For many people today I think that is an accurate description of the way they feel regarding our country and the very serious problems we are facing today.
For some, I’m afraid, it’s like our nation just stepped from the frying pan into the fire, with the results of this past election; but is that the case? Yes and no, but then there is God!
For others they are facing other problems and difficulties in their lives, and it is taking everything they have to just keep their nose above water!
For some it may even seem hopeless… but then there is God!
We, who are Believers, can look to our Bibles and see how this patterned has been well established in God’s Word, how that many times God’s people were outnumbered and were facing literal giants, just as happened with this little teenager, this shepherd boy named David!
Part of our training in becoming Christian soldiers is to learn how to face our fears.
Fear is something we ALL experience in life, and sometimes it’s a good thing.
If you’re fooling around with high voltage, fear is a good thing, because it will cause you to exercise caution; and it will most likely keep you alive.
However if the fear you are experiencing is causing you to feel hopelessly outnumbered and out matched, abandoned by God, and defeated; and if you have this temptation to run away, then the Bible says that sort of fear comes from a spirit.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
To borrow a line from an old John Wayne war movie, “All wars are filled with brave men, who are scared and would rather be somewhere else;” meaning it’s not the fear that’s the problem, but rather it’s our reaction to fear that will defeat us, if that reaction is causing us to run away and not face our fears.
I am sure that we all have fears that we are facing today, of one kind or another; our giants if you will.
Maybe we’re afraid of losing our home; or our job; maybe you are an employer and you are having to lay off your workers; or maybe you have a loved one who is sick, and possibly dying; it could be any number of things like this that are very real.
What do we do in times like this?
Well the same sorts of problems also existed in biblical times too, among our forefathers.and the saints of old; In fact our problems that we are facing today are no less traumatic to us, than there’s were to them.
We really need to read our Bibles with that in mind, and put flesh and blood on these characters we are reading about; and not put them on a pedestal; because they were just like us!
I am sure that little David was also afraid, just as we all would be if we had been standing in his shoes!
It would have been so easy for him to ignore it all and look the other way. That’s what everyone, including his brother wanted him to do. That would have been the natural thing to do; but David had already learned not to flee from his fears, after having seen God deliver him from both a lion and from a bear.
David just faced his fears and went ahead anyway, trusting that God would see him through; and so it is with us today… we also have to learn to trust in God!
The way we do that is we have to go through our own minefields in life, our own battle zones, where we are forced to face your own giants, and see the power of God deliver us where we are!
Thank God for people in the Bible like Peter!
Peter gives me lots of hope, because even though it seems like he was always putting his foot in his mouth, and saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time; nevertheless, God could still use him, and He did use him.
Peter didn’t have it all together either, no more than you or I have it all together in our life.
He wasn’t perfect, he didn’t have to be. In fact his worst day was probably the day he denied our Lord three times, after having bragged a few days before about always having Jesus’ back!
What was the first thing that Jesus said to Mary, after His Resurrection, on that Sunday morning? He said: “Go tell My disciples and PETER!”
Through it ALL, just like us, Peter also had to LEARN to trust in Jesus; he had to learned to put his faith in God, after having gone through so many trials and tribulations in his life; just like we do.
He had to learn how to commit it ALL to Jesus!
Well, how does that happen?
Well for that answer we have to look to our Operations Manual for Life (the Bible).
To start with, it happens by our being put in the furnace of life, and our being put through the University of the Holy Spirit, which I am quite sure that many of you who are reading this now are enrolled in, as am I. Isn’t it fun? 🙂
In 1 Corinthians 10:11 we are told that these things, that are written in the Bible, where written for our example; that we might gain knowledge, wisdom, and direction for our own lives, as we see how God has throughout history interacted in the lives of men.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and even though the times may have changed, and even though we are living in this modern age; nevertheless, as members of the human race, our problems are not that different, as we are today faced with the same sorts of problems as were the saints of old… trying to survive and trying to support our families!
The opposition, our mortal enemy, who is Satan (aka the Devil), he is operating the same way as well; and is using the same tactics and strategy that he used against our forefathers, the saints of old.
It may be a different time, but it’s the same Devil… but of course you wouldn’t know that unless you are reading your Bible!
Have you considered how many times God has even led his people into problems and storms?
Take Abraham for instance; God called him to take Sarah and his servants and to go to a new land, the “Promise Land;” the only problem was God didn’t tell him where it was, it was totally a walk of faith; and then when he finally got there he was right in the middle of a famine.
Take Gideon, who when hiding in the winepress area from the Philistines, God’s angle spoke to him and called him to battle, saying “Gideon, thy mighty man of valor!”
To which Gideon said: “Who me?” God does have a sense of humor, doesn’t he?
I certainly relate to Gideon, how about you?
Even though Gideon and his men were sorely outnumbered, God tell Gideon that he has too many men on his side; and so then God starts whittling down Gideon’s fighting force until there were only 300 men, against a force many many times larger… but those are exactly the odds that God likes!
That way He gets the glory!
In fact God specializes in making impossible situations possible; and making ways in the wilderness, for His kids, where there seems to be no way… and they are called Miracles!
What about in the New Testament, where Jesus sent His disciples into the storm, only to come out to them walking on the water, scaring the bejeebers out of them, because they’re thinking that He’s a ghost?
Then it was our old friend Peter who says, “Lord if it truly be you, then have me come to you walking on the water!”
Peter was learning how to trust His Lord, while in the middle of the storm, and so must we!
Here’s the rhyme and reason for all of this, as God told Moses:
Deuteronomy 8:2-5
2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
Whatever it is you are facing today, however big your giants may be, please just know this, that your God is BIGGER; and just as it happen with David and with all the countless stories of other saints in the Bible, about how Israel constantly faced impossible odd, and their God was always well able to deliver them; and so He will deliver us as well, if we are faithful to follow and obey Him.
At one time Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked to have him to sift him as wheat; and Jesus didn’t say that He would keep Peter from that trial; but rather He said, “Peter, I will pray for you that your faith fails not,” and so Jesus is praying for us today!
.Apparently somethings can only be learned by going through the fire… and Jesus today is certainly baptizing His church in fire! Selah
Faith in God, though Jesus Christ, is America’s ONLY hope!!!
As a Christian, and I’m sure many of you are doing the same thing I’m doing, as I’m sitting here collating in my mind the aftermath of yesterday’s election, and what it means for America’s future.
I have to admit there isn’t much that is positive to look to, at least in the natural, to give us reason for hope.
Even if Romney were to be elected, he would not have been the answer to what ails our country.
No we have a very serious problem here in America today, not unlike the problem the nation of Israel had at one time, which we can read about in the Bible.
There are ONLY two nations in the history of the world who has had a covenant with God be the foundation upon which they build their nation… and those two nations are Israel and the Republic for the united states of America. .
Are you not aware that our Founding Fathers were men of faith, and by that I mean the Christian faith?
Many of them warned us of the necessity of our having and maintaining our Judaic/Christian values in our Republic form of Government; and the necessity of our electing people to office who represent those values?
James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: “We have staked the whole future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.”
Patrick Henry: “An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.”
Shortly before his death: “I have disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give to them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one cent, they would be rich. If they have not that, and I had given them the world, they would be poor.”
Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: “I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also.”
George Washington, in his farewell speech on September 19, 1796: “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Words from his personal prayer book: “Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ.”
John Adams, who served as chairman of the American Bible Society: “We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Our first Court Justice, John Jay: “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President, Chairman of the American Bible Society. On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States, “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.”
In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: “The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.”
William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold. President Lincoln called him the “Schoolmaster of the Nation.”
“The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology.”
Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first. Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the scriptures:
“Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3).”
We have not had that choice for a very long time, to vote for a man or woman of God, who is of the same mindset as were our Founding Fathers.
I maintain that choice was not given to us on purpose, because the powers that be who run our political system in America, will not allow that to happen under this UNITED STATES CORPORTION; because the Christian principles that built this nation, as is our U.S. Constitution, are a major hindrance to them being able to accomplishing their goal of a “New World Order.”
We have elected men and women in the past who have talked the talk, but who in actuality were (I believe) wolves in sheep’s clothing, which is something our Lord warned us to look out for.
You can always tell them, whether they are Christian or not, by their fruit; as to whether they are truly committed to the God of the Bible and to Christian values, or not.
One of the first signs I look for is to see the commitment of these politicians to actually keep their oath of office, to preserve, defend, and to protect our Constitutional Liberties, as they ALL swear an oath to do; but I have to say we haven’t had an elected politician, including a president in years, who have done little more than to give lip service to Christian values; and the fact is the result of their time in office, and I’m talking as recently as when George W was in office, they have only served to weakened, and I have to say also that George W. Bush, as have others, have only taken away more of our Constitutional Liberties, with his signing of the Patriot Act.
This has been going on, here in America, for so very long time; for it has been over 140 years now, since we have ceased to be a Constitutional Republic and have instead operated as the UNITED STATES CORPORATION.
It has even gotten to the point where the American people are much like that allegorical frog who after having been steeped for so long in a pot of water, whose temperature has increased slowly over the years, by the time they realize what’s going on, it’s too late.
That has been the strategy and the plan behind what has been going on in America for a very long time; and as it was illustrated in the results of yesterday’s election, that plan has thus far been very successful.
I dare say that today, in America, we have the “government” that we deserve; because so many people today, and I have to say this also applies to many Christians today as well, that they have been looking for a substitute savior; someone with a plan to turn our economy around, as though that were all there is to be concerned about.
The attitude seems to be, “As long as we all have a job and lots of money in the bank, then all is well and we are blessed!”
Is that not the thinking of the World? Well it should not be the way we as Christians think; and I thank God that He won’t let us get away with it either.
Well for most Christians, they thought that Romney, a Mormon, because he is a successful businessman, even though his god is not the God of our forefathers, that somehow he would be the answer, because they figure he could turn our economy around. But still as Christians, because of the difference in our belief in God of the Bible, would we not have been unequally yoked?
Are we not told in the Bible to avoid such entanglements with the world; and is it not just as wrong for us to assume that we can elected a Mormon or a Muslim to office, as I believe we have done with Obama, is it not wrong for us to assume that God will save him once he is in office?
Isn’t that just as wrong as when one marries an unbeliever and says the same thing?
In either case we are presuming an awful lot, are we not, and all the while we are in an unequally yoked relationship.
The dangers and problems arise, in all of these types of relationships, when disagreements and problems occur, because when they do, and they will, then we each will have a different compass that we look to, based on our belief system, and therein is where all the problems begin.
When you look at Romney’s record in the past you see that he has flipped flopped on every major issue, depending on the election he was running in at the time; until even the media in the past has made an issue out of it.
He and Obama, as far as I’m concerned, are two sides of the very same coin; but it is obvious that today people see and believe only what they want.
The Bible makes it very clear that this very tendency of man looking to other men, and not to God, will be exactly the reason why the Antichrist (the ultimate substitute savior) will be given power to rule in the last days; and that’s exactly what you see happening today, as people everywhere are looking everywhere else, except to God, for their salvation.
It’s all about the economy and our comfort level to be able to maintain the status quo.
History shows that we are exactly where the Children of Israel were, when they rebelled and turned against the covenant that their forefathers had made with God; and so have we, because our nation today is doing the exact same thing.
The truth is America today is looking to some man, any man, to give them what only God can provide, because in actuality ONLY God can give to man the power to gain wealth; and I’m sad to say that for many people in America today, Mammon has become their only god!
Jesus gave us warning:
Luke 16:13
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
Listen also to this warning from God, that even though it was given to the nation of Israel, it still applies to us today as Americans, because like Israel of old, our Founding Fathers, who also served and believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they too entered into a Covenant relationship with God at our beginning as a new Republic; and as I mentioned before, the fact is America is only the second nation in history, besides the nation of Israel, to do that.
This is what God first said would happen if they kept their covenant:
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings for Obeying
1You must completely obey theLordyour God, and you must carefully follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then theLordyour God will make you greater than any other nation on earth.2Obey theLordyour God so that all these blessings will come and stay with you:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 Your children will be blessed, as well as your crops; your herds will be blessed with calves and your flocks with lambs.
5 Your basket and your kitchen will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and when you go out.
7 The Lord will help you defeat the enemies that come to fight you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will run from you in seven directions.
8 The Lord your God will bless you with full barns, and he will bless everything you do. He will bless the land he is giving you.
9 The Lord will make you his holy people, as he promised. But you must obey his commands and do what he wants you to do.10 Then everyone on earth will see that you are the Lord’s people, and they will be afraid of you.11 The Lord will make you rich: You will have many children, your animals will have many young, and your land will give good crops. It is the land that the Lord promised your ancestors he would give to you.
12 The Lord will open up his heavenly storehouse so that the skies send rain on your land at the right time, and he will bless everything you do. You will lend to other nations, but you will not need to borrow from them.13 The Lord will make you like the head and not like the tail; you will be on top and not on bottom. But you must obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, being careful to keep them.14 Do not disobey anything I command you today. Do exactly as I command, and do not follow other gods or serve them.
This is what the Bible says would happen to Israel if they reneged on keeping their covenant with God:
Deuteronomy 28:15-48
Curses for Disobeying
15 But if you do not obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and stay:
16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17 Your basket and your kitchen will be cursed.
18 Your children will be cursed, as well as your crops; the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks will be cursed.
19 You will be cursed when you go in and when you go out.
20 The Lord will send you curses, confusion, and punishment in everything you do. You will be destroyed and suddenly ruined because you did wrong when you left him.21 The Lord will give you terrible diseases and destroy you from the land you are going to take.22 The Lord will punish you with disease, fever, swelling, heat, lack of rain, plant diseases, and mildew until you die. 23 The sky above will be like bronze, and the ground below will be like iron.[a]24 The Lord will turn the rain into dust and sand, which will fall from the skies until you are destroyed.
25 The Lord will help your enemies defeat you. You will attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in seven directions. And you will become a thing of horror among all the kingdoms on earth.26Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds and wild animals, and there will be no one to scare them away.27 The Lord will punish you with boils like those the Egyptians had. You will have bad growths, sores, and itches that can’t be cured.28 The Lord will give you madness, blindness, and a confused mind.29You will have to feel around in the daylight like a blind person. You will fail in everything you do. People will hurt you and steal from you every day, and no one will save you.
30 You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will force her to have sexual relations with him. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not get its grapes.31Your ox will be killed before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away from you, and it will not be brought back. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will save you.32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will grow tired looking for them every day, but there will be nothing you can do.33 People you don’t know will eat the crops your land and hard work have produced. You will be mistreated and abused all your life.34 The things you see will cause you to go mad.35 The Lord will give you sore boils on your knees and legs that cannot be cured, and they will go from the soles of your feet to the tops of your heads.
36 The Lord will send you and your king away to a nation neither you nor your ancestors know, where you will serve other gods made of wood and stone.37 You will become a hated thing to the nations where theLord sends you; they will laugh at you and make fun of you.
38 You will plant much seed in your field, but your harvest will be small, because locusts will eat the crop.39 You will plant vineyards and work hard in them, but you will not pick the grapes or drink the wine, because the worms will eat them.40 You will have olive trees in all your land, but you will not get any olive oil, because the olives will drop off the trees.41 You will have sons and daughters, but you will not be able to keep them, because they will be taken captive.42 Locusts will destroy all your trees and crops.
43 The foreigners who live among you will get stronger and stronger, and you will get weaker and weaker.44 Foreigners will lend money to you, but you will not be able to lend to them. They will be like the head, and you will be like the tail.
45 All these curses will come upon you. They will chase you and catch you and destroy you, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep the commands and laws he gave you.46 The curses will be signs and miracles to you and your descendants forever.47 You had plenty of everything, but you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a pure heart,48 so you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, naked, and poor, and the Lord will put a load on you until he has destroyed you.
Now I ask you, is this not where America is today, as our morality as a nation has been on the decline for years; our economy is on the decline; and it seems that even nature itself is against us, with all the natural disasters we have had of late, and are still having today?
Folks I can tell you it’s not going to get any better unless we change, and unless Christians in our nation lead the way and repent!
Like Israel, America started out blessed, but then somewhere along the line we got off track; and here is exactly the position we are in today, as was the case with Israel, when in comes to our relationship with God:
Deuteronomy 8:6-19
6 Obey the commands of the Lord your God, living as he has commanded you and respecting him.
7 The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with rivers and pools of water, with springs that flow in the valleys and hills,8 a land that has wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey.9 It is a land where you will have plenty of food, where you will have everything you need, where the rocks are iron, and where you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have all you want to eat, then praise the Lord your God for giving you a good land.
11Be careful not to forget the Lord your God so that you fail to obey his commands, laws, and rules that I am giving to you today.
12 When you eat all you want and build nice houses and live in them,13 when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase, when you have more of everything,14 then your heart will become proud.
You will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves.15 He led you through the large and terrible desert that was dry and had no water, and that had poisonous snakes and stinging insects. He gave you water from a solid rock16 and manna to eat in the desert.
Manna was something your ancestors had never seen. He did this to take away your pride and to test you, so things would go well for you in the end.17
You might say to yourself, “I am rich because of my own power and strength,”18 but remember the Lord your God! It is he who gives you the power to become rich, keeping the agreement he promised to your ancestors, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship them and bow down to them, I warn you today that you will be destroyed.
I’ve said this before and I want to keep repeating it until people pay attention, that JESUS is our ONLY hope!
He’s the only hope for us as individuals, and He’s also the only for our nation today.
Don’t be discouraged tough; because if God could spare Nineveh of old form their judgment, after Jonah warned them of God’s pending Judgment that was to come upon them, then there is certainly hope for us.
Besides if you truly are a Christian, and are a covenant child of God, then you will NEVER find yourself in a hopeless situation.
It is for Christians in America to get this message out; and I dare say, along that line, that it was probably a good thing that Obama has been reelected; because I believe it will cause the Christians in America to pray harder.
The truth is, Romney was NOT the answer, no more than Obama is!
They were and are two sides of the same coin; and they both are committed, by their own admission, to taking our country down this same path towards a “New World Order;” and that cannot happen unless they further undermine our Constitution, and strip more of our liberties from us.
If we want to see our nation changed, and put back on track with God again, then we had better start by doing what God has instructed us to do, in situations like this.
Our nation needs to obey 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God gives us His plan for turning our nation around:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 Then if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
This is our ONLY hope folks, that our nation repents and turns back to God again; because as we read happened to King Belshazzar, in Daniel 5, the handwriting for America is also on the wall; as we too have been weighed in the balances of heaven and have been found wanting!
Pray for our nation; pray also that this ongoing movement to re inhabit our Republic is successful; because we won’t change a thing, unless we first rid our government of these compromised and corrupt politicians; and get our nation back on its de jure (lawful) foundation again, which is a Constitutional Republic, that we can once again be one nation under God!
There is much talk in Christian circles today on this subject of Faith; but what exactly is Faith?
It must be important because in Hebrews 11:6 we are told that without it, without Faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any of us to please God.
Faith is not JUST positive thinking; however I do believe that being positive is a part of what faith is, or rather it is one of benefits of living in faith.
However positive thinking by itself is just believing in yourself; and there are even churches that teach “Positive Thinking,” as though it were the same as faith; and if I’m not mistaken I believe the term “Positive Thinking” even gained its popularity from a book written by a minister, called the Power of Positive Thinking; but I repeat the fact that one is a positive thinker does not necessarily mean that he or she is a person of “Faith.”
I won’t argue with you, because there is lots of evidence to show that people who follow this teaching in life, for at least some of them anyway, it has paid off for them, as they are very successful, as the world counts success; and truly where I live, here in Southern California, there are many such examples
By success I mean they have made a lot of money and have gained many material things as a result of their worldly success; but again that by itself is NOT what faith is.
Certainly being positive in life is a part of what faith is, but there is so much more to having true faith, than what most have acknowledged, even those in the church.
Maybe some of you have seen this bumper sticker before, “He Who Dies with The Most Toys Wins,” and certainly there are many who live their life this way, as though having earned lots of money and owning lots of things is the end all and be all of life, as if having lots of things is all there is.
However the truth be told, and really it is only those few who have actually gotten a hold of that golden carrot of success in life who can tell you this, and while all the rest of the world is still reaching for it, it is only those who have actually attained it who can tell you, if they will be honest (and I know because I have heard this many times) that in the end, just having lots of things and money is not very fulfilling at all. Those few who have made it will tell you that they are still looking for that something out there that will truly satisfy them and fulfill their life.
Some are thinking that maybe it will be that next “Carrot” that they are reaching for, be it another business, another company to own, and another few million dollars in the bank, maybe that will do it?.
Now I have to say this too, because we all have problems in life, the rich and the poor alike, and there are certainly some things that having lots of money can minimize the impact of those problems; and to be honest, I have to say that I’d rather have the money, then not, because being broke is no fun either, and that condition comes with lots of other problems that most of us would rather not have.
On the other hand, money by itself will not buy back your health, once you’ve lost it; and it wouldn’t make up for the lost of a loved one who has died, possibly a spouse or child (which I can only imagine has to be the worst). I think most of the world would even agree with me about that.,
I can also say that when it’s all over and done with, and when you are lying on your deathbed, it’s definitely NOT the material things of life that you are thinking of at that point.
You are not thinking “if only I had made more money or had gain more toys in my life.”
Definitely NO, not at all, and that’s where the rubber meets the road for all of us eventually.
Listen to what God tells us in His Word about that one who has lived his or her life this way, as described on that bumper sticker:
Luke 12:16-21
16 Then He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”‘
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
The fact is, as we are told in the Bible, that it is appointed to every man once to die, and then to face the judgment of God (see Hebrews 9:27), where EVERY person will have to stand one day and give an account of their life, and the Bible says that it is ONLY those who have accepted God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ who will be spared what the Bible calls the “White Throne Judgment” (Revelation 20:11-15).
For these people who have accepted Jesus propitious work on Calvary, and have done so by faith, who have also made Him Lord and Savior of their life, the Bible says that they will stand before the “Throne of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), where the Bible says they will receive rewards for the service they have offered God and to others in their life.
Well, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that it is better to be in this latter group, than to be in the first!
For those who have chosen NOT to live their lives for Christ, those who have either ignored or rejected His message of Salvation and Reconciliation, they will face this White Throne Judgment alone and by themselves, with no one to intercede for them.
This is where “being rich towards God” pays off in spades, because unless you have God’s forgiveness in your life, having accepted His awesome gift of grace (which is unmerited favor) that God has given you through faith in His only begotten Son, who is Jesus the Christ (Messiah), then you will go out into eternity lost forever, having rejected your only Salvation.
God will not force upon you in eternity what you have rejected or have ignored all of your life; and if you have either rejected or have ignored God’s plan for reconciliation back into His family, by having rejected the Gospel’s message, then it will be your decision to face eternity on your own, without benefit of a Saviour.
For many people it is only at the end of their life that they finally realize what the truly important things are, when they are lying on their deathbed, after having spent their entire life chasing after that golden carrot, and the truth is most will never even get it, not even close; but when they find themselves now facing eternity, this is when they finally realize that certain opportunities are lost and are now gone forever; things like having more time to spend with loved ones, and with their children; or being a better husband or wife, father or mother; and having spent their life investing themselves in others; and living it for God… these are the things that in the end are important.
So then, getting back to my original question, what exactly is FAITH and how does it differ from just belief?
Somebody sent me this story today that got me thinking along these lines, and I think I’ll pass it along; because I think it describes what the difference is between Faith and Belief perfectly.
Believing and depending are not the same thing:
Years ago there was a very famous tight rope walker named Blondin. He would often amaze people by walking on a wire over incredible heights.
On one of these occasions, he was performing his act over Niagara Falls. A huge crowd was watching as Blondin moved confidently out over the churning waterfall and back. Turning to his onlookers, Blondin asked, “Who thinks I can push a wheel barrel across this wire?”
They all shouted, “Yes, we believe you can!”. And so he did. On returning, he asked again, “Do you believe I can push a man across in this wheel barrel?”
Again the crowd shouted in great confidence, “Yes!”
Then Blondin said, “Which one of you will get in?”
That is the difference between believing and depending. It was easy for the people to say, “We believe you can do it!” But it’s quite another thing to climb into the wheel barrel and depend on him to do it.
Where are you, in your Faith today; or is what you are calling FAITH only belief?
Are you in the crowd shouting, “God can do it?” Or are you in the wheel barrel praying, “God, I’m depending on You.”
The depending prayer and our absolute reliance on God can and often is very scary, but it’s also the most rewarding way to live.
Let’s all hop in God’s wheel barrow, and live the adventure!
Dependency Checklist:
How can you tell if you are just believing in prayer, or really depending on prayer?
Consider these questions as someone who is in God’s wheel barrow.
Do I feel vulnerable? Being in a wheel barrow on a tight rope is a scary deal, even if God is the one who’s pushing.
Do I have an alternative? Once you are out on the wire, there is no other way, you don’t have a plan “B”.
Am I willing to accept whatever answer God gives me? – A wheel barrow passenger has no rights, he does whatever the driver says.
Am I carefully listening for His answer, or instructions? – You bet you are! Your life depends on hearing anything He says.
Am I tuning out all other distractions so I can focus on Him? Absolutely, the roaring water, the cheering crowd, all fade away as you train your ear on the Master’s voice.
Do I have hope that God can make a way? Of, course! You would never get into the wheel barrow unless you had faith that He could get you across.
The dictionary description for “depend” is, “To rely, to place trust or confidence.”
King David, in the Old Testament, was someone who fits this description. Over and over again he relied on, “the God of heaven” while facing hopeless difficulties.
As a young boy he had to confront a lion and bear to protect his sheep. Each of these struggles prepared him for greater challenges.
He was offered armor by Saul and he refused it and decided rather to believe in God and take Him at His word. His faith and his commitment (his dependency) was only in God, that God cause him to defeat his enemy. If not certainly David would have been dead!
David took a stand and he depended on God to be true to His word and He was.
David killed Goliath with one stone and he had 5 more in the bag to kill Goliath’s brothers if they showed up.
Dependency on God’s promises guarantees results in our favor every time.
In the midst of confusion and darkness, God always is faithful to provide us with a message of hope for our future.
With everything that is coming upon the world today, in nature, economics, world division and conflicts, wars and rumors of wars, pestilences of all kinds in different places, earthquakes and signs in the heavens, as in the drastic weather patterns we have seen of late, that has pounded the East Coast, and with all of these things together, it should be all but oblivious to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear that our world is in a period of transition.
There is much talk today about the Mayan Calendar and want it means for the end of 2012; and then you have all these other events that are pounding this world today… it’s enough to make your head swim.
Whatever you believe or don’t believe about all of this, one thing is sure, and that is our World today is in turmoil, and it is exactly as our Lord said it would be, just prior to His return.
I ran across this article and these prophecies today, and I thought to pass them along, as I feel they give us a much needed sense of order and perspective in all of this confusion, in the knowledge that for the covenant child of God, as per the promises of God’s Word, things are never out of control, but they are always under His ultimate control.
God’s Word is that which lights our path ahead in times of trouble; and gives us reason to hope!.
From Kathie Walters Ministry –
A DAY LIKE NO OTHER – THEN COMES FREEDOM:
Ian Johnson
Because 31st October is 95 years since the ANZAC forces (Australia & New Zealand Army Corp) saw Be’ersheba in Israel freed from 400 years (to the day) of Turkish Ottoman rule. (The Turks took over on the 31st Oct 1517) I started to do a bit of research and the Lord started to speak to me about the significants of the hour. Actually the day 31st Oct.
It was on the 31st Oct 1517 that Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the door of the Church in Guttenberg to bring freedom. So it’s now 495 years since that event.
It was on the 31st Oct 1904 that Evan Roberts returned to his home Church in Loughor. His purpose was to attend a series of meetings to awaken people to Christ. Within two weeks large parts of Wales were in revival.
Quite by chance I discovered that 95 on the Table of essential Elements is Am – Americium and I thought OK that’s US-America.
I heard the Lord speak clearly, He said: “The God of New York has been silenced (The Stock Exchange) and the underground has been halted.(The enemies Kingdom). Now let the God of Israel be seen because there is an exchange of wealth and a release of the Kingdom of heaven on earth.”For those who have ears let them hear. 31st October is an exchange of Kingdom authority and a new season of release. Don’t fear; call out to HIM… nothing will ever be the same.
….
For the USA I hear; “even in the face of the storm, don’t be afraid but call on the name of the Lord”. There is another 31st Oct event coming that will explode into a huge move of God and a transfer of wealth from the enemies’ camp and into the Kingdom of God.
The current Storm is a signal of the transfer of Kingdoms. It just so happens it’s also the 95th Storm with Barometric pressure lower than 960 to hit the East Coast of USA since 1948 when Israel became a nation. There’s that number again, 95.
My friends in the USA have told me that they are feeling the breeze of a fresh move. Hold steady my friends because the storm will try to blow you off course. The Atmosphere in the East Coast of the USA currently is quite unlike anything ever experienced. That because there is an exchange of Kingdoms occurring.
In the same way the ANZAC’s faced impossible odds in 1917 and Martin Luther in 1517 also Evan Roberts in 1904 but then came the start of a move of freedom; so too this October 31st 2012 is a day to mark the turning point in the USA. Don’t look at the circumstances hear what the Spirit is saying in the midst of the storm.
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Prophesied by Chuck Pierce on Sat., July 30, 2011:
PART 1 – PART 2
From this AM below – WOW WOW
The Spirit of the Lord began to speak, “You will decree a release of one of those scrolls.” I stood up and said, “The Lord would say, “Watch Washington, D.C., for there will come upon the place a physical storm. This storm will be a sign. This sign is necessary and cannot be prevented. This physical storm will rest down and when the storm descends—–the scroll for the government of this land will be unlocked.
“I will unwind a structure that has gotten intertwined with the enemy’s plans. I will reinstitute law in this land that has been removed. I am sending angels in at My command based upon the revelation that is being spoken now, and from those angelic hosts, a land and its governments will be changed.”
(Posted on Elijah List) Note: The name “Sandy” means: “protector of mankind, helper of humanity, defender of mankind.”
PART 2 – Now take a look at this – Chuck Pierce prophesied this JUST THIS MORNING 10-30-12
Chuck Pierce was leading the morning prayer. There were quite a few gathered. I recorded it and will transcribe and send overview later.
This storm was for a cleansing of the foundations, the original 13 colonies (even the seeds laid within the original 13 colonies that have laid dormant will now begin to sprout with this cleansing storm) and the cornerstones and power structures have been cleansed, even the statue of liberty representing the liberty of this nation has been cleansed by the storm and there will now be new liberty coming. God has given us a second chance. Redistribution of the wealth that has been held up has been released. Even the old Masonic cornerstones have been cleansed (this was the hold up).
There has been released a river of glory which has changed the old cornerstones.
WE ARE TO KEEP DECLARING: PROTECT WITH YOUR HAND BUT WE TRUST THE REARRANGEMENT OF THE ORDER OF THIS LAND. <—Is this NOT what all the intercessory prayer groups have been praying for? For GOD to heal our land? AMEN GLORY TO YOU LORD!!!
This new river will not be like the old rivers we have walked in.
MORE TO COME LATER – PRAISE GOD…
The Bible is the ONLY book ever written that gives the future as history; and we can know we are in the “Last Days” because of the prophetic signs that have been foretold regarding what things would be happening in the last days.
There are many many examples found all throughout the Bible, where God has provided us with a light for our feet, to offer us encouragement and to give us direction in times of trouble, and here are just a few:
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. …
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.
And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. …
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. …
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. …
You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them.
“Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.
“At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. …
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. …
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
[[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. …
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. …
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” …
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. …
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, …
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ …
You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army.
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
The fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
To execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as theLord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. …
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
This just in from Kathie Walters Ministry — A DAY LIKE NO OTHER – THEN COMES FREEDOM.
Ian Johnson
Because 31st October is 95 years since the ANZAC forces (Australia & New Zealand Army Corp) saw Be’ersheba in Israel freed from 400 years (to the day) of Turkish Ottoman rule. (The Turks took over on the 31st Oct 1517) I started to do a bit of research and the Lord started to speak to me about the significants of the hour. Actually the day 31st Oct.
It was on the 31st Oct 1517 that Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the door of the Church in Guttenberg to bring freedom. So it’s now 495 years since that event.
It was on the 31st Oct 1904 that Evan Roberts returned to his home Church in Loughor. His purpose was to attend a series of meetings to awaken people to Christ. Within two weeks large parts of Wales were in revival.
Quite by chance I discovered that 95 on the Table of essential Elements is Am – Americium and I thought OK that’s US-America.
I heard the Lord speak clearly, He said: “The God of New York has been silenced (The Stock Exchange) and the underground has been halted.(The enemies Kingdom). Now let the God of Israel be seen because there is an exchange of wealth and a release of the Kingdom of heaven on earth.”For those who have ears let them hear. 31st October is an exchange of Kingdom authority and a new season of release. Don’t fear; call out to HIM… nothing will ever be the same.
…. Read More Link on Right
For the USA I hear; “even in the face of the storm, don’t be afraid but call on the name of the Lord”. There is another 31st Oct event coming that will explode into a huge move of God and a transfer of wealth from the enemies’ camp and into the Kingdom of God.
The current Storm is a signal of the transfer of Kingdoms. It just so happens it’s also the 95th Storm with Barometric pressure lower than 960 to hit the East Coast of USA since 1948 when Israel became a nation. There’s that number again, 95.
My friends in the USA have told me that they are feeling the breeze of a fresh move. Hold steady my friends because the storm will try to blow you off course. The Atmosphere in the East Coast of the USA currently is quite unlike anything ever experienced. That because there is an exchange of Kingdoms occurring.
In the same way the ANZAC’s faced impossible odds in 1917 and Martin Luther in 1517 also Evan Roberts in 1904 but then came the start of a move of freedom; so too this October 31st 2012 is a day to mark the turning point in the USA. Don’t look at the circumstances hear what the Spirit is saying in the midst of the storm.
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Prophesied by Chuck Pierce on Sat., July 30, 2011: PART 1 – PART 2 From this AM below – WOW WOW
The Spirit of the Lord began to speak, “You will decree a release of one of those scrolls.” I stood up and said, “The Lord would say, “Watch Washington, D.C., for there will come upon the place a physical storm. This storm will be a sign. This sign is necessary and cannot be prevented. This physical storm will rest down and when the storm descends—–the scroll for the government of this land will be unlocked.
“I will unwind a structure that has gotten intertwined with the enemy’s plans. I will reinstitute law in this land that has been removed. I am sending angels in at My command based upon the revelation that is being spoken now, and from those angelic hosts, a land and its governments will be changed.”
(Posted on Elijah List) Note: The name “Sandy” means: “protector of mankind, helper of humanity, defender of mankind.”
PART 2 – Now take a look at this – Chuck Pierce prophesied this JUST THIS MORNING 10-30-12
Chuck Pierce was leading the morning prayer. There were quite a few gathered. I recorded it and will transcribe and send overview later.
This storm was for a cleansing of the foundations, the original 13 colonies (even the seeds laid within the original 13 colonies that have laid dormant will now begin to sprout with this cleansing storm) and the cornerstones and power structures have been cleansed, even the statue of liberty representing the liberty of this nation has been cleansed by the storm and there will now be new liberty coming. God has given us a second chance. Redistribution of the wealth that has been held up has been released. Even the old Masonic cornerstones have been cleansed (this was the hold up).
There has been released a river of glory which has changed the old cornerstones.
WE ARE TO KEEP DECLARING: PROTECT WITH YOUR HAND BUT WE TRUST THE REARRANGEMENT OF THE ORDER OF THIS LAND. <—Is this NOT what all the intercessory prayer groups have been praying for? For GOD to heal our land? AMEN GLORY TO YOU LORD!!!
This new river will not be like the old rivers we have walked in.
It is anything that foreshadows or foretells a future event; such as a prophecy, an omen, or a sign.
God has prepared a Harbinger message for America, that is both rooted and grounded in His Word. This message is most definitely directed at America today, just as it once was directed to Israel, ages ago; when Israel was also in a state of rebellion against God.
This is our warning folks, our wake up call; and I can only hope and pray that America is paying attention!
As happened with Israel of old, likewise America’s leadership today, instead of repenting and turning their hearts back towards the God of our forefathers, they have instead hardened their hearts against God, as have most of the American people.
What America needs now, more than anything, is a Spiritual Awakening within the Church, and Revival in our land, among the unsaved.
It is imperative that this message be broadcast across our land in this day; and we can only pray that America wakes up, and that “We the People” will truly humble ourselves and pray, seeking God’s face and turning from our wicked ways; so that God would hear our prayers and heal our land. Selah
There is no prophetic message that is more specifically intended for America, for our day and time, than this one.
I am sure it will send shivers up your spine, as it did mine, to know that all of this was prophesied so long ago, in the Bible; and it’s as if our leaders in this present day are reading a script taken from the Bible.
God is preparing His Covenant children in our day, just as Yahshua (Jesus) warned His disciples during His earthly ministry ,over 2000 years ago; and so once again that same message is re sounding in our day and in our land, as well, for all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church today, to take heed and pay attention!
Wake up America, because unless we take God’s warning seriously; and unless we repent, our days as a free people are numbered..
It’s interesting how Jesus warned us how the days that would precede His Second Coming would be just like the days of Noah.
The Bible tells us that Noah preached and warned the people for over 100 years; and it goes on to say how the people of his day *bought and sold, and carried on business as usual, ignoring his message of repentance, until the flood came and only eight souls were saved, Noah and his family.
For a more detailed account of this prophecy, please click on the link below
(please note there are four segments to this video that will play one after another):
Riding the Waves in life… and enjoying the adventure!
Colossians 3:17,23
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.
We have a choice in life in everything we do. What is our motivation and our purpose?
Are we just pursuing personal ambitions and goals in order to gain material things that we want, or maybe even things we need?
There’s nothing wrong with making plans and having goals, because certainly you will get to your destination easier with a map and a plan, than you will without; but for most people unless you are pursuing your life’s goals with a joyful and teachable heart, and also with enthusiasm, then you will many times get frustrated along the way,and quit prematurely, before ever finishing your project or achieving your goal.
That word “enthusiasm” is very interesting as we study its etymological roots:
Enthusiasm — from its source in Greek.
Enthusiasm first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning “possession by a god.” The source of the word is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, “having the god within,” formed from en, “in, within,” and theos, “god.”
Over time the meaning of enthusiasm became extended to “rapturous inspiration like that caused by a god.”
Translated the word means “in or along side with God,” in other words whatever you do in word or deed, or in life, do it enthusiastically with God; and then God’s JOY will see you through. For the Joy of the Lord is our strength!
Many people will try as they will to focus on being disciplined and achieving their goals and sticking to their plans, and if you can do that consistently then that’s great; but most will fail because they make the process a drudgery, and will labor, sweat, and struggle every step of the way, and then quit with that goal or project unfinished.
What’s the point? You’ll fail about a third to half the time, and then feel like a failure for not being disciplined or sticking to your goal or plan.
In contrast, if you do the exact same thing with enthusiasm, as unto God and with God, and at the same time let go of the expectation you’ve set for yourself and just have fun doing it, enjoying the process, then you may find a different result. Let the JOY of the Lord be your strength.
Let’s take a few examples:
If you set out on a really tough 3-day hike through some mountains, and make it through the first day and night but get too tired in the middle of the second day, is that a failure?
It is a failure if you are mad at yourself for not getting to the end, for not being disciplined. It’s a success, though, if you decided at the beginning to do it just for fun, as unto the Lord, and had a great time while you were doing it.
If you start writing a book but only get about halfway through, is that a success or failure?
It’s a failure if you expected to get finished and are disappointed in yourself for not sticking it through to the goal. It’s a success if you decided to do it for fun, as unto the Lord, and had wonderful time writing.
If you start an online venture and it doesn’t take off and you have to call it quits after a year — is that a failure?
Well, by now you know the answer. Have fun doing it, do it as unto the Lord, and it’s always a success.
The key is we are to seek God for wisdom and guidance in everything we do, first and foremost; and this is especially true if this is an important life goal that we are pursuing.
Next it is our persistence over time that will cause us to succeed.
Don’t think that you are a failure just because you fail a few times; the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is that those who have succeeded have learned not to quit!
The fact that you fail along the way is normal for most people. You learn from your mistakes and you keep moving forward, that’s the key; but you do so with enthusiasm, meaning you do it with God, and that makes all the difference in the world. It then becomes an adventure, and a learning experience.
If you go for a walk, a run, a hike, do it for fun, with joy, as unto the Lord, not just for the benefits that you might get. The benefits are an important part of it and are a motivation, but we must learn patience and long-suffering in the process. It is the process that is most important to God and our attitude while under pressure that He looks to.
Most people are merely thermometers and only reflect their environment; God is rather looking for us to be thermostats, which change it, by our very presence.
Do experiments in your life; try different things, and whatever you do, do it for fun, do it with joy, as unto the Lord; and not just because of the desired results.
If you persist, and don’t quit, the results will come in time; just probably not on the first time you try.
Life is a process that includes successes and failures, they are a part of the trip, so get use to it; and if you persevere to the end, you will succeed.
That’s the message of the Bible, as Paul describes it, when he tell us that we are in a race. We discipline ourselves and we train our bodies in order to win the prize, but the key thing in God’s Kingdom is that Jesus has already won the race for us; and the way we win is that we don’t quit!.
Wake up each day with expectation and excitement for what God has in store for you today; and then move forward throughout your day remaining connected to Him; acknowledging Him in all your ways, and being sensitive to His leading and direction moment by moment.
Merely enjoy the process instead of struggling always for the goal. Recognize too that any interruptions and/or delays that you may experience along the way may just be a part of that process, and should be accepted. Rejoice in the Lord, in EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the well of God, in Christ Jesus for you!
This one is hard for me; but I have to always remind myself that, as promised in His Word, God is directing my steps.
Every waking moment should be lived this way..
It shifts everything. It doesn’t only determine whether something’s a success or failure — it changes your attitude while you do anything, while you’re talking with someone or reading or watching something. Your mood lifts, you are kinder to others, you have a smile on your face.
Do handstands. Dance. Bound up a hill. Sing with your child. Write something with a light and lifted heart. Be love, and compassion, and joy.
Enthusiastically live your life always connected to your Source (who is Jesus) and whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord! Selah
And all of life is about our learning to follow Him!
Now either you believe that or not, that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; that He is Lord (God incarnate — God with us, who has come in the flesh); and that He alone is the author and Creator of your life.
If you are one of those who call yourself a Christian, then you know that our whole faith rests on this one point, that Jesus is Messiah and He is God with us, and yet there are many people (and I know because I was once like this myself) who claim to be Christian, but their lives don’t show evidence of that fact, because Jesus has not yet been made Lord of their lives.
There are many today who only have a casual relationship with Jesus, kind of like dating with no commitment.
Jesus makes it clear in the Bible that not everyone who says he is a Christian is. What makes the difference is who is sitting on the throne of your heart?
Matthew 7:22-23
22 When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ 23 Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’
Obviously these were the ones who were active in ministry, whom Jesus says He never new; let alone those who were just nominal Christians.
Many people say that they are spiritual, something we hear a lot today (which really just means they live by their own rules, and the god they serve is either one they create in their mind, or that of a group or cult whose beliefs do not line up with the Bible); they may be religious, and maybe even go to church every now and again, or maybe not; but this one thing they all have in common, until such time as they are Born-again, is that they have not yet learned that to be a Christian means that you die to yourself, you pick up your cross daily, and you live your life for Jesus 24/7, one day at a time.
God very patiently and long-sufferingly waits for us to notice Him, that He really does love us; and that He has provided for each of us a way to come home and to be reconciled back into His family, but only through faith in Jesus Christ!
The fact is God speaks to every individual, if we would only learn to pay attention with an open heart to what happens to us moment by moment.
For us to discern God’s voice in our daily activities, there remains but one single duty for each believer, and that is to keep his or her gaze fixed upon the Master, and to live one’s life in the moment.
Do you find that all too often your world in a whirlwind; are the gathering clouds that are forming over your life giving you anxious thoughts, as this world seemingly is spinning out of control; are your problems, your trials, and your difficulties occupying most of your attention?
If this sounds familiar, then might I recommend that you read the following verses of scripture, from the Psalms:
Psalm 46
God Protects His People
1 God is our protection and our strength.
He always helps in times of trouble. 2 So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes,
or the mountains fall into the sea, 3 even if the oceans roar and foam,
or the mountains shake at the raging sea. Selah
4 There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
the holy place where God Most High lives. 5 God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken.
God will help her at dawn. 6 Nations tremble and kingdoms shake.
God shouts and the earth crumbles.
7 The Lord All-Powerful is with us;
the God of Jacob is our defender. Selah
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the amazing things he has done on the earth. 9 He stops wars everywhere on the earth.
He breaks all bows and spears
and burns up the chariots with fire. 10God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be praised in all the nations;
I will be praised throughout the earth.”
11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us;
the God of Jacob is our defender. Selah
This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible, in verse 10, where God says for us to “Be still and know that I AM (is) God!”
If you will remember “I AM that I AM” was the name that God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai, when Moses asked “Who shall I say sent me?”
What I believe is the significance of this name “I AM that I AM” to us is that the Lord, though He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He is only available to each of us, to commune with us, in the space of the present moment… one moment at a time.
All too often we are of a divided mind; if we aren’t fretting over some anticipated problem tomorrow (95+ percent of which never happens and so all that is wasted energy), or we are regretting some mistake or wrong that happened in our past.
Either way we are missing out on communion with God, because God, who is eternal and therefore exists outside of both time and space, is only available to each of us in the space of the present moment, one moment at a time.
So instead of our just reacting to life’s problems with anxious thoughts, as we do most times, we need to still our soul; take time to back up, open our hearts (our spiritual sight and ears) and ask God to illuminate the situation. Nothing is ever out of control in the life of a believer, and as believers we certainly are NOT exempt from having trials and tribulations, as does the world. In fact, the truth be known, once you gave your heart and life to Jesus, you were put on Satan’s hit list!
Listen to what the Lord is saying in the following scripture:
Isaiah 50:10-11
10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
That person may walk in the dark
and have no light (understanding).
Then let him trust in the Lord
and yet depend on his God. 11 But instead, some of you want to light your own fires
and make your own light (in your understanding).
So, go, walk in the light of your fires,
and trust your own light to guide you.
But this is what you will receive from me:
You will lie down in a place of pain.
As Christians we are God’s occupational force in the earth, and we have signed up to be His representatives, His Ambassadors, in the earth. As such we are not here to represent our interests, but we are here to surrender our will to His.
We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him, and then His promise is that He shall direct our paths. (Prov 3:5-6)
We each have to choose to be constantly listening, and responding to his many nudges throughout our day. Kind of like when you get up in the morning and you want to know what the weather is going to be for that day, you turn on the radio and then continue your morning routine, with one ear tuned to when the weather report comes on.
In other words, what God is saying to us is, we are to live our lives normally, and live each day going through our normal routines and activities; but at the same time we are to keep that connection with Him throughout our day, so that when we hear His still small voice or we feel His nudge, we will respond… as He may say: go speak to that person, or go do this or that.
God doesn’t always send us an angel to give us a message, and He doesn’t always speak through what we would call supernatural means either. He doesn’t have to because if you are a true Christian than God is closer to you than your next breath.
He may at times speak in those supernatural ways, through angels or in a thunderous voice, but those times are few and far between; and I believe they only happen when it is warranted because of the urgency of the situation; but most times God comes to us in very natural and ordinary ways.
Like he did with little Samuel in the Bible, who hears his name called three times, thinking each time that it was his master Eli who was calling; until on the third time Eli told him that it was God who was calling him.
If God had come to that little boy with some earth shattering sign or manifestation in the middle of the night, he would have scared him; but no God comes to us in ways that are very normal, and he speaks to us in ways that if we aren’t careful we can miss Him completely because we weren’t paying attention.
The reason He can do this is because His Spirit lives inside of each of us, that is if we are Born-again; and so His voice most often will come up from the innermost part of our spirit-man, and will most often come to us as a thought or in a vision, which we can completely miss, unless we are paying attention.
It’s kind of like the way a woman learns to dance, when she is a good dance partner, she is very sensitive in anticipating the next move of her partner, so that they may move as one. Likewise, we have to learn to dance with God, through the Holy Spirit’s leading and nudging in our life.
The only condition necessary for this state of self-surrender is for us to learn how to live in the present moment, where the soul, light as a feather, fluid as water, innocent as a child, responds to the ever present wind of the Spirit, in every movement, just like a floating balloon.
John 3:5-8
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
It is that very connection to God, in faith, and our moment by moment submission and obedience to God in the present moment, moment by moment, that is the secret to our learning to receive from God and to hear His voice.
There is no difference between the Sacred and secular, for God’s influence and power permeates all things, even the most trivial.
From God Calling:
Hear My AnswerLord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto Thee.The cry of the human soul is never unheard. It is never that God does not hear the cry, but that man fails to hear the response.
Like parts of a machine, made to fit each into the other, and to work in perfect harmony, so is the human cry and the God-response.
But man treats this cry as if it were a thing alone, to be heard, or not, as it pleased God, not realizing that the response was there in all eternity, awaiting the cry, and only man’s failing to heed, or to listen, kept him unaware of the response, and unsaved, unhelped by it.
If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14,15
Join the adventure of a lifetime, give your heart and your life to Jesus; make Him Lord of your life, and then enter into the University of the Holy Spirit, that you may learn to discern His voice and His leading in your life, moment by moment. Selah
This world and more importantly our nation is in serious trouble.
The truth is this de facto D.C. Corporation has declared war not only on our U.S. Constitution, but they also have declared war on “We the People” as well.
More than ever we really do need to pray for discernment to see and hear what is truly going on, especially in this election year.
There is a lot at stake here, and we need to understand that we cannot long exist as a free people when our politicians lie to us, and say whatever they think will get our vote, with no follow through and no accountability from the media to hold their feet to the fire after the election.
This happens every four years, and the American people know it and even joke about it, and yet here we are in another election year and people are thinking once again that this next guy, this possible next change in administrations, will be the answer to our problems.
We said and thought the same thing about Bush, and I was saying it too! I supported Bush and his father, and I have been a Republican all of my life, until I found out what was truly going on.
We had eight years with George W. Bush in office and he did nothing of consequence, except he whittle more of our Constitutional rights away from us, and this has been going on for years!
It’s just getting to the point now that these politicians don’t even pretend to take their oath of office serious, and they actually consider the Constitution their enemy, because they have a whole different agenda for the United States, then what the American people elected them for!
In fact the two worse presidencies, when it comes to passing legislation and signing executive orders into law that strongly violate our U.S. Constitution, Obama and Bush together pretty much head the list:
The Bush and Obama Administrations shredded the U.S. Constitution. They have the worst record in history. Granted, there were some pretty bad presidents. Presidents Woodrow Wilson, F.D.R., and Jimmy Carter make my list. But Bush and Obama are getting there. Obama’s three year record alone qualifies him for this title.
Let’s look at President George W. Bush. A man who ran on a humble foreign policy and who entered office with a $236 billion surplus, Bush left government in terrible shape. He left a $454.8 billion federal budget deficit. He also increased the U.S. debt from$5,943,438,563,436 to $10,699,804,864,612 or roughly an 89 percent change in debt. His fiscal irresponsibility occurred because of his unconstitutional policies.
Bush approved several fiscally irrational ideas. Bush accepted the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 which had a cost estimate of $1.2 trillion. This law expanded Medicare which is perceived by fiscal conservatives as a mortal sin. It expanded the scope of the Commerce Clause which allows Congress “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes.” In no way does the Commerce Clause allow government to syphon more than a trillion dollars to increase healthcare coverage…
The two most horrendous pieces of legislation that have been passed I think was the Patriot Act and NDAA, where now government officials can come into your home, without a warrant and without probable cause; they can now arrest you and hold you indefinitely without filing charges, and without due process as outlined in our U.S. Constitution.
Those two laws in and of themselves, one signed by Bush and the other by Obama, tells you where these two political parties are taking our country!
The problem is we need to quit viewing our elections as Right verses Left, Democrat verses Republican, and we need to get our country off of this Corporate merry-go-round that we’ve been on for the last 141 years.
Instead, we need to return our government to it’s proper de jure foundation, as per our Founding Fathers, which is neither a corporation nor is it a democracy, but rather a Constitutional Republic!
Until that happens and until we remove the corrupting influence of private international bankers and lying dishonest politicians from our government, than nothing is going to change folks… can’t you see that?
We need to vote people into office, under a the Republic government, because that is the ONLY lawful governmet that we have.
This UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INC is not a government at all, and it is the biggest fraud in history that has been perpetrated upon the American people.
No this D.C. INC is a corporation; and it together with the Bankers who control it and pervert it, and the politicians (Democrat and Republic) who support their agenda, who have sold our country and our constitution out, they are taking our nation into a “New World Order.”
We need to first repair the foundation of our government before we do anything, because nothing else will save us from their agenda.
Then afterwards, when we vote men and woman to take office under our de jure Republic, we need to vote for people who have a proven track record as being people of character, who will support and abide by our U.S. Constitution; and in my opinion we also need to elect people to office, who are like our first President, George Washington, whose first accountability is to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
In these times especially, we really do need to be wise as serpents and yet harmless as doves, as our Lord instructed.
This Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven is powerful and it is to be preached to the ends of the earth; and that’s the the God given assignment of every Christian.
Many however doubt the reality of the spiritual world, but as we study the Bible (in 1 Corinthians 15:46) we learn that the spirit world is even more real than the physical one that we live in, and the reason why we know this is true is because it was the spiritual that came first, and then came the natural, and after the natural world is gone there will always be the spiritual for God Himself is a Spirit.
This stuff is real folks and I can’t stress enough the importance of our getting this message out to an unsaved world; and especially here in our own country!
We each need to make a decision, and that is whether to consider this message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, receive it, and be saved; or reject it, or ignore it, either way that person who either rejects it or ignores it, and then dies without his or her Saviour, the Bible says they are lost forever.
The Bible tells us that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved; it also says that there is ONLY one name under heaven whereby any man or woman can be saved, and that is in the name of Jesus!
Below is a testimony of a man who was actually crossing that line, unsaved, without his Saviour; and while they were still working on him in the hospital, and as he saw the dark spirits gathering to take him away, he had the presence of mind to called upon the name of Jesus!
For those of us who have accepted this Gospel’s message, who are born-again, we are in a war, and our enemy’s biggest advantage today is that so many people don’t even acknowledge or believe in his existence.
How can you fight something or someone if you don’t believe it exists?
There are even those within the church who don’t believe that this spiritual battle is real, and they are trying to fight by carnal means, and the Bible says that just won’t work!
Below are some tools that I thought would be helpful in how to wage our war in the spirit.
We have, as Jesus said, ALL power in heaven and earth at our disposal to get this job done… we just need to it! Also, let us start by fighting this battle to save our nation by getting on our knees as well.
Tools for Victory By Larry Ollison, Ph.D. Satan is relentless. He doesn’t give up. He knows that one Spirit-filled Christian, walking in faith, can deal a severe blow to his kingdom. Even though Satan has been defeated and his destiny has been sealed, he doesn’t believe it.
Jesus said in John 8:44 that Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Jesus exposed Satan for what he really is. Satan is a liar. And he must believe his own lies because he still attempts to win.
The Bible tells that we are to not be ignorant of the devices of the devil. He is a relentless enemy. But, even though he is relentless, he still uses the same old methods. His methods haven’t changed in 2000 years. We know from the Word of God that he doesn’t give up just because someone is seeking the truth, or just because we are a Christian.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted the Word. Satan was defeated in this exchange of events, but the Bible tells us something very interesting here about the nature of Satan. The Bible says that after Jesus spoke the Word and Satan left, he didn’t leave without a plan. He just retreated for a little while and waited for another opportunity to attack. The Bible says he left and waited for a more opportune time.
Now, here’s the good news. We have been given authority over Satan and his entire kingdom of darkness. We as Christians have been given, by Jesus, the authority to remove the forces of darkness from our path anytime, anywhere. Of course, there are limits to our authority and conditions to our authority, but nevertheless we have been given authority and as Christians, we are a major threat to Satan’s kingdom.
Satan does not want you to know you have authority over him. Remember, he is a liar, and many times he uses religion to bind Christians.
What I mean is this. The only thing that will repel the forces of evil is the name of Jesus. Jesus gave us, the church, authority to use His name.
Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.” Here Jesus said that those who believe would have authority over the evil forces of the spirit world. In fact, Jesus said that those who believed in Him would cast out demons. Are you a believer? If you are a Christian, then you have this authority and Jesus expects you to use it.
Remember, Satan wants to destroy you. But, I have good news. Satan doesn’t always get what he wants. The only way he can get to you, the only way he can distract you, the only way he can neutralize you is if you let him.
In this spiritual battle, as Christians, we have no excuses. Jesus has given us all the weapons we need. He has given us the authority. He has given us the Word. He has given us His blood. He has given us His name, and He has given us faith. With these tools, nothing can defeat us and we can walk in victory.
Jesus said, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
This picturereveals the heart of God toward you. As you look at the painting you see not only Jesus wrapping His arms around a fallen man, you see Him wrapping His arms of mercy around you. Your eyes say, “Jesus is holding a broken sinner.” Your heart says, “Jesus is holding me.” When you look at the cross you will never need to question if He loves you. He came for you — He died for you — He lives for you. What a tremendous price has been paid — more than all the riches in the entire world. This price was paid so that you could know the joy of being forgiven. ROY LESSIN
Jesus Loves You
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
The Best way to live life is to start by entering into relationship with the author of your life, by having fellowship and communion with the One who gave you your life.
Truly that’s what we ALL are looking for anyway, and without that connection in our life we all are as fish out of water, flopping around trying to find our way home.
The question is often asked, “What is the meaning of life and why am I here?”
Well for that answer I have learned to look to the Operations Manual for life… which is the Bible.
How can we know that the Bible is truly God’s Word?
Well to start with, the Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 authors, in three different languages, on three different continents, over approximately 1600 years. The Bible itself claims to be inspired and the inerrant Word of God. This means that the Bible claims to be from God and that it is without error in everything it addresses.
How can we know this is so?
Well to start you have to read it; and when you do, you will find that God has provided in the Bible every evidence that truly this Book is of extra terrestrial origin.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
II Timothy 3:16
“No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1:20-21
Here’s further evidence that the Bible is God’s Word:
Because it claims to be (as read in our Scriptures above).
Because It hits the nail right on the head concerning the sinfulness of mankind. 2nd Timothy 3:1-7 reads, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Mankind is evil through and through. The humanists say man can improve. The New Age gang says that we can become gods. Evolutionists claim we all came from apes (with NO proof whatsoever). The Mormons say we can become gods. Do you think the American Psychiatric Association is going to tell you that you’re a sinner on your way to Hell if you die in your sins? No! This is not just religion friend, this is YOUR LIFE!!! What Book is there on this earth that gives you the plain truth about mankind and life? THE WORD OF GOD is the only answer! The Bible plainly teaches that man is prone to destruction because man has a sin-nature (Romans 3:10,23;5:12;7:21).
Archaeology is in agreement with the Word of God. Not one spadefull of dirt has ever been uncovered to disprove the Word of God. In fact, many Archaeological expeditions have provided substantial evidence in support of Biblical claims. We don’t need Archeology to prove the Bible, the Bible is evidence enough by itself. Yet, here are more proofs if you need them. The Bible Itself is all the evidence I need.
The Bible is scientifically accurate. Isaiah 40:22 declares that the earth is round. Leviticus 17:11 declares that the life is in the blood. For centuries doctors foolishly drained the blood out of their patients resulting in certain death. The Bible also mentions astronomy, Job 9:9 mentions Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades. Proverb 17:22 teaches that good health is directly linked to being happy. Psychiatrists offices are overflowing today with the stressed out people. Happiness can only come from being saved and living for the Truth of God’s Word.
The Bible was miraculously written. The Bible was written over a 1,500 year period by 40 different men as God’s Holy Spirit moved through them. There is NO earthly way possible that so many men (most of whom never met each other), could have written so many different books in different styles that all perfectly merge into one meaningful Book, but with God all things are possible!!!
The world’s hatred for the Word of God. John 3:20 reads, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” This is why the unsaved world hates Jesus Christ and His Word so intensely, because They expose sin! NO book on this planet is hated anywhere near as much as the Bible. Most people hate the Truth. Speaking the Truth is a fast way to make enemies, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?.” The world hated Jesus without a cause because He spoke the Truth (John 15:25).
The world’s hatred for Christians. Jesus said, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” -John 17:14. I’ve been despised and hated my whole life because of my Christian testimony. I know what it’s like to be ostracized by others, to be lied about, to be called a hypocrite, to be laughed at and ridiculed, to be the black sheep of the family. But I know God will make everything right in Heaven. Jesus told us that we’d be hated. It’s really Jesus and the Bible that they hate, not us. I’m not going to feel bad about something that God said would happen. I don’t like to be hated, but I love the Truth and want to please God by proclaiming It far and wide.
The attack from false religions. The book of Koran is a jumbled mess containing no prophecy at all. The Koran attacks Christians, Jews, and the doctrines of the Bible. The Jehovah Witnesses (JW’s) claim that Michael the archangel became Jesus. They deny Christ’s deity. The Mormons deny Christ’s deity. The Catholics pervert the Bible by teaching the necessity of the sacraments for salvation, etc. Wiccan witches reject the Word of God as fables. New Agers teach that there are millions of ways to God, just follow the light; but the Word of God proclaims that there is ONLY one way to Heaven and that’s through Jesus Christ! Every false religion in one way or another twists and corrupts the Word of God. The attack is against the Word of God!!!
The woeful condition of the world. The Bible clearly teaches that Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4). John 10:10 plainly declares that the Devil only comes to kill, steal, and destroy. It’s obvious that there are evil forces at work beyond human suffering and war. Most people believe in God and Satan, so why is it so hard to accept the idea that God would want to communicate with His creation (humanity)? It doesn’t surprise me that spoiled Americans would deny the existence of God and Satan, but ask anyone in a third world nation if they believe. Pride blinds men’s eyes. 1st John 5:19 declares that the whole world lieth in wickedness.
The existence of Satanists and occult groups. The fact that all these Satanic groups, like the Church of Satan are proof of Satan. Wicca witches deny the existence of Satan, but Biblically they are of Satan. Just because they deny the Devil doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. Hitler was known to levitate above the floor. He was infatuated with the occult. America is plagued with occult groups such as Bohemian Grove, Skull and Bones, Freemasonry, and many more. Freemasonry commonly displays an upside down pentagram representing the Devil. They worship the great architect, Baphomet (Satan). Just look online at some of the witchcraft websites speaking about spells, charms, astral projection, astrology, etc. The Bible clearly forbids such activities (Deuteronomy 18:10; 1st Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 47:13, Ephesians 5:11).
The Holy Spirit in my heart. Romans 8:9 reads, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” And Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” What a wonderful Truth, God’s Holy Spirit lives within the body of every believer. I know that the Bible is God’s Word because the Holy Spirit within my body tells me so. It’s not something I can describe. All I can say is that when I read the Word of God, it all makes perfect sense to me. I thank God for His Precious Word!
All of the modern corrupt Bibles. The fact that Satan is trying to eradicate the Truth by corrupting It’s contents speaks volumes. The fact that every modern Bible diminishes the deity of Christ, the blood atonement, the Godhead, and many other doctrines as compared to the King James Bible is evidence that the Bible is indeed God’s Word. Sadly, even many believers have bought into the Devil’s lie of swapping their trustworthy King James Bible for a perversion like the New International Version which completely removes the words “Godhead,” “sodomites,” and even “begotten” in John 3:16. It is so obvious that Satan is relentlessly attacking God’s Word.
Man wouldn’t have written the bible. Man couldn’t have written the Bible if he wanted to, and wouldn’t if he could have. Why would men write a book condemning themselves? Not one book throughout history even comes near to the Bible’s description of mankind. Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” What man could write such a thing?
The lie of evolution. The fact that evolution is taught as if it were a fact all across the world is evidence of man’s unwillingness to learn the Truth. Evolution has no scientific basis, it cannot be tested or studied. Evolution is NOT science, but a mere theory of atheist conjectures. If the Bible is not true, then why is mankind desperately trying to hide his ignorance concerning creation. There is NO answer which makes sense except God. Please read Is There a God?. Evolution is proof of one thing, that man is afraid of the Truth.
Fulfilled Bible Prophecy. The Word of God is filled with much prophecy. Here is a page of many Fulfilled Bible Prophecies. It would be astronomically impossible for any one man to have fulfilled all of the prophecies which Christ fulfilled.
And finally the GREATEST evidence you will find that the BIBLE is truly the inerrant Word of God; the Book of Information Before Leaving Earth; that it’s God’s compass for you in this life to give you direction; and that it’s God’s love letter to you … ALL of these things will become evident to you when you sit down and begin to read it.
But before you start, consider this one thing, the same inspiration that moved upon the holy men of God in ages past, when they pinned the Bible through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is also available to you when you read it, in order to apply God’s truth to your life personally.
Jesus promised us before He left that He would send a Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, to indwell us and to guide and teach us in all truth: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
To explain this, let me just give you an analogy that was once given to me.
Are you familiar with what a holographic image is? It is a three dimensional picture that is created when an image is exposed on film in the light of a laser.
However if you attempt to view that exposed image in normal light you will only see a blur and it will make no sense, the image will only become clear as you view it under the very same light that created it.
The same is true of the Bible. If you attempt to read the Bible on your own, without the Holy Spirit’s illumination, it will just be words on a page, like any other book.
Before you begin to read the Bible, you must pray in faith (as Jesus promised) that the Holy Spirit will begin to illuminate the Scriptures for you, and apply God’s truths to your personal set of circumstances that you are experiencing in your life at this moment, where you are today… and He will.
JESUS… don’t leave home without Him. Start your adventure today!
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 5:3
What does it mean to be “Poor in spirit?”
You could translate it somewhat literally as spiritually needy or maybe spiritually famished. A modern equivalent might be depressed.
Poor in spirit means you’re all washed up,out of options, at the end of your rope.
If that sounds like you, Jesus says you’re blessed!
God’s kingdom, with its wonders, its hope, its promise of healing, is right within your reach.
We ALL have had periods of depression where we feel as though all is lost, sometimes even hopeless as though God has abandoned us.
But faith tells us differently. Faith tells us that our God has not abandoned us and the reason we can know this is true is because He has given us His Word that He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us… no not NEVER!
When we are depressed, we don’t have the strength of will to reach out for anything, not even the kingdom of heaven.
And yet, paradoxically, even when we’re feeling so low that there seems to be no way out, those are the very times that God is inviting us to draw in closer and to stretch the roots of our faith deeper into Him.
Depression is something like being caught in quicksand. It comes upon us so slowly, so subtly many times, until we find ourselves overwhelmed; and the more we try to struggle in our own strength, the deeper we sink.
God has a different plan for us. God’s all about making oak trees, not mushrooms!
With and Oak tree there is a deep root systems that can withstand any storm; but it’s our choice whether we want to be a mighty oak, or a mushroom?
The oak tree takes time to grow. Likewise if we are to grow we have to learn to persevere and how to navigate through our problems and difficulties, trials and tribulations, using God’s Instruction Manual, called the Holy Bible.
One of the main pitfalls that we all face from time to time is depression.
Depression sometimes can come upon us like a whirlwind, that seems to be spinning our life out of control; but FAITH tells us that if we are in Christ, nothing is ever out of control, as we know from God’s Word that God Himself has choreographed each and every detail of our life, and that He did so even before He laid the foundation for the earth, before time began… and you don’t have to understand it, just accept it!
The problem is we are own worst enemy!
Maybe it’s our pride, or maybe our stubbornness, or maybe it’s just the life-sapping nature of this disease, called depression that causes to be so self destructive.
Whatever it is, all too often the tendency for many of us is to withdraw from fellowship when we are feeling depressed, to draw deep within our cave; for others they turn to some sort of self medication, be it alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, or worse sometimes street drugs, all in an effort to deaden the pain, or escape for a time from our problems, or maybe even from ourselves.
However, we still find ourselves waking up the next morning with the same problems and even sometimes we may find that we have even worsen our situation through the collateral damage we might have caused the night before with our harsh words and belligerent attitude towards our neighbors, our friends, or our family.
This is especially true when people drink too much alcohol, because it tends to take away all of our inhibitions to where will do and say things we wouldn’t normally. The nasty thing about words is once you let them loose, you can’t call them back!
What a terrible web of bondage we spin for ourselves by not turning to God in these times, and truly by our actions in seeking relief in our flesh, and not our spirit, we only end up gives further place to the enemy in our lives, which gives way to more strongholds that only worsens every problem and situation that we face. May God help us to not do this!
Whatever your situation or circumstances may be today, however impossible things may seem right now, please just know it’s NEVER impossible and it’s never too late to turn back; God loves you and in His longsuffering He just waits for you to notice!!!
This is what Jesus was talking about in His Sermon on the Mount, when He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”
The poor in spirit are those who realize that they need help outside of themselves; and the truth is God created us to have fellowship and intimacy with Him, and without that connection in our lives, and without that Living Water flowing through our lives, and this is true for all of us… we are as fish out of water, flopping along on dry land looking for our way home.
The problem is, nothing satisfies… not the money, nor the power, and certainly not the alcohol or drugs!
You see God has a destiny and a mission for each of His kids, and if He didn’t, you wouldn’t be here!
Nothing and no one was created in this world without a purpose and a destiny, but it is up to each of us to decide whether we will follow Jesus, or whether we will go along with the world and be consumed with our selfish desires, ambitions, and pursuits that only take us further away from God.
But even then, for those who have walked away and have abandoned their faith, God doesn’t give up on them… not easily anyway! He gives us every chance to repent and come home.
Thank God for the Bible because in it we can find our reason to hope.
Remember the Prodigal son who told his father that he didn’t want to wait until his father died to get his inheritance; and so his father granted his wish… and he didn’t try to stop him or talk him out of it!
You see God loves us enough that He doesn’t push His will upon us, but rather He gives us each room to make our own mistakes!
The Prodigal son is another example of one who became poor in spirit and in that condition he recognized his need for His Father.
Here he had been wiped out financially, his clothes were in rags, he was starving, he was alone, he was wracked by guilt, he had no place even to get out of the rain, and was literally eating with the pigs.
Only then, when everything was at its bleakest did he decide to go home. And there he found his father waiting, ready with healing, hope, and love.
Are you poor in spirit? This is your lucky day! Jesus is standing beside you, ready to give you a hand up and out of miry pit.
Years ago there was a very famous tight rope walker named Blondin. He would often amaze people by walking on a wire over incredible heights.
SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES 