Enduring What Is Coming--Mental Preparation

I believe, over a year ago, that the United States experienced a large influx of demonic spirits.  I can't prove that, or explain why that might be--I can only tell you that I feel it.

Something has radically changed in America.  There is a spiritual darkness present here now, as the darkness that envelopes the land before a great storm.  I don't know whether or  not you have sensed it too.

I'm sharing a list of suggestions, to help you protect yourself from things that are to come: deception and spiritual forces of evil (in whatever form they may manifest in our physical world).

Scripture tells us that a people without understanding (of God's ways) will come to ruin.  Jesus says that we are as sheep among wolves, yet we should be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. 

• There is another dimension-an unseen spiritual world-that is intricately tied in with everything that happens in our world   That world is eternal, ours is bound by time.  From that world, all dimensions are seen.  In our world, much that happens is not visible to us.  Our world is secondary to that world.  In that world, the story began--the story that never ends.  This world, as we know it, is coming to an end.  A new heavens and a new Earth will take its place, by the grace of God, because this one has been irreparably corrupted (no, I don't mean global warming).
• Everything really does boil down to the battle between good and evil   That is the whole reason 'our world' was even created.  It was chosen to be the theater for the great battle between good and evil.
• Don't be so sure that you know what is going on--nothing is as it seems  Many deceiving spirits are among us.  Theories abound.  Conspiracies abound.  A lot is going on, and a lot is being revealed.  God will show you what you need to know.  Be careful you don't get caught up in the confusion and start defining people as 'friends' or 'enemies' by whether or not they share your current beliefs about what is going on--they may just know more (or less) about it, than you.
• There is one force of good--spiritual forces of evil are attacking from many sides   There is only one force for good, and it is far more powerful than the force of evil.  However, the force of evil is desperate, and is attacking from every side.  Stand firm and wait for God's deliverance (no, not the 'Rapture') when you are besieged.  Have faith.  Resist evil and it will retreat.
• Get back to the basics   Don't let yourself be taken on a tangent by new and intriguing teachings. There is much deception swirling around us.  Go back to the basics that God teaches us in the Bible, and hold on tight.
• Search your heart often   Our hearts our desperately wicked, yet if we would judge ourselves, we'd all see ourselves as innocent.  God judges the intent of our hearts.  It is your heart that decides toward what direction to point your will.  It is your heart that falls into sin first.  None of us is righteous.  Our greatest enemy lies within us, and we are blind to its true condition, and to its power to lead us astray.
• Read your Bible & pray for understanding   The Bible is God's message to us, and is for God's people only--no one else can understand it.  But, the Holy Spirit must teach you what it means.  Equip yourself for the days ahead, by learning it now.
  
• Live by Biblical principles:  even if you don't understand them--they protect you   God's rules form a hedge around you--not a hedge to keep you in, but a hedge to keep evil out.
• Don't follow the crowd   Jesus told us that the path to destruction is wide and many people will go that way and, conversely, the way that leads to life is narrow, and few will find it.
• Don't be distracted by the trivial  God, and his people, are being attacked from every side.   Stay focused, there are many important issues right now--don't let the enemy distract you.
• Be very suspicious of 'miracles' and supernatural displays   Jesus promised that false messiahs and workers of miracles would abound in the latter days.  Don't be surprised, and don't be taken in, no matter how elaborate a 'miracle' may seem.  A lot can be done with money, technology, and demonic power.
• Deceptions come in all sizes  Don't think something is too big and powerful, or too little and unimportant, to be fake.
• Turn off your TV!   More than anything else, this is the tool that Satan uses to unify people in their beliefs and actions.  It's not about what shows you watch--it's the whole paradigm for life, the whole package of values and beliefs, that is presented over and over and over and over . . . molding you without you even being aware.
• Trust no one 100%   Sadly, unfortunately, we have come to this point.
• Be skeptical, think critically   Don't believe everything you see and hear, no matter  how often you see and hear it.  Don't believe everything you are told--no matter who tells you.
• Blindly follow no one   Think for yourself.  It is largely your choices that will determine the course of your life.  Everyone has an agenda.  As times get tougher, people will become more self protective, deceptive and manipulative--in a word: less trustworthy.
• Be responsible for yourself and your children   Start taking on the responsibilities God gave you, because soon you will have to fight tooth and nail for them.  Everyone's children will soon be taken away--because parental authority will be usurped by international treaty.  The irony is, you'll still have the expense and responsibility for raising them, they'll still live with you, but you will not have the freedom to choose what is in their best interest, or how you will raise or teach them.  (What do you think your family life will be like when your teenager realizes you have no legal authority over them?  Who will be running the show then?)
• Protect what is important to you   You are standing on the verge of losing everything that matters to you--and you don't even see it.  Trust me--you'd better wake up and stand up to protect what is important to you now, while you still can.  After that, you're going to have to decide which of your values and freedoms you are willing to die to hold onto, and which you'll learn to live without.
• Diligently protect your children!   The real battle is for the hearts and minds of your children.  If you don't believe me, look to history, look to other countries and their kidnapped child-soldiers, look to how our mandatory, liberal/progressive-run educational system is turning children against their parents.  'There is nothing new under the sun'--history repeats itself.  To see the future, examine the past.  Fight now, before it's too late!
• Teach your children   Equip your children now, to face the deceptions ahead of them.  Your window of opportunity is closing.  Not only will you not be legally able (your parental authority will be gone),  your children will be turned against you in the schools where they are spending 30 or more hours a week under intense pressure from people whose values are in direct opposition to your own--people who have already begun a revolution, against the values we represent.
• Think long and hard before surrendering your freedom for security  An enemy will say anything to get you to surrender--it's much easier on them than having to fight you!  They will even create a crisis, to convince you to surrender your freedom to them, in trade for the promise of peace and safety.
• Remember that what you agree to do voluntarily, will later become mandatory  Seems to be a basic principle in life.
• Remember that if you don't use self control, you will end up under someone else's control  Another seemingly basic principle in life.
• Don't be proud and arrogant  Pride comes before a fall.  It's pride and arrogance that got America into this mess.  It's pride and arrogance that God hates.
• Don't be sucked in by flattery  Oldest trick in the book.  It works most effectively on those with low self esteem, excessive pride and arrogance, or narcissism.

