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
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
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
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
Thursday, October 24, 2013
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
An Anniversary Gift - My Testimony
On October 13, 1978, I became new! My bondage to sin and the desire to die came to an end when a friend literally stopped me on the street and emphatically told me to, "Go to church and pray!" I thought she was nuts! I had absolutely no desire to go to church. I had even less desire to pray. However, she insisted and stood in my way until I agreed. She didn't know it at the time but I had left school that day to finish what I had attempted the night before. My suicide. I thought I would go to the church to tell Him what I thought of my life, and then leave to wrap my car around a tree. He had an entirely different plan for my day ...and for the rest of my life.
I walked in the back of the Catholic church I had attended from the time I was a few days old. My friend's shoes were clicking on the marble floors behind me. I could smell incense in the air. A funeral must have taken place that morning. How poetic I think, in looking back. Little did I know that another funeral, this time a death to the ways of sin, would soon begin.
I knelt down in front of the statue of Mary and the rows of candles that were lined up before it. Moving my head up and to the right, I looked at the face of the statue of the One who had died for the sins of all mankind. As my eyes traveled over it, a priest walked in a side door of the church. He glanced at me and proceeded to walk down the stairs to have hot lunch with the students who attended the church's grade school. Seeing him caused a memory to come rushing back at me. A memory of something that had taken place two years earlier but was so vivid in my mind that it could have easily taken place that very morning ...
...Suddenly I was back in the center of a classroom. It was a Wednesday night and about thirty students were in CCD class. The priest (the one who had just walked down the stairs) was writing something on the board. I don't recall if we were on the subject of eternal life or not, but I called out his name in the form of a question. With his back still turned to me, he responded, "Yes, Sue." I asked, "What do I have to do in order to know that when I die that I will go to heaven?" He stopped writing, put the chalk down on the tray, turned to me and smiled, asking, "You love God, don't you?" I puffed air through my lips and answered, "Yeah.", thinking, "Who doesn't?" For my entire life I had been told, "We were all God's children. We're all members of His family.", so I figured the least we could do in return was to "love" Him. He continued, "Then don't worry about it, you will go to heaven." You could have heard a pin drop in the room. As far as my peripheral vision could see, every eye was on me. Somewhere deep inside, truth welled up in me. I put my hands on the desk, shoved my chair back hitting the desk behind me, crossed my arms, and right out loud, said, "BULL!" The priest smiled, looked down and continued on with his lesson as though nothing had happened.
With that memory in my mind I looked back at the statue and motioning in the direction of the stairs, I said, "He said if I loved You, everything would be okay. Well my life is a mess! And You are a hypocrite!" I hung my head. I don't know if I did it myself, or if it was hung for me. But I know I felt intense guilt. Something I hadn't allowed myself to feel for at least a couple of years. My body began to shake with sobs. I cried out how sorry I was! How sorry I was for everything! I asked Him to please forgive me! I told Him if He was real and could really hear me, that I wanted my sins to be wiped away. My mind pictured a chalk board with all my sins listed on it. I asked that all the sins be washed away with water, not just an eraser because I never wanted to see them again. I asked Him for a new start. A new life. And that I would give Him two weeks to see changes taking place, or I would make the change myself. Meaning my death.
Before you judge my "sinner's prayer" know that I no idea what I was doing. I prayed what came to me. Exactly what was inside of me is what came out of my mouth. It wasn't pretty, but it was real. And I meant it with all of my heart. And "apparently" He heard because I didn't have to wait two weeks to begin seeing changes; they were starting right there as I knelt; a sobbing mess of humanity.
It took awhile but I finally stood to my feet, and as we walked back down the aisle of the church, my friend trotted beside me. I couldn't help but smile at her. Her actions reminded me of my mother's Chihuahua as her shoes patted the floor and she repeatedly asked, "What happened?! I know something happened! What happened?!" We opened the back door of the church and I held up my hand to her, asking her for a minute to collect my thoughts. We sat down on the curb when we came to the end of the block and I told her, "I am not sure what just happened, but I know that something did. I know that I am different. I'm clean. I am a little scared because I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I can never go back."
That was thirty five years ago last Sunday. Do I regret coming to Him? Not one SECOND! My worst days walking with Him in NO WAY compare to the HOPELESSNESS that I had without Him! NO WAY! Would I respond to His call again? A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!!!! WITH ALL MY HEART!!! WITH ALL MY SOUL!!! WITH ALL MY STRENGTH!!! WITH ALL MY MIND!!! YES!!!
I got to spend Sunday night with my three most favorite people; my husband and my children. We went to a Sons of Korah concert in our area. Their music is composed from the Psalms and touches my soul, deeply. As I sat with my eyes closed and my hands raised, I heard His Beautiful Voice in my spirit, say, "Thank You for entering into the music with Me." The Creator of all that we can and cannot see, thanked me for joining Him in His praise. A holy hush surrounds me as tears fill my eyes with the memory of that moment on Our Anniversary. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine ..." Song of Solomon 6:3a
I walked in the back of the Catholic church I had attended from the time I was a few days old. My friend's shoes were clicking on the marble floors behind me. I could smell incense in the air. A funeral must have taken place that morning. How poetic I think, in looking back. Little did I know that another funeral, this time a death to the ways of sin, would soon begin.
I knelt down in front of the statue of Mary and the rows of candles that were lined up before it. Moving my head up and to the right, I looked at the face of the statue of the One who had died for the sins of all mankind. As my eyes traveled over it, a priest walked in a side door of the church. He glanced at me and proceeded to walk down the stairs to have hot lunch with the students who attended the church's grade school. Seeing him caused a memory to come rushing back at me. A memory of something that had taken place two years earlier but was so vivid in my mind that it could have easily taken place that very morning ...
