Light in Dark Corners

Be Victorious - Choose Jesus, and Abide with Him

2013-10-23T02:41:00.000-05:00

Everything going on is spiritual on some level; this is not the battle we think it is. The powers of darkness are seeping out from behind the restrainer and licking at the edges of this life.

Christians are the target. Our minds are the battlefield. If the enemy can twist and confuse our thinking, he can immobilize and isolate us. If he succeeds with that, he can do even worse. Why is Satan so excited? Because for the first time, he is being given the opportunity to coerce and deceive God's own. In this generation...this last generation before Christ's return...it's open season on Christians.

What am I talking about? This sounds like heresy! No one can pluck us from God's hand! He will never leave us, nor forsake us!

Absolutely - those promises are true. But...IF IT TURNS OUT that the pre-tribbers are wrong...and Jesus doesn't come back before the Tribulation begins...we've got a lot to brace ourselves for.

The enemy is on an all-out disinformation campaign to lull Christians into a false sense of hope, and a false sense of security. Hope that they won't have to face what is coming, and security that of course nothing could effect them, they are much too wise, and besides, they're protected by God. Couple that with the largesse of the Spirit of Religion that has always owned the [C]hurch and now is playing it's massive cannibalistic endgame...and you've got a recipe for apostacy the likes of which no believer can even comprehend.

What happens - what is "apostacy?" It is a "falling away" a rejection of faith, casting out of the Holy Spirit. NOWHERE in Scripture does God say free will ends when a person gets saved. God promises to hold up HIS end of the covenant relationship, but if YOU give up, reject, or deny your end of that relationship, you are released from it. It's a "marriage." And God sets the precedent in His Word that if the unbelieving spouse wants to go, let them go. The "divorce" is accepted. God doesn't want to present a reluctant, hateful Bride to Jesus. NO one is forced to be part of that bridal dinner. Even Christians are falling away from the faith, and more will - by the millions.

How can YOU be victorious? How can you be assured of your salvation?

Confessing that Jesus Christ is your savior these days is getting harder. Recognizing the NEED for salvation is even hard for many people. We are all sinners, and we all deserve to go to hell for our sins. God is holy and just, no sin can be allowed where He is. We can't clean ourselves up, we can't try hard enough to be perfect. We can't pay enough penance to pay our own debt, and we can't talk our way out of paying it. There is only ONE WAY that our sin-debt is paid off and we are made pure so that we can be with God in heaven forever instead of banished to hell. Only one way.

From the very first moment sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, God already knew He would be spending the next 6,000 years redeeming humanity. He decided the payment structure, He decided the timing, and He decided to let Jesus Christ - who through the great mystery that is God, IS GOD, in the flesh, die a gruesome and inhumane death, so His own blood would pay the price for you and me. And because God decided the outcome of all of mankind before mankind was even created, Jesus rose again - didn't stay dead - and was the first to truly defeat Death, and with such force and spiritual breath that hundreds of others rose with him! That's victory. That's our risen King.

And that's how we become victors too. We must keep our eyes on Jesus - He is the author and finisher of our faith, and only through Him will we be sustained and able to endure to the end as He admonished us to in Matthew 24:13.

We have to let ourselves get so wrapped up in our relationship with Jesus that worldliness falls off of us like dirty rags. So much that when we are tempted to sin, we can't bear to do it, because we are so close to His heart, and feel His grief over such willful acts. So close to Him that His love overflows in us and is seen easily by all who encounter us. We have to know Him so intimately that in every situation we can know instinctively how He would want us to reply, or behave, so that we make His name great and are adequate representatives of His name at all times.

There is no way we will get caught sleeping, or be deceived, if we are that close to Jesus.

How do we do that? READ THE BIBLE…PRAY…SUBMIT your will to His – SURRENDER every dark and hidden corner in your life and allow Him to transform your mind, so your thoughts are His thoughts. Let Him convict your heart, and repent daily. LOVE OTHERS – and FORGIVE.

It’s not complicated, but it’s very hard. Very few can do it. It’s a narrow path, and Jesus says few will find it. I don’t know how many people will find it, but I know it’s awfully easy to walk away from it, there are many distractions and fake detours. Only walking close with Jesus will keep your feet on His path.

It's all or nothing. Hot or cold. In or out. Choose Jesus, and choose to abide/remain with Him...every day. He is the only HOPE for all of us, the only peace and rest from the evil and weariness of the world.

Spiritual maturity under attack from within the body?

2013-09-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

Shouldn't Christians hold themselves to Biblical standards? Not perfection, but a knowledge of the Bible enough to know what is "Christian" behavior and what is not? A relationship with Jesus that includes understanding His instructions, that because they are designed for our good, that we should want to follow them, and live inside the goodness that He wants for us?

I guess I figured that was a major part of being a Christian: working out our faith, learning, growing, maturing. We're all at different points in that journey, sure, but if we are believers, we should all be moving in the same direction, pressing toward the same goal. We should look to more mature believers to set an example in word and deed, to be encouragers and to inspire us to keep moving forward in our own spiritual maturity.

I find sometimes though, that when someone does hold themselves to that standard, makes that effort, and publicly does seek to spur others toward spiritual discipline, love, and good deeds...that some other Christians mistreat them, ridicule them, or deride them for it. Call them things like judgmental, sanctimonious, self-righteous, etc. Some of the most scathing and damaging insults I've seen have been levied from one Christian to another.

The result is a serious lack of mature believers willing to be bold and live their faith out loud, because of repeated abuse. They leave it to the pastors who were never meant to be solely bearing that weight, and under which many of them fall.

Another result is stagnation in the lives of those mature believers - who then begin to feel washed up and useless or stale in their prayer life. Without imparting their knowledge, without raising up and encouraging others, their faith becomes routine and boring. Their own spiritual growth stops advancing.

Instead of attacking people of faith when they speak out and fulfill their purpose as disciple-makers, we need to listen to them, and when we feel pricked by their words or convicted by their example, we need to spend time with God in prayer, not lash out in name calling tirades that reveal our weakness. It's ok to be pricked, to be convicted, even to be offended! If we're faced with a Biblical truth that we're not comfortable with, it will offend us until we take it to the Lord and work it through with Him. But it's not the messenger who has offended us. It's the Bible, and biblical principles, so our conflict is not with a person, but with God, and the solution is to surrender our will to His in that new area that has been uncovered.

We need more mature believers to speak up, to teach and disciple. We need example-setters, people who aren't perfect, but are willing to live transparent lives and illustrate faith and relationship. If the immature are allowed to bully the mature laypeople in our churches, isn't that backwards and counter-productive? How will anyone grow, at any level, if that is the status quo?

Conversely, the mature believers have a grave responsibility to guard their lives and doctrine closely, so that as they do live a transparent life, discipling and leading by example, that their example is a pure one above reproach. They should be humble and receive (appropriate) correction when it is warranted, be quick to apologize, clarify, recant, or repent depending on the situation.

This seems like basic Faith 101 stuff, but it continues to be an issue that is not restricted to any one church or denomination. Nothing I've just said is new, it's all a regurgitation of biblical principles...and all of us can benefit from them.

Shine your Light...and Agree with God, even though the world is out of control.

2013-09-05T13:15:00.001-05:00

Syria. What a mess. It's impossible to know who to believe...but...all the photos of terrorists (aka Rebels) holding up severed heads and disembodied hearts sure makes it seem like maybe we shouldn't help them a whole lot. But there is a MUCH bigger situation that we need to understand here.

The Muslim Brotherhood = Islamic extremists.
Al Quaeda = Islamic extremists.
Hezbollah = Islamic extremists.
Hamas = Islamic extremists.

Many Muslims are as ignorant of their eschatology (end times prophecy) as many Christians are. That's why you hear so many moderate Muslims saying what a peaceful religion it is, and how we have nothing to worry about. They simply don't know or understand their holy book, and have Imams who are watering it down so they don't know the whole picture. (Sound familiar? This is going on in Christian churches too!)

But these Islamic extremists are simply Muslims who have read and believe wholeheartedly in the entire Koran. They are the "true believers" of their religion. As such, they act in accordance with that worldview. They too believe that we are in the "end days" so they are behaving as the Koran instructs them to in order for the final events to transpire.

In Islam, their end times belief is that mass chaos and bloodshed will lead to a Caliphate Muslim government (one unified government for all Muslim states/countries) and that the Mahdi, or 12th Imam, or "messiah" will come/appear to run said government. So, they WANT chaos and bloodshed. They don't care who dies, because their highest honor is to die for the sake of bringing the Mahdi to power. They believe that even if they kill their own children to bring about this chaos, they are doing the work of Allah (who is NOT GOD).

Since the end of 2010, the Islamic world has been in unprecedented upheaval, but make no mistake, it is on purpose! Now, this is also part of Christian eschatology...and therefore part of the one true God's plan. Much of what is happening in the world that is so upsetting has been prophesied in our Bible...and is part of the Kingdom of God being brought to this earth.

As Christians, we can and need to pray in AGREEMENT with God, that "His Will be done, His Kingdom come" because anything else is to DISAGREE with God. This is time to TRUST like you have never trusted before. Time to pray for mercy, and to remember that God is holy, sovereign, and trustworthy. He is in control, and He has already won the victory.

Whatever our government does in this moment, will be used by God to advance His plan. We can be upset, we can disagree, but in the end - the very end - God's Will is being accomplished. We must remain aware of what is going on, but we have to remind ourselves of this important point. We want to agree with God, not disagree. Within His will, we can pray for mercy, but this is time for us to expand our thinking and think Eternally.

Witness - testify - share the Gospel, and help others understand what is happening, share the peace that you have. And if you don't have peace, know that it comes from being educated in the Word about what is going on, what is coming, and trusting God.

Is our government doing outrageous and ignorant things? Yep. Just like they have been for decades. Just keep trusting God, and keep your children close to you. They are your first mission field...and spiritual responsibility. Then reach out within your sphere of influence and advance the Kingdom in the hearts of the people you know every day.

Muslims who know and act on their instructions in the Koran become rapists and cold hearted killers.

Christians who know and act on their instructions in the Bible become passionate lovers and servants of others.

Matthew 22:37 and 38 - Jesus said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Become an extremist. An Extreme Christian (aka A true believer, one who is not lukewarm, but filled with the Holy Spirit and in daily constant communication with God)...and become a passionate lover and servant of others! Let your light shine so bright that the darkness flees around you!
That is our activism. Let that be our crime.

Read Philippians chapters 3 and 4 today.

Meditate also on Colossians 3:1-17

Have God's perfect peace in these tumultuous times!

Be wise, don't be caught off guard, and don't misunderstand our Lord!

2013-07-22T14:19:00.001-05:00

From Robert Hawes, author and blogger:

The Parable of the 10 Virgins – a Warning to Christians in the Last Days

Among the teachings of Jesus, the parable of the 10 Virgins, found in Matthew chapter 25, ranks as one of the most grave. In it, the Lord presents a warning, namely that some of those who set out with the best of intentions to find the kingdom of God will not enter it, but will find themselves turned away in the end. As such, this is not a teaching that we can afford to misunderstand.

Bible teachers have speculated as to the finer points of meaning within the word pictures that Jesus presents in the parable, but I find that many seem to agree on a few key points. While all ten virgins represent professing Christians, only five of them are thought to be genuine believers, as only these have sufficient oil (which is interpreted as being the Holy Spirit) by which to make it through the night and enter the kingdom.

While this viewpoint is held by men who are highly esteemed, I believe that it is based on some false assumptions, and that a failure to properly understand this parable poses a grave danger to Christians living in the last days, as to misunderstand the warning in this instance is also to misunderstand the nature of the danger. For this reason, I offer the following discussion of the parable, in the hope that it will help my fellow Christians prepare for the difficult times that lie ahead.

Keep Reading...Please...
http://takeupyourcross73.blogspot.com/2011/07/parable-of-10-virgins-warning-to.html

Bio-tech, Data mining, Immigration Reform & Prophecy - What you need to know.

2013-06-08T22:46:00.003-05:00

There are several forms of biotech that I've been keeping watch on over the years and researching. The book I co-wrote with my husband might be fiction, but it deals with the kind of clandestine shadow-government activities that are going on and the baby steps these people are taking in individual governments as well as the United Nations to prepare for what Christians know as the "Mark of the Beast." So, I've been researching and learning about all things potentially "Mark-related" for many years.

Of course, that's not what it will be called, nor will any of the steps leading to it show a quantifiable threat, but instead they will seem necessary, understandable, to protect the public from real, potential, or fabricated threats. No, instead, each step will be easily adopted by the masses who have been conditioned to want the newest, hottest, even most expensive technology. Objectors will be ridiculed, ostracized, discredited, vilified, and eventually eliminated.

Even many, if not MOST, Christians will be seduced into participating at every step, partly because they are unaware of the big picture, but mostly because they are unaware of God's picture - they haven't read and understood the Bible's warnings and instructions about this very time in human history.

Many Christians who ARE aware are being deceived because the
steps to this Mark are so small and they don't line up WORD FOR WORD with one or two verses in the Bible. But can we assume we know for certain how to line up future potential events with prophecy? Prophecy only fully can be understood in RETROSPECT.

Until something is fulfilled, it remains somewhat enigmatic. If that were not true, there would be NO disagreements between theologians and scholars about eschatology and how to organize God's timeline. Instead, there have been many debates, and there are no fewer than four rock-solid teachings about what is yet to come...not to say that the BIBLE is the problem, but our expectations are wrong. Who are WE to tell God how to fulfill HIS plan?

Instead, we must study Scripture for OURSELVES, and do our OWN due diligence now - with the benefit of TODAY'S headlines, which theologians and scholars from a hundred years ago didn't have. Prophecy is being fulfilled every day in OUR news - and we must line it up with the Word, look at it through the lens of Scripture, so WE can discern where we are in God's timeline, and what to expect to happen next.

Some events prophesied are big and obvious, like the coming WW3 from Ezekiel 38 & 39 (which is NOT the same as "Armageddon"), while others are obscure and we don't yet know if the Bible means them to be symbolic or literal. The Mark of the Beast is one such thing.

John the Revelator could not have understood from his first century perspective many of the images that God revealed to him on the Isle of Patmos. He used words he knew, imagery he could understand, to as accurately as possible describe things he couldn't even begin to comprehend. Modern warfare tools like airplanes, bombs, and tanks - modern technology like televisions, holograms, cell phones, surveillance...even newspaper headlines (scrolls?) and the pomp and circumstance of the Vatican.

When we look at prophecy from that understanding, we have no choice but to hold it loosely, taking new information like a random puzzle piece and carefully turning it this way and that to find where it might fit into what is already assembled on the table. We can see the image fragment on the piece, and we can see the emerging yet incomplete image on the table, and we have the box lid (the Bible) but the lid image is pixelated. So we carefully examine the piece in our hand against the pixelated box using the solid colors areas as benchmarks so we know where on the puzzle to begin looking to fit our piece.

With the Mark, we have a few solid color spots on the box - the first and largest is that it will be MANDATED in order to buy or sell anything. Revelation 13:17. This implies that the Mark will be tied to our banking system, and since we all get paid in checks that have to run through a bank, we can draw a reasonable conclusion that the Mark's implementation will cause us to not be able to cash or have access to our paychecks. In fact, to draw it further, we may not even be allowed to work in the first place without the Mark.

This MANDATE is the key. There are many steps that have already been taken, but so far, none have created an environment where you can't work, make deposits, withdrawals, purchases or sales without complying with a government mandated bio-ID system.

Why bio-ID? One more important solid color spot on the box from our analogy is found in Revelation 14:9, that the Mark is something personal that will be on our hand or forehead. This is not going to be a card you carry in your wallet, or a paper you sign. This will be physical in some way and personal. It's a mistake to assume that we can take this prophecy SO literally that we accept anything that isn’t EXACTLY a visible mark on our hands or foreheads. Instead, put yourself in the apostle John’s shoes. As God is showing him snapshots of OUR time, our reality, he uses HIS life experiences to try to relate what he sees.

Consider these photos that show what getting an initial iris scan looks like, and how it can look to have your iris scan verified in a public setting. Put yourself in John’s world, looking at something like this – and imagine how you might explain it.

1. A child getting scanned in Tampa, FL, without parental consent in June 2013. Note that the device is placed against his forehead. It is unclear what is being transacted here. Is the device taking something, or leaving something? Without your 21^st century understanding, could you be certain one way or another?

2. A Pakistani council member’s identity is verified before a meeting. Note that his right hand is at his forehead and a device is in front of his face. Would it be obvious to first century John what is going on here? Is the man moving his headpiece out of the way for the device? Pointing to the area to be examined?

3. Students at this grade school are already using hand scans to pay for their lunches. Notice - it's her right hand. We don’t know what John saw, but he saw something – repeatedly he says “then I looked,” or “then I saw,” as the angels spoke to help him understand.

Lest anyone think that I’m trying to reword or take anything away from Revelation, let me continue by acknowledging that the angel’s wording is specific in both Revelation 13:16 and 14:9, that there will be something RECEIVED, and it is implied that it will be visible on the right hand or forehead.

Biotech reading is not something that all companies and cities will be 100% prepared to implement, nor will it work in the event that the power is down. Large retailers like JCPenney can go completely cashless, and eliminate even cashiers, favoring instead an RFID system that automatically reads your items, calculates your total, and wirelessly transfers the money from you using (for now) your already RFID-capable debit or credit card. (JCPenney has announced they are doing in 2013). Their systems will already be able to shift to using your bioID scan instead of a card.

But mom & pop stores don’t have the money for such elaborate systems. They will need another way. When you walk in their door, they will need a down and dirty visible way to know you have the right to even shop there. You can imagine that in a world where many are not scanned into the system, there will be those who in desperation try to walk in and walk out with goods, knowing they haven’t been processed in a way that will allow that store to charge them properly. So, what can a small retailer do, other than use security cameras already in place now to somehow visually be able to tell that the person walking in has been properly registered to make these “cashless” purchases at their little store. That will require a visible mark.

