There’s a bridge down the road from here, they call it a high-water crossing- it’s a big concrete culvert shaped to allow the water in the creek it crosses to flow up and over it when there’s a lot of rain. When the creek is at or below normal levels, there are some big tubes or culverts that go right through the concrete for the water to run through. The little creek is especially pretty in normal times with the clearest Ozark water gently running through the greenery of the summer woods, or my favorite, the pastels of autumn.
Looking up the gentle little creek – picture taken from the crossing
The road running over it is just a two-lane blacktop – back where we came from in a previous life in East Texas, we called these “Farm to Market Roads”, just a low-traffic paved road through the country. Most of the back roads around here though, are not paved at all. These are dirt, or gravel roads, and they can get kind of rough, especially in the dry days of summer when they grow a series of ridges that form perpendicular to the direction of travel and are evenly spaced about a foot apart. They cause your vehicle to rattle and at the right speed, you can lose traction and actually skid on them as you navigate through a silent forest of dusty goldenrods or brilliant trees of autumn.
Maple and hickory on Timberline Road
My favorite arteries through the backcountry are the many foot trails that wind in the woods out here. No roads at all, you just hoof it through the woods and listen to the birds and insects and feed the ticks. When the weather’s bad though, you are relegated to travel by automobile, and if the rain is really crazy, the high-water crossings become inundated and you either find another way to where you’re going or just stay home. Here in the hills, the drainage through the hollers is such that a lot of water can collect in the many creeks and rivers, and I guess the county budgets don’t have enough funds to build real bridges on all of the back roads. The crossings can be dangerous to attempt when the water’s up though.
Same creek as top picture on a less benevolent day
When you come to one of those crossings when the water’s high, it gives you pause to think about situations we come upon in life where things get difficult for us. Like the ravaging flood waters, we often find ourselves in situations in which we have to consider our options, which during times of high water, are limited.
I suppose the first thing to consider is whether or not we really need to get across, how important is our destination? Do we need to get there badly enough to risk the peril of getting washed down the creek if we were to try to cross? Can our destination wait – usually a few hours – until the water goes back down? Is the trip worth going, often several miles, back and around a different route? Difficulties like this we encounter on a road trip bear a similarity to hazards we get into on our life’s journey.
Where are we going, and what kinds of risks are we prepared to take to get there? Seriously, if we’re on life’s road and we are required to make a decision in difficult circumstances, can we do so with a degree of confidence that we might get through, or on the other hand, might our choice lead us to a catastrophe? Is the threat of going through our obstacle at what might turn out to be a high cost worth the threat of not getting where we are going? If we’re trying to get to a fishing hole, maybe it would be prudent to turn around and try again later or maybe not at all. But if we have a family member down that road in dire need of help and whose life is depending on us getting to them, it might be more incumbent to try to get through.
As this old grandpa sees it, we are all on an important mission traveling down this road we call life. It is of the utmost importance that we understand what’s at stake at the end of this road – which for mankind is everything – we must get there with our spirit intact! But in this journey of which I speak, there is only one Route we can take, and unfortunately there will inevitably be some serious hazards. Those hazards will be placed before us by that wily old Devil himself. To mention a few, i.e., the promise of wealth can get in front of us (in so many ways), an inopportune high water of immorality that appears before us, and that one is particularly insidious, given our human nature, or any other of a myriad of earthly distractions. Whatever your flooded high-water crossing, on this trip you have no choice – you absolutely must get beyond the hazard, but how? How do you face that raging torrent of fear, anger, lust, pride – all of which are set before you to hinder your journey?
The answer is already in your heart, and all you have to do is listen to it. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” – He’s already there. He will face that obstacle with you and take your hand and lead you through it. There’s no doubt He can do it – He was observed by eyewitnesses shutting down a major storm at sea! There’s no need to fear even the most intimidating dark cloud of discouragement when the Son of God is with you. There’s a lot of chaos and evil in the world today and it’s getting worse by the hour, but there is no threat He is unable to overcome – He’s the best Friend you can have and the only One you need.
Please don’t go trying to drive through a flooded crossing – this whole story is obviously a metaphor for problems we encounter on our life’s journey, and the answer is Jesus Christ – the answer to all distractions and dilemmas that might hinder our progress. At this point in our world, we could be annihilated to vapor in any given instant of time, or worse, we might find ourselves having survived a cataclysmic occurrence looking forward to a horrible future, but nevertheless, we have to get and stay right with Jesus and I’m serious as a heart attack, if we want to come out on the other side of this – to our destination – as we must. I can promise you’ll never for an instant be sorry you did.
Although I get few likes and comments on this site and I’ not going to lie, it’s nice to hear back from readers, I still continue to post things that I feel people enjoy reading and things that Jesus lays it on my heart to say. As I mentioned on my home page, I’m not monetized, so there’s no pecuniary motivation for me, but I still appreciate knowing that my posts are reaching folks.
I have readers all over the world, but to be honest, it’s because of the great sites I link onto and I often wonder how many folks just click on the link because it’s there. It would be wonderful to know that I’m saying things that give people pause to think about deeper spiritual things and help to provide hope to fellow travelers who’ve become mired in trepidation, but with little to no feedback, I just have to hope.
I’m a big-time dog lover and have 4 pups who are a big part of my life. I’ve written earlier posts about them, especially my girl, Little Britches. They all have unique personalities, but hers is really kind of special. She’s harmless and loveable, a little shy until you get to know her, and she has retained some of the border collie wildness – just a tad, but it comes out at times, like when I give them treats. If I don’t remind her to be easy, she forgets her shyness and snatches the treat (usually chicken jerky) so fast it’s like trying to feed a shark or alligator. I’ve learned to always be cautious and remember to tell her to be “EASY!” because she’s nipped my fingers more than once.
I know you’re wondering where I’m going with this, but I suppose there’s some similarity in writing posts – especially posts that attempt to encourage folks to get or stay engaged with Jesus, in that I always expect to get bitten. There are folks out there who genuinely abhor anyone talking about the Lord and they can be vicious. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at times, though, because sometimes after an especially deep spiritual post and I’m left wondering what kind of nasty comments it will evoke, it seems that I get one of those pleasant feedbacks – always from a non-believer! From such experiences I’ve come to understand what Jesus meant when He said He didn’t come to save the righteous, but sinners. I believe the nice, respectful words to be coming from the hearts of folks who profess to be non-believers, but to whom God is obviously speaking, and I pray for them that they will lend Him an ear. I choose to believe that they will – eventually. These are genuine folks who enjoy the treat without biting.
Although it’s rare to get any feedback at all, it’s even more so to hear back from people who are believers. Odd, that. Jesus warned us about casting our pearls (His wisdom we learn) before swine, but He didn’t go into exactly who the swine are. In His day it was probably the Pharisees, the religious lawyers of the day who imposed all the man-made doctrines on everyone. I guess they were the biters, because He warned His sheep that those guys would trample your treasure and turn on you, so I suppose we should be careful with whom we share. And don’t take it that I’m saying believers are mean, either. I just don’t hear much from them. It’s hard to be cautious with whom you share, however, when you post on the internet. Fortunately, though, I have only been assailed rarely in comments, and I guess I really need to grow some thicker skin, because I have a tendency to let negativity get to me.
If we are to be prepared for the bad times that the prophets warned us are coming, we’ll have to come to grips with the fact that the Lord has some genuine enemies in the world and once they know where we’re coming from, there’s no reason to expect that they won’t declare war on any and all known Christians. But then, we don’t have to be afraid of them because, “…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me…” if we stay focused on Him. Otherwise, a person could start to feel like the Old Red Rooster when he hears she’s coming ’round the mountain. No, I think the thin-skin thing is more about personal acceptance (a fault from a human desire for friendship with the world) than fear, and I need to be able to conquer it without becoming arrogant.
I imagine this post reads like I think I’m some kind of saint, but trust me, if not for the mercy and grace of Jesus, I would already be in the fires of hell. I don’t know anyone who has committed more offenses to the Lord than I have in my former life. Jesus told a parable about a guy who summoned a couple of people who owed him money. One only owed him a little, but the other one (me), owed him a big debt. He forgave both debts. Jesus asked, “which one of them would love him (the debtor) more?” That’s why I don’t have a problem with getting on my knees and thanking Him from the bottom of my soul. That’s why He’s the best friend any human could ever have, because even after the horrible lives some of us have lived, He still loves us profoundly and wants to sit beside us under the shade tree at the river and spend the day in our company or give us that gentle elbow when we see someone who needs our help. He waits at the very gate of Heaven with open arms for us so that one day we may hear Him utter the greatest, most profound and wonderful words that will ever have been spoken in human ears, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of thy lord!”
Jesus Christ is with us, so you keep that chin up! Even if you and I never meet in this life, I will definitely see you on the other side!
We are now seeing the end times. Of that we can be assured, and it is the mandate of those who have received the gift to discern that Entity upon the cloud with the sharp sickle to shed such inhibitions as restrain our determination and endeavor to give aid to those whom it pleases Him to invite to His Kingdom. Those who have been blessed to understand, and are thankful for His blood, which cleanses the soul, understand that we live with a mandate to share our Divine inspiration, our knowledge gained through His mighty gifts of faith and love, and more so as His return approaches. He increasingly rids us of those restraints and gifts us with such words and thoughts as He deems necessary to fulfil our directions along with giving us the determination to do so.
These words are intended for those souls who have become embittered, who might become lost in hopelessness at the power of evil that we see and feel overcoming the world. Know that these times have to be upon us so that we, as faithful servants of Jesus Christ, may perform our sacred obligations to Him who shed His blood for us. Although we can never repay Him for what He has done for us, we can and shall serve as lights as best we are able to those who seek refuge in this world gone mad. Know also that there is hope, and as the dark clouds gather do not marvel that this Hope patiently abides to allow us time to help gather His sheep.
courtesy: pngtree.com
Our Heavenly Father has provided His servants with everything they need to enter His Kingdom, but He has instructed us that the gate is narrow that leads to life. As we watch so many who live in error, so many who follow false teachers, that lonely feeling of doubt ever threatens. There is a line in a popular song of faith that speaks of a star that becomes increasingly visible as the surrounding darkness increases. We must strive against the gathering darkness and be that star! What a privilege and an honor to have been chosen by the great Shepherd Jesus Christ to help tend His flock!
When He thrusts in that sharp sickle, may we have helped to make ready much for Him to harvest! While He was in the flesh among men, He asked His trusted disciple Peter if he loved Him, and if he did to please feed His sheep. If one studies the New Covenant, he comes to understand that mandate has been inherited by all who would seek Him. We cannot keep our lamp hidden under a basket if we are to please Him. It is our sacred duty to help our fellow travelers to find that narrow gate, thus preparing His field for the Harvest.
There is no doubt any longer that the evil one, that dragon who opposes Christ, has gained control of the world, and in so many ways. The fear and intimidation that threatens Jesus’ followers is the reason for this post. There is hope! Believe it! Jesus said [Matthew 28:20] “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Even to the end of the age! That’s now, friends. Take courage, He is with us.
Those who do not know Jesus, yet are distressed to endure the malignity that permeates the world, are in danger of becoming lost in the tumultuous sea of despair, but only because they have not yet taken refuge on the Rock of Ages. You don’t belong to the evil one, or you’d be able to tolerate his evil. Since the Lord has opened your eyes and you will to resist the evil, you have much Hope! See to it that you look into salvation that comes through Faith in Jesus – you still stand to win an awesome victory that will strengthen your heart! Find Jesus – He’s very easy to find. When you lay down to sleep at night you’ll rest peacefully with a joyful heart – perfect Love – which comes from God – casts out fear! He’s not the hard-core executioner you may have been taught – He’s a perfect friend to have beside you in troubled times who loves you with an incredibly profound love. You’ll never regret getting to know Him, getting to love Him – don’t ask me how I know, I don’t even understand it, but I do know – for sure.
Satan took Jesus up to a high place where He could see the whole world and offered Him kingship of it all if Jesus would worship him. Of course, Jesus denied him, but how many humans has he taken up to that place and made them similar offers? From the rampant evil in the world, we can see that indeed many have accepted his offer. Those who are in charge of nations and kingdoms of this world tend to be very evil men and women, and a time will soon be here, very soon, when posts like this one will be against the laws of men.
Another sign of the times are the new religions springing up around the world which teach a return to the old covenant of Moses, with its adherence to dietary regulations and observance of the old Holy days and other tenets of the old law. This is the leavening of the Pharisees about which Jesus warned us and is possibly one of the most insidious of all blasphemies due to its being part of the Bible but taken out of context, a practice which Satan has mastered. If followed to its logical conclusion, this dogma will, as intended, strive to completely remove Jesus Christ from any possible relationship with God. That is a twisted attempt to reestablish a covenant which no longer exists, and Christians should avoid it – Satan has employed many false teachers with silver tongues who can persuade all but the most faithful that since the old law is in the Bible, they still need to follow it. They forget or ignore the fact that Jesus fulfilled the law and it no longer applies to us. You have to twist and pervert the gospel of Jesus to believe otherwise. As of this writing, there is word that the Synagogue of Satan intends to rebuild their temple and reinstitute animal sacrifices which would completely obviate the precious sacrifice of Jesus, the one which was made to remove our sins.
This whole attempt to return to the old covenant is designed by Satan to eliminate faith in Jesus Christ. Can you see that this growing cult is serving to widen the gate that leads to destruction? I’m quite sure that since this belief system has grown on them, many “Christians” will be perfectly ok with animal sacrifices when they start – which will have the effect of absolute denial of Christ’s sacrifice.
Another closely related false religion is the evangelical “Judeo Christian” movement. Folks, there is no such thing as a Judeo Christian. There are Christians and there are those who still practice Judaism. They’re like oil and water – they don’t mix and if you try to make them mix, you become guilty of false teaching and denial of the power of Jesus. Every step one takes to return to the old covenant is another step away from Jesus Christ. He told us this would happen but many of those who consider themselves to be Christians will do it anyway.
The fast-growing and false teaching of the mega churches that they are Judeo Christians further serves to demonstrate that a big majority of people are abandoning Christ. A big part of the deception is because there’s money at the root of it, and lots of it, and there are more and more people who are trying to somehow contort it into a belief that they’re staying on God’s side while they are in fact leaving Jesus. You can’t mix the old covenant with the new – remember the part about sewing a new patch on an old garment? Or new wine in old wineskins? It ain’t going to happen. Jesus said He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. What? Do you think Jesus Christ was lying?!! Do you imagine you can approach God more directly by adding pieces of an old covenant that serves to exclude Jesus? Do you believe that you can come closer to God by observing old laws that don’t even apply anymore? In fact, those old laws never were given to the Gentiles at all. The apostle Paul demonstrates to us, however, that the new covenant was handed down to the Jews and Gentiles and is intended for the whole world.
The gate is wide that leads to destruction and it’s getting wider all the time. Many are called, but few are chosen. When that big sickle hits the harvest, there are going to be a lot of folks taken, for sure, but proportionally the number will be small. Jesus will tell many that He never knew them and that’s a shame, but it’s the price they will pay for following false teachers. I personally believe most of those ones will be self-deceived members of the mega churches.
Think about this: There is a vast majority of people in the world who, because of their sinful behavior, immorality, pride, etc., that are in the wide gate. Then there are millions of people who ascribe to false religions. There is, as mentioned, a growing majority of “Christian” people who ascribe to the many corrupted versions of Christianity. The gate to destruction is wide indeed!
There are many, but still a comparative few who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, and that if we put our faith in Him, get baptized and live like He taught us, love God and love our neighbors, we will be saved. That’s the pure, unadulterated Gospel, and Jesus is all we need. That’s the narrow gate, and we need to go through it.
Imagine if you can, being in a place, a dimension of utter darkness. This could be a place where the senses you once enjoyed would be of absolutely no use to you – for all of eternity. You now understand that you will never again taste or smell anything, but you’ll always remember the wonderful aroma of a fresh hot apple pie. In this overwhelming darkness, your eyes will be of no use whatsoever, never again will you enjoy a magnificent sunset, or watch autumn branches sway in a gentle breeze. In that horrible place, there isn’t, nor will ever be even a pinprick of light. Never again will there be bird songs, nor music. Complete silence. But you will remember all of those things and long for even a hint of them. Forever.
This dreadful place will hold unimaginably terrifying thoughts – fear will abound in measure that right now seems incomprehensible. Think of the worst nightmare you’ve ever had and imagine it lasting forever, one from which you can never awaken. There will be immense pain from which there will be no relief. You can’t even look forward to dying to escape the terror. And you will be utterly alone. Then, to add to the horrors, you realize you have been completely forgotten – no one knows you ever existed, yet here you are in a place and situation that will last for all of eternity. Utter darkness.
For the present, however, we have Light. We also have a Way that has been benevolently made available for us – at unfathomable cost – to approach it. Though we live in a dark world full of evil, this Light shines brightly, and we are beckoned to come to it, realize and appreciate what It means for us.
The light shines into the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it. The Light of man shines, yet mankind does not comprehend, nor does he make a sincere effort in the Light’s direction, lest he see with his eyes and hear with his ears and so understand that which could lead him to repentance. There are some though, who are sincere as they seek to enter the Light, although they quickly realize the gate is narrow through which they must enter if they are to realize its meaning, its substance, its reward. A great part of comprehending the Light is recognizing one’s own fallibility, one’s weakness for those things in this life that stand to defeat all of one’s efforts, for human pride is an insidious obstacle for all of us. This is an uncomfortable, often implausible circumstance for most. To be unwilling, and therefore unable to see our true desires, motives, and faults is to lose the opportunity to see the Light. Another consideration for those who might become believers, one that arises as a result of discovering the narrowness of the gate, is the necessity of overcoming a natural fear, that of traveling alone. This fear is unfounded however, as one’s faith will attest once he endeavors to follow Jesus. He is always with us.
Regardless of our apprehension, the Light that beckons does not portend the lonely journey we fear, although there are times on our trek when it seems so. This body of dust with its mind of dust cannot easily understand His companionship – we were not designed to comprehend such unfathomable concepts as the presence of His Spirit with us (at all times). The essence of victory therefore, of overcoming the threats we fear, is a voluntary faith in things unseen. Faith is the redeeming quality that levels the field for all of us. Faith is the treasure that endows the lowly beggar with riches only a true believer can understand as the wealthy man looks on with amazement and confusion. The beggar is thus able to see and comprehend the Light, the rich man is not. Indeed, a melancholy darkness, a real journey alone, is the fate of the man who pursues worldly riches, for he becomes enslaved to his desire, he can never have enough. The poor man is free with a lifelong Companion, the rich man is enslaved and spiritually alone. Is it any wonder that those of earthly wealth regard the poor with otherwise inexplicable contempt?
The Son of Man came to the world to provide us with a means to attain a relationship with our God, wherein we shall receive eternal life in His magnificent presence. He is that Light that shines the way for us. God in His divine benevolence will provide for all of our needs while we are here. Earthly pleasures and wealth have no place in God’s plan, we must not allow our attention to be distracted by such, we must strive to be above these things. If we are sincere in our effort, God will provide the strength we need to avoid them. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.” Where and how, then, can we see God? After all, the Bible says that man cannot look upon God’s countenance and remain alive, so what did Jesus mean? Folks who are truly pure at heart, meaning those who honestly seek God, those who have the proper conscience, who admit their fallibility and truly seek His direction, His forgiveness, will be able to see God in ways other than with their eyes. If a person really stops trying to gloss over his faults and admits he has shortcomings and seeks God’s forgiveness and guidance, once he accepts who Jesus Christ is, he will become able to see God in ways that only a true believer, one who is indeed pure at heart is able to see – in a beautiful spring day, in a bluebird singing high in a tree, in a Godly person he meets. There are many ways to encounter God, but to be able to “see” Him requires a level of humility and honesty achievable only by those, as stated, of pure heart.
This world we live in has become difficult to endure. There are threats to our freedom, our very survival as humans, threats we have little hope of overcoming in this life, especially as we become aware that our enemies’ true motivation for enmity with us is our faith in Jesus Christ. This notion hasn’t sunk in to most “Christians” yet, and in fact for some it may never. Those who profess to be Christians will encounter a time when they will either declare themselves to be His servants come what may, or they will abandon any pretense of following Him due to the trials they will face if they choose to be steadfast. What a dreadful time that will be! But if we maintain our faith and do not succumb to the fear, the tribulations that will be upon us, Jesus has already promised that our reward will be great. We should strive, above all else to hear those precious words from our precious Savior, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” The alternative will be that horrifying place of darkness.
Enduring in our faith until the end can be a difficult proposition, but it can, and it has, been done. We have a Source of strength to lean on. We have the examples of the apostles, think of Stephen, who endured persecution, we have men like Diedrich Bonhoeffer who kept his faith to his end at the hands of Nazis. What about those Christians in the coliseum of ancient Rome who faced death at the hands of gladiators or hungry lions? Above all, we have the supreme example of Jesus Christ himself who died on the cross at Calvary because of His love for us. It’s amazing what the Holy Spirit can do to buttress one’s courage in those times. If we can but keep in mind that this life is only a proving ground – the next one is the real deal. We must be steadfast in our convictions and live a morally upright life, one of faith in the unseen, for only then may we behold the magnificence of His glory, His light that shines to guide His sheep. Hang in there, brothers and sisters – it’s probably not going to be much longer until we will be able to rejoice when we see Him. He said He would come for us – and He will.
I guess the readers of folkpotpourri probably think the old man who posts here has finally gone off the rails, but I’ve been trying to get a couple of points across lately, and it’s my heartfelt intent to communicate them in a way that sinks in. Never mind then, that you might be reading an essay written by a crazy old codger from the hills, and just pay attention to what he is saying.
While the US has been relatively unaffected by most of the events going on in faraway places thus far, if people think it’s going to stay that way, they are tripping. Our leaders have gone stark-raving mad, and it’s just a matter of time until they make the granddaddy of all mistakes. Right now, as you read this in the comfort and safety of your living room (assuming the incredible tornado outbreaks, floods, and other weather anomalies of late have left you with a living room in which you may sit and read) there are human-designed processes taking place which threaten to turn our world into nightmarish hellscape, a horrific series of events which could transpire within any given few minutes. I did a post a while back on what it might be like. A Time of Unimaginable Sorrow is Upon Us – Folk Potpourri
Go ahead and change the channel if you don’t like confronting your likely future if things continue as they are going. It’s understandable that one might prefer not to think about such frightening possibilities, and much more desirable to turn to the latest distractions, the reality TV shows that the US congresspeople have begun to air where some AIPAC shill congressman or senator pretend to tear into some hapless cabinet member in a “congressional investigation”. Or there’s always football. Whatever bread and circus you choose – until the very end. Or stick around and see where I’m going with this.
The truth is, that if the governments of NATO and other western nations continue to push the Russians, there is going to be hell to pay. Same thing for aggravating Xi and the Chinese. The whole world is thoroughly fed up with the US and Israel, who controls the US, dictating to everyone how things are going to be. They will all get enough. There’s not a living soul in the world with a functioning brain who still believes the US didn’t blow up the Nordstream pipelines. Germany, or at least the German people watch their country sinking in the ocean of global economics because of the loss of cheap Russian gas. How long will Scholz and the rest of his servants of global Zionism be able to keep up the facade? What I’m trying to say is that our brilliant leaders and think tanks are going to be unpleasantly surprised when the SHTF and they find that many of our trusted allies, even in NATO, have chosen to join with our adversaries. Türkiye is already alluding that they will not join any aggression against Russia.
The American people themselves are rapidly waking up to the fact that they have long been deceived by their own government. Now that the genocide lies are buzzing around the noisome cesspool that is the US government, folks are asking the obvious questions, such as, “Now that we realize they constantly lie to us about everything from the Minsk accords to Israel acting in “self-defense” in Gaza, what else have they been lying to us about?” Could 9/11 actually have been an inside job? What about Covid and the horrific results of the inoculations? It’s becoming plainly obvious for everyone with eyes and ears that EVERYTHING that comes from the US government is a bald-faced lie. And who, pray tell has been named as the father of all lies?
The second major point this post is aiming for is that there is a way to defeat this evil. This dark and ominous cloud that threatens to enshroud the world will eventually bring about the total destruction of human existence. It’s going to happen – you can see it coming like the proverbial slow-motion train wreck. We continue to live as though it won’t affect us, but it assuredly will. There is however, a sure way to avoid this catastrophe that is coming upon the world, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the only way. We have been warned over and over that the tribulations of the end times will bring about the ultimate destruction of our world, yet we try and convince ourselves that somehow things are going to go back to normal. They won’t! With all the mistrust that has been sown, there’s no way they can.
We have infallible prophecy in the Bible that predicts exactly what is going on right now. The love of many grows cold, and there are those who do not love at all. Wars and rumors of wars – Jesus warned us of these things, and He said not to fear them, yet all we see in the world is fear. Perfect love casts out fear. Love is what we should strive for, because love is the most potent force in all of creation. It is the consummate weapon that will prevail over all of the destructive efforts of Satan and his minions on earth. God is Love. His love was on full display on Calvary Hill over two thousand years ago when He allowed His Son to be sacrificed for each and every one of us. From Highland shepherds, African truckers and rickshaw drivers in Mumbai to fishermen in Japan and Russia, Jesus stands ready to accept us into a Kingdom not made by the hands of men, we can trade this ominous fear of the happenings in the world today for a new expectation of a life of unimaginable peace and joy if we but give Him the keys to our life and follow His cross.
Satan has worked since the advent of mankind for exactly what the world is right now. He is spreading hatred and fear, destruction of nations and deaths of people, just as he has planned for centuries. He has no love or loyalty to anyone, but his servants don’t know that, or maybe they’re just ignoring it like so many people are ignoring the horrible future of this world. How can people be so deceived as to follow entities that could not care less for their well-being? Look at Diem of South Vietnam, Khadafi, Saddam Hussein, Daniel Noriega, Ferdinand Marcos, Shah Pahlavi, and all of the other (former) friends of the US and how things turned out for them. They all met with bad endings when the US was through being their ally. Look at Germany now, sans Nordstream, with the devastation to their economy. My point is that evil entities such as Satan or the US government care not for anyone, even their friends or servants, and when things get thick, they invariably abandon them or even turn on them. None other than the first-class war criminal Kissinger said that being an adversary of the US is dangerous, but being a friend is fatal.
What you need is a friend who will not abandon or turn on you but stick by your side, especially when things go south. Jesus is that Friend and considering that He is THE MOST POWERFUL BEING in all of creation, He is the very best Friend we can have. A Friend Who loves us enough that He willingly laid down His life for us. Now that we are facing these hard times, we need a Friend like that, but there’s only One who can be that Friend – Jesus Christ.
Give Him your trust – you have a lot to gain when you do and everything to lose if you don’t.
God bless all – it’s going to be a rough ride – at least for a while.
It’s just shy of 4:00 am and I’ve been up since 3:15, and it looks like I won’t be going back to bed. We had a nasty storm come through from the west – it was one of those you’d swear was bringing the end of the world. I have four dogs, all some border collie and Australian shepherd mix, they learn things really fast, and I guess if I’ve taught them anything, it looks like how to be scared of storms has been among their most successful lessons.
I’m hard of hearing, but when they come running in and jump up on my bed in the middle of the night, I always know there’s a storm coming. They can hear thunder a long way out – long before I can. There’s no arguing, I just have to get up and assume my God-given role of their comforter. They know I will, it’s part of my job. It’s all good though, because I love my four-legged family and I enjoy being there for them.
There are other storms raging in our world today, storms that are close enough to us that we all know they are here, and these ones threaten everything we hold dear. In many places, the gale is already savaging them. It’s heartbreaking to hear news of so many innocent people losing their homes, their livelihoods, their families, and their very lives and it always seems to be because of someone’s greed for money and power. Unlike my dogs, these unfortunate folks don’t have a master to whom they can go for comfort – or do they?
Those little bodies wrapped for burial, soaked in innocent blood and the piteous tears of mothers, who themselves are usually injured and bleeding, the heart-wrenching wails of aggrieved family members whose losses can only be understood by the Master and fellow travelers of good heart, are forever recorded within great tomes of human events to be addressed on the terrifying Day of His vengeance. How do they expect to escape, who bring such devastation, such sorrow, upon innocent fellow humans? For the prayers and tears of those mothers have reached into the Heavens, to God’s very ears and He will show mercy to the perpetrators of this evil in proportion to the mercy they showed their victims. It won’t be pretty for them.
As difficult as it is to understand, the innocent who endure these troubled times indeed have a Master to whom they can turn, a Loving Father Who hears their mournful supplications. It’s difficult to comprehend because we can’t see far into the storm, only the part we are in, but He sees all the way to the other side of it. Innocent victims of atrocity are hard-pressed to make any sense of what’s happening, and perhaps there is no sense to be made, but He is there nevertheless for their succor if they but turn to Him. He accepts the departed children into His Heavenly abode, never for them to fear again. They shall see no more sorrow in that place of unimaginable joy. There’s no need to grieve for them, for they are in His arms now. But we must grieve for ourselves, for our loss; it’s human nature. We shall miss them immensely. There are multitudes of good, humane people in the world who grieve with you.
Jesus said that it won’t go down well for anyone who harms the little ones, and that’s putting it mildly. He told His followers to let the children come unto Him, for He loves them profoundly. While it is possible to repent of one’s evil ways and ask forgiveness, the people who perpetrate evil on those little ones and do not repent for it are going to suffer some of the worst of God’s wrath. There are no words to describe the terror that will fill the hearts of those who experience His fury. And that terror, anguish, pain, and sorrow are going to last for all of eternity.
The evil that’s taking place in Gaza is being done right out in the open for all the world to see. It’s a black and white issue, like another evil man said on one of those rare occasions when he stumbled onto the truth not that long ago, “You’re either with us or against us.” At least it’s true for our occasion, there’s no middle ground here, and I firmly believe if you are even willing to look the other way, you’re indicting yourself on this issue. Leaders throughout the west have openly admitted their support for this unfolding tragedy. They have come up with the lamest of justifications so they can sound like they believe what they are doing is right, while their own people in all of their nations hang their heads in shame for having these monsters running their countries. Such is their fealty to their Zionist masters, leaders in the US are ordering a most vicious reaction to the sane and humane college kids who are bringing attention to the Gaza travesty. Everyone in the world, including those leaders sending arms and ammunition, know that what’s going on is wrong – dead wrong. Every lying spokesperson who mouths off some pathetic justification or rationalization can be seen for the evil monsters he/she is. Every cop who slams a peaceful protester to the ground is putting his/her seal of approval on an actual genocide. I really don’t think the people doing the talking realize the world is onto them, otherwise they’d just shut up and stop sounding so embarrassingly ridiculous, awkwardly trying to act as if they actually don’t know they’re speaking perfidiously.
Like all storms, the one that rages in today’s world will pass. No one knows just how bad it’s going to get, but until Jesus returns to take up His scepter and set things right, we know from prophecy there are going to be some dark times. Meanwhile, His light is there for us, to guide us through all calamity if we but trust Him. When we hear the thunder approaching, we ever have a Master to go to for comfort. He’s waiting. And the very least we can do is to pray for those already caught up in the maelstrom.
We all die. Lots of people claim to have all the answers about life and death, including a lot of Christians, but very few, if anyone of us know, provably with our knowledge and science, what is on the other side. There are some who claim to have seen things beyond, as during out-of-body, or near-death-experiences, but even though some of them sound plausible, and maybe some are real, I have seriously come to doubt most of these stories. By and large, unless we are believers, we do not know what awaits us, and if we are believers, we only know it through our faith.
People of every stripe and nationality all wonder the same things. Why are we here, what should we be doing, and what happens next? We search and research every available source of information, but to no avail. People put their trust in government leaders, many of whom only “lead” as far as their bank accounts allow. Sadly, it’s the same for most of today’s religious leaders.
As I write this post, I wish I could provide some definitive answers, but unfortunately, such is God’s plan that we cannot provide proof of His promises for us, that they must be exclusively accepted by faith. Can you imagine how crowded the ark would have been if Noah could have proven the things of which God warned him? Now for those of us who have been blessed with faith (which comes as a result of His Word), we understand the infallible truth that GOD ALWAYS DOES THE RIGHT THING! We might not understand what He’s got going on, and we might not even agree with what we think is His plan, but any time our understanding gets cross-threaded with God, we have to step back and just take that proverbial deep breath; we have to realize that whatever happens according to God’s plan, it is the right thing.
There is hope. When we choose to stop worrying so much over the predicament that has become our world, I have found, no I have been blessed to come to the realization, that Jesus is real – very real. No matter the intricacies of the world’s condition, the deception always challenging our sensibilities, we have a friend. Jesus Christ is waiting at the door with a patient and gentle knock. The world is sliding into chaos, and if we can’t see it, we’re blind by choice. Jesus can and will open our eyes and lead us through every obstacle before us.
This post is directed to those who are frightened and confused at the impending destruction of the world they have come to call home. Look at Gaza, at Kosovo, at the Ukraine, at Iraq – all those people watched as bombs destroyed their homes, killed their loved ones. What hopelessness must have raged in their hearts to see their whole world destroyed? The fact is that more nations await this same level of destruction, it’s just a matter of time. The great dragon, the enemy of God and mankind, has made these things happen. His work is there for all to see, just look at pictures in the news of Gaza right now. This is what Satan’s work looks like. Satan brings only destruction. Beyond his control, however, is the authority and power of God, who is able to render Satan’s viciousness of no threat to those who trust Jesus.
As followers of Christ, we are given the option to “zoom out”; to see the bigger picture, both in time and space. If one zooms out far enough, the dividing line between this world and the next life becomes invisible. We are able to see more of God’s immaculate plan, that when you step back far enough it’s easier to understand that we can already be in His kingdom in this life, if we so choose.
He gives even the most evil among us the opportunity to repent of wayward lives and come to the cross in preparation for the next existence. We are able to better understand that God does indeed have a plan and His plan is that through acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Son of God Who came to the world and created a church, a highway if you will, that leads us to Him.
It has become impossible nowadays, to see anything on the news, either mainstream or social media, that doesn’t involve unbelievable destruction. We are faced with the end of our very human existence, it’s undeniable now. Yet there is still hope, at least for this last short while, to reach an understanding that in the end, God will take control of this world and mete out justice to His enemies and the enemies of His people. He will also reward His people who stood by Him in an evil world. Jesus Christ very much wants us to be His people, He offers shelter from this insidious storm that Satan has contrived.
Jesus Christ created a ministry about two thousand years ago. It has lasted, and will last, forever. It’s important to understand that His ministry and His words have been under the most intense scrutiny of all studies of mankind, and if even one untruth could have been proven, His ministry could not have stood, but Jesus did not lie about anything. Sadly, false prophets have arisen through the years and we still have plenty of them, but the true church itself is founded on consummate truth, and its Founder, Jesus Christ said that He is able and willing to forgive us of our awful lifestyles and by His own blood, cleanse us spiritually whereby we are able to come into His Kingdom, a place of unimaginable joy and peace. With the world spinning out of control, that’s quite an encouraging promise.
If you’re tired of fretting and worrying about the piteous state of the world and the threats we face, try opening the Bible – start with the 5th chapter of Matthew – read His message and get to know Him, as mentioned earlier, there’s no way to prove He exists, for if there was, we wouldn’t have to have faith. Faith is important to Him. Find a Christian preacher and get yourself baptized and fasten your seat belt, because we’re all in for an eventful ride, but in His care, we need not worry anymore. Especially about what’s on the other side.
Once, a long time ago, there was a man who lived over in the Middle East. He was a particularly good man and he had several friends. His mother knew him better than most mothers know their sons, and even when he was very young, as a matter of fact before he was born, she knew he would grow up to be a very special person. He had an aunt and a cousin who were also privy to who he was and they were pretty excited about him too.
This man did grow up to be a special individual, in fact he became the most influential person who ever lived. Not much is known about his childhood, other than a few snippets – things that his mother probably remembered and passed along to one or more of the multitude of writers who chronicled his life. Although he must have been an extraordinary child, if there had been many mentionable things concerning his youth, surely some of the many writers of his life’s stories would have known and related it in their journals. There’s this one story about him being left behind in Jerusalem when his family left to go home from an event there and they had to go back and find him, and that’s about it. His family went back to look for him and where they found him and what he was doing was a very remarkable event. Other than that, my guess is that he wasn’t that unusual as a kid.
When he got grown however, he gathered several followers from among the peasantry of the area. Fishermen and other guys who had shown curiosity and interest in things he had to say were so enthralled by this fellow that they determined to put their lives aside and hang out with him. Lifelong fishermen just walked away from their nets and boats, such was his righteous allure to them. Little did they know at the time that this new direction would be a permanent, life-consuming pursuit – as it still is today when we learn of him. He was turning out, as they saw it, to be a surprisingly wise man who spoke things they had not heard before. He spoke with confidence and seemed to have an intimate knowledge of God, to whom he continually referred as his Father. Those guys eventually came to be known as his disciples, or followers who spent much time with him as his fame would grow. They also came to love him immensely, for they learned that he loved them profoundly. The cousin mentioned earlier, although not actually one of his group of followers, turned out to be the one who baptized him.
He actually first gained notice at a wedding feast in a place called Cana. There was apparently a party atmosphere, and several people were there. Might have even been more folks there than the organizers anticipated, because during the reception they ran out of wine. From the gist of the conversation, the guests had already had a good bit of the spirits and weren’t ready to shut down the gala just yet, but what do you do? No more fruit of the vine, but no one was ready to go home. Jesus’ mother – yes Jesus was His name (and references to Him will be capitalized henceforth), maybe acting on a hunch, took Him aside to give Him the sad news about the wine shortage. This had to be an obvious hint, and He almost seemed a bit exasperated, as this thing He was about to do wasn’t exactly what His ministry was about – He even called her “woman”, but such was His compassion, His absolutely boundless love for His fellow people (and Mom knew this), that she simply told the servants to just do whatever He told them to do – I can imagine her trying to hold back a big beaming smile, knowing that because of His precious compassion, He would do what needed to be done to take care of the situation. Although this act wasn’t the essence of His purpose, it will nevertheless go down as one of the most remembered events in all of history – it was Jesus’ first miracle.
He told the boys to round up some jars and fill them with water – yep, fill them all the way up. They were big jars too. Six of them, big old clay jars like they had back in those days. Once they filled them up with plain water, He performed His miracle, He then told them to give the master of the feast a shot of the water-become-wine, and lo and behold, the master said this wine was better than what they’d had at first. But then, what did you expect? This was Jesus, the Son of God, making His debut in what was to become the greatest life of miracles and hope for mankind that there has ever been on this earth. He wasn’t going to give His friends any second-rate juice, no He made the good stuff. And to the joy of all, the party resumed. But you need to know, there was no crazy or bad stuff going on there. Just some people having a good time and enjoying a wedding feast. This man was the Son of God. And He is now and forever the Son of God.
Somewhere later on down the road, His disciples came to realize just who this man was (and still is). He ended up giving up His life for them. And for you and me. I love Him, and we have a bond that reaches across that vast chasm that separates us for now, but I know He loves me too. What a feeling to know that! And He made some really good wine, and plenty of it!
Get out your Bible and read about Him and find out what He means to you. He stands at the door of your heart, patiently waiting for you to ask Him in, and when you make the decision to trust Him, hang on for the ride of your life! It’s kind of like getting a buzz and realizing you can’t drive so you need to give Him the keys. He knows exactly where to take you if you let Him. Sometimes He takes us over bumpy roads and sometimes through terrible storms, but He does that for our benefit. It’s scary at times, but we get to the point where we finally realize He has everything under control, then we can relax and have peace – peace you never dreamed was possible in a world full of turmoil. Such is His love for us. We’ll never regret getting to know Him. I can promise you that with complete confidence. Most of us know our driving is terribly impaired when we’re inebriated – drunken by consuming too much of the worldly wine – the drink of sin that corrupts the world and it inevitably leads to a catastrophic crash. He told the brethren at the last supper that He wouldn’t partake of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it with them (and us) in Heaven, so He’s always sober.
I used to drink way more than what was good for me, but with His help I swore off many years ago, not saying I could drive for you, because I can’t, but He’s always available – the penultimate designated driver.
I can’t wait to try some of His Heavenly home brew when we get There.
There’s a creek running across the property that comes from up in the woods. It starts up on the neighbor’s land high up the ridge and empties into the big creek in the bottom of the holler. The resident old-timer out here says there was an old sawmill up there, somewhere close to where the neighbor’s property and our land meet, but there’s no sign of it today. There’s an old, galvanized tub in the creek bottom where I suspect the mill might have been, but I don’t have any idea whether that rusty old tub had anything to do with a sawmill, but who knows? Anyways, whether it did or not, it’s the only sign of anything man-made out there.
I like to walk up there and enjoy the serenity – it’s one of those places where you can chill out and get your thoughts together – and enjoy the company of Jesus. He’s always there to hang out with me and listen to my problems and accept my thanks for the place, but mostly He’s just simply there. And that’s more than a mouthful to try and get across to a person who doesn’t know Him. It’s hard to explain, this faith I have, but it’s real. If you haven’t experienced His wonderful presence, don’t let any more of your life pass by without getting to know Him. You will never regret a moment of it.
One day – and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be soon – we’re going to see Him return in all of His glory. Most of us have a vision of Him as a lowly carpenter, a preacher with no wealth or standing in society, but trust me when He comes back, the world is in for the biggest shock of all time. Our Savior will be the most glorious, powerful figure you could ever imagine. Although everyone on earth will be completely awestruck, unimaginable fear will overwhelm the hearts of all who denied Him. At the moment we see him, we will realize just how puny all of our weapons – in fact, all of the pursuits and accomplishments of mankind through all of history – really are. The very skies will be opened in a flash of dazzling brilliance as multitudes of angels fill the whole realm of space, time, and thought. It will be huge! Incredible lightning, thunderous voices of fearsome angels will resound and echo across the universe, and a Savior come to claim His own and exact vengeance upon all who chose to be servants of the stranger who has wreaked havoc on His people for all the years. It will be a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
As I stroll through the peaceful, silent woods, I think of the contrast on that day when human beings, those who survive the horrors of tribulation, flaming hailstones, pestilence, disease, war, and all of the other horrors that will have been unleashed upon humanity, will literally cry out – some in fear, but some few in sheer delight and relief. Amid scenes of destruction and horror that the mind cannot fathom, mighty men will scurry into their holes in the earth in piteous and futile attempts to hide from the face of this God who is filled with wrath and indignation. The righteous, those who have been faithful to Him, will be able to stand and face Him with unimaginable joy in their hearts. What kind of thoughts will His people experience, seeing those fellows who were the “elite” – those whose riches gave them mastery of armies and nations? I’m pretty sure we’ll pity them at that time. But do you know what? Anticipating the horror they will go through at the judgement of God, we should pity them now.
A human soul is worth more than the value of the whole world to the Lord. As I watch a gentle southern breeze caress the budding trees, I can feel the tenderness with which He nurtures us. He really doesn’t want any of us to perish and it goes against His design, even for souls of the rich to be lost. His tender mercy is revealed to us in so many ways, it’s a shame that Satan has deceived so many and that they disregard the opportunity for becoming saved so that they would have opportunity to spend all of eternity in the presence of absolute joy and love. Jesus said that (human) eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor has entered into the mind of man the joy that awaits those who love the Lord. Let that one sink in.
I know there are many folks who don’t know what it’s like to enjoy a day out in the woods, watching the thrushes flit about, hearing the beautifully insane call of the pileated woodpecker echo through the holler, maybe catching a glimpse of a shy doe strolling through the glen with her curious fawn in tow. For those folks, I feel pity, because some of the most wonderful experiences of life are being missed. God is out here in His creation, and although He’s a lot harder to find in some big city with sirens and horns blaring, He’s there too, nevertheless. I’ve written posts about such like Where the Poor Go to Weep – Folk Potpourri and Thoughts on Creation on a Beautiful Spring Morning – Folk Potpourri in which I try to share this country experience in spirituality with folks who don’t have opportunity to see it for themselves. Mostly though, I try to get people to thinking about what lies ahead, after we finish with this stage of existence and enter into the next.
I constantly read people’s opinions on social media chats and such and I pay particular attention to the endless comments of those who claim not to believe in God or the afterlife, they put forth arguments that sound reasonable enough if one insists on ignoring evidence of God’s presence. I guess it’s easy enough to disregard people like me who keep trying to help them open their eyes, but us guys who are sincerely trying to get them to take a serious look are doing it from our hearts. The Lord has given us faith – a precious commodity, and indeed, we believers realize just how precious it is, but we can’t go so far as to put our own thoughts – our own faith – into other people’s heads. Once in a while I have the heart-lifting experience of running across someone who is willing to actually give thought to the possibility of the existence of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and even though they don’t usually immediately become believers, you can tell that God is at work in their heart and if they continue with their honest curiosity, it will only be a matter of time. “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.” I pray earnestly for these folks.
If only people could hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and understand that He is exactly who He says He is, if all of us could just trust that the Gospel of His life, death, and resurrection is the absolute truth, and that He is the Son of God who came here to the earth to teach us of a better way and to be the ultimate Sacrifice Who would make it possible for us to connect with the Heavenly Father, what a joyous and peaceful life they could enjoy! There would be no need to succumb to the macabre fear that is darkening the world today. He promised us that as believers we have nothing to fear – we must focus, and stay focused, on what lies ahead after this life, this world which is no more than a test in which we must decide where we choose to spend eternity.
Ignore the foolish people and so-called evangelists – obscene, wealthy fellows who preach no more than distractions from Christ. Incredibly, they are some of the principal elements of Satan’s attack on goodness, wholesomeness, righteousness, and many are those who are ensnared by them. Jesus told us that the gate is wide that leads to destruction. I get a mental image of a huge herd of sheep all being led through a huge wide gate into what they presume will be a wonderful pasture, but they cannot see in beyond the gate. In reality, what awaits them is a great, dark abyss for which they are ignorantly, but not innocently, heading. Then there are a few sheep fighting their way out of the crowd, often enough through some serious obstacles, but they are on their way to a narrow, tiny gate beyond which they, through faith, know an unimaginable paradise lies. They will not be distracted, they hear and know their Shepherd’s voice, a voice to which the big crowd never listened; those ones don’t know His voice at all, by their own choice, even most of the folks who claim to know Him only listen only the deceiving voices of their false preachers.
In God’s grand scheme, and as we are admonished in the Bible, this life we currently live is a very short moment in time. In fact, if there was any such thing as a graph depicting eternity, a dot representing all of human existence wouldn’t even be detectable on it. The time that has passed since Jesus ascended to Heaven is but a brief moment, maybe like you’d think about going to the grocery store and coming home. The Bible constantly speaks of the fact that we are living in the last days, not as we imagine the last days, but as God sees it. When we think of “last days”, we think months or weeks, or maybe even a few years, but when the Word mentions the last days, even though there are many references to the end times as we understand them, He is most often talking about the entire period of time after Jesus appeared and left to go to Heaven. As we watch the dark times that are enveloping the whole world right now, I believe that we are approaching the last days as we humans think of them, in other words, I believe the time is drawing nigh for our encounter with eternity, and that some – maybe even most – of us alive today will see it in our lifetime, possibly very soon.
Imagine the apocalyptic happenings when Heaven and His host is revealed. Mighty Angels with thunderous voices making great proclamations, intense, never-before witnessed lightnings, earthquakes, the very heavens shaken with the mighty and angry Creator of all things looking down in extreme wrath. Now imagine that the anger of this awesome Being is directed at you – when you find yourself in the unenviable position of having chosen to be His adversary because you rejected His Son. His beloved Son who had to die an excruciating death in which the very heavens were agonized, on a cross long ago just so you could be saved, but even after He went through all that, you rejected Him.
Even though Jesus was dying, hanging by the cruel nails onto that cross in what had to be excruciating pain, such was His unimaginable love for mankind – even His tormentors – His last thoughts were to pray to the Father for their forgiveness – yes, He loved them (and us) that much! His unbelievable love is the most potent force in all of creation, God Himself is Love. When a person becomes a believer in Jesus and makes the decision to follow Him, that person begins the process of immersing himself/herself in that profound universe of God’s infinite love and will forever live in His blessed presence!
We have opportunity while we’re here on earth to experience small glimpses of His love. We can see it in a dogwood bloom, or hear it on a summer evening whippoorwill song echoing through the holler. When you see a newborn fawn wobbling up to his mother in a peaceful green meadow, you see God’s handiwork. This is the world God intended for us to inhabit and enjoy, and though most who read these posts don’t get to see things like this, I’m happy to share the experience as much as my words allow. I’m happier to share the experience of knowing Jesus though. Being able to get to know Him is the most important thing in this existence, and I hope and pray the readers will do so. Get yourself ready so you don’t have to find yourself in fear and dread on that awesome day when He returns. You’ll be forever glad you did.
Now I have to go out and check on the progress of this year’s dogwood bloom – it looks to be another nice one.
Take a good look at the picture above. It’s Mike Pence in January 2024, well into the Gaza genocide. He’s in the occupied territory showing fealty to what a growing number of social media refer to as the Satanic Death Cult. He’s putting his name on an artillery shell. The slaughter of the innocents had been going on for several months by the time of this horrid signing, so he did it knowing well that this ammunition will likely be used by “the most moral army in the world” to massacre innocent terrified peasants in Gaza. This hideous act is a very damning admission of his approval and support for the evil genocide being inflicted upon the innocent men, women, and children of Palestine.
This is the same Mike Pence who made his bones posing as a Christian to court the hypocrite vote when he ran for and became governor of Indiana. I lived in Indiana when he was governor and it was easy to tell he was a fraud even back then, at least to myself and other people who bother to open their Bibles. I could not for the life of me understand why anyone even remotely associated with Christianity could support him, but I guess I underestimated the power of hypocrisy. And don’t take that to mean I’m a Trump supporter, because I’m certainly not. He has shown his own disgusting fealty to the same evil entity.
As Pence writes his name on a genocide weapon, Jesus may well be concurrently blotting that same name out of the Lamb’s Book of Life (if by chance it’s still in there), but Pence obviously doesn’t consider that. The Lamb’s Book of Life is the one in which we true Christians want our name to be, for one’s name in that book is Jesus’ requirement for entry into Heaven. Though he might claim otherwise to hypocritical voters, Mike Pence cannot possibly believe in Jesus. Only the most self-deluded of hypocrites would believe he is a religious man. His autograph on the weapon that he has to know will be used to kill innocent people is proof. There may be some shekels involved in this public signing and selling of his soul, indeed, money and power are important to him as they are to all of his political ken who studiously avoid truth.
Mike Pence is revealing himself to be all about Mike Pence and nothing else matters. Even the lives of innocent little children don’t matter. He can’t fool true Christians however, only hypocrites. People of his ilk and Nikky Haley’s and so many others are religious all for show, but sadly there are way too many people who know so little about the Lord as to believe these could possibly be righteous people. Oh, and Nikki Haley, aka Nimarata Randhawa, likes to sign weapons that will be used to slaughter hungry children, too.
Assume that, as is quite likely, this artillery shell will be fired into a civilian apartment building, or a hospital and it kills a child. Maybe several children, or maybe several defenseless women and kids are wounded, losing arms and legs by this very shell with the eminent Nimarata’s or Mike Pence’s name on it. The above photos and a piece of shrapnel with either of their names on it, maybe dug out of some mangled two-year-old’s chest, will be exhibits A and B before the Judgement throne, and it will be the very last thing in all of eternity that either of them will want to see as they stand trembling before the Almighty. Pence will wish for that merry day of January Six a few years back at the capitol when he was scurrying for his life. It is an understatement to say God will be very angry and that will be a fearful and awesome sight to behold, the very Heavens will be shaking, and Mike Pence will be horrified with unimaginable fear to stand before the living God trying to come up with a reasonable sounding excuse for selling his soul and voting with his own signature to support the holocaust of innocents in Gaza. Although he’s as adept as any other politician at lying, he won’t be able to weasel his way out of what’s coming to him. Justice will be served and unless he repents, it won’t be pretty for Mike Pence (for all eternity), or any of the other vipers like those in the U.S. congress who almost all voted against a cease fire resolution. Had it passed, such a resolution might have saved some lives, or may have had no practical effect, but such was their eagerness to flatter and fawn over their Zionist masters with their whorish servitude, they dared not vote for a ceasefire. These people are out of touch with the populace and deluded such that they have no idea how they embarrass and disgust a rapidly growing number of American people. Truly repugnant behavior. The lucre holds their loyalty fast for now, but guaranteed retribution inevitably awaits them all. Both the shekelers and the shekelees. Please excuse my analogy to snakes, serpents have done nothing to deserve such a comparison.
Since we’re at this point, can you identify the difference between the subjects in the following pictures of a) garter snakes, and b) the US Congress in joint session?
Answer: The serpents in the top picture are not venomous.
By now all of humanity is aware that some of the most innocent peasant folk in the world are being terrified and slaughtered in Gaza. Little children there are literally being starved to death! Medicine isn’t allowed in for the wounded and medical people (who are also being selectively targeted) and operations are being performed even on little kids, screaming in intense pain without anesthesia. The IOF is busily murdering women and children in churches, schools and hospitals. Such is their thirst for blood, they even shoot their own unarmed soldiers who escape captivity. Some have marched near-naked “captives” round the dirt and rubble piles of Gaza and torturing them. The demons in control of the occupational government won’t allow food or medicine, or even water, to be brought in so that some of the Gazans might survive. Over ten thousand arrested Palestinians languish, incarcerated without charges, tortured in occupation prisons. If the reports are accurate, more journalists have been (intentionally) killed in that open-air prison during these past few months than were killed in all of WWII all over Europe and Asia. The IOF has adopted the habit of dropping leaflets or otherwise getting word to the Gazans to leave an area and to go a safe location at X, and when the refugees go to X they get bombed there. This has happened on more than one occasion.
The synagogue of Satan is in firm control (for now), and the world watches. The official U.S. government position is that in spite of the hours and hours of footage showing the massacre and carnage and blood, there is “no evidence” of genocide taking place in Gaza, per Blinken, Sullivan, Matthews, Kirby, et. al. WHAT!!?? I’m a determined Christian and love Jesus with all my heart, but these liars can tax anyone’s determination. It’s near impossible for decent people to stomach. I fervently pray for God’s Mighty Hand to intervene in the occupied territories! And in Washington D.C. ESPECIALLY IN WASHINGTON D.C.! At some point it will, but for now we have to wait for all the Mike Pences to sign their own eternity away in whatever way they choose to do it. And as hard as it is, Jesus told us to be patient. He also said His sheep hear His voice, so patient we must be. The evil ones have to finish revealing themselves, so when judgement time comes, they don’t have any excuse, because everyone in Heaven and on earth will know full well by their insidious actions which side each of them chose.
Erdogan of Turkey condemns the evil being perpetrated upon the Gazans. He and the Turkish people would do more to help if they could, but he is in a precarious position. He has been speaking out against the genocide by the IDF and you’d think he’s probably working behind the scenes to try and help Gaza but is limited as to what he can do without massively escalating the situation. Other Arab nations stand by looking, talking a lot of trash, but in reality, they are just waiting for the Gazans all to die. King Abdullah of Jordan is a pathetic western puppet and will not lift a finger, unless it’s to help the occupiers. He put out a video of himself pushing aid bundles off from a cargo plane over Gaza, but it was pure PR as a few pallets of foodstuffs weren’t going to make much, if any difference, but his air force helped to shoot down Iranian drones that were headed to Israel. Sisi in Egypt is about like Abdullah, just with less bluster. A lot of folks say he’s a western puppet and it sure looks like he is. MBS in Saudi Arabia is at least refusing to normalize relations with the synagogue while they are murdering Gazans, but not much else. The only people in the world who are helping the poor Gazans besides Hamas are the Hezbollah guys and Houthis (Ansar Allah) and some competent militant groups in Syria and Iraq. The leaders in Iran seem to be helping as much as they can without having to fight the entire west. The Islamic Republic of Iran and its IRGC has proven to be brave and stalwart in the face of some nasty enemies. I had become a fan of Iranian President Raisi (RIP) and Hezbollah Secretary Nasrallah and Speaker Obaida of Hamas and General Saree of Yemen. I can’t leave out Christians around the world who pray as I do for the Gazans – that’s important in many ways, too. We must keep praying for the Lord to show mercy on them! Our government certainly isn’t going to help them. It’s as if Henry Kissinger and Sheldon Adelson’s ghosts still direct our foreign policy. They don’t do mercy. They only do money. As the congresswoman Ilhan Omar said, “It’s all about the Benjamins.”
When all this is said and done, the world will recognize the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah guys as the real heroes, regardless of propaganda to the contrary. Think of the allies who liberated the Nazi camps. Even though they are Islamic peoples, they show more Christ-like compassion than American, British, French, or German governments. Of the ones who will have proven to be villains, there are too many to name, Biden, Grima Blinken, Austin, Sholtz, Macron, Netanyahu, Gallant (what an ironically misnamed creature), the entire U.S. congress, and of course, Sunak of the UK are just a few. But on the Day that counts, most of the members of the mega church congregations also will find out too late that the Lord Jesus doesn’t approve of their fealty to His enemies, He has said He will tell them He doesn’t even know them. They will find themselves to be regarded among the worst of the villains.
It goes against Christian theology to kill, but whether the resistance groups are guilty of sin for taking up the sword to help save the poor Gazans, will be for God to decide. From the level of protests, a lot of the people of most western countries are on the moral side of history, but not their bought-and-paid-for governments. The governments are all controlled by the synagogue with the shekel, and/or Epstein’s little black book.
I’m a Christian, American Navy veteran and am appalled at the behavior of my government. Not only should we remember Mordor’s attack on the USS Liberty, any sane moral person should be equally appalled at the behavior of all the American evangelical groups who choose to be ignorant hypocrites and who probably still think there is a difference between Democrats and Republicans. Though they pack the pews of their respective temples of evil on Sundays, they refuse to listen to Jesus when He says the pit of vipers who call themselves Jews are NOT Jews, but are a synagogue of Satan. They’re blaspheming by even claiming to be Jews, but the “faithful” congregations of vipers in America’s mega churches still support them full tilt. ‘This war is prophetically significant’: why US evangelical Christians support Israel | Evangelical Christianity | The Guardian You will pay dearly for your chosen ignorance, folks. Chosen ignorance, because you don’t read your own Bible, but rely on millionaire whitewashed sepulchers like John Hagee or Kenneth Copeland or Joel Osteen and so many others of their ilk to instruct you on how to best show your fealty – to Satan. The American “church” industry is probably Satan’s greatest weapon. Imagine! All the demons of hell dwell in ornate temples of blasphemy in the great congregations who nod and echo their support for perverse doctrines and for the appalling murder of innocents. How can these “believers” possibly twist and mangle the scriptures to come up with some misguided precept that allows them to support the murder of innocent children? This goes against everything Jesus Christ taught, and, contrary to what they teach to justify their fealty, it has nothing whatsoever to do with God’s promises to Abraham!
Sadly, the unbelievers or even those of other religions see the behavior of “Christians” like the hypocrites in the mega churches and it just reinforces their belief that Christianity is an evil religion. They know about the crusades and the Inquisition, and other historic deviations of the church, so what the evangelicals are doing today fit right in with their skepticism of the Christian religion. One day real Christians will suffer because of this repugnant behavior. But I guess that’s part of the plan.
American universities are being told what they can and cannot teach or allow on their campuses by billionaires from the synagogue, and the federal and state governments adamantly enforce their edicts. These people would gladly sign their names right alongside Mike Pence’s. In fact, in their own way they are. If someone in the pit of vipers of congress were to muster up enough courage to speak up about billionaires gaining control of American education, they might find their own shekels getting cut off, or worse, get Epsteined, so they all remain blissfully silent. There will come a time, and hopefully it’s not that far off when the people of this nation will realize these demon-possessed elites would not be billionaires if they hadn’t stolen their wealth from Americans through financial chicanery and intrigue, (such as in 1913 – Google how deviously the Federal Reserve Act was passed) and maybe Americans will someday decide to take it back. Stage a popular asset seizure to give the people back their stolen wealth. If the money stolen by crooked bankers, pharma, and insurance corporations were given back to America, we probably wouldn’t have a national debt. Our cities might get cleaned up, drug addicts could become able to get help, and we could start resembling a properly run nation, like say, Russia, or Iran.
Before anyone gets the wrong idea as to how I feel about real Jews, as a follower of Christ, I am a proud adopted son of Father Abraham. I personally think King David was probably the greatest mortal monarch ever and would have been a fantastic leader of our nation. God knows we need one. He has my greatest admiration for his righteous servitude to God. Further, I genuinely believe God has a special place in His heart for the Jews who accept Jesus Christ. I’m perfectly ok with that and not a bit envious. The 144,000 Jews who come to believe in Jesus are the ones referred to as the Bride of Christ and I’m happy for them, but it will be a hard-earned title. The real Jews, even the ones who practice Judaism, mostly seem to renounce the behavior of the murderous Talmudic cult in the Holy Land. In fact, the true Jewish people around the world are as appalled at this genocide as us who believe we are adopted sons. The demons doing this evil, as Jesus said, ARE NOT JEWS! Stop letting Satanic mouthpieces like Judas Hagee convince you they are. That the Zionists of European descent have taken over the Jewish identity has to be the greatest identity theft in all of history! Now they are set about doing everything possible to make the whole world hate the real Jews, many of whom are mostly innocent in all this. Many Jews even in the occupied territory are protesting the genocide at great risk to themselves. Kudos to them. As for Benjamin Netanyahu – whether he is actually an evil incarnation of Shrek or just looks like him, the villagers will catch up with him one day – the torches and pitchforks already seem to be coming out in Tel Aviv.
It’s important to understand the words of the apostle Paul when he said the great Day of the Lord would not come until the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition [2 Thessalonians 2:3]. This means that the man of sin will someday be revealed, specifically the anti-Christ, but there are many other men of sin being revealed. There will be no more hiding an evil person’s culpability, in fact, they are now out in the open with their evil – being revealed, or better yet, revealing themselves (see above Mike Pence and Nikki Haley photos). The “being revealed” part of the prophecy is happening right now! The whole world is able to see what’s going down and all who support it. The Congress of the U.S. openly votes to support genocide. The president publicly vowed to support it and it’s unquestionably the most insidiously evil event of modern times. The government of the United States of America is sending weapons as fast as it can to provide for the slaughter! They are publicly taking sides with this astonishing evil. Being revealed indeed! The other important thing to consider about the apostle Paul’s prophecy is that once this revelation has taken place, the Day of the Lord at any moment could then be upon us. Make no mistake, we will see justice done when He gets back! Another thing to keep in mind is that time means nothing to God. He is eternal, so the time that Jesus has been away to Him must be like us running to the grocery store and coming home. The two thousand years He’s been gone is but a moment in time to Him. It seems like it’s taking a long time and to us it is, but to Him, it’s but a moment. In reality, right now He’s giving everyone time to choose a side.
There will come a Day when justice will be served. Count on it. On that Day, everyone in those big churches will finally understand what Jesus meant about the gate being wide that leads to destruction. The self-deceived “faithful” in the pews of blasphemous congregations will be just as damned as drug dealers and those who make their living murdering or selling human beings – actually more so, because they, of all people should have known better. Probably more so, because the latter ones at least don’t claim to be righteous like the hypocrites in the big mega churches. Imagine it! These people openly support the sworn enemies of Jesus Christ, yet at the same time try to claim Christianity! The astonishing hypocrisy of these people is one of the greatest sources of America’s ills. As for the “shepherds” of these flocks, when God gets through with them, I’m certain these false prophets will envy Mike Pence for whatever punishment he gets.
We should not hate Mike Pence or Nikki Haley for their evil acts. However, a Christian can be mad at a person and hate a detestable act such as signing a bomb destined to kill innocent people without hating the person doing it. That’s a fine line to walk, but an important one. It’s especially tough though, when these people do things like they do in the name of God. Hate the sin but love the sinner.
What can we do? We must do what Jesus said, repent of our own wrongdoing and set about serving Him by loving Him and loving our fellow human beings. Imagine what a different world we could have if everyone spent as much time trying to help one another as they spend trying to destroy each other! Decent people are up against a powerful enemy and cannot defeat him on our own, and we need to stop acting like we think we can, or worse, ignoring him. He has overtaken governments of the world – most of them. Certainly ours. We must diligently seek Jesus Christ’s help – it’s the only way, and He promised us He would take care of things if we only put our trust in Him. Get baptized. Get to know our Lord Jesus Christ. And always remember the love of money is the root of all evil. Evil like putting your name on a weapon that will kill innocents for thirty pieces of silver.
I hope this post will be of encouragement to Christians of the narrow gate who might feel left out for not believing the false teachings of the rampant and highly monetized evangelical groups. I also hope it sheds a little light on the beliefs of real Christians, what Christ actually teaches, especially to our Islamic brethren who would benefit mightily from learning the nature of true Christians.
