Never Be Afraid To Trust An Unknown Future To A Known God

 

You will understand the image for this post as you read further into it, but first, I want to explain the title.  It is a quote from Corrie Ten Boom, the celebrated Dutch Holocaust survivor whose story is one of courage and steadfast faith in the midst of hell on earth, which was the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. She, along with Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the martyred German pastor during Hitler's reign of terror, are my heroes of faith, and both proved the strength of their unfaltering faith less than ten years before I was born. I think we tend to relegate such abhorrent evil to the distant past, but if we looked with spiritual eyes, we would see that evil never really retreats. It simply hides for awhile and reinvents itself in a new way.

After the instability in our nation over the last few years, I understand the trepidation and tension that the populace is feeling. And I especially sense the anxiousness among Christians. Would it astound you to know that the advocacy group, Open Doors, reported this past week that "there was a 60% increase over the previous year in the number of Christians killed [worldwide] for their faith." Most of this persecution is happening in Africa and North Korea, but who is naive enough to think that Jesus's prophecy that we will be hated by all on account of His Name does not pertain to us in the US as well?

I am blessed to be in the company of strong women of faith, and it has been interesting to discover that, at this present time, some of us are experiencing God's silence. Don't get me wrong, I know He's present with me, but I find myself in a "waiting mode"; waiting for revelation about what the future holds. There is no fear, mind you, and actually I have experienced a sense of peace, but also this unfamiliar silence had me on the edge of my spiritual seat [and praying], impatient for a word or thought to give me direction. And then I had this incredible dream that I believe answered my prayer....

I am leisurely walking along a path, with a guide, and enjoying walking in the woods. We come to a juncture where there is a road on my right that descends at a gradual slope, and the woods on my left that continue upwards at a moderate climb. Obviously, the road on the right is the easiest method of travel, and I remark to my guide that we could arrive at our destination by taking either route, so why not go to the right? But he persuades me that the option on our left is the preferred course of action. As we begin the gentle climb, I have a sense of apprehension [but not fear] and question him if taking this route won't result in possibly meeting bears. He answers that it is definitely a possibility, but there's no need to be afraid.

At that moment, I look farther up this sloping hill and see a huge bear that then catches our scent. He starts ambling towards us, and though not acting aggressive, I have a healthy respect for his power and size and do not want to engage with him. My guide, in a calm voice, instructs me to get on the back side of a huge oak tree and as the bear circles the tree, I just keep moving around the tree, staying out of its grasp. Eventually, he gets bored and moves on. As I come out from behind the tree, I again look at the top of the hill, and see a gigantic lion, who upon seeing me, roars and charges. I don't have time to be afraid, and soon find myself knocked to the ground.

The lion is clearly intent on killing me, and I am kicking as hard as I can as he tries to bite my feet and render me helpless. All of a sudden I remember that I have a pistol for protection on my right hip. I pull it and fire four shots into his brain and the attack is stopped. This entire time, I am aware that the guide is still there with me, but seems to be watching and assessing how I am handling this attack, ready to jump in if I need him. And then I woke up.

It was one of those dreams when you know it is more than the result of eating a bowl of ice cream before you went to bed. I knew it was spiritual and I knew it was for my benefit. God wasn't silent anymore, and I needed to figure out what He was telling me. I knew right away that the "guide" in my dream was the Holy Spirit, sent to "guide my steps and guide me into all Truth". I knew the bear was a threat, and a natural enemy, but I was able to stay hidden and outmaneuver him. The lion, on the other hand, was aggressive and quite intent on killing me, or at least rendering my walk with God more difficult. I knew the dream was revealing something about the here and now, and my place in the present as a representative of God and His Kingdom. But how to unravel the mystery of it?

What did the bear represent? How about the lion? He was obviously not the Lion of the tribe of Judah because he was trying to kill me! Then I discerned 1Peter 5:8, which says our adversary, the devil, is "like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour". That certainly fit the scenario in my dream. And then I wondered if there was a connection to Babylon's King Belshazzar and his vision of the four beasts, with the bear and lion being two of them. Did that have any significance? Both represented empires, with the bear often interpreted as Russia. So, in my dream, the bear is a threat, but at this point, not aggressive. The lion in Belshazzar's dream was the empire of Babylon; ruthless and strong. The ancient Babylon certainly fits that description, but so does the daughter of Babylon in the End Times, as depicted in Revelation 18. It's hard not to read that chapter and recognize our own empire, and especially the city of New York. But there was more for me to see as I meditated on this powerful dream...

The next thing that struck me was that I was conscious of the guide being the Holy Spirit, but I was surprised that I didn't call out for Jesus to help me. After careful thought and waiting to hear from the Lord, I discerned that I was able to act out of my own power and authority, given to me by Christ in Luke 10:19 ... I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.  Of course, I was not on my own; the Holy Spirit was my guide in defeating the schemes of the bear and lion. 

But there was even more to be revealed from a friend, who the morning after I had a conversation with her about this dream, opened her Bible to study and just happened to be in 1 Samuel 17, and here is what verses 34-37 say: But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,  I went out after it and attacked it and rescued the lamb from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I seized it by its whiskers and struck and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God.”  David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”  This was no accident, but what did the future King David's exploits have to do with me and my dream?

Both my friend and I were amazed at how the Lord shows us things we are not expecting! She said she knew it wasn't a coincidence that she was reading that particular passage after just hearing about my dream. She asked the Lord what He was showing her. This is what she said the Lord explained to her ... That my assignment is to protect God's flock by speaking, teaching, and writing the Truth, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who leads me into all truth. Furthermore, the dream reveals that I am fighting against the pagan gods and power structures in this age, with the sins of our nation representing the resurgence of the spiritual Babylon. And the last sentence in the Daniel passage held special meaning; "Go, and may the Lord be with you". I am not to sit idle, waiting for Jesus to come rescue me, but as I go, I know He is with me. I have no need to cry out in fear for His help, because His power and authority already reside in me and I have to learn to trust my abilities in fulfilling my assignments here on earth.

And that is what I pray for each of you reading this post today. We live in a time that requires supernatural spiritual discernment. We cannot look to the world for our survival or our identity. We must gird ourselves with the spirit and truth of Almighty God. My friend blessed me and my husband by praying that we receive an increased anointing upon us for the assignments that God has given us, and an increased ability to see beyond the veil of earth into the heavenly sanctuary where we meet face-to-face with God. I invite you to receive this blessing, too. She prayed for us to experience an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. We are all going to need that to navigate whatever changes are coming upon the world. And I will tell you that He can be trusted; He is reliable and a great comfort in times such as this. He joins with Jesus in interceding for us before the Father, and He is our advocate in all things. 

I do not have all the answers, but my Holy Guide does as He leads me in the ways of my Savior and King, Yeshua HaMashiach. I will not be afraid as I traverse this unknown and uncertain future, because my King and my God are known to me! It is my prayer [and my assignment] that I will boldly speak of Him and share that He is the Light in this dark world. Let all the earth know of His power and His Kingdom and His glory that is soon to come. Let our Hope in Him never wane, for He is he Prince of Peace and our Stronghold! Praise Him, for He is worthy to be praised, and we will be saved from our enemies!

Isaiah 30:21    And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

 

 

An Old Testament Lesson For Today

I know it's not popular for many in the American Church of today to refer to Old Testament history as having relevance to our modern circumstances. But we can learn much about our God because the entire Bible is one long presentation of His character. And He is the same God in Genesis that He is in Jeremiah, Matthew, Corinthians, and Revelation. Actually, one of His characteristics is His immutability; the truth that He doesn't change over time and, in fact, cannot and will not change. That is why, in the New Testament, Jesus is so often quoted as saying, "As it is written", or "As you have heard", and liberally recites what the Prophets revealed about YHWH.

And I am always amazed when I am searching out an answer to a question I have in Scripture, I suddenly find myself being led to an Old Testament narrative that just screams relevance for today. This time, it was my husband who was searching for answers. He wanted to know if the Word, which I will remind you is alive and active, had anything to say about the possibility of being unqualified before the Lord for corrupting our DNA. 

This is relevant in the many [and varying] discussions among doctors, scientists, and the public regarding the efficacy of the Covid vaccines. Let me be clear, I am not a medical expert and the point of this blog post IS NOT to argue whether the vaccines are good or bad. That is a personal decision everyone must make for themselves. But what I do want to explore is God's reaction when we, His children and followers, are tempted to stray from His design for the human race. Again, this blog post is written for a discussion among Christians. If you are not a follower of Jesus and do not believe in the One True God, then this discussion has no real relevance to you and we are talking apples and oranges. What I hope to do is encourage my fellow Believers to press into God to see if what I am about to present still has relevance today in light of where we are at in history. 

[NOTE: I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not advocating the same physical punishments that God rendered in this Old Testament account, nor do I dismiss the atoning act of Jesus Christ for the similar sins that still exist. I simply want us to start being serious about how God views our sins, transgressions, and iniquities. They are as much an offense to Him today as they were nearly 3400 years ago]. 

So, let me share with you where my husband landed in Scripture during his search for answers to his question. It's a short chapter in the Book of Numbers; chapter 25 to be exact. To set the scene for Chapter 25, we must understand that the Israelites are now camped at Shittim, a valley in the land of Moab. Joshua and the Israelite army have defeated the two Amorite Nephilim kings, Og and Sihon, which ended Israel's desert wanderings and made way for their entry into the Promised Land. It is from Shittim that Joshua sends two spies to view the land and the walled city of Jericho. As the opening verses of Numbers 25 tells us, Israel is about to embark on a dangerous path.

Israel settled and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the prostitute with the women of Moab [by being unfaithful to God]. For they invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods, and the Israelites ate [food offered to idols] and bowed down to Moab’s gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship]. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. I know that this might seem to have no connection to what we are facing today in our nation. But I ask you to look past the differences in the nations mentioned and focus on the people's actions and God's reaction to the unfaithfulness of His people. 

I am well aware that there are political operatives who are declaring Christians to be a threat to our nation's security. But I am even more grieved to read of fellow Christians within the family of God who are warning against "Christian nationalists", as if wanting our nation to remain true to Godly principles is somehow displeasing to the same God we all worship. I believe we need to see that we are in danger of following the example of the Israelites who compromised themselves and their faith when they abandoned God's statutes and principles and began worshiping the idols of the culture they lived in.

Baal was the god worshiped at the mountain Peor in the valley of Shittim. The rituals in the worship of this pagan god and idol involved adults gathering around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants -- men and women alike -- would engage in bisexual orgies. So Israel joined themselves in worship to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel (Numbers 25:3).  

Today, we have allowed our faith to be compromised; we have made concessions in order to "get along" with an unbelieving society and appear as pacifists and peacemakers. Let's face it, we have accepted standards that are lower than God desires. As hard as it is to look at the anger of God in that Old Testament chapter, His judgment against the people He loved was harsh and violent. God ordered that those who yoked themselves to Baal, the god of infanticide and sexual immorality, were to be killed. And while the people were weeping over their rebellion and the penalty of their sins, a man blatantly flaunted his union with the daughter of the Midianite chief. This may not seem worthy of what is to follow, but we must remember that God has always been a jealous God, warning those He calls His own to keep uncorrupted bloodlines and maintain their identity as His people.

The same holds true today. Through the idols of Science and Humanism, man is now promoting and idolizing Transhumanism. A rather moderate definition of Transhumanism calls it a "philosophical movement that advocates for the transformation of the human condition by developing, and making widely available, sophisticated technologies able to greatly modify or enhance human intellect or physiology." I will tell you, it is not just a "philosophy". This is in practice right now in the development of Artificial Intelligence, outsourcing our brains to the cloud, and the creation of hybrid man/machine cyborgs. And in case you haven't done your Biblical research, God hates this! He does not want His creation mixed with anything that has been tainted by Satan... whether it is the Nephilim offspring of fallen angels and human women, or the offspring born from the sacrificial blood orgies of Baal worship.

And there has to be some significance to God approving the zeal of Phineas, the grandson of Aaron, the Levite priest, who pierced both the man of Israel and the Midianite woman through her belly. He could have taken his spear to her head or her heart, but he chose to pierce the part of her that would have borne a child. His actions stopped the plague of death that God had brought upon the Israelites because God announced to Moses that Phineas "has turned back My wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in My jealousy." God then proceeded to give Phineas His covenant of peace "because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel". 

Are we jealous for our God in this day? Are we willing to call out the grievous sins of our nation? And this does not mean we take it upon ourselves to mete out God's justice. Remember: "Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord!" We must not call for violence, but rather for atonement. That means we do not let our spirits be persuaded or consumed by the god of this world, which is Satan. God wants a relationship with our human spirit so that He can partner with us to battle against the forces of evil and Satan. That's why He is jealous for us! When our spirit is in partnership with God and His Spirit, He instills His zeal within us and we long to see His will "done on earth as it is in Heaven".

We must guard against our human zeal misplacing God's zeal in us. His zeal displays His righteousness and it is full of hope, as well as power. We must repent -- turn away from what Sin offers and seek after His will for our lives and our nation. And we must atone for our personal and national sins in ways that establish His will for His people. So, in the coming days -- whatever they bring -- let us remain mindful that God's call for us is to remain true to His commandments, no matter the pressure we get from the world. We must not partake in idol worship [whether it be political, religious, or social]. God wants to be in covenant with us, according to His standards. It won't be easy. Satan is moving his players into position rapidly. We must ready our spirits to hear from God. He will guide us in ways that acknowledge His Grace, Mercy, and Power. We are representatives of His superior Kingdom and the world will see Him in us! 

Revelation 3:19    Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will].

Hearing From The Lord

For the last few days, I have been observing the varied reactions of my fellow Americans in the aftermath of this circus called "post-election". Some have gleefully gloated, while others are wringing their hands in fits of anxiety and frustration. I have chosen to rest in the Lord and wait upon Him to reveal His purpose [and mine] in the whole saga. It's not that I don't take it seriously, or am unconcerned about the future -- believe me, I am fully aware of where we're at! It's just that I know we are in the midst of a spiritual war, and I am waiting and watching to see what my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is going to reveal to me about my part in it.

If I listened to the voices in the world, it would be easy to get depressed, angry, worried, or any of the other emotions that run that gamut. But that would be acting out of my soul. And believe me, through all the years of my faith, I have learned that I do so much better when I act out of my spirit. So, while I wait for my spirit to hear from the Lord, I will remember that He is the same One who spoke to Moses and through the prophets of old. And I will remember that He is the same God as yesterday, today, and who will be the same tomorrow. So, the one thing I will trust in is that He is present and active in the history we are making today.

And speaking of history ... I am hearing pundits across America reciting Thomas Paine's quote from his pamphlet Common Sense, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls...". That is certainly true today! But I approach it from a different angle than this famous [and controversial] American patriot. Paine openly advocated for American independence and would later promote the French Revolution. While he argued that God existed, He was a Deist, a theological position that rejected revelation [from God], felt that the Bible was largely myth, and that miracles were impossible. Fundamentally, he believed that God was a remote Being, having no interest in participating in the lives of men. My beliefs are truly opposite from that opinion! Furthermore, in his two-volume treatise on Religion, called The Age of Reason, Paine criticized organized religion and Christian theology [in particular], in favor of man's ability to reason and to apply scientific inquiry. 

Hmmm, sounds familiar, doesn't it? It is still a battle between men who put their faith in the Most High God, trusting Him to work His plan and purpose in every situation [even this one] and in every life ... and men who put their faith in men. Each one of us must decide where our faith will lie. It truly is a time that will try your soul [your mind, your free will to make decisions, and your emotions]. But it is also a time to determine what your spirit is hearing from the One who created you. What is He telling you that your purpose is during this tumultuous time? I can only speak for myself, and if you have followed me for any length of time, then you know that I believe we all have the capability to use all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, because He possesses them all, and He will distribute the ones you need [at the time you need them] as instructed by the Lord.

The purpose for some of you may be to be evangelicals, bringing people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. For others, your purpose might be to be apostolic; to be leaders in organizing and administrating the Body of Christ. It was made clear to me several years ago that I was to preach, teach, and write for the Lord. This blog has been part of that assignment. But I also knew there might come a time when I would hear that this blog had served its purpose. I honestly don't know if that time has come. That is part of what I am waiting to hear. I do know that I am to concentrate on the completion of my second book in the series Through A Kingdom Lens. I am discerning that the time is short to reach those who still don't know Jesus Christ, and my ability to reach the millions who find their identity through social media and the nightly news is going to become more difficult in the near future. 

So, I will continue to write here to encourage the Body of Christ and support the Ekklesia on earth, but my concentration for the immediate future needs to be on finishing this second book, and reaching the lost and unfulfilled. And I know that as soon as that book is finished, I am to begin the third and final book in the Through a Kingdom Lens series, which is encouraging the Ekklesia to become a part of this spiritual war. That's as far as the Lord has taken me. Why the Lord had me write the second book first, I do not know... but I never question His timeline or schedule. Perhaps Through A Kingdom Lens: Rediscovering What The Church Has Lost was preparing us for this exact moment in time and our history. So, I choose to "lean not on my own understanding, but acknowledge Him in all my ways, and I know He will make my path straight".

So, for now, keep checking back on this blog ... I have not been told to move on just yet, so it just may mean more days between posts. And I know He will prompt me when there is something I am to share with you. And I want you to know that I am extremely grateful for the small contingent of loyal readers, and you will all be in my prayers. We have a spiritual connection that cannot be broken in this world. For now, this is just an adjustment that I will be making to the frequency of my posts. And I promise to keep you updated with the progress of the books, as well as the revelations I receive from the Lord. And I certainly welcome your comments and what you are hearing from the Lord, as well. Thank you, and God bless each of you and your families.

Romans 15:5-6    Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Kingdoms In Collision: Putting Our National Crisis In Perspective

 

I would hope that all Americans understand the gravity of our national state of affairs. And I'm not strictly talking from a political or social position. Yes, the values of America seem to be separating along opposing philosophies and tenets, and are in stark contrast with each other. But we must look beyond political ideology, race and social issues, and even our disputes over different economic systems. 

The tearing apart of our country is a pre-planned, well-designed plot that is several millenia old. We are focused on today, January 6th, 2021 and also January 20th, to define the future of the United States of America. And most certainly, as far as it pertains to our individual lives, and our chances of retaining the original blueprint of the thirteen colonies and the republic, these dates are crucial. 

But Americans of faith must recognize that this is a clash of kingdoms... the kingdom of God on earth versus the kingdom of Satan. Please understand that the Kingdom of God in Heaven is everlasting! There is nothing that God's enemy, Lucifer, can do to overthrow the eternal dominion of God, the Creator of the Universe. But ever since man began establishing human kingdoms in the world, there have been battles for world dominion, and kingdoms have risen and fallen. Earthly kings and emperors vie for world control and are only too willing to partner with earth's god of darkness/evil to receive his power. 

Lucifer, whose arrogance cost him his place in Heaven, now operates as Satan in the earth, and promises world power to those who will vow their allegiance to him in exchange for their own portion of wealth and domination. Throughout history, those kingdoms and kings have traded their souls to get a piece of this promised power. Those kingdoms and kings have come and gone... the Pharaohs of Egypt, Kings Shalmaneser V and Sargon II of Assyria; King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon; King Cyrus of Persia; Alexander the Great of Greece; Julius Caesar of Rome; Genghis Khan of Mongolia; Josef Stalin of Russia; Adolph Hitler of Germany; Mao Zedeng and Deng Xiaoping of China; and many more in between. Satan has been building a willing coalition throughout history to help him wrest final control over the earth. And the Bible tells us that one day soon he will unleash a religious-political dictator upon the earth in opposition to all that God has planned for the return of His Son, Jesus Christ.

This leader will become the earth's superpower and will demand allegiance from the earth's peoples and nations. This superpower will seek to change God's moral and sovereign laws and set up his own counterfeit system of commandments and statutes. But it is God's faithful people who refuse to give him allegiance and are willing to suffer persecution unto death rather than submit or surrender to Evil. They will not abandon God's Truth for human traditions and values. They will not abandon the authority of God's Word for the idea that human experience and rational thinking provide the only source of knowledge and a moral code to live by. They will not abandon the freedom that God offers for the bondage that Satan demands. They fundamentally know in their soul and spirit that all power on earth and in Heaven belongs to God, the Creator.

So, as in many other times throughout history, we find ourselves on a collision course between God's kingdom and the kingdoms of the earth, controlled by Satan. But this time there is a difference. As citizens of both the Kingdom of God on earth and the United States of America, we have the unique experience of living in true freedom .... our nation is historically exceptional in having secured the rights of individuals as primary over the collective rights of its citizens; and our freedom in Christ has freed us from the bondage and penalty of sin, as well as the freedom to become all we've been created to be and do for our Savior and His Kingdom.

And now we find ourselves at a crucial crossroads. Do we have the faith and the fortitude to serve our God, the rightful ruler of all the earth's kingdoms? Is there strength and power in our prayers to stand with Him against those who would seek to place an illegal counterfeit in the seat of power in our nation? Are we willing to approach God in His Divine Sanctuary and surrender everything to Him to see His purpose for this nation survive? 

There is a drumbeat that every American of faith answers to. It is the drumbeat of freedom that echoes the heartbeat of God and inspires us to reach for our calling and destiny. We freely repent of the grievous and rebellious sins of this nation, believing in the grace of our God to redeem us and transform us once again into a nation that reflects Him and His original concept of man partnering with God to reflect His dominion over the earth. These next days and weeks will reveal if we are to receive His mercy or His final judgment upon our beloved country. 

Please join me in praying, Father, we give thanks to You for allowing us to live in this great land! We praise You for giving us the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms that the rest of the world longs for. And, Father, we ask Your forgiveness for squandering those freedoms and for not protecting Your ways and Your commandments. And now, in our day of trouble, we seek you, Lord! The pillars You established in our land are cracking and our nation totters. We pray, O Lord, keep our pillars steady and secure!

We declare Your Greatness and Your Sovereignty in the matters of our nation! Your ways are holy, O God! Forget not, Your remnant, who cry out for Your Might and Your Compassion to be stirred up for us. Break down the walls of our enemies and restore us to be "one nation under God" once again! Look down from Heaven and see the millions who call upon Your Name in repentance and in hope. Let the nations exclaim, "America is their God and look how He avenges the faithful!"

Revive us and show us Your favor; withdraw Your righteous wrath which we deserve. Speak peace and Your steadfast love into our land. Watch us glorify Your Name in the midst of our struggles. Turn back to us, Father, and give us Your strength to stand for the covenant established with You long ago. We are called by Your Name, and we commit our lives, our faith, and our future to You. Search our hearts and see our dedication to You and Your kingdom. See that we hold fast to You and know Your Name -- answer us, Lord; be with us; rescue and save us. We ask all this in the Mighty and Precious Name of our Deliverer, Yeshua ha Mashiach! AMEN!

Psalm 97:10    O you who love the LORD; hate evil! He preserves the lives of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 

Psalm 62:11-12 ... So Much Revealed About The God We Serve

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.