At first, retailers will probably use a cheap hand-held scanner to scan your iris or hand at their counter as a transitional form of transaction until the government gets around to installing exit scanners at every establishment, so no one has to stop at a cashier counter again. Retailers, schools, government buildings and many employers with “metal detectors” at their doors are already prepared for this new technology. One small insert to the framework of those detectors, and their bioID reading system goes live. Even now, most retailers at least in America use scanning technology at their registers. With a simple software upgrade and slight tweaks to the laser sensitivities of the scanners, existing registers can be upgraded to scan the palm of your hand.

Years ago, I was part of a team that implemented scanning of UPC codes for the first time in a retail setting. Even then, in the training seminars I attended, the company was not shy in casting the vision for this very system that I am now describing. The timeline they gave us is even lining up precisely with the timing these things are coming through from our government. This has all been in the works for close to fifty years.

Why give you all this detail and backstory?

Because the Mark wasn’t social security numbers. The Mark wasn’t UPC codes. The Mark wasn’t price scanning. The Mark wasn’t magnetic strips. The Mark wasn’t RealID. The Mark wasn’t RFID security tags. The Mark wasn’t RFID chips. But all of that technology and our easy adoption of it has been leading up to what the Mark WILL be. We may go through a few more rounds of “this isn’t it” before we are truly faced with the Mark of the Beast, but I guarantee you that it will not look EXACTLY like anyone is expecting. You will NOT be faced with the decision to “follow God, or follow Satan.” It isn’t going to be that easy.

This is about money – and trust. Who do you trust? If your trust is in yourself and your ability to provide for your family…if your trust is in the government and their ability to keep you safe and look out for your wellbeing…if your trust is in your bank account or your ACCESS to your money…you are at risk.

The day is coming…VERY SOON…when you will be forced to make a choice. It won’t be an obvious choice. But you will have to choose to place your trust in money and government, or place your trust in God.

What do I mean by very soon?

Locked deep within the language for the new immigration bill is the requirement…the MANDATE…that in order to HAVE A JOB you must submit to an iris scan, fingerprinting or hand scan. Many companies already require fingerprinting, and some positions require an employee to be “bonded” which also takes a significant amount of personal data. Until now, none of this bio-data has been required by the government for any private sector jobs – but has been voluntarily implemented by employers.

That is the key. Just like with the health care bill, some form of this immigration bill will get passed, and soon. And just like the HCB, they will likely tell us “we have to pass it to know what’s in it” (-Nancy Pelosi). The HCB laid the groundwork for the national database, and provided funding for the human tagging initiative. What do they mean by that? We are still learning. But the immigration bill reveals another layer – with iris scans and hand scans.

We may not know what the Mark will EXACTLY look like, but we have clues as to how it will function, what it will provide access to, and most importantly, that it will not be voluntary. It will be required in order to transact purchases or sales. Access to money. Freedom to receive money and spend money. Your paycheck is a PAYMENT for a SERVICE rendered. If you can’t SELL your service, you can’t get PAID. If you can’t get paid, you can’t BUY things or PAY your bills.

All of this – while it is VOLUNTARY is not a threat. I hope that is clear. Technology alone cannot damn anyone to hell. It’s when our access to money and livelihood becomes restricted unless you submit to an invasive bio-technology because of a government REQUIREMENT…that it BECOMES the Mark.

This is about money – and the mandate. Don’t hold on to one idea so tightly that you allow yourself to be deceived with the masses when this thing happens.

Keep reading in Revelation – what is the consequence for ignorance and/or willful participation in this “Mark” program? Revelation 14:9-12 gives the complete picture, and ends with “here is the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and keep faith in Jesus.” It will require endurance, and we will have to focus on Jesus, and keep God’s commandments. “No other gods before Me” – the first commandment in Exodus 20:3. That means not money, or government, or self. Matthew 6:24 – “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.”

What is important to you? Where do you place your trust? Are you willing to make the impossible decision that is coming your way?

Some who read this will be irritated with me, and insist that Jesus will “catch up” his Bride, the Church before all of this comes to pass. I hope you’re right – because I’m ready to go, and I’d rather not have to deal with these things. But Scripture doesn’t support that thinking…so I am prepared to wait for Jesus through these things.

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus is giving the timeline for the very end days, and well before verse 30, when he explains the “catching up” or rapture, he sends the reader to Daniel to research about the “abomination that causes desolation.” If you follow Jesus’ own cross-reference, we find a few verses that deal with this abomination that causes desolation. The first is in Daniel 7:27, which explains the Anti-Christ/Lawless one/Beast/Desolator will make a covenant (treaty) and then break it, and that the treaty will pertain to the temple in Jerusalem and the right to perform sacrifices on it. Since we don’t yet have a third temple, and the Jews haven’t been able to perform daily sacrifices since the second temple was destroyed in 70ad, we are still waiting for this to be fulfilled.

This is why along with watching and researching bio-tech advancements, I also watch what’s going on in Israel and the Middle East - and I see, along with many who also watch, that the Jews are indeed ready to build their temple, and are practicing for the day when they can reinstate the daily sacrifices. Much is happening around the world in converging prophetic fulfillment so that all of these things will line up and fit together in that puzzle we’re working on understanding.

If you insert that Daniel passage into Jesus’ Matthew 24 teaching, it’s easy to understand that the Anti-Christ and his “abomination that causes desolation” will come before the rapture. Another passage that explains this is 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Don’t make the mistake of pulling just one or two verses out of this passage and holding on to them out of context. Read the entire chapter. The same can be said of 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and chapter 5. Read the whole passage. Don’t let yourself be deceived – there are MANY misdirections and half-truths as well as flat out lies floating around about where we are in God’s timeline and what is coming next.

This is happening in your lifetime. Face it – prepare for it – teach your children.

God WILL take care of ALL who choose Him.

The rest doom themselves to hell, no matter how they’ve spent their lives. This is the generation that will be required to CONFIRM our covenant with God by choosing Him instead of money.

“He who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:13.

Perverting the Bible, and Selling it to the Church

2013-02-17T01:02:00.002-06:00

Four years ago this month, I experienced God in a way that was so foreign to me, and so intense, that it left my body in shock, and my husband in awe. Just sitting in our family room late one night, I began to rant in what can only be described as a "download" with the words and emotion of God. We had been discussing the rise in popularity of a certain Bible version, after noticing an entire endcap of it in various colors and sizes at our local Christian bookstore earlier in the day, when all of a sudden, this fury welled up from the pit of my stomach and words began to flow from my mouth that I was not assembling. My hands gripped the chair arms and my gaze fixed on the window while my husband sat on the floor and listened in amazement.

For over twenty minutes, a steady, fluent stream of God's burning anger flowed from my lips, aimed directly at the many perversions of His Word that are being marketed to His Church. The main target was indeed the paraphrase that my husband and I had been discussing, because it has been widely accepted by leaders who should have known better, and heavily promoted by retailers who should be using better discernment as well.

God was angry that this perversion was created, that it was so easily accepted, and that so many were even preaching from it. He was deeply hurt that His shepherds and His sheep had allowed their discernment to become so worldly and broken that they couldn't see the damage this book was causing.

When the rant was over, my body literally went into shock. I was freezing, shaking, sweating, and hardly able to utter a sound through the chattering of my teeth. I rocked myself while wrapped in a few blankets while my husband tried to recount to me what had just happened, much of which I couldn't remember. I wish we had known to write it all down. It was a new experience for both of us, and we didn't know how important it is to write down or otherwise record when God speaks. You'd think we would have known that instinctively...but we just didn't.

In my inexperience, I thought God was trying to give me an assignment - to read through and categorize all the problems with this paraphrase for myself. Soon after I began that project, I realized it was far above my paygrade, and too overwhelming for me. I also realized that the work had already been done.

From time to time I've had the opportunity to tell my story, and to share the heart of God on this matter, but almost every time, I've been met with such unexpected defensiveness, you'd think I was confronting the author himself. It seems that once a person begins using this book, they become unusually attached to it, even in the face of the facts that I'm about to lay out that prove it is not only a perversion of God's Word, but is fraught with new age ideas and terminology that reduces God to one of many, strips Jesus of His deity, and removes all necessity for a personal decision to be born again.

I pray that you won't feign defensiveness over a book that you didn't write, and that you'll take heed to this warning and hear the heart of God.

Let's dig into this together, shall we? ...

The Message - a paraphrase, the words of one man, Eugene Peterson - has become wildly popular and has been more heavily promoted by Christian retailers than any other single Bible *version* to date. It's been over 10 years since it was first released, and is still given full page advertisements in direct mailers and entire three to four foot sections of shelf space. It has been quoted by nearly all the big names both from pulpits and in print. It has become so common, that it is regularly used in thousands upon thousands of churches and youth groups around the world. And yet, Eugene himself admits that he is uneasy about how it is used, and had this to say in an article in Christianity Today,

“	When I'm in a congregation where somebody uses [The Message] in the Scripture reading, it makes me a little uneasy. I would never recommend it be used as saying, "Hear the Word of God from The Message." But it surprises me how many do.

Why has it become so popular?

Another book came out in 2002, one that hit Christian churches with a whirlwind promotional campaign unlike anything they'd ever seen before. Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life launched with fervor, and 1,500 churches signed up to take on the 40 day challenge before the book was even officially released. Well over 30 million copies have been sold in over twenty languages worldwide. What's the connection? Rick Warren put The Message on the map in this book. He hand picked each verse from fifteen different Bible versions based on which one made his point the best. The Message paraphrase was included in that list, and just as it was finally available to purchase in its entirety, The Message got a profound sales pitch in the form of this endorsement by inclusion.

Immediately, people clamored to find The Message that they found so intriguing in The Purpose Driven Life. Peterson's publisher NavPress was ready to go, and from that moment on, has thrown ridiculous financial backing behind this book, ensuring that anyone can get one, anywhere, with any cover, in any size. The companion and spin-off products, including parallel Bibles sell like wildfire too. It's a regular cash cow.

Author Eugene Peterson has long been a recognized scholar and theologian, and he may very well have published this work without fully realizing what he had done. It's such a massive undertaking for one man, and took him over ten years to complete, so it's possible that he didn't grasp the full picture of what was happening as he published The Message in pieces from 1993 to 2002. Or, I may be giving him too much credit - only God knows. What I can say, is that one February night in 2009, God shared with me how not happy He is with this book, and how disappointed He is with those who don't see it for what it is.

With or without malice of forethought on Mr. Peterson's part, the book he penned is a fantastic tool for the enemy.

*Let me preface this next portion by saying that I am not a KJV-only purist, and the rant from the Lord was not a "KJV and no other" rant. It was specifically about perversions that manipulate the Word to suit the purpose of a group or individual, not against valid translations. I'm not interested in debating translations that have been tested and tried. This is about The Message paraphrase primarily, but also about books like the Queen James Bible, the Rainbow Bible, the Green Bible, etc. Books that have been altered to fit an agenda or tickle the ears of a group that refuses to accept the Bible's truth on topics that they have differing opinions about. That said, my own comparisons were done against the KJV and the NIV (not because I endorse or prefer the NIV, but because it is the #2 selling English translation) and the comparisons of others that I will be citing are against the KJV because some of the best Bible defenders are the KJV-only folks who really know their Word.*

The biggest word change that quickly strikes the reader is that Peterson simply doesn't use the word "Lord." To put it in perspective, the word "Lord" is used 6,781 times in the KJV and 6,712 times in the NIV, and only *71* times in The Message. Where this becomes a huge problem is in the New Testament, where Jesus is never once referred to with the title "Lord Jesus" or "Lord Jesus Christ," as afforded Him roughly one hundred times in other versions. Never before has any translation or paraphrase stripped Jesus of His title. One evaluator of The Message notes that Judas Iscariot is never recorded as calling Jesus "Lord" either. Instead, Matthew 26:25 says, "Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I?"

So what does The Message use instead? If Jesus is not Lord, then who is He? The Message also calls Jesus "Master" and never "Lord."

Why does this matter?

The connotation of Jesus as our Master, instead of our Lord seems subtle, but the New Age Movement (NAM), which has long been working to infiltrate the Christian Church, is built upon the concept of "masters." The NAM believes in the existence of "masters" who were either spirit beings or fortunate men more highly "evolved" than the rest of us. The NAM recognizes Jesus as one of these "masters" and refers to Him as such. The Message calls Jesus "Master" over 400 times and the New Age phrase "Master Jesus" appears 76 times. Remember, the words that save, "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" never appear once. The *only* other Bible where Jesus is referred to as "Master Jesus" is the New Age Bible titled The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The "master" for "Lord" switch in The Message also effects the phrase "Lord God," which in other versions occurs over 500 times, but in The Message, only nine. Hundreds of times, The Message replaces Lord with Master, applying this same New Age terminology to God Himself. "Master God."

The NAM refers to their "masters" as "divine guardians" and "custodians of the Divine Plan." The Message uses this language in Deuteronomy 32:8, saying, "He put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians."

The New Age Movement revolves around the concept of the "One." This theology stems from pantheism that teaches that God is all, and All is God, or "One." It rejects a personal, loving God, and instead defines God as an impersonal "Presence" or "One."

Pantheism is also related to the worship of Pan, which in mythology appears as a cloven-foot, half-man, half-goat satyr who plays hypnotic "pan pipes." When a New Ager talks about the One, he is talking about Pan - leaders have been quoted praying to invite "Pan" in, to accept him as the leader and guide for their lives, interchanging the word Pan for the One at random. Pan is the "One" of the New Age. The Satanic Bible includes Pan in its list of Infernal Names of Satan, hence, a pan-theist follows Satan.

The Message changes the personal pronouns such as he and him that reference Jesus and God, and nouns such as the Father, with the NAM pantheistic "One" over 100 times in the New Testament. Here are two verses that illustrate how this change effects the meaning of the Scripture:

"No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father..." John 6:46

"Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn't hesitate to treat them as family..." Hebrews 2:11

Taking the concept of the "One" a step further, The Message also uses the New Age term "oneness." The goal of the NAM is "oneness," to achieve or recognize unity with all beings, and with the One. The word "oneness" is not found in most dictionaries, and is not commonly found outside of New Age teachings. Yet, it shows up three times in The Message.

Another New Age word that appears in The Message and subtly, yet profoundly changes the meaning of a passage is in Song of Solomon 2:1 & 2 where the word lily is replaced with the word lotus. The NAM sees the Lotus as the god of the New Age. In the Book of the Dead, the god exclaims, "I am the pure lotus, emerging from the Luminous one (Lucifer)...I carry the messages of Horus. I am the pure lotus which comes from the Solar Fields."

By changing what traditionally reads "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys" to "I'm just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools," The Message completely changes the object of affection into a demonic perversion.

The New Age Journal published a book titled As Above, So Below. It says that the words "as above, so below" means that the two worlds are instantaneously seen to be one when we realize our essential unity with God...the One and the many, time and eternity are all One." The Message includes this overtly New Age phrase in nothing other than the Lord's Prayer. In Matthew 6:10, what should read "They will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," The Message reads "Do what's best - as above, so below."

One of the strangest word choices in The Message occurs in Romans 15:13 - "Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy..." but where did this idea of "green hope" come from? This comes from the ancient druids, and has been brought into modern times by the Freemasons. The publication Talks on Freemasonry states, "Green was, with the Druids, a symbol of hope and the virtue of hope with a Freemason illustrates the hope of immortality." The words "green hope" are a popular unifying cry of the New Age radical environmental movement, or Gaia worship of Mother Earth. Just a strange throw-in to find in The Message.

The New Age mess in The Message is just the beginning, and although it may be the largest problem, there is another issue that carries throughout that is easier to spot, and greatly upsetting. Psalm 119:140 says "They word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." The Message however, is anything but pure. The word "sex" appears in The Message 199 times. In the KJV, the word is not used. In the NIV, it appears twice. Other crude references cheapen the integrity of God's Word and turn it in to something easily mocked, especially when read out loud to youth groups that already struggle with the over-sexualization of our kids.

Other verses that cause a snicker and lead to the mocking of the Bible are 2 Kings 18:27 which you can look up for yourself, kegs of beer mentioned in Isaiah 22:13, and seven uses of the word "barbecue."

____________

If you've read this far, you see now how word choices have perverted The Message, but I need to share with you the most profound problem.

If you've ever witnessed using the "Romans Road" verses, I challenge you to read these verses in The Message and honestly discern if a sinner would see their need for salvation and feel convicted of their sin?

The Message - Romans 3:10
"There’s nobody living right, not even one,
nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God."

KJV - Romans 3:10

"As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one."

The Message - Romans 3:23-24
"For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ."

KJV - Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

The Message - Romans 5:8 "But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." KJV - Romans 5:8
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

The Message - Romans 5:12

"You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death."

KJV - Romans 5:12

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

The Message - Romans 6:23
"Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master."
KJV - Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

The Message - Romans 10:9-10
"Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!”

KJV - Romans 10:9-11

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

The Message - Romans 10:13
"Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”

KJV - Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

_______

Another word not used much in The Message - "repent." Found only 11 times, as opposed to 43 times in the KJV, the word "repent" was the central theme of Jesus's ministry on earth.

I hope that this *too long to be a real blog* post has shed light on the Mess that is The Message, and that you will reconsider using or endorsing it.

I'd like to thank Dial-the Truth Ministries for their work to expose The Message, and other heresies that are invading the Church today.

Broken discernment, hidden knowledge, and the original sin - Be alert!

2013-01-03T23:14:00.000-06:00

The enemy is like a roaring lion, friends. He seeks YOU. To devour YOU. If you are not wise to his game, he will disable you, disarm you, and isolate you so that you are no longer a threat to him. You might think you are on the right track - but end up seeking God so hard that you fall into the traps set for you of religious zeal and absolutism, man's theology, compromise, pride, and division.

What was the original sin? At it's core, Eve wanted hidden knowledge. If you are chasing deeper knowledge than what God has revealed to you in His word - on your own with Him - and you are spending more time googling and researching than you are in the Word, you are at HIGH RISK of falling into a trap. Accept that there are things you just don't need to know before the enemy's foothold in your life becomes the very passion you have for God. How very sad of a way to fall.

Don't go looking for a "better way to pray" or a more "proper name" or any of these rabbit trails. They all lead to deception. Trust God that the BIBLE we have is enough, and it is what HE ordained for us to have.

I've been there, I know. My discernment was once broken too (I still have to be cautious) - and I believed lies crafted by men because they were skilled at spinning the Word, but the enemy knows the Bible better than you or I EVER will. We have to keep our noses in the right book.

Don't get me wrong, I love to research, and I love to know the roots and origins of everything that I can - but there is always balance to be found - and many of us are not mature enough in our faith to know how to maintain that balance. It's a struggle I've faced since I fully submitted to God, to rein myself in when I run ahead of Him or to know when He is telling me to stop digging and trust Him. It's also important to look at both sides of any idea, movement, etc.

If you're determined to dig deeper and research extra-biblical theologies and movements, be sure at least to read and watch background materials that both persuade and warn - because for pretty much everything you can find both sides out there, and if you give honest time to both, you will have a better foundation for your discernment to function.

Even the greats fall. Henri Nowen was an amazing man of God, intercessor, prolific writer...but his quest to find the better way to pray led him to transcendental meditation and he began consorting with demons - not even able to recognize his peril - because his drive for hidden knowledge became more important than his actual relationship with God.

Other great men of God have fallen prey to schemes of the enemy and become cult leaders and led countless believers astray. It happens, friends - and we must be always on our guard.

Be alert! Your discernment may not be as fine tuned as you expect it to be, and it may even be compromised.

Paved, Widened, and Fenced - The Erosion of the Narrow Path

2012-11-15T10:18:00.000-06:00

One of the hallmarks of the Emergent Church movement is making the Gospel message easy to digest…palatable…non-confrontational. The idea is to make the conversation easy for both the believer and the unbeliever, and to reduce feelings of being judged or convicted, which are uncomfortable and tend to repel many unbelievers. This effort to pave the narrow path (Matt. 7:13-14) to make traveling along it smoother serves only to put new believers at grave risk of becoming like the seeds on the road in Jesus’ parable – eaten by the birds and not able to take root. (Matt. 13:4, 13:19)

Some emergent leaders have gone so far as to attempt to rewrite the Gospel to widen the road to salvation, making it less about a personal choice and spiritual discipline and more about an existential good vs. evil, heaven vs. hell debate that goes on without our participation. In their view, hell itself becomes eradicated in the light of their unbalanced and improper understanding of the nature of God. (eg. Love Wins, by Rob Bell)

This wide and paved approach to witnessing might seem apropos in our politically correct era, but it is contrary to Jesus’ model of teaching, and yields dangerously false results. As we read the Gospels, we are faced time and again with Jesus’ cryptic and often abrupt way of speaking. He explained more than once that the reason He told parables was to purposely disguise the truth so that only those who are meant to understand will grasp it. (Matt. 13:10-17) On one occasion at least, he was so grotesquely candid that many people left not only disheartened, but disgusted! (John 6:47-66) Jesus wasn’t interested in making His message easy to digest. He was interested in sifting out those who would be dedicated disciples. He was fully aware that only God can give people ears to hear, and remove the blinders so someone can come to faith. Jesus is still sifting the Church, separating those who are dedicated followers (sheep) from those who are not (goats). (Ezekiel 34:17, Matthew 25:32-33)

We can’t smooth talk a person into faith. If they are going to come to repentance, they will come to repentance even if we blunder and stutter our way through the message. Even if we offend them and even if our own testimony is tarnished. If God is ready to reveal Himself to them, if He’s ready to soften their heart, He will. (John 6:44, Romans 9:18)

It’s a mystery why some people choose Jesus, and others reject Him. You may ask, “If God doesn’t want anyone to perish, why not soften everyone’s heart and call them all?” Who’s to say that He doesn’t? Even once a person is at the point of salvation…the moment of decision…even if God has allowed them to hear and understand the Truth…they still have Free Will. They can still CHOOSE to reject Him. And many do. Arguably most do. (Matthew 13:14-15)

On the flip side, many conservative churches have lost sight of the truth that Free Will is not sealed or frozen at the moment a person chooses to accept Jesus as savior. The Bible is filled with cautions to remain close to Jesus, to be obedient, to love others, to guard our doctrine, to stand firm to the end, and to resist the devil. Jesus’ parable about the vine and the branches being cut off for bearing bad fruit is one powerful example of what is possible even after a person becomes a believer. (Matthew 7:16-20, Romans 11:19-23) Even more poignant is the parable of the fig tree that doesn’t produce fruit. (Luke 13:6-9) Churches that preach a guarantee of salvation or “once saved, always saved” doctrine are effectively erecting fences along the narrow path that Jesus asks us to walk with Him.

We must stay close to Jesus, study the Word of God, and test ourselves that we remain in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5) We must constantly monitor our own personal fruit for ripeness and quality. God will call us, He will relentlessly pursue us, but we must respond, and we must participate in the relationship.

Jesus made it as difficult as possible for people to follow Him. Simple, but difficult. His path is narrow. For churches to strive to pave that path, to widen it, or to put fences along it is outside their jurisdiction. Watch out for such churches, because any wide path, any easy path, and any guaranteed path to salvation is a deception of the enemy, not the Truth we read in the Bible. (Galatians 1:6-9)

***I'm sorry I didn't link to all the Scripture references above - I hope you'll break out your own Word and look them up. If you don't have a Bible or don't know where to find things...visit www.biblegateway.com and type in each reference.***

Purging and Purity in the Body of Christ...Just the Word.

2012-11-07T16:39:00.004-06:00

The Church is in a mess. We have allowed sin to become acceptable in our midst. How did this happen, and what is the result? What can we do now?

"There is ... immorality among you, and the kind of ... immorality that is not even condoned among [unbelievers] ... And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from among you.

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, along with my spirit and the power of our Lord Jesus, turn that [immoral brother] over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough?

For what is it to me to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? But God judges outsiders. Put away the evil person from among yourselves." - 1 Corinthians 5:1-6 & 12,13

"Do not be deceived, 'Bad company corrupts good morals.' Become right-minded and stop sinning, because some people are ignorant about God." - 1 Corinthians 15:33 & 34

"You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who called you. A little yeast levens the whole lump of dough.

For you are called to freedom brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance - as I told you before - that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:7-9, 13-21

"For the grace of God has appeared, with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works.

Say these things, and encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you" - Titus 2:11-15

Is your discernment broken? The Key to your Spiritual Gifts

2012-11-02T00:22:00.000-05:00

I had a personal revelation a while ago that rocked me to my core. I've been a believer, walking with the Lord for many years, and I thought I had a handle on Scripture well enough to know when it was being perverted or mishandled, and well enough to use it to instruct, encourage etc. But I was made painfully aware that my discernment was broken. I had been using a faulty filter, measuring with a crooked stick, viewing through scratched lenses.

It took months of Biblical study - therapy, really - to begin to sort myself back out. I had been under the influence of a religious spirit, and my understanding of scripture was more Pharisaical than I care to admit even now.

How did this happen? I now understand it was a combination of problems. First, I had been raised in a religious world, and had been trained in religious ways. But the blame can't be placed elsewhere. I was living a lukewarm life, talking the good talk, but not walking it. I was pointing out specks all over the place and blinded by planks in my own eyes.

In the preface to Paul's first introduction of spiritual gifts, he gives the keys to the proper wielding of them. I had failed to follow the instructions, and was clumsily trying to use my gifts, like discernment, without the proper footing.

Romans 12:1&2 - "Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."

Family, we must heed this instruction in order to make best use of our spiritual gifts. If we don't, we risk causing damage to ourselves and others because of our sin and lack of focus. God has given believers very powerful tools. There are rules to using them. They will not function properly if we don't follow these rules.

We must keep ourselves pure, and we must be separate from the world, and constantly renewing our minds with the Word of God. SO THAT we may DISCERN...the thing we all seek to know and put into action in our lives...the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - "For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war in an fleshly way,since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ."

We are in a spiritual battle, we aren't immune to the enemy just because we are saved! No - if we are making Kingdom impact, we are TARGETS for the enemy...and we must know how to resist him. Keeping control of our thoughts is KEY. Notice in the 2 Corinthians passage that the weapons God gives us are powerful as I said earlier. We must be careful to keep our minds pure so we can use those weapons appropriately and effectively.

Renewing our mind is a constant process that requires discipline. If we are to do battle in our minds against anything that goes against the knowledge of God, it's going to take effort! We must strive to set ourselves apart. We need to pass everything through the filter of Scripture, so that we give ourselves every advantage for success.

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things."

It should go without saying, but it doesn't, that the bulk of our media options don't fit this filter. What you watch on tv, movies, the kinds of video games you play and books you read - I challenge you to use the Philippians 4:8 filter for all of these things. Not only for you, but for your children especially. It won't be easy, but God is faithful, and while we are striving to be obedient, He gives us the strength to overcome our fleshly wills. It's discipline - is it enjoyable? Of course not. Is it beneficial? 100%.

Like any parent understands, it's best if we learn self-discipline on our own rather than require outside assistance. God will discipline those He loves - but isn't it better to learn the lesson before then and spare ourselves?

If you want to be effective and to have full use and understanding of your Spiritual Gifts - first get your house in order - your temple, your heart & mind. When you are functioning in obedience, practicing spiritual discipline, studying and immersing yourself in Scripture and not just listening to sermons passively...then God will begin to open your eyes to the real power and authority you have through Christ Jesus, and you will begin to have Kingdom impact like you can't imagine.

If you practice this kind of discipline and are effective in the Kingdom, then it will be much harder for the enemy to deceive you with a religious spirit, or any other scheme for that matter. Your discernment will be functioning properly and you will recognize danger signs and God will tell you whether to confront it or run. You will be prepared to help others be set free as well.

Bigger issues of Unbelief…yes, even in the Church.

2012-09-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

If we’re going to talk about unbelief in a real way, we need to address a few topics that you might not suspect are even an issue. It’s more common than you think for people in the church to be serving, giving, participating…and not really believing at all.

Don’t make the assumption that everyone in your church is already born-again. Actually, there are likely to be many who are not. The pastor who skips giving a salvation message because he looks out and only sees the “regulars” is doing his church a great disservice. People come to church for all kinds of reasons. Many are seeking, many want the community interaction, and even more think they’ve got their “Jesus Card” when in fact, they may be on their way to hell. The first unbelief to get real about in the Church is the basic faith in God, the acceptance of Jesus as savior.

I’ve seen this many times, and most heartbreaking is the faithful servant whose life has become so self-focused and cynical that they begin to doubt the entire concept of faith, and God Himself. Keep your eyes open for wounded warriors, saints who are weary and discouraged. When you can come alongside these children of God and prop them up, minister to them and help them get out of the cloud of doubt and disillusionment the enemy wraps them in, the Bible has a special blessing for you – James 5:19-20.

The second and more common unbelief in the Church is in the Bible itself. Barna research turned up this startling statistic - 21% of self-professing born again Christians don’t believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Does that surprise you? I’ve heard so many arguments from Christians on this issue. Many bring it down to the fallacy of people, translators, and versions but they don’t accept that their unbelief or distrust of the Bible as we have it today undermines their faith at the core. We must trust God – that He would preserve His word for us.

Yes, there are perverted paraphrases and versions out there, and we must be discerning consumers. But, there are trusted versions that we can and must stand on. Yes, there are remnant scraps being translated and distributed from the Dead Sea Scrolls that present various challenges, yes, there are non-canon books, and yes, the Catholic Church made decisions that some people take issue with, but again – we must trust God, that what we have is what we need and is enough to sustain us until Jesus’ return. He is sovereign, He knew what would be included in our scriptures, He approved and ordained it. 2 Timothy 3:16.

Most importantly, we need to understand that to reject the authority of the Bible is to reject Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.” John 1:14. “He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God.” Revelation 19:13.

Unbelief at this level really is about salvation. Our churches are full of people who are on the road to death because of this kind of unbelief, and we need to be addressing it. If you are one who struggles with these core issues, it is my prayer that you will be brave and seek counsel from a trusted pastor or elder. Be brutally honest about your faith crisis so they can come along side you and help you with your unbelief. It’s not God’s will that any should perish, and if you are already in the church, your leadership must answer to God for you if you are lost. Hebrews 13:17, 2 Corinthians 13:7

Confronting unbelief – face it now and be prepared to stand firm

2012-09-29T15:58:00.001-05:00

The believer who confronts unbelief in his/her life is often faced with a larger task than expected. We define ourselves by the very word we have to defend in our own hearts, and acknowledging our lack in this area can send us into a spiritual despair. Don’t let the enemy do that to you. You can confront unbelief and overcome it without being crushed by the weight of it. When I faced my unbelief for the first time, I withdrew and allowed the enemy to cause me to question my salvation, but I’m here to tell you that if you are a Christian, confronting your unbelief is not necessarily about your salvation.

I will also tell you that it is vital to your Christian walk to deal with your unbelief and repent. I will go so far as to say that repentance is vital to your salvation, in all things, not just unbelief – so in that regard, it can *become* a salvation issue, but the fact that you are willing to face it, own up to it, and repent proves that the enemy is wrong in any accusation he may bring against you.

Unbelief is sneaky. Even spiritual giants battle with it. Intercessors who believe for supernatural healings and believe for revival in their cities can struggle to believe that God will help them find their keys or bring an escaped housecat back home. Pastors can lovingly shepherd hundreds of people and pray for their marriages, their finances, their health, their spiritual growth, all the while suffering with financial and health issues of their own. Unbelief is pervasive in the Body of Christ and it’s time we shine light on it and deal with it openly together. We believe in the big stuff – and we can put on a good show believing on behalf of others, but it’s time to get real.

I made a list. One side for the things I easily believe in and for, like God, Jesus, the Bible, Creation, God’s love for me, and one side for things over which I battle unbelief like personal healing, finances, certain relationships, and a score of little things. I use it to remind myself that if I can believe in the big things, I can also believe for the small things. If I believe He heals the sick, I can believe He will heal me when I’m sick. You may discover what I did, that unbelief is often at the personal level, which makes it harder to overcome, yet more important. We need to have full confidence in God’s Word as it applies to every aspect of our personal lives and situations in order to walk confidently in His love, power and authority.

Confronting unbelief will become even more important in the times to come. We must deal with this now, because a time will come when we will be faced with outrageous situations that will test us beyond what we can imagine. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:13 – “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” In order to stand firm, we must not hold on to unbelief. We must be prepared so we can stand.

Believers don't have this problem, do they? That can't be right.

2012-09-27T18:42:00.002-05:00

Is it possible for a Christian to suffer from unbelief? It sounds like an oxymoron. An unbelieving believer seems as ridiculous and self-cancelling as jumbo shrimp and government organization, yet, Mark 9:14-29 illustrates how unbelief can undermine the power and effectiveness of believers. Dell Tacket opens the Truth Project with the classic question, "do you believe that what you believe is really real?" Most of us, upon a thorough examination of our hearts, would have to answer no. We want to believe with that kind of whole-hearted faith, but we struggle with unbelief.

How do we know we struggle? Because if we didn't struggle with unbelief, we would be unstoppable. Unbelief hinders us on every front. How many times do we say things like, "I don't believe it," "I doubt that will happen," "Unbelievable!" Our vocabulary alone proves the point. Yet, Jesus tells us "EVERYTHING is possible to the one who believes." (Mark 9:23)

Jesus' disciples failed to drive out a demon because of unbelief combined with a lack of preparation. Our unbelief will cause us to be unprepared. If we don't believe that we can overcome, that we have authority in Christ, that we are able to move mountains, then we won't invest the time in prayer and fasting that it takes to be truly on the same page with God so that we have full access to His power and authority.

When we pray from a position of unbelief, what do we expect to happen? What does Scripture tell us we can expect? Look up James 1:6-8. Woah. When I first came across these verses they knocked me flat out. I felt conviction like never before. I realized that I was guilty of unbelief, and I was that unstable man - double-minded! No wonder my prayer life was dry!

Don't worry - there's a solution here. We must repent of our unbelief, root it out from every corner of our hearts and minds where we harbor it - and lay it down in surrender. Then we must walk forward in full confidence - full belief - and ask God to increase our faith so that we don't fall back into our old ways. Mark 9:24, the father says, "I do believe! Help my unbelief." We can pray this prayer and God will help us.

The Bible is complete in its motivation and resolve about this topic. We can read about rewards for our belief and consequences if we hold on to our unbelief. It is my prayer that you will deal with your unbelief today so that you will walk with confidence and fulfill the ministry that God has called you to with all power and authority.

Shirt-basket and then what?

2012-09-17T22:57:00.002-05:00

Like any responsible driver, my gaze was scanning the fence-line along the rural road. In the early morning mist, it would be easy to overlook a deer that might be darting out in front of my old Dodge Aries K. I've had nicer cars, but that smooth riding blue gas guzzler had the coldest air and most comfortable seats of any vehicle I've ever owned, and I wasn't about to hit a deer and damage it. Sure enough, there was something stirring on the shoulder up ahead, so I slowed. Curious, I chuckled to myself, that chicken was about to cross the road. Then another one, and another dotted the roadside. Crawling now, with the mist slowly rolling out, I saw ten or twenty chickens moseying along up ahead, all over the parkway. Chubby, cream colored chickens. As I carefully made my way past them, I couldn't help but wonder which of the nearby farmhouses were missing their flock. Was it called a flock? Or a gaggle? Someone would be looking for these little mamas soon I was sure. Just a few hundred feet further down the road, and I brought my V6 boat to a screeching halt. I had crested a slight hill where the mist had already receded, and it was covered with chicks. There was no maneuvering around them, they littered the entire roadway like a herd of Tribbles. Or was it called a murder of Tribbles? Still no farmers in sight looking for their lost poultry, and I had an appointment to keep. I pulled up the corners of my shirt to fashion a shirt-basket and began collecting the sweet chicks. Pile after pile I emptied close to the fence and away from the road, but there were so many. With a full shirt-basket, I stood and surveyed the scope of the task, and wondered...what am I supposed to do with all these chicks? Where did they come from? Why isn't anyone looking for them?

And then I woke up. I don't often have prophetic dreams, nor do I often remember my dreams once my eyes are fully focused in the morning. This one I can still smell.

I can't help but reflect on this dream and remember Jesus' words in Matthew 23:37-39. I've been praying for Israel and Jerusalem, that God's plan will unfold and I wait expectantly for revival in that land. I've been praying for Benjamin Netanyahu as he navigates his nation through the most uncertain times since its rebirth in 1948. Jesus' lament over Jerusalem shows his great love for his people, and prophesies to them that they will never see him again until they say "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." I pray that Israel's leaders will recognize Yeshua and that the people will finally say "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

How fitting that this dream would come at Rosh Hashana, in the midst of the turmoil that completely surrounds Israel right now. It's the beginning of God's new year, when He's always ready to begin a new work, and at least for me, He's turning my attention to a more personal connection with Israel. It's not like I didn't see it coming. As a forerunner, I always have an eye on Israel and the Middle East, and less than two months ago, God moved our family into the middle of a Jewish neighborhood. A few weeks ago at church, prophet Hector Santos stared straight into me and I knew I was being called to minister in Israel. As he asked for the third time..."who is called to go to Israel?" I finally stood, not understanding, not even fully hearing that call. Even as I type this out, I know God has brought me understanding of my dream, and confirmation of this new calling. It's time to be the arms of Jesus, to gather his children, "as a hen gathers her chicks" and prepare for His return.

It may be months before I'm able to physically go to Israel, but I am already praying for God to prepare the way, and prepare the hearts of those I will have the privilege to serve. I praise Him for planting me right where I can learn how to share Yeshua with them, and reach out to my neighbors before ever leaving American soil. Pray for me to have boldness and opportunities.

How many theologians does it take to miss the point?

2012-09-11T11:00:00.004-05:00

Before Jesus was born, the Church of that day was waiting for a messiah. They had prophecies from hundreds of years prior that told them of a savior, and they were faithfully waiting. The scribes and the pharisees were the theologians and great religious figures of their day. If anyone was going to know when the messiah came, it was going to be them. They were watching intently, and weren't about to miss it.

And then they did.

That same lineage is still waiting for the messiah to come the first time. Not only did they miss his coming, but they put him to death. Jesus was so frustrated with those religious leaders that he raked them over the coals in Matthew 23 with seven woes, and things never did change. Religious leaders throughout the last 2,000 years have continued to get it wrong and miss the point entirely.

You can't rely on theologians, professors or pastors to teach you what you need to know about Scripture. (Galatians 1:12) You absolutely must read it for yourself, and consult the Holy Spirit for instruction and understanding. Someone who is caught up in religion cannot be trusted to teach properly on Scripture, because the religious resist the Holy Spirit, so they can't be instructed by Him. (Acts 7:51) *Understand that I am using the word religious to describe those who appear to know the Lord, but in reality have only an intellectual knowledge. Their fruits will not be good fruits. Often, religious people are afflicted with oppressive spirits and are either slaves to legalism or grace abusers, and are more prepared to defend their ideologies than their faith.*

A pastor has to answer to God for the spiritual upbringing of his congregation, but only his part in it. We each have individual responsibility to read the Bible and ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding for ourselves. If we don't know the Bible, how will we know if our pastor is leading us astray? The same is true for books, films, Bible study courses, college classes - you name it - you are responsible to be able to sniff out the false doctrine. Jesus tells us it is coming, and he warns us to be careful that we are not deceived. (Matt 24:4) (Acts 20:28-31)

Many are deceived, especially as it pertains to what the Bible says about the end times. Many choose to believe the lies knowingly, because it's more comfortable than the truth, or because they comfortable in their church and don't want to leave or call anyone out.

It's been easy to deceive many - because prophecy really only makes sense in retrospect. Until it is fulfilled, all we can do is speculate and project what it may mean. God did that on purpose, because if we could accurately see everything in His plan, so could the enemy. It is hidden so that it CAN be fulfilled.

For watchmen, speculating is less conjecture than working on a puzzle without the box lid. Some of the picture will begin to fill in because the pieces just make sense, and as more prophecy is fulfilled, the fewer pieces are left to put in place. The picture becomes clearer even with a few missing. The pieces of the puzzle are prophecies from Scripture, historical facts and current events news. Most Christians are not watchmen, and have no time or patience for such puzzles, and that's why God gave us Jesus's sermon - the second sermon on the Mount of Olives. (Matt 24 & 25)

I hope that this blog will help to point you in the direction of Truth, and that through examining Jesus's instruction about "the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age" (Matt 24:3), you will come to an understanding that is grounded and you will be prepared to face the immediate future with confidence. I also hope that what you discover will inspire you to speak with boldness so that others might hear as well.

Romans 13:11 & 12 - "Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

It's time for the Church to wake up. Jesus is returning for His bride, and she's not nearly ready. Let's not be caught like the Pharisees, watching, but not seeing. Waiting, but not receiving.

Why the focus on Jesus when end times prophecy is all over the Bible?

2012-09-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

Anyone seeking clues as to what's going on in the world can look at any number of passages in any number of books of the Bible to read about end times prophecy, and it's all good stuff. You can read Daniel, Zechariah, Joel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and of course, Revelation. There's no shortage of prophecy and clues to be pulled together from Scripture, but for the busy Christian living life today, it takes too much time to analyze the news, compare it to these various references, consult experts, etc.

The good news is, that's ok. Most of us want a "nutshell" version to stick in our pocket and just reference as needed. We don't need details, we just need the truth laid out plain and simple in a chapter or two. One spot. God in His infinite wisdom planned ahead for us. We have a nutshell that we can rely on without getting caught up in speculating which horn is the third one, and who is the rider on the red horse.

If you've been following this blog, a few entries ago there was homework. Matthew 24 & 25. If you haven't read those two chapters recently, please STOP here and go read them. *Then come back.*

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You done? If you want, go back and highlight each time Jesus uses the word "then." He's putting a timeline together - with an order. Nothing will happen in a different order than Jesus gives us here.

How about that? Did you find the nutshell you've been looking for? (even if it's not a comfortable one) Jesus is so clear in his reply to the disciples. He lays it all out for us so plainly, there should be no confusion. Don't get caught up in other folks who pull one verse from here and another from there to try to prove a point that makes them feel better. Jesus gives us the exact plan and order so we know what to expect, and then he gives us parables to tell us what to do in this time.

Jesus was speaking frankly with his beloveds. He used no flowery language or heavenly illustrations. We can jump to other places he references so we understand better, but we don't have to. It's all there. (We will in other posts on this blog, however, if you'd like to follow and dig deeper together)

Get intimately familiar with Matthew 24 & 25. It's the nutshell you're going to need. Share it with people you love. It's life saving.

Why should we focus so narrowly on Jesus when end times prophecy is all over the Bible? In the interest of time and sanity for the busy believer - if being a Watchman is just not your calling - then heed the quintessential call to endurance in Hebrews 12:1&2 and "look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Let Jesus give you peace and understanding for your family in these uncertain times.

**There are many views about the end times, the rapture, the second coming, the tribulation, etc. Any view that contradicts Jesus's words can't be valid. That there are views that do contradict doesn't mean that the Bible contradicts itself, it means that theologians over the millennia have taken verses out of context to agree with their personal opinions, or their perspective. Prophecy only really makes sense in retrospect - because it's not meant to be an actual roadmap. The angels tell many of the prophets to "seal these words/this vision up" and things are hidden from us. Such is the nature of prophecy. But Jesus wasn't really in that same mode in Matthew 24. He was being very matter of fact and simple with the disciples. It was the last message he delivered to them before the Last Supper. It was of the utmost importance.**

So do you think Noah knew?

2012-09-01T01:55:00.001-05:00

Put yourself in Noah's shoes for a moment. One day out of the clear blue, while you're going about your business, God tells you he's fed up with the wickedness of mankind, so he's going to destroy the earth (all except you and your family) but you need to take on the largest building project ever attempted. God gives you every schematic, every tool, every supply to build this freighter, and he tells you he's going to bring two of every kind of animal to you before he floods the planet.

As Noah and his sons began to build the ark, I don't imagine that they were panicked about the flood coming. They trusted that God would wait until they were done. Now, when they were done, and the animals were showing up, I imagine they began to get antsy. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the "end" was near. Still, they waited to go in until God told them to in Gen 7:1. Once Noah, the whole family, all the animals, food and supplies were safely aboard, God shut them in with his own hand. Gen 7:16.

Once that door shut - there was no going back, no delaying, and no freeloaders allowed. Noah knew at that moment, the "end" was here. But - the ark still sat there on the ground, and people still went about their business. It may have started raining that day, but the entire cataclysmic event played out over one hundred and fifty days. The "end" was a process. but God shut that ark door on one day.

In Matthew 24:37, Jesus uses interesting words. He says "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." There are many layers we can peel back here, starting with the obvious - in Noah's day, mankind was wicked beyond hope for rescue - but another layer is Noah's personal experience itself.

Did Noah know when the "end" would come? Many would say no, and maybe for a long time he didn't even have an idea. Building the ark took a long time, and there was no way for him to know, nor was there a need for him to know the deadline - he just had to be obedient and get it done. But the day God told him to get in with his family...he knew it was close. And the day God sealed up the door...he knew it was really close. He didn't need to know the details, he just needed to obey.

The end is coming, friend. It's ark-building time right now. How has God asked you to prepare? If you are part of the Body of Christ, you have a job on the construction team. Where are you called to serve? Are you serving?

Has God given you a vision for something specific? I hope you'll share it, and begin to walk forward no matter how outside the box God's vision may be. The ark was a wild idea. Absolutely nobody on the face of the earth was willing to help Noah and his sons fulfill the vision God gave them. Yet they obeyed, and mankind was saved.

What if you are Noah? You may not know when Jesus will return - and "shut the door" so to speak. You don't need to know. Your job, my job, is to be obedient and build this ark. Because the door will shut when the ark is ready. Either we're busy preparing it, or we get left out of it. Period.

What if he had decided to get in the ark after taking a little vacation? What if he got the work done, but fell asleep and didn't wake up for a week? God told him to get in the ark, and he got in the ark. The door shut. Noah had to be obedient all the way to the last moment.

Jesus tells us the same thing. Matthew 24:13 - "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Are you remaining obedient and submitted to God's plan for your life? Are you ready to stand firm on that plan to the end? It's about to get crazy. Stay focused on Jesus and "after you have done everything, stand." Ephesians 6:13.

Salvation is not found in the Jesus Card you got at VBS thirty years ago. Salvation is found in obedience, standing firm with the Lord to the end. Noah could have done it all - and went on one last bender and been locked out with the rest of the heathens. Praise God for one righteous man who obeyed to the end so mankind could be saved.

Sound like another parallel? Praise God that Jesus obeyed to the end - so mankind could be redeemed! Jesus himself had to submit to the point of death. He died to defeat death once and for all, by rising again. He is the living savior, he did not rot on the cross, or wither away in a tomb. Jesus tells us we will do even greater things than he did - but the greatest thing he did was to die and rise again. Are you prepared to look death in the face and stand firm?

Don't get distracted with worldly things, or religious things, or political things. You've got a job to do. Stay focused, share the Gospel, and encourage each other - "all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Guess what? The DAY is approaching! Like Anne Graham Lotz says, "Either I'll see Jesus when I die, or I'll see Jesus in the sky, but one way or another, I'm about to see Jesus face to face, and I better stay ready."

When will Jesus return?

2012-08-31T01:56:00.001-05:00

There's simply no denying that we are in the end of the end days. Prophecy is unfolding by the minute, politics are a three ring circus, and society's debauchery competition is in full swing. Christians who have even one clue about current events suspect that the end is near. Does that frighten you?

Many teachers and theologians have for the last 500 years tried to sell the Church a bill of goods that is unscriptural when it comes to these last days. Most believers agree that the Bible gives us hope that Jesus will "rapture" us, catch us up in the sky, remove us before destroying the earth. There are many points to debate and discuss when it comes to end times studies or "Eschatology," but the timing of the rapture as it has been prophesied is one issue that should be easy to agree upon. Unfortunately, a huge number of leaders have ignored Scripture, taken it out of context (what I call cherry picking) and have lied to generation upon generation of believers.

What is that lie?

That the rapture will take place before "anything bad" happens - or the Tribulation begins - or the anti-christ is revealed - or the Mark of the Beast is mandated - or food and fuel prices go sky high...

A major portion of believers today seriously don't study Revelation or end times prophecy at all, because they have been told it does not apply to them, they will be "gone by then." Not only is this faulty theology, it's flat out fabrication, conjecture, and lies. Leaders who give false comfort and don't educate their flocks will answer to God, and believers who remain under this false teaching once they've read the Truth for themselves in God's Word will find it an oppressive environment and their eyes will be opened to the deadness of that house.

This is very simple. You don't even have to crack Revelation to learn the Truth, and it's so important that you understand it, that in most Bibles, it's even typed out in red. Turn to Matthew chapter 24. Jesus is fresh off an epic rant cursing the religious leaders in the house of God. His pulse was probably still racing, his eyes red with the tears of fury and grief. He had just laid down heavy words of prophecy about not only the leaders but all the Jews living at that time. His disciples weren't even phased...they wanted to chat about the architecture. Those guys were real goofs until the Holy Spirit got a hold of them.

But they asked Jesus a question later that day, and Jesus started talking...and didn't stop for two chapters. One question...LONG answer. This was one of the last conversations Jesus had with them, the last recorded in Matthew before the Last Supper and his betrayal. He knew what was happening. He knew his time with them was ending - and he had very important information to leave with them.

Matthew 24 & 25 answer the question "When will this happen, and WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING AND OF THE END OF THE AGE?"

Psst...hey...theologians...take out your highlighter!

Homework - Read Matthew 24 & 25 together. Read them twice. Read them out loud. If you have any "AHA" moments, please leave a comment here. I'll come back another day and break them down in another post, but you shouldn't need me. Jesus is very clear.

Distraction, Discouragement, Denial

2012-01-16T02:05:00.000-06:00

Five years I've neglected this blog, and not because I had nothing to say. The enemy has many tools (schemes, the Bible calls them) and we are supposed to be aware and prepared to overcome them at every turn. Alas, we often succumb.

Five years ago I became pregnant with my youngest son and "baby brain" took me over for the better part of two years. Distraction.

In 2009, God very clearly called me to action, but I was in a new state, new church, new life, unsure of how to proceed, with no mentors in sight. Instead of getting busy, I shut down. Discouragement.

By 2011 I was knee deep in ministry busy-work spinning on the man-pleasing wheel of religion and I didn't even realize it. The very thing I rail against, I had fallen victim to. Denial.

Praise God that in September 2011, He shook our world and brought us back into order. Of course, that meant leaving the lives we had created, leaving our church, our friends, our jobs. We were snapped awake as if from hypnosis. God provided teachers and mentors even in our solitude. He has been our provider, healer, protector, comfort - in tangible ways. He has revealed Himself miraculously through visions, angelic interactions, signs and wonders.

After a period of rest, it's time now to get back to God's business. Recently, through a new friend, God spoke and literally reminded me of this blog using the very words from my header as she encouraged me to write.

I have no idea what God will do here, or what tone future posts will take, but I'm ready to listen, to transcribe, to share - as He leads. No more spinning on the wheel of religion. No more ministry busy-work to please man. I have a job to do that supersedes any task man can give me, and I have neglected it far too long. I have repented of my sin, and am ready to be used of God in this season.

Distraction, Discouragement and Denial are schemes of the enemy, and I will no longer fall victim to them. I pray that God will put words in my mouth and at my fingertips, and that I will proclaim them with boldness to whomever, whenever, where ever He wills it.

Christians and Money

2007-08-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

God doesn't promise us riches on this earth. There are some preachers out there who would do well to take note of that.

1 Timothy 6:3-10

3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

JESUS said:

Matthew 6:19-21

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Last Safe Haven

2007-08-07T01:07:00.000-05:00

As prophesy is fulfilled, we will become persecuted on our own turf. The only country in the world that was founded for the express purpose of having the freedom to be Christians and celebrate our Christian faith is about to become one of the last countries to make being a Christian illegal.

I'm not being alarmist...and it's not a reason to fear. The church flourishes when it's persecuted - we see that all over the planet and throughout history. God is bringing revival to our land...but it will not look like it on the surface!

Don't be afraid. Face the coming challenges with a joyful heart and firm resolve.

Be Educated - don't pretend it's not happening or you will be left defenseless. Educate your loved ones and your children, so they will also be prepared and steadfast.

We should rejoice that we might be the generation that sees the fulfillment of all things. This is a most exciting time to be a believer!

Don't give in to those who seek to silence you as you proclaim the Good News. Blessed are those who are imprisoned for speaking the truth of Salvation!

But in this time - our focus should be on that. Sharing the Gospel and leading others to Christ, this is of eternal importance more than debate and being activists about specific issues. ALL that matters is their souls.

If they give their lives to Him, He will address and convict them on the sin in their lives. We should not be calling out sin after sin, but continuing to point the way to the cross. Salvation is all that matters.

As Christians, the tendency is to feel like we should be in damage-control mode now. Running around making petitions and actively opposing laws and trying to make changes in society - but God's message was not to "Go forth and be activists." It was..and is..."Go forth and made disciples of all nations"

And what is the first thing Jesus said when he called his disciples?

"Follow me."