"Ho Ho Ho!" The Choice - Part 3

     We have reached the end of this series of posts. The knowledge isn't wasted on me that it is going up on the Internet on December 24th. Let me assure you that it wasn't my intention to wait until Christmas Eve. This final post has been a work in progress this entire week but the responsibilities of life have kept me from finishing it until now.
     As I sit before the computer many of you are beginning to gather with family and friends and when you read this post, probably sometime after December 25th, you will remember what I wrote at the end of "Ho Ho Ho!" The Beginning - Part 1, "What does any of this have to do with me?! I don't see it that way!"

     Neither did I.

     Like many of you, I grew up in a middle class home in north America. The celebrations surrounding Christmas are as revered as mom and apple pie. Christmas is viewed as a time for children and their families to gather together to share their love and to make happy memories. It was no different in the life of our family. In fact, 2012 was the first time that our home was not decorated in a modern Victorian style for the holidays. In previous years, the Christmas gatherings within our home included the women in my Bible study who were invited to share in a pot luck luncheon and gift exchange complete with Christmas music playing in the background, a birthday cake for Jesus, and stories of Christmases past. So in case any of you out there wonder if I am just pretending to be the Grinch who stole Christmas, let it be known that I totally understand how this time of year is so beloved and guarded against anyone who would dare to mess with it.
 
     So ...having shared my regard for Christmases past, let me explain why it changed.

     It all began with that group of YouTube videos that I wrote about in part one of this series. From them I learned the Pagan origins of the holidays that we embrace, like Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas. I sat literally stunned in front of my computer! I had known for a few years that the two most celebrated holidays in Christendom had Pagan roots, but I thought it was really cool that the Christians took them away from the Pagans and made them into something holy. However I was naive and had no idea concerning the details, so at first I was just shocked by the truth! Then through the study of His word, it began to grieve me deeply to realize that I was unknowingly trying to mix holy with unholy; an impossible endeavor where I could not end up with something that was pleasing to the One who I claimed to love more than anything else in the world.

     Since I believed with all of my heart that the Elohim I serve never changes, I had to know how my worship at Christmas made Him feel. I knew what it meant to me, I needed to know what it meant to Him.

     The process, it turns out, was really quite easy. Remember how Yeshua warned the apostles to not hinder the little children but to let them come to Him?  He told them that the kingdom of heaven is composed of people who have a simple faith like theirs. For example, when children are told by their parents that something they are doing is wrong, they trust in what their parents say. They might not want (or choose) to obey, but they believe what they are told. Well something happens to that child-like trust as we age. We become set in our ways, determined to do things on our own and skeptical of anything that goes against stuff as we see it. If we are not very careful, we will lose our ability to believe, trust, and obey as a child. Especially when the voices all around us are telling us something different than the truths that good parents impart to us.

     This kind of thing has happened to Israel too many times for me to even begin to speculate. Not only were they prone to be like everyone around them, but in so doing they became ensnared to follow them to the extent of even trying to worship Elohim in the ways that the Pagans worshipped their gods. In fact, He warned them of it so many times. The first six verses in Exodus 20 gives a clear warning. "1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 2 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:1-6
I learned that He is very serious about the way in which He is worshipped and it is not the manner in which Pagans worship their gods.

     Let's turn to Deuteronomy 12. As the children of Israel were getting ready to enter into the land promised to them, Yahuah warned them not to worship Him in some other way than the ways in which He had commanded them. The ESV renders it this way, "28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. 29 When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? - that I may do the same?' 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add or take from it." Deuteronomy 12:28-32

     I sat frozen when I read this passage! It all came together! From childhood I thought that Christmas was all about Jesus: the decorated tree, the gifts, the evergreen bows, the caroling, etc., but it has nothing to do with Him. It has everything to do with their worship of their gods and it is an abomination to mine! I was sick! Here I thought that I was pleasing Him, and from His perspective, he remembered each screaming child thrown into the fire of a demonic deity. My Christmas traditions had represented those gods, not mine!

     There's more. Jeremiah is talking about a future day; this day that we are living in, when he prophesied from YHVH saying, "17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. 18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things. 19 O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." Jeremiah 16:17-19
With all of the evidence before me it was indeed time that I admitted to myself and to Yahuah that I inherited lies. I have gone a step further and looked at the meaning of, "...my land" in verse 18. It is Hebrew #776 and indeed means the whole earth, not just Israel.     

     Let's look at the book of Exodus. Several months ago a friend of mine told me that when Aaron made the golden calf in chapter 32, that he was trying to worship YHVH. My first thought was, "Nooo ...I don't think that's right because HE got really mad at them and wanted to destroy them." If Moses had not stepped in between Him and the children of Israel in verses 11-13, He said that He would have consumed them. However, curiosity got the better of me so I looked for myself. In chapter 32 we see that the people wanted Aaron to make them gods because they didn't know what happened to Moses and they needed someone to lead them. They had come from a place of Pagan deities, they were accustomed to giving lip service to Yahuah while their hearts embraced other gods. But note in verse five that after making the golden calf, it reads, "5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an alter before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast day to the Lord." I looked up the word Lord in the Hebrew to see exactly which "Lord" Aaron was referring to because even satanists call Lucifer, Lord. Lord is a title, not a name. And sure enough, the Hebrew #3068 for Lord in this passage means Yehovah. To appease the people, Aaron tried to worship the true Elohim in the way the Egyptians honored their gods. But ...his intentions were good, right? Well, let's look at what Yahuah thought of it, starting in verse six."6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the Lord said to Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation." Exodus 32:6-10
     Aaron's intentions to worship Yahuah while standing in front of the golden calf, didn't matter to Him. To Yahuah it was spiritual adultery. We see that confirmed in the renewed covenant in the book of Acts chapter 7, during the powerful, Holy Spirit-filled, speech that Stephan made before he was stoned. The whole chapter is more than worth your time, but I will begin in verse forty one. "41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: " Acts 7:41-43a
     They wouldn't sacrifice to YHVH, but they would set up a tabernacle of Molech and the star of Remphan. Again, no matter what Aaron intentioned, it was spiritual adultery to Yahuah. It is interesting that Molech was a metal god with the head of a bovine. Was it merely coincidence that the god Aaron fashioned for the people was a golden calf? Based on v43, I don't think it was a coincidence. (See Amos 5:25-27)

     In 1 Corinthians 10, we see another admonition against idolatry where the passage in Exodus 32 is referred to once again. Only this time we see that their abomination, in truth, was even against Christ. " 1 MOREOVER BRETHREN, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud; and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play ...11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Corinthians 10:1-7, 11-12  What happened to the children in the desert when Aaron set up the calf and all that happened as a result, was recorded for those of us in the end times so that we would be admonished not to repeat their folly and sin against Messiah Himself!

     In conclusion, the celebration of Saturnalia/winter solstice is the worship of the rebirth of the sun and its gods. Christmas was made to coincide with that Pagan festival. It grieved my heart deeply to realize that it has absolutely nothing to do with my Lord and Savior, Yeshua Ha 'Machiach, and that the traditions surrounding it were those used to celebrate false gods that are nothing more than demons in disguise. When Messiah spoke about man's traditions in Mark 7:6b-8a, He said, "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, ..."  
     The apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17 that the time has come for people to stop worshipping the true Elohim in the way that the heathens worship their false gods. He said, "30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Acts 17:30-31

     I will include one more warning from the book of Revelation that speaks directly to us in this time. "4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whense thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicholaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Revelation 2:4-7 

Who were the Nicholatians that so offended YHVH? The Nicholaitans were the spiritual descendants of Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch. He was ordained as a deacon in Acts 6:5. He had no problem melding pagan practices into the early church and encouraging others to do so.
(I encourage you to learn more by referring to the article below.)

     To those of you who have read through every post in this series, I want to Thank You! It has been a painful process for me. It was rough to realize all of this and repent of it. It hurts that some of our family and friends do not understand. It has grieved me to visit the passages again and lay them out before you. But all of that is nothing compared to the thought of the accuser of the brethren mocking the One True Elohim, saying in effect, "Look at them! They say that they are Yours and that they love and worship only You, yet they surround themselves with the things used to worship me! They clothe themselves in the worship of my gods and say they are Your children!"


Depictions of the god Molech.

Part one and two of Sunburned can be found at: www.YouTube.com

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/refuel-with-rick/articles/who-were-the-nicholaitans-and-what-was-their-doctrine-and-deeds-14510.html

This last video made me smile. You will see why. :)

      

    

    
    

"Ho Ho Ho!" The Impostor - Part 2

According to Mirriam-Webster, the full definition of Impostor is: One that assumes false identity or title for the purpose of deception.

     If asked, most people would probably say that Santa Claus is an adaptation of Saint Nicholas but the truth of the matter is that the legend of Santa Claus goes back much farther than that to a Scandinavian Norse god called Odin/Woden. As the reach of Baal worship extended, the Scandinavians worshipped sun gods as well and Odin was one of them. He was known as "the god of intoxicating drink, ecstasy, as well as the god of death." As one can imagine, given the debauchery that took place during winter solstice, he was the most honored god of Saturnalia. He rode at night on a white horse with eight legs, which later was adapted to eight reindeer. He carried a crosier, and had long, white hair and a beard.

     Later in the 1500's, the Odin legend adapted to Sinter Klaas. This character was from Holland and took on more of the appearance of the modern day Santa Claus. He wore long, white hair and a beard, his cloak was red, and he rode through the night skies on a white horse that landed on house tops. Sinter Klass would then leave presents under his sacred fir trees that were adorned within the homes. History supports that all of the Klaas/Klaus figures have dark helpers with them called Krampus. The Klaas/Klaus figure would have the Krampus go down the chimneys and based on the observations of a child's behavior throughout the year, would leave presents for the good children or beat the bad children, use switches on them, or in some cases, enjoy dragging them off to hell. Even the fact that the Krampus came down through the chimneys into the fire of the fireplace comes from the Norse legend where the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace bringing good luck to the home. In fact, the name Hertha is where the word hearth comes from.

     During the plays of the 1600's, according to The History of a Hobglobin by Allen W. Wright, a man by the name of Robin Goodfellow appeared in many of the plays as the devil. Before he would walk onstage, he would announce himself with the laugh, "Ho Ho Ho!" Later, Santa Claus was given the phrase.

     It wasn't until the 1930's that Santa Claus in the form in which we know him today, became popular. This happened as a result of the Coca Cola company looking for a way to promote more sales of their product during the winter season. It was at this point that the legend took on the appearance of the character we know today as Santa Claus; complete with eight reindeer and toy making elves replacing the dark helpers or Krampus.

     Barna Group uses statistical analysis where the margin of error is less than 5%. In their publication Third Millennium Teens, they reported their findings about children coming to know the Savior. "If they are not saved by age 13, they probably never will be. The data shows clearly that the prime evangelistic years are those before a person becomes a teenager." (Barna Research, pg 65) The most formative time in a child's life is believed to occur by the age of five. What a strategic plan of the enemy to manufacture the image of a fictitious, kindly old man who, incredibly enough, has some of the following characteristics of the Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Yeshua Ha 'Mashiach!

Santa Claus:

* Has an eternal spirit
* Has no beginning or end
* Loves children
* Knows when they are good and bad, asleep and awake (Omnipresent)
* Writes their names in a book
* Has white hair and beard (Revelation 1:14)

     Regardless of the fact that this character seems harmless enough, so did the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Eve wouldn't have listened to him, otherwise. It is beyond me to think that she would have considered the bait, much less bitten into it, if she had seen him for who he truly was and knew the plan he had behind the lie he was telling her.

     Santa Claus is an impostor carefully packaged by the enemy to lure impressionable children away from the One who came and died to give them eternal life. By the time that the children find out the truth, mistrust of anyone unseen has already been well established. During this research, I have read that some of the people who encourage the belief in Santa teasingly call it the "Santa Game." The salvation of our children and grandchildren and their trust in the One who created them is not a game.

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
Mark 10:14b


Reference materials and additional sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Christian_Alpine_traditions

http://www.av1611.org/othpubls/santa.html

The goddess Hertha (World Book Encyclopedia)

https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/read/10163.6.0.1/the-truth-about-christmas

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/puckrobin/puckages.html

"Ho Ho Ho!" The Beginning - Part 1

    Snow is falling as I begin this piece of the assignment that has been a near constant part of my thoughts for the past two weeks. The stillness surrounding the snow covered landscape is a picture of the peace that is within my heart as I write. I knew when I began this blog in September that this day would come. What I didn't expect was that the emotions surrounding it would bring about such sorrow. Even at this point in the praying, research, and writing process, tears are gathering in my eyes. Once again I've found that peace and pain are quite comfortable as companions and can reside side by side.
     You probably noticed that this is the first time that a post has come in more than one part and included an introduction. I felt that one was needed because the burden of this message is great and the hearts of the readers needed to be prepared. I read the Barna Group's findings for the first time early yesterday morning. It was a perfect introduction and I am grateful that Yahuah brought it to me.
     It is interesting to point out that I did not choose the title for the post. One night as I knelt before Him in prayer, I asked what the next one should be about and that if He wanted to point me in the right direction by telling me His choice of a title, that I would be cool with that. However, that openness to His will immediately changed to anxiety when He clearly and unexpectedly spoke to my spirit, "Ho Ho Ho!" My thought was, "Oh, no!"
     Why did I feel that way? Not for the reasons you might expect. Oddly enough, it wasn't fear of man that prompted the thought, it was the fear of not being able to communicate it in such a way that would honor Him in the way that He should be honored. He is the only One who matters.

     How did this post come about? Yahuah had begun a work in me through the words of a friend to whom I am forever grateful, who inquired of me, "If the Word of God is supposed to be taken literally and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then why don't we do everything it says to do?" I stared at her e mail and the only honest answer (something that didn't end in some man-made ism like dispensationalism) that I could come up with was, "I don't know." That question gnawed at me and formed an earnest prayer within me asking Him to, "Show me all of the Truth!", and so He is.
    This process that began with that prayer, includes digging deeper into the Bible for answers I have wondered about but didn't have the confidence to search out on my own, all the while asking Him to please give me greater wisdom and more revelation than I have ever had before. In our world, those in spiritual authority from clergy, to professors, to authors tell us what to think and how to interpret the Scriptures. I don't think most of us even consider questioning them. For me, it went back to something I referred to in, Pulling Weeds and Pruning Branches. When I would question something in my childhood pertaining to the Catholic religion, I was quickly informed that I had no right to do so and to let it drop. Well, I was fifty years old when questions came that refused to go away. It was time to let go of the intimidation factor.
     A few months into this process, during a morning brunch with another friend, the topic of a YouTube channel came up in our conversation. She asked me if I had ever heard of The Fuel Project - Know Your Enemy series of videos? I had not. After her brief description, I knew that I wanted to watch them. I must confess to not having made my way through each video, but what I have learned made me much more aware and also sickened by the demonic tangle of Paganism that has wrapped it's web of deceit around every aspect of our world's culture and belief systems. I am not exaggerating. The prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) has made sure that the world is beneath a flood of it! Which brings me to the central point of this message.

     After the great flood, Yahuah told those on board the ark to go out into the world to, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." (Genesis 9:1) In time, Noah started a vineyard and one day drank too much of the fermented fruit. Ham was one of three sons of Noah. He came into his father's tent, saw that he was uncovered and told his brothers. His brothers discretely backed into the tent and covered their father. When Noah found out what had happened, he cursed Ham, the father of Canaan, and told him that he would be a servant to Shem and Japheth. (Genesis 9:20-27) It is astonishing to me that after all that this family had encountered that once again, within such a short amount of time, the heart of rebellion rose up against Yahuah. The curse that was placed upon Ham undoubtedly caused him to have bad feelings toward his father, Shem and Japheth, and most importantly toward the true Elohim that they served.

      In Genesis 10, we see that Ham had a son named Cush. Cush married an evil woman named Samiramus (her god-name was Ishtar - in English it is pronounced Easter). Together they had a son named Nimrod who was the first to be called Baal, who is also known as Tammuz, (Ezekiel 8:14)  and in Canaan he was called Molech (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-8, 1 Kings 11:7-11, Jeremiah 32:33-35). Under the faithful, demonic tutelage of his mother, he grew up evil; embracing witchcraft and the worship of astrology. He was also mighty in battle and as a hunter, intimidating people with his power. As he grew, so did his fearsome reputation. When his father died, he and his mother married and their incestuous relationship formed an alliance that was an affront to the one true Elohim. This affront became Baal worship; the first organized, one world, false religion; the tentacles of which reach into every religion to this very day.

     Nimrod/Baal and Ishtar/Asherah/Easter began the organized worship of the sun. With her son/husband now taking center stage, he became the sadistic ruler of the then known world and started new cities which began with Babel, complete with its tower and attempt at a one world government and religion, and in time included Ninevah as well as others, (Genesis 10:10-11). He was seen as a god among the people and his mother/wife, Ishtar/Asherah/Easter, as the "Queen of Babylon" as well as the "Queen of Heaven". (Jeremiah 7:18, Jeremiah 44:17-25) She was known as the gentler of the two, the goddess of sex and fertility. She claimed that her spirit came from the moon and upon her death it would reside there. What a clever plan of Satan. The two most visible lights in the heavens were used as gods against the people!

     Where does Christmas come into the picture? Nimrod's/Baal's birthday was celebrated on December 25th along with lesser sun gods and it was so for approximately two thousand years before Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) was born.

     How did they celebrate the birth of the sun of the god Baal? As the days grew shorter during the winter equinox, the people feared that the sun with its warmth and ability to bring forth food from the earth would not return, so Baal priests worshiped around trees that were evergreen and the people brought them into their homes as well as bows, holly, and berries to appease the sun gods in the hopes of having their warm months return. As the winter days began to lengthen at the time of Nimrod's birthday, the people saw it as a sign that their infant/child sacrifices in the fires of their Baal god Molech at Halloween, had been accepted and he was therefore honoring them with the return of the sun rising higher on the horizon and longer days. They celebrated the twelve days of winter solstice (where the twelve days of Christmas originates) with lots of food, alcohol, music, singing, the yule log, roasted chestnuts, (what would later become known as Christmas) ham, and kissing under the mistletoe (which led to unspeakable debauchery). Virtually every tradition we have surrounding December 25th has it's origins in demonic cultism and Pagan idolatry. Even the giving of gifts originated with their gifts of mainly candles and wax dolls that were in memory of the remainder of their infant/child sacrifices of Halloween to the Baal god Molech. http://www.newpatriotsblog.com/news/the-real-halloween/

     The fact that Yeshua the Messiah was not born in winter is common knowledge. Shepherds are not in their fields in December. (Luke 2:8) So how did it come to be that believers and unbelievers around the world celebrate His birth on December 25th? At the beginning of Christianity, they didn't. Not the apostles, not the first century Christians. It came about through the agreement made by Roman Emperor Constantine and Pope Julius. To cut down on the persecution of believers and to give the Pagans a diversion, these men thought it a good idea to blend Paganism with Christianity and so that date was set in 349 AD. Pagans were in essence told that they didn't have to forsake their worship or their festivals - even the dates of their celebrations would remain the same, they just altered some of the behavior and changed the names to make them "holy" for the Christians. Just two examples of the changes that took place during this time in history were the Sabbath day that Yahuah set into place and told us to keep holy (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-10, Leviticus 23:2-3, Mark 2:27-28, just to list a few) became Sunday rather than from sunset Friday to sunset on Saturday as HE commanded, and another is where Ishtar/Queen of Heaven and Baal/sun of god were called Mary/Queen of Heaven and Jesus/Son of God. Have you ever wondered where the golden halos and disks behind the heads of saints in paintings and statues came from? They're suns! Perhaps the intentions of the emperor and the pope were good, but their decision was driven by an unseen enemy who knew that the blending of the two would be an abomination to Yahuah and it would pollute the followers of The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
"20 Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21

     If you have read this far you are probably thinking something along the line of, "What does any of this have to do with me?! I don't see it that way!" Neither did I. So what convinced me that my worship at Christmas was an abomination to The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Part 2 to come.

(As an aside, please read all of the Scripture passages that I have put in parentheses above. His Word is alive and speaks for itself. It is our sword and our witness.)
    
    

    
    
    

"Ho Ho Ho!" An Introduction

The following excerpts are taken from the Barna Research Group's 2009 Year-In-Review Perspective.

Theme 1: Increasingly, Americans are more interested in faith and spirituality than in Christianity.

     "The purpose of faith, for most Americans, is not so much to discover truth or to relate to a loving, praiseworthy deity as it is to become happy, successful, comfortable and secure. For a growing percentage of citizens, their sense of spirituality, more than Christianity, facilitates those outcomes."

Theme 2: Faith in the American context is now individual and customized. Americans are comfortable with an altered spiritual experience as long as they can participate in the shaping of that faith experience.

     "Now that we are comfortable with the idea of being spiritual as opposed to devoutly Christian," Barna pointed out, "Americans typically draw from a broad treasury of moral, spiritual and ethical sources of thought to concoct a uniquely personal brand of faith. Feeling freed from the boundaries established by the Christian faith, and immersed in a post modern society which revels in participation, personal expression, satisfying relationships, and authentic experiences, we become our own unchallenged spiritual authorities, defining truth and reality as we see fit.

     "Consequently, more and more people are engaged in hybrid faiths, mixing elements from different historical eras and divergent theological perspectives," Barna stated, "In some ways, we are creating the ultimate ecumenical movement, where nothing is deemed right or wrong, and all ideas, beliefs and practices are assigned equal validity. Everyone is invited to join in the dialogue, enjoy the ride, and feel connected to a far-reaching community of believers. Screening or critiquing what the community believes is deemed rude and inappropriate. Pragmatism and relativism, rather than any sort of absolutism, has gained momentum."

Theme 3: Biblical literacy is neither a current reality nor a goal in the U.S.

Barna's findings related to Bible knowledge and application indicate that little progress, if any, is being made toward assisting people to become more biblically literate.

"Bible reading has become the religious equivalent of sound-bite journalism. When people read from the Bible they typically open it, read a brief passage without much regard for the content, and consider the primary thought or feeling that the passage provided. If they are comfortable with it, they accept it; otherwise, they deem it interesting but irrelevant to their life, and move on. There is shockingly little growth evident in people's understanding of the fundamental themes of the scriptures and amazingly little interest in deepening their knowledge and application of biblical principles.

Barna noted that some of the critical assumptions of many preachers and Bible teachers is inaccurate. "The problem facing the Christian church is not that people lack a complete set of beliefs; the problem is that they have a full slate of beliefs in mind, which they think are consistent with biblical teachings, and they are neither open to being proven wrong nor to learning new insights."

Theme 4: Effective and periodic measurement of spirituality - conducted personally or through a church - is not common at this time and is not likely to become common in the near future.

"There are two levels on which evaluation of where we stand spiritually can take place," noted the California-based author. "There can be external measurement, such as that conducted by pastors, teachers, coaches or peers, and there can be self-evaluation. At the moment, we're seeing very little of either form of review related to a person's spiritual condition.

"Our studies this year among pastors showed that almost nine out of ten senior pastors of Protestant churches asserted that spiritual immaturity is one of the most serious problems facing the Church. Yet relatively few of those pastors believe that such immaturity is reflected in their church. ... Overall, less than one out of every ten pastors said they were completely satisfied with how they assess the spiritual condition of their congregation.

"The situation is similar among Christian individuals. Americans have an almost insatiable curiosity about themselves and how they stack up against others. Yet, in the spiritual realm, that same level of curiosity is much less apparent. Perhaps it is because of the lack of tools for such measurement or even the absence of motivation to grow or to deepen their relationship with God.

"It may well be that spiritual evaluation is so uncommon because people fear that the results might suggest the need for different growth strategies or for more aggressive engagement in the growth process. No matter what the underlying reason is, the bottom line among both the clergy and the laity was indifference toward their acknowledged lack of evaluation."

https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/325-barna-studies-the-research-offers-a-year-in-review-perspective#.UqxF7Rpuk5t

Our insistent preoccupation with self and mixing the holy with unholy is not only hurting the God we claim to love with all our hearts, but we are increasingly ineffective in making disciples and unwittingly putting ourselves and our children in harm's way. What will it take to wake us up? No matter how much we try to justify ourselves, we serve a God who is not indifferent. Neither is He amused.

"6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame." Hosea 4:6-7

The Door is Closing

     You know how it is when you are sitting in a room full of people and someone is busy talking? Maybe that person is a friend, a co-worker, a teacher, or a pastor and they hit upon something that makes you wonder, "How do they know that about me?" The Holy Spirit is very good at doing that kind of thing. There you are, minding your own business and boom! Something is said that leaves you wondering if someone has been talking about you behind your back? No matter how He may apply something written in this blog to your life, let me assure those of you who know me that I do not sit here thinking, "I hope so-and-so reads this one because they need it!" The truth of the matter is, I spend my time in front of this screen praying and often crying through the words. Wanting His will alone to be done. Not mine. The answers to those prayers sometimes work their way out through my own convictions and experiences, but from what I seen through the years that is part of His plan for the Body.1

     I am one of many to whom He has shown what is coming upon the earth. He has revealed to us the judgements that have begun and are continuing with greater force and greater number. He has also revealed the condition of the hearts of many within the church and the fact that they are not good, nor are they godly, and yet they think they are fine and well and would argue that they only serve the one true God when in truth, their hearts are divided and their lives are filled with the doctrines of men, idolatry, and paganism. Possessing a form of godliness but denying the power that comes with it.2
     So much of what is coming does not require the intellect or the planning strategies of man, but it is fraught with the all surpassing need of daily putting on the spiritual armor and living in adherence to the Word of Yahuah.3 Yet if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we would rather spend our free time pursuing our own interests and hobbies, coveting our time as our own when it is not,4 rather than spending the time we have left searching the Scriptures and allowing it to do the work of purging us from our sin and refining us with the its eternal truths;5 all the while praying for ourselves, our families, and the lost. His fire burns within people like me 6 and there are no adjectives to describe the pain that comes when we try to bring His warning and people respond like teenagers on a Saturday morning who don't want to be awakened from their sleep. No matter what the response is, I cannot turn back from this calling and pretend as though He has not shown what He has shown.

     Take for example, how for months I have awakened to the sound of closing doors. All kinds of doors: interior, exterior, garage, car doors, trunks, industrial sized, you name it. I have also awakened to the sound of pounding on our front door. I look at our dog wondering why he doesn't stir from his sleep and realize that it is the Holy Spirit, desperate for people to awaken and see that there is no more time to live life as they see fit! The age of grace is passing away. People like me work now because there is approaching a time when no man will be able to work.7 This, this is why some of the posts you read from me sound firm or even harsh. The danger is real and evil is at our doors and we as a body are still saying, "Don't you judge me." If we would judge ourselves, we wouldn't have to be judged.8
     
     Given the title of this blog it may not come as a surprise to you that I am drawn to the story of Esther. I love the Book and have for decades admired her character. A young woman with no illusions of a kingdom, she nevertheless possessed the heart and dignity of a queen. She loved her people and was willing to die rather than to see them slaughtered. She possessed the kind of character that put not one but the fate of two nations above her own dreams, interests, and pleasures. The Great I AM knew what it would take to turn the heart of a king so she became not only His chosen queen but also His chosen messenger who called His people to fasting and prayer and through their individual repentance and reliance upon an Elohim they could not see,  He came in like a mighty wind and the plan of evil was circumvented and turned on its head.
     How much can the messengers and prophets of today change the course of coming events? Everything will play out exactly as YHVH has planned. The only changeable things in this story that I can see are the hearts and lives of men and their eternal home; and to the messengers and prophets, that is more than enough. Although our spoken words are sometimes hard to hear, if you could listen to our hearts you would know that we don't consider ourselves to be anything apart from Him. We are broken by our own sins and the sins of those around us. Our hearts have seen pieces of what is coming and they are crying out for you to wake up and die before the strong delusion comes that will carry you away.9 Do I think that believers can be so deceived? Take a long and serious look at the condition of the church in America and then ask yourself what you think.


Scriptures are taken from the ESV.

1) 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12

2) 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5

3) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, 18a praying at all times in the Spirit, and with all prayer and supplication
Ephesians 6:10-13, 16-18a

4) 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:16
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:17-18
24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 36 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and boundaries of their dwelling place, 17 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'
Acts 17:24-28

5) 89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens
160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Psalm 119:89 and 160
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere, brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever."
1 Peter 1:22-25

6) 9 If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak anymore in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9

7) 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
John 9:4

8) 31 If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32  Please pray for discernment, but as for me, I think Paul could have had in mind more than communion when speaking these words.

9) 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

What is Truth?

     On January 15, 2013 I had a dream in which I was at home in the afternoon when a knock came at my front door. As I went to answer it, a person whom I don't know walked into our home and handed me a package.  When I had opened it, I looked with wonder at what I found inside. As I lifted the object from the box I found that it was a medical instrument made of steel. As I held the box in my left hand and looked over the instrument rotating it with my right hand, I thought, "What in the world?" I asked the Father what this dream meant? He answered, "Examine yourself."

     The interpretation of the dream was obvious to discern. The scriptural reference to the Father's words are found in 2 Corinthians 13:5. The ESV will be used for this post and renders this particular verse like this: "5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless you fail to meet the test."
     The only honest questions had to be, "How do I go about this examination? What standard of evaluation should be used?"

     We live in a time when truth is considered to be a relative thing. "What is true for you may not be true for me. So don't judge me.", is the mantra that has made its repetitious ways into every facet of our society. Every facet. If we are not fixed on locating and keeping the main thing the main thing, within a very short period of time we can find ourselves asking Pilate's question, "What is truth?" John 18:38
     Given the times we live in, let's go ahead and ask the late governor's question. What is truth and how do we measure it? Well, in America, much of the populace seem to look at mainstream media and their friends on social networks for its cues on what is acceptable thought and behavior. News networks tell us on a daily basis what is and isn't true. The lives, music, books, television shows and movies of celebrities also play a big role in influencing the attitudes and belief systems of people. A vast number of the population apparently put their trust in this administration. Some put their dependence upon the church, looking to their priests or pastors as their only voice of authority. Sure, the words that come from these sources can change on a continual basis and are not necessarily based on fact, but isn't truth like that? Relative? For me the answer is No. I knew that this exam was critical. It was hand delivered to me. I was not going to mess around with public opinion. I needed The Source of Truth to be the basis and measurement of my evaluation.

     John 17 is a favorite portion of the Scriptures for me. It is when Messiah is praying the night before His death. Starting in verse 14, He prays for His disciples, "14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."  
     He didn't pray that His Father would save them and let them live their lives as they saw fit; picking and choosing the commands and teachings from His Word that they thought were relevant to them. He asked His Father to sanctify them in the truth of His word. In chapter 15, He already told his disciples how to live a life that pleases YHVH (Yahuah) when He said, "7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoke to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:7-11
     Sadly, for most of my years as a believer, I focused too much of my attention on verse eight of that passage, bearing fruit, while ignoring what fully encompasses obedience.
     A careful examination of the text makes it clear what Messiah is saying here. "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you ..." 
     In the first chapter of John, it states that, "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1
Note how "word" is capitalized. John and the disciples were Hebrews and thought and taught as Hebrews, so when he wrote "the Word", he is speaking about The Son of Man that he called Yeshua (Jesus). "The Word" in Hebrew means, the Torah. What John is telling us here is that our Messiah was the embodiment of the Torah.

     Matthew 5:17-19 states, "17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but  whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." The Hebrew word for "fulfill" is lekayem (le-KAI-yem), which means to uphold or establish, explain or interpret. In Greek, the word fulfill is pierro which means, "to obey as it was intended". It doesn't mean, as we have often been taught, that by fulfilling the law (Torah) Jesus was saying, in essence, "Okay! I've done all that for you, so if you can just keep the basic ten, (nine) commandments, we'll be cool." No where in the New (Re-newed) Covenant do I see that being taught. Paul's teachings have been misinterpreted and misrepresented, and truly speak of things like: eating with unwashed hands, and circumcision. He wrote letters to believers like the Colossians, (Colossae is in modern day Turkey. Far away from Jerusalem - especially by foot.) that encouraged them not to let any of their pagan family members, friends, and associates judge them because they were no longer drinking blood, but were instead are eating clean (Leviticus 11) and keeping Yahuah's Feast Days and Sabbaths (Leviticus 23), as HE commanded; while discouraging the new churches from following Jewish man-made laws and traditions.
     "The Word" came to show us how to live out the word so that we could see how we are to treat our fellow man and how to live in obedience to His Father's commands and experience the fullness of His joy. Yes, Messiah, the High Priest's sacrifice on a hill called "The Skull", tore the veil of the temple in two so that we have access to the Throne of Yahuah because of the ultimate sacrifice of His precious shed blood, but it didn't give us the right as human beings to pick and choose which of His Father's commandments we would and would not live by. Especially when we realize that after He ascended to His Father, He sent His Spirit to encourage us, convict us, comfort us, teach us and give us the strength to do it.

     As with all examinations that can reveal areas of weakness or sickness, mine revealed things as I stated in "Pulling Weeds and Pruning Branches" that I haven't liked. Some have literally scared me. Verses like 1 John 2:3-6, for example. "3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 
     This examination revealed that I had made Yeshua into my image. I had removed His identity and had given Him mine; a Gentile - which means, out of covenant, stranger/foreigner, heathen, one who practices paganism. I had given Him a new name, ignored His Feast Days and Sabbaths and replaced them with my own sabbath (Sunday) and tried to make my pagan holidays, i.e. Easter and Christmas, somehow about Him when they're really not. Besides, He never asked me to remember His birthday (which isn't December 25th) or to commemorate His resurrection (which can be as much as a month apart from Easter Sunday). What He did ask me to do from His word was to love YHVH with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as myself: to remember the sacrifice of His death and the victory of His resurrection; to forgive; to see that He kept His Father's Feast Days and His Sabbaths; and that He kept all of His Father's commandments - not just nine of them. His disciples followed His teachings decades after His death and resurrection. So who in the world was I to think that I could do any differently?!

     My examination caused me to take a very cold, hard look at myself and what I had believed without question. Things that I passed down to my children and grandchildren as fact. Those realizations caused me great sorrow! Only He knows how my heart was broken as I realized the things that I had done to Him and to them. The knowledge, the repentance, the giving up, the turning away from, the changes, the loss of standing among some of our friends and family members ...have not been fun, but His own dear presence and HIS JOY on every step of the journey has made it more than worthwhile! Thank goodness it has not been my first experience with removing false doctrine from my life so it made this passage easier in some ways. I learned a long time ago that someone who puts their hand to the plow in obedience to His call and then turns back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven. When it comes to a choice between following Him and following people, no matter who they are, what real choice is there? 

I come to you in all honesty of wanting all of us to make it through the days ahead and to arrive in our Bridegroom's presence clothed in white.1 There's no more time to mess around with doing what seems right in our own eyes.2 There are some who will call Him, "Lord! Lord!" on That Day and He will tell them that He never knew them.3  TRUTH is there if we will but take the time to search for it, then it is up to us. The Savior already made His choice. He was obedient unto death4 and now He reigns at the right hand of His Father5 as the soon coming King! In what condition will He find you?

Let the examination begin.


1-"9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!' 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where they have come?' 14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:9-14

2- "2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."  Proverbs 21:2

3- "21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" Matthew 7:21-23 Law is translated Torah

4- "5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  Phillippians 2:5-8

5- "3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

"9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phillippians 2:9-11

Trial and Purging are Coming to America

     One night in January 2013, I had a dream in which I was in a bathroom in our home with a little girl about two to three years of age. Her face looked just like a little boy's I know, named Noah, only she had shoulder length hair. It was dark outside and the room was dimly lit, as though I was seeing through a fog. Only the tub and the little girl were highlighted. She stood in front the tub that contained filthy water. Her hair was dry and she wore a night shirt, resembling a long T-shirt. The night shirt had horizontal, yellow and brown stripes. She picked up a can of shaving cream from the counter and began to put the yellow cream on her legs. I asked her to stop and reached for the can. She moved it from my reach and never looking at me, only in my direction, very calmly and defiantly, said that she needed to shave. Still wearing the nightshirt, she stepped into the tub, sat down and smiled at her legs that were stretched out straight in front of her. She then closed her eyes, lifted her arms above her head and laid back into the water. Her body, including her head and face, were completely submerged. I asked her to get up. She remained underwater. I asked her a second time and she still didn't move. I stood to reach for her arm and I awoke. The smug grin never left her face.

     Father didn't even wait for me to ask Him for the interpretation. Immediately within my spirit, I heard Him say that things are not good for America. My first thoughts were for my family and I asked if we were safe? He answered, "For now." He told me that I must have tunnel vision, not looking to the right or to the left but to keep my eyes fixed on Him. He said that He would lead us and tell us what to do and when to do it. He said that the red and white stripes in the American flag have turned to yellow and brown. (Yellow meaning trial and purging. Brown meaning humanity upon the earth.) The toddler was clothed in trial and purging and then went a step further to arrogantly lather herself in it. He told me that I could not save her because she is doomed to destruction.

     Those in America know the biblical principles upon which this country's foundations were laid. Like Israel, we proclaimed the true Elohim as our God. As a result, we were abundantly blessed! Then deep, spiritual darkness crept into this land and everyone is affected. Even what has occurred since the 1960's astounds me! It is like living in a spiritual fog where evil is considered good and good is considered evil. This little girl was between two and three years of age and this country is only a "toddler" comparatively speaking, between two and three hundred years old. I cared for her as I would any child that was in my home but I did not have the emotions toward her that I would have had if she had been a member of my family. Just as I love this country, but not with the intensity that I care for my eternal home. America has ignored the warnings of repentance that Father has set forth through events that have tragically occurred and through His messengers and prophets. Unashamed and unrepentant she still arrogantly thinks that she can solve her problems by herself. Ever increasing in insolence, she defiantly smiles as she sinks deeper into filth.
"As it was in the days of Noah ..."

KJV (King James Version)

" 5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 And land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou has eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, ...
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God."
Deuteronomy 8:5-14a, 17-20

" 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
8 But Noe found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
Genesis 6:5, 8

" 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Matthew 24:37-39

" 26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, unto the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."
Luke 17:26-27





    
     

A Darkness That Can Be Felt

    My spirit has been stirred within me to share this very short dream that I had on February 7, 2013.

     I was sitting at a large, rectangular, hand hewn dining table. The only light in the room was a single, white, tapered candle in the center of the table, directly in front of me. The candle holder was black metal with a place to insert a finger so that it could be carried from one place to another. It had burned down so that only a third to a fourth of it, remained. I felt a presence come up behind me and, over my left shoulder, blew out the candle. The room was pitch black. The kind of darkness that can be felt. The kind that people experience in underground caves when the tour guides turn out the lights.

     I wrote in the notes from that night that I was not sure if the presence behind me was the Ruach Ha 'Kodesh (Holy Spirit) who is referred to in Scripture as the breath of YHVH; (i.e. Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 20:21-22, Acts 2:1-4) or if it was from the prince of darkness. But this much I am sure of, I KNEW WHO was in control and I had no fear of the presence or of the darkness. I also wrote that I felt strongly that Father was trying to warn me of an actual event. The dream felt factual and instructional in nature. Not just referring to the spiritual darkness that we see growing around us.

     The interpretation that I got is that the table resembled that which could be seen anywhere in the world. The white contrasting with black made me think of the mixing His ways with the ways of the world. Holy with unholy. "20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20 KJV
As a result of these things happening, the world is increasingly dark. However, I knew there was more to it. As I stated, I believed that the dream was a warning of an actual event, but I didn't know what. Of course hearing about solar flares and a possible EMP blackout in the news made me wonder, but then this happened ...

     A couple of days ago, I came upon a blog in which the woman wrote about an event that would bring three days of darkness upon the earth. She wrote about how those who are abiding in YHVH would be protected in their homes during those days while many strange things happened upon the earth. Her blog included a link to another blog where the woman wrote of the same kind of event. Both women wrote of how true believers will not only be protected, but ministered to in ways that prepare them for what lies ahead. All other people will be left in darkness for all three days. The condition of every soul will be made known to them. The people who are not walking in the Light will be given a chance to repent of their sins and come into the adoption that YHVH offers through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Yeshua, (Jesus) the Messiah.

     When I read the messages these two women received, (and from what I have come to understand, they are not alone) of course I remembered the dream I had on February 7th. I went back to check my notes and my eyes widened when I read what I heard in my spirit as I awoke from it. "The earth has been plunged into darkness."

The Scriptures that came to me:

KJV

"21 And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."
Exodus 10:21-23

"7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons."
Psalm 16:7

"7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Joshua 1:7-9

"1 Here my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."
Psalm 61:1-4

"12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and light are both alike to thee."
Psalm 139:12

"33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

     Please pray, asking Father for much discernment concerning this or any other thing you hear or watch or read during these days. Thank You.

May He continue to watch over you and fill you with wisdom and power from on high as you walk with Him in righteousness for His Namesake.

http://newbon-bonsblog.blogspot.com

http://iamcallingyounow.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/it-is-upon-you.html

Where Are You in this Dream?

     On January 22, 2013, I had a dream where I was at a slumber party and standing in a darkened room facing a group of pajama clad, immature acting adults. They were childish in their antics. Glued to their cell phones, loud bursts of laughing and carrying on, behaving much younger than their years. I was fond of them and knew that their behavior was not entirely their fault so I had patience with them and had compassion on them.
     Although this group was noisy and demanded attention, I could feel the presence of a man in the room to the right of me. Because the room was dimly lit, I could not see him but I could hear his voice and as I strained to listen, I knew that he was speaking to some of the people who had gathered around him. His teaching was full of truth and wisdom from the Scriptures. He was tenderhearted toward them, humble and kind. It was obvious that all of the adults were immature and needed the pure milk of the Word, but most seemed unaware of their need or they were not willing to receive it.
     Behind me sat a woman resting on a chase lounge. She was the only one in a reclining position; everyone else in the room, stood. She was very thin, her complexion was pale, her head was down and her arms were limp at her sides. She was weak and appeared to be in the final stages of illness. She wore shoulder length, straight, jet black hair. She would not (could not?) raise her head to look at me. She wore a light blue pantsuit. I wore red, silk pajama pants and night shirt. Although she would not acknowledge me, I was not shy of her, neither was I offended by her. Instead, I had great compassion on her. I smiled and sat down beside her and waited for her to speak. Never lifting her head, she spoke of the kind man in a way that made me think that she had once loved him. Although I sat quietly beside her for some time, the only words I remember her speaking was when she weakly said, "He really cares for these people. He is such a sipe." She could not understand his depth of love for them.

     I awoke. I tried to fall back to sleep but I could not. I prayed about the dream and wondered what a sipe was. I grabbed my phone and googled the definition. A sipe is a drain or a channel to drain and/or direct water.

     The interpretation that came is that many in the church are immature in the faith. Slumbering when they should be wide awake. (1) They are unconcerned with the devil who is intent on destroying them. (2) The trappings of the world have them tied up in things and in themselves. All but the newborns in the faith should be taking in the meat of the Word but there are many will only accept small amounts of milk, having enough nourishment to survive but not to mature. They don't have the strength needed to face what is coming upon the earth. (3) They live for the appetites of their flesh to a degree that they don't posses the self-control needed to say no to their sin and are stunted in their growth. Behaving more like children than adults. (4) Thinking they are just fine and don't need a thing, not realizing that they are really pitiful. (5) My compassion on them was great because they were in desperate need of a shepherd. (6) Their immaturity was not entirely their own fault.
     The presence of the man I felt but could not see, and could only hear if I strained to tune out the voices of the others and the noise in the room, (7) was filled of the Holy Spirit. He represented those in the church who are good shepherds and teachers who care for the flock, not as a hireling who cares nothing for the sheep. They impart pure milk and the meat of the Word of YHVH. (8) Streams of living water that are given to them from the Messiah flow from them, being directed to the precious few who will receive it. (9)
     The woman who was reclining represents the apostate church. She was dressed in a pantsuit, not in pajamas, because she didn't intend to stay. Members of the apostate don't want to be around people who try to live according to the Father's instructions. Her clothing was light blue, which signifies heaven and the commands of YHVH. At one time she received the Word with joy, but then the cares of this present age and the evil in the world, she began to refuse the milk and the meat of the Word and to submit to YHVH's authority as given in Numbers 15:38-40, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garment, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God." Instead she gave herself over to false teachings that tickled her ears. (10) On this descent, her thinking became darkened and her heart grew cold. (11) Her jet black hair represents the utter darkness of her spiritual death. (12) 
     I was dressed in pajamas because all of the virgins fell asleep, the foolish and the wise. (13) The color of the pajamas represents the blood of our Matchless Messiah that is still available for those who will call upon His Name in humble repentance. I sat down next to her to listen to her with His heart of forgiveness in an effort to draw her back to Him, but she refused. Her decision was made.

    His heart still remains open if people will hear His voice and humble themselves before Him. (14)

KJV

(1)"44 And being in great agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And he said to them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."
Luke 22:44-45

(2) "8 Be sober, vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
1 Peter 5:8

(3) "12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Hebrews 5:12-14

(4) "11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
1 Corinthians 13:11

(5) "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white rainment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
Revelation 3:17-19

(6) "10 The thief cometh not, but for the steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleethe, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
John 10:10-16
By the way, Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34 are still relevant!

(7) "11 And he said, go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but he Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"
1 Kings 19:11-13

(8) "2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:2-8

(9) "37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture that said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
John 7:37-38

(10) "3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
2 Timothy 4:3-4

(11) "1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers of those that are good. 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."
2 Timothy 3:1-4

(12) "17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
2 Timothy 4:17-18
"23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Matthew 6:23

(13) "5 While the bridegroom taried, they all slumbered and slept."
Matthew 25:5

(14) "1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of they tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
"17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not dispise."
Psalm 51:1-4, 17

     It probably goes without saying that this was one of the more difficult dreams Father has given to me. Within it, I was able to see three different groups of people within mainstream Christian churches in America, anyway. It also contained the representation of the atoning sacrifice of Messiah who longs to gather us unto Himself that where He is, we may be also. As the time of His crucifixion drew near, He ached over Jerusalem, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered her children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Matthew 23:37 KJV
His shed blood has not lost its power! His Word will never pass away; it is eternal! ALL He has said, will be accomplished!

Before it is too late, PLEASE, COME HOME TO HIS HEART!