Beyond the Intensity of the Great Conflict

As we watch the wars around the world, we could overlook the big one that is coming. This one will involve all believers in Jesus Christ and one day soon it will be over. Meanwhile, we will be expected to voluntarily walk into the greatest battle humanity has ever faced and fight with our heart and soul. We will have no fighter aircraft nor mortars – not even a rifle with which to repel the enemy that will be upon us, but we will still have a great advantage over him. We will also have a song in our collective heart that will announce the absolute victory we will have attained. The song is:

“Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O’ king of the saints. Who shall not fear you, O’ Lord, and glorify Yor name? For you alone are Holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You. For Your judgements have been manifested.”

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When we are assailed by our enemy, when our chances of survival seem to grow dim as the darkness besets us, this song of praise to our King will lift our spirit. This is the song of victory of the saints who are faithful to the end – the song that will be voiced by those who overcome the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many saints will be around to sing this song, but I expect that among the hordes of people who emerge from the battle, comparatively few will be able to give voice to this wonderful song of victory. If I were the reader here, I would make it a point to memorize it so you will be able to join the chorus at the appointed time. Be a voice.

Our faith in Jesus is the greatest weapon we will have at our disposal to wield against the very powerful enemy we will be required to fight, but no matter how dreadful he may appear, we must refuse to be intimidated; we must never surrender. All we have ever understood to be good, to be righteous in the course of the ages, will be on the line. There will come a time when we must even go against our human instinct and realize something more important than even our earthly lives will be at risk during this spiritual battle and it’s imperative that we get a prior understanding of that before we determine to join the fray. You see, the realization is the important part, for our eternal soul is indeed at stake, we just have to get to the point where we acknowledge that and fight accordingly. Also, and very importantly we are able to disarm the enemy when our fear is no longer in play for 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.” We have to double down on our faith and pray for God’s love, there’s no other option.

I like to imagine that day when we look around us at the smoldering ruin that was our world, sweat and blood dripping from this earthly shell as God wrests our spirit away, when we are able to clearly shout and sing hallelujahs and praise to our King Who brought us through the great war to a victory of which the very angels of Heaven will have witnessed. I believe those angels will be singing along with us with voices of such beauty that we could have never imagined and as Jesus our Lord walks up to His soldiers one by one and welcomes us into His unfathomably magnificent Heavenly Kingdom which appears beyond that river – the great river we at one time feared to cross. The power of His love will be revealed, and we will be able to feel it with senses we don’t have now, but to say it’s going to be a marvelous experience is a huge understatement, but then, we don’t have words in any human language to describe such Heavenly splendor. No words at all.

God is eternal, so before He created human beings, He and Heaven had been around from time immemorial, and after we are gone to our eternal abode, He and Heaven will be around forever, but maybe there will be songs and stories of mankind’s great struggle – and Jesus shepherding us to our victory – in Heaven forever – but who knows?

We indeed must resolve to fight this battle to the end as loyal soldiers, always looking to victory. When you begin to understand how it must be fought you will be amazed at the weapons we have at our disposal. Our enemy has no access to our arsenal. All who decided not to fight – those who rejected Jesus – will look on with helpless and agonizing envy when they see our jubilation and joy! Now it’s on you to find Jesus and get to know Him. He’s not that far away.

If you plan to join this amazing celebration, just in case there are no lyric sheets around, you should probably memorize the song – it’s in Revelation 15:3,4.

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

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MK

The Real War – Between Wealth and Faith

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It would be easier to just turn and walk away. I have to confess, the temptation is there. I often feel like a fool for trying to get folks to at least look into opening their Bibles and take that decision to finally address their problems, indeed the problems of their world, through the eyes of one who believes in Jesus Christ. He very plainly tells us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. [John 14:6] No matter how cross-threaded one is, it’s hard to misinterpret what He is saying in that statement – especially the Way part. If you’re looking for a way to deal with – not the problems of the world, they’ll only be solved when He comes back – but how those problems are affecting you right now, Jesus is the Way and there is no other. Believe me, I’ve been as frustrated as anybody. Like most folks, I wish there was some magic wand someone could wave and fix this mess we’re in, but that option isn’t available. I wish people would stop expecting some politician to step up and get us going in a better direction, but that’s not going to happen. There will indeed be one, who will appear at first to solve our problems, but he will be the very one we must avoid.

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courtesy Spiritual Minefield

Donald Trump is once again in a position where he might try to solve the world’s problems – if that was his intent. But as before, without Jesus Christ’s guidance, he won’t be successful. I don’t care how sold you are on him, he is just another rich man out to get richer, and that’s the bottom line. Look at all the billionaires in his administration. I’m not saying he’s the antiChrist, but he seems to be auditioning for the role.

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There are statues of him everywhere

For their entire lives on this earth. these people have never known what it’s like to worry about their lights being turned off for the lack of money to pay their electric bills. For Pete’s sake if Trump was really trying to help with the country’s serious problems, don’t you think he’d be hiring people with some semblance of ability to tackle homelessness. Our cities are in shambles. America definitely needs to be great (again?), and no amount of fealty to Benjamin Netanyahu is going to fix that. Trump’s been in office almost a month now, and the only moves he has made thus far is to prostrate himself to wealthy Zionists, even moreso than Joe Biden did, and that’s a low bar. His obeisance to Netanyahu was particularly disappointing for Americans -particularly those who wanted to see him as a courageous leader – to have to watch.

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The fake $100 bills in this pic have “In Trump We Trust” on his goat statue in Mara Lago.

Donald Trump, in his quest to appear wealthy, smart, and successful, continues to thoroughly embarrass America, both at home and especially in all foreign countries, he’s shaming America. That’s a real pathetic issue for sure, but there are several pressing ones. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for them all. Our nation has almost completely abandoned God – that’s the root cause of our problems!

Personally, I don’t believe we should accept the insult to God that printing “In God We Trust” on money in the first place. The idolatrous love for money is the root of all evil and the one thing the Bible warns us about more than anything else, but to substitute Trump for God even in this out-of-place phrase is openly proclaiming Trump to be equal with God – the original sin of Satan. This is blatant idolatry, goat and all.

I live in an area of the country where houses still proudly wave Trump campaign flags. One day when the evil of his administration is manifested, they may out of conscience opt to take them down, but God is taking pictures of those yards to remind folks (in case they haven’t repented) at the judgement that they supported this fellow. Of course, the democrats are as bad or worse, but opposing one evil group by supporting another one will be no excuse.

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Do you really want to put yourself in the position to have explain to the Lord why you had something like this in your yard?

So here we are, most people at a loss for what to do, how to deal with this tsunami of evil overtaking the world, and so few of us have come to the realization that mankind doesn’t have the power within us to emerge victorious from it. At some point in the near future, a Savior will indeed appear, and He will decisively and forever defeat the enemy, but when that happens, it’ll be too late to get off the fence. [Revelation 16:15] “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” [16;18,19]: “And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” A horrific moment for all who have rejected the Son of God. I think America fits the description of the great Babylon here, don’t you?

The opportunity for individuals to win this battle is slipping away, and no amount of fealty to wealthy people will help in the end. Jesus is the only Way, we need to start looking at our situation from a new perspective, one in which we are able to see that there is another existence, for only by understanding there is a better life ahead will we able to comprehend and elude the evil that is upon us. Too many of us reject the very faith that is able to save us, and it’s the only path to victory – those who turn to wealth, or even the desire of it, will be in for a horrible time.

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

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MK

Serve or Oppose Evil – It’s Your Choice

Today it is not uncommon to hear of, to see video of, to witness as never before the savagery of the servants of Satan as they slaughter innocent people in the Middle East. The United States of America, the UK, Germany, France, etc. are as guilty as those demon-possessed military men who are pulling the triggers and dropping the bombs. Just this morning there is a news story about a family being butchered as they sat down to their evening meal in the West Bank. Demon-possessed soldiers opened fire on this unarmed family and even shot a little two-year-old girl in the head and killed her during the slaughter. No one was shooting at the killers – they had no legitimate reason to shoot up the family of innocent people. They never do, it’s just that they relish taking the lives of any – especially those who cannot defend themselves. Demons are cowardly like that; they prefer not to go up against armed enemies who shoot back. There have been countless atrocities committed against this people, we know of the Hind Rajab episode, the aid workers who were killed with missiles after trying to escape the butchers in three different cars. The flour massacre where the “most moral army in the world” mercilessly slaughtered starving people who crowded around a truck to get some flour. There have been so many examples of illegal, immoral butchery that it will take years to list and investigate them all. In their unsuccessful attempts to keep their malevolence hidden, they have killed more journalists than have been killed in any other conflict.

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The demons are violating every human norm – every “rules-based order” of human decency, and they have the (almost) complete support of the US government. Lindsey Graham screams at the top of her lungs that “Israel has a right…”. I hope God doesn’t take His wrath out on the whole state of South Carolina for the malevolence of the demon that possesses that vile little monster, but then many of them voted for him. Marco Rubio is now in a position where he can slavishly oblige Satan’s chief servant, Netanyahu, aka Malikowski, as he always has, but now without hiding behind Senate votes – he’s out there publicly, as is Donald Trump, again. I guess he’s no worse than the servant of evil that just left office. Most of these guys were once able to hide or disguise their servitude to the Synagogue of Satan, but now that Satan has near complete control, they no longer need to bother to hide their evil proclivities, nor do they try anymore. Why is sending bombs to Israel not as illegal as handing a knife to Ted Bundy? If you were on trial for abetting Ted Bundy who killed maybe three dozen women (I’m not trying to minimize his carnage), you’d get life, or maybe even the death sentence. If you give bombs to an evil entity who is murdering tens of thousands of innocents, the legal system whistles past the graveyard – or worse, sanctions any prosecutor who dares to bring charges – and that’s what passes for western justice today! Folks we need Jesus as never before! Get right with Him before it’s too late – don’t let this evil system with its evil “leaders” take you down with them. I think that decent leaders like Putin and Xi are going to get enough of this barbarism and destroy the Zionist-controlled west before they (our leaders) destroy the world with their evil and immorality.

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I don’t know why everyone makes a fuss about Middle East “ceasefires” when the only thing such an “agreement” means is that the resistance stops shooting back when the demons continue to kill innocent people. They never intend to stop murdering, but as mentioned above, they prefer to do it when no one is shooting back, so they negotiate a “ceasefire”. Neither, it appears, do they intend to withdraw from Southern Lebanon as “agreed”. And the resistance leaders don’t seem to be able to catch on. During the Ukraine SMO, Putin and his men figured this western trait out, calling western negotiators “agreement incapable” of any kind of treaty. How do we respect “leaders” who openly brag about using US military power to steal oil and wheat from an impoverished country like Syria? Yet on my drive to and from town I see his campaign signs in yards as though some are proud of themselves for having voted for such a leader. To me the scary part is that these same people probably go to church around here somewhere.

Some true heroes have emerged from the darkness of this evil, though. Fransesca Albanese, special rapporteur of the UN shines like a great beacon of light on the evil taking place. Kudos to Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court for being brave enough to indict Netanyahu and Gallant. The ICC and the ICJ have called it like it is, too, so kudos to them. Martyrs, beginning with General Soleimani of Iran and including Hassan Nasrallah, Yahya Sinwar, Haniya, Iran’s President Raisi, and the brave fighters of Gaza, especially the Qassam Brigades, the noble Houthi rebels and Iraqi resistance, Hezbollah, all will be seen by future historians (if there will be future historians) as being on the right side of humanity. Same for journalists like Owen Jones, Larry Johnson, Judge Napolitano, etc. and outspoken heroes and heroines Candice Owens, Kevin Barrett, and Caitlin Johnstone. Y’all keep up the good work – the whole world is watching as y’all expose this evil. More importantly, so is God.

There are others who have “arisen” to be historic villains, such as Joe Biden, almost the entire congress of snakes in the US, Starmer of the UK, Scholtz, Macron, Blinken and all of the other Zionist genocide supporting entities, including “defense” contractors of the US. Zionist billionaires who have arrogated to themselves the authority to control college campus activities in America are included in this group. Various public figures everywhere who support the massacre going on in Palestine for whatever shekels they can garner, will burn in hell for their participation in this travesty. This applies as well to all who work in mainstream media, spouting out lies daily, whether by omission or inclusion (of justification) for genocide.

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Such is the publicity of the barbarity happening in Gaza, the West Bank, Southern Lebanon, and now Syria, that even all the fine, upstanding church-members of the covens of evil called evangelical churches will not be able to claim ignorance when they stand before a wrathful Jesus Christ at the judgement. First of all, Jesus himself warned everyone about the Synagogue of Satan, so why are the pastors of the mega churches so hell-bent on serving them? If these people are so determined to look the other way, when the truth is right out in front of them in their own Bibles (and in today’s alternative media) yet they continue to support the workers of Satan (with support groups like CUFI), they will surely deserve what they get, but it’s going to be a long and horrible eternity for them.

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So while the honorable congress persons who voted to sanction the ICJ, to all the states’ legislators and governors who continue to enact unconstitutional legislation against the 1st amendment (which gives folks the right to participate in BDS), and others who use their positions of power to protect the genocidal psychopaths in the Occupied Territory of Palestine – all await their turn to enter into the eternal fires of hell, we can but pray to God that our Lord Jesus Christ will return soon to intervene and levy their final rewards.

Pray for God to comfort the families, to heal the wounded, to teach the little ones who are missing limbs how to survive, how to prosper. Pray for God to bless us with the ability to forgive the people perpetrating this evil – they are human beings under the control of demons, and most of them probably don’t even realize the level of evil of which they are guilty and for which they will have to answer. That’s no excuse, however for them, because they choose to be the way they are, but it is to our benefit – to the benefit of all decent human beings and believers in Jesus – that we do not carry hatred in our hearts for there isn’t room in the human heart for Jesus Christ and hatred of other human beings. We can hate their evil acts, but not them. When we cross the line and allow hatred of our fellow human beings to fester in our hearts, the same enemy wins, but this time he wins over us, and most sadly it will be because we surrendered to him. Pray that the Lord will help us keep our feet on the ground and be able to see the plots of the devil and avoid his traps. Sometimes it’s a tough pill to swallow, but there it is.

There are a lot of stirrings and rumblings here and there from like-minded folks like us about this slaughter of innocents, but we have to turn our voices up a notch – no, a bunch of notches! It’s time to stand up and be counted – like those few others who have risked much to expose the rampant evil genocide and among our “leaders” who openly support it! It’s unbelievable, but my Christian choice here is to make my voice heard! Christians have to make their choice known today! Don’t let our immoral leaders think we’re not watching them.

Someone once said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way!” Men of good conscience, men of decency, should all agree it’s time to heed that.

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

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MK

Reasons to Avoid Envy of the Rich

If you are one of the regulars here, you probably know that Folkpotpourri has been offline for several days. I’ve been fighting a spiritual battle that I realized was coming, but I didn’t have any idea how savagely I was about to be assailed. I won’t go into the details in this post. During this respite, however, and in those moments of clarity with which I have been blessed, the realization that the end is much closer than any of us imagine, I have felt that the urgency of our situation is dictating that I must continue to reach out – other believers in Jesus are doing so – we are indeed living in the last of days. The sharp sickle is about to be thrust into the crop.

Our wealth, at least for those who the world imagines to be wealthy, is about to become worthless. Imagine if you are a billionaire and a time comes when you discover that you are suddenly among the poorest of persons. It’s going to happen – those fellows who have spent the last several years hiring contractors to dig out enormous bunkers that have been lavishly furnished will finally understand that all of the gold and silver, the precious gems and other accoutrements that exist as symbols of one’s status that they stash in their holes – is not worth anything anymore. When some rich guy discovers he needs drinking water more than he needs an army of security guards, he will at last understand that things the world once considered worthless are in fact those very things humans need the most. Their (almost) greatest fear will suddenly come to pass – they will be poor – as poor as the hungriest child in Ethiopia or Palestine, and worth no more in the eyes of God than any other person on earth. When the real reckoning is upon them as they stand before Jesus Christ at judgement, (their greatest fear) they will suddenly wish they were in the shoes of some poor child. For those who rejected Jesus, this moment will be the most horrific instance in the life of any human being.

Security details and bodyguards will abandon the “elites” when the money they’ve been paid is not worth anything anymore. No one will be able to eat their digital wealth – which won’t be available anyway, because when things get bad enough, the databases where their wealth is “stored” will more than likely be dissolving into wisps of smoke from rubble heaps that were once elaborate data collection centers filled with blinking lights and computer banks. The ones hidden underground will fare no better once God unleashes the great earthquake mentioned in [Revelation 16:18]: “”And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.” In fact, at some point during the end days, people will be so afraid of God’s wrath that they will beg for the rocks to cave in on them, such will be their terror. [Revelation 6:15-17]:  And the kings of the earth, the great men, [j]the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

When they come to their eternal torment, they will be as the rich man looking on at the poor man, Lazarus who will be in paradise with Father Abraham, and there will be no hope for their relief as they burn in the eternal fires of hell – not even a drop of water! [Luke 16:24]: “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ This might sound like an unjust punishment, but did that rich guy show mercy to helpless people like for instance, the peasants suffering in the Gaza holocaust? No the rich Americans forced American universities to shut down protests when students brought the genocide to the world’s attention. Abraham told him [Luke 16:25,26] “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ No help will be forthcoming, forever – even their beloved CERN won’t be able to open a portal through that void.

Why is the fate of wealthy being discussed here? Because these passages so visibly describe the eternal torment that lies in wait for non-believers. Unfortunately for those, even the not rich, people who continue to reject Jesus Christ, the same dismal future awaits. Many even envy the rich, but unfortunately for them, wanting to be wealthy can be as bad as being wealthy, because desiring riches is a lust of the flesh and a form of idolatry. The Bible says the LOVE for money is the problem. [1 Timothy 6:10]: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” So, you don’t have to be wealthy to fall into this scheme of Satan.

If you are not rich, consider yourself blessed and enjoy being outside the group of those who have sold their souls. Rejoice in the abundant life of the true Christian! Out here in the country we can walk outside into the woods and enjoy the natural beauty God bestowed on us. Now I realize that the “elites” also have access to these things, but the real blessing is in the heart – common folks who dare to believe are gifted with the ability to appreciate God’s creation in a way that those heartless, soulless, creatures of wealth can never experience. We have the unique ability to enjoy things that don’t cost anything – and we enjoy them vastly more than some banker enjoys his money.

As the age of our world draws to a close, we should take advantage of our spiritual blessings and learn to appreciate the things around us, the solace of a walk in the country watching red birds and hearing crows talking is a wonderful sabbatical from the growing evil with which we are faced. There are countless events taking place around us that the enemy has set in place to cause us to feel helpless; things over which we have little or no control, but don’t let Satan take away your hope. He would really like to. Hang on to the hope that is in Jesus and we’re promised we’ll get through this. Jesus’ promises are a guarantee, we just have to stay strong and wait for Him.

Jesus tells us in several places of the importance of being patient, because under these dark clouds of uncertainty in today’s chaotic world, it’s not hard to become frustrated and lose hope, but when things are at their worst, zoom out and keep in mind that there is another life awaiting us, and the joy we will experience in that next one will make all of these trials as nothing. Be prepared at any time to just stop what you’re doing and have a talk with Jesus – it’s surprising just how much the Spirit can lift your heart – even at the worst of times. The rich people who presume to be in control right now will see a justice so unimaginable horrible they will all beg to go back and do it over, but it’ll be too late, they’ll plead with a God Who no longer hears them – for all of eternity. Think about a day when guys who are immensely rich in this life will envy the poorest who have lived among us – forever.

I guess my point is that we should never allow ourselves to envy the rich – indeed, we should pray for them because they need repentance and forgiveness as much as anyone.

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us through these last troubled days.

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MK

A Dark Chasm Lies Between Intelligence and Wisdom

Doubtless by now everyone paying attention has gotten wind of the ai controversy swirling around the world like rancid dishwater being sucked down into the drain. Intelligence, or the concept thereof, is quite possibly the greatest pitfall resulting from human pride – Satan has first-hand awareness of its potency – and is wielded by those in his service who would use it to sever any relationship we might try to build with God. Artificial intelligence is no more than a cumulative statement of humanity – that we have become sufficiently knowledgeable to deal with issues here in our corner of the universe, and therefore no longer need such rudimentary beliefs as religion which some of us of lesser smarts hold sacred. It’s a concept that has been tried in various iterations since time immemorial, but with this ai, human mastery seems to be culminating into fruition. Indeed, for many superficial pursuits and human endeavors, such technical prowess as smarts can be valuable, but when we allow ourselves to buy in to the belief that we no longer need a Spiritual foundation upon which to build and continue with our fundamental endeavors at human evolution, we set ourselves up for the most dismal of failures. Especially when we decide to turn over our decisions to man-made devices like computers. Tellingly, and as designed, this artificial construct that everyone so admires places absolutely no value on those traits which characterize us as human beings, such as loyalty, consideration of others’ well-being, and above all, love – both the love of our neighbors, and the love we hold for our blessed Creator. In its callous disregard for the value of human love, it (its creators) places itself in direct opposition to the greatest commandments, to love God and one another, thus is undeniably at odds with Christian beliefs.

Since undermining Christianity is the ultimate goal of Satan in our world, don’t be surprised when they develop some new iteration of artificial intelligence that suddenly claims to promote a belief system that is somehow congruous with “religion”. This will be a move that’s tantamount to declaring itself to be God. It will be contrived to attempt to pry away Christians from their true beliefs and climb aboard the ai bandwagon, attempting to remove any doubt that a prospective believer might hold that ai might just be something that followers of Jesus Christ should avoid. It’s coming. It will undoubtedly offer the same nature of deception that the false doctrines of today’s evangelical churches and the same appeal. This artificial intelligence is simply the latest weapon Satan has revealed from his endless arsenal. The dragon followed the woman and declared war on her and her offspring. [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.”

Everyone admires smart people, those guys who are able to resolve complex problems. Whatever goals we have before us as the social animals we are, from which we are sometimes prevented from achieving due to issues on which only the brightest among us can be depended to resolve. That’s not a bad thing in itself – God blessed some more than others with smarts. There are very few, however who can be actually regarded as wise people. It’s mostly because the truly wise among us are loathe to get caught up in publicity. The great asset they possess, the one human attribute Satan hates in people – is God-given wisdom, for true wisdom leads us to God, but human intelligence does not. Intelligent people typically like to show off and make a big thing out of their gift, but the truly wise man only speaks when asked, and ever tries to stay away from the spotlight.

There are societies in the world in which wisdom is, or has been heretofore, sought, and sages in those groups, tribes, clans, or whatever, were highly respected. The Chinese elders and Tibetan lamas come to mind as well as the American Indian tribal elders – there are others – and input from these guys is – or was – regarded as of great value to their whole societies. It seems that due to the cultivation of intelligence, especially technical expertise, the wise man is less considered as a source for answers nowadays. That’s a real shame, because among many other pitfalls, ignoring wisdom causes us to saw off the limbs we are perched on. In light of the fact that the world has more pressing problems today than it ever has, the wisdom of humanity garnered from the ages is more important to us now than it ever has been.

One misconception however, of people concerning those who might be wise, is their age. Indeed, there are many elderly persons who have garnered wisdom through their years, but these are the ones who walked through life with their eyes open, learning as they trudged down those muddy, one-way roads (and back) on which we all occasionally find ourselves. There are many more who plowed through this life’s morass without gleaning much wisdom, mostly because they chose to trust in available intelligence as they traveled rather than hard-earned lessons they should have learned. In that sense, age isn’t the only consideration for wisdom, so don’t assume their years mean they know something helpful.

Because of the proclivity of those of “intelligence” to seek publicity, it only stands to reason that what is called artificial intelligence, the cumulative effort of lots of smart people, needs to be in the greatest of social spotlights. This is in order to continue a mass exodus from wisdom of the ages and into the nethersphere of “intelligence” – especially of sources not human. It’s not a hard sell, either. There is a surplus of hopelessly ignorant people out there who would much rather have someone, or something do their thinking for them. That’s one reason “developed” nations have been opting to allow “think tanks” to opine on critical issues rather than having elected “leaders” calling the shots. That’s also why the pews of megachurches are teeming with misguided souls – they allow false pastors to tell them what to think. Of course, voters (who have long abandoned any attempt at reason to decide for whom they should vote for their betterment), don’t mind being told for whom they need to cast their ballots. It saves wear and tear on what precious few brain cells they still use.

If I could have a guess where to look for leaders who might possess some degree of wisdom with which to lead the nation, the first place I’d look in this country is among the self-disenfranchised electorate. People who don’t vote. That’s where the folks are who have long-ago learned of the deception and utter hopelessness of being forced to choose between two cardboard cutouts presented to the proles (by the same entities) as viable choices to run things. There’s wisdom in that view of what passes for elections in many nations today.

Another word of caution for the believer – there has been a big stir lately about how the Chinese have undermined the western tech moguls by introducing this Deep Seek version of ai. This is another deception, for it presents the unassuming person with the notion that this version is good because it is in opposition to the wealthy tech barons and prevents them from being able to capitalize on it. How could it possibly be wrong if it goes against the rich? That’s exactly what we’re supposed to think, don’t buy into this nonsense. Satan might control rich people, but such is his proclivity for deception and treachery, he will turn on them in an instant if it might mean capturing the loyalty of his enemies -Christians – this ai in any iteration is something to avoid.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible has many gems of wisdom and descriptions of how the wise man thinks. Of course, the greatest abandonment of wisdom of all humanity has been our headlong rush to discard our God and His Word, so it follows that few people alive have even read the wisdom of King Solomon, even though when he was alive, people came from far and near to hear his sagacious proclamations. If the reader happens to be among those who have abandoned the wisdom in the Bible, maybe he needs to reconsider.

You can trust the very real wisdom of God, or you can trust in human made artificial intelligence. The two are definitely at odds, but I know which one will emerge the Winner. Jesus Christ invites us all to join Him for His victory celebration, which the Bible calls the marriage supper – think about it. [Revelation 19:9] “…‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!…”

There’s only one Way to get your invitation: [John 14:6]: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

When faced with having to make the choice of following after worldly intelligence or Godly wisdom, make the wise choice. Folkpotpourri might not be the most viewed website on the net, but it does not, nor will it ever under the present ownership, use ai to write a post. Christians should beware of this “helpful” technology.

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

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MK

Promises, Prayers, and Patience of the Saints

The things happening in the world today should serve, if nothing else, to reveal to us that mankind does not have it in him to direct his own way. For crying out loud, look where we are! Look at the horrors of war and destruction happening in so many places in the world – how can humankind be so smug as to behave as though men are in control of everything when we watch the homes of multimillionaires – some of them supporters or financiers of genocide – burning into cinders in some of the ritziest places in Los Angeles? Their money couldn’t save their homes; is this God’s way of showing us that wealth and the (illusion of) security it brings are by no means absolute?

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I personally believe the LA fires, as well as all of the unusually severe weather events, such as the winter storm that just ravaged Great Britain and the Saudi Arabian floods in the desert – are reminders from the Almighty that He is watching. He’s watching as tens of thousands of children are being mercilessly slaughtered in places like Gaza – especially in Gaza – and He hears prayers by the thousands, maybe millions, for His intercession, as we wait for Him to move. It’s an odd thing that we seem to hope for the hosts of Heaven to appear, angelic swords and lightning flashing; thunder pealing, looking for the planes and tanks of the evil ones to burst into flames, but alas for us impatient folks, God works in His own way – maybe those things will take place one day, but for now we are left to try and connect the dots between the Hind Rajab atrocity and the fires in the Pacific Palisades; between the demon-possessed military men who laugh as they post videos of blowing up homes in Gaza and snarled traffic from unexpected snowstorms in places that have never seen snow, at least in living memory.

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As believers in Jesus Christ, we have to force ourselves to acknowledge the disconnect (and it is a huge disconnect) between how we would handle the atrocities that are going on, and how the Almighty chooses to deal with it. Keep in mind that He can see both sides of this experience we call existence. He sees what is happening here on earth for sure, but unlike us He also is able to see things on the other side, and therefore has other resources besides His great wisdom from which to draw on for the action He takes. I think this is the main reason we allow ourselves to be so incredulous as we await signs of His retribution upon those who perpetrate this evil genocide. For instance, we are shocked and dismayed at the loss of life of the children and other victims, but He sees those children sitting in eternal joy in the arms of Jesus on the other side – He knows they are and will forevermore be safe and their tears have been wiped away, so His methodology is not influenced by their loss the same way as it drives us (to hope for vengeance) here on earth.

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God is eternal, time means nothing to Him, so He doesn’t have to be in a rush and has the luxury of patience, and as odd as it may sound, the worst offenders of human norms right now have the same opportunity for repentance and salvation as anyone else, and it’s quite possible that their consciences will evoke contrition to the extent that they might seek Jesus Christ. At least the opportunity is there for now. Many of them have been unable to come to grips with some of the things they have done and instead of repenting, have taken their own lives like the Israeli bulldozer operator a while back. Right now, everyone has time to seek Christ’s forgiveness and come to the Kingdom, but that time is growing short. How do we know this? [Revelation 12:12]: Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” He has but a short time in which to do his wickedness and he knows it therefore his wrath and hatred of all things moral and Godly is being revealed – he is out in the open with it, daily hammering at the fortresses in which good people try to take refuge, so we must be sure the refuge we choose is the right one.

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As believers in Christ, our Fortress is the solid Rock – Jesus Christ – which Satan, try as he might, cannot assail, and he seethes with rage against those of us who have chosen Jesus Christ in order to be victorious over this world of which the devil with all his riches temporarily has charge. Do not give in to the despair of watching the evils that are happening! The situation, as dire as it is for now, is not hopeless! We are not, nor will we ever be helpless, no matter how desperate things appear – that despair is one of the devil’s most lethal weapons and it works best against those who are faint of heart. Our hearts can be strengthened, though: [Psalm 27:14]: “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” We must be patient – Jesus spoke of the importance of patience in the last days, He even told us how as well as the importance of being patient, [Revelation 14:12]: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Yes – following His commandments and keeping the faith in Jesus results in our patience. Some things are still to take place before the end, among which wars and rumors of wars will plague humankind until the very end: [Revelation 14:12] “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.”

There’s are many places in Scripture that speak of patience such as one of my own favorites from the Apostle Paul: [2 Thessalonians 3:5]: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” The point is that we must go against our human nature of impatience – no matter how dire the situation – and keep on trusting that God will take care of things in His time, no matter how urgent things might seem to us at a given moment.

Food for thought: Our prayers mean a lot to the Father: [James 5:16]: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Since we realize our prayers can influence the Father, think about this. Our prayers have great significance when they reach His throne, He will take action: [Revelation 8:3] “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” Our prayers will play a big role in the events of the end times – before the very throne of God! We must never allow ourselves to believe our prayers aren’t important!

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The human-induced events happening in the world these days may very well be connected to fires and floods. Worse punishment from God has been levied in the past because of human behavior. Remember Sodom. God is the Master planner – it may be that in the decadent places of the world God has chosen to show the wealthy just how impotent they really are in the face of His awesome power. For instance, we might indeed be impressed at the destruction caused by a 2,000 lb. bomb, but have you ever considered what it might be like to witness God’s devastation in a super volcano eruption, or how about a stellar nova up close? Mankind has it in his power to blow up a building or even a city, but the Almighty can take out millions of light years of stars and planets whenever He wants. Wildfires and floods in decadent cities are no problem for Him to set and spread with high winds of His mighty breath.

Satan might have the upper hand with human beings for now, but you can rest assured that’s about to change – and forever so. In the meantime, pray, just chill out and watch God work…

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

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MK

The Harvest of Our Spiritual Agriculture

There are some big corporate farms, less in number are large family-owned farms, and tons of tiny farms, or just country homesteads that grow gardens. Some places are trying to make it illegal to have a garden, such as in Oregon where TPTB are claiming that the homestead’s need for irrigation water creates a situation where a permit is required to raise a garden there. Somewhere in those ivory towers where the commanders of humanity hang out, it looks like someone doesn’t want folks to be able to fend for themselves when they decide to drop the hammer on the economy. Looks like Oregon is one of the first test sites for legislation that appears to discourage any degree of independence from corporate America. These sources of questionable legislation are endeavoring to shut down the private raising of livestock, too. Especially chickens, at least for now, but they have made several moves that indicate they will go after beef and pork as well. Slowly but inexorably, the beast system is herding everyone into pens of its mastery where we all become beggars and slaves, with no hope of fending for ourselves.

This post addresses another type of harvest, one that requires a different kind of water of which there is an endless supply if we avail ourselves of it. [Revelation 22:17:”And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely”. No legislation can possibly be enacted which could prevent our access to this metaphorical water, nor indeed our successful involvement and/or operation of the type of gardening that needs it. [Revelation 14:14]: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.” This relates to that Day when Jesus Christ gathers His chosen people as if it were a great harvest – and it will be! This will be the seminal, monumental event in all of human history when we will finally be taken from this evil world that is currently controlled by Satan and his minions. The evil of this world will never again be a threat to believers.

Can you imagine for a moment the horror this event will slam into the hearts of the evil servants of the devil? Those who traded any and every vestige of their opportunity for eternal joy and happiness for a few days of mastery over the slaves of the world – will no doubt be aghast at what they’ve done. All these latter years they spend digging out bunkers and supplying them with provender – every bit as perishable as their human bodies – will have been totally wasted, and at that moment, they will finally realize it. [Luke 27:21: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” The Son of Man, who they soundly rejected as they amassed fortunes, will reveal Himself in a way that leaves absolutely no possibility of doubt of His Kingship any longer!

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Billionaires will rue their choice to spend their lives pursuing wealth and will be horribly reminded of each and every night they slept in soft plush decadence with enough money in the bank to have fed millions of starving kids who went to bed hungry those same nights. At the moment of Christ’s appearance, they will realize the wealth they have amassed will not avail them towards His forgiveness. They will finally and shockingly face Someone who cannot be bribed. They won’t find videos of Him engaging in any Epstein mischief. There won’t be a Mossad or CIA assassin who might be interested in trying to eliminate Him. They will be done! No private jet or yacht will take them away to a tropical island.

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There always comes an end…

To their eternal dismay, Jesus in His glory will be incomparably more fearsome than He was as a poor carpenter’s son. To say His wrath will terrify those folks who have grown accustomed to having things their way will be an understatement. Even their willing servants will join in their horror: [Revelation 6:15-16]:”And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! Imagine being so horrified that you beg for death – death which might remove the body but can never remove the terror that has come upon the eternal soul.

He who wields the sickle will complete the harvest and take His beloved children to an unimaginable paradise which He personally prepared for them. [John 14:2]:“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Unimaginable because the Apostle Paul also said: [1 Corinthians 2:9]:”But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” My friends, our eternal souls will truly experience a happiness of which owning a yacht or earthly mansion could never come close.

What do we need to do to gain access to the wonderful promises of Jesus? Simply to make that choice to listen to Him: [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.” All we have to do is open that door and let Him come into our hearts. I really don’t believe that sickle is going to hurt a bit, but the joy will be worth it!

Keep growing the garden – He will bless you with His abundance, both metaphorically and literally. They might be able to come and take away your carrots and cabbages, but they can’t touch the spiritual harvest – it forever belongs to the One with the sickle.

May the Almighty Father’s blessings find and keep us all.

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MK

Disheartened Soldier from Another Time

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I was walking in the wood late in evening, enjoying wild birdsong and dining on a delicious landscape of somber hardwood seasoned with a dash of savory ice on branches now long bereft of rattling leaves, and as I approached a stream of hard and silent water, there boldly came an apparition upon my reverie. It was an ageless man of whom I felt no dread, yet anticipation of his purpose consumed any thought I might entertain to ignore or depart from him.

It was plain from his dress and demeanor that he was a soldier, adorned in a crisp blue long coat with the boldest of black threefold hats. His trousers were of white cotton and bore no scratch or mark of his trek in the wood, nor were any brass buttons missing from his breast. Perplexion was fixed upon his countenance as he stared at me and in his presence, strange thoughts of shame of long-endured passivity weighed heavily on my bearing. “From whence”, said he, “do ye hail, who so casually tread this wood? Is it not the same land upon which I, among thine forbears and fathers shed my blood to provide thee with a sacred and free republic?”

Fright, not at his presence, but at his seeming insistence for answer, overwhelmed my heart as I could but stammer words that might be interpreted that, indeed, this was a continuum of that hallowed land. As I stood in awe of such bewilderment as he displayed, it came to me that he wept silently as he spoke words which pierced my heart with arrows from a former time, a time when this nation was but in it’s youth. “Doth not the same God redeem thy souls, is not the Savior of man the same in this day as He of long ago? Hast thy people forgotten the valor with which we of hope and incredible vigor and relying on Providence braved deadly volleys of rank musket and cannon balls to gain thy sovereignty and prosperity? How then, has an evil enemy so stealthily crept upon, and forsooth, overtaken this nation today?”

“This is a place beyond that land which you secured,” at last spake I, “As years passed, lesser men of lesser heart appeared, gained status endowed of evil by mammon, and came tempted, as knowledge of vast tracts beyond the nation you knew, came about, by great deceit and dishonor, to wrest from rightful owners the abundant and fruitful lands beyond that which your army secured.” As my confidence waxed, I continued, “He of Providence was denied, yet might of weapons from whence malicious heat from the forges of Satan’s armouries had not yet dissipated, were put to use to diminish, to defeat and yea, to slay those by whom fair title was claimed.”

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“As scores of years became centuries, all but the Creator forgot the wicked abrogation of treaties once foreordained to be honored as leaders continued in moral decline, and colonial appropriation of lands and nations increased the world over, but especially in his nation – descendants of those peoples with whom your leaders treated were slain and imprisoned and vanished into memory. Indeed, the banner under which your drums sounded amid the blue-white smoke of cannon is changed now, by many added insignias to that number of thirteen by which your blood gained liberty.

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“Must thee and thy progeny, therefore, be thus accursed as to receive upon thyself such waxing theft and murder as this which ye bear witness and yet lift not thy hand to resist? In mine years, would neither citizen nor soldier deign approach the Almighty Creator for prayer belabored with such cowardice weighed upon his conscience. And now in another place ye witness again the theft of lands and slaughter of rightful owners and say nought for fear.”

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“I shall now return whence I have dwelt nigh four and a half hundreds of years and once more watch, share tears with those with whom I served, for my own blood and that of my companions, forbears of yesteryear, that ye should so lightly and cowardly abandon, yea and forsake, the sovereignty of this land for which we fought and died. Farewell, yet still pray thee for thy long-ignored want of Providence.” As his last words sadly reached my ears, he began to walk away as he cried now aloud, slowly and completely evaporated into the woodland, but his wailing cries echoed, and if one listens, especially on days when those who purport to lead us slavishly perform acts of obeisance to – and among – our enemies, his piteous cries can still be heard.

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MK

Finally! How to Fight A War Worth Fighting

If you have to engage an enemy in battle, some of the most important things you need to know are what kinds of weapons he has in his arsenal, how and when he intends to use them, and maybe the most critical, how you must defend against each weapon.

The battle of which I speak is, of course, that battle for your soul, and you can trust that the cunning enemy is willing to use everything in his power to defeat you.

It’s snowing here in this neck of the Ozarks this morning, and though I’m an old geezer now, I’m still as excited to see a beautiful snowfall as that kid back in rural East Texas long ago. Of course, we rarely got snow down there, so it was a special treat.

God is amazing at creating silent beauty

After a few days on the ground, the ice and the magic dissipate and we invariably look forward to some thawing out, but for now the dogs are playing excitedly, crows are partying and it’s nice. Now I suppose you’re wondering how this post is trying to connect a snowfall event with the spiritual war in which we are engaged, and by geriatric logic it’s sort of simple – since we have inclement weather and are pretty much stuck inside, the need to write a post on this topic has been on my mind, so today’s snow event has provided a perfect time for it.

The Apostle Paul does a discourse in his epistle to the Ephesians on the subject of spiritual warfare in which he points out the things God provides to His army – the people who have chosen to join with Jesus. His army is comprised of all volunteers, so we are spared the indignity of forced conscription – we’ve all seen videos of the Ukranian Nazi “recruiters” dragging those poor kids (and old men) into the vans to send them to die. Fortunately for us, God doesn’t need anyone to help Him to defeat the enemy, and He allows for our voluntary submission to – and faith in – Jesus Christ to be the only requirements to join His ranks. Where the Ukraine purpose seems to only be servitude to Satan by fomenting as much death and destruction as possible, the army the Lord calls us to join is the Way to victory over death. We are issued Spiritual defensive weapons which we wield to stave off the attacks of the enemy, and one offensive weapon with which we can both beat back his threats and attacks as well as invade his army.

[Ephesians 6:11]: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This armor of which the Apostle Paul speaks is critical and necessary because [Eph 6:12]: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wow! In order to get some idea of what we, as believers in Jesus are up against, cogitate on that one for a while! We indeed have a powerful host of enemies arrayed against us and we must not underestimate them.

With all the violence, the wars, and the rage in the physical world today, the Word tells us that there is also a more critical war in the spiritual realm, and since the powerful enemy exists there, believers must acknowledge that we are in for a struggle, and it would even seem hopeless but for the power of God and the armor which we have at our disposal. The apostle describes all of it and it’s purpose, and it all comes from the Word of God. [Ephesians 6:14-17]: “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” “Gird your waist with truth,” and where do we obtain truth? Jesus said [John 14:6] “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is no other source of truth we can rely on but Jesus Christ! As for the breastplate of righteousness, Abraham was one of the greatest examples: [Genesis 15:6]: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” So, true belief in the Lord (which entails belief in His mighty power) is the main requirement. This breastplate is closely related to the “shield of faith”, which is another crucial defensive weapon [Hebrews 11:6]:” But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” So, we are also able, with this piece of the armor, faith, to defend ourselves but only when we believe in God and His power.

“Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”, but how do we accomplish this? The gospel of peace is the gospel of the Prince of peace. The gospel is to be found predominately in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but is alluded to throughout the Bible in both the old and new testaments. We must diligently study and “abide in His word” [John 8:31] to be able to wield this piece of the armor.

And what is our offensive weapon? It’s the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The weapons and attire that the apostle enumerates in his passage are all defensive in nature to thwart the effect of the enemy’s weapons except this one, we have the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ and with whose power we can help others to find salvation – the perfect foray into the ranks of the enemy. [John 1:14]: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” With this mighty sword, we are able to attack the enemy and much to his chagrin, help to conscript the lost into Jesus’ mighty army.

Are you ready to don this weaponry and fight for Jesus in the Spiritual war? It’s the one war that counts. When it is over and the battle is won, His army is guaranteed to be victorious, and His soldiers will have an eternal mansion where He is – where He and His servants will be forever: [John 14:2,3]: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” When He left, He wasn’t just leaving for no reason – He had something important to do. Just imagine; a mansion built by Jesus for me! I’m in! Amen!

And still the beautiful snow from Heaven flies…

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

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MK

How Freedom and Understanding are Conferred to the Believer

Previously, Folkpotpourri has provided important information to hopefully attract new believers and keep current believers on track without getting too far into the woods behind false teachers. Lately, Christians’ obligation to refute the Gaza genocide has been extensively discussed. Sometimes these posts venture onto the passionate side, but even though we have to be careful to keep it tamped down, righteous anger is different from vitriol and hatred. Containing this gets a lot easier as we get closer to Jesus, and this writer does everything in his power to love every human being. It’s important for us to keep our eye on the ball, especially during the troubles we have before us.

Today there will hopefully be some meaningful information about understanding His Word as we look forward and as the Kingdom approaches and is revealed. Though you won’t always see locations of verses and passages, what these Spiritual posts say comes from the Word of God and those who are familiar with the Bible will recognize where some of the notions come from – certain aspects are informative tidbits from the Spirit which interprets the Bible, and while studying it’s very important to pay attention to things we might likely ignore, such as fleeting thoughts and glimpses that God gives us, especially when we study His Word – these nudges are the Spirit of God trying to get our attention. It is also important that we understand that Jesus only had a short time with men on this earth, so every word He uttered is of immense value and every believer is obliged to study them and pray for understanding!

If you’re like me, you sometimes go past things you read in the Bible that don’t register or make sense and only record in your mind those things you readily understand, and I think that’s a mistake – at least it is for me – that can cause us to miss out on some really wonderful and important information. When we come across things in scripture which don’t seem mean anything, we should stop and meditate on them and pray that understanding will come to us. Many who read this will realize I’m stumbling around trying to communicate a thought which God communicates to us through thoughts and not words, so to put these into words is only possible as the Spirit gives leave, but with His guidance, I shall try.

On Freedom:

[John 8:36] “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” This, to me, means among other types of freedom that He bestows upon us, free to understand. As an example, when we see the phrase “water of Life”, what is He describing? To those who are free indeed, the unspoken meaning of this may be understood, though to what degree is governed by what degree of freedom one has claimed. So how do we claim that level of freedom? Jesus said [John 8:31,32]: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” So what level of understanding do you seek? The level that comes from abiding in His word would seem to be the answer. Jesus reinforces this notion in other places when He tells them more about this freedom. Not free in the imaginary sense of unchained worldly existence, but free to explore profound Spiritual reality – only possible if one believes the Son and of course, abides in His Word.

Many souls of this earth believe they are “free”, and when they only consider freedom as a notion that they are not another man’s servant or property, that might be correct. The freedom Jesus speaks of is another, entirely different and ethereal freedom, a concept that cannot be understood nor appreciated by anyone without the Spirit, which teaches profound knowledge without words of man, even to us who are simple.

Understanding of the truth that resides in any word or phrase that is found in God’s Word can be gained at more than one level; indeed everyone doesn’t see things mentioned at the same depth, but we all see them and if you’re like me you sort of envy (not in a bad way) people who “get it” more than I do (seek these people out and listen to what they say – they have a great gift). So, we can and do understand the Word at more than one level. That’s why novice believers need milk and seasoned believers are capable of meat (deeper understanding). It is important to keep in mind however, that there is only one Truth, but the meanings in scripture are understood by different believers at different depths, and this depth is determined by how profoundly one chooses to study, and how diligently we “abide in His Word”.

For one example, there are undoubtedly Bible scholars who read this post who will get a better understanding of “water of life”, than I, but at my level of understanding and way over simply-put, the water of life is that which nurtures those who have chosen Life. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well [John 4:14] “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Understanding the meaning of the life of which He speaks is another matter, and I do not have the literary skill to even begin to put it into words, but the idea of Life as the Word speaks of it is an existence, not the ephemeral heartbeat, breathe in, breathe out, eat, sleep routine we normally associate with life as we know it, but a continuum, a spiritual habitation of infinity with the blessed accoutrements of love, peace, joy in the presence of Holiness – the presence of the Spirit, the Father, and the Lamb. This life is another concept, or aspect of knowledge that cannot be described with words, and that is intentional, for to have an understanding of it is a gift for the believer. The Spirit knows, God knows, angels know, and our Lord Jesus certainly knows what it is and what it encompasses, but only believers who “abide in His word”, are allowed, as with some other concepts and “gifts” of understanding, some level of knowledge of what this life means to mankind – a whole other dimension of life we have opportunity to partially experience (as in a looking glass dimly) today but to fully live on the other side tomorrow.

Another good example of how the Lord extends our understanding (and limits it for the unbeliever) is the parables through which Jesus taught. When Jesus reveals to His disciples the reason He speaks in parables, He allows us another insight to how He imparts understanding, and this passage gives another revelation of how we can become able to understand Him. [Matthew 13:13]: Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. This passage is a warning to those who allow themselves to believe in lies, and yes, the world is full of such people, but it is also an instruction to believe what the Spirit tries to tell your heart. A good example of this is a person who has his fortune invested in weapons manufacturing (“defense” contractors). This person knows full well that his stock profits come from wars; from human blood, so to assuage his conscience he is inclined to buy into lies like the civilian women and children in Gaza are some kind of ominous threat to the occupation, and the occupation is defending itself, so of course, uses lots of bombs. He buys into them simply because of the money he makes; he doesn’t believe them; he knows better. What his heart is trying to tell him is that he is on the wrong side of morality, but he isn’t interested in listening, so God gives him over to the lie, and he remains void of understanding. Seeing (the destruction in Gaza) he does not see; hearing (the bombs exploding, the children screaming) he does not hear; therefore, by his own volition he does not understand, among other things, his culpability in the death, and destruction – this is but one (an extremely important one today) example, and I use it in this missive because of it’s current relevance.

If we are believers, it is important to understand God’s Word at the most profound level we can achieve – the Spirit is there to help us, but the big requirement is that we abide in His Word – that’s where it starts. His word is indescribably critical and is growing more so as we approach the end. It is to our detriment to ignore or disobey any part of it. Jesus is real – get to know Him as well as you can, we don’t have much longer.

May the blessings of the Almighty God find and keep us all.

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MK