Monthly Archives: August 2025

Why We Must Apply the Right Standards for Perfection

It is only through determined search that we may bring ourselves within reach of the perfection we desire. Indeed, to discover and address that which remains imperfect becomes of profound import if we are to dream of attaining to His order of perfection. For at all cost, and such cost as we find ourselves in need of remittance may truly seem hopeless and beyond our ability, we must resolve to strive to our utmost bounds to pay the penance of correction. Perfection after all, is our result of locating and removing anything impeding our fellowship with Him. As has been proven once in all of history, human perfection, as impossible as it appears, is nevertheless within human reach.

As I walked in the woods through the chill of a somber and dank morning, the Spirit happened to take my thoughts to the likelihood of perfection and the unlikelihood of ever attaining to such a status. I was looking through the green hickory saplings for, coincidentally, a perfect walking stick. In my mind, I envisioned a plumb and arrow-straight sapling, green and hopefully one to one and a half inch in diameter. Remember these criteria for the ultimate selection. In my time I’ve cut many walking sticks, always a hickory or sassafras (and invariably thrown away or lost), but I’ve never quite gotten exactly the one I wanted – today would be different, today I would find the perfect one, to keep and use for those long walks up and down the Ozark hills in the peaceful forest. As I ambled down the dim track (where we normally drive the ATV), I started thinking about perfection in general.

The scriptures encourage us to be perfect Christians [Matthew 5:48]: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”, so what qualities would our Lord require of us to be perfect in His eyes?

First of all, as flesh and blood humans, I think we all realize that perfection is beyond our reach, and indeed it is, if we attempt it on our own. But there is a Way to perfection, even in this human iteration of our existence if we truly seek it. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ is the only answer this paradox! The Spirit can lead us to perfection. We are far from perfect as physical human beings when we begin our Spiritual journey (assuming we have decided to undertake it) but as we progress, as we trust Jesus Christ to develop our improvement, our imperfections become less and less of an issue, either because we become more able to see and resolve them, or even though we considered our “imperfections” to be such, maybe they weren’t imperfections in God’s eyes. Remember when Moses was reluctant to undertake the responsibility which God assigned to him because of his speech impediment? [Exodus 4:10]: “Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Moses considered this to be a disqualifier for the role he was being solicited to fill in God’s service, but God didn’t see this as an imperfection at all, so what we deem imperfection may not be such to God.

It is sometimes due to these very imperfections which we perceive in ourselves that God chooses us to do His work. For instance, I believe that I’m sort of crazy and I sometimes write things that are often “out there”, but maybe God gives me the desire (responsibility) to write on His behalf, knowing that I don’t mind saying things that “normal” people would be disinclined to discuss – in the hopes of encouraging my fellow travelers to seek Him. Or in the case of this post, maybe to not be so down on ourselves for what might not be a real problem and accept that. After all, God has myriad ways of showing us when something is a real imperfection that we need to deal with, so we must trust Him and do it.

As these thoughts about perfection progressed, I watched my little dog scampering through the trees and catching the scent of all the critters that were about last night. This little girl is a canine thief, steals whatever she can get away with, but I love her very much. It occurred to me that God indeed sees our imperfections when He chooses us, both the real issues that need to be addressed, like cleaning up our language, or quitting drinking or whatever, versus those things about us which He doesn’t consider to be shortcomings, but maybe we do. He reaches down and grabs us, and if you’re like me, He had to hold His nose and reach way down, but if we hear His voice and invite Jesus Christ into our lives [Revelation 3:20] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”., He gives us whatever we need to overcome our issues. Namely the Holy Spirit which tells us everything we need to know and further, by writing His law on our hearts, gives us the ability to discern real imperfections from those we imagine. He also ultimately teaches us when those “obstacles” we feared might damage our relationship are not really a problem, so we don’t need to waste emotional capital worrying about them, for some of us that takes time, but He has plenty of time.

One other aspect of perfection that often goes unconsidered is that we can be capable of “perfect” love. Again, only through the Holy Spirit are we able to receive this absolutely marvelous asset. We are told in the Scriptures that with perfect love, we do not fear (the threats of the enemy), because perfect love casts out fear. [1 John 4:18]: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” That’s a big one, folks, because fear is the greatest weapon in the enemy’s arsenal, but with the perfect love blessing of the Holy Spirit, we are able to disarm him!

The last sentence of that verse also implies to us a very significant map to perfection. Do not overlook the part that tells us we can be made “perfect in love”. Through the power of love we can be perfected – yes, love – the greatest power in all of creation! How do we learn to love like this? How do we learn to wield this great power? [2 Thessalonians 3:5]: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” The Holy Spirit teaches us (directs our hearts) how to love God (and our fellow travelers)! His amazing Love is by far the greatest of all spiritual gifts. Pray fervently for it. Love even has the power to cover much sin! [1 Peter 4:18]: “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Indeed, it is love that gives us our strength and courage in our time of need, that day is coming for all of us.

We are reminded many times throughout the scriptures that God is Love, therefore Love is the greatest power in all of creation. What’s more is that we have access to this love, so if we opt to follow Christ, even in our state of imperfection, with love we are well-armed to defeat the enemy in his strength.

As I sauntered down the woodland hill on the way back to the house after all this meditation on perfect and imperfect, I realized that I might not be applying the proper criteria for the right walking stick after all, and lo and behold, I finally found the perfect one. At first you might see an old crooked, weathered blackjack oak limb, but if you consider the implications of this post and look closer, you will behold the perfect walking stick!

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK

The Way – A Lonely Road with Bandits in Ambush

Lots of things happening in this old world these days and it’s looking more and more like everything’s coming to a head and rapidly so. We’re looking at shades of evil right out in the open that could cause nightmares for the stoutest of hearts. The Lord told us we were in for some hard times but I don’t think any of us could have imagined how the hard times would manifest to be. Rather than be taken aback however, by the way things are going, Christians must step up and exhort one another, we have to show our faith and try as best we can to allow the peace of Jesus Christ to rest upon us. He mentions the patience of the saints in the context that we will see the terrible things that the servants of the enemy are doing [Revelation 13:10]: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” but stay away from them.

It’s a tough row to hoe if we’re trying to endure the evil that’s upon us without the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, in fact, it’s impossible to keep our hopes up without His help while watching the cruelty of our fellow human beings – those who’ve cast their lot with the enemy. We must take our stand against evil! We cannot allow anyone to think we’re afraid to publicly make our positions known. The extent of the power of the ruler of this world is just now being revealed and he is powerful indeed, his tentacles reach into every institution of man in this world, but it has to be so – his time is short. He is evil beyond any human imagination, and his servants are openly demonstrating the levels of inhumanity and malevolence of which they are capable. Many of us have been sheltered for a long time. We haven’t seen evil like this; at least most of the “civilized” world, but as the time of the enemy draws short, he is now demonstrating to the world just what he is capable of and it’s taking many by surprise.

As Christians, we shouldn’t be surprised. The scriptures have been screaming about these times for centuries; for millennia. We know of past times when Christians were beheaded – they still are in some places. They were fed to lions for the entertainment of the Romans in the great coliseum. The big shock for us is yet to come, but rest assured it’s coming! There will come a time in the not-too-distant future when Christians will face execution in all nations – including this one. The people who will be in charge of this country are precisely those servants of Satan who will hunt down and execute Christians – Satan’s greatest enemies on this earth.

He won’t be looking for Hindus, Krishnas, or Buddhists. The dragon has waged war on the woman (the Christian Church) for all the years since Jesus died and went to Heaven: [Revelation 12:17]: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The “rest of her offspring” would be us believers in Jesus. Note the word “enraged” – if you think for even a second he hasn’t been working on a plan for us you’ve got another think coming. His plan, as prophesied, is coming to fruition, but will assuredly come to failure of the worst kind in the end. All of his schemes will come to naught – and he knows this. That’s the main reason for the “enraged” part.

The King on the white horse with a great army will be the ruin of the enemy. We will be in that army. See, whatever the enemy does to us in this life will come undone in a big way – death will come to us but cannot keep us. The Savior has defeated death, and that is the only weapon the enemy wields. It appears to be fearsome from this side, and that is his big threat, but as Christians who must be faithful to the end, we will ultimately prevail. The faint of heart will have the toughest time dealing with this, but if we remain faithful to the end, we have a crown waiting for us. Jesus will not abandon us – He will be with us every step of the way!

There are several things at play in these last days. One of the biggest surprises, at least for me, is how even the secular world is starting to call out the evil taking place. Except for the mainstream media, it has never, and will never take a stand against the malevolence that is happening. The enemy owns them, and they won’t mention anything he forbids. MSNBC, Fox and CNN hosts and all the others will also burn in hell with their managers, producers, etc. But there are lots of folks on social media platforms who are disgusted with genocide and intentional starvation and murder of children. Several prominent voices are speaking out – Tucker Carlson, Roger Waters, Candace Owens, – there are many more, but it’s important to pay attention and note that if they are not followers of Christ, they will fall by the wayside sooner or later – though for now many of them seem like allies, most of them aren’t willing to pay any real price, especially the ultimate price, and you can mark my word, at some point it will come to that. Many prominent men talk a lot about how evil the Zionists are for what they’re doing, but when it comes to doing anything about it, even though some of them have powerful armies, they waffle, i.e., Sisi, Erdogan, Abdullah, MBS, and so many more – this is what I meant by “seem like allies” but fall away. They think they are Satan’s allies, but much to their chagrin, at the given time they will find out Satan doesn’t have allies, neither is he beholden or loyal in the least to his servants.

We have to remember who the real enemy is, as well as who his servants are. He has a hierarchy of servants, much like the organization of a military and I believe most of the regular Joes at the bottom of the food chain don’t realize what evil they are into, but at some point way up the ladder, there are a select few who know what’s really going on. These ones are too heavily invested into the scheme to ever repent – they’ve sold their souls. For instance, I have known several men who belonged to a certain secretive group and the guys I knew wouldn’t have knowingly pledged themselves to serve Satan, but somewhere way up in the organization maybe around the very top levels, those guys knew what was up. I think this is the same scheme in other organizations, probably even some churches – this would include all the ones with millionaire pastors, but maybe others as well.

In case you’ve never heard of it, Google the Bohemian Grove. Most all of American politicians and judges, society elites, and others go to those covens and offer (mock?) sacrifices to a big graven image of some kind of owl (Moloch?) by night in the light of torches. This is in-your-face Satanism and it’s not only accepted, but highly respected by our leaders! There are others, the Skull and Bones organization among whose members were both Bush presidents, John Kerry and who knows who else. Without open fealty to Satan, those guys wouldn’t have gotten far up the ladder, but Satan ensures these kinds of men get to the top. I fully believe many if not most of them are possessed by demons. Do you still wonder why the wrath of God will be upon this nation?

When it gets down and dirty, and that day is rapidly approaching, Christians will bear the brunt of Satan’s anger. We are Christ’s servants by choice and as such are in the crosshairs of the enemy. All who operate in his service will be more than willing to take action against us – the military, the police, and the secular world (which is the Satanic world). They will do whatever they are commanded to do, and those commands will come from the very top. Get ready, it’s going to be a bumpy ride, but in the end I can assure you it will have been worth every indignation, every conceivable effort, every heartfelt prayer, every drop of blood – when we see the smile on the Savior’s face and hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

There are multitudes of prominent men in the highest offices of the world who will eternally rue the fact that they never heard those words. As they endure eternal torment in the fires of Hell where their legions, their commanders, also suffer, they will regret forever the acts we all witness them committing in this world today. These acts are after all, part of their repayment to Satan for their (pitifully temporary) wealth and power. Stay as separate from them as possible.

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK

Shadows That Lurk Beyond Illumination of the Information Age

When some kind of disaster occurs, if there is a video available there will inevitably be a lot of people in the scene with cell phones recording whatever is happening. In any gathering of people anywhere in the world, there are many in the crowd who are face-down into that little portal, their lifeline to (or their escape from) a world gone absolutely bonkers. The insanity of the moment is lost for them – their minds are far away, engaged with whatever distraction (and there are countless distractions) they have chosen. Our world has become consumed with etherness (I know it’s not a word, but it sort of describes this phenomenon).

When you’re shopping at the local Walmart you’ll invariably come across more and more people who have consciously chosen to give mind to whoever or whatever is inside that cellphone. It’s an obvious distraction in that they invariably make unexpected moves, and other people can’t see or hear what’s going on with them so it’s difficult to anticipate where they’re going or what they’re going to do. Maybe they’re making a vet appointment. Maybe they’re up to no good, we’ll never know. All we know is they’re not paying attention to the flow of customers around them and make unexpected moves, or they just stop in the middle of the aisle where no one can get around them as they blissfully chat with their spouse who is sitting in the lazy boy at home and has no idea of the aggravation this is causing. They become absolutely unaware of the world they are physically in and that goes for talking on the phone while driving.

Almost everyone believes they are masters of multitasking at the level of driving and talking on the phone (and don’t even get me started on texting). Problem is, very few of them actually are. Nevertheless, they all think they are perfectly safe rattling away on the phone at 70 miles an hour, but that’s a mistake; often a grievous mistake. Sometimes drivers are just a split-second decision or one glance into the rearview mirror away from either their own death or someone else’s. Situational awareness is grossly diminished when you’re on the phone, regardless of how good you are at multitasking. Tens of thousands of people are killed on the highways of this country every year because someone thought they were good at this kind of multitasking and didn’t realize they weren’t until it was too late (and quite likely not even then).

The cell phone has made our lives easier in too many ways to enumerate, and there’s no argument about that, but at the same time, they have introduced unintended and often detrimental issues, most of which we don’t even consider. I’m as guilty as the next guy about this, but don’t you get a panicky feeling when you’re on the road and realize you’ve left your phone at the house? Millions of kids today spend as much thought and effort in making sure they have their charging cord with them on trips, making sure they have the latest version of the latest app – as we once did in making sure we had a road map or extra underwear for the trip. Seems like our kids are exceedingly susceptible to the addiction of cell phones.

I’m an old geezer now, but for the first 50 years or so of my life, we didn’t even have cell phones – and the world turned just like it does now. We had house phones in our day, but in my family’s case, we were on a “party line”. There were several residences (if I remember correctly, our line had ten residences on it) in the neighborhood who all shared a common phone line, so there were a series of combinations of short rings and long rings, each set of rings were for a given house. The problem with that was that no matter who the call was actually for, everybody on the line picked up anyway. The big difference in knowing which combination of rings were for your house or someone else’s, was that if it was your house’s ring, you didn’t have to cup your hand over the mouthpiece. There were some few folks without any appetite for gossip who didn’t eavesdrop, but as a rule everyone in the neighborhood knew at the same time that Sally down the road was pregnant and it might not be her husband’s baby. In such a situation, you could start some really juicy rumors too, and as kids we did for fun.

Cell phones have proven to be one of the most valuable methods the authorities have for tracking suspects, and that is always a mixed blessing, because no one knows who the suspect might be nor what they did wrong – the fear is that they might have done nothing wrong, and the ethernet doesn’t discriminate. There were cases reported in Afghanistan, for instance, of people being killed by drones simply because they used a cell phone and could be electronically detected and targeted – with no evidence that they were enemy combatants – if this was the case, it was cold-blooded murder, plain and simple, just because they lived in Afghanistan and had the audacity to use a cell phone.

Cell phones have helped people when they record something like police brutality, but it’s a risky proposition to be seen filming an armed lawman who knows he’s going to get in trouble if your footage is made available. Phones are useful for documenting many things that someone would not want to be witnessed, but they are also handy when there is a big natural disaster or something. There were/are several videos of the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters on 9/11 that revealed that things happened that punched big holes in the official narrative, and undoubtedly many more that have not been made public. For instance, what if someone came forward (and was miraculously not “suicided”) with a clear video showing what actually hit the pentagon and it turned out to be a missile or something and not a plane at all? In short, law enforcement and shady government entities risk getting nailed more often now that everyone has a video/ tape recorder handy in their phones.

Cell phones have made a tremendous impact on society worldwide, and there are those who would argue, but I believe the jury is still out on whether or not are worth the benefits they bring. As a whole people, we have accepted them if no more than simply because of the conveniences they make available, but as with anything that appears to be a blessing, there comes a curse, and all would be pragmatic to understand the implications. The Israeli government used phones and pagers which had been loaded with explosives for a memorable terrorist attack in Lebanon – several people were killed including folks who weren’t associated with the enemies. Can we be sure the phones we carry so intimately on our persons aren’t rigged with explosives, or must we trust (as with certain vaccines), that our government has our best interests in mind? If you carry a phone, they know where you are (and despite the fourth amendment, they also know what you are saying)! You can be dispatched at any instant. The cell phone can be seen as a wonderful tool in modern society – or it can be seen as a prolific and deadly weapon in the hands of the enemies of humanity.

Think about that.

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK

Standing at the Edge of the Precipice

Just came in from the garden a few minutes ago and not a moment too soon. It’s just too hot to work out there even at nine o’clock in the morning. I probably stayed out longer than I should have, but it seems like every time I get ready to come in, there’s always just one more thing I need to do, and on and on…

I don’t usually try to grow watermelons, but this year I decided to try my luck and lo and behold, there are several nice sized melons growing and the plants are still green and healthy. My usual luck is that the vines start getting brown and the leaves turn and dry out by this time of year, and if there are any melons growing, they just stop at whatever size they are when the plants start getting sick and that’s it, but this year they seem to be doing really good. I think they’re the crimson sweet variety. So here’s hoping.

Back to the heat this year – is it just me or does the weather seem to be taking a turn for the worse as far as global warming, climate change – whatever!? Seems like the weather is getting extremely hot this summer everywhere. There are videos showing how bad it is in China with those poor people just cooking in 120 plus weather. There are heat-induced wildfires raging right now all over southern Europe – Spain, Italy and especially places in Greece. Canada is and has been burning down, and here in the US we have an unusually large number of fires going as I write. Indeed, the Good Book says the world will end by fire. 2 Peter 3:10]; “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”

If places aren’t burning down, it seems like they are being flooded. Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, New York City, and right now Tennessee all have been severely flooded lately, and with hurricane season getting into full swing, there are more floods to be expected. Several places in Europe and Asia are experiencing catastrophic floods these days too.

I don’t know about anyone else, but the way things are unfolding these days, it sure seems to me that the Almighty isn’t very pleased with us human beings for the way we’ve been misbehaving of late. There are more volcanoes erupting right now than I can remember all at once in my lifetime. Looks like that big 8.7 earthquake in Kamchatka might have somehow awakened several volcanoes in that region because there are some erupting that have been dormant for centuries and that just since the big temblor. Other areas experiencing quakes are in particularly scary places – like Campi Flegrei, the fields of fire in Italy. That place is the home of a genuine super volcano and if it undergoes a super volcano eruption (VEI (Volcano Explosivity Index) 7 or 8), it will likely have profound global implications, and not good ones.

It seems like all the dominoes are lined up and ready to start falling worldwide, and that’s not even counting what our illustrious leaders might bring upon us what with all the endless bellicosity and threats of war we constantly hear. The Bible speaks of a time of great tribulation that’s coming to the world in the end times, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how it can come about, in fact, several places in the world are experiencing horrible tribulations right now. The hapless people of Gaza are undergoing a tribulation, and I don’t see how it could get much worse for them. They are and have been watching their loved ones being slaughtered and starved to death, thousands of people with severe injuries and no hope of medical help. Hospitals, churches, and all institutions of government there have been systematically destroyed.

We can all – as in everyone in the world – see what is happening to Gaza, and most people of conscience are horrified both by what is happening and by the stark realization that there are indeed entities in the world that try to pass themselves off as human beings who are capable of such brutality and barbarism. It’s a scary realization, because one has to acknowledge the reality that these same horrors can and will eventually be visited upon any and everyone who stands against them. People are being locked up in Merry old England for simply protesting against genocide today – how much longer before the “authorities” start executing those of us who stand against evil? It might sound outlandish here in the US, but don’t we have unbadged goons already prowling our cities right now, grabbing people off the streets and locking them up with no due process?

There will come a time when the powers that be will issue orders to thugs like the ice goons to shoot people on sight who attempt to obstruct them, and if you think I’m being hyperbolic, well, you’ve got another think coming. Read your Bible. The day will come when Satan turns all of the world’s authorities against his true enemies, Christians. We’ll see a time when followers of Jesus Christ anywhere in the world will be sought out for execution. If you are a believer, you already know this. If you are a faithful believer, you do not fear it, for you know that the moment you cross through that door, the Lord Jesus Christ will be there to meet you with open arms. He will call you a good and faithful servant and you will be shown into your own mansion in His Kingdom, a place of joy and peace where you will spend eternity with Him. The thugs who will be serving Satan in those times, will also die sooner or later as everyone does, and unless they repent, they will face something more dreadful than any mind on earth could ever imagine. But this will be the result of their own choice.

The days of tribulation – for those of us who haven’t yet suffered them yet – are fast approaching, and as believers, we must be prepared and ever watchful, for the time of His return will be as He said, “As a thief in the night.” He will come at a time of the Father’s choosing, and nothing – not epic world events, nor mundane issues like whether or not my watermelons are ripe – will have any bearing on His time of reckoning. Nothing. We must continuously be watchful and always be ready to go at any moment. This also means we must be ready to face whatever trials the enemy puts before us and stay faithful to the end, then He has a crown for us – what a fantastic event!

If you have been running the race, be especially careful from here on out, because the enemy will be throwing everything he has in his arsenal at us. Be careful to not fear and stay faithful. His time is short, and he knows it. Donald Trump doesn’t know it. Benjamin Netanyahu or Elon Musk or all of the world’s rich people do not know it – they can see no further into the future than Satan allows, otherwise they too, might turn and be saved, but no, they delude themselves into thinking their lifestyles will last, at least as far as they care to look. The only things they care about are wealth and power, but they don’t realize they won’t be able to buy friends and security with money that can never again be spent – anywhere, ever. Satan knows his end is near, but his chief servants don’t know it’s near, nor what that entails for them. At this point in time their greatest fear is losing their wealth, their status; being made equal with the common man, and it is a tremendous fear indeed, but when the end gets here, as it already has for so many of them (if you haven’t noticed, men like Sheldon Adelson, Jacob Rothschild, and Henry the Eighth aren’t around anymore) there are no words for the horror they will face before an angry Almighty God.

Satan, for his part, long ago waged war on the saints of Jesus, and the big advantage he has provided for his servants is economic and political power over the saints. He has given them the ability to purchase high offices (google Citizens United), and in order to serve him, those offices must eventually be dedicated to defeating his greatest enemy – the servant of Jesus Christ. If you think differently, if you think the high offices of this great government are beyond the reach of the evil one, if you think the senate and the congress, the supreme court, or even the white house, are unassailable by Satan, I urge you to look at the genocide support by the members of our government. Look at their financial statuses. Look at their AIPAC support. The synagogue of Satan has purchased their souls – it’s plain as day. If you think followers of Christ are safe anywhere in this country or this world, think again. They’ll be coming for us soon – count on it. This only applies to real Christians, not the ones that pack the megachurches of false pastors – they’re safe enough, at least for now.

I understand it’s a lot easier to talk about not fearing than actually rejecting fear, but do not forget we have access to a weapon that is guaranteed to give us what we need to win out over fear. Love. It’s right there in the word. [1 John 4:18]: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” There it is! Think about it. Think about all those servants of Jesus in the days of the early Church – those believers who were thrown to the lions in the coliseum of Rome, the disciples who were martyred – they were fearless, and so must we be today when the times of trial come upon us. We must pray for the mighty weapon of love to cast off our fear and strengthen our hearts when the real time of trial comes to us.

The tough times of tribulation are within sight now for all of us, and as mentioned earlier, such times are already here for many. The weather, the landslides, earthquakes, wildfires, wars, and other calamities are growing more frequent and intense. We were warned of these times, now we must endure them. Spiritual powers are arrayed against us, over whom we have no advantage – unless we receive that love and understand the Spirit of Jesus Christ, Who is able to give us the succor we need to emerge victorious in this – the grandest of all battles! It can be won, and I hope to see y’all on the other side!

May the blessings of the Almighty find and keep us.

MK

From Arizona to Gaza – There’s Much to be Done

I make no claim to the eagle on our national emblem. He’s under no obligation to represent the government of this country. I cannot in good conscience boast of forebears who conquered this land of abundance and drove away or slaughtered it’s rightful stewards. It was a most foul iteration of human behavior (was it normal?) to drive a people away from prosperous lands, to slaughter most of them and relocate the remainder into the desert, to barely habitable reaches on the very fringe of survivability – a bleak stratum of hostile existence devoid of forest and wildflowers wherein children vie with rattlesnakes and scorpions for piteous claim to those pathetic and arid habitations. Or worse yet, rather than displace, to eliminate them and their ways, as their cherished memories are inexorably erased; their songs forever silenced from a land they once called their home. As is being done today in occupied Palestine.

As I brood over news stories of today’s atrocities being levied against those equally helpless people in the forlorn Gaza Strip, I cannot but recall and regret that similar holocaust suffered by the American Indians which our own ancestors visited upon them with equal impunity, equal disregard for life, devoid of any Christian compassion. Knowing the historical truth of our ancestors’ malign behavior towards the Indians, do we then reconcile ourselves again to helplessly watch events unfolding in Gaza as the very human moral foundation of the whole world is obliterated? I for one, shall not cower in sheltered comfort as children are once again starved and murdered for sport! Though I’m aged beyond hope of military worth, at the very least I have a pen! We all have a prayer! Then let us pray fervently then for His intervention!

We have a sacred duty as human beings created by the Almighty to do whatever we can within Christian bounds to confound those demons from the pits of hell who once again rise to sacrifice children and infants on the bloody altar of Satan, and by the grace and with the succor of the Almighty we must rise to face them! We do not possess a privilege nor divine right to do otherwise. We must follow our hearts, our consciences, which plead with us to step up and do the right thing and do it expeditiously. We, at long last must cast off the shackles of fear and doubt that hold us in abeyance. These are tools of the enemy but they will be of no avail once we realize and acknowledge the power we collectively possess. The power bestowed upon us by the Almighty! And if the pen is indeed mightier than the sword, then may those of us who write emerge alongside the victors!

Streets of the world are truly become battlefields where stalwart people of conscience face mindless and soulless uniformed robots of the enemy who can and one day shall be defeated for the sake of the brotherhood of the world. These, as always, have chosen to take station with the enemy of mankind, just as it was in the day of Wounded Knee, the Warsaw Ghetto, Ludlow, Colorado in 1914, and on the streets of Chicago in 1968 and as it is today in countless protests on the streets of cities throughout the world. The true enemy is Satan and the wealthy barons who have already parlayed their souls for their stations in this temporary life. Those who choose service to them share that insidious desire to persecute and torment the indigent – the helpless. The wealthy oligarch hires the media to prevaricate; to weave his webs of deceit. He hires (and bribes) kings, presidents, and prime ministers to do his bidding, always at the expense of innocent lives, all the while flaunting the dark infamy that seals his dishonor – thus it was in the early days of America – thus it is now and has ever been.

His most effective weapon is his ability to turn simple “Christian” people, secretly his most feared adversaries, against one another. How is it possible for him to do this over and over? Why do the masses so readily take up arms against their brothers? Is the black, or brown, man truly your enemy? No, you say? Why then do you cheer so when you see the news that reports great numbers of migrant farm workers being deported from the US? These people are your brothers and in the eyes of God have exactly the same right to be here as you do so get off your high horse – you are no better than them. You have no more right to the fruit and water of God’s earth than anyone else, no matter what you hear on some Godless “news” medium or from some demented politician or perverted preacher. No more right, indeed than the Indian, whose stewardship of this land our forebears arrogated. When we get that through our heads, we might together become able to make progress against our real enemies, the wealthy of the world. Until then, we remain truly helpless – to repeatedly be taken down by those servants of Satan – as we have always been – perhaps even to the end – when the Lord returns at last and takes them down.

There will, after all, be a Judgement Day and people will have to give an account for why they supported the evil happenings of the world. Why they were all in for seeing the unfortunate aliens being persecuted, or the Indians massacred on bloody plains of yesterday, or why it was ok with them for kids in Gaza to be murdered? Racism seems to be the common denominator so if you are racist, you can either repent or plan to ride on the same train as the Custers, Trumps, and Netanyahus of the world.

Back to the great American debt. There are several charities which help out with Indian schools, and movements, one in particular, that is afoot in the US that is attempting to give a chance for those of us who would like to make amends to our Native American brethren for the longstanding grievances levied upon them by our ancestors. It is called NARF – Native American Rights Fund, which at this juncture is rightfully demanding that this government take whatever steps are necessary to comply with the legal requirement to ensure reservations have water, clean drinking water, for those barely survivable open air prisons to which they have been relegated and all but forgotten. As part of any effort we take to rise and try to correct our bearings toward the helpless of this earth, we Americans should do everything we can to support movement such as this one to help improve the Native Americans’ livelihoods. I’m pretty sure that for the price of just one F-35 fighter jet, the US government could provide water to all of the Native Americans on all reservations. Since we cannot go back and undo the wrongs they suffered, it’s the least we can do. Why should America deprive the Indians of life-sustaining water like the occupiers in Israel are doing to the legitimate stewards of Palestine? Or are we no better?

They sent me a pen and a keychain. I send them a pittance of financial help, tears, and prayers.
www.narf.org

Who knows? If we, the descendants of interlopers here in America can show conscience and start doing the right thing for once, maybe that noble eagle won’t be so ashamed of America after all. Those Indian kids need, and have a human right to clean water, just as the children of Gaza have a human right to sustenance and indeed, life. Together, men of good conscience can see it done – in Arizona and Gaza.

May the blessings of the Almighty find and keep us.

MK

Freedom Followed Expiry of the Fulfilled Legal System

There’s deception afoot. I guess it’s always been there, at least since the serpent deceived Eve into abandoning her trust in God and doing something she shouldn’t have done, but one of the prevalent deceits of today is equally as egregious but far more subtle. It started with covert groups of people, servants of the dragon who have been going about as of the last few decades that I’m aware of, but probably longer. They attempt to bring a hybrid gospel to the unsuspecting and would-be believer that teaches an adherence – at least as much as possible – to the laws and regulations practiced by the Hebrew followers of the Torah. This, they claim, is to be practiced in addition to following Christ, thus appearing not to be an abrogation of loyalty to Jesus so they can resume these practices and still claim to be Christian. I started taking notice of this new gospel when I first heard the adherents carefully avoiding mention of the name of Jesus Christ, preferring what they call His Hebrew name they say is Yeshua. In English it’s Jesus. That’s the name I was taught to believe is above every other name on earth and in Heaven. It seems that all versions of this “religion” studiously reject any holiday that has been established recognizing or in honor of Jesus Christ. This includes Christmas and Easter, but they observe Old Testament holidays like the Passover Feast of Tabernacles, etc., but nothing in honor of Jesus Christ.

A couple of analogies come to mind, both of which attempt to show what I’m trying to get across. With the understanding that there are two Covenants between man and God that are/were in effect, I believe that the first Covenant, the one God made with His people, we can call them the Jews, was enacted in order to prepare the world for the advent of Jesus Christ’s covenant. For the first, let’s say we are taking a long journey, and we have to travel through two distinct stages to get where we are going. The initial segment of this trip is in England, where we must use a map of the UK to drive to a place where we board the ship to go to America. In turn, when we get to America, we must use another map to drive to wherever our destination lies.

When we begin our trip, we’ll need a map of Great Britain to follow from the start to the port. Consider that to be the first Covenant. We follow the UK map, completely understanding all the requirements of driving in England, including driving on the left side of the road, using kph instead of mph, etc. After following the British map and arriving at the departure port, we have completed that stage. Now just for the sake of this analogy, the trip across the pond corresponds with the appearance of Jesus and the establishment of His ministry. The whole trip thus far has been taken in anticipation of our voyage, and once we get across the ocean, we might decide it would be useful to hang on to the British map even though that part is finished, but we will never again need follow it on this journey. It is important to take note that there were some very worthwhile issues revealed in the first map, but if we are to believe the Gospel, those things are now indelibly consigned to our hearts, from which we will be guided by faith and no longer the legal code of the map (book).

[Galatians 3:24,25]; “24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

Once we arrive in New York, or wherever our ship comes to port, we must break out the US map. From now on until the end of our trip we will be using this one. We might refer to the bygone British map for reference, after all some very influential people with great wisdom drew it up – indeed it shows us examples of how some of the obstacles common to both countries must be overcome, but for all practical purposes, to get where we are going, we are done with the British map. The new map of the US is ALL WE NEED to finish our trip. Although it will always be useful for historical reference; even with much meaningful spiritual significance, not one iota of information in the old map will any longer be necessary to guide us where we’re going because, as stated in the Gospel, all still-relevant and pertinent information that was in it is now written on our hearts if we stay faithful. The new map is quite capable of getting us where we are going. With all that said, it would be a shame to deny ourselves the experiences of Biblical forebears like Elijah, Moses, and King David, etc., so we choose to read about them to understand and appreciate their relationships to God and how God dealt with people in those early days, but not as a guide to our current destination.

When folks allow themselves to be convinced they need to continue to follow the old map, even in a new nation, they begin a process of self-delusion that starts putting distance between themselves and Jesus Christ, and this is not only unnecessary and irresponsible, but spiritually dangerous. With the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the true nature of His Covenant – It’s hard for me to understand how folks can believe they are more perfectly serving God by observing expired legal requirements of an expired law than if they were simply following the code of the Gospel of Jesus. We cannot contrive any religious practices that can make us better servants to God than simply following the teachings of Jesus! It is not possible to combine both maps for any advantage on this remainder of the trip. For instance, even unbelievers know it would be foolish to try driving on the left side here in America. No matter how much a person would like to believe otherwise, steering wheels are on the left side of the car here in the US. The apostle Paul made this precept abundantly clear to the Galatians, a church which had obviously been infiltrated while he was away by some iteration of those servants of confusion mentioned earlier. Paul got so upset when he figured out what they were buying into, he actually called them “foolish Galatians”[Galatians 3:1]! The legal salesmen to whom they had been listening were apparently trying to make the Galatians accept edicts of the old law in addition to the Gospel he (Paul) had preached to them earlier. If you follow this “modified” version of the gospel, I strongly urge you to study what he told them. In fact I’ve heard adherents of this strange religion actually judging the apostle Paul saying he wasn’t “real” apostle! A podcaster I used to follow actually disagreed with Paul’s recriminations of the Galatians saying Paul didn’t understand Christianity because he was a Roman – as if being a Roman somehow diluted Paul’s faithfulness to Jesus. Imagine that! An ad hominem attack on the apostle of the entire Gentile world by a modern-day podcaster presumptively arrogating to himself the authority of judge over a man who had seen Christ as well as being one of the preeminent apostles of the Christian Religion!

Paul also said that if you are going to adhere to the law, you have to follow all of it [Galatians 5:3] “And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law”, so how does that work with the requirement of stoning people to death who get caught in immorality? Animal sacrifices? There are practices in the old law that cannot and must not be done today. They are no longer needed due to Jesus’ teaching and His sacrifice, but as far as this “new” Gospel goes, it seems like anything they can include from the old law is taught to be either necessary or at least useful, as if by practicing as much of it as possible somehow pleases God more than if one simply follows Jesus through faith.

There are examples in the New Testament where Jesus and/or His disciples actually violated the hitherto rigid constraints of the old way of “observing” the Sabbath. There was an occasion when He and His disciples were walking through a cornfield and picking corn – all forbidden on the Sabbath -, another time He healed a paraplegic and told him to take up his bed and go home on a Sabbath when carrying a bed on the Sabbath would have been forbidden. In fact, one of the complaints the Pharisees levied against Him was that – apparently, He actually had a reputation for this – He was a man who didn’t observe the Sabbath according to the law. [John 9:16]: “Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Perhaps more telling is that when He was observed “violating” the Sabbath, He did not deny that He had done so, rather He explained that we should all do good on the Sabbath, and that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Jesus spoke parables about sewing an old patch on a new garment and putting new wine in old wineskins, which I understand as a warning against trying to mix old things with new ones, re, covenants. He also made it clear [Mark 2:27] that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. I’m not saying it’s wrong to do or not do whatever on any day of the week, as long as a person is dedicating what they do for the Lord, but to try and teach that the law governing Sabbath practices as some residual legal requirement is Spiritually irresponsible.

Jesus also said that not one jot or tittle of the law would ever pass, but – and all of the adherents to this mystery religion I’m talking about either miss or ignore this part – He qualified that with “until all is fulfilled.” [Matt 5:18]. The “all” in that statement was exactly the law He was talking about. Else why did He say [Matt 5:17]: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”?

The other analogy is that of taking out a mortgage, say on a house. When you owe on a mortgage, you pay every month until the house is paid off. When you pay the last note, the mortgage is paid off –fulfilled! Why would anyone in their right mind continue to pay notes on a mortgage after it is paid? When Jesus died on the cross, the mortgage, or covenant, was paid! In His own blood, Jesus paid the ransom for each and every one of us, and for people to continue to try and pay more by trying to continue to live under a law which His blood fulfilled, I believe is pursuing a “religion” which intentionally ignores, or gives less than proper appreciation for His sacrifice. This might not seem like such a big thing, but the dragon is waging war on the woman (Jesus’ Church) to this day and whatever he can do to belittle the act of Jesus’ death for our sins, he will certainly do. In this case by attenuating Jesus’ sacrifice by following a belief system that basically says we need Jesus and something else, in this case adherence to an inapplicable covenant, people are falsely accepting a belief that something more besides Jesus’ ultimate fulfillment of that covenant will make God love them more, and I passionately believe this will have the exact opposite effect on His regard for them. Especially since the old covenant is what Jesus’ new Covenant specifically replaced.

There are many observances in this false belief system that make it up. It teaches strict observation to the old dietary requirements, even in the face of Mark 7:15,16, where He says “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” Maybe these folks don’t have ears; it sure looks like it. Also in [Mark 7:18,19]: “So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, (thus purifying all foods.)” Some folks argue that the last part of that was added to the Bible later than the rest of the narrative, but it logically concludes what Jesus was getting at, so even if it was added later, it quite succinctly sums up the passage and besides, it’s a dangerous undertaking to step out onto that slippery slope of picking and choosing what parts of God’s Spiritually inspired word to accept or to reject, whatever the reasoning. Another aspect of that argument is that it may well have been added – but most likely by the same author who wrote the rest of the book, and if so, he had the authority to add it.

I may be going too far into the arguments, but I tend to get passionate about these beliefs, especially when it comes to minimizing Jesus’ authority or even giving equal credence to other elements of one’s religion to Jesus’ sovereignty.

One last point I’d like to make is that the law was not handed down to Gentiles, although some Gentiles converted in Biblical history. When Gentiles undertook to observe the requirements of the Old Covenant laws, they volunteered into it. After Jesus’ resurrection, in the book of Acts there are mentioned some traditions of the old law observations that the Jewish disciples were trying to levee on newly converted Gentiles and it caused quite a stir among the apostles, with all of them finally agreeing that as far as old observances, the new believers would only be required to refrain from immorality, eating strangled animals, blood, and things sacrificed to idols, but that’s as far into the old covenant that the apostles required Christians to go.

There are other groups out there preaching the same, or similar, message. There are the Christian Zionists who actually believe the interlopers living in Israel right now are the actual descendants of the Jewish tribes, even though Jesus told us in the last days there would be people claiming to be Jews who are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. There are also those who claim to be Judeo-Christians and aside from the fact that these are mutually exclusive terms so there cannot be such a thing, they too, try and wind laws of Judaism into the Gospel of Christ. The common thread in all of them is the attempts they all make to bring the old Mosaic covenant into twisted versions of the Gospel. In the more extreme cases, they actually try to completely return to Mosaic law. There’s a move on in Israel now to resume the practice of sacrificing animals. That is why I believe this is a great deception and the same enemy is selling the same product under different labels. If you are of the mind that any of these belief systems (that attempt to superimpose the old covenant onto the Gospel of Christ) are correct, I implore you to study Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus lays out what is expected of His followers and how He wants us to serve Him, and as stated earlier, study Galatians where the Apostle Paul addresses this very thing at length.

There are some ministries out there that expound against this insidious perversion of Jesus’ Gospel such as the Law of Liberty Ministry of Adam Fannin. He goes much deeper into this phenomenon than this post. You might also want to check out the Liberty Fellowship ministry in Montana pastored by Chuck Baldwin which also addresses this issue. I think it’s more than a coincidence that both ministries have the word “Liberty” in their name, seeing that Jesus actually died for our freedom from our sins (which would not have been sins if not for the old law). So there are reputable followers of Christ who recognize the fallacy – and the danger – of trying to misapply Judaism and its old law into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So why in these days are people who claim to be Jesus’ servants trying to get back into the old law? Maybe since it uses a theology once established and accepted by God, it’s much easier to deceive folks with than if it just outright went against God. Jesus changed things however, and even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals just how much our servitude to God evolved through His ministry. Having the new law written on our hearts has some profound implications for our beliefs. It’s commonly, but quite mistakenly, held to just be too simple to be real, and because of this quirk of human nature which rejects simplicity, men are compelled to add things that no longer, or never did, belong. In short, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being perverted and diluted by trying to inject Judaism in one form or another back into our relationship with God and He isn’t going to be pleased with this false ministry which effectively minimizes Jesus’ sacrifice. Watch out for the deceptions of the enemy – I greatly fear this new “gospel” is one such deception. If you think I’m wrong, please send comments explaining why.

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK

Shelling Peas and Thoughts on Spiritual Growth

They are called brown crowders. I grow them every year in my garden – they are my very favorite field peas. As you can see, most of them aren’t brown but are a lovely hue of light green; pea green. When they are cooked however, they all turn a brownish color and make a thick gravy with a savor all their own that can only be described as wonderful. I cut up some Vidalia onion, bacon, and some fresh okra – also from my garden – to cook with them and voila! A “mess” of peas. The soup thickens to a delectable slime that goes marvelously with cornbread or homemade buttermilk biscuits.

While I was shelling them, some thoughts came to my aged noggin that I decided to share, for an analogy came to me that might apply to us believers. You see, these green peas right out of the shell are ok to eat as is, but with the right processing, they can become remarkably delicious – the kind of processing being the key. They must be blended with some other things and cooked to perfection. Some folks might make them differently than I do, but the point is, we do whatever is necessary to get the outcome we desire. Differing processes yield different results.

Now if those raw, newly shelled peas were people who become new believers they would obviously have to undergo some serious changes before they were ready to be put to use, just like the peas, except the processes that the Creator puts His servants through are much more meticulous and serious.

A few years ago, I took some grandkids down to one of the beautiful green water rivers here in the Ozarks. We had several people in the group with some more adults, but a bunch of kids. There are several swimming holes in that particular river and for reasons of my own, I chose to take them to a swimming hole somewhat downstream from the more popular one where most people go. One of the boys in our group really wanted to go to the other one, but I had already decided we’d be better off at the one I picked, and the kid got irate with me. He didn’t quite understand that I was the adult, we were in my vehicle, and I had my reason(s) for my decision. Although he got mad (and soon got over it) I think we both learned a lesson from the episode. Later after it was over I sort of thought of it as if he was like me trying to come to grips with decisions made by my own Higher up. Sometimes I don’t see what He has in mind; in fact, very often I don’t understand His methodology, and, like the grandkid, there are those times I’ve gotten aggravated at His ways, but in most every instance, I get around to seeing why He did what He did, although it often takes a while.

A few more pods of crowders later, I got to thinking about the example in the Bible of the potter and the clay. As the objects being molded, we have no say in the processes being utilized by the Craftsman. We simply must be transformed into whatever He desires for us to become. Now if a potter decides to spend His time making a vessel, He obviously has some notion of how He wants it to come out when He finishes with it. If it is turning out to be something special, he is doubtlessly willing to spend more time and effort in his processes. When we are being shaped, there are often times when we don’t understand why we have to undergo some of the things He allows us to experience, but the higher the expectation for the end product, the more meticulously the Potter will be to work out the stubborn lumps in the clay, and since He tells us that He is more meticulous in correcting the behavior of those He loves, we should take heart and trust His decisions because our shaping is being accomplished precisely because of His love for us. [Hebrews12:6]: “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” So even though it might seem harsh or unfair at the time, He does this for our own good.

Another consideration in His methodology is that He has told us that to whom much is given, much will be expected, so if He has put a whole lot of effort into our growth, He obviously expects us to put a lot of effort into our servitude to Him. You can see how our spiritual growth determined by His effort becomes a self-sustaining loop.

Now I suppose the pertinent question would be, Why? After all, if He loves us it’s only human to think He’d cut us a little more slack, but if you think about it, that’s precisely why He allows us to undergo experiences that are less than pleasant at the time. After all, it probably gets somewhat difficult to get those imperfections out of the clay, and in the end, He wants a product that He will be proud of and that will bring Him glory! It’s about Him and not us. If that potter was to accept a vase that wasn’t beautiful, it wouldn’t be a source of joy for him. It would most likely be one of those products relegated to a less honorable use, like maybe a bed pan that stayed hidden under the bed, but God wants us to shine as a bright light that attracts others to Him through us, so He doesn’t desire to settle for imperfections in His work. Although we have for an example Jesus Christ as the perfect being we should strive to emulate, alas, as human beings in the flesh we can’t achieve such perfection until that Day when He makes us so.

So until then, try and remember that our whole purpose in this phase of our existence is to bring glory to our Master. Sometimes we might not understand why we go through the trials we do, but if we do our best to stay focused on what we are here for, His glory, we will end up hearing those words that define success for human beings – [Matthew 25:21]: “Well done, good and faithful servant!…” Then we will enter the next and final phase – Paradise and unimaginable joy in His eternal presence!

I’m so looking forward to being His end product!

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK