely relevant to one's own system of values. 

Without God's standards of morality and righteousness, the human spirit becomes narcissistic and self-interested, fomenting indignation and anger against anyone who thinks  differently or is perceived to be their "enemy" and prohibiting their influence and power. This form of dehumanization is essentially incapable of comprehending that ALL men are made in the image of God. This lack of spiritual identity as image-bearers of our Almighty God will lead the world to destruction, if we, His remnant, do not find a way to turn the hearts of hardened men towards those they persecute. In addition, we must cling to the Word which says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".  That's a tall order when we are experiencing hostilities directed specifically at us. But we should expect nothing less from ourselves. 

The inhumanity of man towards his fellow man, plus the dehumanization and ultimate extermination and destruction of the human race leads us to the commands of the God we honor and exalt: "And this we will do so that at the Name of Jesus,"every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".  It is our duty and responsibility as the image-bearers of the God of all Creation to stand and to speak for those who are being subjected to Satan's brutal agenda to destroy mankind. 

As you read the Scripture at the end of this post, think of the world on the brink of catastrophic war; of the innocent babies in the womb; and of the trafficked children who suffer unspeakable horrors at the hands of wicked and vile men. That chapter of Isaiah prophesies the downfall of ancient Babylon to the Medes. But remember, Revelation, Chapter 18 prophesies of a future Daughter of Babylon [Babylon the Great] who will meet a similar fate because of her greed, pride, immorality, and agreements made with demonic agendas and Evil. Let us pray to God for repentance for this nation, and then let us be in agreement with Him to wage war in the spiritual realms [and through our Godly behavior] to re-establish God's dominion on the face of the Earth.    

Isaiah 13:18.    Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity [or show compassion to] the children.

Why "Blurry Creatures" Sharpens Understanding of Our Supernatural Bible

Get ready for a highly interesting and fascinating discussion on the part of our faith that is rarely studied and only occasionally discussed. Unfortunately, Religion has stifled or suppressed this vital part of our faith experience, and the Body of Christ has been left to experience it in silence, and oftentimes, fear. I'm talking about the supernatural and its close companion, the paranormal.

You may be asking, "Why is this necessary? I know I am washed in the Blood of Jesus, I am Saved and Redeemed and looking forward to Eternity with my Lord in Heaven. Why do I need to consider these fringe topics?" To begin, Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are supernatural! They are above, beyond, and far greater than anything that is called natural; they are immortal and invisible; they are super-natural. Secondly, the Bible records supernatural beings throughout its history: Behemoth, Leviathan, Angels, Demons, Nephilim, the Repha'im, the cherubim, Ezekiel's wheel, etc. In addition, the Bible tells us of the future supernatural beings that will appear at the end of the ages: the demonic scorpion-like locusts in Chapter 9 of the Book of Revelation, and the Red Dragon in Chapter 12. 

If you call yourself a true Christian, then you know the Bible is not just a storybook. It is the Word of Truth and Spirit. It verifies that the Supernatural plays an important part in our faith. Our culture will say that the Supernatural is essentially all phenomena that are based on religious perspectives. They will say that the Paranormal is almost any other phenomena that is not explained by science. So can you see that there is an attempt to distract us by creating an argument pitting religion against science? But if you have a personal relationship with Jesus [a heart vs head connection], then you know that the supernatural is real; you have experienced it and no amount of intellectual obfuscation will convince you otherwise.

I find it regrettable that "the Church" has stifled any curiosity or scrutiny into the supernatural history of the Bible -- which could serve to provide more testimony and confirmation of the greatness of our God. How much more powerful could our influence in the world be if we knew the fullness of Whose image we are made in? And that brings me to one of the first times I realized how this constraint has harmed our recent generations who have grown up in the "technological age." My husband, Mark, and I served at the Fisher House [a comfort home at Fort Sam Houston for military veterans and their families, while they are recovering in the hospital]. The Army Chaplain shared that the young soldiers began to disappear from his Bible study teachings. When he asked them why, they said that Odinism [the worship of Odin, Thor, and the Nordic "warrior" gods], and the Islam and Wicca religions were more exciting and adventurous than the Bible. Christianity had white-washed its history, rendering it "boring" to these young men and women in our military! In truth, it is anything but boring! 

But, now there is a new podcast that is beginning to change that dynamic, and it is exciting the hearts and minds of both our young and more mature generations. It's called "Blurry Creatures", and is the genius of Nathan Henry and Lukas Rodgers, who in their own words "explore the mysteries surrounding creatures on the fringe. [They] look into the depth of the unknown through a biblical lens. This takes them  down the trail of Bigfoot, Ancient Giants, the Nephilim, alternative history, and the sightings of beings that haven't yet been proven to exist. [They] are out to find better answers for the questions surrounding these." 

They ask the questions and let the experts tell them their opinions. Some of their guests have included the late Dr. Michael Heiser, an Old Testament scholar with training in ancient history, Semitic languages, and the Hebrew Bible; Gary Wayne, author of The Genesis 6 Conspiracy;  and Dr. Douglas Hamp, researcher and pastor, with an M.A. in "the Bible and its World" from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Some of the titles of episodes include The 12 Stones/Urim and Thummin by Dr. Doug Bookman; The Book of Enoch with Timothy Alverino; The Tower of Babel with Dr. Judd Burton; and Territorial Spirits with Dr. Joel Muddamalle.  

As you can see, the podcast explores topics and questions outside the range of our modern Western Churches. One of the most interesting episodes I listened to recently shared the history and the treasure-trove of documents left by the Essene sect of Judaism in the caves of Qumran, around 100 BC. These documents have become known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. I listened, transfixed by what was being revealed about the Essenes, the scrolls, and the reasons those documents were hidden. I've always said that everything in the Bible is true and points to Jesus... but everything about Biblical history and our God is not in the Bible; it would be so many volumes that there aren't enough libraries to hold all that history. So, anytime I can read or listen to learned men and women who authentically love the Lord and want to share more of His character, Spirit, nature, and supernatural accomplishments, I'm all in. 

Of course, it is incumbent upon us all to discern the spirits of those who bring us the information. Admittedly, some of it is for entertainment, and is not trying to be declared Biblical, but I have found that everything on this podcast is meant to seek answers that enlarge and expand our desire for more knowledge about this supernatural world we live in; whether we can attribute it to the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness. And I have been delighted to see middle age men receive a curiosity about things of the Bible; things they never would have considered before this podcast ... for example, how the apocryphal books [many of which were once included in the Bible] are answering some of their questions that have long gone unanswered by their Church. It's like watching a child get excited about learning for the first time! And it's opening up discussions about the vastness and greatness of God's character; it's growing their faith and their understanding of the majesty and glory of God. They are realizing they don't have to rely on the Vatican or the Smithsonian to give them their interpretation of the answers. They can actually begin to do their own research by going to the Bible themselves. This podcast is creating a fountain of love for the Word in hearts that were dry and thirsty.  

Then there is the 16-year-old home-schooled young man who wants to go on to study history, majoring in Biblical history. Blurry Creatures can ignite some areas he may want to investigate and explore. I think the real value of this podcast lies in the demeanor of the hosts who created it ... by "letting the Bible say what it says", or letting the Book of Enoch "say what it says" -- without putting their personal slant on it, they are encouraging people to search out their own answers in the best resource possible ... their Bibles. The podcast gives people a place to go; people who know there is more than what their denominational theology has taught. They can listen to an unbiased rendition of facts, and then take that back to their Bible to let the Book and the Holy Spirit reveal more of God's Truth. 

The popularity of Blurry Creatures exposed the huge vacuum of unanswered questions that Church-goers had. Imagine if Church leaders had invited this forum into their churches to present some of these topics. Think how they could have taken advantage of the curiosity and the questions that would arise and led their memberships back to the Bible for the answers. And yes, there are topics out there on the periphery that qualify as "fringe"; topics about exorcisms, gray aliens, reptilians, and the hive mind. But these are all topics that people, young and old, are talking about. And Blurry Creatures brings in the experts to examine them and you'd be surprised how many of them are actually alluded to in the Bible.

My final comment on this topic is that I'm sure there will be those who will not consider this blog as appropriate for Christian consideration. It will probably be seen as blasphemous by more than a few. But, just like Jesus, I'm not afraid to confront those biases, and I am grateful for the free will that God has given everyone to decide for themselves. If it's not for you, that's fine; there is absolutely no judgment or pressure on my part. But if you decide to give it a listen, all I can say is Welcome to the Blurryverse! I hope that you find answers to some of your questions and if you do, I give all the glory to God!

Proverbs 25:2     It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out. 

The Importance of God's Truth in a "Cultural Christian" World

At the heart of my post today is the concept that a society cannot continue to exist if it discards a foundation of truth. And, of course, it is important to define what truth is and why it's important. In this postmodern world, truth is often looked upon as being individually decided by one's own history, social class, gender, culture, etc. Feelings become a basis of establishing your individual truth and there is no belief in a moral absolute definition of truth. In a postmodern world, truth is relative to your individual belief system and life circumstances. 

To me, the funny thing is that this idea of "postmodernity" is fairly recent -- that modernity ended in the late 20th century [1980s or early 1990s]. Those of us who are older can actually see that mindset taking hold in our younger generations. But the idea of Truth is certainly thousands of years older than that, right? How did we so quickly reject what passed as Truth for centuries before ? 

Of course, as a Christian, I know God as the ultimate definition of Truth. In fact, the website Got Questions tells us the Greek word for truth is aletheia, meaning "divine revelation", and it is related to another word that literally means "what can't be hidden." The Hebrew word for truth is emeth, which means "firmness, constancy, and duration" -- the idea that truth is established and unchanging; there is an understanding that it is universally valid and the ultimate reality.

Think about this: the opponent [and opposite] of Truth is Lies. We get a clear picture of that dynamic when Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin for trial by religious men who didn't like the Truth He spoke because it threatened their livelihood and power. They renounced, rejected, and subverted the truth [with lies] in order to destroy it. But they had no legal right to eliminate Truth, so Jesus found Himself standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. They played verbal judo over Jesus's kingship, until Jesus pronounced,"You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice" ... to which Pilate responded with the question that has resounded throughout the world, "What is truth"? 

As Creator of the world, the Father and Jesus established their Truth as the foundation of a righteous, good, virtuous and ethical world that was meant to benefit everyone. It is [and was meant to be] an established foundation that would guide mankind into a morally right and virtuous life in relationship with their Creator; a life that would last for eternity. I believe that many things can have elements of truth about them, but there is only one thing that is at the root and origin of Truth. And that is God. Truth began with Him. 

I saw an interesting video on social media when a learned Christian spoke to a young woman who claimed to be an atheist, not believing that God was real or existed. But the Christian asked her if she could agree that if she looked upon a painting, she had to admit that there was a painter who had painted it; that there was an originator of that work of art; it didn't just appear out of nothing. That painting began with an idea from the painter and he or she established the beginning and foundation of that painting. Its existence was founded and developed by the painter, and the substance [the fundamental quality and heart of the painting] belong to the painter. Other pretenders or false artists can copy that painting and add their own elements to it and try to change its intrinsic appearance, but at its core, it still belongs to the painter. 

That relationship exists between God and Truth. It was His work that established the earth and everything in it. It is His Truth that is the foundation upon which the earth and mankind rests. We don't determine God's Truth; we discover it as He reveals it to us. We don't invent our version of His Truth; we follow what He has given us. God's Truth is a very real and definitive set of instructions by which we are to live our lives. It is based on His all-knowing wisdom and knowledge -- not on what we decide works best for us. That is why it benefits mankind when we obey His commandments and His Word ... everyone understands what is desired of us from the One who created us, which creates a Biblical worldview that everyone can agree on, eliminating strife and disagreements.

I recently read an article in Harbinger's Daily, which quoted George Orwell: "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it". And remember when I said the opposite of Truth is Lies? Well, we have an Enemy who is the Father of Lies, and his goal is to attack God's Truth any way he can. His favorite ways are to distort it and corrupt it; changing the original context of Truth into his version, which is full of lies ... such as we are not created, but we evolved; a fetus is just a clump of cells, not a baby; and you are not born a specific gender -- the decision is yours. All this masking and distorting of God's Truth results in a perverted worldview. And it is not limited to the secular world.

Did you know that there is now a societal stance [or viewpoint] called a "cultural Christian"? And did you know that it can be adopted by people as diverse as Richard Dawkins, the well-known atheist and Elon Musk, who has become an icon of technology and innovation in the realms of the economy, national security, social discourse, and the future of humanity? But what does Musk mean by identifying as a cultural Christian? Again, Harbinger's Daily revealed an interview with Jordan Peterson, in which Elon said this: "While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise ... there's a tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek." He went on to say he's a "big believer in the principles of Christianity", and thereby identified as "probably a cultural Christian."

But, Elon, giving a nod to the teachings of Jesus isn't the same as surrendering your life to Him, and receiving Him as your Savior. In that sense, you are refusing to accept God's Truth -- His complete and comprehensive Truth. You can't cherry-pick which of His "principles" you want to follow, while rejecting others, and have the right to call yourself a Christian. While the article says Musk believes he's found some truth in Jesus, he's yet to discover that Jesus Christ is the truth! While the religion of Christianity fulfills his curious nature and gives him greater enlightenment, Musk is missing out on the core message of Jesus's teachings: mankind needs the redemption from our sins that Jesus provides by His sacrifice on our behalf.

All these thoughts and opinions on Truth not anchored in the Originator are just that ... opinions. Without believing in the preeminent and authoritative Truth of God [as stated in the Bible]; the Truth that has established absolute and supreme morality, then men will create and build their own foundation of truth on shifting ground. You cannot try to live with half  your heart in agreement with the culture and the other half according to the principles in the Bible. Because what is your foundation? God's Word or man's flawed, narcissistic creation of his particular truth? You will not be able to stand in times of trouble. There's a battle coming, and we must fight it in Truth and Spirit. The Culture will not defend us.

Joshua 24:15     Choose this day who you will serve, whether ... the gods ... in whose land you dwell [or] ... the Lord" 

"A Time to Keep Silent, and A Time to Speak"

We're all familiar with what we call "seasons" in our life, right? ... various life cycles, each with its own characteristics and complexities. Examples are the experiences centered around the aging process, or relationship status, levels of knowledge, or even happiness and sadness. Solomon had a lot to say about the different seasons of life: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up; a time to love and a time to hate; and the one I want to focus on today -- a time to keep silent and a time to speak.

If you are at all anointed in the prophetic, then you know what I'm talking about. The prophet Ezekiel is probably the poster child for knowing when to be quiet and listen, and when to speak what he's been told. His assignment from the Lord was clearly understood (I'm paraphrasing here): I've made you a watchman over Israel. So hear what I tell you and warn them, according to My Word. When I give you a warning for them, that their wicked ways will lead to death, and you don't share that warning with them, then they [and their generations] will die in their iniquity. But it will be your fault [for not warning them] and I will hold you responsible. Yet if you have given them My warning, and they continue in their sin and iniquity, they will die, but you will have saved your life.

That's a pretty heavy responsibility. Ezekiel was to be faithful and obedient in speaking God's warnings to men, and therefore be innocent of the blood of all men. But guess what? God still hands out that assignment, and those who receive it today also carry that weighty and demanding responsibility. The components of that responsibility are to know when to speak and when to remain silent. And that can be a burdensome decision.

Let me share just one of my experiences. The season in which God began speaking to me in my spirit was not only new and unprecedented, but a time of deep concern. I had no "credentials" in the Church; nor any reputation or standing that gave anyone reason to believe that what I said came from the Lord. Therefore, this new assignment came with great risk to me, personally. But I was being shaken to my core with the understanding that God was showing me something that He wanted shared with specific groups in the Body of Christ, and He wanted to use me. 

I will never forget the first time that I was presented with a testimony from someone who had acted on what I had shared regarding His call to an Inner Healing ministry for me and my husband. Her testimony of how God had acted in her life through my sharing the knowledge He had given me [and which applied specifically to her] was earth-shattering. But I had no fear in taking that step; it was something between me and her, and I knew she was ready to receive it. But when God then told me [through a word from the Holy Spirit] that I needed to share her testimony with a women's class at a local church, I admit that I tried to convince the Spirit that it wasn't a good idea. In fact, I begged Him to relieve me of that assignment. But I clearly heard, "They need to hear this Word because things are going to soon change in the world and My People need to prepare for the spiritual battle that's coming against the culture, the nation, and their lives". 

I went in the spirit realm for a couple of minutes, leaving behind my consciousness of what was going on in the class, all in a gentle attempt to persuade the Holy Spirit that we should postpone the testimony. But it became perfectly clear that I had a choice ... speak God's Truth in this situation, or leave these women without benefit of His warning and the blessing of hearing a transformative testimony. I said a quick prayer, and timidly spoke up .... "If I could have a couple of minutes, I'd like to share ....".

Let me just say that it has taken nearly 9 years to begin to see the fruit of that challenge Holy Spirit gave me. I did share the unusual and unorthodox testimony of the woman who, in her own words, said "There are so many things I could share [after you ministered to me] ... so much happening ... so much the Lord is showing me! Every single day there is some new revelation about so many things... How privileged we are to be alive today!! That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to what's coming, but it does mean I'm excited to see what God is going to do"!!! 

While all that sounds positive and encouraging, the group of women did not see it that way. What I shared pointed out the evil that is going on under the nose of the Church and how it would continue to grow and subvert our nation unless the Body of Christ understood that Spiritual Warfare was real and heeded the warning from the Lord to engage in the battle with God and His heavenly army. Those years of being ostracized and criticized while wondering if I was correctly hearing from the Lord wasn't fun, but I never doubted that this was just a season in which the Lord was preparing me for even greater spiritual battles. Don't get me wrong -- there have been many victories in the ensuing years, even as my husband and I are seeing the rapid increase in the Evil in the world. There is never a doubt about whether we will speak when commanded [and we take the time to discern if we've truly heard His voice]. We take our responsibility very seriously.

At the same time, the Lord has taught us when to remain silent. When we are alerted that He wants to speak to us, we reverently wait before Him, silent in His presence, so that we can rightly discern His instructions. We also remain silent if it is not abundantly clear what our assignment is. Without all the knowledge we need of God's commandment [in order to carry it out correctly], we will not take it upon ourselves to speculate or play theological roulette. We don't try to assume God's thoughts or put our spin on it. We wait, silently and patiently, until we receive His clear mandate. 

I will also say that it is becoming increasingly difficult to be the one to share God's message in this season -- because we are living in a season that, for lack of better words, seems completely divergent and perverse... "out of season", if you will. As far as Christianity goes, we are living in a time in which we can't even recognize our culture or understand what it believes or thinks. The world truly seems upside down. I don't know if this will make sense to you or not, but the website Harbinger's Daily recently quoted American philosopher Allan Bloom, who 30 years ago said we were experiencing "the closing of the American mind". It's not hard to determine that those with "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" are closing their minds to the warnings God is giving through His messengers, the watchmen. We, who are dedicated to speaking His warnings, are castigated by the mainstream Church who only wants to receive words of good tidings and revival. But would you rather be in trouble with men ... or with God, for remaining silent, when He has told us to speak? It is actually a matter of sinning or not!  

We must recognize that the words God gives us and the words we speak [or don't speak] have eternal consequences. The world may be at war with God and our assignments, but we who step up to fulfill our assignments know that we must obey God and have no choice but to speak. And we are willing to take all the slings and arrows from the civilization of men, if it means lives will be saved for all Eternity.  

Isaiah 55:11    So shall My Word be which goes out of My mouth; it will not return to me void [useless, without result] without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.    

            

Connecting the Jesus Who "Was" to the Jesus that "Is Now"

I've recently been diving deep into the Book of Mark, which historians believe was the first of the four Gospels to be written. Furthermore, they believe that both Matthew and Luke borrowed heavily from the author of Mark in their writings. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes the deeds of Jesus; what He did, more than on His words or teachings. I've always been fascinated with the story of how He healed the man with a withered hand. And I want to share how I believe that this miracle is a foreshadowing of the power and authority that is available to us, and how it points to our access to bring the supernatural provision of Heaven into our earthly existence ... a higher understanding of "on earth as it is in Heaven", if you will.

First of all, I'm going to ask you to open your mind and heart to a greater understanding of Scripture than you might have heard in traditional Christianity. It has always bothered me that 21st Century Christians struggle with embracing the supernatural reality of our faith and relationship with our Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. The Early Church walked in it, but it seems as if Satan has been able to diminish its importance and existence as he has increasingly "dumbed down" our comprehension of God's Word.

Just a quick aside, before I jump into the heart of this blog ... When Jesus shares His description of what happens when one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment, or what happens when one puts new wine into old wineskins, we must correctly interpret His meanings. He is introducing something new, not patching up something old. The new life He is bringing to us as citizens of God's Kingdom on earth won't fit in the old religious forms of the Old Testament [prior to His Coming]. The religious laws kept God's people bound up in their man-made rituals and traditions. Jesus came to show them that all the 613 extraneous additions to the Law [which could be summed up in "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your fellow man] were unproductive. Jesus did not come to destroy the original intent of the Law, but to fulfill it. But this new teaching and understanding created a natural collision and conflict between man's Religion, with a capital "R", and the Kingdom of God, which Jesus was bringing.

We see the incompatibility when, in Chapter 3, Jesus enters the synagogue and sees a man with a withered hand. He knows it is His Father's will that this man's hand be healed. When Jesus sees that the religious leaders lie in wait, hoping to accuse Him for healing on the Sabbath, it angers Him that the Pharisees did not recognize that human need is more important than religious rituals. They totally missed the Truth that God established the Sabbath to serve man [to be a day of rest and to meet the needs of men], not for man to answer to [and be responsible for following] a bunch of religious rituals and rules. So, now comes the heart of what I want us to understand ... Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand". The man stretched it out, and His hand was restored. I want you to understand that this is to be practiced today, as it was then.      

Those two sentences in italics carry an entire mountain of knowledge about what just happened in that one verse. I'll try to condense it into a manageable and understandable teaching. That word, Stretch, comes from the Greek word ekteino, with ek meaning "the point of origin from which something proceeds [the place, time, and/or cause]", which in this instance refers to the withered hand; and teino meaning "to extend forth, stretch out, cast out, to exert power and energy". Within the context of this passage, we need to understand that Jesus now has a reputation for miraculous healing, and the man obviously trusted Him to heal him, because without hesitation, he stretched his hand out. In addition, the Pharisees expected Him to do a healing, because they were waiting to accuse Him. 

But here is the new teaching of what Jesus is showing us in Mark 3:1-6. At that moment Jesus entered into the Realm of Glory, where God works through His anointed vessels [men] and we can experience the manifestation of His Presence as His will is revealed in all circumstances. Obviously, God wanted this man's paralyzed hand to be restored, and Jesus [as a man] was able to ascend [in His spirit] to receive God's desire, instructions, [and will] for the man, along with the healing power of Heaven to see it done. It is a revelation of the supernatural dynamics of faith coupled with the Glory of God that results in bringing the promises of Heaven [no pain, no disease, restored bodies and lives etc], to the earth. Furthermore, as we are seated in the Heavenly Realm, we can do just as Jesus did -- take our seat in the Presence of God, and see, watch, listen, and hear how to accomplish the miracles He did in this earthly realm.

But first we need to take a closer look at what happened to the man with the withered hand. And we need to understand that Time doesn't exist in Heaven as we know it on earth. Think of Heaven as Timeless. Genesis tells us that Jesus is the lawful owner of all things because He created it all -- the world, the heavens and reaches of space, and all the ages of Time. And there is an order to it all. In the Glory Realm of Heaven, where God is present, all the ages of time are there [past, present, future]. Things and events happen at super speed because time is not like it is here; there is an acceleration of time and space. Once you learn to ascend to that Glory Realm [in your spirit] you are in a timeless realm, where limitless Glory exists. You can actually command things to come back and forth, with the ability to pause time, reverse time, or go forward in time.

How can that be? We need to suspend the limits of how things work in this earth after our dominion was usurped in the Garden of Eden. Can you grasp that the Garden existed as a colony of Heaven before Eve capitulated to the temptations of Satan? Try to understand this principle: Everything that is created has atoms, protons, and neutrons inside, and these particles have sound waves [which Jesus also created] and they hear God's commands. When you become one with God, and are in covenant with Him, and are in His Presence, you can command the mountain to move, or the seas to calm -- because those things don't hear you; they hear God's voice in you. That's why God could tell Moses to speak to the rock, and it would produce water. The molecular core sound waves in the rock received the message, and provided water from the inside out. But the same thing did not happen when Moses mistakenly struck the rock. God takes it seriously when you abuse His instruments of provision and healing.

And don't forget in Ekeziel 37 when the Lord commanded the prophet to prophesy over the bones and say, "O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord... Behold I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord". There was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. Remember that the core of those bones was atoms, protons and neutrons, and the sound waves within them hear the command of God through the anointed's voice. So, if you have the Spirit of the Lord in you, you can command anything to do something or change, because at their core, everything is made of atoms, protons and neutrons. You can ask a lost diamond wedding ring to come to you and reveal where it is, because that diamond is made of atoms, protons, and neutrons and the sound waves at its core will respond to the voice of God that it hears in your command. 

Or you can speak to a shoulder to be healed and command the pain to go, because the pain travels from the inside out at the command of God's voice, which it hears in your voice. In the same way, cancer dies from the inside out when the body is commanded to be restored. When we operate from the Glory Realm in Heaven, everything is [and can be] restored and made whole. There is no distance of time in the Glory Realm. The past, present, and future are all there in the same realm. We can go back in time and restore our bloodline to bring it into alignment with Jesus's design; we can go back in time and correct things that happened to us; and we can go into the future and bring God's promises to us now. When we understand our ability to ascend to the Glory Realm, along with the power and authority Jesus has given us to command healing, you can understand why He taught His disciples to teach the Great Commission: heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead.

There is so much more to this concept, but here's the last understanding I want you to grasp today... when Jesus came [and again when He ascended to Heaven] He ripped through the invisible fabric of space and time. He ripped that fabric of time apart for us and gave us the authority to speed up, reduce, change or shorten time in order to defeat Satan's strategy to keep us bound to the limitations of this earthly realm. Just like the veil ripped apart in the Temple at the time of His death, He opened up access to the Glory Realm and gave us the right and the means to approach the Father for all we need to make earth look like Heaven. All we have to do is ascend [in the Spirit] and take our seat in the Glory Realm alongside Him.      

It is imperative that modern Believers understand what Jesus did in the Book of Mark, and see that He is still doing it today. He is the same today as He was then, and will be til the end of time. And He calls us to participate in this important and necessary principle of our relationship with our Father in Heaven. When you worship Him by praising Him, and by getting quiet [and still] and listening for Him, you can learn how to master and command Time in order to glorify God as you see the provision and miracles He has for us all. It deeply saddens me when I hear Christians say God no longer performs miracles. That's not true! We simply need to look upon what my wise husband calls "the spiritual mechanics" of God's ways in order to walk in all He has for us. You have access to Him! You have a seat awaiting you in the Heavenly realm to work with Him and bring about His will for every person on earth. Can you take hold of God's Glory and share it with the world? What are you waiting for?

I'd like to acknowledge the teachings of Katie Souza and David Herzog in the preparation of this post.

Acts 22:14-15     And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, [and to progressively understand His plan with clarity and power] and to see the Righteous One [Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and to hear a message from His [own] mouth. For you will be His witness to all men testifying of what you have seen and heard.'

  

  

Is It Really Wise To "Be Unburdened By What Has Been"?

Let me be clear right from the start that this blog post is not meant to be political. Because, you see, I don't think politics is our answer to the problems in our nation or the world. I'm going to borrow from a Social Media post by ridinghighministries.org .... Make no mistake, I am a born-and-bred, red, white and blue daughter of a member of the Greatest Generation who was willing to die for his country at the young age of 17, and I'm proud of my heritage. But I can't say what I want you to hear any better than what Todd Pierce of Riding High Ministries said in his video ... "America is not my god; and it's not my hope. I'm not waiting for government to get things figured out before I know what it's like to live in the land of the free. Because freedom doesn't have anything to do with the fact that we live in the greatest nation in the world. Freedom has everything to do with the fact that I'm not bound up inside of myself. I don't have to repeat the patterns that have plagued my family for generations. I'm free from those chains."

American Christians have to decide which is more important ... our commission with Jesus or our national pride; serving His Kingdom or playing politics. Politics and politicians are all about telling us how they are going to make America a better place for us to live in, prosper, and raise our families. But what do they really offer us? In most of the political cycles of my lifetime, it's been a bunch of rhetoric and catchy phrases that offer us a picture of what could be, but they never deliver. And they tell us how bad it's been under the leadership of the other party, and how we need to eradicate the mistakes and tragedies of our history to make way for a new definition of what America stands for.

Lately, I've been hearing some new gaslighting terminology which says we need to [here it is again] "look at what can be", [but there's a caveat this time] "unburdened by what has been". I'm assuming the secret message in that confusing jargon is that in order to consider a drastic change in our current system of ideas and ideals which form the basis of our economic, cultural and political identity, we should separate ourselves from our past [including our beliefs, principles, convictions, opinions, ethics, and morals]. The idea is that if only we could forget who we've been for the last 248 years and adopt a new paradigm that fundamentally transforms everything we've ever been, we would become a better nation. Let's stop being who we've been [and are]; leave that burden behind to imagine a new idea of who we can be.  

I find no problem in looking at what can be. We should always be working towards making things better for all our citizens. But how do we learn to do that if we aren't willing to look at what has been? Spanish philosopher George Santayana penned the famous quote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". We've done a pretty good job in the last generation of wiping out some of the pillars of our American foundation. Our public school system has removed Civics from its class curriculum, which has resulted in a large percentage of kids who graduate high school and don't know the three branches of our government, what the Emancipation Proclamation accomplished, one right or freedom from the First Amendment to the Constitution, or the first three words of that noble document [which by the way, is We the People]. 

Yes, we've not been a perfect country -- and most certainly are not now -- but if we manage to wipe out our history [including the good with the bad], what's to keep us from repeating the bad, which got us here in the first place? Our history shows us what led to such a divided nation that we fought a Civil War; brother against brother; father against son. Do we really want to descend into that national hell again? There are lots of lessons to learn from that horrendous time in our history, including wisdom from men on both sides of that conflict. We can also learn from their struggles how they rebuilt a united nation; we can learn from both their failures and their victories. But if we only look at "what can be" and ignore [or erase] "what has been", how do we guarantee that some future generation won't be tempted to repeat the same mistakes?

REMEMBER: Jesus said "As it was in the days of Noah". He wanted us to learn from the past; to see the errors mankind was led to make [all to their shame and destruction]. He also said, "Those who look back from the plow aren't fit for the Kingdom". But that presupposes you are plowing up fertile ground, and planting good seed -- not seeking to destroy the foundations of what was constructed for your individual well-being. Each of us has a unique and separate purpose that we are to fulfill in this short time we are on the earth. Jesus died to deliver us from Evil and the temptation to sin; to give us the freedom to pursue that purpose in holiness and righteousness. And one of the founding pillars of this nation is that our Government was instituted to give men the right to secure the freedom to pursue their individual blessings of Life, Liberty and Happiness. 

Personally, I don't want to be "unburdened" from our centuries of history that shows me "what can be" when we are governed by a system that derives it's just powers from the consent of the governed. But the essential word in that last sentence is "just"; the kind of powers that are honorable, upright, decent, honest, righteous, ethical, moral, virtuous, principled, full of integrity, trustworthy, and incorruptible. Anything less is undesirable for a safe, secure, free, and independent people. And perhaps it is this ideology that we should really be re-considering [and deliberately thinking about] in terms of "what can be".

And the ultimate goal of my rumination on this subject is to reiterate that while America is not my god, I know that my God wants to bless this land with the fullness of the Freedom that my Lord died to give us all. A government made by men cannot do that, but Heaven's righteous government, which Jesus came to bring us, most certainly can. His Freedom unburdens us from the chains of oppression that can have us in bondage to Satan. Let us pray that whatever form of government our politics gives us in November, it will be one that delivers us from Evil into the Kingdom, Power, and Glory of Jesus Christ!

Psalms 22:28     Because the right to rule belongs to the LORD, He rules all the nations. (CEB)

 

Our New Reality?

Today's post is going to be shorter than usual. I had a whole new post ready to go today, but with the news we woke up to, it's time to pivot. Everything is happening so fast -- world economic collapse seems imminent; a world war is definitely in view; huge layoffs are happening, with the tech sector beginning the slide by laying off 100,000 employees last week; civil war is breaking out in Great Britain, with the same thing looming in Ireland; a devastating hurricane is about to hit our East Coast; not to mention that two biological men are boxing in the Olympics for the Women's gold medal.

What the Lord has shown me and my husband -- and what we have been shouting from the wall -- looks to be coming true. Has the Lord reached His limit of patience regarding our disobedience and rebellion? Let's just look at the situation with Hurricane Debby and the catastrophic flooding that's expected. In 2012 I wrote a blog showing how America and Israel's destinies are intertwined. Here's a couple examples: In 1991 The Perfect Storm hit with 35 foot waves crashing into the Kennebunkport home of President George H.W. Bush after he initiated the Madrid Peace Conference, giving up "land for peace". When the Madrid Conference moves to Washington DC in 1992 and the peace talks resume, Hurricane Andrew [the worst natural disaster ever to hit America] comes ashore and produces an estimated $30 billion in damage and leaving 180,000 homeless in Florida. Think it's judgment from God on how we're treating Israel?

Consider the following and then decide: The Northridge Earthquake [1994] happens when President Clinton meets with Syria's President to talk about a peace agreement with Israel that includes giving up the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours a powerful 6.9 earthquake rocks Southern California. Hurricane George slams into the U.S. Gulf Coast with 110 mph winds and gusts up to 175 mph and then stalls. Clinton was meeting with Yassar Arafat and Netanyahu to finalize a land deal that would make an independent Palestinian state a reality by 1999. Hurricane George pounds the Gulf Coast, causing $1 billion in damage. At the exact moment that Arafat departs the country, the storm begins to dissipate.

And the coincidences (?) go on and on ... the Texas floods in 1998; the evaporation of the world economic Markets in 1998 when America promises $400 million to Arafat for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital; a powerful super tornado sweeps across Oklahoma and Kansas, clocking 316 mph winds on the day Arafat is scheduled to declare the Palestinian state; Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans after Israel carries out the evacuation of 9500 residents from the Gaza Strip. Since that 2012 post, we have seen more devastation and destruction from natural disasters as our national policies have not coincided with God's will for the apple of His eye. HEAR ME: I'm not saying that Israel is walking with righteousness and we should approve everything they do. On the contrary, they have sinned against YHWH in equal measure. But the U.S. leaders are responsible for what this country does and how they influence the world.

So, back to today's news ... should we be concerned when North Korea begins moving its missiles to South Korea, or China declares that if the U.S. gets involved in the Middle East tensions, they will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Russia? You bet we should! Do we still have the protection of Almighty God? Take a look at what our country stands for today, and then decide. Personally, I think the only thing keeping us from His judgment is the righteous prayers of His righteous people. Don't stop praying! And try to wake up your friends and family. Believe me, I know how frustrating it is to continually warn that there is no guarantee that any of us will escape the chaos that is happening in the world.

And I see the battle going on in the spiritual realm. Let your prayers strengthen the Archangel Michael and his heavenly army that wage war against Satan and his evil forces. Michael fights for Israel and for us [if we bless Israel]. The battle is real! We must put our spiritual armor on and take up our battle stations. Continue to love others, pour the love of Jesus into them, and be ready to defend our God at every turn. It is up to us who know what we stand to lose [in both the physical and spiritual realms] to lead the way and encourage everyone in our sphere of influence to go forth without fear. Now is the time to show the Enemy our true identity in Christ!.

2 Timothy 3:1     But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 

"Redeem The Time For The Days Are Evil"

Oh, how I wish that my spirit would wake me up in the middle of the night bringing tidings of joy and good news for mankind! Instead, I am once again being awakened with a deep sense of urgency to warn my fellow Believers that how we spend our time from this moment forward is more important than ever. 

I don't have to tell you that we are in a battle for our nation and our very lives. Because the building blocks of our national DNA are freedom and liberty, we instinctively know we are losing the foundation that is necessary for our continued development, purpose, and growth. And if you've paid any amount of attention during the last three or four years, then you know that our God-created DNA is under attack, too.

Just reading the headlines today is enough to send some into a downward spiral of fear and despair ... increased military action is threatened in the Middle East as the leaders of Israel, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey are beating the drums of war; Venezuela is descending into utter chaos after "sham" election; Russia is training its troops for nuclear war; UK warns of elevated risk of new pandemic of "bird flu"; the German economy is on the verge of collapse, bringing into view David Wilkerson's prophecy that Germany would be first, followed by Japan, and then the U.S.; the Western food supply is diminishing... 

I don't write this out of ignorance that the Battle is the Lord's, and the ultimate victory is ours. And I definitely am not fear-mongering to deliberately arouse alarm among my fellow countrymen and brethren in Christ. Rather, I am writing to encourage everyone to harken upon the words of the Apostle Paul when he tells us in Ephesians 5:14-16, to "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you and give you light". He goes on to tell us to "redeem the time, because the days are evil". 

So, I am talking to those Christians who have convinced themselves that they don't need to worry or do anything during these dark days because Jesus has promised He will not abandon us, and we just need to trust in Him to take care of everything. But He never said we would be free of the consequences of Satan's dark kingdom on earth. In fact, He warned us of the evil things to come! And for those nonbelievers who are still mired in their normalcy bias and think nothing can ever defeat us because "we're America and we'll always be on top" -- look around you! I'm talking to you, too! 

The Bible tells us that Satan is "the god of this world" and he has been very successful in deceiving the masses and recruiting humanity to rebel against all righteousness. There is a global war in the spiritual realms as Satan and his demons bring increasing rage against those who belong to Christ. They know their time is running short because God is exposing their lies and schemes; Our Almighty God is ripping off the blindfolds and dirty veils of those who have been unable [or unwilling] to see His Truth, and He is revealing the works of those who are in league with Satan and his anti-Christ agenda. But the Light of Christ is shining brightly on their wicked deeds! Are you beginning to see the strategies of the Evil One to form an alliance with unholy men and claim masses of people as his victims, bringing them into utter destruction and eternal torment? Are you ready to redeem the time remaining to us?     

If so, what does it mean for us to "redeem the time"? There's lots for us to consider, and Paul gives wise counsel in that Ephesians 5 passage. For too long, we just groped our way through the mess Satan was creating, compromising our moral standards, and thinking our religious prayers were going to save us. But now that Jesus has shined His Light on the wickedness and perversion, we should see plainly our way forward. So let's redeem the time we've lost -- let's make the most of it and be constantly aware that the clock is ticking! Yes, I believe Jesus is close to returning, but because we don't know the day or the hour, we need to figure out what He wants us to be doing until He makes His appearance .. and then do it!

Speaking for myself, I don't want to waste my time on the useless, shallow things of this world... the barren pursuits that don't produce any fruit for His Kingdom. Maybe it's because I am advancing in years and know my time is short, so I want to be intentional with my time, carefully watching my thoughts, my words, and my deeds to make sure I am not only preparing the way for Him, but can stand before Him with as little regret as possible. I want to be in constant touch with the Holy Spirit, conscious of His every word of knowledge that can give me the wisdom, understanding, and discernment as to how I can rise up in my own righteous Might and help others to do the same. 

I want to commit every day to looking for the opportunities the Lord gives me to glorify Him. I want to sing His praises, worship Him by studying His Word, and share all the goodness and mercy He has bestowed on me through my salvation. I want to educate people by spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom; that He came the first time to restore dominion of the earth back to us so that we might walk in power and authority from our Father in Heaven to reclaim His Creation from the Usurper and Thief. And I want to become better at loving my neighbor, praying for my enemies, and taking care of the poor. I want to spend my time healing people [physically, emotionally, and spiritually] -- seeing people set free from disease, demons, and their own sins.

And I am suiting up in my Spiritual Armor, tearing down the strongholds and demonic structures in the spiritual realms that have enslaved so much of humanity. Redeeming our time here on earth means we regain possession of all that Jesus has given us -- dominion, salvation, power, authority, righteousness, peace, prosperity, wisdom, love for others, eternity with Him, and Heavenly treasure. In the end, our days "pass away like smoke", and "like a passing shadow". We are here for what seems like a breath, and then we are gone. It is urgently important that we make the most of every opportunity we have in our remaining time. Our Heavenly Father is shouting from Heaven with a wake-up call for those who can hear in the Spirit. Do you hear it? The hour is late for both our nation and the world... For those who are called by His Name, it is time to be wise and understand the will of the Father and His Son. 

We have the spiritual weapons to win because we have the Strength of the Lord on our side. Let us each redeem our remaining time here on earth by doing the Father's will -- here, as it is in Heaven. Let us do all that is Good, all that is Right, and all that is True! Unmask Evil and its fraudulent disguises, exposing its ugliness to the Light of Christ! Understand what pleases Christ and then just go do it! These are desperate times for the world. Don't waste another minute of it!

1 John 2:17      The world is passing away, and it, its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever. 

Understanding 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony of Debauchery & Perversion

By now you've heard about the outrage and transgression of the Paris Olympics organizers to open the 2024 Games with a sketch they say was meant to "trigger a reflection", and to have as strong a message as possible about "community tolerance". They provoked a strong response, that's for sure. I just don't think it's the tribute they were hoping for. And before you come to a conclusion about what you think I'm going to say, please read the entire post. 

Millions of Christians took offense [rightfully so] at what looked to be a parody of Leonardo de Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper. And for sure, they situated a woman at the center of their table, appearing with a semblance of the "halo of glory" that often appears in paintings of Christ, representing His holiness and divinity. And yes, she is accompanied by an array of followers who are celebrating in stances of adoration, as they align to her right and left, just like Leonardo's painting. While this "skit" certainly insinuates a synchronicity with Jesus and His disciples at The Last Supper and the worship of a God-like figure, there is more that Christians need to understand about the more targeted message of debauchery and perversion.

A more accurate explanation of this "artistic expression" is that it is a celebration of the ancient worship of the "little g" god of wine, abandon, and revelry, known as Bacchus, or Dionysus. There are many versions of the Dionysus legend, but Paris 2024 obviously decided to focus on his lascivious and salacious character. By all mythological accounts, Dionysus sounds like he was a party hound deluxe. By the way, he's the naked man reclining in the middle of the stage being "served up" to a worldwide audience who tuned in to what they were hoping was going to be a beautiful observance of the beauty and history of Paris. Instead, they were treated to a big helping portion of deviance, degeneracy, and wickedness. But let's dive deeper into Satan's influence in this presentation.

According to Greek mythology, Dionysus is seen as "the protector of those who do not belong to conventional society and thus symbolizes everything that is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected, everything which escapes human reason and which can only be attributed to the unforeseeable action of the gods". [That's certainly an apt description of the trans movement, child seduction, and drag queen obsession running rampant in sections of our culture]. But that's not all Dionysus worship is about! Those who partake of his mysteries are possessed and empowered by the god himself. His cult is also a "cult of the souls"; his female followers feed the dead through blood-offerings, and he acts as a divine communicant between the living and the dead. I'm not saying that is what was depicted in the Opening Ceremony skit, but one must know the full identity of anything we make an idol. Starting to get a picture of the deceptive and "benign" image presented at the Olympics? Well, let me take you a little farther.

In 410 B.C., the Greek dramatist, Euripides, proclaimed the greatness of Dionysus in his play The Bacchantes (who were members of a religious cult that swept over Greece in the 600s B.C., a period of social and political upheaval). Euripides portrayed Dionysus as having "put off the god and taken human shape". In the play, Dionysus boasts that he has fallen to earth, sent by "the one who will loose me" to do his evil work. Sound like anybody mentioned in the Bible?

The play accurately depicted the real-life followers of Dionysus, who had no love for moral guidelines or laws of the conventional world. [And as we sit here in 2024, one of Solomon's famous quotes comes to mind -- "there's nothing new under the sun"]. The followers of Dionysus believe he had been sent to help them gain a spiritual state of ecstasy through their rituals. And just what were those acts of worship? On the conservative side, women migrated in frenzied hillside groups, dressed in fawn skins accompanied by screaming, music, dancing, and licentious behavior. There are far more gruesome aspects and rituals of this cult, which are too depraved to recount here.   

But it is important to understand that "Dionysian Mysteries" or "Magic" were, in one sense, a ritual of Ancient Greece and Rome which used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state. The elaborate (and debauched) rituals initiating people into this cult included the Invocation of Dionysus, which gives you a clear picture of the nature of this religious-like veneration: I call upon loud-roaring and revelling Dionysus, primeval, double-natured, thrice-born, Bacchic lord, wild, ineffable, secretive, two-horned and two-shaped, Ivy-covered, bull-faced, warlike, howling, pure, You take raw flesh, you have feasts, wrapt in foliage, decked with grape clusters...". We certainly see the feast-like atmosphere surrounding the Bacchic lord in the center of that stage, wrapt in foliage and decked with grape clusters.

But what I urge those who were rightly offended by this scandalous spectacle in Paris to understand, is the importance of seeing beyond the obvious images meant to shock and disturb. The organizers vehemently claim that their purpose was to "celebrate community tolerance" by including everyone and presenting a picture of diversity. But, to me, it is curious that their focus on tolerance, inclusion, and diversity was represented exclusively by drag queens, a transgender model, exposed male genitalia, a naked singer transformed into Dionysus ... and oh, yeah, children cavorting through the celebrants. While they may convince themselves they are celebrating diversity and the inclusion of society's outcasts, they are really serving Satan's plan of seducing children into his diabolical plan to disrupt God's design for humanity. 

It is really no different than the Drag Queen Story Hours that are cropping up in our libraries -- this was just done in a more flamboyant manner and on a global stage. Whether it is 600 B.C. or 2024 A.D., it should be obvious to those who are spiritually awake and in a genuine relationship with God Almighty, that the spirit of Dionysus (mentioned in Acts 17:34) has been set loose by the Evil One to do his evil work. In the account in Acts, the Apostle Paul delivers a man named Dionysus from this cult and converts him to faith in Jesus. His name is significant because to be named Dionysus meant that his parents had been followers of the demonic god of the same name and had predestined their child to the same perversion, or the man was under the spell of magic arm bands (known as kestatots) that kept his soul imprisoned in this cult. Either way, he needed Jesus.

It is obvious, to me at least, that Satan used this Opening Ceremony to introduce his influence to bring mankind to the dark side. And our question becomes how do we fight this influence? I'm not here to tell you what you must do... you need to take that to the Lord and ask what He would have you do. And be prepared for pushback from those who will say they are tired of Christians trying to shove their religion down others' throats. But isn't that exactly what the Opening Ceremony was doing? The Enemy has done a good job of dividing us along moral grounds. So, it is incumbent upon us to know exactly where we stand -- it's not the time to remain lukewarm and try to walk the center line. I know there are those who will take to Social Media to express their outrage and offense over the open mockery of God. And there are even Christians who will compromise with the culture, so as to appear tolerant and loving, deciding to "live and let live". [They are the "lukewarm"]. 

But I hope we will all pray and choose to share the Gospel with all people, even those who are deluded and blinded to the hidden demonic agenda on display at the Olympics. The truth is that God does love each and every one of us, and desires that no one be lost. He wants a personal relationship with everyone. And that includes those on that stage that night! But He has holy and righteous standards that He expects us to uphold, and if anything is designed to harm innocent children, then it will not and cannot glorify Him, and Him only. As for me, I will pray and take a stand by battling in the spiritual realms to deconstruct and destroy these perverse strongholds that have taken root in our culture and the world. I know the battle is the Lord's and I know He will win. But I will fight alongside Him to save the minds, bodies, souls and spirits of the children. 

Never forget -- Satan's perpetual theme is Death. We must not become distracted by Lucifer's intelligence and seductive allure. We must be mindful to guard ourselves against the mania that takes our eyes off our only Source of Life. If we belong to the Lord, we don't have to fear Satan's demonic influence in our culture. And we can get in the fight to save our children and the Lord's agenda! Let His power, strength and authority be manifested through us! And please, Lord ... Thy Kingdom Come on earth as it is in Heaven!

Jude 1:4      For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation; ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into decadence and immoral freedom, and deny our only Master and lord, Jesus Christ.  

The Fate of America Lies in Who and What It Chooses to Follow

My husband and I are often looked upon with suspicion and a skeptical eye when it becomes known that we don't attend a church building for our worship of God. Note that I did not say we don't worship God, nor did I say we have abandoned community with others who do worship Him. Rather, we have chosen to worship along with a faithful group of Christians who meet in our home to study the Word, to discuss the history and context of God's Word, and to search and seek the fullness of His Word as it pertains to how we are to live out our time on this earth. 

Why? That is probably the biggest [and most unspoken] question about our choice. And the reasons are deeply personal and based on what the Lord has done in our lives. And let it be known that our choice does not mean we judge those who choose to attend a church building in which they are happy. Our choice is a result of experiencing the power of our relationship with God [in His presence]. And that's different from being a part of the communities we experienced in our previous 20 years of Church attendance. Don't get me wrong -- the Word was preached beautifully, and we loved the people who became our "Church family"; people who undoubtedly loved the Lord. But there came a time when we began to be hungry for more.

It wasn't enough to be [and feel] close to a large community of people who all loved the Lord. We wanted to feel closer to God; to feel as if He truly abided in us every day, not just on Sunday. And with that realization came a desire to remove ourselves further from what our society and culture valued -- because all of that seemed to be valued more than God was valued. We saw good friends, both inside and outside the Church, both saved and lost, clinging to the temptations the world offered -- wealth, big homes, positions in the world, and lavish lifestyles. Granted, those inside the church buildings still loved God, but sometimes seemed content with where they were in their relationship with Him. It seemed as if God was opening our eyes to see both from a new perspective -- of how anemic was the view of God within the building, and how the multitudes were worshipping the "little g" gods of our culture. My husband and I were starving for our true identities, and we needed the genuine presence of God in our lives. And we found ourselves heartsick -- to the point that our spirits became saddened and we no longer felt we belonged in either group.

And please understand this ... I write all this to point to our own faith journey and how God ruined us for this world; not to disparage the journey and experiences of anyone else. Only God knows where any one person is on his timeline of maturing faith. I write because I know the agony I felt in my spirit and soul as I fought to overcome all the roadblocks the Enemy put in front of me to keep me from having an encounter with the living God. 

As my husband and I cried out to Him from our season of famine and drought, He began to answer us with powerful signs, experiences, and encounters ... in dreams of being rescued from a literal tsunami of world events; of being in the throne room and reaching out to touch the hem of His robe; of prophetic dreams showing the strategies of the Enemy to thwart our purpose; to weeping in deep repentance for my sins against Him; and one very powerful encounter my husband had in which the Lord gave him our marching orders for how we are to serve the Kingdom of God. 

I know there are others who have had similar [and a far greater number of] spiritual occurrences like these, but I'm not interested in comparisons. I just want to testify of the glory of God that washed over me when I experienced the power of His presence. And I will also testify that I once thought I was where I was supposed to be in my relationship with Him. I loved being part of my church building which housed such beautiful worship and dynamic sermons, along with loving people who espoused their loyalty to Jesus. But were we changing Satan's forward progress in our nation? Were we really making a difference? It wasn't until God crossed mine and my husband's path with Believers who were operating outside that religious system that God opened our eyes to our own hunger and thirst for His empowering presence in our own lives.

So, I feel strongly that God is calling those of us who have experienced His exhilarating and powerful presence to stand up and testify to it. I understand there will be ridicule, persecution, and distrust because we don't walk in the traditional religious model. And for those of you who are testifying within the church buildings, I thank you and bless you! For until the presence of the Lord is walking in the midst of Church buildings, all their efforts will be man-glorifying. It is only when the Glory of Almighty God fills the temples that the Light of Christ will burn in our hearts and the world will be changed. And I'm talking of temples made of brick and mortar as well as our fleshly temples.

Until that fire is lit in the hearts of all Believers, and we testify of it and exhibit it, the Body will continue to be hindered by this world and all it offers. We must break free of the bonds of this earth, resolve to not turn back towards its temptations, but live in the fullness of God. As long as we are focused on the things of this world as our Savior, we will be disqualified for serving in the Kingdom of God. Our answers do not lie in politics, or persuasive leaders, or war, or our own efforts. We must become desperate enough to quench our thirst and feed our hunger by partaking of the Living Water and the Bread of Life! 

It is time to understand that the Lord is getting ready to invite guests to His Wedding Feast. Do you call yourself His servant? If so, will you be too busy or distracted with the things of this world? Remember, He will have all of us, or He will have none of us. Or are you willing to lay it all down and walk away from it; to sacrifice your life for the advancement of His Word and His Kingdom? It's not enough to "profess" your faith -- you must live it! The true remnant counts the cost of our faith and picks up our cross, trading the treasures of this world for the opportunity to exist in the Light of Heaven for all eternity. Are you thirsty and hungry for that experience? So, the question is this: how desperate are you to be quenched and fed? Now is the time to take stock of your spiritual condition. God will soon enter the Valley of Decision in which He will hand down His decision of judgment upon the nations. Will America survive and enter the Wedding Feast before the doors close?

Psalm 63:1     O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.