Was Judas set up . . . by Jesus?

Have you ever wondered about Judas? I have. Why did Jesus choose Judas, knowing that he would betray Him? Yes, in order to fulfill Scripture, Jesus needed to be betrayed . . . but wasn't it kind of a setup to choose someone for that role? After all, Judas ended up hanging himself. It's pretty well certain he went into eternity without forgiveness. How do we know? Well, no mention is ever made of him seeking forgiveness from Jesus--or even from the other disciples.

So how could Jesus choose someone to betray Him and be damned? Because that's NOT what Jesus did. Jesus chose Judas, a man who was at the doorstep of damnation, whose only hope of salvation was divine intervention in his life. Judas was very bad on the inside. He was just like you and me. Jesus chose him, to save him.

Before Jesus died to save all mankind, he worked intimately in the lives of twelve men, molding and shaping them. He put each of them in situations that tested and tried them, that gave them the opportunity to overcome their own personal sins and issues.

Peter, for example, came face to face with his pride, over and over again. He learned to live by faith, rather than by his own strength and abilities. Do you think it was by chance that Jesus came to him, walking on water that night? Surely it was confidence that caused Peter to step out of the boat--as well as his love for Jesus. But it was confidence in the power of his love for Jesus, not faith in Jesus Himself. And so, becoming aware of the wind, he began to sink--an object lesson for sure. When Jesus reached out to save Him, He chided him 'You of little faith, why did you doubt'? Little faith? He stepped out of a boat, in a storm, to walk on the water to Jesus! Great love, great confidence, great bravery--but little faith. God knows our hearts.

Again Peter had to face his pride, when Jesus was betrayed. We know the story. At the 'last supper' Jesus shared with His disciples, He told them that they would all leave Him, that very night. Peter was the most vehement in promising that he would not forsake Him, even after Jesus specifically told him that he would deny Him three times that night! Of course, that's how it turned out, and Peter's pride was finally broken. Regret is the hardest thing to live with. It is the closest thing to eternal punishment that we have in this life.

Jesus said that He had not come to condemn man. So, why did He tell the disciples they would forsake Him that night, if it was not to condemn them? (He had also told them that one of them would betray Him.) He wanted them to search their hearts. We know that eleven of them did. (Did Judas?) And yet, even after twice searching their hearts, they all declared with Peter, that they would not forsake Him, but they did. They could not truly see what was within their own hearts.

Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked, and that if we would judge ourselves, we would all find ourselves innocent. The lesson here is that we need to let God judge our hearts, and then listen to what He tells us! Jesus specifically told Judas that he was the one who would betray Him (even then, the plans had been made), and told Peter that 3 times he would deny Him.* Yet, apparently, neither believed Him. We so badly want to believe we are good!