Also to You, O Lord, belong lovingkindness and compassion,
For You compensate every man according to his work.

 

I have been making it a practice to read the Psalms in the morning, limiting myself to five at a time so that I am conscientious in listening to the Spirit as I pursue understanding. And I am always delighted when a specific passage or verse catches my spiritual eye. I can ruminate on it for hours or an entire day. This time it was the above verses in Psalm 62.

Most of the Psalms were written by David and express just how much he relied on the Lord to guide him through his trials. The common themes are waiting on the Lord, seeking protection from the Lord, and praising God for being his salvation, rock, and fortress. But the underlying message of each sacred song is the existing power of God to supply all David's needs.

As I contemplate the dawning of a new year, I am under no illusion that turning a page on the calendar is going to guarantee that our personal or national trials are going to be relegated to history and everything will return to "normal". If anything, the pressure is building and even more trials and adversity are headed our way. 

A recently prepared report by the Secular Democrats of America Political Action Committee (PAC) for the incoming presidential administration, proposed a plan "to advance a secular agenda at all levels of government ... and disentangle entrenched religious interests from federal policy". Furthermore, the report warned that "the rise of white Christian nationalism is a national security threat". In my mind that kind of deliberate language intends to undermine the freedom of religious expression that is guaranteed in our First Amendment rights, as well as denounce the Christian heritage and history of this nation. Ultimately, the aim of instituting secularism through government policy amounts to authoritarianism that denies the existence of God. 

And that, my friends, is the very goal of Satan: to put believers of the Most High God under totalitarian control of the Pharaohs and Hitlers of the world; men who have been deceived into accepting the promise of the Enemy's power as their own. But YHWH's love for His creation is steadfast and enduring and He always finds men [and women] who are willing to partner with Him and His power to overcome Satan's diabolical plots to control the world. And that's what Psalm 62, verses 11 and 12 reveal to me...

Once God has spoken, and twice I have heard this ... So immutable and so unchanging is God's word that it is established forever. Once He speaks it, it is set in stone [as in the Ten Commandments. Although the first set were smashed, the commandments were established forever and are eternal]. As the esteemed theologian Charles Spurgeon explained, "God speaks once and utters eternal verities. All our speaking may yet end in sound; but He speaks, and it is done; He commands, and it stands fast". And in my opinion, our ability to hear twice references our natural ears and our spiritual ears; if we have a true spiritual relationship with God, then we hear both in the physical and in our hearts. Perhaps that is why Jesus so often repeats, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" -- let him not only hear Jesus's voice, but hear the Father's voice in his heart and through that spiritual connection.

And what are we to hear? That power belongs to God. This is the understanding we all need to have for this day and time. Our way of life in this nation is clearly threatened, and now we are beginning to see [through the aforementioned report] that our faith may soon come under attack. Remember, Jesus prophesied that those who believe in Him will be hated by all nations because of His Name. And if we call ourselves Christians, what have we heard? That power belongs to God! The power to overcome any situation rests with God's decision to share HIS power! 

In the Old Testament, God chose who to lend His power to; it was not freely available to all. We see this concept in the experiences of the following Biblical heroes: Noah built an ark; Abraham left his ancestral lands for a land promised to his descendants; Moses answered the call of God to deliver the Israelites out of bondage; Joshua led the people in bringing down the walls of Jericho; Rahab helped the Israelite spies to escape; Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego entered a fiery furnace. They all received power from God to work on His behalf!  In these Old Testament examples, it was God taking action to work on behalf of His people by sending His Holy Spirit to specific people to accomplish His purpose. And He did it out of His steadfast love for them.

And that steadfast love continues to us, as expressed in Psalm 62, verse 12: And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. Because that love has endured since the beginning of the Creation, God so loved the world that He sent His love through His Son to save us all from eternal punishment. And with that shared love from the Father, the Son also received His Father's power.  Jesus clearly states this in Matthew 28:18, "All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me". And what is the Father's ultimate plan? To have His power transferred through Jesus to us! In Luke 10:19, Jesus tell us, "Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you". And after His crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord appears to His disciples in the upper room, and secures His covenant with faithful followers: "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high".

That "power from on high" is the same Holy Spirit that gave Jesus access to the Father's power, and now grants us the ability to use that power also. Whether, as in the Old Testament, God appointed His power to individuals, or under the New Testament covenant, all those who believe on the Name of Jesus, the Messiah [Yeshua Ha Mashiach] can use their free will to gain access to it, God will render to a man according to his work (Psalm 62:12). And that is vitally important that we members of Christ's Ekklesia understand that!

How will we use that divine power that is in us to overcome what we will face in 2021 and beyond? We must be witnesses of the power of God [in us] to defeat the schemes of the devil to dominate the earth. God is a jealous god who greatly values His power that has been deposited in us, and He expects us to use it wisely and judiciously. It is not to be wasted, nor is it to be inactive. As in the Parable of the Talents, He expects a return on His investment. When we exercise His divine power to overcome the kingdom of darkness in the world, He tells us if we have been faithful with a little, He will give us more... For to everyone who has, will more be given, and he will have an abundance... God will render to a man according to his work.

So, as the Ekklesia of the Lord, we have much work to do in the coming months and years, and whatever time we have left on this earth. The darkness appears to be growing, but we, who have faith in the power from on high that exists in us, know that we have all we need to defeat it and its master. Trust in the power of God that is in you! And believe that Jesus intended for God's power to be present in His disciples until He returns; to be present to nullify the power of the devil... and He intended for us to use it! 

"There's Nothing New Under The Sun ... As It Was In The Days of Noah"

I know I am mixing Scripture references, Bible timelines and messengers. But I hope to show you how it all connects and why it is important for us to know at this precise time in our history. The first reference comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes and was written by King Solomon, a man who was known for his [human] wisdom, wealth, and power. In Chapter One of Ecclesiastes, Solomon is ruminating on the futility of natural man's efforts, because no matter what man tries to accomplish on his own, whether good or evil, has been tried or done before. And the earth still keeps spinning, the sun still rises and sets; and the winds still circle the planet. Without God's wisdom and guidance, man's endeavors are futile and meaningless. Verse nine is the apt summary of this exposition ... That which has been is that which will be [again], and that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Nearly one thousand years later, the Lord Jesus is teaching His disciples about the signs of His return, the perilous times that will come upon the earth preceding His return, and what mankind can expect the earth and its inhabitants to experience when His glorious return is imminent. We find Jesus's statements in Chapter 24 of Matthew. He warns that no man knows the exact day or hour this will all occur, but He gives us a clue in verses 37-39 ... For the coming of the Son of Man (the Messiah) will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be [unexpected judgment]. 

If, as saved men and women, we are tuned in to our spirits, which are seated with Jesus in Heaven, then we should be able to discern the connection between these two passages and what Biblical history has shown us, and what we are about to see again. And let me share with you what my spirit has detected. I recently was drawn to a series of posts that I wrote in 2014. At the time, I wrote, "There are days I wake up and wonder, 'How much longer can this world survive?' And, what will our lives be like when everything is torn asunder? ... The world is groaning and the time is near ...". That was six years ago, and those thoughts are even more acute today.

At the time, I saw the earth and humanity in turmoil -- scientists at NASA were warning about powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun that could potentially destroy earth. The Ring of Fire was active, producing an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were occurring in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The TV show Ancient Aliens was programming the minds of millions by actually presenting the hypothesis that aliens will show up one day, claiming to be our creators. And they will have only our best interests at heart; they will rescue us from the wars and destruction of earthly humans. All we have to do is become one with them. This is a deception coming against the human race; one that is eerily similar to the satanic deception presented to mankind in Genesis 6:1-4, where fallen angels came to earth to mate with human woman to create a super race that would dominate and rule the earth, with the ultimate goal of defeating God's dominion and kingdom on earth.

