Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

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

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

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

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

The Great Battle of and for the Church Ain’t Over

No normal human being with a heart and soul can possibly justify, rationalize, or especially ignore – the travesty that is taking place in Palestine today. Certainly no practicing Christian can support the outright murder of children, this is beyond insane! As far as the church goes, for a man who is looked at as a minister of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to stand before an audience of would-be servants of Jesus and try to convince them that as Christians, they need to support the Zionist cause (which includes these endless acts of murder of innocents), is a universe away from the truth, and these misled sheep will find that if they don’t stop following these teachings, it will eventually cost them their eternal souls.

Men, women, and children of Gaza and the West Bank are losing their possessions, their homes, their lives and most tragically, the lives and limbs of their children every day and the so-called Christian members of many mega churches are expected to unquestioningly support the purveyors of this wanton murder. These parishioners support it because some demon-possessed millionaire pastor has twisted the Bible scriptures into some grotesque screed that requires them to support murder by a Synagogue of Satan – and they seem to be okay with it. For the sake of your own soul, people, stop listening to these evil creatures and READ YOUR OWN BIBLE! Understand that with the right motivation ($$$), those who follow Satan can contort the scriptures and make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. That’s why to gain a proper understanding of God’s Word, we must have the Spirit within us to reveal it to us as we dig into it for ourselves. If the words of this post seem strong, then I suppose it’s good, as many of us are passionate in our service to Christ; maybe it will wake some up. I believe we will be forgiven for using language that might be too passionate; but there will be no forgiveness for staying silent in the face of evil.

People not familiar with Christianity, especially in other nations see this support by “Christian” churches for abject genocide and are aghast that any “religion” could support something that even the most secular of atheists can plainly see is wrong. For this reason, many non-believers reject Christianity because a big chunk of its followers support Zionist murder. This support is largely due to the followers of said churches buying into the notion of the “righteousness” of today’s Israel. People who are not familiar with the Bible actually think Christianity teaches that we should be on board with genocide, and from the gusto with which false teachers spout their fabrications, you can’t blame outsiders for thinking so. Those mega church members who listen to charlatan millionaires are committing grave offenses to their own religion, and there’s no way God could be pleased. Though I am not a preacher, nor have I lived the ideal Christian life in my past, the Spirit inside my heart is stirring – It’s telling me to speak through this platform to try and reach as many people as possible who seek to serve the Lord and turn them from supporting the obvious evil being visited upon the Palestinians. If the reader knows anyone who may be caught in the snare of which I’m speaking, share this post and maybe some of this will hit home. And no, I’m not saying like and subscribe; my site is not monetized, and although it’s encouraging to see good numbers of folks are interested in the truth of Jesus Christ, as far as my vast wealth goes it makes no difference if I have many or few readers. I write strictly from the Word of God and things the Spirit says to my conscience and my conscience says it’s high time for real Christians to stand up and be seen and heard. When we find ourselves surrounded by those who support behavior that goes against the teachings of Jesus, we must remove ourselves: [2 Corinthians 6:17]’ Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” Think about it, we have this amazing chance to show God that we are willing to stand with Jesus and in this case against the martyrdom of innocent Palestinians – and true followers of Jesus Christ are the only people in the whole world whose fervent prayers can get this travesty stopped.

News flash! The people of the geographical nation of Israel are NOT God’s Chosen people! Just because they call themselves Jews does not make them Jews, and Jesus plainly says of the people (of the last days) who call themselves Jews are not Jews at all, and that it is blasphemy for them to make the claim that they are. They are a synagogue of Satan, [Revelation 3:9],” Indeed I (Jesus) will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie —indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you…. “, and it doesn’t matter to the Lord how much (ill-gotten) money their wealthy benefactors here in the US pour into the American government, the universities, and the mega churches, they are indeed a synagogue of Satan, and nothing short of them repenting and accepting Jesus Christ is going to change that! Satan has given them ($$$) power over a big portion of the world, and we true Christians are fighting this battle without any support from worldly sources. But we have to keep trying to hammer the point home that if we get and keep our heads screwed on right and follow Jesus to the very end, and that if we reject $atan’s offers, we can expect to win this fight! Of course, Satan knows it too, so expect some serious bumps in the road we have chosen, but He promises you it will have been worth it in the end when we hear Him say [Matthew 25:23]: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” What must gnaw at the very essence of Satan is the fact that neither he nor any of his servants will ever experience the joy of hearing that absolute statement of victory. It is within our reach, folks!

I have a habit, and I suppose it’s a habit we can get into from the frustration of feeling helpless to do anything about the travesty that is Palestine. This habit is allowing the optimism that we sometimes get when watching news clips about the fighting going on in places like Gaza, and it seems like every time we hear of some minor success of the Resistance, we tend to feel vindication because we’re pulling for them, but on some level of our spirit, we have to know deep down that this battle cannot be won with more violence. We must remember that the people who are committing this incredible evil are still human beings – it’s just that their spirit has been taken over by evil – that evil is the enemy. Some of the most courageous and wise men who have ever lived such as Mohandas Ghandi, Martin Luther King, oh, and Jesus Christ, taught that violence is not the way to victory. Violence only begets more violence. Hatred only begets more hatred – one of our biggest obstacles in these times of evil is that if we aren’t careful, we allow hatred to fester in our hearts. There’s a good argument to be made from the scriptures, that it is no sin to become angry at the evil that’s happening, but when we allow that anger to foment hatred or violence against other people, we begin down that slippery slope toward sin, and if we don’t rein it in, then Satan wins that way too. And after everything is said and done, that’s where the ultimate battle is taking place – in each and every one of our hearts. Jesus indeed teaches us how to gain victory over evil, and though His methodology goes against every human instinct inside us, it is the correct Way – the ONLY Way to achieve what He intends for us – victory! And, from the way things are developing, this victory is going to have to be won on the final lap, but it looks like that’s the way it’s intended, but that’s another issue.

We, as followers of Christ, have access to the greatest weapon ever known. That is the love of God, and the evil ones can never access His love. Satan cannot bear the notion that the poorest peasants in the world can obtain something he can never have – and to further his frustration, the righteous ones cannot be bought with his most significant weapon – money. The love of God is the greatest force that could ever be brought to bear, and only we who follow Jesus Christ have access to it. And it’s free for the asking. As many of us try to awaken Christians who are being misled by servants of Satan posing as ministers, I try to help them to imagine what power is within their grasp! If the Christian world were to awaken and rise up in condemnation of this great sin of genocide, we have access to the Power that could stop it. If millions of Christians were to fervently pray the same prayer, we could move mountains – and stop genocide! Satan knows that, and he pays his pulpit managers handsomely to keep those members (who could otherwise avail themselves of this power) convinced that: a) The ridiculous notion that the murderers are the righteous Chosen of God, b) It’s okay with God for the murders to be taking place, because, a). None of them speak of the love of God and its power. None of them know about the love of God, nor do they have any idea of its power. None except their master, Satan.

If you happen to be one who has not made the choice to follow Christ, there’s another power you can have – that of the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of sin which was shed for precisely that purpose thousands of years ago. With the decision to follow Jesus, when you are baptized into His Kingdom, every sin, every error, every bad choice you have ever made in your whole life will be instantly forgiven, gone forever, the Almighty God himself will approve you just as you are, such is the power of this marvelous blood. If you read this in some country overseas and would like to be part of that fellowship, seek out a Christian ministry, they are all over the world, and join it. The US is full of churches, and some of them are real – find one. Get your hands on a Holy Bible and read it.

On the last day of war on earth, Jesus will have amassed a mighty army with which He will emerge victorious over the servants of evil who challenge Him. Those who chose to serve in that mighty army will be peasants, servants, farmers, shepherds, not military types at all, and certainly not wealthy people, but those who will have chosen to join ranks with Him – you, and me, the meek and lowly of the earth who have put pride behind them and rejected a sinful life of decadence on this earth – in exchange for that joyous promise of eternal life in His presence. Those who have decided much to the chagrin of Satan, that they cannot be bought at any price. Then pray to the Lord and watch Him work – to say He is amazing would be the quintessential understatement. No one knows, no one can imagine the peace and joy of the existence we are about to inherit! You can purchase your ticket ahead of time by accepting and choosing to follow Jesus Christ today. He has already paid the price.

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

MK

A Raft of Truth in a Sea of Deception

You’d think the state of affairs in the world today would at last reveal who the servants of evil actually are, but it looks like even here in America a lot of people are able to read about the horrors that are Gaza while they eat breakfast, because they are sufficiently misled to believe “God’s Chosen People” are committing it. There are actually so-called pastors of huge flocks that stand in front of their assemblies and spout absolute lies to the flocks about how we (America) must stand with Israel because of God’s promise to Abraham that He would bless those who bless his progeny and curse those who curse them. The way modern pastors have twisted this promise into these monstrous falsehoods by omitting relevant changes from one covenant to another beggars belief. These lies, mostly of omission, which are eagerly consumed by thousands of people who put on a righteous show but actually prefer not to serve God, are used to justify their choice to support the ongoing tragedy that is Palestine. In fact, it is precisely the reality that “evangelical Christians” so steadfastly support the monsters that call themselves “God’s chosen” that allow their genocide to continue. If the American political world were to realize that this huge bloc of constituents was against the massacre of Gazans, it would no doubt cease. For your information – and do not forget this – God’s chosen people under the new Covenant are those – Jew and Gentile – who believe and have chosen to follow Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son. The spiritual descendants of Abraham. That’s right – even if one happens to be a genetic descendant of Abraham, if he is a nonbeliever in the New Covenant that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and does not live his life accordingly, he cannot legitimately make the claim to be of God’s Chosen People, but it would be nigh impossible to convince the patrons of Judas Hagee of this truth. Please remember that because it makes for easier understanding of who God’s people really are.

If the reader is a fence-sitter, or even someone who is torn over the notion that God’s people could be committing the atrocities that are happening in occupied Palestine, remember when John the Baptist was baptizing people in anticipation of Christ’s arrival and he was approached by Pharisees and Sadducees and he said [Matthew 3:7].“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” Consider this carefully – here is John the Baptist whom Jesus Himself declared to be one of the greatest men to have ever been born of woman, [Matt 11:11], “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist…” speaking to those who considered themselves – as do Israelis of today – to be God’s Chosen, calling them a brood of vipers! What an antisemite!

First of all, and as foretold by Jesus, the people who call themselves Jews in the last days (now) are not even Jews at all. There are ample articles that point out the inconvenient truth that the occupation is populated by descendants of Eastern European ancestry and are not Hebraic at all, but this post does not go into them. Jesus says in His letter to the church of Smyrna [Revelation 2:9] “…I know about the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan”. And what did He say of the claim to be Jews? Blasphemy! This verse is extremely important and applicable today. These people are not Jews, neither genetically nor spiritually, but actually are servants of Satan claiming to be Jews! If one chooses to believe Jesus, they must recognize this fact. Secondly, and this is also a very important point to keep in mind, the title of – and promises to – “God’s Chosen” has passed to Abraham’s spiritual descendants, and this includes all peoples of all nations who have accepted the Son of God, and never let those charlatans who pose as preachers tell you any different, there’s just too much evidence in the Bible, old and new Testaments, that support that fact. Once again, look at what John the Baptist says to the Pharisees, [Matt 3:9] “and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” The implication here is that God is able to raise up servants to Himself from other places (nations) than the physical lineage of Abraham – it’s quite clear and in the same vein as [1 Corinthians 1:2] “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours…” Corinth was a gentile city, but the apostle says they are called to be saints (His holy people), showing that the title of God’s Chosen has been passed to all who believe in Jesus in every place. There are countless other scriptures in the Word of God that support the title of God’s Chosen being (exclusively) extended to all who follow Christ, with clear warnings in some of them to those who reject the Son, regardless of who they claim to be. Why does that have to be so hard to understand? The bellwether of being one of God’s people is whether or not he believes in and follows Christ and not whether or not he is of genetic lineage to Abraham, even if he was actually of that lineage instead of just claiming to be, as do those in occupied Palestine today.

As for how these arguments are shaping world events, I believe there are a whole bunch of people who are in for the shock of their lives when they find out for sure the “chosen” ones not only aren’t who they claim to be, but also when it sinks in that they have been intentionally supportive of a rogue and murderous regime. Not everyone who thinks these people are really Godly do so because they are evil people themselves, but due to close-mindedness, and/or being too lazy to study the Word of God, they choose to support a Satanic nation. It is extremely important to understand, however that on that great Day when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, the claim that they were deceived isn’t going to cut them any slack. Those people are deceived because they choose to be deceived! They are deceived because they got all their information from sources like mainstream news, where deep down they know is a never-ending stream of lies. They watched evangelists who make tons of money from preaching the “gotta support Israel” sermons knowing these guys are swindlers and charlatans. And on that Day, Jesus will say the most heart-rending and terrifying words ever to have been heard, to the everlasting condemnation of the soul, [Matthew 7:23] “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” My friends whom I try with all my heart to convince, you do not want to find yourself on the receiving end of those words! The absolute shock, the utter horror that will come upon the heart will be unimaginable – to hear Him say, “I never knew you”, and it will reverberate in that soul for all of eternity, made more horrific by the knowledge that it could have so easily been avoided – simply by standing in the shelter of the Rock and refusing to listen to Satan’s lies coming from evil governments through the news and from millionaire preachers who lie to us for their own riches . We all need to open our eyes and our hearts before it is too late, and the time is near.

I just watched a video that claimed China is now supplying the Houthis with weapons they can and are using to hit the occupied territories. Even though the Houthis continue to surprise everyone with their tenacity, bravery, their unabashed loyalty to the Palestinians, and their willingness to go toe to toe with the military might of Israel, the UK, and the US, it has been a stretch to believe they possess the technical expertise to develop hypersonic missiles without outside help. Once they launch the missile towards Tel Aviv though, it really doesn’t matter whether they made it themselves or got it from an ally. It looks like Xi might be sufficiently disgusted with the genocide in Gaza to be willing to back the Ansar Allah (Houthis). There’s a verse in the Bible prophecy in Revelation that mentions something happening to the Euphrates River to cause it to stop running and make it possible for the “kings of the east” (Asian countries like China?) to pass through enroute to the gathering of armies for a great battle, so it’s not inconceivable – in fact it’s quite likely – that China will get involved. It will be a big event, and I believe all the world powers will eventually get involved. Two hundred million of the armies will be killed. That’s a lot of soldiers!

When the big battle happens, it’s going to be the greatest loss in all of history for humanity, but it will also be the seminal point in which we can begin to look for the long-awaited return of our Lord Jesus. At some point either prior to or during that consummate battle, people whose riches are tied up in arms manufacturing will reach that point where they realize their wealth can do them no good in a world that has been, or will be completely destroyed. When that reality hits home, their own panic will ensue, but until that time, they will cheer on the war and destruction. So enjoy your Raytheon, Lockheed, Boeing, et.al. profits while they last. These stockholders will vote for AIPAC sponsored, warmongering politicians in their headlong rush to satisfy Satan, and ever pursue the blood of (non-wealthy) humankind, and meanwhile, the soon-to-be pointless money will continue to pour in, but in the end, Wall Street will not avail them.

If you are currently under the spell of Zionist-supporting evangelists, this post is for you. If you have not yet considered looking into the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, this post is likewise for you. For reasons of His own, God has blessed this site with a readership that extends into many other nations, so as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter if you are a banker, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker or a crew member on a ship. If you are a rickshaw driver in Mumbai, a shopkeeper in Haifa, or a tent maker in a Cairo suburb, or a fisherman in Madagascar, remember the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is a big tent and you are warmly welcomed into His fold. By all means, get right with the Lord before the bottom falls out of this world we live in. There are Christian ministries in every corner of the world, find one and join it. Learn about Jesus, you’ll be eternally glad you did.

Don’t believe everything they say – a key point to look for is whether they support the ministry of Christ and His teachings, if they do not, they are headed in the wrong direction, do not give them the time of day – no matter how much money they have or represent. Also be wary of those who try to hide their deceit behind false claims of serving Christ. He said, [John 14:6], “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Pay attention to what He said – He did not say “A Truth”, He said “The Truth” – there is only one.

May the blessings of God the Father find and keep us until that Day.

MK

Finding Light in the Appalling Darkness

A lot of the world is in shock right now, and I suppose it should be, owing to all the evil things happening right out in the open. The enemy and his servants are doing what he intended all along, it’s just that such blatant evil as intentionally killing innocent people has always been rightfully unacceptable to society at large, so such behavior has been kept more or less under wraps until now. Things have changed, and it’s rather surprising to see this darkness and its adherents so openly challenging the moral limits we have always recognized, but maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised after all because this kind of behavior has always been a big part of the human psyche, at least for some.

Although we are witnessing the sudden unraveling of social norms in a lot of places, to be gob smacked by the ferocity with which it is occurring is to be somewhat uninformed of the extent of evil, and this tendency of folks is precisely why decent people are in shock to see it. In other words, there is no limit to the depths of moral depravity to which men will immerse themselves once they abandon the commandments of God, and we’re experiencing that very behavior in these latter times. We’ve read about it happening before – how entire societies can be transformed into bastions of repulsive wickedness like Sodom, for instance. Now our generation can see it first-hand. And those of us who recognize it for what it is are rightfully appalled.

Though we are present in this age to witness the moral depredations of the society in which we live and the despondence they evoke in our hearts, all is not lost. Amid the destruction of cities and the failure of human resistance to successfully thwart this inclination toward hopelessness, if we but look in the right direction, we will be able to discern a light – the Light – of salvation. If we don’t realize it by now, there’s a very slim chance we will ever understand it, but we, as physical human creatures, do not possess the capacity to defeat this darkness of evil that is rapidly overcoming our world. But there is One who does. He is the Author of the salvation of mankind, and He offers us the only Way out of this desperate situation we are in. He is Jesus Christ, who at the culmination of this human existence, will take up His scepter and His eternal crown. He will also take us, His followers with Him, to ever reign as our King.

One need only look at the news and at the destruction being levied upon so many places in the world to begin to fathom the reality that this world will not be able to repair itself. This war which mendaciously wends itself through regions of the world and hearts of men is different from those great wars men have waged in the past, for this one, in addition to the devastation being wreaked on nations and for indiscernible causes, is one which demands that we take a moral stand, either we watch the evil taking place, knowing fully of the wrongfulness of it but take a supportive stance nevertheless, or we reject any possible moral justification for what we see happening, for it is only within the constraints of this choice that we may be able to discern that great Light of Jesus Christ.

One of the great revelations God gives us is the understanding that, contrary to what we’ve always been misled to believe, wars are only waged to kill and destroy. They are not waged because of territory, or because of resources. Wars are not fought in order to conquer nations. Wars are fought because when men, created in God’s image, are killing each other, Satan is at his highest pinnacle. All of those other excuses might sound reasonable, but the evil one is the author of war and destruction, and he doesn’t need oil. If he wasn’t in charge of men’s behavior, we might be able to figure out how to share resources, but by his direction, we prefer to kill over them. We do not have to, and we’ve never had to.

We must recognize and understand the situation we find ourselves in, and if we would seek a way out of it, we have to find the Light. It’s not hard and His burden is not heavy, but if we haven’t made the decision to seek Him, we’d be well advised to do so, for time’s a wasting and we probably don’t have much left.

Find a church with a devoted preacher and get to know Jesus Christ. Get out that Bible, read it, and pay attention to what it says. You’ll find an inexplicable peace of mind in His kingdom, no matter the state of the world.

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May God’s blessings find and keep us.

MK

Called and Chosen to be Faithful

Called, chosen, and faithful. When Christ finally drops the hammer on His enemies, He will be accompanied by His army of followers who will be called, chosen, and faithful. [Revelation 17:14] – They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

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This is where we fit in, fellow believers. Remember, my beloved brothers and sisters who follow these posts in Malaysia, in Kenya, Myanmar, Mexico – all of you from the far reaches of the world and regardless of any former belief system you have held, you who seek to discover your place in the grand scheme in which Jesus Christ will be the Sovereign – this is how we get where we need to go. Isaiah 41:9 – [Isaiah 41:9] I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Therefore, we are called by the Lord to come into His Kingdom. Yes, we have a standing invitation from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself – a calling – which we must not ignore! If we do not give our utmost attention to properly answering this call, we risk the most horrific eventuality that can come upon our souls, which is the dreaded fate of not being chosen for His mighty army.

When we take His invitation lightly, and are careless in our response, we become bound to a horrific and eternal fate. One fellow was observed at a reception who was not properly prepared to be attending, and this was his lot: [ Matthew 22:13,14] “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  “For many are invited [called], but few are chosen.”

To be called, and chosen, are great honors bestowed upon us by the Lord Jesus, but the faithful part is all on us. Are we being faithful to the calling to which He beckons us? Are we being faithful to Him? In the big picture, nothing else matters at all. It doesn’t matter if our designated existence in this life requires us to be a woodsman in Bavaria or a rickshaw operated in Mumbai, a hairdresser in some New York salon, or maybe even an old hillbilly blogger in the Ozarks, our number one objective in this life should be to do whatever we can to please our God, our Creator. For by doing so, once He calls and chooses us, we satisfy that “faithful” part of called, chosen, and faithful.

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Today is a blessed, rainy day here in the Ozarks. We’ve had hardly any rain for about six weeks or so, and things were getting dry enough around here that everyone was starting to worry about fires, but maybe that fear is allayed for the time being. One of my biggest fears, though, is looking at the state of the world we’re living in and realizing how many people are living with their attention turned to world events and away from the God to Whom we need to bring our cares for His consolation. As the golden hickory leaves become rain-sogged and drop to the ochre ground, so our fellow humans fall to the merciless swords of war, plagues, and all sorts of evil, souls bound for lesser places because they do not answer the call. For how can we be chosen if we do not answer the call?

[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. It’s a standing invitation, all you have to do is open the door for Him and He’ll take care of the rest.

May the blessings of God find and keep us.

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MK

Avoiding the Dead-End Need for Vengeance

Sometimes I find myself battling against frustration over the things that are going on in the world today and I know I’m not alone. There is comfort to be had, though it might not be where we think, where we look. How can a person look at the horrible pictures of butchered children, young children intentionally injured and/or killed? Is this what humanity has become? My own answer to this is a resounding NO! At least for the humanity of humans, this is not who we are, nor who we were created to be, and we do not have to accept any presumption that we are part of the evil we see but cannot stop.

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Of course, frustration ensues when we have to witness our whole existence turned upside down. The human psyche was not designed to accommodate this level of evil. Witness the soldiers who take part in it, coming home to live in drug abuse or even suicide! It’s too much for anyone with a shred of conscience to endure, but of course they don’t think about lying awake at night listening to the screams of toddlers being massacred, of mothers begging for their lives to be spared while they’re busy impressing their buddies with their ruthlessness. God did not create people to act like this, and many of the actors who play the roles of butchers of innocent human beings pay a steep price even before this life is over, but surely and forever in the next.

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As I’ve written before, and shall continue to remind people of conscience, there will be a reckoning for all of this. The Almighty God sees every detail of what’s going on, and every drop of innocent blood is duly noted for the judgement of those who shed it. There is not, nor can there ever be, any justification or rationalization for the inhumanity of killing innocent people – especially children. I know our ancestors here in America were guilty of the same behavior towards the Indians, and I’d like to think I’d be of the same mind about their treatment as I am about the Palestinians and Lebanese today. In fact, I know I would – I don’t think that as a Christian, a true follower of the Covenant of Jesus Christ, anyone could believe otherwise, murdering innocent people is wrong! it’s a horror wrought by Satan himself, and people who commit such barbarism are undoubtedly possessed by the evilest of demons from the bottomless pit. But therein lies the rub – if we allow ourselves to be overcome by hatred and the desire for vengeance, the same enemy wins against us as the one who is in charge of the atrocities being committed.

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Me too, my friend, me too

Frustration at the evil we witness in the world can overcome even the staunchest of believers, so it is imperative that we trust in God who has the power to – and undoubtedly will – bring justice upon the perpetrators. Satan uses this very frustration to serve his purpose – especially against believers – for many are sure to be overcome by hatred. We must not let this happen – the very evil we abhor is a powerful and multifaceted weapon – that hatred, because it ultimately has the same effect on our spirit as the evil itself. No matter how horrific their behavior, we must bear in mind that they are still human beings, even though for the duration of their barbarity they are under the control of Satan.

Jesus warns us of that very danger when He admonishes us to love our enemies, because even the vilest of people can turn away from their evil and repent, and if God can forgive them, then we must be able to do the same. No other religion outside of true Christianity teaches this level of forgiveness and even compassion for one’s enemies and this is one of the end products of Christ’s love for all people. He gives everyone every chance to come into His kingdom, and He sees both the evil of those who slaughter innocents, AND those of us who have allowed hatred to get the better of them, an act of submission to the same devil. He said the Father makes His rain fall on both the good and the wicked, and if we’d like to be in the same mindset as Him, we must learn to love our enemies. Love is the key to being a faithful servant of Jesus, and it is disturbing to hear public speakers from politicians to (even “Christian”) preachers advocating war and violence spurred on by the very hatred they should be condemning.

The Bible says in more than one place that God is love. If we could begin to fathom the depths of His love, we’d certainly have a better understanding – and appreciation – of Him. He is merciful beyond anything we could ever imagine, and when we would like to get close to Him, we must always remember to call on Jesus – no one can serve the Father who rejects the Son. That’s important to know, especially when you take into consideration that Jesus died on the cross of His own free will, so that we could be saved from the damnation of this world and that lake of eternal fire that ultimately awaits all who reject Him. This is as real as it gets, folks. The end is getting close, get to know Jesus and be prepared for what’s coming upon us. You’ll be eternally glad you did.

And don’t ever let the stranger cause you to hate people.

May the blessings of God find and keep us all.

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MK