It is not what is outside of us that destroys us--it is what lives within us!! We should fear our own hearts most of all!! How dangerous, to have within us something wicked, to which we are totally blind, that can so easily lead us astray!! Scripture tells us to work out our own salvation--with fear and trembling!! (Fear and trembling, in my opinion, of how we aren't really as good as we may believe, and of the trouble our hearts can lead us into.)

So, we have two examples here, where Jesus personally dealt with a disciple, regarding what was hidden in his heart that could destroy him. And we see two examples of men, totally blind to the sinfulness of their own hearts, that pay no heed to Jesus' warning.

Back to Judas, and my contention that Jesus chose him to save him.

What will most surely bring a man to his knees? That which has the power to destroy him. While adultery or alcoholism may finally bring some men to their knees, true regret can break the pride of ALL men.

Judas was a man whose heart was not in the right place. Although that's obvious to us now, in hindsight, it wasn't obvious to anyone then. No fingers were pointed at Judas when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him. In fact, when Jesus specifically identified him as the one, the other disciples seemed oblivious to what He was saying. The chief priests and elders didn't approach Judas, seeing he was a wicked man (he went to them). No one knew what lived within his heart. He put on a very good outward show. But, as I've said before, if you deal in dishonesty for too long, you lose the ability to discern the truth from a lie altogether. I believe that Judas had convinced everyone, including Judas, that he was a good man.

Jesus chose Judas, knowing that he was a thief and a traitor, and knowing his motives and his issues. He called him into His inner circle and treated him just like the other eleven disciples. Judas heard the same teachings, saw the same miracles, took part in the same conversations--yet none of this opened his eyes to the sinfulness in his own heart.

So, Jesus put him in charge of the money bag, knowing he was a thief. Surely there was opportunity to feel remorse, walking with Jesus while stealing from it. Did Jesus set him up? Yes. Jesus gave Judas the opportunity to sin, feel convicted and repent, so that He could save him!**

But, apparently Judas felt righteous in what he was doing. Here was God, in the flesh, divinely intervening in his life--and Judas was unable to discern, in contrast, the wickedness within himself! How powerful is sin, to harden our hearts, and blind us to truth and love!

Judas' next opportunity for repentance came, at the 'last supper'. Scripture tells that Jesus said that the man who would betray Him 'is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish'. Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

It is important to know that Satan cannot just enter a man at will--the man must allow him entrance. What true follower of Jesus would even take the piece of bread from Jesus' hand, after what He had said?! Yet Judas felt justified (righteous) in what he was doing. And, with his perspective distorted by his sinfulness, he probably thought that this is what Jesus wanted him to do!! Surely the Scripture makes it clear that this wasn't the case.

Another opportunity, when Jesus tells Judas 'What you are about to do, do quickly'. If Judas had any misgivings, Jesus' words should have pierced his heart and caused him to beg His forgiveness.

It wasn't until after the deed was done, after Satan was done using him and had departed, that Judas was finally able to see what he had done, and he was seized with remorse. But remorse is a feeling--true repentance is action. Judas' remorse did not lead him to Jesus or the disciples to beg forgiveness.

Instead, feeling guilty, he tried to return the money and undo the deed. He went back to the corrupt priests and elders, and gave his confession to them. He had 'betrayed innocent blood' he said. Even then, he was unable to recognize Jesus as more than just an innocent man! For over three years he had walked with Jesus, yet was still unable to discern that He was God.

We don't know what motivated Judas to betray Jesus. Perhaps it was the fear of persecution--after all, Jesus was telling the disciples what was on the horizon. Maybe Judas, seeing bad times ahead, sensed that the time had come to decide where his loyalties lay--that it was time to 'get off the fence', so to speak, and save himself. Unfortunately, he got off on the wrong side. But even his remorse did not wake him up to that.

Yes, Jesus set Judas up--even giving him the final opportunity of betraying Him . . . because if anything could have driven him to his knees, could have caused him to repent and be saved, it would have been the torment of remorse over betraying his Lord. But his heart was so hardened by years of sin and deceitfulness, and justifying his actions to himself, that he was no longer able to repent.

That is a sobering thought! If it could happen to a man who walked, for over three years, with Jesus--who seemed righteous, to others, in his outward appearance--who saw himself as a righteous man--could it happen to you . . . or me?

Certainly!! Fear what may be hidden within your own heart--and fear your heart itself, for it is desperately wicked! Fear sin--for it has the power to take root in your heart, deceive your mind, and harden you to the point that you are no longer able to repent!!

We are all so worried about the bogey man outside--'The Beast', 'The Antichrist', 666 . . . the real enemy is within each of us!!

The Scriptures contain many parallels and foreshadowings, to help us understand. In the 'latter days' (in which we are now living), this story will be played out again--countless times. True believers, like Jesus, will be betrayed by those closest to them, and put to death. And like Judas, 'followers of Jesus' ('Christians') will be the ones to betray them, while believing they are acting righteously.

Satan takes a perverse delight in turning man against his brother: from Cain against Abel, his eleven brothers against Joseph, Judas against Jesus, the Jews against the early Christian Jews, the Catholic church against Protestants--to, in the future, the apostate church ('Christians') against true Christians ('radicals'?, 'extremists'?).

As I look at history, the 'unsaved world' hasn't proven to be the enemy of God's people to anywhere near the degree that 'God's people' have! All the striving seems to be from within! Sure, God's people may not be popular with the 'unsaved world', but the rest of the world looks a lot more like spectators to me, as those who call themselves by His name kill one another!

It was the Jews who called for Jesus' death, as the Romans tried to extricate themselves from the situation; it was the most religious of the Jews that called for the deaths of Jesus and the early Christians; it was 'The (Catholic) Church' (Christianity infiltrated and subverted by paganism) that persecuted true Christians during The Inquisition and the Protestant Reformation; Hitler (a Jew) that exterminated six million Jews; Ahmadinejad (a Jew) who wants to destroy the country of Israel.

(I am not anti-Jewish. If the truth were known about all who descend from all of the twelve tribes of Israel [not just the Jews/Judah] there would surely be much more to tell. My point is simply that Satan delights in turning people who claim to be God's people against each other.)


So, like a suspenseful movie with a twist of irony at the end, here's one way things may play out in the days ahead:

• WHO: 'mainstream Christians' / the 'lukewarm church' in the book of Revelation / the 'apostate church' / 'Christians' / 'followers of Jesus'
• WHY: believing themselves righteous, blind to their sin, eager to maintain a good reputation in 'the world', fearful because of prophecies they don't understand, fearful of persecution, believing they are in danger from 'the beast' and 'the antichrist', eager to compromise to have peace and safety, believing 'radical Christians' are going to get them in trouble too, believing it will ensure their safety
• WHAT: distance themselves from 'radical Christians' (Christians who actually want to live in obedience to Christ), verbally separate themselves from 'radical Christians' , vehemently and publicly disown them (think of Peter disowning Jesus)
• WHEN: when they start to become unpopular, when they feel persecuted verbally
• HOW: play into Satan's hand by betraying true Christians, handing them over to be arrested

Ok, so maybe now you're starting to worry about who will betray you and turn you in . . . but that's not the point!! If you ARE a true Christian (and we all think we are, don't we?) . . . being betrayed, arrested and/or killed will not destroy you. But acting out of your fear, rather than faith, might.


The real question is . . . might you be a Judas, and not realize it? 

  After all, in the end, it was Judas that was damned . . . by a life of little 'secret sins', justifications and dishonesty. . . unaware that his heart was so hardened that he could no longer tell right from wrong, or discern the truth from a lie, or know he needed to repent . . . blinded to his own sinfulness . . . pawn of the devil . . . sorry and miserable at the end yet, nevertheless, unwilling or unable to repent.

As the saying goes: 'be afraid . . . be very afraid' . . . of what lurks within.


*I think it should be instructive to us, that Jesus didn't plead with them, or warn them of the consequences for what they were about to do. He did not 'prolong the altar call', so to speak.

When a person is confronted, before they are sufficiently broken, instead of repenting they will harden their heart and create justifications for themself that serve to further entrap them in their sin.

I know America needs to repent, and I say so--but I have not felt a prompting, from God, to really put out a call for repentance yet. Instead, He has shown me that America is not ready for that call--that it would do more harm than good to put out the call now, by serving to harden people's hearts to the call, so that they would not heed it now, or later.

Something will happen to break America's pride, and then an even greater calamity will be on the horizon--at that point, people will be ready to repent. At that point, God will lead His watchmen to give the call.


** Likewise, the purpose of the law was not to save men, but to cause them to realize their sinfulness, by their inability to keep it, so that they could repent and be saved.

Is America Going To The Dogs?

We, in America, are a people who feed and dress our pets as if they were kings.  Meanwhile, we share the planet with millions of people who haven't had a meal in days and don't even have a pair of shoes--people who watch their children die, in front of their eyes, for lack of a few pounds of rice.

But the day is coming to us, that the hunger in their belly will drive grown men to fight to the death for a can of dog food.  Because of our rebellion and sin, we will find out what life is like, without the blessing of God. 

In your pride, you think you got where you are all by yourself.  Well, as requested, by an overwhelming majority, God is going to depart from America.  You'll get to see how far you can get without His blessing.  Hopefully you'll realize that He was a lot more involved in your life and circumstances than you ever thought possible.

When you have had enough of sin, enough of trying to make it on your own, without God, look Him up.  His door is always open.  Well, for a little while longer anyhow . . .

God Damn America?
Unconditional Salvation?

He Sent A Rainbow Made of Corn

I spend a lot of time thanking God for small things, as I go through my day.  That's the way it is between Him and me.  I share with Him all the things in my life, big and little.

I'll be the first to confess--I can't sit down and have a scheduled prayer time.  I just can't do it.  I don't know why.  It's just a very negative thing for me, to sit still for a certain length of time and have to pray whether my heart and mind are there or not.

I prefer instead to try to stay in constant contact with God--like you would with a partner.  You may sit together in the same room and not talk--or you may have a great conversation!  But, either way, you are enveloped in the companionship you share, and you are well aware of the other's presence. 

When I read about Enoch (his story is just a short paragraph) one sentence came alive for me:

'Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.'

This verse made me hungry to live that way! I think I live as Enoch did--just conscious of, and present with God always.  It's as if we're taking a walk together.

So, anyhow, little things . . . and thankfulness.

I grew some corn this summer, to save some for seed and to save some to eat.  (I think it's a good time to put some food aside.)

As a teenager, I went to West Virginia to live, alone, deep in the heart of the state.  As it turned out (what was I thinking?!), I needed quite a bit of help to get by!.  You can't just pack your car and take off with your dog to live deep in the mountains without any money or supplies to speak of, with no 'know how', and not knowing a soul! It was a journey of faith, I guess.  Many kind folks helped me out and I learned a lot.  I lived a fairly 'old fashioned' life (no electricity, a well in the yard, later a wringer washer, etc.) and I learned a lot of post-Depression values.  So, psychologically, I know how it is to live 'a life of deprivation' as some would call it.

With that in mind, and believing such days are fast approaching, I had chosen some very pretty corn--'Oaxacan Green'.  I knew it would cheer me up, when food was scarce and I was limited to a rather 'boring' diet.  In fact, I would look forward to eating food made with cornmeal from my beautiful green corn!

Well, it has just gotten to where I can pick it and, as I started shucking the ears, I was quite surprised!  Very little of this corn actually looked like what I had planted!  Instead, I had been blessed with corn in my favorite colors-many shades of green, turquoise, blues and purple!  I thank God often for it, when I look at it hanging up to dry. I'm not calling it a miracle-- I know enough about plants to understand how these things happen.  But I am calling it a gift, because it happened for me and it made me happy.

And yesterday, the pièce de résistance: an ear of corn that seems to contain every shimmering color of a pastel rainbow!!  I think it is one of the most beautiful, natural things I have ever seen!  I thank God a lot for it too.  It's like He's telling me He was thinking of me, and He's going to be right there with me when things get tough!  When the time comes to eat that corn, I'll remember that!

It may seem like silly stuff,  but thankfulness is a powerful way to guard your heart! 

I have to believe that Satan was not thankful.  His sin was pride, but I think in order for someone to become prideful, thankfulness first makes an exit. 

The Bible tells us that in the last days, one of the characteristics of people will be that they are ungrateful.  It also talks about people who God 'gave over to a depraved mind', and lists many characteristics of their wickedness.  According to that passage, the root of it all was that ' . . . although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him . . .'

And, one of the repeated problems with the fledgling Nation of Israel, as they made their exodus from Egypt through the desert, was that they repeatedly turned to grumbling and murmuring.  This was ungratefulness put to words--and it really roiled God's temper.  He had just done awesome and amazing things for them, to release them from slavery--slavery!  It doesn't get much worse than that--and yet they were busy focusing on what they didn't have!

Granted, if we were in their shoes, we probably would too.  If we aren't disciplined in our minds and hearts, we all tend to do the same thing!!  It's nice to have their story as a lesson so that we don't.

I've been a Christian for more than 25 years now.  As a young Christian, struggling to overcome sinful behaviors, I remember a more mature Christian telling me that they didn't really struggle with things like that as much anymore--that, instead, they found themself struggling more with their attitudes.  I was kind of amazed, but now I can relate.

If you don't already know--what you DO comes from what you think.  What you spend your time thinking about will almost inevitably lead to your doing it someday. The battle over sin begins in your heart and mind.  That's the place to focus your energies on being disciplined.  That's the place where you need to let God live. 

Guard your heart!!  Thankfulness is a great way to begin!!