Well, nothing has changed since Genesis 6. Satan has been running that plan throughout history, and mankind is still buying into the lie that we can rule earth without a relationship with God. That theory was still alive and well in 2014 and was being sold on the History Channel. And now, I'm here to tell you that this past Sunday morning I heard this plan once again laid out on a morning news show. It happened during Fox Channel's Maria Bartiromo's interview with Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe. During their discussion regarding China's impact on our national security, there was a brief exchange regarding China and this exact topic that I am presenting to you today. Here is what I want you to understand...

RATCLIFFE: China is not a good actor internationally. We need to call them out for what they are, not what they pretend to be. They're intent on dominating the entire world, not just the United States.

BARTIROMO: U.S. intelligence shows that China's conducting human testing on members of the People's Liberation Army, in hopes of developing soldiers with biologically enhanced capabilities. In other words, they want to create new humans that can handle extreme weather, handle chemical attacks. Is that right?

RATCLIFFE:  So, one of the things I did in this op-ed piece [in the Wall Street Journal] was to work hard to try and get information declassified to a level that I could talk about. And one of the things you just mentioned, it's called gene editing. It's altering DNA. And it's one of the things our intelligence shows that China is doing. They have got a -- the PRC, the People's Republic of China, has two million strong in its military. And it's trying to make them stronger through gene editing. And that's just one of the ways that China is trying to essentially dominate the planet and set the rules and the world order.

Now, I will tell you that I was astounded that this kind of information was actually being allowed to be presented to the American public --- for those with ears to hear. Can you see that this is the Anti-Christ spirit acting through the Communist political system to carry out the plans of Satan that have existed for millennia? Can't see that or understand this premise? Can we agree that from the beginning of Creation in Genesis One, that Everything God created was originally good. You don't have to be a Believer to comprehend this fact, because those with even the simplest understanding of the Scriptures know that things were perfect here on planet Earth until Satan infiltrated the Garden and set into motion a war for all ages. I am just so concerned that Christians don't fully understand how that war has been waged. And it is vitally important that we understand it NOW!

When Satan tempted Eve to disobey God, the judgment was swift and prophetic by the Creator of the Universe:  "I will put enmity (hostility, friction, hate) between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring [or between your seed and her seed]." That statement has not been fully understood for centuries of Christians and Church leaders. 

Satan has known God's plan from the beginning: to dwell among His creation in personal relationship.  And it has been the Devil's desire to disrupt that relationship at all costs.  He knew God would eventually have to send His Son to redeem us from the ways that he, Satan, would introduce.  If he could corrupt the gene pool and eventual birth of God's perfect Offspring with his own corrupt line, then the world and its inhabitants would worship him, Satan.  That's where Genesis 6:1-4 comes in.  The fallen angels, who followed Satan, came to earth and corrupted the daughters of men, introducing the unholy DNA into the human line.  They are the "giants" (or in the Hebrew, Nephilim) we see in verse 4.  But God protected a line of men from His destruction of mankind (Noah and his descendants), and through their line, He sent His perfect Son to reclaim us.  But Satan has not forsaken his plan, and that's why Jesus says in Matthew 24:37, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

And now we see Satan partnering with China and their Godless regime to once again defile the DNA that God has created. Satan intends to work through China's demonic-altered army in his attempt to dominate the world. Just as God proclaimed back in Genesis, there has been an all-out war throughout time between God's children and Satan's children.  It is now at the boiling point, and it affects all of God's creation; from mankind, to the ecological and geophysical systems, to the stars in the heavens.  Satan's plan to deceive mankind and infect them with a corrupted gene pool has been known by every civilization throughout history.  Genesis records the Giants in the land of Canaan, while Babylonian, Greek and Roman mythology refer to the "Titans" and the "Olympians", who were "children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth)." It hasn't been that long ago that Hitler gave Dr. Josef Mengele free reign to do his ghastly [and satanic] experiments against the Jewish people. This was just another example of Satan perverting God's design.

Now, we find ourselves at another juncture in human history, and it looks as if the plan is still in operation. The bottom line is that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is Satan's final downfall and defeat.  He is going to do everything he can in the short time he has remaining to convince humanity that we want to become one with him... up to and including taking his Mark. What will that look like? Is it a coincidence that the Covid disease originated in China, and that now the world is being presented with a rapidly developed vaccine with alleged components that are offensive to God and could potentially corrupt our divinely created flesh? Those are questions that I can't answer for you, and you must take them to the Lord to hear clearly from Him. But, if nothing else, I hope today's post has you seeking the Lord and discerning the signs of the times. 

Satan's game plan hasn't changed ... it's as old as the Creation. I just want you to be ready to stand against the lies of the Enemy and seek the Lord's Truth. If not now ... then when?  The devil's deception permeates every sci-fi movie and TV show, whether it be tempting the impressionable to welcome the Ancient Aliens, commune with Vampires, or rush to alter our DNA through advanced and "life-saving" alternatives.  If we cannot see that there is nothing new in what is being presented to us, then we will be condemning ourselves to live in a world that is the same as it was in the days of Noah. We must do our part to defeat the lies! We do not want to be like the generation in Noah's time, who did not know or understand until it was too late. We must do everything we can to illuminate God's Truth or His unexpected judgment will be our destiny.

John 8:44      You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 

A Testimony For Our Times

I write this blog post with a keen sense that I have come full circle since I began writing in December of 2011. The very first post I published expressed the reasons why I felt called to begin this journey ... "I am writing for all people, who like me, do not want to sit on the sidelines while our country and this world go down the tubes. I am writing for everyone whose instincts tell them something is wrong, terribly wrong, and are ready to throw off the shackles of fear and claim their personal power; to overcome the paralysis of panic and dread, and take command of their lives and their circumstances. And the foundation of that power is the saving grace of Jesus Christ in my life".

At the time, [and it seemed like overnight], all sense of security in my country, my government, and my future went up in smoke. This country was headed down the wrong track, and the conductor was taking us there as fast as he could! In 2008, my husband and I received heavenly promptings to re-evaluate everything in our lives ... to prepare for economic hard times and radical changes in our society. And it scared the living daylights out of me! But instead of giving in to the suffocating fear, I made a choice to face it. I would not give up that easily in all I believed in!

So, three years later, I decided to begin a dialogue with the people of this country, and in 2011 began writing this blog. We are now at the end of 2020, and these last nine years have seen many people arriving at the stage I was at all those years ago. And I will admit that we were not able to turn that train around. In fact, we are further down the tracks and ready to head into a long, dark tunnel. But, as I've done since the beginning, my goal is to give you hope and encouragement in the face of whatever evil we may face. 

We are not the first in history to engage in spiritual warfare with what seems like an invincible Enemy. I am the daughter of a WWII veteran, and not many years before I was born, a force of Evil, such as our modern world had not seen, was defeated with the help of Almighty God's support. That same anti-Christ spirit that existed in Adolph Hitler is still intent on capturing the world and forcing it into horrendous and despicable bondage. You may be experiencing the fear that comes with sudden realization that my words are not written out of ignorance or rashness. Perhaps you are just now receiving your own heavenly promptings, or having been enlightened for a few years now, are becoming weary of the fight and are struggling to endure. 

We all need encouragement and support! And if you are having difficulty hearing the voice of the Lord directly, I would like to offer the following testimony by Corrie ten Boom. You will hear the voice of the Lord through her humble words! And if you are unfamiliar with who she is, I exhort you to become familiar with her story. Hers is the remarkable legacy of surviving the Nazi death camps under the most dehumanizing circumstances, while offering the mercy and grace of Jesus in the midst of what was hell on earth. She would not describe herself as a hero of the faith, yet that is what she was; a woman who persevered against the deepest darkness, demonstrating her hard-learned trust and dependence on the Lord. Let her testimony, given at the First International Congress on World Evangelism in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974, give you hope and strengthen your faith. Here is her testimony, in her own words...

