ANOTHER REASON FOR JUDAS

     Everything included in the Bible is for us to learn from in some way and measure, including why Jesus--knowing who Judas was and what he'd do--allowed Judas to be with Him from almost the start of His ministry, until the betrayal in Gethsemane. I'm going to skip over the obvious reason and move on to one that came to me during time in the book of Mark this morning:

    Judas was never all-in as a true follower of Jesus. 

    And this made me think of the prophecy Jesus spoke of, about how some who believe they are Christians will Do Church, maybe even for decades, but never actually Be the Full-On Church Jesus instructed His followers to be, which is another way of taking the Lord's name in vain... taking it on in vain and not actually representing Him as we're supposed to.

    Not only that, but how many of us who call ourselves Christians could hold up under what some in the world are experiencing? If we really are in the End Times, and if Tribulation is about to unfold, how many will "endure to the end"?

    It's something for all of us to think about. I mean, Judas was with Jesus pretty much every day for three years. A 24/7 gig. And he still didn't get it. Why? He never surrendered his life to the purposes of God. I get it: It can take a while to reach that point for some of us, but it is required. That takes absolute trust in God. 

    My prayer, uttered nearly every day and often more than once a day, especially if I feel myself judging another or others (or did it), is to repent and ask God to open the eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of ALL OF US to His Truth, His Righteous Ways, and His Kingdom Ways so we walk in Kingdom and represent our King well in the world and in the spiritual battle we're engaged in. Because, we want to be those who not only stand but withstand, as instructed in Ephesians 6 and elsewhere in the Word.

    May the peace, joy, and strength of our Lord be upon you and your loved ones. In Jesus' name. Amen.

INVISIBLE NO MORE

    Eyes, dark and unused to sunlight, squinted past filthy, tattered strips of cloth that covered his face ravaged by time and affliction. Fabric stiffened with grime scraped against the raw skin of his hands tucked inside his robes as he shuffled bare feet across dusty ground. He inched forward, desperate to keep as much of his presence unnoticed as possible, knowing, however, that he was obvious in his attempt at anonymity. And then, the one he was moving toward, both in trepidation and inexplicable hope, turned and looked at him, as people do when they feel someone watching them. 

    All these long years of staying mostly in caves, waiting for someone to place food and water where he could reach them, once the kindhearted person had left... all the years of no one looking directly at him.... And here was this man he'd heard so much about, gazing directly into his eyes. Seeing him. After all these years. Looked at, not with repulsion but with -- not pity -- but with something he couldn't yet assign a word to. It was that unfamiliar a feeling.

    He moved forward faster, unused to approaching anyone, but desperate to not miss this opportunity--the man was always on the move, always had some place he had to go next, or so the rumors went. And though it made no sense, the man seemed to be waiting for him. 

    He picked up his pace, no longer mindful of his calloused feet or gnarled hands causing others to recoil. All he could think was that he had to hurry, that time was growing short. Shorter than what, though, he couldn't fathom. After all, a man in his circumstances wore time like a weighted burden. Silently, he berated himself for not practicing what he'd say.

    One yard away from the man whose gaze had remained fixed on him, he stopped, heart beating hard against his ribs. Through cracked lips and dry tongue, he said, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

    Had he spoken too boldly? Because some flicker of another thought altered the man's countenance. Only briefly though, and evident solely to him because of how intently he watched and waited for the man's reply. The man moved toward him. Habit born of instinct urged him to move back, to move away, as he was accustomed to doing, but he remained in place. Stayed motionless as the man reached out and lowered the coverings from his leprosy-ravaged face.

    The man wore an expression of resolve and something deeper as he said, "I am willing! Be cleansed!"

    Life instantly returned to his skin and body. He fell to his knees, grabbed the right hand of the man. Gratitude too large and too deep for words sought the only path of expression possible in that moment: tears streamed down his face and onto the man's hand as he kissed it over and over.

    "Tell no one," the man said. 

    So overcome by this immediate healing, he heard little else of what the man said. He stood in silence as he watched the man join those who always traveled with him, now thronged by others, as they walked toward the center of town. 

    Someone to his left said, "Who was that man? By what authority did he do such a thing?"

    "His name is Yeshua." He sucked in a breath. How many times in all his years had he heard that word read from the texts each Sabbath and holy day--yeshua. 

    Yeshua. Translated in Hebrew as Salvation.  