...Suddenly I was back in the center of a classroom. It was a Wednesday night and about thirty students were in CCD class. The priest (the one who had just walked down the stairs) was writing something on the board. I don't recall if we were on the subject of eternal life or not, but I called out his name in the form of a question. With his back still turned to me, he responded, "Yes, Sue." I asked, "What do I have to do in order to know that when I die that I will go to heaven?" He stopped writing, put the chalk down on the tray, turned to me and smiled, asking, "You love God, don't you?" I puffed air through my lips and answered, "Yeah.", thinking, "Who doesn't?" For my entire life I had been told, "We were all God's children. We're all members of His family.", so I figured the least we could do in return was to "love" Him. He continued, "Then don't worry about it, you will go to heaven." You could have heard a pin drop in the room. As far as my peripheral vision could see, every eye was on me. Somewhere deep inside, truth welled up in me. I put my hands on the desk, shoved my chair back hitting the desk behind me, crossed my arms, and right out loud, said, "BULL!" The priest smiled, looked down and continued on with his lesson as though nothing had happened.
With that memory in my mind I looked back at the statue and motioning in the direction of the stairs, I said, "He said if I loved You, everything would be okay. Well my life is a mess! And You are a hypocrite!" I hung my head. I don't know if I did it myself, or if it was hung for me. But I know I felt intense guilt. Something I hadn't allowed myself to feel for at least a couple of years. My body began to shake with sobs. I cried out how sorry I was! How sorry I was for everything! I asked Him to please forgive me! I told Him if He was real and could really hear me, that I wanted my sins to be wiped away. My mind pictured a chalk board with all my sins listed on it. I asked that all the sins be washed away with water, not just an eraser because I never wanted to see them again. I asked Him for a new start. A new life. And that I would give Him two weeks to see changes taking place, or I would make the change myself. Meaning my death.
Before you judge my "sinner's prayer" know that I no idea what I was doing. I prayed what came to me. Exactly what was inside of me is what came out of my mouth. It wasn't pretty, but it was real. And I meant it with all of my heart. And "apparently" He heard because I didn't have to wait two weeks to begin seeing changes; they were starting right there as I knelt; a sobbing mess of humanity.
It took awhile but I finally stood to my feet, and as we walked back down the aisle of the church, my friend trotted beside me. I couldn't help but smile at her. Her actions reminded me of my mother's Chihuahua as her shoes patted the floor and she repeatedly asked, "What happened?! I know something happened! What happened?!" We opened the back door of the church and I held up my hand to her, asking her for a minute to collect my thoughts. We sat down on the curb when we came to the end of the block and I told her, "I am not sure what just happened, but I know that something did. I know that I am different. I'm clean. I am a little scared because I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I can never go back."
That was thirty five years ago last Sunday. Do I regret coming to Him? Not one SECOND! My worst days walking with Him in NO WAY compare to the HOPELESSNESS that I had without Him! NO WAY! Would I respond to His call again? A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!!!! WITH ALL MY HEART!!! WITH ALL MY SOUL!!! WITH ALL MY STRENGTH!!! WITH ALL MY MIND!!! YES!!!
I got to spend Sunday night with my three most favorite people; my husband and my children. We went to a Sons of Korah concert in our area. Their music is composed from the Psalms and touches my soul, deeply. As I sat with my eyes closed and my hands raised, I heard His Beautiful Voice in my spirit, say, "Thank You for entering into the music with Me." The Creator of all that we can and cannot see, thanked me for joining Him in His praise. A holy hush surrounds me as tears fill my eyes with the memory of that moment on Our Anniversary. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine ..." Song of Solomon 6:3a
Monday, October 14, 2013
HIS Ways or Ours?
As I sit here this evening, I am asking Elohim to make this message His own. I pray that He will anoint it and go before it in order to touch receiving hearts with His truth. That's all that matters to me. Truly. It is my prayer that in His own unique way, you will be assured of that.
We don't like to think about such things, but life as we have known it is drawing to a close and just like a person who knows that they are approaching the end of their days, I cannot help but look back over my life and wonder how much of what I thought I was doing for Him will one day be burned up as wood, hay, and straw?(1) I have grieved because I know that there's nothing that I can do to go back and choose differently. I can't go back and choose more time with Him, more truths from Him. I can't restore the "free" time that I've wasted on the attractions (and distractions) of this world, but this much I know; I know that I don't want to waste one more day. Not one more word. I don't want to miss another opportunity to spend with Him in study of His Word, in prayer, or in worship. And I don't want to be silent when He wants me to speak. What we glean from sitting at His feet cannot be compared with anything else that this world has to offer. So whether you think that we are in the end of days or not, it must be agreed that each of us are drawing closer to the ends of our days. The logical question then becomes, "What will we do with the time that we have left?" Will we continue living our lives as my husband and I were, simply assuming that all is well with our souls? Will we humble ourselves before our heavenly Father and consider the possibility that we might not have it all figured out? That maybe not everything is as we have been told? Will we search the Scriptures for the ancient paths (2) and truly learn what it is to know and to follow after our Savior, (3) to walk as HE walked, (4) or will we refuse and continue down the paths of mere men? (5)
Oh, my Precious Brethren, if ever there was a time to get serious about what we believe and how we are living, it's now.
(1) "11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation of gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." 1 Cortinthians 3:11-15 ESV
(2) "10 'To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen, behold, the word of the Lord is to them as an object of scorn, they take no pleasure in it.'
"16 Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.' But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' 17 Therefore hear, O nations, and know O congregation, what will happen to them. 18 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.' " Jeremiah 6:10 and 16-18 ESV
(3) "34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples he said to them, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.' " Mark 8:34-38 ESV
(4) "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 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." 1 John 2:1-6 ESV
(5) "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 14:12 ESV
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