Picking Sides in Battles

Be careful about picking sides in a physical battle. Yes, indeed this is true. What we hear in the news is not "real news." What is being perpetrated by the ruling class is sheer wickedness. Yet, it is not a physical battle we fight. We fight for the souls of people who are being dragged down into Sheol through deception and conflict. It is called the Hegelian dialectic, a term not more than a couple of centuries old yet a method that has been used for millennia. It is one of the primary tools in the shed of the "artist of war" against Yahweh and His plan to bring righteousness to the heart of man.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

However we are right to support and defend the widow, the alien, the poor and the fatherless right? Maybe not by bombing whole cities and killing endless innocent people (I would argue Christians shouldn't be killing people at all). This is what they claim they are doing but we know better. This is what is really going on:

"Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?" Declares Yahweh. "But your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, and on shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion."
Jeremiah 22:16

In Revelation 18 it says:

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, *My people*, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and *repay her double according to her works*; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

He did just say, "My people...repay her double according to her works." There will be a time when God raises up His overcomers and they will reign as His rod of iron. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.

Christian Perfection - A response to Oswald Chambers

A friend shared this devotional on Facebook today. I read it and immediately felt the Spirit urging me that this is in error. Like most teachings there is truth but it must be divided from the error.

https://utmost.org/christian-perfection/

After reading this do you sense something is wrong or does the elegant arrangement of words just ring in your ears without cause for question or alarm? I encourage you to take some time to think critically about what is said and reflect on what the whole Bible says. After all, only one Scripture is quoted in his devotional, and half a verse at that.

So now for my thoughts. Many Scriptures came to mind that prove the error and I intend to show how there are many exhortations in the Bible telling us God wants us to be perfect by seeking Him with all we are (this latter part of the point is at least made well in this blog but a half truth is no truth at all). Let us press on to prove or disprove every sentiment.

Oswald says, "If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life."

Well, let's see what the Bible says about holiness, our call to perfection, our fruits and where personal initiative comes in. Of course I couldn't possibly fit every verse about these subject in one blog, so it is your duty to seek out more if the Spirit of truth leads you to.

Therefore you shall be perfect (*ie; completely matured, consummated unto the end result*), just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48

"Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 19:2

"You shall be blameless before the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 18:13

Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us ***cleanse ourselves*** from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
(See here that there is effort on our part. It is not all on God.)

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, 2and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

...so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world... Philippians 2:15

"They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation." Deuteronomy 32:5

Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. Luke 1:5-6

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been perfected, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well. Nevertheless, **we must live up to what we have already attained**. Philippians 3:12-15

We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. Colossians 1:28

Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Of course we have forgiveness of our sins but remember:

Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin. James 4:17

...whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23

If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27

If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through their knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned away from the holy commandment passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2:20-22

Also, I disagree that we should not be caught up with looking for evidence of God in our lives. There is much emphasis placed on the fruits we bear and the rewards that they earn us if they are judged righteous. Make no mistake, we will all be judged according to what we do. Of course what we do must be the fruit of the Spirit and in this we *know* Him (have intimacy with).

So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well. 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. Matthew 16:27

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work. Psalm 62:12
(recompense is the meaning of the word Jerusalem - to recompense and bring to a place of peace - Revelation says the unrighteous will be repaid double for their iniquities before being brought to holiness - this is the refiner's fire)

***If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?*** Proverbs 24:12
(Israel didn't know they were doing wrong! Neither does the church.)

The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; Jeremiah 32:19

Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out--those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:29-30

But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Luke 14:14

That last verse contains some very deep, revealing truths about God's plans, which He has prophesied in Scriptures by holy men who were inspired by the Spirit.

"God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase..." 

Is this true? God's trophy mantle is not our trophy mantle. He clearly has a "trophy mantle" though, as seen with all the jewels and crowns that adorn His bride in Revelation. She is on display showing God's righteousness. Even Lucifer was covered with jewels and he was at one time the anointed cherub that covers. He doesn't have that any more because he is fallen. That is why in Revelation it says, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen!" and "Come out of her my people..." Love covers a multitude of sins but it does not mean we should be lazy in seeking out and confronting sin in our lives and even others to a degree.  I understand what Oswald means by not being Pharisaic in that we put our righteousness on our own trophy mantle because then, "surely you have our reward." However let us be diligent in recognizing our need to come to Him, to cry out to Him, to seek Him WITH ALL OUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH. Let us not be lazy with the words He has spoken Himself and through His prophets and saints. Father, grant us a greater measure of faith and desire for wisdom and understanding that can only come from You. This I petition You for these things and it is in You I hope. Amen.

The Grace and Mercy of God

I recently entered into discussion with a brother in Christ from my church regarding grace and mercy. Upon asking the question, "Would you rather be under God's mercy or under His grace?" he replied, "It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Lam 3:22 . So his mercy spares us in order that he might shew unto us the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So I am thankful both are mine through Christ Jesus."

This is true, and yet I felt there was a need to explain where I was coming from with that question. I asked him if I could enter into open discussion because I thought there was a lot more to it. He responded, "I agree there is much more in fact the apostle Paul uses the term the unsearchable riches of Christ."

I was a little concerned that it could be taken that because Christ gives us grace and mercy that we don't need to search out the deep things of God, beyond  the basic, simple message that is preached in pulpits almost ad nauseam. Paul said, "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits."

An example of this would be the word "eternal" above. The Greek text is "aionian" and an in-depth word study is warranted here. I suggest using the NIDNTTE since Strong's is a bit limited in its explanation. I will simplify for you though. It means "age-long," "age enduring" with the idea that one is experiencing incomprehensible finite time. Eternity is expressed as an image of God's eternal nature, a parabolic representation experienced by those who know Him and are near to Him. It is present now and into the future for an unknowable amount of time, or an age. This has a significant impact on one's understanding of God's plan of salvation and His promise of inheritance in the New Heaven and New Earth. There are many teachings that could be branched off from here but suffice to say this is just a small example of the diligence required of a disciple to seek out the truth. There is more beneath the surface and so we must rightly divide the truth and "chew the cud" so-to-speak.

So when we speak of mercy and grace what can we glean from Scriptures and how might we apply that to our walk of faith? I was pondering the difference between the two. One is greater, that is grace. When mercy is needed we fall short of His full favor. Although He gives us grace even in our iniquity He desires not the need to have mercy on us but to make us prosper first in His Spirit now and second in the future promise. So we have rightly divided that there is the prerequisite work of the Spirit now which leads us to the fulfillment of His promise in the future. I'd like to now address the verse my friend cited to clarify further how the Spirit works in His children to raise us up into sons and daughter of inheritance.

"It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed." Lam 3:22

What does "consumed" mean. We know that our God is a consuming fire, as Hebrews 12 states, and that this is because all that is not of God must be burned away as both heaven and earth are shaken. In His mercy He allows us to partake of things that are not ordained by His Spirit, things that are of this world, but also things that *were* of Him but now have become corrupted with human thinking and traditions. I have been shown that the works of man's hands are evident throughout all of the world.  He desires His children to remove themselves from these things, to be detached from all their desires but One. In this way they are purely devoted to His promise which is realized, consummated, *in* us by Christ Yahshua at the end of this age.

And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed *in* us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. Romans 8:17-19

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4

The refiner's fire is an illustration of what it means to suffer with Him. The work of the Spirit is to lead us into truth so that we hang our lamps high for all who enter to see. This is not easy nor is it comfortable, but we have peace knowing it is true and right.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Hewbrews 12:5-7

Now there is a distinction made between those who follow the Spirit into suffering for His name sake and those who follow Him with a divided heart. We see this in the parable of the 10 virgins where the 5 foolish ones were caught by surprise, being left out in the dark behind the closed door to the wedding of the Bridegroom. We see the same in the servants who were given talents. The servant given only one went and buried his and was chastened. His talent was taken away and given to the one who brought much increase. We see it in the parable of the servants who were left in charge of the master's house. When some fell asleep and were not aware of the master's return they received few stripes, and yet others who were given to licentiousness were given many stripes.