In the Bible we read in Colossians 1:11, ‘As you live this new life with Jesus Christ, we pray that you will be strengthened from God’s boundless resources, so that you will find yourselves able to pass through any experience and endure it with courage.’ God’s boundless resources are what we find when we obey the commandment, ‘Be filled with the Spirit.’ This is not a suggestion; the Bible has no suggestions, only commandments, and this is the most happy commandment of the whole Bible. When the Lord told us to witness and make disciples over the whole world, He promised, ‘You will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you.’

When I was a little girl, I remember that I talked with my father and I said, ‘Daddy, I will never be strong enough to be a real witness and a martyr for Jesus.’ And father said, ‘When you go to travel, when do I give you the train ticket, or the money for it—three weeks before?’ I said, ‘No, daddy, the day that I go to travel.’ And father said, ‘That is what God does. You don’t need to have the power to suffer for Jesus at this moment, but the moment that you will have the great honor to be a martyr for Jesus, the Lord will give you everything.’ And I’ve experienced that we have not a ‘spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind’, and the Holy Spirit is there always to do the job, to make us ready.

When I was in prison where my sister and 95,000 other women died, I experienced what Paul wrote to the Philippians when he also was in a terrible prison. The Holy Spirit had pointed Paul to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit also did the same for me. And I can say with Paul what he wrote in the text, ‘I count everything as lost compared with the priceless privilege’ (I read it from the Amplified New Testament), ‘the overwhelming preciousness, the unsurpassable worth, and the supreme advantage of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord, and of progressively, more intimately, getting acquainted with Him.’ That happened when I was in that terrible prison. That can happen with you also, when you let the Holy Spirit turn your eyes more and more to the Lord Jesus even when we are perhaps entering a time of very great darkness and suffering over the world.

One of the most cruel things I have suffered was when in the concentration camp, we had to stand naked. They stripped us of all our clothing and I said to Betsie, my sister, ‘I cannot bear this. This is so terrible.’ But it was suddenly as if I saw Jesus at the cross. It was the Holy Spirit who turned my eyes to Jesus, and the Bible tells that He hung there naked, they stripped Him of all his garments and He hung there for me. By my suffering I could understand a fraction of the suffering of Jesus and it made me so happy, so thankful, that I could bear my suffering. The Holy Spirit will turn your eyes to Jesus, whatever happens, and then we are ready, we are even willing, and we are able to suffer.

The world is very sick, very ill. Who is it that overcomes the world? He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. I am sure that all of us believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That means that you and I, that we all have to overcome the world—and that is hope for the world. The best is yet to be. Jesus is coming and He has said, ‘I will make everything new’, and that this world, yes, this sick, ill world will be covered with the knowledge of God like the waters cover the bottom of the sea. What a joy to know from the Word of God that God has no problems, only plans. There’s never panic in heaven, and we have to be right with God and we know it. That is because of the finished work of Jesus at the cross. And we have to be right with men also because of Jesus’ presence. The love of God, He will bring into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us (Rom 5:5).

Once, when traveling the world, I came to Germany and sometimes I find people who have been cruel to me in the concentration camp. Once I saw a lady in the meeting and suddenly I thought, ‘That woman was the nurse who was so cruel to my dying sister,’ and there came hatred and bitterness in my heart; but when I felt that there was hatred and bitterness in my heart, I knew I had not forgiven her. And I know, and you know, that Jesus has said (you can read it in Matthew 5), ‘If you do not forgive those who have sinned against you, my heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.’ But I said, ‘Oh Lord, I cannot, I am not able.’ And suddenly I saw it. I cashed the check of Romans 5:5. I said, ‘Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have brought into my heart God’s love through the Holy Spirit who is given to me, and thank you, Father, that your love in me is stronger than my bitterness and hatred.’ I could go to that nurse and I could shake hands with her, and I had the joy to be used by the Lord to bring her to this decision for the Lord Jesus. What a joy.

This is only part of the remarkable testimony of Corrie ten Boom, an ordinary woman who lived in an extraordinary time. At the start of WWII, Corrie was single, in her 40s and living in her parent's home. Her father, Casper, a watchmaker in the small town of Haarlem in Holland, was a devout Christian who made a decision that his family would become involved with the Dutch Resistance and help smuggle Jews out of  Holland, putting his family in grave danger. After a neighbor betrayed them and the family was arrested, Casper died ten days later in prison. Corrie and her older sister Betsie, would eventually arrive in Ravensbruck, the notorious women's labor camp in Germany. 

Through what can only be described as a miracle, Corrie smuggled a Bible into the camp. While all the other women were strip searched, Corrie walked into Ravensbruck without being touched by a guard. She and Betsie would share the comfort of Scripture in a widening circle of women who found their way to their bunk in the midst of the horrors of the camp. Corrie would say, "The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God". God had given these two sisters a mission, a purpose and a ministry in one of the darkest places on earth. 

All through their time in the Concentration Camp, Betsie shines to Corrie like a lighthouse of Jesus's love. Corrie has rage against her oppressors; Betsie is compelled by love and forgiveness. Through the love of Jesus, the bunker in which they stayed was transformed from a selfish place where women would fight each other for scraps of food to a place where prisoners developed an overwhelming love for one another. But the deprivation in Ravensbruck became too much for Betsie. As her body became weaker, and just before she died at the age of 59, Betsie said, “We must tell the people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here.”

And that is the lesson we must take from their testimony. We don't know what our future holds, and I pray it never becomes as dark as what Corrie endured. But it's becoming clear to me that the same winds of evil are on the horizon, and we must be as determined to represent God as did the brave and faithful ten Boom sisters. We must let the Gospel messages of Salvation and the Kingdom define our lives. We must let the love, mercy and power of our Lord Jesus increase in us during the rising tide of spiritual warfare we are experiencing. We must identify with the Lord no matter how heavy our Cross becomes; being His instrument in the battle against Evil and proclaiming that He can overcome all. Corrie ten Boom is evidence of that truth ... Because of a clerical error, the Nazis released Corrie ten Boom from Ravensbruck 12 days later. Exactly a week after that, everyone her age was sent to the gas chambers and murdered. 

God had a purpose for Corrie's life! And He does for each one of us, too! Betsie ten Boom's purpose was to offer hope and compassion to the women in that Ravensbruck bunker, and to uplift the spirit of her sister, so that Corrie would survive, and go on to tell their story and her journey toward forgiveness. It's a story that defines her legacy, and mirrors the reason that I began writing this blog in the first place, and why I will continue to write it until the Lord tells me to stop --- no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in; no matter how chaotic and evil the world becomes; we have a Victor in Christ. He and the Holy Spirit will show us the way if we stay focused on them, and lean on them. We have no promise that it will be easy or comfortable; only that we will be strengthened to endure and persevere for the sake of the Gospel. There is a Kingdom that has arrived and that Kingdom will soon have dominion over all the earth. We are designed and planned to be a part of that! Be convicted, be bold, and be all in for the Glory of the Lord!

John 3:19-21    And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

 

 

The Hope Of The World!

I know that for many, this Christmas Day is the bleakest they've known in their lives. The world has been overwhelmed by a virus whose origin and basis is not universally accepted, yet nearly everyone has been devastated by its impact. The tendrils of its consequences have caused discord and disagreement across political, social, medical and familial lines. People have died; jobs have been lost; we have been forced to isolate; and it has invaded and annihilated the electoral process of our government. We don't even see each other's smiles anymore.

Yet, this is still the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world's! Whether it represents the accurate birth date of Jesus or not doesn't really matter to me this year. Instead, I am concentrating on the importance of the message our Father in Heaven wants us to receive. Yes, it may personally look bleak for us, and our nation is suffering an identity crisis, but this is not the first time in history that people and nations have looked at their reality and discovered it to be hostile and forbidding. In fact, our situation in America looks similar to what it did on the night Jesus was born.

An article originally published in 2010 and written by J.C. Ryle for christianity.com reminds us of the Bible prophecy in Genesis 49:10 that says, "the scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs; and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples". According to Luke 2:1-7, "a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered [for the purpose of taxation]". This occurrence is not unlike this year, when a census was taken, in order to determine the number of inhabitants and property in order that our government could consider their demand of taxes upon the citizenry. We have read this account many times during our Bible readings on Christmas morning. But this simple statement is heavy with significance.

As Genesis 49:10 implies, the scepter of power was departing from Judah. The Roman Empire was exerting its authority over the world, and now this foreign power was seeking to dominate the land of Judah through heavy taxation. Strangers, who did not understand Judah's history or their ethos, were beginning to rule over them. Their independent government was quickly vanishing, and this "super power" threatened to overcome the world. 

At this time of Jesus's birth, all the previous empires had proven the foolishness of the world. None of the religious leaders, kings, poets, or philosophers of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, or now, Rome, had proven that through their worldly wisdom, they knew who God was. All of them were filled with the world's dark idolatry. Rome was no different. Gloom, misery, despair and a growing disdain among the people for oppressive government marked the era. In addition, the land of Judah was fracturing from within. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots all sought for control of the people's hearts. Conflict, riots and rising tension typified the year Jesus was born. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

But God's timing was perfect! Into this maelstrom of darkness, He saw the weakness of His people, and determined that the world was ready to receive its Savior. Romans 5:6 says, "For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate his love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves." Isn't that how many of us are feeling today? Our worldly wisdom tells us that we are helpless, weak, and powerless to push back against a pandemic that has hijacked our health, our economy, and our freedoms. It has even managed to commandeer our government and threatens to destroy our rule of law and our republic! 

But we must not look upon our circumstances through worldly wisdom, which would convince us that we are doomed and defeated. God is sovereign over the world and our history as a nation. He holds the final outcome in His hands. Yes, Satan seeks to destroy us because we have represented the freedom that He designed mankind to experience. But Satan does not have the mind or the wisdom of God. And neither do we. Are we in a time of testing? Are we being disciplined for abandoning God and losing sight of His moral laws? Perhaps. But we must not attempt to second-guess Him. We must not be anxious about the course of events around us. Instead, we must declare that on this day, two thousand and twenty years ago, the earth received her true King! God sent His Light into the Darkness and that Light still rules and reigns! He still demonstrates His love!

Yes, our reality is very similar to the reality of that royal birth two millennia ago. But we must see the bigger picture.... into the midst of the oppressive Roman Empire, God knew when it was time to intercede from Heaven and send His Son as Savior. God knew the exact time for Christ to be born to rescue the world. And He knows the exact time to step into our national history. We must trust Him for that timing, and we must continue to live in divinely inspired expectation of protection. Until that moment, let us rejoice on this day [and always] that He chooses to be present in our circumstances; that He has the power to intervene in our affairs; and that the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, represents our hope for deliverance and victory. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas filled with the joy and the Good News that the Lord is come. And let all of earth receive Her King!

Luke 2:14     Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.  

Why It's Important To Teach Your Children To Remember Their History

For the past couple of days, I have been listening for the Holy Spirit to guide me about what I am to bring to you in this post. And I'm always surprised as that thought pops into my head when I least expect it. I was driving the back roads of our rural South Texas, and I instantly recognized the Spirit's prompting. And I became convicted of the importance of my assignment. Interestingly, it echoes His counsel from as far back as what I was prompted to write in 2012 and 2017. Apparently, the Lord has deemed that this concept is extremely important for us to grasp at this time. So I will be obedient to His prompting....

I know that many [if not most] of you reading this post are in the midst of preparing to celebrate Christmas. And I'm pretty sure that this year, the Christian holiday is viewed through a different lens. There will not be many families who have not suffered a loss in 2020 due to Covid-19. Whether it is loss of a family member, or the loss of a job, or the soul-impacting loss of hope, it may be difficult to focus on the "peace and good will towards men" message of our Savior's birth. Through what has most likely been a painful and/or confusing process, each of us has had to come to a place in our spirit and our heart where we have determined how we are going to live in the changing dynamics of our world. 

So, I would like to share what Moses spoke to the Israelites as they faced a daunting and frightening future, while preparing to enter the Promised Land: "But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May His miracles have a deep and permanent effect upon your lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles He did. Tell them especially about the day you stood before the Lord at Mount Horeb, and He told me, ‘Summon the people before Me and I will instruct them, so that they will learn always to reverence Me, and so that they can teach My laws to their children" (Deuteronomy 4:9-10).

I believe that as we Baby Boomers come to terms with the possible scenarios of 2021 and beyond, our youngest adult generation, Generation Y.1 (a subset of the "Millennial Generation, and aged 24-29), are struggling the most with how to navigate the minefield that is our future. And I believe we, along with the generation that followed us [Generation X] have done them a disservice. Let me explain... In February 2012, just two months after I began writing this blog, I wrote this: "It is becoming more and more apparent to me that our children are no longer learning from us.  When I was growing up, I can remember listening to the stories of my grandmothers, and loving to hear the history of my parents." 

You see, I heard my ancestor's personal testimonies of poverty during the Depression; the sudden loss of a young husband and the need to provide for 5 small children by taking in laundry and doing sewing repairs; the loss of 3 infant babies to "consumption", and many more stories of personal devestation. My father told me tales of his grandmother, who remembered traveling as a young girl in a covered wagon to escape Tennessee and the "advancing Yankees".  They dug up the silverware from it's burial place, and left it all behind to start anew. And I knew his own story of signing up for the Navy at 17 (with his parents' permission) after Pearl Harbor, and fighting in the Pacific as a turret gunner in a low-level strafer and bomber (Ventura PV-1). And I have a permanent record [written down by my 94-year-old aunt) of what kind of man my grandfather I never knew was; his principles and the high esteem in which others regarded him.

My point in recounting all this?  I have a standard to live by because I was raised on the memories of the courage and the moral values of my ancestors. I wanted to learn everything I could from those who came before me. I wanted to learn from their experiences. I wanted to feel that I could be as brave and determined as they were in the face of adverse circumstances. And I have a feeling that, very soon, I am going to have the opportunity to prove myself worthy of their legacies.  

But perhaps, among my most valuable possession is the family Bible, which dates back to 1814.  In it are recorded the births, marriages and deaths of the long line of people that leads to me. It is a reminder that life in this world can be harsh, and it shows me that my existence is not all about me. And that brings me back to my concern for our youngest generations. They don't seem to care about knowing where they came from; instead, they are willing to follow whatever the latest celebrity or media guru tells them they should feel, think or say. And I'm afraid our couple of generations of prosperity have brought an expectation by Generation Y.1 that "Easy Street" is not only their right, but that it will continue unabated.

If you asked them to tell you what they've learned from their parents or grandparents, could they tell you?   Have we handed over the responsibility of forming our children's identity to some nameless entity that knows better than we do?  And most importantly, do they know that it is not all about them?  That the rewards of this life come from working hard, helping others, overcoming adversity, and giving all the glory to our God?

And it is precisely because we've been such a prosperous nation post-World War II, that the American mindset became all about giving our children everything it was possible to give them. We made it all about them, as we left the memories of our family histories behind. The Enemy convinced us that we didn't want them to suffer lack, or discouragement, or difficulties, and we lost sight of the tremendous value of sharing [and experiencing] those very aspects of life. That's why God spends so much time in His Word reminding us to remember! It is through our shared and deliberately remembered history that we are able to see our role in our present conflicts. When we forget our history, we forget that we possess, within our DNA, the memories of how to overcome the obstacles, oppression, and struggles the devil puts in our way. When we lose those memories, we don't really know we are or who we came from, or what our present role is to be. And more importantly, we lose whose we are. 

