Do You Know I Still Love You?

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 10:04 a.m. – I woke this morning with this song playing in my mind:

When God Ran / Phillips, Craig and Dean

Almighty God, the great I am
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful, awesome Lord
Victorious warrior, commanding King of Kings
Mighty conqueror, and the only time -
the only time I ever saw Him run

The day I left home I knew I’d broken His heart
And I wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see
It was the only time – it was the only time I ever saw Him run

And then He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
“Son do you know I still love you?”
He caught me by surprise as He brought me to my knees
When God ran – I saw Him run to me

I was so ashamed, all alone and so far away
But now I know He’s been waiting for this day

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Zechariah 2:

A Man With a Measuring Line
1 Then I looked up—and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is."
3 Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.'

6 "Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD.

7 "Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" 8 For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye- 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.

10 "Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. 11 "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

My Understanding: This passage of scripture begins with Zechariah seeing a man with a measuring line in his hand. The man was going to measure Jerusalem.

I wanted to understand the meaning of the “measuring line,” so I looked it up:

“The usual meaning is simply line, rope or cord, in Isaiah 28:10,13, but the line was used for measurement, as is evident from such passages as 1 Kings 7:23; Job 38:5; Jeremiah 31:39. Whether the line for measuring had a definite length or not we have no means of knowing. In Isaiah 44:13 it refers to the line used by the carpenter in marking the timber on which he is working, and in Zechariah 1:16 it refers to the builder's line. Figuratively: It signifies destruction, or a portion of something marked off by line for destruction, as in 2 Kings 21:13; or for judgment, as in Isaiah 28:17.” http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T5884

In the passage, an angel told the angel who was speaking to Zechariah to run to him and tell him that Jerusalem would be a city without walls, that God would be a wall of fire around it, and that He would be its glory within. I believe that Israel, Zion and Jerusalem are all to be applied today to the church, because we are now under the New Covenant, so God’s people now are those who are in Christ Jesus, thus Zion is the church, Jerusalem is the heavenly Jerusalem and Israel is spiritual Israel (all true believers in Jesus Christ). So, today, this is a promise to the church of revival and of a harvest of souls (the expansion).

My Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary said:

“The measuring line is a symbol of preparation for rebuilding and restoring Jerusalem and the temple… The measuring of the city would be the first step toward the restoration of the city and the realization of the promised blessing… The measuring was done with expansion in view.”

Again, I believe Jerusalem is in a spiritual sense now, that the “city” is the City of God or the City on a Hill, which again is the church, and we know that the temple is now the church, i.e. the Holy Spirit of God no longer dwells in buildings built by man and we no longer worship God on a particular mountain but we worship Him in Spirit and in truth, and so the hearts of true believers are now God’s dwelling place. So, to measure the city would be to examine the church (individual people’s lives) and its condition (spiritually) and size (how many true believers). And, involved in this “measuring” is often divine discipline and correction, i.e. God is judging his people. So, this judgment of God on His people (the church) is preparation for rebuilding (revival) and restoration of the church, spiritually speaking, back into a right relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the first step toward this revival and restoration of our relationship with God. And, the blessing and expansion that is promised, I believe, has to do with the spiritual revival of the church and the outgrowth of that revival in a harvest of souls – people who will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

My commentary says that “The measuring was done with expansion in view… The promise is given that Jerusalem will become so large and prosperous that it will expand beyond its walls. Indeed, it will overflow so much that it will be as though it had no walls.” I believe, again, that this is a promise of revival of the people of God (the church) and it is a promise of a harvest of souls. There will be such an overflow, like the fish that Peter caught in his net, that it will be as though it had no walls. What came to mind here is that the church is presently divided by race, by social status, by denomination, etc., but God never intended there to be a Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc. church, but that we, as the Body of Christ should be all one church (one Body) and that the only division would be by location, such as the church in a particular city or the church that met in someone’s home, but still all the same church. So, the walls that now divide us will come down in this revival.

That brings a new meaning to this passage from Ezekiel 38:

“'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.”

We know that the Beast of Revelation will go after the saints of God. So, to invade a land of unwalled villages could very well be a reference to this city (the church) without walls because it is revived. The city is a place that has been resettled. I see this in a spiritual sense in that the church (most of it) today in the USA, in particular, is a very divided church and definitely has walls and is in great need of revival, so when the church is revived, it is, in essence, resettled in its right relationship with Almighty God and all the walls of adultery, idolatry, divisions in the church, etc. will come down. When people get their hearts right with God, they get honest and all the pretenses (walls) that were there before are now gone. This is the city that the Beast (Gog) truly wants to come after – the City on a Hill, i.e. the church (the Body of Christ).

When the church goes through revival and they get back in a right relationship with God, then they once again experience the presence of Almighty God among them and they know his protection and guidance (spiritually) against the forces of evil. The manifestation (the Holy Spirit) of the Lord’s glory will return to them in empowerment, and I believe we will see many, many miracles when this takes place. The greatest miracle of all, though, is the miracle of God’s grace in delivering us from bondage to, the control of, and the ultimate penalty of sin, which is eternal separation from God. A life truly liberated from the control of sin is the greatest miracle of all!

The reference to Babylon can certainly be a reference to a physical place, but in this context, I see Babylon as a symbol of the world and worldly influences, including it is a symbol of human governments that are worldly and evil. The exiles that had not yet returned from Babylon were exhorted to do so at this time. I believe that spiritually speaking this is in reference to those who are still holding on to the world, to worldly methods, philosophies and to allegiance to a government, and they have not returned to God Almighty and to Jesus Christ with 100% commitment to serve God only. So, the exhortation is to forsake the world, to forsake worldly allegiances, and to return to the Lord Jesus with wholehearted devotion and obedience. We are to “flee” and “escape” from her. The urgency of the plea is a sign that some imminent judgment was coming to Babylon.

Revelation 18:4-5: "Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.”

God promises that he will judge the nations that he used to judge his people, because those who touch his people – the true church – touch the apple of God’s eye. The apple of your eye is someone you hold dear to your heart above all others. My commentary said that the “apple” of the eye is the pupil of the eye, so I looked it up:

Pupil – “the dark circular opening at the center of the iris in the eye, where light enters the eye; a young student, taught at school or by a private teacher; follower or student of somebody - a student who learns from a mentor or other person who is skilled, knowledgeable, or experienced” (Encarta).

That is interesting. I had never thought of the “apple of God’s eye” that way before. The “apple” is where the light enters the eye, and Jesus is the light that enters through the darkness. So, Jesus is truly the “apple” of God’s eye. We, as his followers and as his students who have received that light, then, are also the “apple of God’s eye,” i.e. we have a special place in God’s heart that is reserved for no other. This is for spiritual Israel only. God will discipline us because he loves us and because he is jealous for us that we follow Him only, yet when he accomplishes his purpose in judgment on his people (His Bride), he will judge those instruments of judgment (the nations who struck the “apple of his eye”).

First God warns us of coming judgment, he calls us to repent and to turn to him, and when we do not turn, then he sends his divine discipline and correction (judgment) upon us to refine us and to revive us so that he can restore us to a right relationship with him. This is the first step toward our restoration back to a right relationship with God. Then, he judges those nations he used to judge us, and then we have the promise of Jesus’ return and of his millennial reign on the earth for 1000 years. Jesus is coming again and he will live among us. In that day when God judges the earth, many nations will join God’s people in making Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. And, I believe that a remnant of Jews will believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and that they will be rejoined with God in a right relationship with him, as well.

The passage ends with “Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” I believe this is a warning that God is getting ready to judge the world and to be still before God means to stand in awe, in reverence, and respect of God by ceasing to live our lives for ourselves. It means to humble ourselves before Almighty God in reverent submission, too. It is a quieting of our minds, souls and emotions before God to hear from him and to do what He says because the day of his judgment is near.

This song recognizes the awesomeness of God and of who God is, yet it states that in all of God’s glory and his awesomeness, it was the only time that the writer ever saw God run. In this passage of scripture, another angel tells the angel who was speaking to Zechariah to “Run” and tell Zechariah what God was going to do, and it is implied that Zechariah would, in turn, “run” and tell the people. So, this running had a sense of urgency to it. And, God is presently “running” to his people via his messengers (his servants), via His Word, via dreams and visions, etc. in order to get the message out that time is short and that his children need to return to Him with all their hearts and to come out from the world so that she does not share in her sins and thus receive the judgment God has for the nations. So, in reality, the world today has never seen God “run” in this way because the world has never gone through what is coming with the Great Tribulation prophesied about in scripture.

God is not only running to us by warning us of what is coming and by calling us to repentance, but he will run to us, as well, via his divine correction and discipline if that is what it takes to bring us back to Him before it is too late. God loves us so much that he will exercise “tough love” in order to revive his church and in order for the gospel to be spread throughout the world and for there to be an outpouring of His Holy Spirit and the salvation of many lives for eternity before he judges the earth in such a way that many, many people die. God is merciful, and in his mercy and in his desire that all should come to repentance, he will “run” to us via judgment in order to make us his Holy Bride ready to meet Jesus.

Sequence, Sequence, Sequence

Friday, October 22, 2010, 10:37 p.m. – I lay in bed to go to sleep and had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw a young woman I know, age 41 years old (born 1969), yet I saw her as a young child with blonde hair. Then, a little later on I saw a young man I knew when he was a child, only I saw him as an adult – age 31 now (born 1979). He also has blonde hair. A few more minutes passed and then I heard “Dale Schmale has a Tale” (from a previous writing) and following that I heard, “Sequence, sequence, sequence.” END


Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Zechariah 1:

A Call to Return to the LORD
1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
2 "The LORD was very angry with your forefathers. 3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty. 4 Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. 5 Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers?
"Then they repented and said, 'The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.'"

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.
8 During the night I had a vision—and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

9 I asked, "What are these, my lord?"
The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are."

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth."

11 And they reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace."

12 Then the angel of the LORD said, "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?" 13 So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, "Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.'

16 "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty.

17 "Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.' "

Four Horns and Four Craftsmen
18 Then I looked up—and there before me were four horns! 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?"
He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."
20 Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, "What are these coming to do?"
He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."

My Understanding: The word “forefathers” jumped out at me, so I looked up the family names of the two people who were in the vision. I know both the mother and the father’s name of the girl, but I only know the father’s last name for the boy. I don’t want to mention their names, so I will just try to glean from my research what I feel is significant here.

The girl’s mother’s family –

an Anglo Saxon patronymic surname - Old English – meaning power, brave & hardy - The suffix -son denotes "son/descendant of". The name is found in records as early as 1381 in Yorkshire, England. It is a common surname in the United Kingdom.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Anglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066. The Benedictine monk, Bede, writing three centuries later, identified them as the descendants of three Germanic tribes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo_Saxon

The girl’s father’s surname is of English origin. It is a common surname in the United States. The family's origins date back to the period prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066, to the county of Somerset. The knighthood was bestowed on William _____ by King Richard the Lion Hearted for heroism during the 3rd crusade approximately 1199. The family motto "Vincere Del Mori" literally translates "Conquer or Die". [Source: Wikipedia]

The boy’s father’s name -

This famous northern family name is believed to have derived from the Germanic pre 7th Century... The introduction into England was probably by the Normans, and the name translates as "people's army" from "folk", plus "heri", army. The name is normally associated with arrow making: however, this is not always an acceptable explanation, the family being responsible for the equipping of the bowman, a medieval supply officer. The first recorded spelling of the family name was during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

[Source: Wikipedia]

The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 over King Harold II of England. Harold's army was badly depleted in the English victory at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Northern England on 25 September 1066 over the army of King Harald III of Norway. By early 1071, William had secured control of most of England, although rebellions and resistance continued to approximately 1088.

The Norman conquest was a pivotal event in English history. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England in a new era often referred to as Norman England.

By bringing England under the control of rulers originating in France, the Norman conquest linked the country more closely with continental Europe, lessened Scandinavian influence, and also set the stage for a rivalry with France that would continue intermittently for many centuries. It also had important consequences for the rest of the British Isles, paving the way for further Norman conquests in Wales and Ireland, and the extensive penetration of the aristocracy of Scotland by Norman and other French-speaking families, with the accompanying spread of continental institutions and cultural influences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England

The father of this girl often symbolizes Bill Clinton in my dreams. Interesting that these family histories all seem to point to the Norman conquest of England, and the conqueror’s name is William (Bill). Knighthood was bestowed on William _____ by King Richard. Interestingly enough, Richard Nixon was president the year this girl was born and he left office in 1974 when she was a little girl.

I am seeing the mention of 4 countries here – Germany, France, England (United Kingdom) and the United States. There are 4 horns mentioned in this passage of scripture and there are 4 craftsmen mentioned in this passage of scripture who are coming to throw down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horns against the land of Judah.

I read these news stories: Iraq war leaks: No US investigation of many abuses - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101023/D9J14L4O3.html; Cholera epidemic spreads in Haiti; Nearly 200 dead - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101023/D9J15AVO2.html; and Bill Clinton races to help Democratic candidates - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101023/D9J15BIO0.html

In the story about Bill Clinton, it mentions that nearly a decade has passed since he left office. A decade is 10 years. There are 10 years age difference between the girl and the boy mentioned in the vision. And, the girl is a descendant of the man who often represents Bill Clinton in my dreams, which means the boy could represent new blood this election or Obama. The article refers to Clinton as “sought-after”, “people love Clinton,” someone saying “I miss peace, prosperity and Clinton,” as “hugely attractive,” as voters being “more likely to be swayed by Clinton’s endorsements than by Obama’s,” as “red-faced” and accusing Obama of “the biggest fairy tale I’ve ever seen” (a reference to claims Obama made about Iraq during the 2008 presidential primary elections), as saying that “Republicans will take the nation backward,” as someone who “tears them (Republicans) apart in a way that is without malice or meanness,” as Democrats in the Gulf stream waters “counting on Clinton to keep them from drowning on Nov. 2,” and finally as someone saying, “When people see Bill Clinton, they think of better days.”

As you might remember, “Dale Schmale has a Tale” was about this: http://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2010/10/as-above-so-below-chilean-mine-saga.html – this has to do with a symbolic display of the Illuminati in showing the death of the old order and the rise of the New World Order. This was on October 13, 2010. This also has to do with the rise of the Beast of Revelation and the antichrist and being on the threshold of the time of tribulation prophesied about in scripture. It is about nations conquering other nations, and it is about a people’s army. And, it is about a conquering king. The Lord is saying that sequence (X3) is important here, which I assume relates to sequence of events and perhaps to history repeating itself.

This is also a call of God for us to not follow the ways of our forefathers who, when God called them to repent of their evil practices, did not listen or pay attention to God. God is saying to his people (the church), “Return to me and I will return to you.” I believe he is saying that to the Jewish people, too, who were once his chosen people but who, as a nation, rejected Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as their Messiah.

This passage of scripture is divided into 3 sections. In the first section is the reminder of what our forefathers did and it is a call to repentance. In the second section is vision of the arrival of the red, brown and white horses. This parallels over to Revelation 6.

1. The red horse – “Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.”
2. The white horse – “Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”
3. The brown/pale horse – “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

The white horse is really interesting here in light of the above information about these family names. The boy’s family name had to do with a people’s army, making arrows and equipping the bowman. The boy is a decade younger than the girl and there is a decade between when Clinton left office until now, so the boy somehow represents someone who supplies the bowman with the bow and the person whom he supplies with the bow is the one who holds the bow and he is the conqueror. The name “William” was used in reference to someone who had knighthood bestowed upon him and as someone who was a conqueror and whose family motto is “Conquer or Die.” That reminds of the “Join or Die” of the American Revolution - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Join,_or_Die

In this second section, the Lord declares that he is very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, “but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.” I believe that “Zion” now refers to the church and Jerusalem to the New Jerusalem, though I do believe that a remnant of Jews will be saved in the last days, so this could be speaking of Israel (the nation) and Israel (the church) that God is jealous for and wants for them to return to him. He was angry with his people and he sent a conqueror against them, but then he will have mercy on his people and he will judge the nations he used to judge his people.

This last section speaks of 4 horns that God used to judge his people and of 4 craftsmen who would come to terrify them and throw down those horns. And, I saw 4 nations mentioned – Germany, France, United Kingdom and United States. I was shown the word “Sequence” 3 X’s and there are 3 sections to this scripture, so it appears the sequence is that God first of all calls his people to repentance, when they do not listen, then he sends the judgment, then they repent, and then he shows them mercy and then he judges the nations he used to judge his people.

So, the first sequence is the call to repentance. That has been going on for some time. Next is the judgment, which is the second sequence, some of which has already been taking place. I do believe the Lord has used the USA and its allies to judge other nations and that God will one day judge the USA for what they have done to other nations. And, I do believe that when the church is judged that it will repent (much of it) and that there will be a great revival and a harvest of souls, which I believe is God showing his mercy so that his house (the church – spiritual) can be rebuilt (revived). And, the last sequence is that God will judge those instruments of judgment that he has used to judge his people.

Favorite Song of All / Phillips, Craig & Dean

He loves to hear the wind sing
as it whistles through the pines and mountain leaves
And He love to hear the raindrops
as they splash to the ground in a magic melody
He smiles in sweet approval
as the waves crash through the rocks in harmony
And creation joins in unity
to sing to Him majestic symphonies

And He loves to hear the angels
as they sing, "Holy, holy is the Lamb"
Heaven's choirs in harmony
lift up praises to the Great I Am
But He lifts His hands for silence
when the weakest saved by grace begins to sing
And a million angels listen
as a newborn soul sings, "I've been redeemed!"

'Cause His favorite song of all
Is the song of the redeemed
When lost sinners now made clean
Lift their voices loud and strong
When those purchased by His blood
Lift to Him a song of love
There's nothin' more He'd rather hear
Nor so pleasin' to His ear
As His favorite song of all

It's not just melodies and harmonies
That catches His attention
It's not just clever lines and phrases
That causes Him to stop and listen
But when anyone set free,
Washed and bought by Calvary begins to sing

The Grim Reaper

Thursday, October 21, 2010, 10:51 p.m. – I could not sleep, so I got up to spend some time with the Lord in prayer. I asked the Lord Jesus if he had anything for me personally that he wanted to teach me or that he wanted me to share. Then I had a vision.

THE VISION: I saw a red Santa hat in the east. I heard, “Santa and his reindeer are hanging up their hats. They are out of business. The grim reaper has entered through the gates. And, he is taking back the toys, jobs, people, children, etc. The grim reaper is knocking on the doors of your hearts. Don’t let him inside. Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus alone.”

Then, I heard: Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD. [Psalm 150:6 NIV] END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Haggai 2:

The Promised Glory of the New House
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'

6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."

Blessings for a Defiled People
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: 11 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' "
The priests answered, "No."
13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?"
"Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."

14 Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

15 " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on —consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 18 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
" 'From this day on I will bless you.' "

Zerubbabel the LORD's Signet Ring
20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."

My Understanding: I read this news article: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101022/D9J0G7N00.html -

“The Obama administration is withholding assistance to some Pakistani military units over concerns they may have been involved in human rights abuses…”

Grim Reaper – Personification of Death – Angel of Death - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_(personification)

Revelation 6:7-8:

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The “house of the Lord” today is his church; his people; the saints of Almighty God; and true believers in Jesus Christ. It is not an organization, an institution, a denomination, a business, incorporation, or a building. It is the Body of Christ.

So, when the question is asked about seeing the house in its former glory and how it looks like nothing now, he is speaking of the church, Christ’s Body (a spiritual body). Certainly the church of today is not what it used to be. If this was speaking of America, I would say that this is speaking of how the world has crept into the church and how it is merely a shell of what it used to be spiritually, and it is very sad to see the spiritual and moral decline in today’s church and to often feel helpless in knowing what to do about it. So, the words here are very encouraging. Even if we are not seeing fruit for our labor and the church has not yet become what God has intended it to be or as glorious as it once was, we should not fear. We should be strong and work, for God is with us (those who are His disciples).

This next section of the passage (vv. 6-9) is difficult to interpret. I read several commentaries on these verses, and the commentators don’t agree on what it means when it says, “The desired of all nations will come.” Some believe this is a reference to Jesus Christ’s second coming, and yet these same commentators agree that Zerubbabel is a prefiguring of Christ, so it is difficult to interpret them both as Jesus Christ. Other commentators state that this could not be a reference to the Messiah, because of particular words or word forms that were used in the original language. In addition to that, the word desire is a word often associated with longing, craving, wanting, and coveting. The word “nations” is usually a reference to the world, not to the saints of God who would be the ones longing for the Messiah to return. So, who are the nations longing for? - A world king? - A universal messiah for all people, i.e. for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.? What is America craving for? They want political leaders who will shake up Washington and who will return America to what they want it to be. They are looking for a human king to save them. And, before Jesus returns, such a king – the antichrist – will come. I believe he is the “grim reaper.”

On 11/07/09 I had a vision of Barack Obama and I had this same passage of scripture. Today, the vision did not name anyone, but the only news story that fit with this vision is the story of US aid being withheld from Pakistan. In the vision, Santa was in the east and he was hanging up his hat and the grim reaper was coming. This certainly could also be a reference to Washington, D.C. being in the east of the USA and “Big Brother” has been generous up until now, but that things are going to change. To withhold assistance means you gave assistance. I believe the picture here is that we were Santa Claus to Pakistan and to much of the world, including to our own, but now the Obama administration (there’s Obama’s name again associated with this passage of scripture about the desired of the nations coming) is withholding aid, so his administration is being like a “grim reaper” to Pakistan in that withholding aid can certainly mean death for those who have nothing. Yet, there is a possibility that the “grim reaper” is one yet to come before or after these elections and that this would be on a world-wide scale.

I believe God wants to encourage his church in Pakistan and around the world. Many are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Their hard labor in trying to build Christ’s church seems in vain as the enemy continually pounds them with his darts. Yet, there is hope. I keep seeing over and over and over again this picture of judgment and the antichrist and the persecution of the church and it producing revival and the harvest of souls. There will be a peace among God’s people that the world could never know outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. We will see the church filled again with the glory of God as His Spirit is poured out upon us in revival during this time of great tribulation and persecution of the church, I believe.

During this time of judgment, God will shake the heavens and the earth. He will allow the Beast, the false prophet and the Dragon to rule for 3.5 years. And, when this all hits, I believe there is going to be a revival and a great harvest of souls and then the persecutions will really begin, yet that will only serve to further God’s kingdom. At the end of this time, Jesus will return for his Bride, and the Beast and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the lake of fire, the Dragon will be bound for 1,000 years and Jesus will reign on the earth during those 1,000 years, which is apparently symbolized in this person of Zerubbabel.

The passage keeps saying, “Give careful thought…” The Lord is telling the people how he had judged them previously and yet they did not turn to him. I know he has said that about America, i.e. that 9/11/01 was a judgment that was intended to cleanse us but we would not be cleansed. And, I know he’s been promising another judgment much greater than the one we saw on 9/11/01 here in America. And, yet, for the church, this is a promise of spiritual blessing. To see the church revived and to see a harvest of souls for God’s eternal kingdom would be the greatest blessing of all! That is our heart’s desire!!

In the vision, not only was the ‘grim reaper’ taking back everything he gave, but he is knocking at people’s doors of their hearts. The warning is to not let him inside. Physical death will come to all of us. Those of us who are in Christ Jesus should never fear death. So, if the “grim reaper” symbolizes physical death, then there is nothing to be concerned about because we are all going to die one day. I believe he represents spiritual death more than anything, which is what the ‘mark of the beast’ is about. To let him inside means to accept him into our lives to save us from the ills of this world. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can protect us from spiritual death, and Jesus is our only Savior.

So, I believe this refers to not taking the mark of the beast, which may be a physical mark but must be preceded, I believe, by some type of confession of faith in the beast and a rejection of Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior and Messiah of the world. So, I believe these words, “Give careful thought” apply very much here. The Lord is asking us to be discerning. He warns us in scripture not to put our trust in princes and to not trust in the legs of man, but to put our trust in Almighty God to save us. The children of Israel were always in trouble when they put their faith and trust in some human king or some foreign country to save them. So, to the world, I believe the Lord is saying to not put your faith in the United States of America. We can’t save you! We can’t even save ourselves. And, to the people of the USA, I believe God is saying not to put our hope in politicians or in political parties or platforms to save us. Don’t open the door and invite them in! Put your trust in God and in God alone! Only He can save you!!

God and God Alone / Steve Green

God and God alone created all these things we call our own
From the mighty to the small the Glory in them all is God's and God's alone

Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone

God and God alone reveals the truth of all we call unknown
and the best and worst of man won’t change the Master's plan it's God's and God's alone

God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home
He will be our one desire, Our hearts will never tire of God's and God's alone

The Raging Bull

Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 9:44 p.m. – My husband and I just finished reading another chapter in Ablaze With His Glory, by Del Fehsenfeld Jr, titled “Where are the prophets?” Then, we had our time of prayer together about what we had just read, during which the Lord gave me a vision. Following our time of prayer, we read Revelation 19-20.

THE VISION: I saw the statue of the charging bull that sits in a park near Wall Street. Then, I saw this enormous force of what appeared to be air (wind) being sucked into its mouth, like its mouth was a vacuum. While the enormous force of air (wind) was being sucked into the mouth of the bull, I saw the bull also as a roaring lion, only the force of wind was going inside the animal instead of going outside the animal. The force of wind going into the bull went on for a minute or so and then I saw what appeared to be a cow licking something up in the air with its tongue. There seemed to be animals of some kind floating around up in the air in the direction the cow was licking. I also heard in my mind the name “Molech”, which is either depicted by an owl or a bull. I believe the Lord was saying that Molech, in this case, is depicted by a bull. END

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

The Future of Jerusalem
1 Woe to the city of oppressors,
rebellious and defiled!
2 She obeys no one,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the LORD,
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials are roaring lions,
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.

4 Her prophets are arrogant;
they are treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
5 The LORD within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.

6 "I have cut off nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are destroyed;
no one will be left—no one at all.
7 I said to the city,
'Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!'
Then her dwelling would not be cut off,
nor all my punishments come upon her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly in all they did.