    

                                                        Image: www.bridgemanart.com

    The above is a story based on what I felt as I read Mark 1 this morning. Imagine that man with leprosy--the most physically unclean a human could be--saying to Jesus, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." I imagine that Jesus did pause for but a moment as the weight of that request permeated His entire reason for being here at that time. The man wanted his skin and body clean again. Jesus wanted the man's soul clean for eternity, and there was only one supernaturally legal way to do that: It was imperative He take every next step that brought Him to the Victory of the Cross. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13 KJV

    It wasn't nails that kept the Word of God--Salvation--on the cross: It was love.

                                                        Image: Prince of Peace by Akiane  

 

GOD CHOOSES ALL KINGS AND LEADERS

    I realize there are those who don't want to believe that God chooses all kings and leaders for His own purposes, but it's true. And this includes appointing the leaders we deserve. Oy.

    The other morning I was reading Nehemiah 9 and came to a full stop when I read verse 37, and felt the burden of the truth of it: 

    Sadly, that's more true today than we might have imagined.

    Here's the link to the exact text I read, which I invite you to read (this version is much easier and also more accurate than the KJV, as this version was translated by the scholar renowned for his expertise in not only the language but the culture):

https://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/nehemiah/9.html

    At this time (Nov. 30, 2020), God is still keeping to Himself who it is He will position as our president for the next four years. No need to scream or screech: That statement is from the legal aspect, and it is a fact that this election is, legally, according to our Constitution, not as yet settled. Back to the topic at hand...

    This verse 39 brought to mind how our treatment of abortion has led to God making sure that if the right to shed the blood of the innocent is what we want (or will allow), and which He considers an abomination worthy of eternity in Hell, then He'll give us leaders to ensure it. As one Scripture says, He'll let us get spiritually drunk on the blood we're so willing to shed, as this 1:09-minute video proves: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiMuZv9k_x0 

    Two origins of abortion in our land are intriguing. First, the woman who founded Planned Parenthood did so in order to rid society of undesirables (that is, undesirable in her opinion, an opinion shared by other elites). The predominant so-said undesirables were Blacks. Only now, after all this time, has this fact caused Planned Parent to attempt to disassociate themselves from her--because of how it looks, now that more people know the truth. Second, the woman Roe v. Wade was about, never actually had an abortion.

    Let's consider some of the results of what was supposed to be a "safe and rare" procedure for limited causes.

    In a number of states, we can now kill healthy babies in the womb at any time for any reason (though, we've been doing this by the millions each year for decades). We can vacuum them out of existence, dismember them, scald them for hours or days while their tender skin cracks and blackens--and that's only the external effects.... We're very creative in how abortion gets done. [No apologies for using the word "kill." Deliberately ending a life is killing. Ending an innocent life is murder.] To continue...

    We now have female Satanists, who get pregnant easily, admitting they do so often and willingly. They and whomever then perform satanic rites as they kill the baby in the womb (or outside of it), because Satan prefers the fresh blood of the innocent (I didn't make this up; there are articles about this on the Internet, at least for now).

    We have people saying a "fetus" isn't a baby until the mother or parents bring it home and say it is. I heard one man in a video say he firmly believes people should have up to two years, after bringing the baby home, to decide whether to abort the child or not. He's in favor of taking offspring home "on approval." If the child doesn't measure up for some reason.... He didn't clarify, nor did the interviewer ask, what that method of "abortion" would entail. 

    Some abortionists now prefer to wait until the fourth month or later to then dilate the uterus (dangerous for the woman) so the live baby is aborted intact ... because they need to be able to remove the still-beating heart for whomever it is who's in the market for these hearts as well as the other organs and body parts. Four months or older are preferable organ sizes. And, as reported, some don't use anesthetics on the baby before removing the tiny, beating heart. Take a half a second to let that sink in.

    We have some who are adamant that should a baby survive an abortion, and can still live if given needed medical treatment, nothing should be done for it other than make it comfortable until it dies. Obviously, these are the babies whose body parts haven't been claimed or paid for or aren't to be involved in satanic rituals.

    Some abortionists have been known to save the remains in jars on shelves, or in their walls (as the Pagans saved their ritually aborted babies in the walls of Jericho).

    Then there are the other "advantages" of abortions provided at any time for any reason: Aborted fetal cells in foods, beverages, and vaccines; victims of sex-trafficking and incest get "taken care of" while their perpetrators aren't reported or arrested so can continue doing what they do. There's more, of course, but that's enough for now. 

The information is out there about each of the above, despite naysayers.

