Tuesday, November 26, 2013
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
Friday, November 15, 2013
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
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
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
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
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
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