Sphinx

Saturday, November 06, 2010, 7:11 a.m. – I was up in the night praying and writing. I went back to bed around 4:37 a.m. As I lay in bed to try to fall asleep I had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw a statue of what looked like a lion lying down on the ground (in a sitting position) with his front legs stretched forward. The statue was in the west and it was facing east. Then, I heard in my mind: “General McLeod, state of emergency, remove Habeas Corpus, declare national state of emergency.” I then saw the head of Obama on the lion statue. It reminded me of Egyptian statues I have seen previously with animal bodies and human heads. END

I sat down to record this and got ready to Google it when the Lord brought the name Sphinx to mind:

A composite mythological being with the body of a lion and the head of a human being is present in the traditions, mythology and art of South and South-East Asia[8] Variously known as purushamriga (Sanskrit, "man-beast"), purushamirukam (Tamil, "man-beast"), naravirala (Sanskrit, "man-cat") in India, or as nara-simha (Sanskrit, "man-lion") in Sri Lanka, manusiha or manuthiha (Pali, "man-lion") in Myanmar, and nora nair or thepnorasingh in Thailand.

In contrast to the sphinx in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece, where the traditions largely have been lost due to the discontinuity of the civilization,[9] the traditions of the "Asian sphinx" are very much alive today. The earliest artistic depictions of "sphinxes" from the South Asian subcontinent are to some extent influenced by Hellenistic art and writings. These hail from the period when Buddhist art underwent a phase of Hellenistic influence. But the "sphinxes" from Mathura, Kausambi, and Sanchi, dated to the third century BC until the first century AD, also show a considerable non-Hellenist, indigenous character. It is not possible, therefore, to conclude the concept of the "sphinx" originated through foreign influence.[10]

In South India, the "sphinx" is known as purushamriga (Sanskrit) or purushamirukam (Tamil), meaning "man-beast". It is found depicted in sculptural art in temples and palaces where it serves an apotropaic purpose, just as the "sphinxes" in other parts of the ancient world.[11] It is said by the tradition, to take away the sins of the devotees when they enter a temple and to ward off evil in general. It is therefore often found in a strategic position on the gopuram or temple gateway, or near the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx

Sanskrit ( ) n. An ancient Indic language that is the language of Hinduism and the Vedas and is the classical literary language of India. www.answers.com/topic/sanskrit

I also noted that the Sphinx is a Freemason symbol, as well -

SPHINX: Ancient Egyptian and Babylonian guardian of sacred places --an idol with human head and a lion's body. The Greek sphinx would devour travelers who failed to answer her riddle. According to A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry (by Arthur Waite, xii) the masonic sphinx "is the guardian of the Mysteries and is the Mysteries summarized in a symbol. Their secret is the answer to her question. The initiate must know it or lose the life of the Mysteries. If he can and does answer, the Sphinx dies for him, because in his respect the Mysteries have given up their meaning." http://www.radioliberty.com/Symbolsandtheirmeaning.html

7:11 a.m. – I woke with this in mind: “Blog: God So Loved the World that He Gave.” I actually saw a physical blog with a picture inserted inside of it. When I got up, immediately the vision from earlier in the morning came back to mind.

In researching McLeod, I read this article:

“The important point in I Law (and to the doctrine of hot pursuit) is that the UK government, in the end, apologized for its troops' violation of US territory. Thus, McLeod is a US precedent AGAINST a general right of hot pursuit across international land boundaries. Of course, other facts - UN resolutions; treaties, executive agreements, etc. - can provide rights of hot pursuit.” http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/archive/index.php/t-5762.html

I read this news article about Obama in India: Obama sees 'win-win' relationship with India
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101106/D9JAKUCO0.html

Here is another possible on McLeod, especially considering the connection here with the Sphinx, India and Obama’s trip to India - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_Ganj

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 9 (quoting vv. 35-38):
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209&version=NIV

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

God So Loved The World / Bob Kauflin / Sung by Glad

In the garden long ago love was all there was to know
Pure, innocent and free – like we were made to be, long ago
Afraid – we followed after lies, and pain filled the Father’s eyes
But oh, from the first He knew what He’d planned to do,
… to bring us home

God so loved the world He gave His only Son
To face the death that we deserved and overcome
And everyone who hears His word and believes
The promise that he’s heard will never die, will never die

Hope – like an unexpected friend
Came to the helpless and condemned
And peace was offered far and near
To answer every fear in our hearts

Grace – only God could understand
Flowed freely from His hands
When the perfect Lamb was slain
To bear the guilt and shame of us all

Thru His death our forgiveness was obtained
And Heaven can be claimed once again
Thru His life He’s crushed the pow’r of sin
Now we can reign with Him forevermore

Why the World Hates You

Saturday, November 06, 2010, 3:04 a.m. – I woke about an hour ago and I could not fall back asleep so I’ve been praying for people I know; people I love. I’ve been praying for revival of the church and the salvation of the people of the world. This song has been going through my mind while I’ve been praying:

God So Loved The World / Bob Kauflin / Sung by Glad

In the garden long ago love was all there was to know
Pure, innocent and free – like we were made to be, long ago
Afraid – we followed after lies, and pain filled the Father’s eyes
But oh, from the first He knew what He’d planned to do,
… to bring us home

God so loved the world He gave His only Son
To face the death that we deserved and overcome
And everyone who hears His word and believes
The promise that he’s heard will never die, will never die

Hope – like an unexpected friend
Came to the helpless and condemned
And peace was offered far and near
To answer every fear in our hearts

Grace – only God could understand
Flowed freely from His hands
When the perfect Lamb was slain
To bear the guilt and shame of us all

Thru His death our forgiveness was obtained
And Heaven can be claimed once again
Thru His life He’s crushed the pow’r of sin
Now we can reign with Him forevermore

What a wonderful promise to those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ - that we can reign with Him forevermore. I asked the Lord if he wanted me to get up and write something, and then he brought this scripture passage to mind:

John 15:18-20: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I asked the Lord if there was more he wanted me to write, and then he brought this song to mind:

It Is Well with My Soul / H. G. Spafford / P. P. Bliss

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well; it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well; it is well with my soul.

Our Deepest Need

Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Thursday, November 04, 2010, 8:48 a.m. – When I awoke this morning, this song was playing in my mind:

My God is a Righteous God / Patch the Pirate

Jesus knows my every word and deed
Jesus longs to meet my deepest need
He lives now to intercede
He will surely stand by me.

My God is a righteous God
My God is a holy God
My God is a faithful God
He will surely stand by me.

Jesus’ love has drawn my heart to Him
Jesus’ love has washed away my sin
His word makes me pure within
He will surely stand by me.

I have been reading in Matthew from the recording of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Today I read Matthew 6:

Giving to the Needy
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My Understanding: I believe the Lord is using this song here to serve kind of like an outline of subject matter contained in these verses and that he wants to make practical application of these verses to today based off the first two phrases in this song.

Jesus knows my every word and deed:

He cautions us against hypocrisy and against doing works of righteousness to be seen of men. We are not to announce with trumpets our good deeds so that we will be honored by men. Those ministries that are conducive to being done out of the public eye should remain so. Obviously if our gifts or ministries are public ministries such as teaching, leading, etc., they will be seen by men, yet even there we must check our heart motivations to see if we are doing whatever we do to please men and to receive the praise of men, or if we are doing what we do to honor God, to serve Him and to obey Him, even if we receive no praise, no recognition and even if we are mocked and rejected of men as was Jesus.

This same applies to the subject of prayer. Obviously this instruction to go into your room and close the door to pray is not a prohibition against public prayer. The early church met together for public teaching of scripture, prayer, fellowship and the breaking of bread. The church was given instructions on how public prayer was to be conducted and they were encouraged concerning proper head attire for women and men who prayed in public. So this, again, has to do with attitude of heart and intent of purpose in praying where people can hear us pray. Are we doing it to be seen of men? Are we hoping men will think we are spiritual if they see us pray in public? What is our motivation? If this is a private prayer between us and God, we should keep it private. The other indictment here is that the hypocrites just babbled, i.e. they were just saying words so that they sounded religious.

The subject of fasting goes right along with the subject of doing things to be seen of men and to receive the praise of men. Granted, sometimes it will become apparent to others if we are skipping meals even without us announcing it, but that is not what this is speaking about. This is about willful acts of trying to look as though one is starving himself to death in order to gain sympathy or to have people think they are super spiritual because they are refraining from eating food. The point of these instructions on prayer, on fasting and on doing good deeds is that we not try to do them for men to see, that we not have empty forms of worship of God that are really just for the purpose of hoping others notice us and think we are super spiritual and in order to receive their praise. We should do all to the praise and honor of our Lord and not so that people will think how spiritual we are.

Jesus longs to meet my deepest need:

On the subject of prayer, Jesus said that our Father knows what we need before we ask him, so there is no need for great flowery or lengthy prayers. We don’t need to impress God with our many words and especially if we are just mouthing words. He can see right through that. He just wants us to come to him in sincere hearts and pray, not necessarily in repetition of the modeled prayer here in this passage of scripture, either, especially if we are just going through a form of prayer. The purpose of this model prayer is to let us know in what manner we should pray and some of the things that should be included in our prayers: 1) Honor and praise and adoration of God – Father, Son & Holy Spirit; 2) For God’s kingdom of righteousness to come into our lives so that God’s will should be done here on earth as it is in heaven; 3) For God to supply our daily needs (such as clothing, shelter, food, etc. – not necessarily our wants or desires unless they are his desires); 4) For God to forgive us what we owe him, and included in that is that we also forgive those who have sinned against us; and 5) That we not be led into temptation (God could never do this) but that He deliver us from the evil one.

Then, he instructs us to not lay up treasures here on earth, i.e. it is not a restriction against having or owning possessions, but rather to not make them the goal of our lives and the purpose for which we exist; to not make things our god in consuming our time, money, energies, etc. Our main focus should be in laying up treasures in heaven, i.e. in making a difference in people’s lives in caring for them, in meeting their needs and most of all in sharing with them the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they have the hope of eternal life in heaven with God and so that they can be free from sin and its chains.

Lastly, Jesus addresses the subject of worry. Worry is another word for fear and the Bible says that if we are fearful that our lives are not made perfect in love and that perfect love (God’s love) casts out all fear. When we truly understand that God is sovereign over all things and that he has everything under his command and under his control, then we have no cause for worry for worry never produces anything good. It only causes us to doubt God and to give us ulcers or nervous breakdowns. Jesus said that if he can take care of the birds, he can take care of us. Then, he encourages us not to run after physical and earthly things that are only going to pass away. I believe v. 33 is the key verse here, which is why I posted it under the heading of this writing. This, to me, describes “Our Deepest Need”:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

While it is true that we need food and water and probably shelter and clothing in order to survive, so these are basic and fundamental needs for human survival, I believe our deepest and most fundamental need of all, which is why we were created, is to seek God and His righteousness for our lives, i.e. to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith – repentance and obedience – via Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins on the cross and through his resurrection and ascension into heaven. It is by grace we are saved through faith… So, our deepest need is spiritual and when we are fulfilled in this area of spiritual cleansing and have been reconciled in our relationship with Almighty God, are seeking his face daily, are daily taking up our cross and following him in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives, then all these things that we need will be taken care of, as well.

My God is a righteous God
My God is a holy God
My God is a faithful God
He will surely stand by me.

The Road to Victory

Gal. 6:14:

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

The Road to Victory

Wednesday, November 03, 2010, 8:13 a.m. – I woke this morning from a dream.

THE DREAM: We were prisoners at some kind of institution. There were guards at every exit. We knew they had plans to kill us. There was a woman who came to see us who seemed to be in charge. She talked with us about a paper we had to sign before they killed us. I think my husband was with me. I found the page we were supposed to sign in the back of what looked like a phone book, so I tore the page out of the book. I rolled it up with something that looked like a sports bottle and I waited to be killed. I had resigned myself to death being imminent.

My husband was not so resigned. He did not have a paper to sign nor did he intend to sign it or to give up so easily. We (or I) had gathered together certain articles that I felt would lead up to our ultimate death. They were sequential in order. I think we were just missing the last article (a physical piece of something).

Then, the tables were turned and suddenly I had something that served as a lasso and/or as a whip in my hands and I used it on the woman. Then, I stepped on her body as though I was claiming victory over her. Then I realized we may not have to die after all. END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 5:

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

My Understanding: I read these news stories: Republicans ride voter unrest to control of House - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101103/D9J8L1G01.html; Al-Qaida in Iraq threatens attacks on Christians - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101103/D9J8LC8G0.html; Obama signals compromise with GOP on tax cuts - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-11-03-14-58-04; and Republicans promise limited government - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ELECTION_RDP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-11-03-14-58-45

From what I have read of these news stories, I believe the Lord is showing me that the institution mentioned in this dream is the institution of government within the confines of the constitution of the United States of America. The guards at every exit are the laws contained within that constitution and the checks and balances established within the constitution. The woman, I believe, represents true Israel, i.e. the church (Ref: Revelation 12). And, my husband and I represent our government leaders and the New World Order. The church wants to kill the New World Order because the church wants to kill Satan.

After the election, the Republicans gained a big win and the Democrats also had some wins. I believe they are on the same team so it really doesn’t matter who wins or who loses as far as Republicans and Democrats go. I believe the real winner is the New World Order (the Beast of Revelation). The Republicans supposedly have “seized control” of the House like I seized control of this woman in the dream who I thought was going to kill me. One of the Republican representatives said: “We’ve been given a second chance and a golden opportunity.” I saw this in relation to this turning of tables and me with lasso and whip in hand, with the woman down on the ground and with my foot on the part of her body that produces offspring (another reference to Revelation 12).

The articles kept repeating certain phrases such as ushering in a “new era”; “shifting balance of power;” “a victory;” “change course;” “a new political order;” “second chance,” etc. I believe this is talking about the New World Order as this “new political order” and “new era” that has been ushered in with this election. The article said that “Republicans scored the biggest party turnover in more than 70 years…” (WWII began a little more than 70 years ago and so did Hitler’s rise to power.) I saw the “turnover” as this “tables turned” in the dream which allowed me to have a lasso and whip and to be able to stomp on the woman and her offspring. The article mentioned the race being “powered by tea party support” and I could not help but think of the mixer in last night’s vision with the two beaters that were losing blades but that both beaters (Rep. & Dem.) were connected to the same machine and they worked together side-by-side doing the same work.

The article said that “Democrats conceded nothing…” which made me think of how my husband did not concede anything in the dream. He was not prepared for death. He was not giving up that easily. I was about to give up, though, and so I rolled this document up thinking that my time was up. My husband decided he was not going to sign something. Obama declined to endorse the Democratic candidate, Frank Caprio, so signing is like endorsing. Then, the article about Obama signaling compromise said that “He virtually abandoned his legislation – hopelessly stalled in the senate…” He said, “I’m going to be looking for other means of addressing the problem.” So, here I saw the piece of paper I rolled up and didn’t sign yet as Obama’s legislation, perhaps.

Yet, in this last article about the Republicans promising limited government it said, “Republican leaders vowed Wednesday to roll back the size of government…” Stop! I knew right here that what I had rolled up and was being asked to sign was something ensuring reducing the size of government, so here I am representing Republicans who have conceded to roll back (the paper rolled up) the size of government (represented by this document), only now I don’t have to roll back the size of government because there has been a change of game plan and a turn-around and now I have a lasso and whip in my hand and I am stomping on the woman and her offspring (ref: Revelation 12).

There is a whole lot of talk in these news articles where I was representing Republicans and then Democrats and my husband was representing Democrats and then Republicans, the point of which is that we are married and as thus we are one flesh. So, there really is no difference between one or the other. They are only against each other when they are scrimmaging and that is for the benefit of the public, for entertainment and also as the greatest deception and manipulation there is.

I believe very much what the Lord is showing me here is that the New World Order (the Beast) won this election and that the victory he won; his triumph is over this woman of Revelation 12 and over her offspring. It is a temporary victory, though, because Jesus won the battle over Satan a long time ago. That brings me to the article about Iraq. I believe the Lord has shown me over and over again that we are the ones in charge in Iraq. We are the head of Al-Qaida. We are the insurgents. So, the USA/N.W.O. are the ones killing the Christians in Iraq and it will work its way to America and that is really what this victory is all about – this election allowed for the expansion of government worldwide and the conquering of the woman and her offspring. I am representing the evil one here only because I am an American and because the Beast is God’s divine instrument of judgment and I am the Lord’s servant who writes about the judgment, so the Lord allows me to identify with the ones who will kill those who put him in office – ironic, huh?

I couldn’t help but notice how the article mentioned that the number of Christians in Iraq “has plummeted since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion as the community has fled to other countries.” Why would Christians flee from a “Christian nation” coming to their rescue? That ought to tell us something right there. We are called the “Great Satan” for a reason. The article says that Al-Qaida’s “front group in Iraq”, i.e. the U.S. government, “has threatened more attacks on Christians following a bloody siege at a Baghdad church that left 58 people dead, saying that the ‘killing sword will not be lifted’ from their necks.” Is that kind of like a lasso and whip and a foot down on the woman and her offspring pinning her down to the ground? The Lord is using me to show us that it is us who is doing this, not some foreign nation or group. We, the U.S.A. are sending Christians fleeing for their lives. And, this is coming to America or God’s judgment is coming to America first. The group said, “We will open upon them the doors of destruction and rivers of blood.” Wow! They said, “All Christian centers, organizations and institutions, leaders and followers, are legitimate targets for the muhajedeen (holy warriors) wherever they can reach them.” The article stated that “The statement (from the militant group) did not specify any one location…”

This passage of scripture fits so well with this, too. These are Jesus’ words of encouragement to his church at this time of great persecution. We are blessed when we mourn, when we hunger for righteousness, when we show mercy, when we are pure of heart, when we are persecuted because of righteousness, for ours is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are we when people insult us, persecute us falsely, and say all kinds of evil against us because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are to rejoice and be glad, because our reward in heaven is great. We must stand firm in our faith even if it means our death, because we will just get to see Jesus sooner.

The Two-Sided Football Helmet

Tuesday, November 02, 2010, 11:13 p.m. – I woke up out of a sleep. I lay in bed praying to the Lord when I had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw a two-sided football helmet. It was one helmet, yet it had an opening for a head to the right (or east) and an opening for a head to the left (or west). I saw ever so faintly the face of a man behind the helmet, but the image was not clear or distinct enough to make out a face. END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 4:1-17:

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

12:59 a.m., Wednesday, November 03, 2010 – I went back to bed and had another VISION: I saw a football player from the left (or west) tackling someone or something to the right (or east). I saw what looked like a star-studded horse saddle right where the football player was doing his tackling. On closer examination, the horse saddle was covered with diamonds and then it turned into a crown (like a beauty pageant crown).

Then, in the midst of all this I saw the face of George W. Bush, our former president. His image was followed by the name of a football team, “The Seattle Seahawks.” Then, I saw the beaters in a mixer turning around and the blades on the beaters began breaking off. Then, I saw the face of a local white-haired restaurant owner. After that, I saw a very large hairy monster. The monster growled and then it opened its mouth and people began falling inside the opening in the mouth. Then, I heard “Mammoth Cave.” END

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joined the NFL in 1976 as expansion teams. Seattle is the only team to have played in both the AFC (American Football Conference) and NFC Championship Games. The Seahawks' first and only Super Bowl appearance was in 2006 for Super Bowl XL. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Seahawks

Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established as a national park on July 1, 1941. It became a World Heritage Site on October 27, 1981, and an international Biosphere Reserve on September 26, 1990. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth_Cave_National_Park

My Understanding: I read several news stories about the election or that were in the news the same day as the election news (Election Day), and these are the ones that caught my attention: Bush thought about taking Cheney off 2004 ticket - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101103/D9J8DI7O2.html; and Jubilant GOP wins the House, falls short of Senate - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ELECTION_RDP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-11-03-01-09-35.

Ok, I am not a sports person or a fan of professional sports, so I had to Google the subject of American football to have any understanding of how the game is played, though I have a very basic idea just from attending high school games when I was in high school 42 years ago. I believe the Lord here is using the analogy of a football team to show me what is really taking place here with this election. I noticed the colors for the Seattle Seahawks team were similar to NATO’s colors and colors being used by the N.W.O. Also, the Seahawks were the only team to play in two conferences, which I believe is significant here with the two-sided (allowing for two heads) football helmet.

I saw the two-sided helmet in three different ways: 1) Republicans and Democrats truly together under one head (helmet), 2) The U.S. Government and the N.W.O. together under one helmet with two heads, and 3) Bush and Cheney as two heads under one helmet. And, I saw the football helmet as a symbol of a player on the team and that there are two sides to the team (offense and defense, for example), but that they are still one team. So, it is with Congress, and so it is with our government and the New World Order and I suspect it was the same with Bush and Cheney. This reminds me of the second beast in Revelation which was a two-horned beast, I believe.

The main thing I learned about football is that all the players on a team wear the same uniform, which I believe is the uniform of the New World Order in this analogy, and each team member wears a number reserved for certain positions. The article (Wikipedia) mentioned that “at the periphery are the tackles.” Periphery is the area around the edge of a place (Encarta). The tackle came from the west and it was toward the east. I believe the real winner in this election was not the Republicans, but the New World Order, which is on the periphery. The article also mentioned that the number of players in a certain position depends upon the game and strategy, so the team leader may take a player out and replace him with another player because of a change-up in strategy or the game. I believe this illustration parallels over to our political system and that the Republicans and Democrats are working together on the same team and team players come and go depending upon the call of the team leader. Then, it said that “The last line of defense consists of three players…” This immediately said to me that this unholy trinity of the last days is the last line of defense of Satan’s plan to come against God’s people and to conquer the world.

This article about Bush and Cheney had football terminology all through it. Interestingly enough, Bush’s book, i.e. his memoir, is coming out on 11/9 (9/11 backwards). When I read about this book, I could not help but think about this:

Mein Kampf, English: My Struggle, is a book by Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mein_Kampf.

Bush said in the book of Cheney: “He was seen as dark and heartless, the Darth Vader of the administration.” Images of Darth Vader have frequently come up in previous dreams. Bush also wrote that Cheney “had gotten out in front of my position.” I saw this as football talk, too. And, I also saw a parallel with this to this vision where I saw the face of a man behind the helmet and then, in another vision, I saw a football player from the west (N.W.O.) tackling someone to the right (U.S. Government), or it could be Cheney tackling Bush, as Cheney was seen as closer to the left politically than Bush, so if Cheney is the football player tackling someone on the right and he is in Bush’s position, then that puts Bush in the same position as Cheney (on the left, as Darth Vader and with the New World Order).

The article about the election said that “Resurgent Republicans won control of the House… ushering in a new era of divided government.” Here I saw the football player making the tackle as this win of the control of the House and I also saw the two-sided football helmet as this divided government of two heads under one helmet. And, it could also be the Republicans and Democrats as the two heads and the helmet as the New World Order. The article spoke of a “power shift,” which I see as the shift to the New World Order. It mentioned the “returns mounted.” The word “mounted” brought to mind the horse saddle that was star-studded and was filled with diamonds and which turned into a crown. This is speaking, I believe, of these voter returns as producing this crowned one, i.e. the antichrist.

Then, the article mentioned “Democratic incumbents in both houses falling” and I immediately saw these two beaters that were connected to the mixer (machine) and that worked together for the same machine and some of the blades of the beaters breaking off, so this is about losses of people on both sides and that both sides work side-by-side together for the same machine, i.e. the New World Order.

Sen.-elect Paul from Kentucky declared, “We’ve come to take our government back.” The Mammoth Cave of this second vision is in Kentucky and it was represented as a hairy monster that eats people alive. I believe, again, that this cave that is the longest cave system known in the world is another description of the New World Order and the Beast of Revelation that will eat people, in particular Christians, alive. Its mouth is as huge as this cave. And, its ability to consume the people of the world is equally as huge. It is a monster. This “new era of divided government” that they are talking about is the New World Order.

Jesus being tempted in the wilderness as recorded in Matthew 4 has often served as a picture of what God’s people will go through during the time of tribulation in which we will be tried with fire. I believe that our government in the USA is part of this team of the New World Order, that they all wear the same uniform, they work for the same machine, the two heads are under the same helmet, the team players are shifted around in order for a change-up of game plan or strategy, that this is all about the rise of the Beast and the antichrist, and the coming of the time of tribulation or the Great Tribulation, depending upon where we are in that timetable presently, etc. And, we, as Christ’s followers must learn from the example of Jesus’ temptation of Satan how Satan works and how to defeat him with the Word of God; the Sword of the Spirit. We must know the truth and the truth will set us free.

And, we must also learn from Jesus’ example the importance of the message of repentance to be preached throughout the world because the time of Jesus’ return is very near. If we are living out of fellowship with Jesus Christ, we need to repent so that we can be like Jesus to the world, which is in great need of the Savior, before he returns.

I Want to Be Just Like You / Philips, Craig and Dean

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see
He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Got to admit I've got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right
But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me
Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all

Voting Day 2010

Tuesday, November 02, 2010, 8:03 a.m. – Today is voting day in the U.S.A.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 3:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

My Understanding: John’s ministry was one of calling for repentance. I looked up this passage in the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. It had this definition of the word “repent”: “a radical transformation of the entire person, a fundamental turn-around involving mind and action and including overtones of grief; it results in ‘fruit in keeping with repentance.’”

John’s ministry was also one that prepared the way of the Lord and that announced the nearness of “the kingdom of heaven.” My commentary said this about the “kingdom of heaven” – “According to Mathew, the kingdom came with Jesus and his preaching and miracles, it came with his death and resurrection, and it will come at the end of the age.”

The scripture passage says that people from various places came to John, confessing their sins, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Then, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. So, who were the Pharisees and Sadducees? And, why did John say to them what he did?

From what I have read about them, the picture I get is that they had great influence and power, that they were teachers and/or interpreters of law, they were legalistic, self-righteous, hypocritical, a mixture of religious and political leaders in the community, some were wealthy, and they served on a council (the Sanhedrin) that is both described as political and religious and that sounded much like our Supreme Court. The two groups varied philosophically and in their religious beliefs, yet Jesus often coupled them together and warned his disciples against them (against the yeast of them). Jesus seemed to address the Pharisees by name much more often than the Sadducees and some of his harshest indictments were against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (Ref: Matthew 23).

John knew this about the Pharisees and Sadducees even before Jesus began his earthly ministry and had numerous occasions to address them and their hypocrisies. So, that is why John responded to them as he did. He knew that they were not coming to repent of their sins, so that if they were coming to be baptized, it would be because someone had told them that by doing so they could escape the judgment of God – the coming wrath. My commentary says this about John’s words to the Pharisees and Sadducees:

“The coming of God’s reign (His kingdom) either demands repentance or brings judgment. Repentance must be genuine: if we wish to escape the coming wrath (judgment), our lifestyle must be in harmony with our oral repentance. Merely being descendants of Abraham is not enough. In the OT God repeatedly cut off many Israelites and saved only a remnant. Verse 9 not only rebukes the self-righteousness of the leaders but implies that participation in the kingdom results from grace and extends beyond racial frontiers.”

Then, the commentary explains the meaning behind “the ax is already at the root of the trees.” It says: “Just as the kingdom is dawning already, so also is the judgment; the two are inseparable. To preach the kingdom is to preach repentance; any tree, regardless of its roots, that does not bring forth good fruit, will be destroyed.”

Then, John describes Jesus as someone who is more powerful than he is and as one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He said that Jesus’ winnowing fork was in his hand, and that he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This fits with the commentator’s assertion that that the kingdom of heaven and judgment are inseparable. This was John’s introduction of Jesus to the world around him. He immediately lets people know that Jesus is a God of love, mercy and forgiveness (his grace toward mankind) but that he is also a God of justice. Without repentance, judgment is inevitable.

Winnowing – “to separate grain from its husks chaff by tossing it in the air or blowing air through it; to examine something in order to remove the bad, unusable, or undesirable parts” (Encarta).

Jesus does this through calls for repentance in which he examines our hearts and he sees that we are in need of a Savior and in need of forgiveness of and deliverance from bondage to and the control of sin over our lives. He died that we might have life and that we might be saved from the coming wrath. If we will choose to accept him and to repent of our sins and live lives that show that genuine repentance took place, then we will be spared the judgment of God that decides ultimately who will be with Him for eternity and who won’t.

Yet, that final judgment is not the only judgment of God. He talks much about judging his people (the church), of his divine discipline of his children, etc. in order to purify us and to make us holy vessels useful for His kingdom. And, then he speaks of the judgment of the wicked, too, and the judgment of mankind during the time of tribulation on the earth. Jesus is not this softy mushy-gushy lovey-dovey kind of person that many people make him out to be. He is love! No doubt about that. He is kind, merciful, generous, compassionate, and full of grace and truth, but he is also just and righteous and his Word is like a double-edged sword that penetrates the heart in conviction of sin and that turns the sinner from his sin in repentance, and faith and obedience. And, he demands obedience. He is to be honored and revered and obeyed as well as loved and appreciated for all his many attributes and godly characteristics.

Jesus went through the waters of Baptism not because he was a sinner and not because he needed to repent, but as an example to us and as an outward witness of his identification with us in what he knew would ultimately be his destiny to die on the cross for our sins and to be resurrected so that we could die to our sins and could be resurrected to a new life in Jesus Christ, which is what our baptism symbolizes.

So, what does this all mean to us today? It means that we need to repent of our sins if we want to escape the coming wrath and to spend eternity with God in heaven. Believing in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross is not just a mental or even a heart acceptance of what he did. If we truly believed that he died to set us free from sin and we accepted his forgiveness into our lives, then why would we continue in sin? We wouldn’t! Genuine belief results in genuine repentance which results in genuine fruit in keeping with repentance that is evidence that we have had a life change.

We cannot claim religious or even national heritage to be our salvation. Many people think that because we live in the United States of America and that we are called a “Christian nation” that God will somehow spare us from the coming wrath. That is not so! That is exactly what John was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees. They could not depend upon their heritage to save them. They needed to repent of their sins individually if they wanted to escape the wrath of God. And, we, as the church in America and we, as Americans must do the same. We cannot depend upon our heritage to save us. We must bow the knee in humility and repentance, we must call on God and seek his face and turn from our wicked ways if we want to see America go in the right direction.

The Pharisees and Sadducees remind me much of the Republicans and Democrats. Philosophically and even religiously they may differ (in theory anyway) yet they are all part of the same Sanhedrin (the New World Order) and just because they espouse to a particular philosophy doesn’t mean that they are of God any more than these religious and political leaders were of Jesus’ day. And, they can’t save our nation! Only God can and only true repentance on the part of the people of this nation can save it from the judgment of Almighty God. We think if we vote Republicans or conservatives back into office to replace the liberals that we will somehow escape judgment and that somehow they are going to bring this nation back to one nation under God. Oh, how wrong we are to put our trust in man instead of in God; in Jesus Christ. How foolish to think that man can save us.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Encouragement

Monday, November 01, 2010, 8:12 a.m. – This song was in my mind when I awoke:

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Yesterday I was under attack from Satan (my enemy). He is the great accuser and he was trying to accuse me, i.e. to try to convince me of things that were not true about me. I called on God all day long. I cried out to Him in my distress. Still, the attacks persisted into the evening. Yet, God was encouraging me with His Words from the Bible. And, he was helping me to discern the difference between what Satan was trying to convince me of and what I knew in my heart of hearts to be the truth. Initially I was allowing those accusations to wear on me and to get me down. Then, I began to examine them against the truth of what I know from God’s Word. And, I came to the conclusion that none of them were true.

Then, my husband read chapter 2 of “The Church Awakening” by Chuck Swindoll. And, it spoke many words of encouragement to my heart. The title of the chapter was “Challenges, Struggles, Solutions, Priorities.” I was definitely being challenged in my spirit yesterday, and I was definitely struggling to understand what this was all about. Then, in chapter 2 of “The Church Awakening,” Chuck Swindoll quoted I Peter 4:12:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.”

Immediately he had my attention. And, I had to smile; even chuckle a little. God is so right. This should not take me by surprise as though something strange were happening to me. The passage in I Peter 4 continues with these words:

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Then, Chuck Swindoll continued:

“What’s true of us as individuals is also true of our churches. No need to be surprised when challenges come. We will struggle! No need to scramble around, wring our hands, and wonder what to do in the midst of the enemy’s insidious attacks. Rather than take our cues from the world, the Scriptures offer us a clear path to follow in the midst of any trial. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy.”

I looked up that word “insidious”: sinister; treacherous; crafty; sneaky; deceptive; devious; stealthy – silent; sly; concealed; hidden; underhanded; and subtle (MS Word Thesaurus). Satan is very crafty and sneaky in his attacks. Otherwise, we would immediately recognize them for what they are and would never be impacted by them. He knows our back doors. He has observed us a long time. So, he attacks us where we least expect it, which is why we are taken off guard. So, we learn from that to be on the lookout for future attacks in that same area so that we are not taken off guard the next time.

I serve an awesome God!! He always knows what I am going to go through in a particular day and he always has just the right words for me for whatever I am going through. We did not plan to read something related to attacks of the enemy. We did not even know that this was going to be in chapter 2 of Chuck Swindoll’s book. But God did. And, these were the words of encouragement that I needed to hear right then. God is so good!!

Rick and I prayed together, and then he read Psalm 10 and Isaiah 10. Both of these chapters in the Bible were very confirming, as well. We are reading through the Psalms and through Isaiah, one chapter from each book each night. I figure if we read Psalm 119 one section each night instead of the whole chapter at once, that we should be able to read Isaiah through Ezekiel about the same time we read the entire book of Psalms. And, that should take us about 5 months to read.

This morning, as I had my quiet time with the Lord in prayer and in the reading of His Word, the thought occurred to me that Satan only taunts (insults; mocks; jeers and sneers at; derides; and provokes) those who are truly following Christ Jesus. Otherwise, why would he bother? And, yesterday was Halloween, too, which is Satan’s main holiday of the year. So, it makes sense that he would use that day to really go against God’s people.

“Dear Lord Jesus, I bow before you today with heavy heart and yet with much joy in knowing that you are my God and I am your servant and that nothing can separate me from your love which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord.”

Let My Words Be Few / Phillips, Craig and Dean

You are God in heaven
And here am I on earth
So I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus
Yes, I'll stand in awe of You
And I'll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with You

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Malachi 4:

Judgment and Covenant Renewal
1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

My Understanding: V. 2 of this chapter in Malachi was also so encouraging to my heart. We know that a day of judgment is coming upon all men on the earth. There is a time of judgment that is coming, and may have already begun, called the time of tribulation. According to scripture, if taken literally, it is a period of seven years, the second half of which is called the Great Tribulation in which time the Beast will be given authority over the earth to rule and to kill the saints of God and all who oppose him. During this time God will judge the inhabitants of the earth. When this judgment is complete, God will in turn judge those divine instruments of judgment that he used. For the wicked, this will be a horrible time. Yet, for the righteous, it will be a time of healing.

What I believe this means is that when God puts his hand of judgment on the wicked and it becomes clear who is for God and who is against God, the eyes of the blind will be open, the lame will walk, and the deaf will hear, etc. I trust that this is literal and figurative. I do have confidence that many miracles of God’s healing will take place in the physical realm, yet I also accept that there will be much healing in the spiritual realm. I consider that many believers in Jesus Christ right now are under bondage to sin, to man, to tradition, etc. and that when this judgment comes, God will set them free. Many are under a yoke of slavery to government, to the lies of Satan, to false teaching and false teachers, etc. And, God will set them free. Right now many are blinded and cannot see the lies of Satan. I believe all our (true believers in Jesus) eyes will be opened at that time and that we will be set free from the oppression of the enemy because we will have spiritual eyes to see what is true and what is false. And, we will leap like calves released from the stall.

Yet, we don’t have to wait for that time to begin before we can experience this healing and this freedom. Jesus already conquered sin, death, hell and Satan through his death on the cross for our sins and through his resurrection and ascension into heaven. He now sits at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for us. He has already trampled the enemy of our souls, so that we can trample the enemy, too. The Bible says this:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:10-13).

Notice that it says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Men are not our real enemies. Our struggle is against the powers of this dark world, i.e. our struggle is against Satan and his evil forces. And, yes, he does use men to do his dirty work, but our real enemy is Satan. And, Jesus already trampled him so we can trample him, as well. The way we do this is by putting on this armor mentioned in this 6th chapter of Ephesians. We must put on the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and the belt of truth, etc. This is a spiritual battle and it is necessary to fight this battle with spiritual weapons, not with physical weapons of war against men. We need to leave the judgment of God to God. And, it is essential that we defeat our enemy on all fronts by using the spiritual weapons of warfare that God has put at our disposal. Finally, it is imperative that we take up our cross daily and follow Jesus wherever he leads us and for whatever he requires of us to do.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.