8 Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD,
"for the day I will stand up to testify.
I have decided to assemble the nations,
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them—
all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
by the fire of my jealous anger.
9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the LORD
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
11 On that day you will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from this city
those who rejoice in their pride.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.

12 But I will leave within you
the meek and humble,
who trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
they will speak no lies,
nor will deceit be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid."

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
"Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

18 "The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you;
I will rescue the lame
and gather those who have been scattered.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,"
says the LORD.

My Understanding: The vacuum, i.e. the force of air coming into the bull fits with what I am reading about with implosions and/or nuclear implosions, but symbolically speaking this could also be referring to an inside job, i.e. destruction from within. An implosion also just basically vaporizes or reduces in size what is inside until there is nothing left. So, this could be literally a nuclear implosion or it could be figurative or both, but no matter which, it still signifies destruction within and the ultimate obliteration of our government in the U.S.A.

Nuclear Weapon Design - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_design

I read these news stories: AP-GfK Poll: Likely voters ready to embrace GOP - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101021/D9IVPB301.html and Iran, Venezuela leaders seek 'new world order' - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101021/D9IVPB6G3.html.

In this first news article, it states that “Most (voters) think the country’s headed in the wrong direction.” I immediately saw this as this force of air going into the bull instead of coming out of the bull. Then, according to the article, a voter said: “If we get some new blood in there who will do what the people want, maybe this can get turned around.” “She hopes,” says the article, “Republicans will ‘get things back under control.’” Ok, here, again, I saw the “turned around” as this force of air (wind) going inside the bull instead of going outside of it and that this is how the “new blood” is going to get things “under control.”

The article continued by saying, “Even Democrats acknowledge that the GOP is within reach of winning control of the House.” Again, I saw this “control” as this force of air going into the bull. The article continued: “The results (of the GOP winning control of the House) could have enormous consequences for Obama’s agenda…” Ok, here I saw the word “enormous” in relation to the “enormous” force of wind/air being sucked into the mouth of the bull/lion. So, the “enormous consequences for Obama’s agenda” is this enormous force of wind being sucked into the mouth of the Bull/Lion which will result in its ultimate destruction from within, i.e. this is Obama’s agenda to destroy the government of the USA from within.

The charging bull near Wall Street - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charging_Bull -

“In Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide, Dianne Durante describes the sculpture: The Bull's head is lowered, its nostrils flare, and its wickedly long, sharp horns are ready to gore; it's an angry, dangerous beast. The muscular body twists to one side, and the tail is curved like a lash: the Bull is also energetic and in motion… Charging Bull, then, shows an aggressive or even belligerent force on the move, but unpredictably. It's not far-fetched to say the theme is the energy, strength, and unpredictability of the stock market."

If you are standing facing the head of the bull, the bull leans to the right (according to the photo in the article). These words stood out to me: “head lowered”; “angry”; “nostrils flared”; and “force on the move.”

This news article about the voter poll says this: “Today, it’s an understatement to say the electorate’s mood is simply grim.” The article describes the voters as “frustrated”, “disappointed”, “disgusted”, and “angry.” And, it says that “the GOP comfortably leads among likely voters who feel this way.” I saw an obvious parallel between the description of the bull and the description of the voters who appear to be leading the charge in getting the GOP to have greater control of Congress.

A military veteran who was polled talked about the spending spree that our government went on that “took the debt of this country to levels that are just mind-boggling.” He said that all the Democrats have done is “spend, spend, spend.” He added, “What I see scares me.” Ok, I definitely saw this in relation to the force of wind/air going inside the bull to where the bull would eventually implode. I believe our government has been spending like this for the very purpose of destroying our economy from within so that there can be a takeover of the New World Order, and the picture here is that this “new blood” is going to “seal the deal” and is going to bring us into the New World Order and destroy the USA.

Another person who was polled (according to the article) stated that “I don’t see him (Obama) as a strong enough candidate to get us out of this mess.” I immediately thought of the bull, of which Obama is a part, and a bull has enormous strength. I also thought of this enormous force of wind that the bull was sucking into its mouth, and that also showed great strength. The bull is Molech. In “Silent Night” (a previous writing) I learned about Molech that he is associated with the totality of the government of the USA which incorporates Washington, D.C. as well as Wall Street. Yet, the government of the USA will be destroyed, and from within its own gates and by some of its own people. It will self-destruct.

Then, this “poll” article said “Obama is holding events aimed at courting them (women) in the final homestretch, and Democratic candidates are making overtures to them across the country.” At the end of the article it said that the poll taken “involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,501 adults nationwide…”

In the vision, a cow (Obama/the Democrats) was licking up into the air and was aimed in the direction of these other animals (cows) in the air. To lick can mean “to give somebody a physical beating; to defeat somebody easily or thoroughly,” and tongue can mean “the power of speech,” so this tongue licking by our cow (Obama/Democrats) toward the other animals up in the air appears to signify that this “courting” and these “overtures” have to do more with them defeating the American people (as a whole) via the destruction of our nation from within and via this takeover of the New World Order. And, it appears that our government leaders are working with Iran and Venezuela and not against them in helping to destroy the USA and in helping to bring about the New World Order.

This is a judgment of God on our nation because our government (& Wall Street) is this “city of oppressors” mentioned in Zephaniah 3. They are a law unto themselves and they obey no one and accept no correction from God. Our officials are roaring lions and evening wolves who are out to destroy our nation from within and to defeat the American people. They are arrogant. They know no shame. They act corruptly in all they do. So, God is the one bringing these nations together against our nation and he will use them to pour out his wrath upon us, yet this is a judgment on the whole world. Then, the Lord will purify the lips of his people. I believe with all my heart that the purpose in this judgment is to bring the people of God back into a right relationship with Jesus Christ, that revival will be the result as well as a harvest of souls for Jesus Christ, and then we will be ready to meet our groom.

The Lord put this song (secular) in my mind because I believe it represents the message he is giving to his church. I think that this coming judgment will be a test of how deep our love is for God as well as it will be a demonstration of how truly deep God’s love is for his people. No loving parent would allow his or her child to go without discipline if the child is as America is being described and as the church in America is being described. God loves us and he is a jealous God and he wants us to be in a right relationship with him, so he will discipline us so that we will return to him, because we are living in a world of fools (our leaders, in particular) who are breaking us down as a nation.

How Deep is Your Love / Bee Gees

How deep is your love
How deep is your love
I really need to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breakin’ us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

Silent Night

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 (10/20/2010), 8:48 a.m. – I woke a little after 5 a.m. this morning with this song playing in my mind:

Silent Night / Joseph Mohr / Franz Gruber

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth"

I had not heard that song play, that I am aware of, for over a year, so it was strange that it would be in my mind this morning.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Zephaniah 1:

The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

Warning of Coming Destruction
2 "I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,"
declares the LORD.
3 "I will sweep away both men and animals;
I will sweep away the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea.
The wicked will have only heaps of rubble
when I cut off man from the face of the earth,"
declares the LORD.

Against Judah
4 "I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal,
the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests-
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the LORD
and who also swear by Molech,
6 those who turn back from following the LORD
and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.
7 Be silent before the Sovereign LORD,
for the day of the LORD is near.
The LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.

8 On the day of the LORD's sacrifice
I will punish the princes
and the king's sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10 "On that day," declares the LORD,
"a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.

11 Wail, you who live in the market district;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with silver will be ruined.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, 'The LORD will do nothing,
either good or bad.'
13 Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
They will build houses
but not live in them;
they will plant vineyards
but not drink the wine.

The Great Day of the Lord
14 "The great day of the LORD is near—
near and coming quickly.
Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter,
the shouting of the warrior there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.

17 I will bring distress on the people
and they will walk like blind men,
because they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like filth.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD's wrath.
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole world will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live in the earth."

My Understanding: In v. 5, God’s indictment against his people was that they bowed down to worship him, but that they also swore by Molech, so I first of all wanted to understand who Molech was. http://molech.com/origins-of-molech-and-his-legend.html

This article suggests that Molech is associated closely with the Babylonian god of the sun and that he may be an incarnation of Nimrod, who built the tower of Babel. Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah. Nimrod led his people to the worship of Ba’al.

In doing further research on Molech, I came across this link connecting the figure of Molech with Washington, D.C. and with the New World Order - http://www.cremationofcare.com/illu_molech.htm. Actually, Washington, D.C. is loaded with symbols of false gods from the Obelisk (reference to sun god Ra) of Washington’s monument to the temple and throne of Zeus that were replicated in the Lincoln Memorial, to the layout of the city streets and the buildings in D.C., to our Great Seal, to our money, etc. There is much information available on the internet connecting Washington, D.C. with idolatry, with the worship of false gods, with the occult and with Satanic worship.

I read in several places on Google, as well as in several Bible dictionaries that Molech means “shameful king.” Molech is associated with death and the underworld. Molech is also associated with child sacrifice. [Ref: Harper’s Bible Dictionary & The New Bible Dictionary]

The Bible Knowledge Commentary on vv. 5-7:

“Second, Zephaniah mentioned those who attempted to combine the worship of Yahweh with the worship of Molech, a form of religious syncretism. Molech was the chief god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:33), a people east of the Dead Sea (cf. Zeph. 2:8-9). Jeremiah, a contemporary of Zephaniah, said the Jews were sacrificing children to Molech (Jer. 32:35; cf. 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6). The Hebrew Malkām (Zeph. 1:5, niv marg.) is a variant spelling of ”Molech.“ To swear by a deity meant to pronounce an oath under the threat of punishment by that deity if one failed to carry out his oath. Third, the prophet spoke of others who were religiously indifferent and unconcerned about worshiping the true God (v. 6), though they may not have been worshiping other gods. 1:7. After citing three types of idolatry in Judah—the overtly pagan, the syncretistic, and the religiously indifferent—the prophet called on all of them to be silent before God (cf. Hab. 2:20) because of the imminence of the day of the Lord.”

Religious syncretism - Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term literally means "growing together.” ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Syncretism

I believe, and the Lord has shown me this a hundred times over (or more), that the Lord sees the institutional church of America in a contractual relationship with the United States Government (via 501c3 non-profit status), and he also sees this as a “syncretism,” i.e. as this bowing down to worship Almighty God but also to swear (on oath) by Molech:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands; one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I believe the Lord has been calling his people for a long time to “come out of her,” i.e. to come out from under her influence, to not be joined together with the government in partnership (501c3), to not bow to her (pledge allegiance), and to not look to her to be our savior (Republican, Democrat, Independent, Tea Party, etc.). Certainly we must abide by the laws of the land until those laws conflict with the laws of God, and then we must obey God rather than man. This worship on the roof tops had to do with it being public. I see so many people making public professions of faith in political parties and movements and in the flag, the government and the military of the U.S.A., yet few who will give such unadulterated devotion publicly to Almighty God. This is “syncretism” at its worst. God has been trying to tell us for some time that the U.S.A. is not a Christian nation but that it is founded on the worship of false gods, on idolatry, on Satanism, on the occult, and that our country is the birthplace of this New World Order which is the Beast of Revelation.

Aside from that, the song “Silent Night” is closely associated with the celebration of a holiday we call “Christmas.” It supposedly is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and yet it typifies this “syncretism” more than anything I know. Santa Claus is really the key figure on this day. Notice how much “Santa” looks like “Satan.” And, look at his characteristics:

• Knows when you are sleeping; knows when you are awake; knows when you’ve been bad or good
• He can deliver presents to all the children of the world in a single night
• He can answer all your requests for what you want – just ask him

Now, compare those characteristics to the attributes of Almighty God:

• All knowing
• Present everywhere
• All powerful

Santa is an image of Satan who wants to be God, and the purpose of combining the celebration of Christ’s birth on the same day as the celebration of Santa is to blend Christianity with pagan and with worldly practices (syncretism) and for the pagan and the worldly to overshadow the Christ. The same goes with Easter and the Easter Bunny, but not to the extent of the Santa figure who mimics the attributes of Almighty God and who steals the hearts (child sacrifice) of our children away from Almighty God to Satan and the world.

Then, there is the issue of how much the world and worldly philosophies have crept into and have been adopted by the church to where it is indistinguishable between the church and the world anymore. The church has just become a cleaned up version of what the world has to offer. We are attracting the world to the church by worldly means, so what we are attracting them to is more of the world. Instead, we are supposed to go out into the world and to be lights of the gospel in telling the world about Jesus Christ, about his death, his resurrection, his coming again, and about the sacrifice on the cross for our sins and of our need to repent of our sins of adultery, idolatry, witchcraft, etc. so that the world can come to know Jesus Christ in his fullness and can then be joined with the true church of Jesus Christ (the one not married to the federal government of the United States of America).

"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.” [Revelation 18:4-5]

So, the “Silent Night” that God is referring to here, in this writing, is summarized well by the commentator (quoted above), so I will conclude with that quote:

After citing three types of idolatry in Judah—the overtly pagan, the syncretistic, and the religiously indifferent—the prophet called on all of them to be silent before God (cf. Hab. 2:20) because of the imminence of the day of the Lord.”

“But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him." [Habakkuk 2:20]

Silent Night, Holy Night…

The Penny on the Threshold

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 10:01 p.m. – My husband and I are presently reading a book titled, Ablaze With His Glory, by Del Fehsenfeld Jr. - http://www.lifeaction.org/store/product/ablaze-with-his-glory/. We are reading this during our time together with the Lord in the evenings. We just finished reading, Living Water, by Brother Yun, a Chinese house church leader who has faced enormous persecution in China for his faith in Jesus Christ. After we read a chapter in a book, we pray, and then we read a chapter in the Bible. Tonight we read Revelation 18, which is about the fall of Babylon.

In Del Fehsenfeld’s book, Ablaze With His Glory, he describes the present condition (written 21 years ago) of the church here in the U.S.A. as in such a state of spiritual and moral decline that the “glory of God” has or is about to depart from his temple, the church, just like he did with Israel. And, the author describes how we are in such great need of revival here in the church in America that judgment of God is inevitable. Brother Yun echoed many of those same sentiments concerning the church in the west.

When my husband and I were having our time of prayer together, I prayed, asking the Lord to help me to see ourselves through his eyes. After he showed me the following (below), I asked him if he was showing me my husband and myself and he said, “No.” I asked him if he was showing me the church in America, and I believe he responded by saying that this is a picture of America and it is a picture of most of the institutional church in America.

Then, I had A VISION: I saw a penny sitting on the threshold of a doorway with the door closed. The threshold was to the left (or west) of the door. END

I inquired of the Lord if there was more. Then, I saw an image of a human heart in my mind, and then the Lord brought these questions to mind:

Q: What pumps blood into the human heart?

A: As the heart pumps, systolic pressure on the arteries pushes the blood through the arteries into the veins. This continuous pressure circulates the blood back into the heart. Just like a water pump on a car's engine pumping water through the engine, radiator and back to the water pump to start the process again. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_pumps_blood_into_the_heart

Q: What is the purpose of the valve in the heart?

A: to prevent blood from flowing backwards when traveling through the heart. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_purpose_of_the_valve_in_the_heart

Valve – “a device that controls the movement of liquids or gases through pipes or other passages by opening or closing ports and channels” (Encarta).

I inquired if there was more, and then the Lord put this verse from Revelation 19:9 in my mind:

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' "And he added, "These are the true words of God."

And, this one from Revelation 22:14-15:

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

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

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth . 2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah

14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

My Understanding: I looked up the U.S. Penny - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin), and I learned that the 2010 penny has a new design for the back of the penny. On the front is Abraham Lincoln, “In God We Trust” and “Liberty.” On the back is “United States of America,” and a shield with “E Pluribus Unum” (Translated: “Out of many, one”) written on it, with a scroll across the shield reading “One Cent.” The Wikipedia site says that the shield is the “Union Shield.”

“It was the symbol of the day, as far as the Civil War,” said Gary Marks, a member of the citizens advisory committee. “When people saw that, they knew what it meant: It was a northern symbol.” Wheat, Marks said, is a symbol of prosperity, and a flag with 34 stars wouldn’t look any different than a modern flag on a coin the size of a penny. The union shield, by contrast, is unique symbol of unity and exactly what Congress intended when it passed the law requiring that the design reflect Lincoln’s legacy of preserving the union, he said. http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1409370872/New-Lincoln-Penny-to-be-unveiled-in-Springfield-Feb-11

Lincoln’s way of preserving the “union” was to bring our nation into a civil war, to declare “Habeas Corpus,” i.e. to suspend the rights of U.S. citizens, and to arrest U.S. citizens on the suspicion of being against the union, etc. He didn’t care about the slavery issue. He was all about preserving the union whether the slaves were freed or not. Check it out!

The Lord has been showing me for a long time that Obama was made in the image of Lincoln, i.e. he is a clone of Lincoln, and that he intends to follow the same pattern as Lincoln for the U.S. in preserving another union, i.e. the union of the New World Order.

“The GREAT SEAL of the United States of America: The design for this national emblem was completed in 1782. Some consider its occult and masonic images an American mission statement. The inscribed motto, E Pluribus Unum means "Out of many, one." The words Novus Ordo Seclorum mean "a new order of the ages," according to this website: www.greatseal.com. The two sides show the symbol of the eagle (first a phoenix) and the eye in the pyramid. See All-Seeing Eye & Eye of Horus & Great Seal. But the more correct meaning would be NEW WORLD ORDER [novous = new, ordo = order, seclorum = secular or world] See also www.greatseal.com & A More Perfect Union.” http://www.crossroad.to/Books/symbols1.html

Obama gave a campaign speech with the title, A More Perfect Union, in 2008: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/18/text-of-obamas-speech-a-more-perfect-union/

Based upon these verses the Lord gave me from Revelation, I believe the door in the vision represents the door into the Kingdom of God, and it stands closed to most of America’s institutional church and to the nation as a whole, represented by the penny. The door (Jesus Christ) is the heart valve that opens and closes channels (of communication with God) in order to prevent the blood from flowing backwards. I see the blood as the blood Jesus shed for us on the cross for our sins, but it also represents our spiritual life-blood via our relationship with Jesus Christ. God is closing the door of communication between himself and America via his judgment on her so that the lifeblood of his true church cannot flow backwards, i.e. I believe a line is going to be drawn in the sand and either we will be on one side of the door or the other, but there will no longer be any middle ground.

Also, the way that blood is pumped into the heart is through “continuous pressure.” I believe the Lord is saying that the church in the U.S.A. needs to undergo some divine discipline and persecution (the continuous pressure) in order to pump the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit of God back into the church. The door will be opened for those who “wash their robes” in the blood of the Lamb, and then they will be able to enter the gates into the City of God. So, God is going to have to shake our nation and to do some threshing (the penny on the threshold) before the people of the USA that are outside of true fellowship and union with Christ are going to be able to enter through the gates into the City of God.

A threshold is “the point at which something begins or changes” (Encarta); “the starting point for a new state or experience” (worldnetweb.princeton.edu). So, the United States of America is on this threshold, i.e. we are at this point at which something new is going to take place, and it involves a closed door between our nation and Almighty God, as well as it involves him threshing us on this threshold. On one side of the coin it reads “Liberty” and “In God We Trust,” but on the reverse side for 2010 it has an image (the union shield) that depicts the preserving of a union via war, via suspension of human rights, and via incarceration of its citizens. This is the flip side of the history of Lincoln that is downplayed in our history books and our memory of him.

I believe the Lord is saying here that America is on a precipice – “The brink of a dangerous or disastrous situation” (thefreedictionary.com); at a point when something begins to change, and it involves divine judgment upon our nation, which will in turn pump the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit of God back into the life of his church, I believe. So, with judgment (systolic pressure) will come revival, and with the washing of the robes (cleansing of sin) will come entry into the gates of heaven for those who have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. So, that’s the good news!!

He Spilled His Guts

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 8:28 a.m. – I woke this morning from a dream.

THE DREAM: At the end of the dream there were some children lined up on the bottom (south) of a bed. I was sitting east of the bed. Someone southeast of the bed asked me a series of questions about the children, like if they were born into Christian families. The implication of the question had to do with whether or not these were families who were serious about their faith in Christ Jesus. Some of the children I could answer for, but for one of them (in the middle), I could not because I did not know the child or his (or her) family background because the child was new to me. I know that I thought about my own family background during this time of questioning and how I had an abusive father.

When we finished the question and answer time, and we went to get the children, I saw that this child in the middle had vomited something onto the bed cover. The bed belonged to someone else (maybe the person asking the questions). I, or the person asking the questions, asked the child why he (or she) did not let us know he was sick.

I think the person asking the questions was the owner of the bed, because he (or she) then handed me an instrument of some kind (that was long and narrow) that I was able to use on the bed cover that immediately cleaned up the vomit (the guts that were spilled).

In another part of this dream, we had visited a church (institutional) and we were thinking about going back. I know that my niece ended up playing the piano (or organ) for one of the services. I didn’t know she could play. But, the church was not our style, so we didn’t go back. I seemed to be outside the building when my niece was playing the musical instrument. I could hear her playing the hymns.

Just before I awoke, and this part is fuzzy, there was a series of statements made by someone or by various people. When I examined each of the statements, I could see how each one of them was really a part of the gospel message and that, put altogether, they told the message of salvation – of Jesus’ sacrifice for sins, of repentance, cleansing, renewal of the Holy Spirit, etc. I ended up telling someone how each statement fit with the gospel. END

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Habakkuk 2:

I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
The LORD's Answer
2 Then the LORD replied:
"Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.

4 "See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous will live by his faith -
5 indeed, wine betrays him;
he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.

6 "Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
" 'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
How long must this go on?'

7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their victim.

8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed man's blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

9 "Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain
to set his nest on high,
to escape the clutches of ruin!

10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.

11 The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by crime!

13 Has not the LORD Almighty determined
that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea.

15 "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.

16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed!
The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.

17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed man's blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

18 "Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!'
Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!'
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.

20 But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him."

My Understanding: First of all, I believe that this is about the U.S. government and military (the dream) and that this passage of scripture is being applied to the U.S. today.

I read these news articles: Soldier’s last words at Fort Hood were of family - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101019/D9IUNJ6G0.html; Gunmen storm Chechen government buildings - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101019/D9IUMQSO1.html; Dallas bomb plot suspect may take stand at hearing - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101019/D9IUNJ5O4.html; Obama's spectacle of treason is breath-taking - http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/28903; Nurse tells how she hid to avoid Fort Hood gunman - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101019/D9IURKN00.html; and Nurse: 3 soldiers unafraid facing Fort Hood gunman - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101019/D9IUTEFG1.html.

Quote from a writing God gave me on November 13, 2009 titled “Orwellian Society 2009”:

Anyway, I went to this house, and the first thing I did was to pick up this baby in my arms and to notice that he was naked from the waist down. I was concerned he might “leak” on me, so I wanted to cover him up with a diaper. I could not help but think of the story of all the media “leaks” that Obama is complaining about. I also believe there are “leaks” or potential “leaks” among our own military and that our government is killing our own in order to cover up some of these leaks or potential leaks.

I was there to “clean up” the “messes” that my “children” and the “children” of this man (whom I had kissed twice on the lips) had made. I had this strong sense that this “clean up” involved killing people, like the CIA might send in a “cleaner” to take care of an undercover operation that went awry. I went into this one room and there were men’s legs on the floor but the upper part of his body was hidden. I had this visual of murder mysteries I had seen in the past with a dead body lying on the floor. In the dream I did not go check on the man to see if he was alright. I assumed he was the one whom I had kissed on the lips. There was an article about this supposed shooter in Ft. Hood Texas as possibly being paralyzed from the waist down, so that made me think that maybe this was about him and that the Lord was again showing me that the events that took place in Ft. Hood were really a planned hit by our government against “leaks” within our own ranks. I know our government has big plans to destroy our nation, and they cannot afford any “leaks.” Yet, there is the possibility the Lord has another situation in mind here that has not yet made the news.

Yet, when I thought about how the house was a “mess” again when I got ready to leave, I thought about how this “clean up” job was obviously intended to kill and to silence those who our government deemed a threat to their evil plans and it would leave a huge mess of dead bodies, so this could be talking about Ft Hood, Texas.

So, whether this is specific to Ft Hood, Texas or not, I do not know, yet I do believe it represents, as a whole, the direction the government within the United States of America is headed. They are headed toward this One World Order and toward the “mark of the beast” and the “rule of the beast” and the fulfillment of the book of “Revelation” and they are exercising mind control in various ways upon their own citizens, and the media is one of their biggest sources of “mind control” of their own people in order to try to get us to believe whatever they want us to believe, which is a BIG FAT LIE – most of it, anyway. And, they are working and moving toward this Orwellian Society and they will kill anyone who stands in their way or who poses a threat to their plans. And, I believe the Lord has been showing me these evil things that they have been doing, not only to their own people, but also to the people of other nations.

I’m still working through and praying through this dream, but what I am sensing is that the children at the bottom of this bed (Texas) are these 3 soldiers, mentioned in this last article, who were killed at Fort Hood, and it sounds like they were killed in a military-style execution, that one of them “spilled his guts” and thus I, the shooter (perhaps), was handed an instrument with which to “clean up the mess.” This also sounds as though Christians were being targeted, in particular. And, this fits with what the Lord was showing me back when this happened, that it was a planned hit by our government/military, that mind-control is definitely involved here, and that this man being accused is either the patsy, like Lee Harvey Oswald, or that he was involved in the shootings but that he did not act alone. The story that the military/government is giving about this is the cover story, like the cover on the bed. Beds usually are symbols of a covenant relationship and I do believe this bed symbolizes this New World Order that the U.S. is in bed with, that there is a cover over it, but someone spilled his guts on top of the cover, and thus he had to be killed or setup to take the fall for it, either one. I remember reading then about our military in Texas and suspected then that they were part of this coup of the USA (and the world) and that anyone who “talked” was silenced.

It would be good to repeat this link again here that I had posted with “A Whale of a Job” - http://www.mega.nu/ampp/timeline.html. It mentions this: “May 1, 1996 - A German airbase is established at Holloman Field near Alamogordo, New Mexico. This is the first time in U.S. history that a foreign nation has been allowed to set up a permanent military installation on American soil.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holloman_Air_Force_Base

Just a Closer Walk with Thee / Unknown

I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom, dear Lord, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.