Good and Bad Counsel

Friday, September 23, 2016, 8:17 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Touched My Mouth.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 1 (ESV).

Blessed is the man

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

    planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

    and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,

    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Counsel of the Wicked

In today’s world, in 2016, particularly here in America where I live, we are beginning to see our freedoms slowly ebb away, especially our freedom of speech. Political correctness has replaced boldness in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, even in the church. The institutional (man-made business) church is largely far too concerned with whether or not they will offend the people of the world than they are concerned with whether or not they will offend God, i.e. grieve the Holy Spirit. So, censorship of the gospel is on the rise, even in the church, in Christian-based ministries, and even on Christian-based websites. Too many people who call themselves Christians prefer to hear feel-good messages which tickle itching ears rather than the hard truths of the gospel taught by Jesus Christ himself.

The church, in particular the institutional church, has paved the way for the persecution of Christians in this country, and for the censorship of the gospel of our salvation. “How so?” you might ask.

They have done so by buying into Satan’s lies which say that the church should work to draw in large crowds of people from the world, and that they should entertain them so that they will feel right at home, and so they will want to come back. The lie also says that Christians should not say anything to offend the people of the world, so they will come back. Thus, they also have to dilute the gospel message to make it more appealing to the people of the world. Yet, they have taken it even a step further than that. The lie also tells them that they must rid their churches of seasoned Christians who follow the true gospel, and that they should target (market) young people and people who have little Bible knowledge, and those who are unchurched, who are, thus, not familiar with scripture. They don’t want anyone who might tell people the truth of the gospel, because the gospel offends.

Now, I realize that this does not apply to every congregation in America, but from what I have experienced, and from what I have read in books, even books written by renowned American pastors, and from what I have read on some Christian websites and on Christian-based blogs, and from what I have heard in sermons from pastors from California to New York, this is nationwide. A large majority of America’s churches are following human marketing schemes over the word of God in order to draw in large crowds of people from the world, in order to make them feel right at home. But, if the world feels at home in our churches, then something is terribly wrong!

So, we should not walk in this counsel, because it is not Biblical, and it is anti-God and against his Word. And, yet, so many pastors will hold to this wicked counsel over following the Word of God, because they know that if they follow God’s Word, they will be hated and rejected as Jesus was, and their congregations will die out, because the people will flee to where they can have their itching ears tickled with feel-good messages. And, so they have to make a choice between following Jesus or following humans, and all too often they choose humans over God, because that gains them popularity and acceptance, because it gives the people of the world what they want, instead of giving them what they need. And, thus, their businesses grow.

And, because the church has censored the gospel, and its messengers, we have stepped into yet another phase of this censorship of the gospel, which will result in the persecution of followers of Christ here in America. Now, top political and religious leaders in our nation, and/or in the world, are calling for the world to unite as one in opposing what they consider “religious extremism,” which includes those who hold to the tenets of the Christian faith and the gospel as taught by Jesus Christ and his NT apostles. There is also a call for the silencing (censorship) of those who would say anything that might offend any particular people group, and a call for laying aside all which divides us as the people of this world. Well, the gospel divides, so it has to go, and so do its messengers. And, that is where we are.

The Law of the Lord

So, what should our response be to all of this? Should we conform to society so we don’t offend anyone? Should we bow to the pressures of this sinful world and worldly church to soften the gospel message so that we are “politically correct”? Should we compromise our Biblical convictions, and back down on what we know is right, and is of God, in order to be accepted, or to not be rejected? Should we remain quiet when the gospel is being derailed, and false teachers prevail, and the world is going to hell? Is that what Jesus would do? Would he stand quiet while the church is asleep, and their shepherds abandon his sheep? Would he not say a peep while Christians are in sin deep? And, would he only say things positive when his church is being adulterated? I think we know the answer.

We should never compromise the gospel or the teachings of Christ and his NT apostles in order to be accepted and/or to not be rejected. The Law of the Lord, i.e. his Word should be our delight. We should meditate on it day and night. We should stand on the truth of God’s Word, and do what it says, and say what God gives us to say, even if it gets us rejected or kicked out, or invited out of places, even from the institutional church or other Christian-based organizations. We should teach the Word of God and what Jesus and his NT apostles taught, and in all practicality and application to our lives and our world today, even if it is not politically correct, and even if the world and the worldly church hates us in return. Lives are at stake here! Too many people are being deceived by master deceivers and manipulators, and someone needs to tell them the truth! Their eternity depends on it!

So, what’s it going to be? Will we be mice or “men”? Will we stand tall, or will we shrink back? Will we be more concerned with pleasing people than we are concerned with pleasing God? Do we want the acceptance of humans more than we want God’s approval of our lives? Will we say what needs to be said, i.e. what Jesus would say, and what God wants us to say, or will we be silent so that we don’t stand out, and so we don’t get rejected? And, will we share the gospel in all its fullness, or will we silently watch as the world goes to hell and the church is deceived? What’s it going to be?

He Touched My Mouth / An Original Work / June 13, 2012

Based off Isaiah 6:1-8; Jeremiah 1:4-9

Oh, I saw the Lord seated on His throne,

High and lifted up; Holy is the Lord!

The earth is full of His glory.

“Woe to me,” I cried,

“I’m of unclean lips.”

My Lord touched my mouth

With His cleansing pow’r;

Removed all my guilt, paid for by His blood.

He asked, “Whom shall I send;

Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Before I was born, God set me apart;

He appointed me to His servant be.

I said, “I don’t know how to speak.

I am but a child.” Then, the Lord replied:

“Do not say to me, ‘I am but a child.’

You must go to all, and do what I say.

Do not fear them, for I’m with you.”

My Lord touched my mouth;

Gave me words to say.

https://vimeo.com/114929183

Much Needed Healing

Thursday, September 22, 2016, 3:15 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “For Our Nation.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 22 (Select vv. ESV).

Healing of the Nations (vv. 1-5)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

I read the transcript of President Obama’s speech to the United Nations this morning. This is my takeaway from what he said: He, and the global government whom he serves, are against individualism and for international cooperation; against beliefs which are exclusive, such as Christianity, and for a faith which is inclusive of all people regardless of walks of life or religious affiliation; against independence, and for interdependence, including against independent religious faith and practice and for interdependence among all faiths; against nationalism and for globalization; against division of any kind, including the division of believer and non-believer in Jesus Christ, and for cooperation and integration of all nations, faiths, morals, etc.; and against extremism (radicalism; anything outside the norm), and for religious moderation. And, those who do not go along with this are being threatened.

Obama says he is not neutral in the contest between authoritarianism and liberalism – he supports both sides, for the liberalism, i.e. the international cooperation he speaks of is being forced by authoritarianism, i.e. by this global one world government “beast.” Either cooperate, or face dire global consequences, he says, in essence. He has said this for a long time.

Much of the chaos, public disturbances, mass killings, riots, and takeovers of nations we have been witnessing, at least these past 10 years, and longer, have been orchestrated by this global government, which consists of the elite, powerful and wealthy of the world, who serve as a shadow “de facto” government behind, at least, the US government. They first create the chaos in nations, and then they go in as “saviors,” but not really. They go in to take over, and to subvert the independent nationalist sovereign governments of individual nations, and they are now doing this in the USA. Their goal is to bring the entire world under the rule of one government and one state religion, and they are doing this by force, either through disasters, false flag operations, war, terrorism or via deception and manipulation.

So, the nations are in great need of healing, and we, the nations and people of this world, need to stop putting our trust in humans to save us. We need to look to God Almighty to save us from our troubles. We can’t trust our leaders, for we can’t believe anything they say. So many of them have bought into this one world order, either voluntarily, or by force, and so they are betraying their own people and are turning on them (or against them) in favor of saving their own skin, perhaps, or in favor of cooperation with the “international community,” alias this New World Order.

Many or most of those who have vowed to serve and to protect us are going to betray us, if they have not already, at least here in America. There is no right or left politically here, for they all answer to the same global elite, i.e. to this shadow de facto government, which are really the ones ruling the world. And, the mainstream media, and even some media not mainstream are in bed with this global order, and so we can’t trust what they say, either.

Yet, for those of us who have truly put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and who are walking in his ways, we have the promise and hope of a better life after this present world of ours has been judged and has passed away. We will have a new heaven and a new earth in which evil no longer reigns or exists, but in which the Lord Jesus rules supreme. And, there the nations and people of this world, who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, will find complete healing. Amen! Can you imagine a world without sin and evil? I so look forward to that day when I will be with my Lord forever in a place where evil is no longer present, and where righteousness rules. Amen!

The Time is Near (vv. 10-15)

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

The word “near,” is obviously relative, because when we think of near, we think of weeks, months or a few years, but it has now been about 2,000 years since these words were penned. I guess a better word might be imminent or approaching, i.e. they are on the way, but we don’t know exactly when they will take place, but we should know when these things are close, by the signs, much of which we have been seeing in our day and time.

While we wait for Christ’s return, and for these things prophesied in scripture regarding the last days before Christ’s return to be fulfilled, evil will continue to reign, and people will continue to do what is wicked, but let the righteous not be led astray or give up hope, but let the righteous continue in the things of God – of walking in his holiness and serving him with all our hearts, loving others with his love, and doing what pleases our Lord, even in the face of much persecution, rejection and opposition.

We must know here that faith in Jesus Christ, though, is not just words we repeat in prayer after someone else, and it is not just a mere intellectual assent to who Jesus is and to what he did for us in dying for our sins. It is also not an emotional one-time decision we make at an altar, and then we go about living our lives not much different than we did before. No, we died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? If we walk (conduct our lives) after our sinful flesh, we will die (without Christ), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (Ro. 8:1-14). Those who practice evil (in lifestyle) will not inherit the kingdom of God, even if they profess to know Jesus as Savior of their lives. So, don’t count on a profession of Christ to get you into heaven. We must live righteously consistently if we want to see heaven when we die.

For the Churches (vv. 16-17)

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

There are many people today, in particular in America, who teach Revelation as though it has nothing to do with the church, and as though the church will not exist at all during this time. Yet, the book begins by stating that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ given to God’s servants to show them what must soon take place. Blessed are those of us who read this book, and who hear (listen to) what it says, and who take to heart the words written within. And, then, John began with his greeting in which he stated that what he was writing was being written to the seven churches in Asia, which most of us evangelicals believe was written, not just for them, but for the church of all-time, leading up to these events taking place and to Christ’s return.

Following his introduction, which is found in chapter one, John went on to write seven individual letters to these seven churches, which, again, represent the church of Jesus Christ throughout all generations, nations and languages. In these letters, Jesus warned and encouraged these church congregations. Five of them he warned against spiritual adultery, idolatry, hypocrisy, false teachers and false teaching, sexual immorality, complacency, lukewarmness, and tolerance of what is not of God but is contrary to God’s laws and his love for us, as humans. Six of them he commended for their faith, perseverance, intolerance of wickedness and false teaching, for their endurance in persecution, and steadfastness, as well as for keeping his word and for not denying his name.

In these letters Jesus warned that if they did not repent of the things he found against them that he would visit them with some type of divine judgment (discipline and correction), but that if they did repent of their sins, they would experience the blessings of God in their lives. And, right after this he began a discourse on the judgments of God on the earth, and on the people of the earth, in which he told of a beast (global kingdom) which would rule the earth for a time, and which would conquer, not only the nations, but the saints of God, i.e. believers in Jesus Christ. Then, he said, “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.”

I don’t know if the seven years of tribulation are to be taken literally or not, or where exactly we are, in history, in relation to these “seven years,” but what I do know is that the events described in Revelation 13 are already taking place in our world today, and they have been for many years. The beast is rising, and he is conquering nations and the saints of God, even as we speak, and it is very close now to the time when this beast will rule and will reign on the earth for a predetermined amount of time. So, Jesus is calling out to the people of the nations of the earth to put their faith and trust in him as their only Lord and God, and to forsake their lives of sin, and he is saying this to his adulterous church, too, so please listen, because time is not on our side. So, come to Christ today, while you still have today.

For Our Nation / An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

Crystal Clear

Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 5:49 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 21 (Select vv. ESV).

The Holy City (vv. 1-4)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

When God first created man and woman, they were without sin and in perfect fellowship with their creator God. But, then they sinned against God, and, as a result, all humans have been born into sin, in the image of Adam (Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-49). “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…” (Ro. 5:12). With all of this also came pain, sickness and suffering. And, yet, because God loved us so much, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to take on human form, to suffer as we suffer, to be tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin, and to die on a cross for our sins so that we could go free from the penalty of sin, free from slavery to sin, and be set free to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, resulting in eternal life with God (Ro. 6:20-23).

Yet, while we walk the face of this earth, though through faith in Jesus Christ we have been set free from our slavery to (the control of) sin, we still have the propensity to sin, and we are still tempted to sin, and we are still impacted by the sins of others. We still go through pain and suffering. Yet, one day, when Jesus Christ returns to take us to be with him forever, sin will be out of the picture, as will pain and suffering. Amen! The suffering and pain we go through now will be no more. The tears we now shed over our loved ones, and over the lost and the deceived of this world, and when we are hurt by others, or when we are in pain and suffering, will be wiped away. No longer will anyone die. We will no longer suffer the rejection and/or persecution of others, but we will be fully loved and accepted. Amen!

All Things New (vv. 5-8)

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

I like the idea of “all things new,” don’t you? I am thankful for the life God has given me on this earth, don’t get me wrong, but oh, how I long for the day when all things will be made new. The things I weep over now will be no more. It pains me deeply to see so many people, especially those who claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, being led astray by sin’s deceitfulness. So many people are walking in darkness, and can’t see the light of truth, because Satan has blinded their eyes. So many people, who say they are Christians, are living not much different from the world. God is not much on their radar, at all, i.e. he barely gets an honorable mention. Their minds and lives are filled with the pleasures of this world, and not with the things of God.

One of the things that pains me deeply is seeing so many people being taught a false gospel of salvation which does not deliver people out of slavery to sin, but leaves them still bound in sin, without God, and without hope. They are being taught that a mere acknowledgment of Christ as Savior, or a prayer prayed (repeated after someone else) to receive Christ guarantees them heaven, and that nothing is required of them by God – no repentance, no obedience and no submission to Christ and his cross. They are being led to believe that they can continue to live sinful lifestyles and still have the hope of heaven when they die. But, the scriptures teach the opposite. They teach that, if we continue to walk (conduct our lives) according to our sinful flesh, we will die (without Christ), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the misdeeds of the body, we will live (Ro. 8:1-14).

If we live sinful lifestyles, we do not have the hope of heaven, but of eternity in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. If we claim to have fellowship with God, but we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (wickedness, sin), we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6). It is the one who conquers all this who will have this heritage of heaven with God, and God will be his God and he will be God’s son. And, this is only accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ, who gave his life up for us so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. The righteous requirement of the law is fully met in us who walk not after the flesh, but who conduct our lives according to the Spirit (See: Ro. 8:1-14). So, if you have been buying into a lie that says you can continue in sin and still have the promise of heaven, then read this passage again, and others like it, and believe the truth, instead.

By Its Light (vv. 9-11, 22-27)

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal…

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The Bride of Christ, the wife of the Lamb, the Body of Christ, the saints of God walk (conduct their lives) by the light of Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. We walk according to the Spirit, and no longer according to our sinful flesh. This means that Jesus Christ is central in our lives. He is our root, our support, our foundation for our lives, for our thinking, values, attitudes and behavior. He is the love of our lives, and all else in our lives flows from that love he has for us and we have for him. Our desire is for him, to walk in his truth and in his ways. We want to please him in all we are and do and say. Because we love him, we no longer want to walk in the ways we once did, living to please our selfish and sinful desires.

This is how it should be for those who truly love Jesus, and who are his followers. It doesn’t mean we will never fail, or that we will never sin, but that our lifestyles will reflect Christ and not our sinful flesh. And, one day we will get to be with him forever, and we will then walk perfectly by that light, and no sin will exist where we are with God forever, amen! Oh, how I long for that day when I get to be with Jesus, my Lord, face to face, when I can walk perfectly in his love and sin will be no more. Hallelujah! Praise God!

My Jesus, I Love Thee

William R. Featherstone / Adoniram J. Gordon

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

For thee all the follies of sin I resign. 

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.  

Amen! Hallelujah!

Monday, September 19, 2016, 7:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “For Our Nation.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 19:1-9 (ESV).

Hallelujah! (vv. 1-3)

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

    for his judgments are true and just;

for he has judged the great prostitute

    who corrupted the earth with her immorality,

and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

Once more they cried out,

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

What do we know from scripture, so far, about this Great Prostitute, i.e. Babylon the Great? We learned that she will fall, because she makes all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality (Rev. 14:8). She will fall, too, because she has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit (Rev. 18:2). She is the mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations (Rev. 17:5). She is seated in a position of power, rule and authority over many peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (Rev. 17:15). She is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth (Rev. 17:18). She is a great city that is clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! (Rev. 18:16) And, although the prostitute rides the beast, for a time, the beast hates the prostitute (Babylon the Great), and they will make her desolate and naked, and will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire (Rev. 17:16). As well, we learn that God will judge the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and that he will avenge on her the blood of his servants, whom she (they) persecuted and killed (Rev. 19:2).

We have also learned that we are to come out of her so that we do not share in her sins or in her punishment, for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes (Rev. 18:4-5). So, obviously she is something which we, as God’s people, can come out from.

Since the Lord Jesus called me in 2004 to write out what he teaches me from his Word each day, and to post it on the internet, he has been continually showing me America, and the institutional church (state church) in America, as this Babylon which is under the judgment of Almighty God. In a broader sense, though, she represents the world’s system which has infiltrated the church, and so, in reality, all Christians across the earth are being commanded to come out from her. Yet, I also believe this is a command from God to come out from under the influences of the USA, its government, and its state church (incorporated under the US government).

The church, collectively, is the body of Christ, with Christ as her head. She is spiritual. She is not a building, an organization, a business, a social club, a church denomination, or a corporation under the headship of the US government or any other world government. When we go to a building called “church,” and we enter that building, we are not entering the house of God or his presence. The worship center or sanctuary in that building is not the sanctuary of God, and entering that room does not bring us into the presence of Almighty God. We, the people of God, are the church. We are the temple of God, for he now dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. So, as believers in Jesus, we are always in God’s presence, and we can worship him in spirit and in truth anywhere, any day, and any time.

Yet, much of today’s church here in America, and perhaps in other parts of the world, too, have willfully joined forces with their government and have brought themselves under the headship of the government in place of the headship of Christ. Thus, they have become a state church, owned by the government, and under the scrutiny and leadership of that government. They have become a corporation, i.e. a business of human-making, and they market themselves just like any other human-based business, too. The church that has done this, thus, is living in spiritual adultery against her Lord, for they have forsaken their first love for the bed of another lover. And, God is calling his people to come out of her - out from underneath her influence, and out from being partakers with her in her adultery.

Much of today’s institutional church, as well, has softened or diluted the gospel message in order to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world. Thus, they are leaving people in their sins while they are promising them the hope of heaven when they die. This worldly institutional (state) church has also, in the effort to draw in large crowds of people, turned worship services into big shows in order to entertain the masses so that people will want to come back. The Bible is being replaced by books written by mere humans. And, scripturally-based songs are being forsaken for those which make people feel happy inside. Spirit-led messages are also being dumped in favor of feel-good messages which tickle itching ears.

America is a nation which has been riding the beast. I know that our nation is not truly run by those who are elected officials but by a de facto shadow government comprised of the elite, powerful and wealthy people of the world. There is no right and left, for our government leaders are just the face of this beast, i.e. what is seen on the outside. They are just puppets, and this shadow government are the puppet masters.

I believe our electoral process to be pure theatre, and that it doesn’t really matter who serves in office, because they are only the façade which we see with our eyes. They all serve the same people, alias the “beast.” And, in coordination with this beast New World Order, they have been going throughout the world overtaking sovereign nations, killing innocents, murdering Christians, and blaming their crimes on “terrorists” whom they largely finance, train and equip. So, that is why they have the blood of the saints of God on their hands. And, it is one of the reasons God is going to judge them (us), as a nation.

Praise God! (vv. 4-5)

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,

    all you his servants,

you who fear him,

    small and great.”

The Lord is, thus, calling out to his adulterous church, and he is confronting her with her sins of adultery and idolatry. He is calling her to repentance, warning of divine judgment, but promising his blessings on the repentant. He is doing this because he loves her, and because it grieves him to see her being deceived and strongly influenced by these master manipulators.

He is also calling to her to come out of the world’s system, especially as it has infected and has infiltrated the structure and the gatherings of the church. As well, he is warning his church against wolves in sheep’s clothing, false shepherds of the people, and a false gospel, which leaves people still in their sins. And, he is calling her to purity, to return to her first love, and to make him the only Lord (owner-master) of her life. He wants her to live in the fear of the Lord, i.e. to give God all the honor, respect, admiration and obedience which he so deserves. And, he desires that her praise go to him alone for all that he has done and is doing and will do on behalf of those who love him and who obey his teachings.

A Great Multitude (vv. 6-10)

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

    the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

    and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

    and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself

    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

I believe that throughout Biblical history that God’s purposes in judging his adulterous people was to bring them back to God so that he might revive their hearts and restore them to fellowship with him. I also believe that there are many prophecies of scripture with regard to these last days that indicate that, through judgment, God’s adulterous people will return to him as their first love, they will be revived in spirit, and that he will restore them. As a result, the gospel of Jesus will go forth throughout the world, and many will be saved before our Lord returns to take us to be with him forever. One of the passages in the New Testament, which I believe indicates this is found in Revelation 2-3 where Jesus speaks to the churches, confronts them with sin, warns of judgment, but promises his blessings on those who repent.

I believe, as well, that this passage in Revelation 19 is indicative of revival coming out of judgment, for after this judgment takes place, a great multitude is giving praise to God, the wedding of the Lamb has come, and the bride of Christ, his saints, has made herself ready, i.e. she has clothed herself with the righteous deeds of the saints. She has repented of her sins, and she has turned or returned to God to worship him only, and to forsake other lovers.

So, where are you today? Are you claiming to be a follower of Christ but still living like the world? Are you following after the ways of God, or the ways of man? Are you walking according to the flesh, or are you conducting your lives according to the Spirit? Time is running out. Make Jesus Lord today!

For Our Nation / An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

For Our Nation

War, politics, lies, betrayal, the murdering of innocents, our young men and women in uniform dying on a battle field via men of power; takeovers of nations, sin abounding, the church asleep or complacent for the most part; the gospel diluted, and do we even notice? Through all that is going on in this world of ours, Jesus is gently calling us to Him to make him Lord (master) of our lives. The good news is that God is in absolute control over all things, and he will work it all out for our good. We need to pray much for our nation.

“Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” (Ps. 40:4).

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

“You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:17-24).

For Our Nation / An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

Vanished

Sunday, September 18, 2016, 5:50 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “More Precious Than Silver.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 18:11-24 (NIV).

Not Recovered (vv. 11-14)

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.

“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’

The Lord has been speaking to me about this with regard to the USA. As far as a specific physical place is concerned, I believe America fits the bill for “Babylon the Great” more so than any other nation of this present world.

The USA is a very wealthy nation, although it is all borrowed money. Our dollar has nothing of value backing it. Our dollar is merely an I.O.U. Our government has squandered the wealth of this nation and has turned our monetary system over to a private entity, i.e. the Federal Reserve. I believe that the federal government of the USA has been purposefully and willfully bankrupting our nation in order to bring her down, so that she can be taken over by the New World Order “Beast.” And, this has been going on for some time now. And, one day soon it is going to all come crashing down.

I also believe that, at least certain factions within our federal government have been working on the demise of our nation and its present form of government for some time now, and that the ultimate goal is to bring our nation under the rule and order of the New World Order “Beast,” along with all the other nations of the world. Yet, I also believe that our government, although the legal government on paper, has not been the ones ruling our nation for some time now, but that there is a de facto (shadow) government which has been calling all the shots, and that the US government is just the face for this shadow (global, de facto, of the elite) government.

What this means, in all practicality, is that what we see in the news and in practice, within our government, is largely for show. Our government has no real power other than what is given it by this de facto shadow government of the elite of the world. The real power people nationally and globally are the Bilderbergs, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Trilateral Commission, the big Banks, CEOs of corporations, some Heads of State, and the Federal Reserve, etc., i.e. the wealthy and elite of the world. They are the ones who are making the decisions concerning who leads what nations. In other words, there is no right and left politically. Have you noticed how many people now are saying that this election process is like none they have ever seen before? Have you ever considered that the whole process is just pure theatre? And, no matter who wins, or even if there is an election, we are still under the rule of this de facto government, and ultimately we are being ruled or will be ruled by this New World Order “Beast”?

I believe that our government in the USA, under the guidance and leadership of this de facto (shadow) government of the elite of this world, has also been working on the demise of the church (the body of Christ) and the gospel of our salvation. In the early 1950’s they convinced the church, at large, to buy into the 501c3 not-for-profit corporation status, making the church a corporation (human business) under the headship of the federal government of the USA, but really under this de facto (shadow) government, which is global, not national. And, they introduced government worship into the gatherings of the church via the pledge of allegiance (vow of fidelity) to the US government, via the singing of patriotic songs in worship services, and via the honoring and worship of the US (international) military forces as our heroes and saviors, and as the ones who are keeping us safe.

Now there is talk of handing the internet over to a private entity, which has already been serving in some function with regard to the internet globally. Wikipedia says: “ICANN's primary principles of operation have been described as helping preserve the operational stability of the Internet; to promote competition; to achieve broad representation of the global Internet community; and to develop policies appropriate to its mission through bottom-up, consensus-based processes.” Now, purportedly, by October 1^st, the internet is to be totally under the control of ICANN, if I am understanding this correctly. There is, as well, much concern that this will mean loss of freedom of speech, and censorship enforced, in particular in connection with freedom of speech with regard to personal faith in Jesus Christ and in the sharing of his full gospel message.

Yet, this may be just another phase of their overall goal of destroying the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ, for they – these wolves in sheep’s clothing - have been working from within the church to destroy it for some time now. Especially, of late, it has become quite evident that the plan is to destroy all which divides us as the people of the world, which must necessarily include the demise of the full (true) gospel message. They do not want anyone confronting anyone with sin in their lives, but they want the world to live as one people in unity with one another regardless of faith or walks of life. They have tagged those of us who preach the full gospel message as religious extremists, hatemongers, bigots and intolerant. And, their goal is to do away with us or to reprogram us, because we are working against their global goals of bringing the whole world together in unity.

So, one day soon all our fruit, wealth, luxury, splendor and freedoms are going to vanish, and, as a nation, we will be brought under this rule of the “Beast,” which is this one-world tyrannical and totalitarian government.

In One Hour (vv. 19c-20, 23b-24)

In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’

“Rejoice over her, you heavens!

    Rejoice, you people of God!

    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!

For God has judged her

    with the judgment she imposed on you.”

…Your merchants were the world’s important people.

    By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.

In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,

    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

Yet, in all of this, we are to regard our Lord as more precious than any of our worldly possessions. And, we must remember, too, that he is completely sovereign over all which he has created, and that he is fully in control over all which takes place in this world, and none of this will catch him by surprise. He has a plan and a purpose for it all, one of which, I believe, is to revive his wayward church in order to make them ready for when he returns for his bride, and also to bring many people in the world to salvation.

Much of the church here in America has become so worldly, that it is barely distinguishable between the world and the church anymore. Those who call themselves Christians, for the most part, live just like the world lives, in many respects, and God is largely ignored. So, judgment is needed in order to bring the Lord’s people back to him to where they can truly sing this song (below) and mean it. The Lord needs to be our treasure and the joy of our lives, not the pleasures and possessions of this world.

More Precious Than Silver / Lynn DeShazo

Lord, You are more precious than silver.

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares with You.

Alas! Alas!

Friday, September 16, 2016, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Broken and Contrite.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 18:1-10 (ESV).

Luxurious Living (vv. 1-3)

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

    She has become a dwelling place for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

    a haunt for every unclean bird,

    a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

For all nations have drunk

    the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,

    and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

There is much speculation in the church, and in the world, as to who these words specifically apply. Babylon the great is described for us in Rev. 17 as the great prostitute, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. Although she is given a female persona, she represents an entity of some kind. She is also described as “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” That subject, too, is given to much debate.

I believe that, over all, she represents the world’s system, including within the worldly institutional church, for we are all commanded to come out of her. And, we can find this world’s system in many places of influence over our lives – via the media, TV, movies, music, games, the internet, and social media, etc. We can find it, too, in our schools, our universities, and in places of business; among our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. The sad reality, though, is that it has found its way into the church so that it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world now days. Much of the church, which is not a building, a corporation, a business or an organization, but is the body of Christ, which is a spiritual organism, with Christ as her head, has been caught up in a web of deception and has bought into the lies that she is to be like the world in order to win the world, but to what?

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24; cf. Ro. 6:1-23). The old has gone. The new has come. Our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want, for we were bought back for God (redeemed) by the blood of the Lamb, i.e. by Jesus’ blood which was shed on a cross for our sins. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. And, he died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but who walk according to the Spirit. If we walk according to the flesh, we will die (without Christ), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity.

Also, when we trust in our Lord Jesus to be Savior of our lives we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God, and thus we become the temple of God, his church. The Holy of Holies now lives within us. God’s sanctuary dwells within us individually and collectively. We are his bride, and he is our husband. Our faith in him is a vow of fidelity to God the Father and to the Son, Jesus Christ. We are to honor God in all that we do, and our worship of him is to be through our lives given over to him in full surrender (Ro. 12:1-2).

And, yet, this is not what is being taught and practiced in much of today’s church, in particular here in America. Instead, they have turned the church into a business, an organization of men, and a corporation under the headship of the federal government of the USA, which is an evil entity. So, much of the church is living in spiritual adultery against her Lord, because she has joined herself with another lover, and she is following the ways of man instead of the ways of God. So, the institutional church, particularly here in the USA, fits the bill for the Great Prostitute, because she is living in adultery against God and is prostituting herself to other lovers so that she can be acceptable to man and sought after by other human beings.

So much of the world’s uncleanliness has been brought into the church in order to win the world over to the businesses of men called “church.” She, for the most part, is following man instead of God, and even rejects the Lord’s messengers in favor of those who tickle itching ears, and who proclaim pleasing messages which make people feel good about themselves while they are still steeped in sin. Not only has the leadership of much of the church in America turned the church into a marketplace, when it is to be a house of prayer, but the church joined herself with another lover here in America, i.e. the US government, and she even encourages government worship via the pledge of allegiance (vow of fidelity) to the government, which often supersedes her vow of fidelity to Jesus Christ.

Come Out! (vv. 4-8)

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,

    lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;

for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

    and God has remembered her iniquities.

Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,

    and repay her double for her deeds;

    mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,

    so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,

since in her heart she says,

    ‘I sit as a queen,

I am no widow,

    and mourning I shall never see.’

For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,

    death and mourning and famine,

and she will be burned up with fire;

    for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

God has commanded that his people be holy like he is holy, which means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed into Christ’s likeness. We are told in several places in scripture that we are not to be partakers with the world in their delicacies, i.e. in their sinful pleasures. We are not to be like the world in thought, attitude, values, word and deed. We are to be different – strangers in the world. We are not to love the world or the things in the world, for if we do, the love of the Father is not in us. When we give our lives to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, we are to no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but we are to be transformed of the Spirit of God in mind and heart, so that we can show forth what is God’s perfect will for our lives.

So, if we are to come out from the world’s system, including that which prevails in today’s institutional man-driven church, how do we do that? For one, I believe we need to be honest and forthright with God in examining our own lives, activities, attitudes, and behaviors. And, we need to be willing to listen to what his word teaches us, and we need to obey it, even if it goes against our traditions and the common practices of our day, even within the institutional church. And, that may be hard for some people who have always done things a certain way, thinking they were the right way.

Then, we need to look at the influences on our lives, and what they are teaching us, or what messages we are receiving from them. TV is a big one! My husband and I used to be big TV watchers. In particularly, we loved movies. But, the closer I drew to the Lord, the more I realized how bad some of these influences were in my life. One day I read Philippians 4:8, which says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” I then prayerfully examined the movies I liked to watch against this verse, and I threw out all that went against this scripture. Not many were left. Even the ones I thought were pure were not pure at all, for they glorified sin in one way or another, and made as heroes those who rebelled against authority and who lied and who cheated the system.

So many Christians, or those who call themselves Christians, don’t blink an eye at much of the garbage that is on TV, which passes itself off as entertainment. They take in a regular diet of that which is an abomination to the Lord and which feeds our evil desires, and then they wonder why they struggle in areas of morality and purity and anger. But, this isn’t just on TV. It is in the gatherings of the church, too. Ministers of the gospel are showing movie clips from movies containing sexual promiscuity or which glorify lying, cheating, stealing, hatred and mockery of those who are not like us. Some music and musicians sound as though they are in a bar, not in a church, for they are very sensual in nature. Dramatizations are put on which include the world’s values and morality. And, many “worship services” are put on by “game show hosts” disguising themselves as God’s ministers.

So, we have to ask God what is this “Babylon” which we are to come out of, and then we must be willing to come out, even if it means people reject us, make fun of us, and otherwise think we are crazy or religious fanatics.

Weep and Wail (vv. 9-10)

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! You great city,

    you mighty city, Babylon!

For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

The Lord gave me a picture of this after America experienced 9/11/01. If I were to pick a physical place for Babylon, which would be this city which rules over the kings of the world, I would have to choose New York, New York, USA. I believe the Lord has shown me America as Babylon many times, which includes New York and Washington, DC, and which includes the institutional church here, which has had wide influence world-wide. The church in the West is largely living in adultery against God, and its influences stretch far and wide. Yet, not all of us must come out of New York, so to come out of her must mean that we are to come out from under her influence, i.e. from the influence of the world and its values, morals, thinking and behaviors. So, today we need to honestly ask God where we are being influenced by the world in our homes, in our work places, in our institutions of higher learning and in the church, and we need to come out from under those influences so that we do not share in her sins and in her punishment.

Broken and Contrite / An Original Work / May 13, 2012

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,

With humble heart and crushed in spirit.

I bow before You, I implore You,

Heal my broken heart, I pray.

Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master,

You are the King of my heart.

Lord, purify my heart within me;

Sanctify me, whole within.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully

The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.

I pray You give me grace and mercy,

Strength and wisdom to obey.

Father God, my heart’s desire,

Won’t You set my heart on fire?

Lord, cleanse my heart of all that hinders

My walk with You, now I pray.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,

My heart cries out for understanding.

I want to follow You in all ways,

Never straying from Your truth.

Holy Spirit, come in power,

Fill me with Your love today.

Lord, mold and make me;

Your hands formed me;

Live Your life through me, I pray.

https://vimeo.com/118841304