God admonished Moses to remind the Israelites to remember all He had done for them; the miracles of their survival through horrendous persecution. Have we taught our children and grandchildren of all the ways God has seen us through our own trials and tribulations, or shared the stories of their grandparents or great-grandparents? Or have we chosen to shelter them from anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or that might be too difficult for them to handle? If so, then finding their way through our uncertain future is going to be difficult for them. But it's not too late! It's time to become deliberate and attentive to remembering! Teach your young children the stories in the Bible of God's people overcoming their obstacles, and then relate it to your own family history. And we must begin to amend the lack of "remembering" that we didn't teach our young Millennial adults. It's time they begin to understand that what they've "learned" from technology and social media does not compare to the power of God's works in their family histories. 

Each of us has a story to tell --- and that story helps define our morals, our value systems, and our successes in life. By the Grace of God, I owe whatever strength of mind and character I have to the examples that were passed down to me.  What are we passing down to the next generation? PLEASE take the time to tell your children and grandchildren about overcoming difficulties; and teach them how to think for themselves. They have inherited a rich history of resiliency and fortitude. That is the American legacy. Teach them to embrace it. They are going to need it!

Psalm 78:2-4   A parable and a proverb are hidden in what I say—an intriguing riddle from the past. We’ve heard true stories from our fathers about our rich heritage. We will continue to tell our children and not hide from the rising generation the great marvels of our God—His miracles and power that have brought us all this far.

We Will Need The Faith That Moves Mountains

I discern the Holy Spirit telling me it is time for me to be honest. I don't know how anyone, Christian or not, can see and hear what the Enemy is heaping upon our country and not be aware that we are in the fight of our lives; a spiritual war for our way of life, our freedoms, and quite possibly our very survival. I know this might seem dramatic, but if you've been able to let go of your normalcy bias and pay attention to the massive corruption going on at the highest levels of our government; the revelations of foreign spy networks in our country, and the recent cyber warfare against our national defense systems, then you must be aware that we are under demonic attack. 

This blog post is not written to send you diving under the covers or to cause you to tremble in fear. Rather it is to awaken your spirit to the power of your faith. Remember [in the previous post] what Jesus reveals after He curses the fig tree and it dies ... if we have faith, and do not doubt, we will not only be able to do what He did to the fig tree, but we could tell a mountain to be moved and thrown into the sea, and it would happen. I would say that the battles before us form a whole mountain range that we need to move with our faith!

For those of you who have found your security in your job, or your bank account, or even your family, let me suggest that those foundations could easily crumble and fall in the face of what the Enemy has planned for us. But the foundation of faith in Jesus will withstand any storm or onslaught coming from the devil and his evil forces. Sadly, I am concerned that far too many people have built their faith on a foundation of shifting sand. It is important that we remember what Jesus taught in His parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders ... Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Our "house" could be compared to the life we've built; our physical and spiritual existence. If we hear what Jesus reveals about Himself and actually believe it and apply it [without doubting], then we have a solid foundation from which to withstand anything the Enemy uses to come against us. As the Bible says, it's because we built it on "the rock". And Who is the Rock? It is Jesus! 

One of my "go to" Bible passages is Psalm 18:1-3, and this is what it says: I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. This passage has calmed my fears in times of doubt and confusion; strengthened my faith when I felt weak; and emboldened me when I needed to take a stand against the forces bombarding me. The Lord strengthens me through His power that is in me. I am bonded to Him in love and all that He is becomes mine! As the Passion Translation renders this passage, Jesus becomes as real to me "as bedrock beneath my feet, like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress, my mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape, and my tower of rescue where none can reach me." My spirit is freed from the deception that the Enemy whispers as he tries to drag me into bondage. No longer do I receive his lies that "the great empire of the United States is doomed to expire, as all the great empires have done when I overcame them". 

My spirit knows the truth that "the Name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous runs into it and is safe".  And we must believe to the depths of our souls that this tower is one of rescue "where none can reach me". My spirit has found refuge in Him as I enter a strong tower with 6 foot thick walls of stone, where He awaits me next to a warm, blazing fire and I sit at His feet, receiving comfort and strength for the battles I will face. Outside, the forces of the Enemy storm as they rage in violent, uncontrollable anger that I am protected and safe. In those times, Jesus is my mountain that rises far above the forces of evil, and where I am able to escape and hear His strategies for victory in my life.

I write this post today because I discern that we are facing battles that we've never encountered in our lifetimes. Whether God has determined to deliver this nation or to discipline it, each one of us is still precious to Him and we have been given our free will to seek a personal relationship with Him that is separate and autonomous from the fate of the United States. That word autonomous means self-governing, self-determining, independent, and free. Now is the time to embrace the Scripture that says even though we may be walking in the valley of the shadow of death of our nation, we do not have to fear Evil. The rod and the staff that the Father has given Jesus can comfort us. We can know that the rod is His power and authority; it not only produced water from a rock, and caused the Red Sea to part, but it can become an iron rod that breaks the power of the Enemy from before us.  His staff guides us, corrects us to stay on the path, aids in defending us against predators, and helps us to stay balanced in Him.  

I also write this post because it is time that we face our reality. We are about to enter a new year, and we may not return to what "normal" used to look like. As this fact begins to dawn on people, I am seeing fear and panic rising up in my Christian community. I see them becoming paralyzed and incapable of movement. But that is the exact strategy of the Enemy: to bring not only our nation, but our very lives to a standstill by causing disruption and chaos and fear. We must stand up in our true identities! At our core, we are spirit beings, made in the image of our Creator! If we say we have faith, then we must believe that we have His power and His authority embedded in us! We must believe, without a doubt, that we can move those mountains of fear and panic, and they will be thrown into the sea. Then we can join the Heavenly Host in fighting in the spiritual realms for our nation and for our families -- for our very lives.

Do we, as a nation, and as individuals, deserve God's rod of discipline? Who can deny that? But His rod gives us wisdom (Psalm 29:15), and we need it to lift ourselves and others up out of this quagmire we find ourselves in; to be the beacon of hope and courage and strength that we find in Jesus Christ to overcome our Enemy. Although it may appear that we are facing inevitable chaos, this is a glorious opportunity to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom of God -- to share the Good News that Jesus is mankind's Savior and Deliverer, and to invite people to enter His Kingdom's government on earth and help Him rule the nations. We can demonstrate His power and authority in us to move mountains and show them what it is like to sit down to a meal where we dine on His peace and joy and comfort, even as we are sit in the midst of our enemies. We all need to have the faith to believe that those words He spoke were real and true. Our families and our communities are going to need to see our faith on display. And even if that faith is as small as a mustard seed, I believe Jesus will sustain it and grow it and strengthen it to become a resilient tree; a place of refuge for those seeking shelter.  

So, I am writing this post today to encourage you ... ask the Lord to help you face whatever may come, and you will find that He has been waiting to share His power and authority with you. He wants to equip you with the strength to endure; the wisdom to guide others; the knowledge of His winning strategies; the power to defeat the Enemy at every turn; and the ability to love others into their own glorious relationship with Him. He has known you as His created spirit being since He formed the foundations of the world, and He chose to send you to the earth for this time and in this place. We all have an assignment to complete. Will you represent Him well? Will you show the evil forces in this present darkness that our true freedom lies in who we are in Christ? Yes, in the coming days [and years] we will need the faith that moves mountains. But if we abide in the One who created the mountains, we have access to everything we need to tell those mountains to move, and they will tremble at our voices! Praise Him for He is worthy to be praised, and we will be saved from our enemies!

Revelation 2:26-27   The one who conquers and who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from My Father.