    We wanted to call abortion a woman's right to have for any reason and at any time, including full-term. We even called it health care, even when neither the mother's health or the baby's is in jeopardy. So God is giving us leaders who make sure we get what we asked for or have allowed by commission or omission.

    Here's my admission: Until Jesus called me to repent and receive Him as Savior and Lord, I never gave abortion much thought. I have friends who've had them--I didn't condemn them then and still don't (that's not my right as a follower of Jesus, though He's charged His followers to call sin a sin). 

    Deception perpetrated by the Adversary has caused all of us to stumble or fall at least once, if we're willing to be honest. At one point, I was all in on the New Age deception that eternal souls were incarnating and changing their minds or knew they'd be aborted and that's all of physical life they wanted. Whatever the deception, no longer can I look at a precious newborn or infant (or photo of one) without, first, a "reality reel" running at high speed in my mind. 

    Is what's written here offensive to you? More offensive than what is being done to healthy babies in the womb, and even once outside the womb? For any who don't agree with God's commandments about this, Isaiah 44:18 comes to mind:

  

    We did this to ourselves. God forgive us. And, if you want God's forgiveness, HE'S ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU. [See the ABC's of Salvation under this next image.]

Psalm 8:3-4 CJB says

(3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?

 

     

YIELD YOUR HEART TO THE LORD

As we have wrestled out, the Lord is good to draw those He loves into the wilderness places; to "Gethsemane". It is the place where we begin to quiet our over-inflated sense of self and yield our hearts to the Lord. It is a place of preparation, of repentance, and of dying to the things that will hinder our ability to demonstrate the power of God.

- Jamie Walden, Omega Dynamics: Equipping a Warrior Class of Christians for the Days Ahead

Seek the Lord Now, While You Still Cam

You see what's happening in the world. You see where some intend--are determined--to take us and this world. It's just as our Lord forewarned us. So...

THE BEST BOOK ON PRAYER and A Christian’s Duty to Intercede I’ve Ever Read

THE BEST BOOK ON PRAYER and A Christian’s Duty to Intercede I’ve Ever Read

Excerpts from what Max Lucado referred to as “A profound study on the topic of prayer,” Paul Billheimer’s book, Destined for the Throne.

From page 53:

Although to the natural mind this seems utter nonsense, it is nevertheless true. In spite of all her lamentable weaknesses, appalling failures, and indefensible shortcomings, the Church is the mightiest force for civilization and enlightened social consciousness in the world today. IT WAS TRUE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD THAT AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF AND REVERENCE FOR GOD DISAPPEARED, MORAL CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE SOCIAL ORDER. [Emphasis mine.] ….

It is the same today. The only force in the world that is contesting Satan’s total rule in human affairs is the Church of the living God…. If it were not for the totally selfless love displayed on the cross, total selfishness would reign supreme. And total selfishness means total hostility. Total hostility means total anarchy—AND THAT MEANS HELL. [Emphasis mine.] ….

From page 55:

Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we or our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT DISSOLUTION OF OUR EXISTING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, THESE WORDS SEEM AMAZINGLY PROPHETIC. [Emphasis mine.] ….

WILL EVERYONE BE SAVED?

From page 56:

Knowing that IT IS GOD’S WILL TO SAVE ANY PERSON WHO HAS NOT CROSSED THAT MYSTERIOUS BOUNDARY KNOWN AS THE DEADLINE, may the Church pray for the salvation of a specific individual in the assurance that he will be saved? Or, must the Church’s faith be tempered by the fact that that person is a free moral agent and that God never saves anyone against his will? Must we say, as we often do, that because so and so is a free moral agent, all we can do is to pray and leave the rest to him and God? [Emphasis mine.]

Since God has assured us that it is His will that all men be saved, we therefore know that when we pray for the salvation of anyone WHO HAS NOT CROSSED THE DEADLINE of final and permanent impenitence, we are praying according to His will. [Emphasis mine.] ….

THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN SALVATION

From page 57:

Is not this the general pattern of the journey from rebellion to surrender? Jesus says, “No man can come to me except the Father . . . draw him” (John 6:44). And the Father always draws by means of His Spirit. Since God is no respecter of persons and wills that all shall be saved, and therefore without exception faithfully seeks all (John 1:9), why is the Spirit’s wooing successful in some cases and not in others? Is it because in some instances God is so “powerless” that He cannot prevail? Or is it that some are the subjects of powerful, importunate, and believing intercession, while others have no one to pray for them? If Wesley is correct in saying that “God does nothing but in answer to prayer,” then this must include the salvation of souls. This, then, means that no soul is saved apart from intercession, and that every soul who is saved, is saved because someone—WHO WOULD NOT GIVE HIM UP TO SATAN—prayed. [Emphasis mine.]

Final Warning -- For Such A Time As This

Minute upon minute, I sat fixated as I listened to these incredible men and women of God share valid information for such a time as this. 

Quality: Professional out the wazoo, as is everything Steve Quayle creates to the Glory of our God.

Effect: Riveting, informative, a get-on-your-knees-to-God wake-up, shake-up for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Timing: The weekend came and went, BUT you can order the DVDs, which are shipping now (see the link below).

Watch A Preview Now:

https://vimeo.com/450162030

Order the DVDs Now, Here:

https://www.gensix.com/store/2020-fw-ls-vod/

And so you know, this is not an affiliate link, nor do I get any compensation for sharing this with you. 

Have Mercy on Me, O God

 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

you who are God my Savior,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 51:1-17

You Have Until Your Next Heartbeat To....

 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT, IT MATTERS WHAT GOD CALLS IT. HE HAS THE LAST WORD. BETTER IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NOW...BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. REPENT AND RECEIVE SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE? ONLY UNTIL THE NEXT HEARTBEAT.

Who Wants A Makeover?

Many would go to a makeover artist and surrender completely, saying, "Make me into a new creation." God is the greatest makeover Artist from eternity past to eternity future.

                                            Painting title: Prince of Peace *** Artist: Akiane

In Ezekiel 13:10-14, God used an example to make a point, stating that people who build a wall with faulty mortar (or none) and then whitewash it to fool others into believing the wall is solid won't, of course, fool Him. He told the people through His prophet Ezekiel that He'd send stormy weather that would knock down such a wall and reveal its lack of foundation and, therefore, lack of lasting strength and value (I'm paraphrasing).

When I read this, several thoughts came to me at once.

1. This whitewashed, mortar-lacking wall is the difference between knowing about God and being in an intimate relationship with Him. Kind of like the difference between an external makeover with a haircut and maybe some cosmetics or doing what's needed to start your makeover from the inside out (becoming a clean temple where God's Holy Spirit can live, as well as make you healthier).

2. This whitewashed, mortar-lacking wall is the difference between a preacher giving congregants "feel-good" words that "tickle" their ears or feeding them the word of God as it appears in the Bible, and as He commanded shepherds to feed their flock (His flock). Remember, God said He has a BIG problem with anyone who changes even one jot or tittle of what He wrote. There are many individuals, including in pulpits, doing exactly that these days. As Jonathan Cahn said, "Do not bend the word of God to fit your life. Bend your life to fit the word of God."

3. This whitewashed, mortar-lacking wall is the difference between a minister providing entertainment to churchgoers or calling down the Glory of God so as to fill the people with Holy Spirit refreshment they can then share with others when they leave the building.

4. This whitewashed, mortar-lacking wall is the difference between congregants showing up at church expecting to be fed or bringing their portion of the Bread of Life with them.

5. This whitewashed, mortar-lacking wall is the difference between an individual or family having the appearance of a relationship with God (cosmetic only) or being strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

Do we have a wall of faith built with strong mortar? Is our faith foundation strong in the Lord--strong enough to keep covenant with Him by keeping His commandments, commandments He made a point to state in both the Old Testament and the New Testament? (By the way, it takes a whole Bible to make a whole Christian.)

Or is our faith and relationship actually loose stones and whitewash?

What's a good way to check this, you ask?

When you say or do anything that goes against God's way and will--if you do anything at all that He labeled as a sin or transgression in the Bible--do you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit? I mean, really feel it? That's also a good way to know if you're truly saved or not: Holy Spirit conviction vs. silence.

If God said it's a sin and you do it anyway (or someone says it's okay and even passes a law saying it's okay), and you feel no conviction from the Holy Spirit, you're following the king of the other kingdom. Unless that's the king you choose to serve and the kingdom you wish to spend eternity in, forever separated from our loving Father, it's best if you run straight to the Makeover Artist of All Time and have a talk with Him.

What is a makeover, anyway? It's a revival of sorts, isn't it? The thing about revival is that it has to start with repentance, followed by a sincere effort to do only that which supports the new image. If--make that when--we stumble, we are to repent and start again. And, God doesn't expect us to do this on our own. We can't. We need Him to help us. Ask--and you shall receive.

Here's something wonderful and encouraging to keep in mind:
Those who are called by His name are God's possession, and He is our portion.

May God shine His face upon you and yours today and everyday.