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. Proverbs 17:3

Look to Ezekiel 44 as an example of how the house of God has servants in the outer court who do not have access to God's most holy things, nor can they minister before Him. The priesthood can come in and out of the Holy Place, and have access to His most holy things. Those in the outer court are the spiritual milkers, as Paul might call them - those who are not spiritual (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Yes, Paul calls those who do not grow in the deep things of God infants who are not spiritual. God wants us to be raised up into sons and daughters of inheritance, but if anyone would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of his God, by all means, they have that choice. Consider though the following passages knowing that the church is doing many of the things Israel did but in deceptively different ways. The scary thing is they don't even know they are doing anything wrong.

"Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, 'For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?' Jeremiah 16:10

"What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former companions to be head over you? Will not pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth? If you say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' Because of the magnitude of your iniquity your skirts have been removed and your heels have been exposed." Jeremiah 13:21

The children of Israel were harlots and they didn't even know it! They didn't even think they were doing anything wrong when they erected a golden calf and declared a feast day unto the Lord. Today idolatry is much more than a molded calf. It is the works of man's hands that are filthy rags to Him. Our deeds are as dung if they are not His explicit command. The church is just as taken by the world today as Israel was back then. Our idols seem to be good things but our desires for them separate us from God, but He will refine us.

"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver." Ezekiel 22:18

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." Malachi 3:2-3

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be *saved, yet so as through fire*. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

The ax lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:10-12

The wheat is the church in the outer court that must be threshed (with few or many stripes?), winnowed, ground and baked into show bread. Who does this? The God-elected priesthood who will teach them the difference between the holy and the profane. (Ezekiel 44:23) They must do this continually from Sabbath to Sabbath (Sabbath rest is being in His will at all times, ceasing from your own works as God did).

Yet even this being the case the priesthood is not made perfect aside from the offerings, which are their reasonable service.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Hebrews 11:39-40

There are many things Christians do thinking they are serving God properly in this life when I know by the Spirit that these things are holding them back from spiritual growth.  Good things can be idols, especially when we don't recognize the signs of the times to know what we should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). The testimony of Yahshua is the spirit of prophesy and much as been declared in Yahweh's Word. Christ knew how to reach into a person's soul and expose their greatest hindrance from true faith, but they had to first come to Him and ask how they might be saved. His mouth is a sword that can piece even to the division of the soul and spirit. He always told those coming to Him to forsake something that they held more dear than Him. Today it might be debt, pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter, careers, even family can be an idol because we believe it is our duty to go into the world and provide for them the best life they can have, as Lot took his family into Sodom and Gomorrah only to see his wife look longingly back at that wicked place for want of the life they built and his daughters who later laid with him because they were scared of not finding husbands.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 says we need to receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Our hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things. Men and women have convinced themselves through vain tradition that what they are doing is OK with God, yet they don't seek the truth with all they are in prayer and brokenness and like good Bereans search daily whether these things are true. I have proclaimed many things that are challenging to my brothers and sisters yet there are few who are actually seeking out whether what I have said is true or not. On the other hand, others have presented me their views and I have searched out the truth almost every time. I cannot say that it is bad that so many have closed ears because it is up to God to open hearts. It is my job to scatter seeds and to create disciples of those who show signs of growth.

I am prone to deceiving myself just like any other so I'm not proclaiming to have overcome, but I aspire to be an overcomer who rules and reigns with Him, who inherits the kingdom through His Son. It takes more than what we see in churches today. We need to pay attention to prophesies. We must speak God's language, which is parabolic, for Christ never spoke anything that wasn't a parable. His disciples understood because they had ears to hear. I pray that anyone reading this might hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Amen.

...to preach to the Gentiles the *unsearchable* riches of Christ, (*let us continue the context of the thought...*) and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was hidden in God, who created all things. His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence. Ephesians 3

I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27

If all we are to do is simple then why all the exhortations to dig and search out the truth?
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is *unsearchable*. Proverbs 25:2-3

His grace is to provide us what we need to grow in His Spirit, in knowledge of Him so that we may have intimacy with Him. Often times that means walking away from the things we have attached ourselves to in the world, to "fast and pray." Sometimes it means giving these things up entirely. If we have truly died to ourselves so that Christ may live in us then we can bear His fruits. So His mercy is an extension of His desire to give us His grace. His mercy is meant to reconcile us to Him and sometimes that means giving us over to the idols in our hearts, or given over to Satan for sifting.

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols." Ezekiel 14:2-4

Father, let us not be given to our own stubborn ways to pursue our inheritance before the appointed time. Let us have the patience and faith to hear what the Spirit says to the churches at this late hour. Help us see the idols in our hearts and lives so we can turn to You for purity and truth. Amen.

Destroy those who attack Israel?

Nation will rise against nation. It has always been God's method to use the unrighteous to judge the wicked who call themselves by His name. The State of Israel is not innocent, nor performing the will of God, so the nations come against them as prophesied.

"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." Jeremiah 4:4

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised." Jeremiah 9:25

But He will not make a complete end of them.

"But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight." Ezekiel 36

"There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done. "Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.'" Ez 20

"You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth. "For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another. Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last." Isaiah 48

And so God will command His people, the true remnant overcomers...

Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup."

Notice this verse is a command to His people. "Her" is referring to the Harlot, Babylon who rides the beast on many waters and deceives the nations by her sorcery. Who is the harlot? Answer that and you will have much perspective. This is a subject of it's own. For now let's focus back on Israel.

Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you. Because you have kept My command to endure with patience, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Rev 3

I know your affliction and your poverty — though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev 2

In the end the result is...

"And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo." Zech 12

"For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations. O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit." Jeremiah 16

It is not that we should have rote support for Israel because Scripture tells us not to come against them but to discern the signs of the times and act accordingly. To do this we must bathe in Scripture, remain in prayer and be filld always with the leading of the Spirit. After all...

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. Galatians 4

and

For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God. Galatian 6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. Rev 21

Christ is the second Adam, and His bride is formed from a remnant of His body (the church) just as Eve was formed from Adam's rib. Let those who have ears to hear...

See Rev 12:12-14 where the previously unbelieving Jews who become believers are grafted back in to the tree of life to join with the currently believing Jews and "gentile" believers. So "all of Israel will be saved."

A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Rom 2:29

Prison Ministry Update

Today I wrapped up the final preparations for the  2nd round of newsletters that will be mailed out tomorrow to the 157  hungry souls subscribed to the Parables Bookshelf. I have been putting off sending this round because I'm working with a developer on a new computer system which will streamline this process, however, since it is progressing slower than originally scoped out I'm taking the initiative to at least keep these inmates fed more consistently with spiritual meat.

I'd like to take a moment to thank the two generous sisters in Christ who donated to this ministry. It certainly is a blessing that others are starting to take notice and make a love offering for the sake of these men and women crying out for truth and life from the Word. Not that I seek the gift, as Paul said...

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Philippians 4:17

In these end days it is critical to devote ourselves to reaching those who are showing a desire to know God and the truth of the times in which we live. He has declared the end from the beginning and I for one am hungry to share the talents which Yahweh has given to me - to hang my lamp high for all who enter to see. May our Lord Yahshua bless and keep you by His Spirit which leads us into all truth by His unfailing love. Amen.

Heart4God Prison Ministry Update

About 1/5th of the total print run.

Well, it has been 2 months since I was given the reigns of the Heart4God prison ministry and it has not quite been a smooth ride so far. I managed to get one round of newsletters out to 150+ inmates within a couple of weeks and that was a good feeling. I had to manually print labels on paper and glue them to the newsletters which was not the most preferable way to do it by far however, the job got done with a bit of help from Joseph who helped me stamp and sticker them.

It was an enlightening experience, one wrought with many mixed feelings. The first task I was faced with was updating the addresses and verifying that inmates were still in the system. This meant I needed to look up every contact manually through various online search websites. It was very time-consuming but rewarding in one particular way - I essentially got to look each inmate "in the eye" so-to-speak, at least, I got to see a glimpse of who the people were I was reaching out to. There were many violent felons on the list. It was somewhat difficult for me to look at their pictures for personal reasons. You see, I have a half-brother who is a habitual and unrepentant felon. Our past is rocky and I have never had to deal with any other hardened criminals like him so looking at these faces was a lot like looking my brother in the face. Now I am reaching out to hundreds of convicted felons who are hungry for truth, at least I can say some of them are. Many may be simply curious but it is not my place to question how Yahweh will work on them. If they are seeking then I am serving.

I have to admit that at first I thought of this as a noble effort but as I looked up these prisoners one-by-one I began to notice feelings aroused in me, feelings of disgust, hatred and judgment. Although I tried to resist these impulses I did not try to deny that I felt them. In my experience, denial is the first step into the grave. So I faced the way I felt, remembering all the horrible experiences I had with my brother, and remembering just who I might have become if I had given into even one of the many equally wicked impulses I had when I was walking in rebellion against God. It was very uncomfortable.

By the time I finished all of the inmates I felt a renewed sense of purpose. It was like God lifted some of the load off my back that I had been carrying around all my life. I felt lighter, spiritually speaking. It was apparent that this was something I needed to do in order to overcome my past. Yahweh wants me to learn how to love even the despised, wretched, wicked men of the world (or so most might call them). Christ never turned anyone away who sincerely sought Him out. He might challenge them in the most demanding way but He offered them the truth and showed them the path they must walk. That's the love of God. I understood that these men may well have already been forgiven for the heinous crimes they committed, if they had already surrendered to Christ. So too must I extend myself beyond my own apprehension to exceed the limitations of my former self, the man that I have been laying down for over two years now. Perhaps this is the way He is wanting me to go in order to be reconciled to, and witness to my brother. By the Spirit of truth and love I hope and pray it to be so.

Salvation is a process. We are redeemed from glory to glory and He who began a good work in you WILL finish it. I trust in His ability to subject all things to His power and bring all enemies under His feet - to burn away all that is not of Yahweh and to reconcile all of creation back to His holy image. AMEN!

There is still much to do with this ministry. I prayed to Yahweh for help soon after I was given this charge. It is rather intimidating to be quite honest, but beyond the emotional and spiritual side there are practical things that need to be addressed. Specifically I knew that I needed to automate the printing and labeling process as Joseph had it set up previously. Unfortunately his program broke after he bought a new computer and we have never been able to fix it or get it to work on my computer. Evidently the VBScript and macros wouldn't work properly after Office was upgraded to the newest version. So if I were to have a computer program to run this process I would have to either find one that already existed, get help or develop one myself.

At this same time I also was praying that Yahweh would send me someone I could talk to about the state of the world and the truths I have come to understand. I essentially was asking for a friend who was in ministry and who I might be able to collaborate with in service to His kingdom. Not long after this a man friended me on Facebook. We began sharing thoughts about current events, biblical exposition and the Luciferian NWO agenda. After a couple of weeks we started talking on the phone and really seemed to connect on many levels. After telling him about my needs for the prison ministry he told me he is a developer. Lo and behold, Yahweh sent me two fulfilled prayers in one go! Since then I have hired Timothy to help me develop a custom Drupal website that will automate custom workflows on a user-by-user basis and keep track of the newsletters. We are about 3 weeks into that project now and it is progressing, perhaps not as quickly as I would like but again, I believe there are lessons in patience and trust that I must learn. Overall I am confident that this project is in God's hands and it will turn out exactly as He intends it to. Praise Him for blessings with persecutions! Many times persecution comes not from others but from ourselves. We can sometimes be our own worst enemy. A friend said to me a while back, "Don't be afraid of Satan. He's defeated so long as you have Christ in you. Fear what you might do to separate yourself from Christ."

Words of wisdom to keep in mind always. May the God of peace dwell in us richly as we give Him dominion over our hearts. Order our steps Father. Amen.

Everything and Nothing - The Science of Paganism

It is dangerous what conclusions and statements man makes after deriving meaning from scientific experiments. The amount of blasphemous propaganda embedded in this film is subtle and far from innocuous. I am not proposing that science is wrong but that science outside the will of God is dangerous to our relationship with Him. This documentary is really a scientific explanation of thousands of years of esoteric philosophy. As mankind advances down the path that has been laid by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (duality) with the false promise of having the ability to become like God the human race finds that all we are accomplishing is a long game of confirmation bias passed down from generation to generation.