Will You Drink From The Cup The Father Has Given You?

I sense in my own spirit, and in the spirits of those who have great discernment, that our time of trial will soon be upon us. Maybe its because I'm re-reading John 17 and 18, and contemplating Jesus's High Priestly Prayer and the charges brought against Him by the Jewish Council and the Roman government. I sense the passion with which He prayed for those His Father had given Him, and I know that He continues those prayers for us in this time. He asks God to keep us in our Father's Name, just as He, Jesus, kept the Disciples who walked with Him.

Jesus knows that we will experience everything the Disciples endured in that day, and worse. The world will hate us, just as they hated Him and His Disciples 2000 years ago, because we are not of this world, just as He was not. He specifically says to His Father, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one ... Sanctify them in Your word, which is Truth." And then He goes on to request that the Disciples, and all who would come to believe in Him, "would be one, even as we are one". The Father sent Him on assignment, and here we are, in our lifetimes, at this time in history, and He is sending us out on our assignment!

As I listened in my spirit for the intentions of Jesus's heart in this prayer, I was overcome with a couple of immediate thoughts. Jesus emphasizes just how important it is to Him that we Believers "be one as He and the Father are one". This is not the only time He has expressed this desire. It is at the foundation of His ministry. We must understand that He and God, the Father, share the purpose for why He was sent to the world that they created. He is on assignment from Heaven, to re-establish the spiritual connection between the Creator and the created, and to offer Eternal Life to all who would receive it. And just as the Father sent His Son on assignment, the Son is sending each of us on our assignment. 

 

I couldn't help but think how difficult it has been for us to "be one". There are over 200 different denominations of Christianity in the U.S. alone, and over 45,000 globally, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. That many denominations has led to different traditions, rituals, and doctrines. That also includes differences in how we view what Christians will experience in these End Times. While most Christians understand that we have been given different responsibilities in the Kingdom, our souls often get cross-ways with each other over our perceptions of what we will experience. We are all familiar with the different eschatology positions -- premillennialism, for example, [in which Jesus returns prior to the 1,000 year reign of peace on the earth]; or the different dispensations of Biblical history, such as the Mosaic Age, versus the Church Age, versus the Millennial Kingdom. I guess it is our spirit of pride that compels man to determine the mind of God, which leads to squabbles over the question of whether Christians will be spared God's judgment of the world at the end of this Age. Are we to experience the Great Tribulation [as witnesses of God's love to an unsaved world] or be raptured out of here [and escape the Mark of the Beast and all that Satan brings against those that belong to Jesus]. Because of all these debated issues among the faithful, Satan has done a good job of keeping us at odds with one another.

But it is the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas brings the band of Roman soldiers, along with the religious officers of the Jews, that pierced my heart the most. Out of his love for Jesus, Peter is ready to defend Christ, and drawing his sword, cuts off the ear of the High Priest's guard. Jesus's response is both remarkable and inspiring ... Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me? Jesus is telling us that God has commissioned Him to go to the Cross to atone for the sins of all mankind. It is His assignment and "the cup" is the situation, condition, and circumstances He finds Himself in, and He will be obedient in carrying out His divine assignment.

Like Jesus, we are all here on this planet Earth because, as spirits created since the foundation of the world, we have been sent by Jesus to live in this human body [just as He was sent to live in a human body by God, the Father]. We, too, are here to fulfill our assignment. There are so many questions associated with that statement. Do we fully understand our assignment? Do we comprehend that it is the same assignment as Jesus's? If you don't know what that is, let me refer you to John 18:37. When questioned by Pilate whether He was a King or not, Jesus replied, For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world -- to bear witness to the truth. Here is what I believe is at the heart of Jesus's ministry, and our purpose here on earth ... Jesus came to be a witness about His Father [our God] and to glorify Him by accomplishing His assignment. By witnessing that God had sent Him, and going to the Cross in obedience, He is witnessing to the world that God so loved the world, He sent His Son [to die for us] so that all who believe in the Son will not perish forever, but have everlasting [eternal] life. He is inspiring and encouraging us to do the same -- declare this Truth, pick up our Cross and be willing to die as a martyr to this Truth. 

In short, Jesus came to be a witness of this Eternal Truth, and to send others out to be witnesses and martyrs to this same Truth - through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, who will guide us to all truth, as we need it, to fulfill our assignment. That glorifies His Kingdom and the power of the witnesses of that Kingdom; a Kingdom which is not of this world. The Kingdom to which we belong is not a world system, but a realm of power. We don't just write about it or speak about it. We experience it and live it. This is "the cup" we have been given to drink. It is a serious mission we have been sent to accomplish. At the end of it is victory and celebration because we have glorified our Father in Heaven, by glorifying His Son during our time on this earth. 

But between now and then, we must remain committed to witnessing to the world about the Truth that everyone who lives and believes in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will never die. The cup we have been given will be bitter to some and difficult to swallow. Pray that we can abide in the power and authority transferred to us by our Savior, and grow into His very image, joyfully drinking from the cups of Sanctification, Redemption, Grace, Power, and Victory in the Lord. Let us be a light in this dark world, pointing everyone we encounter to the way to Eternal Life. And let us willingly drink of the cup handed to us, saying, "Yahweh, You alone are my inheritance. You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. You hold my destiny and its timing in Your hands. Thank you for trusting me to drink of the cup You have given me. Holy Spirit, guide me and empower me to finish my assignment, glorifying my Lord, who has sent me. And Lord, Jesus, I praise Your Mighty Name! You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer. You will be my Shield in times of trouble, and You are the Power behind my Salvation. You will be my Stronghold. And I will praise Your Name because You are worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my Enemies". Glorifying You IS my cup!

Psalm 23:5    You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of Your Holy Spirit; You give me all I can drink of You until my cup overflows. (The Passion Translation)

Chimera Concern Revisited

If your spirit is on alert, you are probably seeing the word "chimera" tossed around in the media reporting on the latest scientific marvels.  What exactly is a chimera? It is an organism, organ, or part consisting of two or more tissues of different genetic composition, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering. Do I have your attention now? And you may have read a recent headline in the New York Post that said, "Scientists create first human-monkey embryo in controversial experiment". Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California have conducted a controversial experiment that entails growing human stem cells within a macaque monkey embryo, in effect, trying to create a human-monkey hybrid. In the lab, these embryos are called monkey-human chimeras, and created in a petri dish — in other words, in vitro fertilization (IVF). The embryos were monitored during a 20-day period and have since been destroyed. But exactly why are these experiments being conducted?

Well, the scientific and medical community will tell you, "Ultimately, we conduct these studies to understand and improve human health." In fact, according to the article in the NY Post, lead researcher, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, went on to say, "These chimeric approaches could be really very useful for advancing biomedical research not just at the very earliest stage of life, but also the latest stage of life." Hmmm, let's see, why would scientists want to engineer research on the very young and the very old? Population control perhaps? 

And that takes me to a blog post that I wrote in 2014 at the height of the Ebola scare. The title of that blog post was The New Chimera: Ebola & Genetically Engineered Vaccines. Is what I'm considering coming into sharper focus yet? Let me recreate some of what I wrote seven years ago and see if you recognize anything familiar .... I wrote the following:  As I sat yesterday afternoon, watching Congress's House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations grill the top federal health professionals on our Ebola crisis, my Biblical worldview helped me to quickly see through the subterfuge.  Doctors and officials from the foremost government agencies all appeared -- the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Homeland Security; Texas Health Resources; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the National Institute of Health (NIH) -- supposedly to answer the cares and concerns of our elected representatives.  Naturally, we would hope that these politicians truly represented the interests of the American people.

If you just listened to the hearing through the lens of "how to better protect Americans", you might think that these bureaucratic organizations are centered on limiting the spread of Ebola.  You would have heard lots of talk about travel restrictions, travel bans, and quarantines.  But if you listened closer, as one who "has ears to hear", you would have picked up on the testimony of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the head of the National Institute of Health.  

He referred to the NIH's Phase I early-stage human clinical trials of an Ebola vaccine on healthy volunteers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.  (Does it bother you that the military is always the guinea pig?  But, I digress).  The NIHs own press release revealed that "the investigational vaccine is based on a recombinant type of chimpanzee “cold” virus, called chimp adenovirus type 3 (ChAd3)."  Exactly what does this mean, and how does it relate to "The Days of Noah"? 

First of all, if you have been a reader of my blog, then you know that I have a different slant on Chapter 6, verse 4, of Genesis.  For your enlightenment, here is a quick synopsis: I believe this controversial passage of Scripture happened just as the Bible records, and tells us of Satan's attempt to pollute the human genome into something that no longer resembled "the image of God".  The Scripture reads, "In those days, giants lived on the earth and also afterward, when divine beings and human daughters had sexual relations and gave birth to children (the Nephilim). These were the ancient heroes, men of reknown."  From this verse, it is my discernment that the ancient heroes were what we consider the mythological demigods, such as the Titans and the Olympians; and included such superstars as Zeus, Apollo, Cronus, Atlas and Prometheus.  They were genetically part Fallen Angel, and part human.

 At the same time, all the mythological creatures that we think of as folk tales or legend -- hybrid creatures, known as Chimeras, appeared as mintaurs, satyrs or centaurs, among others -- and are the result of the same kind of genetic manipulation.  We think of them as myths, but every culture contains ancient stories of them, and their images have been seen on countless archeological findings.  This kind of Fallen Angel-technology has been known since the "days of Noah", and the knowledge is once again  being revived. [Think how much further they've come in the last seven years!]

So, how did I make the connection between a disputed Bible verse and that crisis with Ebola? To see the relationship, one must consider Jesus's warning to us before His death and resurrection.  When asked by His disciples when He would return, He answered, "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah...".  In the days of Noah, God saw how wicked man had become and how the inclination of the thoughts of the human heart had become evil. Obviously, Jesus knew this kind of evil behavior would occur again.

At the time [in 2014], I contended that the Ebola event, just as "in the days of Noah", could be an example for such wickedness.  Consider this: As stated, the NIH's investigational vaccine was based on a recombinant chimpanzee virus.  It is my understanding that recombinant DNA is "DNA molecules that are extracted from different sources and chemically joined together; for example DNA comprising an animal gene may be recombined with DNA from a bacterium", producing a new genetic combination -- in this case, Ebola. Fortunately, the world did not see the feared epidemic of Ebola that some scientists prophesied. But now, in 2021 we once again see experimental vaccines at the center of what has turned out to be a pandemic of Covid-19. And we have seen extraordinary numbers of those at "the latest stage of life" die; the very ones that scientist Belmonte claims could benefit from such "advancing biomedical research".

During those Congressional hearings in 2014, it was hard not to perceive the excitement with which Dr. Fauci talked about the Phase I experiment.  "If we don't contain [Ebola}, we may well need a vaccine." Looks like he got his wish in 2020 and 2021. Back in 2014, he was quick to sing the praises of the possible vaccine for Ebola.  "Contracts need to move forward as quickly as possible... We need to expand production and get rapid approval from the FDA ... The ultimate goal is to expand into Africa; if successful after Phase I, we will expand into larger trials in West Africa."

 Of course, then it all sounded like good humanitarian policy, [and probably still does in 2021] until you consider that there are other Biblical prophecies that come into play ... the death of 1/4 of the world's population ... pestilence and plague ... and who is to say that Satan can't work on multiple levels?  And one cannot ignore the Apostle Paul's warning against the evil deeds of men and their use of "sorcery".  It is important to understand that, in the Greek, this word is rendered pharmakeia, (where our word, pharmaceuticals comes from) and Strong's Concordance has established that it means, "the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers."  The word's primary reference was to drugs, and to those who employed them for whatever reason (in this case: for godless purposes). 

At the time, I just couldn't reconcile the contradictory statements by influential health officials.  On one hand, Dr. Frieden, of the CDC, proclaimed that there was no need to worry; that Ebola had very little likelihood of spreading to the general population; and that they were quite capable of controlling it.  On the other hand, Dr. Fauci called for government funding to rapidly advance the production of a vaccine, in preparation for the possibility of "a raging epidemic."  Keep us docile and discourage vigilance ... while planning for mass vaccinations ... and with a drug that introduced non-human genes into our bodies.  As a Christian, that just didn't work for me.... and it still doesn't!

So, in summarizing, I know that there will be those who do not see either of these situations as I do.  I respect our differences of opinion, because I know that vaccines have become a lightning rod issue. I want to state I am not against vaccines. It is a personal decision of each person whether to receive any type of vaccine or not. But I honestly have to ask, Is there a possibility that we actually possess a "God gene", as molecular geneticist Dean Hamer claims?  Indeed, Paul tells the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:39) that "Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another...".  So when he says just a few verses later, "flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God;", he is telling us that at some point, if we combine our DNA with a different kind of flesh, God will no longer recognize us as worthy of salvation.  And didn't Satan show us "in the days of Noah", that it is his game plan to pollute or corrupt that perfect DNA to claim us as his own? 

Keep that in mind as I share the remarks of professor Julian Savulescu, director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, who disagrees with the Salk Institute’s approach, and recently told the BBC that this monkey-human embryo experiment “opens Pandora’s box to human-nonhuman chimeras.” He went on to say, "These embryos were destroyed at 20 days of development, but it is only a matter of time before human-nonhuman chimeras are successfully developed, perhaps as a source of organs for humans.” If that occurs, we will no longer be able to say that humans are made in the divine image of God. Dr. Anna Smajdor, ethics specialist at the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, has this opinion to offer: the scientists behind this research state that these chimeric embryos offer new opportunities,” because such experiments cannot be performed on humans, Smajdor told the BBC. “But whether these embryos are human or not is open to question.” Lord, deliver us from this evil!

 1 Thessalonians 3:23    Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why Millennials Identifying as "Exvangelicals" Is A Sign of The Times

I was not particularly shocked to read that the Millennial generation was increasingly leaving the Church and its teachings to pursue the temptations of the world and its permissive, tolerant philosophies. I just didn't know how vehement they were about their objections to Christianity. In some ways, they are no different than those of all generations who have been wounded by the Church and its leaders for their hypocrisy and "un-Christ-like" actions. Just as in Jesus's day, the overtly religious refuse to minister to those who need it the most ... the marginalized of society who do not fit the established "norm" of what is acceptable. Ironically, those are the very people that Jesus went out of His way to set free of their wounds and sins. 

Therefore, we see a growing segment of 20-30 somethings proud to call themselves "exvangelicals". What exactly does this term mean? It means more than just a renunciation of modern Christian evangelicalism, which constitutes a promotion of the doctrines, practices, and history of Biblical Christianity. An "exvangelical" can signify as many definitions as the liberal [and by that, I mean broad-minded] communities with whom they associate determine it means. Here's just a sample of the definitions they use to define themselves: "the universe is our host, and nothing really mattering is the best [philosophy]"; "I believe in the Universal Christ, but I'm deconstructing from my faith and leaving the church"; "I'm reconstructing my faith as I progress in my own understanding [of God]". As you can see, there's expansive opportunity to define your faith in anyway you want. I would say that if you had to come up with a common denominator for this progressive mindset, it is that they are people who have rejected the traditional tenets of Christianity and define themselves by what they are not, and what they no longer believe.

Here are a few of the beliefs that identify exvangelicals : 1) they don't believe in a literal hell;  2) they reject Biblical teachings on sexuality; 3) they reject Biblical conservatism which they identify as politically motivated, aka "Republican"; 4) they recognize personal sovereignty and self-determination over the laws of the Bible; 5) they promote finding a belief system that suits the individual's needs; 6) they are deeply opinionated on racism, sexism, and political issues which all seem to take precedent over God's will for mankind; 7) upholding the rights of LGBTQ individuals runs throughout all their narratives, even when they don't agree on other issues; 8) they self-determine what it means to be a Christian; 9) It's okay to explore other religions; 10) their mantra is to retain the intellectual, and drop the supernatural; 11) they don't like what they perceive to be the legalism in evangelicalism; and finally, 12) it's important to live your own truth.

In several articles I read, there were so many stories of wounds generated by the Church. In fact, that seems to be a common bond among those who identify as "exvangelicals"... they are like a support group for each other; those who have chosen to escape from the traumas caused by so-called "Christians". Some of the stories of their traumas include hearing their parents berated for getting a divorce; not feeling that they could discuss their questions about abortion, or sex, or racism; seeing men in the Church as superior over women; being judged for being raped, and the inability of the Church to know how to handle the situation with compassion; feeling accused for asking questions or seeking a higher knowledge of God; not feeling comfortable coming forth with issues they are confused about, including their sexuality. 

By now you can see what a field day the devil is having with all this. And it is not just those who have  chosen to follow their own rules. It also those who personify hypocritical religion, just as they did when Jesus was ministering and confronting them. But why should we be surprised? It's not only that the Bible specifically warns us that this will come in the latter days. We have no excuse for not recognizing what Scripture has foretold: At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another (Matthew 24:10). But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12).

Men have always thought they could be their own god -- ever since Adam and Eve believed the lie in the Garden. It is the spirit of Pride, when combined with the spirits of Doubt and Unbelief, that lead men and women to stray from the foundations of their faith. And when confronted by legalism, hypocrisy, and the lack of compassion, the young will naturally rebel. Interestingly, there is an ironic twist to this conflict between the "exvangelicals" and the "hyper-religious". Both castigate the other for not meeting their ideas of what Jesus represents. But, as we see in Matthew Chapter 23, and the "woes" the Lord hurls at the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus is thundering against these leaders for pretending to live holy lives, while in reality, they were practicing human religion, rather than serving God with pure hearts. The same could be said of both sides in this debate.

The "exvangelicals" rail against the "narrow-minded" Christians, proclaiming that the Universe doesn't care if Christian rules are followed -- "Nothing really matters, and this is what gives us the freedom to feel our own meaning, and feel it with ease instead of a sense of fear or guilt".  That last statement was made by Abraham Piper, son of well-known evangelical preacher John Piper. The host of an exvangelical podcast had this to say, "What's good for one person may not be healthy for another. For instance, if someone's tradition rejected them for their sexual orientation, it is understandable if they don't want to associate with Christianity anymore. It may not be the most healthy thing for them. Acknowledging personal autonomy [self-determination] and respecting it is a central tenet of the exvangelical community.  It makes things messier, but I believe it's the best thing". 

So, it's all coming true, according to Scripture. The pendulum is swinging from legalism to progressivism. Whatever feels good to you is okay with the universal god. Narrow-mindedness is condemned, while "anything goes" is embraced.  In this messy scenario we see the fruit of a fallen world. Whenever man turns from the pure and simple teachings of God in His Word, he ultimately ends in a state of rebellion and lawlessness. Yes, we must endeavor to follow God's every commandment, but we must not only appear righteous, we must live it in truth. And, yes, God loves it when we ask questions and seek Him, but we must seek His truth, not our own or the world's. So, at this time, I pray that all -- both evangelicals and exvangelicals -- will return to their first love, with pure hearts and a desire to walk in the ways of Jesus Christ. We are quickly nearing the time of Jesus's appearance, and He will be seeking those who have remained true to His commandments. The Father wishes to lose no one, so let us all examine our hearts and strengthen our faith. We're going to need it!

2 Corinthians 11:4     For you seem to gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you preaching a pseudo-Jesus, not the Jesus we have preached. You have accepted a spirit and gospel that is false, rather than the Spirit and gospel you once embraced. How tolerant you have become of these imposters!

Persecution and The Tribulation: How Close Are We?

"The world is deathly ill. It is dying. The Great Physician has already signed the death certificate. Yet there is still a great work for Christians to do. They are to be streams of living water, channels of mercy to those who are still in the world. It is possible for them to do this because they are Overcomers."

Those words were written in a letter in 1974, by Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of the Nazi Death Camps. Unfortunately, I don't think Christians in the West listened to her ... especially here, in the United States. We have lived too comfortably, and we have identified for so long as a prosperous nation, that it is difficult to admit that this world is actually dying. That outlook might be about to change, so maybe we should examine her letter a little more closely. There is hope as she points out that we Christians are ambassadors for Christ to this dying world. And there is no compromise in her theology; she takes the Bible at face value, so she is cognizant of what the Lord said the world would look like before He returns.

She is really quite honest when she admits, "Sometimes I get frightened as I read the Bible, and as I look in this world and see all of the tribulation and persecution promised by the Bible coming true. Now I can tell you, though, if you, too, are afraid, that I have just read the last pages. I can now come to you, shouting “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” for I have found where it is written that Jesus said, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be His God, and he shall be My son.” This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world will survive – but that we shall be Overcomers in the midst of a dying world".

I will tell you that this is a message that the Western Church is reluctant to hear, let alone accept. But it is a message that I share -- both the good, bad, and ugly about what the Bible prophecies for this time. And I will also tell you that far too many of my contemporary Christian brothers and sisters do not want to receive that message. But as a Watchman on the wall, it is my obligation to speak the truth -- all of it -- both the coming persecution and final victory in overcoming.  

Corrie shares some of the persecution she and her sister Betsy suffered in the midst of the evil in that concentration camp, and that she even struggled to understand God's purpose in all the death she witnessed, including the death of her beloved sister. But, as the Word says, "What the devil meant for evil, God will use for [His] good". And I would like to say that He uses it for His Glory, as well. Corrie saw that herself. She stated that because of Betsey's death, she has been given the assignment [and gift] of  traveling all over the world and telling people about Jesus.

In regards to the persecution she personally endured, in 1974, Corrie declared, "There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days." I am now declaring, that in 2021, there are some among us teaching we will be able to escape the persecution in our time, and receive a reprieve from the tribulation! They tell us that we are on the brink of a "worldwide revival". But Scripture not only tells us we are not going to escape persecution, but I am unable to find anywhere that Jesus foretells such a revival. And I do not believe that we are to cherry-pick the Psalms that speak of our victory in Christ, yet overlook those verses that cry out for deliverance from the persecution of the Enemy.

I absolutely believe that the Bible speaks of personal revival in the End Times, as each human being must make a decision for Christ in the face of persecution and tyranny by the Enemy. Jesus warns of false prophets who are like wolves in sheep's clothing; of diseased trees bearing bad fruit; of wars, nation against nation, famines, and earthquakes -- all of which are the beginning of birth pangs, indicating the end of the Age. Furthermore, He says we will be delivered up to tribulation and put to death. Many will fall away from the faith and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved! Nowhere do I see Jesus saying that there will be a worldwide revival ushering in the fulfillment [completion] of the Kingdom on earth.

The Kingdom is here NOW! And Jesus tells us that the Good News about this fulfillment of the Kingdom [in His Second Coming] will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then "the end will come". I believe the end He is talking about is the end of the reign of the kingdom of darkness on the earth. Yes, the whole world will hear of what Jesus has done for us, but I do not think "proclaiming" the Gospel is the same as a worldwide revival of people coming to Christ. There is definitely a hope fo that result, and if by "revival", they mean the Body of Christ rises up to do what it is supposed to have been doing all along ... healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel, then I can hope for that, too.

But we cannot ignore the warnings about persecution, because it is here! The Christian Post website reported that China's persecution of Christians intensified in 2020, and the Communist Government is working to more fully control "religion". The website revealed "that schools in China have been teaching children that Christianity is an “evil cult,” while children are being taught to oppose religion, encouraged to question the beliefs of family members and report those closest to them to authorities." As our culture becomes increasingly "woke", and as we see "critical race theory" further dividing the American people, how long before religious and political persecution takes root in America? We are already seeing a "One World/Universal" religion spreading its false teachings throughout the world and within our denominations. Those who choose to proclaim Jehovah Adonai as the One True God will undoubtedly come under fire.

As Believers in this 21st Century, we must set our minds on the truth of Scripture and be prepared to endure during persecution. Will we see a remnant thrive and revive during these anti-Christ times? Of course! The Father's purpose for End-Times believers will never be thwarted! But if we truly believe that every word of Scripture is true, we know that we will be rewarded with Eternal Life with our Savior. What a victory! But before that victory, there is a reality that we cannot ignore. The Book of Revelation holds nothing back. The sixth chapter reveals the storm that is coming before Christ returns: Satan will empower a conqueror to wage war and take peace from the earth "so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him". The 13th chapter says, "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and  authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him". The 17th chapter tells us, "And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus". 

I believe these are the souls under the altar in Heaven crying out for Justice; those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ]. There will be martyrs for Christ, just as there were in the first century after Christ's crucifixion. In 1974, Corrie Ten Boom wrote, "In America, the churches sing, “Let the congregation escape tribulation,” but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived.  This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa.  Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations.  But I know. I have been there.  We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners.  Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation". Can you honestly say that Satan has backed off his plans to defeat Christianity in the last 47 years? 

I know that many don't want to contemplate persecution or tribulation; it is much more pleasant to think on the mercy, grace, and victory of Christ. And I recognize that Satan uses fear to keep us from thinking we are strong enough to be a martyr for Christ. But we need to understand that if that time comes, we will receive the strength we need to glorify the Lord in that moment of our refusal to deny Him. We will be able, like Stephen, to testify of His presence in our lives and of His power in the world. We will confidently cry out, “Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!” 

So, how close are we to this controversial Biblical prophecy? No one knows for sure. But the signs are all there. The birth pangs are getting sharper and lasting longer. The Enemy is longer working in secret, but operating right out in the open for discerning minds and hearts to see. He thinks he has control of the whole earth, and is putting his plan into effect. A global pandemic, famine, earthquakes, and rumors of war are all in view. And I wholeheartedly desire revival in the lives of every Christian on earth, with millions more joining our family of God. But I believe it is a personal revival; perhaps one person at a time. And I welcome that! So let us encourage each other and help each other get ready. We have a purpose to fulfill! And let us approach each day knowing that no matter what happens to us, we will not endure this day alone. Our Lord will always be with us, in and out of persecution; in and out of tribulation; until one day we stand before Him and receive the Crown of Life. Praise Him, for He is worthy to be praised!

2 Timothy 3:12   Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].

Memorial Day 2021: Honoring The Sacrifice

Today begins "Memorial Day weekend", although the official holiday is Monday, May 31st.  It is the day that our country remembers and honors those men and women who have died in the service of our country.  It is also a day that we honor all veterans who have selflessly contributed to the safety and protection of our nation.

The Bible is full of stories of such warriors ... Samson, David and Joshua are memorialized as valiant protectors of their people.  And from Isaac Davis, the first officer to be killed in the American Revolutionary War, to Nathan Chapman, the first American soldier to be killed in combat in the war in Afghanistan, this nation has seen no shortage of men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the ideals this country stands for.

Sure, we all like to hang flags [and wave them] on this day, but let's not let the celebration with BBQ and beer exceed the spirit of this solemn holiday.  Don't just hang a flag outside your door.  Tell your children and grandchildren why you are making that statement.  And then make sure they know the cost of their freedoms.  The numbers don't lie.  Historians think that nearly 25,000 Americans died establishing our freedom from Great Britain.  Over 600,000 soldiers died in the Civil War; over 500,000 in WWI and WWII, with 140,000 buried throughout military cemeteries in Europe.  We lost nearly 68,000 brave Americans in the rice fields and jungles of VietNam, and, as of February of this year, 7036 have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Have these all been "righteous" wars? ... I think, you know the answer to that. But that is squarely laid at the feet of politicians and the New World Order. Today, my goal is to recognize and commemorate the memories of those who fought for the right reasons.  This is about one person laying down his life for another.  This holiday is about what America stands for, and those who fought to preserve that ideal.  Let's recapture what America symbolizes.

This weekend, through Monday, let's be reminded of what William Gladstone, the leading British statesman of the Victorian era, who served as Britain's Prime Minister [four times] said, "Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals." For me, those high ideals are the moral principles established by our God in His Word. These are all principles we are in danger of losing [as evidenced over the last couple of years]. And I would like to offer them to all of you .... those who served and are remembering their fallen comrades; and to those of us who have not served on the battlefield, but will pray with you [and for you] as you salute and mourn those that have died. Think upon these Scriptures and these sentiments as you celebrate Memorial Day this year ...

• No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. (John 14:13)

• "The brave never die, though they sleep in dust: Their courage serves a thousand living men." –Minot J. Savage (Pastor and Author, 1918)

• Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

• "Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it." –Unknown

•  Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle; My [steadfast] lovingkindness and My fortress, My high tower and my rescuer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge.... (Psalm 144:1-2)

• "This nation will remain the land of the free only as long as it is home of the brave." –Elmer Davis, Director of the United States Office of War Information during World War II 

Finally, reflect upon those words and the principles that motivated our citizens to pick up a gun and fight for freedom, both here and abroad. Memorial Day represents those who died protecting these important principles.  The memories of our Fallen Heroes deserve to be recognized.  Monday is not about hotdogs, hamburgers and family gatherings.  It's about restoring respect for the sacrifice made for you and me.  Let each of us do our part in restoring the true meaning of Memorial Day.  Dedicate one moment out of the day to give thanks to a veteran who did his part for this great country of ours.  We owe them that .... and so much more.  

I am dedicating this post and blog to the memory of Captain John Hardy, USAF, a pilot who was shot down over North Vietnam.  At the age of 16, I wore an MIA bracelet bearing his name, and I wore it for years. It wasn't until around the year 2000, that I discovered that there was a website where you could find out the status of MIA/POW soldiers in the VietNam War, that I learned of his fate.  Throughout the years, I had always prayed for him, and hoped he had made it home.  I was devastated to find out that he died in the jungles of that far-off country.  I never knew him, but he was more than a name on a silver bracelet.  In the year 2004, I had the opportunity to visit the VietNam War Memorial in Washington D.C., and the impact of that long black marble wall with all those names on it was overwhelming.  I have a pencil rub of his name, and I keep it in the Bible my grandmother gave me, and I will honor his memory for the rest of my life.  Here is his official status as listed on THE WALL, a website devoted to those who gave their lives in that war:   

Captain John Charles Hardy, USAF

Length of service 8 years

His tour began on Jan 15, 1968

Casualty was on Apr 3, 1968

In , NORTH VIETNAM

Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW

AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND

Body was recovered

 

Psalm 116:15     Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them].

 

 

 

Why We Need To Understand The Difference Between Our Giftings and Callings!

 

I am increasingly encouraged to see the Body of Christ interested in discovering the purpose of their lives. Instead of being content to simply walk in their identity as "Christians", many believers [who make up the Body] are seeking to fulfill God's will in their lives. If discovered properly, we are able to discern our calling in life, and by utilizing our gifts from the Holy Spirit, we are able to accomplish that which God has ordained in our lives. Should be easy to understand, right? But I am discerning that many Christians don't have the correct perspective when trying to walk this out.

You see, our human nature [or the Church] often decides for us what our "calling" is to be. It might be the exciting and fruitful ministry of another that we would love to emulate; or a particular area of ministry that has always fascinated us, so we announce that God has shown us our calling. But that's not how it works. If we are truly redeemed [we know that we are bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, and we have surrendered and submitted our lives to His authority] then it is not our mind that determines our calling, but the mind of God which is received by the Holy Spirit in us. You see, Scripture tells us that we are God's workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. That is Ephesians 2:10 in the Amplified version.

Do you see how important it is that we understand the "spiritual mechanics" of how we come to receive our calling? It is God's mind -- not ours -- that has determined our "good works"; they were not only created for us by God, but they have been prepared for us before we were ever born. They are waiting for us to step into them, and we have been called to them --we have not called them to us! 

In today's world of internet technology, it is easy for our minds to think we identify with the image we see on a computer or phone screen, and for our soul [which is our mind, our free will to make decisions on our own, and our emotions] to determine that we have been shown what our calling is supposed to be. But that's not how it works! We know that, when we receive Christ's salvation, God's purpose is to conform us and grow us into the image of His Son. The Holy Spirit, as our guide and counselor, knows the purpose of the Father for our lives, and begins to work in us to help us come to the conscious awareness of what the Father has prepared for us as our calling. 

But just as we must decide to use our free will to accept Christ as our Savior, we must decide to answer "yes" to our calling. We must mature in our faith to be able to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit from our own voice. Our soul must yield to our spirit's connection to the Holy Spirit, and then we can truly realize what God has planned for us from the beginning of time. That is our part in the process, and when we are convicted in our spirit that we are correctly hearing the mind of God in our calling and purpose, then it brings so much glory to our Father! Remember, we are created to glorify Him to all His creation. It is 2 Peter 1:10 that tells us, Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. [I will come back to the qualities one must have to support our calling in a moment].

It is important, at this point, to understand that our calling is for the purpose of our work in the Kingdom of God. Salvation is a given at this point. John 3:1-5 makes it clear that we cannot enter the Kingdom [and therefore do work for the Kingdom] until you are "born again", which is Salvation. So, our calling is the beginning of our journey and purpose in the Kingdom of God here on earth. Once we've discerned [with our spirit] what God has called us to, the Holy Spirit will grow us in our calling and we will move from glory to glory as we serve God in His Kingdom. But, there is another important factor that we must consider: the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us carry out our calling. 

Scripture makes it clear that God decided before we were born what He was going to call us to do in His Kingdom. We don't get to decide what our calling is; we only get to decide if we are going to say, "Yes, God". And God wants us to succeed at our calling and accomplish the works for the Kingdom because our obedience and our diligence in that calling glorifies Him. That's where the "qualities" mentioned in 2 Peter 1:10 come into play. The qualities that we must have to fulfill our calling are virtue [or moral righteousness], combined with Godly knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love. That's a pretty tall order for us as humans! If I had to rely on myself to have these qualities to fulfill my calling, it would be impossible. But we can't do it on our own, and God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us accomplish the work for God's Kingdom that has been ordained for us.

In fact, the Holy Spirit brings a variety of gifts to empower us to do what God has called us into. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed by Him as we develop and grow into our calling, and as they are needed (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). The gifts are: 1) the power to speak a message of wisdom; 2) the power to express a word of knowledge and understanding; 3) the power of faith; 4) the power to heal; 5) the power to work miracles; 6) the power to prophecy; 7) the power to discern [or distinguish] different spirits; 8) the power to speak in different tongues [unknown languages]; and 9) the power to interpret those tongues. And I would like to emphasize, that according to the Bible, All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses. The power belongs to the Holy Spirit, not us.

Here is what the Body of Christ needs to understand ... Our calling is our ministry. But our ministry is not determined by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts support our calling and the Holy Spirit will apportion them as we need them so that we are capable [and competent] to remain steadfast in our calling. And here is where I see the failing of the modern Church. We, as Christians, don't really understand what "calling" means, nor do we understand what the gifts are or how they are to assist in our calling. Our churches often determine what an individual's calling is by having members take a "test", and the results will show leadership that your "calling" might be youth minister, Sunday School teacher, music, baptism team, pastoral ministry, or any number of "functions" that serve the church. But God has planned for greater works that benefit His Kingdom! Our calling should relate to His purpose for His Kingdom, not fit into an organized structure developed by man. 

The same kind of confusion accompanies our understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We don't get to choose which gift we have. The Holy Spirit will provide the gift that is appropriate to advance our work for the Kingdom. We cannot and should not deny receiving any of the gifts at any time that the Holy Spirit determines we need them. And the gift is not our ministry. For instance, the gift to empower healing will be given at the moment you need it to further the purpose of God in a person's life. We should not then declare that we have a "healing ministry". We have the ability to utilize all the gifts in our calling, as determined by the Holy Spirit. We don't want to limit ourselves in our work for the Kingdom.

I have often spoken that the Lord brought a ministry of Inner Healing to my husband and myself, but I should more correctly say that our calling is to introduce the Kingdom of God in a person's life by bringing freedom in Christ and working with our Lord to deliver them out of their bondage so they can  find their own purpose and calling for the Kingdom. And we do explain that larger meaning when we explain our calling. And in the process of our calling, we have at various times, been empowered to express wisdom and knowledge and understanding; we have encouraged faith; we have laid hands, which imparted physical healing; we have seen miracles through our obedience; we have prophesied over a person's life; we have been able to discern different spirits of anger, lust, unworthiness, etc; we have spoken in tongues when prompted by the Holy Spirit. As of yet, we haven't been given the ability to interpret another tongue. But my point is that our calling is to bring people into the Kingdom of God, and we rely on the Holy Spirit to give us whatever gift we need [in the moment] to accomplish God's purpose for an individual's life.

As I mature in my calling, my hope is that I bring the Light of the Kingdom, which is Jesus, into people's lives so that they will say, "Yes, Lord" to the calling God has purposed for them. In our journey with the Lord, we are to grow more each day into His image. I want to encourage people to discover their calling, and manifest the gifts of the Spirit, as needed, so that the work of the Kingdom is done here on earth. Let us understand the will of God in each of our lives, and glorify His Name in all we do!

2 Peter 1:3     His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence ...

 

Here Is Satan's Game Plan ... Get Prepared. Then Rest In Jesus's Victory!

When looking at the actions of the Anti-Christ in the world today, it's hard to find any good news. I don't see the men who have been put in charge of supporting and protecting mankind being effective against our Enemy's agenda. Now, those of us who put our faith in Jesus and the power of the Cross know that we have been given His power and authority to stand against this spirit of lawlessness. But that doesn't mean we are going to escape some hard times. Jesus never promises that. He promises He will be with us through it, and that we will triumph in ultimate victory.

Keeping that in mind, in 2015, I wrote a blog post that, in part, stated this: the Bible tells us there will be a time for revealing wickedness in preparation for the coming of the Lord Jesus as He ushers in His Millennium reign.  This 1,000 year reign will find Christ restoring the earth.  All wars and sorrows will cease, and it will be a time of rest for the earth as it returns to the state that God originally created in the Garden of Eden. Hallelujah!

But first, the inhabitants of the earth must endure the schemes of Satan to keep that restoration and reign from happening.  Jesus told His apostles (and us) that there would be significant signs that those birth pangs, or sorrows, were beginning.  We are to watch for them, so that we will know His return is imminent and we can earnestly be about our business to help the Holy Spirit save as many souls as possible.

The first thing Jesus tells them (us) is, "Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]."  I don't know about you, but I feel as though we are seeing Deception on Steroids! There is cultural deception in sexual identity issues; economic deception in the manipulation of markets, etc.; political deception on all levels by both parties; and spiritual deception in the growth of cult religions and demonic possessions --- not to mention the scientific and technological advances that make a clone of Jesus possible, so that even the elect, if it were possible, will be deceived! [See my previous post on the very real possibility of this deception]. 

I also want to point you to "The Six Points of Satanic Synchronization", or the ways in which Satan is setting the stage for the appearance of the Anti-Christ. This is a theory put forth by Russ Dizdar, a licensed and ordained minister, who has a unique perspective on this subject because he came out of a satanic cult, and now wages spiritual war on behalf of Christ. He makes the case that the following "Points" are Satan's plan to take over the world...

Point One - Destablization of the World.  Chaos seems to happen no matter how hard we humans try to stop it; it just keeps coming.  Race relations in this country keep being pushed and prodded. Situations keep arising, as if bidden from some controlling dark force, and our society continues to fall apart, no matter how much we throw at it.  We see it happening in the situation on our Southern border; the gas pipeline being shut off in the Northeast; Russia and China chomping at the bit to bring us down; the Hamas/Israeli conflict; and of course, the Covid virus literally destabilized the entire world.

Point Two - Instigation.  This is an extension of Point One.  The purpose is to create chaos, disharmony, friction, division, and war.  We've seen that in the BLM/Antifa movements; Asian Americans being attacked; the disharmony over vaccinations and associated deaths. If it is not happening in the natural world, then spiritual forces will initiate and launch an attack on behalf of the Enemy.

Point Three - Dismantle.  The goal is to dismantle current systems -- militarily, politically and economically, and religiously; to tear them apart; to tear them down; and to replace them with satanically-influenced substitutes. We're seeing that in our military, our monetary system, our healthcare system, our education system, our churches, and the food supply chain. They are all being stripped down and demolished. 

Point Four - Crisis upon Crisis.  This tactic is like chopping down a tree... continually striking until the world system comes down; defeating it blow by blow until Point Five occurs. We see that in continually attacking our Constitution, our law enforcement, and our churches and religious institutions. 

Point Five - Weaken.  After the world suffers continual destabilization, instigation, dismantling, crisis upon crisis, it will become weakened.  All institutions will become corrupted and powerless. The will and resolve of the peoples of the world will be devastated and they will turn to drugs, alcohol, and any other method to numb the pain.  Hopelessness is the ultimate goal. We are definitely seeing the hopelessness and despair in our schools, as our kids are being dumbed down and seeing their futures disappearing. The morale among our law enforcement officers, including the Border Patrol, is the lowest it's been in decades. The dollar is weakened and on the verge of collapse. The Covid-19 pandemic saw thousands of animals slaughtered, and food destroyed because processing facilities were closed and distribution lines were down. Every facet of our everyday life has been weakened.

Point Six - The Final Result is Diminished Capacity.  With the destabilization, instigation, dismantling, crisis upon crisis, and weakening of the foundations of society, mankind will be unable to resist the onslaught of the Anti-Christ and his forces. We must come to the conclusion that we cannot, [under our own power], think or build our way out of this mess. The Savior and The Cross are the only way out. 

At this stage in world history, we are primed for the deception of the Anti-Christ. It is true, that we have witnessed human beings coming into agreement with the devil to accomplish his goals of division, chaos, and destruction on the earth. We have seen the Enemy build spiritual structures that entrap wealthy and powerful people in his false systems of ideas, philosophies, and movements in order to gain more of his promised power, money, fame, and change. He does this by sending his spirits to infiltrate educational institutions, governments, social movements, churches, and the media. These structures become strongholds that the devil owns and through which he can manipulate the masses for the purposes of his kingdom of darkness.  Unfortunately, among the culture of the United States and Western mindset, Satan has been able to build a stronghold that convinces people (whether Believers or not) that the supernatural does not exist in this Age. 

But we who are endued with the Holy Spirit know all too well that our God operates in the supernatural, and HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS ... These power structures collapse when we live our lives connected to God; when we obey Him and walk in our spiritual power and authority! We are here on this earth [at this exact time] to get in the fight and invade and conquer Satan's territory to take it back in the individual's life, in the life of communities, and in the life of our nation -- and we are to occupy that territory until He returns! 

We constantly hear talk of "a global reset". I believe God is doing His own "reset" by identifying those who have spiritual eyes to see the battle strategy of the Enemy; placing His obedient remnant in positions of spiritual power; and strengthening the prayer muscles of His intercessors. He is delegating His authority in this critical time in our history. Jesus showed us that we can speak for God and we have His permission to take the spiritually legal steps to make Earth look like Heaven. Even if the wicked of the world are able to pull off the cloning of Jesus from the divine blood of the Shroud of Turin, [as I wrote about earlier], the remnant will have such powerful discernment to see through the deception and will warn the world! 

We must walk in this Truth: We are here at this moment in history because we have been sent by God and commissioned to represent Him! We are to be the carnal representation of the One who sent us! Jesus has commissioned us, authorized us to act on His behalf, and empowered us with His Holy Spirit to accomplish our assignment. Yes, Jesus has already won the battle, but He has commissioned us to enforce the victory! Until we realize that we have an active role to play in establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth, then we will continue to lose territory to Satan in our souls, our cities, our states, our nation, and ultimately, the world. The battle is raging now -- we see it all around us. Are you ready to walk in Heavenly realms and transfer the power of Heaven to Earth? We have unlimited potential to tear down Satan's strongholds, and we must not falter! We will not be deceived and we will not be fearful! Let us join together to take Jesus's victory to the Enemy!

 2 Corinthians 2:14-15    God always makes His grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of His endless triumph. Through our yielded lives He spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go. We have become the unmistakable aroma of the victory of the Anointed One to God—a perfume of life to those being saved and the odor of death to those who are perishing.

From Justification to Sanctification to Glorification: Do You Understand The Process?

 

I do not ask the question posed in this blog title to be sarcastic or mocking. I truly mean it as a legitimate question. If we, as the Body of Christ, do not rightly understand the process we can be in serious jeopardy of missing out on our inheritance in Heaven because we did not achieve the fullness of our salvation experience. I know that is a controversial statement to many Christians, but allow me to amplify what I am trying to say...

Those words .... justification, sanctification, and glorification .... are biblical doctrines that are important to our understanding of God's plan of redemption for man. But I would hazard a guess that if you asked Christians to explain their significance, only a handful would be able to give us a concise definition. And how many would truly understand how these doctrines are manifested in a believer's journey? I will be honest and tell you that for the longest time when I was a new Christian, I never heard anyone in my church adequately explain these terms. They got preached in sermons, and Sunday School teachers certainly used them a lot, but usually in the accepted abbreviated definitions: God sees me "just as if" I'd never sinned (justification); I am "set apart for a purpose" unto God (sanctification); and "Giving honor and praise to God" and "the final removal of our sin at the Rapture" (glorification). But none of it told me about the process of how I was to live my life once I "got saved".

The entirety of the Bible, from Exodus to Revelation, presents us with many examples of these important principles of our faith. But do we see them as the ingredients, if you will, that result in the fullness of our salvation, which is the intention of their existence? I believe God wants us to see the "big picture" of who He is, who we are meant to be, and the journey this life must take us on to achieve what was written in our Book of Life from the foundation of the world. 

If I may, I'd like to try to begin expanding our understanding of these fundamental concepts by giving you an illustration of them, and then I'll build on that. Before we can be justified, we must answer the call of God on our life. So, for example, in the Old Testament, the 12 tribes of Israel had continuously rebelled against their God and their sins culminated in bondage and slavery. We can see justification as the calling of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, the coming under the blood of the Passover lamb, and passing through the Red Sea [as a type of baptism]. This transaction between God and the nation of Israel resulted because Israel trusted God to deliver them into the Promised Land. Their agreement to trust and follow YHWH made them acceptable in His sight. We, in the New Covenant, engage in a spiritual transaction where God declares that those who trust in Christ and what He has done for them on the Cross are counted as acceptable before Him.

Glorification would be the picture of the Israelites finally passing through the Jordan River and Moses receiving the instruction to allot the land to the tribes as their inheritance. "And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord" (Exodus 6:8). They received the promise that God pledged to them. Our glorification will be realized when we receive our inheritance in the Millennial Kingdom; after finishing our life on earth, we will stand before the Lord and receive our rewards for how we represented Him, and what we did in His Name; all during our sanctification journey and the process of our salvation.

And that brings me to the heart of of this blog. I think it is very crucial that we understand the part sanctification plays between justification and our ultimate glorification. Think of it this way: Israel did not immediately go into the Promised Land and receive their inheritance after escaping slavery and crossing the Red Sea. It took them 40 long years of being coached and disciplined by God, with a lot of episodes of back-sliding. The concept of sanctification unto salvation did not exist in the Old Testament as it does in our New Testament covenant. Yes, Israel was, and still is, God's Chosen people; called to lead the rest of the world to Him. But God did not send the Holy Spirit to live in them so that they could be convicted of their sin and be forgiven for eternity. Instead, their experiences are left to us as a record in the Bible, so that we might understand the purpose of God, be humbled to learn from their mistakes, and come to understand the need for Jesus to come as the Son of God, to offer permanent salvation by His blood, not the blood of animal sacrifices. NOTE: Please understand that there will be a remnant of that ancient Israel, gathered from the four corners of the earth in these End Times, who will be the ones to declare praise and honor and glory for YHWH to the world. They will be justified, sanctified, and glorified; receiving their eternal inheritance in the Millennial Kingdom! Praise, Jesus!

Here is what I want to present to you for your consideration: There is a lot that needs to happen between that time we profess faith in Jesus as our Savior, and we die and go to Heaven. Yes, we are pronounced "Saved", but can you discern that Salvation is not a "one and done"? Salvation is a journey and a destination. There is a process that is meant to yield a fullness in our salvation experience. It begins with answering the call on your life, and professing with your mouth that Jesus is your Savior. That's the first step in your salvation process. Then we receive the Holy Spirit and the sanctification process begins -- we are now to look different from the world; and that involves us setting ourselves apart by learning what God desires of us in order to see His will done in our lives, and on the earth. So, that means discerning His Truth -- not the world's, and not our own. To do that we must earnestly study HIM, and that comes from studying His Word. We must all begin our walk of growing into the image of God in order to correctly discern what He desires of us. 

Remember, the Israelites spent 40 years on their walk of trying to be what God wanted them to be. For me, I believe the process of my sanctified walk will continue until I am face-to-face with Jesus. Each of our walks will look different as Jesus and Holy Spirit guide us. Some will back-slide like the Israelites, but regain their path. Others will grasp God's Truth and see His plan for their lives quicker and with more clarity than I do. But as long as we stay committed and obedient to doing God's will, we will cross the finish line at our appointed time. 

We should all endeavor to be like the Wise Virgins in the Parable, keeping filled with the Holy Spirit and being prepared for Jesus's return at any moment. It was the Wise Virgins who got to experience the fullness of their sanctification-to-salvation journey and enter the Wedding Feast. It's not that the Foolish Virgins weren't saved. They were part of the wedding party, invited to enjoy all of the festivities, but they missed out on the full experience of partying with the Bridegroom and His bride. They were at the wedding [as Saved guests], but there was more to experience and they did not receive the fullness of all that their salvation journey afforded them.

So, what is required of us to receive this "fullness" that I keep emphasizing? It is really simple. In the Bible, Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth" (John 14:15-16). Every commandment written in the Bible is meant for us to obey. If we choose to obey only the ones that are easy, or the ones that suit our personality, or the ones our Church tells us are "the really important ones", then Jesus won't ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Truth of those commandments we chose to ignore. We won't understand the command and will miss out on valuable Truth. Our walk will suffer. We are still "born again" and "Saved", but it will be more difficult to look like Jesus, who obeyed every commandment of His Father. We will still be part of God's Family and enter the Kingdom at Jesus's return. But our walk of sanctification will determine our standing in the Kingdom, as we move from sanctification to glorification. That is the substance of what sanctification is all about.

Every Christian should be aware that when Jesus returns, He is bringing rewards with Him. And our chances of receiving rewards depends on our walk during the sanctification process. Did we grow and mature into the image of Christ? Were we willing to die unto self in order to live in Him? Were we willing to give up everything in this world [including earthly possessions and relationships] to gain everything in the next world? You know those verses about "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"? They don't always mean "hell". That will be the state of those who stand before Jesus and realize they lost rewards in the Millennial Kingdom because they could have done more in their sanctification walk. There will be disappointment that others are given roles of authority to rule and reign with Christ. Who won't want to be part of the saints who are closest to the Lord? 

However, it's not just our inheritance that depends on our walk of sanctification. As we end that journey, we enter into the full magnitude of our salvation experience; our glorification as we are resurrected into a new immortal body. We will stand together, praising and worshiping our Great God, in bodies that look like Jesus's glorified body. Our glorification, in turn, glorifies Elohim! How much we reflect the righteousness of Christ in our physical lives will be in direct proportion to the level of glory and inheritance we receive in the Kingdom -- and it is all the result of our sanctification process as we reach towards the fullness of our salvation experience. That is our hope of eternal glory, and a goal that every Christian should be working towards. 

Yes, I said "work towards".  And, yes, Salvation is not earned, but our faith in the justification, sanctification, and glorification precepts of Salvation [which result in inheritance, rewards, and greater measures of glory] depend on the work we do for the Kingdom while in this life. It is at that point that we will truly realize the fullness of all that our Salvation provides us. It is almost more than I can imagine or hope for! What opportunities are afforded to us as children of God!

Ephesians 3:19    ... and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

 

Science and Technology: Forging A Path For The False Messiah? - Part 2

In the last post, I presented my theory that our culture's fascination with Science and Technology could be a possible path to deceiving the world [and the faithful in Christ] to receiving the False Messiah as the Second Coming of Jesus. That might seem an extraordinary stretch, but let me show you one of the ways that I believe Satan's plan may already have been set in motion.

Medical Science has been working hand-in-hand with Technology for nearly half a century to replicate God's divine creation of the human species. The first human eggs were fertilized in 1965, and the first live birth through the new medical procedure known as In Vitro Fertilization occurred in 1978. It's been 40 years since that baby, Louise Brown, was born and it is estimated that over 8 million babies have been born into the world via IVF. And just think how much science has advanced in those last 43 years!

Then take into account the scientific world's interest in the science of reproductive cloning. In an article at Scientific American, a laboratory at Advanced Cell Technology reported their success at cloning early-stage human embryos. Although they are pursuing cloning for "therapeutic reasons", they also report that other laboratories are experimenting with cloning whole human beings! But this is nothing new! In 1998, South Korean scientists claimed to have successfully cloned a human embryo, and in 2002, Clonaid, part of a religious group that believes humans were created by extraterrestrials, announced the birth of the first cloned human -- although they never provided evidence of the live birth. It is not inconceivable that the idea of cloning humans may have been at the heart of the diabolical genetic experiments performed by Hitler's star medical doctor, Dr. Josef Mengele, at the Auschwitz death camp. 

I present this information from the scientific medical community as a preface to Dr. Joye Jeffries Pugh's theory about how the world could be deceived by a False Messiah. In her book, Beguiled: Eden to Armageddon, she sets up her theory by saying, "Understanding our DNA and how we replicate to sustain life makes it easier to understand how cloning occurs... Underground researchers, since even before Hitler, have had a technological understanding on how to clone. Cloning is simply just adding DNA from a cell of an already existing person, either dead or alive, to a woman's egg whose nucleus has been totally removed. The egg is electrified and reinserted, through the same procedures as those of in vitro fertilization, into a woman's womb. where in nine months it will grow into an exact duplicate of the host from which it was taken. This means a mere cell from a living or deceased being can be brought back to life as cloned flesh".

Let that sink in a moment. What would be the best way to deceive even the Elect if you wanted to reveal a False Messiah? Why, reproduce a clone of Jesus Christ, Himself, right? But how could that happen? Jesus has been dead for 2000 years! Where would scientists be able to get his DNA to clone Him? Ever hear of the Shroud of Turin? Ahhhhh .... I can see some of you beginning to think I'm not just presenting some crazy conspiracy theory. Dr. Pugh provides so much research regarding Jesus's burial shroud and its history through the ages. It is a fascinating read and reveals how the scientific community has waded through centuries of doubt to come to the conclusion that the shroud is authentic. In fact, she reports, "every wound portrayed on the shroud exactly matches those detailed in Scripture, which Jesus suffered immediately before and during His crucifixion. The image clearly shows a man, who in some form of an unknown type of cool radiation burst, transparently went through this cloth, leaving a perfect photograph of Himself.... A most unusual finding on the shroud is that its blood has remained a bright red, never fading over time. Such an anomaly is directly due to this blood being enormously filled with bilirubin from induced trauma to the body, making it remain red. Blood flow onto the cloth is consistent with that from a crucified man". 

Although the shroud has been the subject of much speculation through the centuries as to its authenticity, there is so much more revealed in Dr. Pugh's book about the validity of the shroud and the scientific manifestation of pure power and light that left a radiological 3-D image of Jesus on that linen cloth. But I don't want to lose you in the scientific minutiae. It is imperative that I present the possibility of how a False Messiah could present himself as the true Messiah, so that millions will be prepared to uphold his claims. First, its important to understand that the existence of the shroud was recorded by a monk named Leander in 579 AD at a church in Toledo, Spain. Dr. Pugh states it is a historical fact that the shroud was permanently moved to Constantinople. Vatican archives include a comment by Pope Stephen III of Rome [in the 760's AD] about the face and body image of Christ on a cloth that was "divinely transferred". The shroud has been the object of much intrigue among men, and its history reads like a Machiavellian novel. It currently resides in a bullet-proof case in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, in Turin, Italy.

So, let me get to the point. Consider this scenario: Bloodstains from the shroud have been routinely collected and analyzed over many years. In 1978 the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) removed blood residue and found it tested positive for albumin, bilirubin, protein, and hemin . At the rib cage's sixth rib, shroud scientists also discovered blood and a clearer liquid called pericardial fluid had dumped from the man's pleural cavity [aligning with Scripture's account of a spear plunged into Jesus's side]. Along with other medical findings, STURP concluded the shroud is not a hoax or fake. So, based on the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, can you envision the possible scenario: a viable blood  sample could be extracted from the Shroud of Turin in which the DNA of Jesus could be combined with the egg of a virgin and subjected to in vitro fertilization, resulting in a cloned version of Jesus that would be presented to the world as the Second Coming of Christ.

Scripture quotes Revelation 13:11 as saying, I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.  This is the only time in the Bible [that I am aware of] where the lamb does not represent Jesus. He looked like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. If scientists can prove that this clone's blood matches perfectly with the blood on the Shroud of Turin, and is identical to the man imprinted on the Shroud, how many people will be deceived into believing "the science"? Furthermore, if prominent religious leaders across the world's religions proclaim their faith in who this man says he is, who would dare to doubt it? Keep in mind that the Vatican is the official owner of the Shroud, so as Dr. Pugh postulates, "No one will be allowed a voice or an ability to take a credible stand against the scientific and religious communities who will be backing the Vatican officials' announcement that this clone is really Jesus".

As evil advances its agenda against the world, millions will be so hungry for the end of wickedness that this clone/icon/image of the returning Christ will be welcomed and worshiped.  As Dr. Pugh states, "It is not hard to imagine that in the near future, discrediting the image of this Jesus as the False Messiah will not be tolerated. And as Scripture tells us, great and deadly opposition will be imposed on anyone not worshiping the Antichrist's image as Messiah or proclaiming him Lord of lords". That's why both the prophet Daniel and the real Messiah, Jesus Christ, tell us that those who are alive and see this false image standing in the temple of God will be encouraged to flee [whether it is a physical Temple of bricks or a man representing himself as the temple of God].  It will truly be an abomination of desolation which YHWH will not tolerate. 

There is so much more I could say about this possibility, and sadly, it is not the only way that Science and Technology could combine forces to deceive the world and even the Elect. Perhaps you have heard of one theory called "Project Blue Beam" which suggests that in principle, the New World Order would make use of the skies as a movie screen for space-based laser-generating satellites to project simultaneous images of Christ to the four corners of the planet in every language and dialect. This event would purportedly fulfill the prophecy of Revelation 1:7, which says, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.  It is suggested that this theory deals with the religious aspect of the New World Order and is deception and seduction on a massive scale.

The simple and common practice of subliminal messages is another possibility where technology could be used to suggest to vulnerable minds that a False Messiah is imminent. My husband and I were both watching a popular TV show called "The Good Doctor" one night, and both were aware of a "blip" in the viewing. We looked at each other and said, "Did you see that?" It took more than 30 minutes of rewinding and advancing the program frame-by-frame to catch what was flashed on the screen subliminally. It was an image to send money to St. Jude's Hospital! Think how many people could be reached around the world, in their own languages, with a subliminal image of the False Messiah and the wording, "Be prepared! He will appear next Wednesday!" I know that sounds ludicrous, but that's how easily millions could be deceived into believing that the appearance of a False Messiah is the real deal!

 I know if I presented these various theories to a group of mainstream Christians, I would most likely be laughed at; ridiculed as a crazy, delusional religious nut; or even ostracized and excluded from Christian circles. But I am not writing about these various scenarios to proclaim "this is the way it is going to happen", because none of us know for sure. But what I do know is that Scripture is true when it declares
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).  And equal in Truth is the Scripture that says, Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

I do not claim to know how or when the sign of the Son of Man will occur, or how or when the Anti-Christ will appear as the False Messiah to declare himself God. But I know both events will happen because the Spirit of the Lord reveals His Truth through the Word. It is not our job to figure out what all that will look like, but it IS our job to stay awake and be on alert to call out the deception and save souls from falling away. There will be great terror and alarm when those things come upon the earth and as representatives of Christ's Heavenly Kingdom on earth, it is our responsibility to speak wisdom and courage and endurance and faith to people who will need someone to come alongside them and lead the way to victory in Christ. So, do not hide your head in the sand when it comes to seeing the advancements in Science and Technology. Be aware that they can [and are] being used to work with Satanic agents to prepare a Great Deception for all the earth. Be alert to what the prophets of darkness are revealing as their "plans for the future". Look upon everything from the perspective of Heaven. Does it glorify the Creator of this Universe? Or is it instigated for the advancement of man? Look at the fruit. Does it bring us closer to God and does it grow us in His image -- or does it separate us and promote us to become our own god? The time is drawing near for the final clash between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. Do not be deceived!

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6   For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise].