We have a tendency to try and ignore things that either don’t make sense to us or things that take a little cogitation to properly understand. Maybe a psychologist could determine if this is normal human response when things get a bit confusing or uncomfortable to ponder, but whatever the reason, folks tend to shy away rather than confront whatever reality is swinging at them. If such a reality was a gunny sack full of bricks, it would be perfectly understandable, but often enough those issues can be seen as bits of potential experience that might work out better for us if we manned up and confronted them – kind of like that proverbial schoolyard bully – and if we still do not act on such things, at least we can try to make some kind of sense of them.

As this post materializes, and as the reader who is familiar with folkpotpourri articles is no doubt aware, once again the subject tackles how the lack of knowledge and/or awareness of the causes of some of our problems always exacerbates the negative effects of them. Most especially if our ignorance is intentional. Specifically, this post will attempt to address how the ignorance of some issues and their causes allows us to assuage our consciences with unconscionable perceptions of, and therefore positions we take on, “realities” that may not necessarily even exist, but still, we often endure negative results because of the ignorance itself.

Before this gets too far into the weeds, it must be acknowledged that all too often, our perceptions are born and cultivated by less benevolent influences than mere ignorance, such as hatred, prejudice, greed, and other vices and if some of these are the motivation for our positions, then we stay where we are as a result of actual desire to remain ignorant or misinformed. If a person is on the wrong side of an issue for no other reason than because he wants to be, then there’s little chance of him acknowledging, hence acting on, his lack of understanding. If these types happen to be people who claim to be Christians, they would be the ones who can often be found up late at night poring through the scriptures, but instead of trying to better their spiritual knowledge, they’re looking for Bible verses they can snatch out of context, or twist in whatever way they can to support some pre-conceived position they choose in their headlong, ignorant and misguided attempt at appearing (always to other people) to serve God. These folks love to argue, sounding clever like theological lawyers, but always with Pharisaic interpretations of the Bible.

This post is getting into the territory addressed in the first paragraph and is becoming a piece of the mindset mentioned of folks who would prefer to turn away rather than give thought to an issue that makes them uncomfortable. It’s not by accident that we arrived here, because misinformation and deception are running like great unchecked rivers flooding through the nations nowadays, and many studiously ignore those of us who propound truth that can serve to help avoid becoming swept away in the deluge. Some few can see that multitudes of folks today choose whatever rickety bridges they can find on which to try and cross the raging torrent. “Choose” being the operative word here – whatever willful choices they can make that might comfort their confused desire (or lack thereof) for spirituality but invariably be of no real benefit at all. For instance, there are literally hundreds of thousands of people, men and women who consider themselves to be Bible-believing Christians, who pack the pews of deceptive temples of blasphemy and listen to millionaire hucksters who lead them to, among other things, support avowed enemies of Jesus Christ. They go home thinking they are on the right side of the spiritual equation because some charlatan quoted them a few verses out of context, usually some totally incongruous Old Testament event out of which they pulled up and tactfully spun a perverted applicability to their followers, and which invariably teach every Sunday that all non-Jews (except them), and especially Moslems are horrible people deserving of the greatest of condemnation. Some mythical Jesus they say they know, (but true Christians don’t) says it’s okay to hate and kill them all, but the good reverends conclude meanwhile that it’s okay to pause their murderous rampage long enough to kick more money in today’s offering – an act which itself will suffice to get them and their Zionist friends to, and indeed into, the promised land – so they dutifully, publicly, and with highly visible and reverent sincerity throw down a few bucks.

There was a time in my life, back when I erroneously thought that sometimes God made mistakes, I held the notion that God was unfair in that when Jesus was judging people there would be those who would try to convince Him that they had a clear conscience toward Him. He said they would talk about all of the things they did – even casting out demons – but He will tell them to depart from Him, that He never knew them. What!!?? What kind of God would allow people to go through their lives thinking they were doing the right things, just to find out when it is too late that they were doing it wrong?

Once I arrived at the incontrovertible truth, the absolutely immovable Gospel truth that God does not make mistakes, He ALWAYS does the right thing, I was able to figure it out. Those people aren’t innocent at all. They don’t think they’re living right – they don’t even give thought to such uncomfortable notions. They are self-deceived. They do not listen to Jesus Christ, they listen to the John Hagees and Kenneth Copelands and their ilk, pushing their fraudulent messages in this world of deception, they are demonic seekers of wealth who convince their audiences that satisfying worldly desires and prosperity on this earth is of more value than the promises of Christ.

This example has been used in other posts, but it bears repeating. It’s one of those precepts mentioned above about taking the time and effort to think about things – connect the dots yourself – in this case rather than letting some serpent behind the pulpit explain them. The disciple Peter, a humble fisherman turned greatest of Christ’s apostles, was the man on whom Jesus bestowed the incomparable honor and responsibility for receiving leadership of His church. Of all the human beings mentioned in the New Testament with the notable exception of John the Baptist, there can be no doubt Peter was the greatest of them. Now, in your mind, compare Peter to some of the big-name evangelists of today, and keep in mind that these men have arrogated to themselves the positions of shepherds of Jesus’ flock, the role appointed to Peter by Jesus Himself.

Peter and another of the great disciples, John, were going into the temple one day and were stopped by a crippled beggar who asked for alms. It’s immensely important for every Christian to consider this next part – keeping in mind today’s millionaire false preachers. Peter told the beggar, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”, and he did. Here is Peter, to whom Jesus Christ personally bestowed His Church, gave him the very keys to the Kingdom – and he had no money!!! This cannot be stressed enough!! How do the charlatans of today’s temples of decadent splendor possibly claim to be of ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and still justify being millionaires? How do the thousands of parishioners justify their presence at those places where these men (and women) “teach?” Will they all hear “Depart from me, I never knew you”? Wow!

There was another incident that occurred, this one during Jesus’ ministry when He was approached by a wealthy young man and Jesus discussed with him what he needed to do to be saved. Apparently, the fellow had been living according to the commandments and all he lacked was to get rid of his wealth and give it to the poor – but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. As the young rich man dejectedly walked away, Jesus proceeded to give a sermon on how unlikely it would be for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom, which according to what He told them, and for all practical purposes, will indeed be impossible. But each and every Sunday folks shout “Amen!” when millionaires Osteen or Copeland preach their “prosperity gospel”? What people are accomplishing in those “churches” is way worse than just wasting their Sunday mornings.

Maybe for those multitudes of people of the elegant pews – who definitely need to sort things out, this will be one of those things they will studiously avoid thinking about. Ignore it and it’ll surely go away, and it will – for now, but not forever. Y’all need to think about things you might wish to avoid confronting. Maybe a little reconsideration for now can lead to a better eternity later.

If some of y’all are not of the Christian faith and you are reading this, I hope you understand there are a lot of phonies out there that claim to be followers of Christ, you can find multitudes of them in those megachurches – Jesus warned us the gate is wide that leads to destruction. Please don’t judge all Christians by those who mislead and those who choose to be misled. Some of us – the ones who opt to enter by the narrow gate love our fellow human beings – even and especially the poor ones – and would love to share Jesus with all of you.

If you’d like to get to know Jesus, it’s quite simple. Even though the gate that leads to life is narrow, there’s plenty of room to go through it for the pure of heart. If you carry a burden of hate, lust, or pride, you can just leave it outside – the gate is definitely too narrow for those, and such things are not to be found in the Kingdom. Jesus is standing at the door waiting for you to invite Him in, and if you do, hang on, because you’ll be in for the greatest ride of your life, and you’ll never regret a moment of it. Draw near to the Lord and He promises He will draw near to you. Find a faithful preacher and get yourself baptized and assume your place on the path to glory. Jesus is willing to lead us there, but we have to follow Him.

God Bless all,

MK

How far removed are you from the pervasive evil of the world? Surely you recognize it, we all do, but how do we know we are not part of it? Do you sleep well at night knowing that the life you live or the livelihood you pursue is far removed from rejection of God’s will? If so, then good, but if there is a nagging doubt that the weapons factory in which you work only makes a profit when there is a war happening, or the pharmaceutical plant where you work is involved in the production of specious “medicines” that kill people, or highly addictive drugs that only pad the accounts of wealthy stockholders. Maybe you work for a banking organization whose usurious practice creates poverty, or maybe you’re in law enforcement, stealing from citizens under the malevolent and criminal “asset forfeiture” arrangement. Maybe you’re a legislator who passes such abominable (and unconstitutional) laws.

It should be incumbent on all of us to examine the part we play in the evil that overwhelms the world in which we live. How many degrees of separation does it take for us to be confident the role we play in the immense sins of the world make us innocent bystanders? Is the money you donate to the megachurch sufficient to absolve you of complicity in the depredations upon the innocent peasants being slaughtered in Gaza? Are you sure the financial support your church is sending to the Palestine occupation isn’t going towards aiding in the work of Satan? Are your hands clean?

Regardless of what a lot of people think, if one claims to be a Christian, one must do their best to live according to how Jesus taught us, and that does not mean simply throwing some cash into the offering plate and going on about living a decadent, immoral lifestyle. What’s the difference in depending on your financial support to make nice with God while continuing to live a sinful life, and the practice of indulgences practiced by the Roman Church? If you live an immoral lifestyle, or if you contribute in any way to those who murder children, you are not living a Christian life, no matter your financial “sacrifice”. How hard is that to understand?

As you look up and down the pews, or tiers at all the people surrounding you in the luxurious temples of blasphemy that pass for churches, you undoubtedly see hundreds, perhaps thousands of like-minded people, ostensibly in the service of God, but you are deceiving yourself. Just because there are many folks there like you, it doesn’t mean you are truly serving Jesus Christ and there is no strength in numbers – get real! Jesus Christ will deal with every one of us individually during the judgement. It doesn’t matter if the queue is a thousand, or a million miles long, each of us will have our turn, God has no need to rush, we will be thoroughly scrutinized. Whatever deeds we did in our lives will be examined, and for those who have rejected Jesus, it will be a terrifying experience.

Lives will be replayed, and every sinful incident, every theft, every shameful immoral act, every time we hurt another human or even mistreated an animal will be there like some horrible video for all to see. Maybe your advocate will be the likes of Joel Osteen or Judas Hagee, feebly trying to convince God that your contributions to the church are enough to see you into Heaven, but to your eternal consternation, God won’t take your debit card. Those false prophets will receive a much greater damnation too – count on it.

Many of us – those who have rejected the abominable lifestyle and repented – will have an infallible advocate, none other than Jesus Christ. In the court of the Almighty, Jesus will never lose a case. Our misdeeds in this life will mysteriously be gone – there will be no exhibits with which to determine our guilt of transgressing God’s law, because when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Friend, those sins were washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ Himself – the Father will need no further convincing – our sins will be at the bottom of the ocean, never to be found again, and we will be will be accepted into the most marvelous Kingdom imaginable, in fact it is unimaginable, a tranquil, wonderful place where a mansion of indescribable splendor awaits those of us who love the Lord. The overwhelming joy and peace that undoubtedly will be emotionally and physically felt, will be there – forever.

The fact of the matter is this; God does not need your money – He has all of the wealth in the universe. If you contribute to the synagogue of Satan, remember, these are avowed enemies of Jesus Christ, who, if you read your own Bible, you will find are not even the people they claim to be. The occupation of Palestine is being carried out by imposters – Jesus said this Himself – so if you think your financial contribution to this evil entity is going to make you any points with God the Father, you are sadly mistaken. You will find yourself among the ones whom Jesus will tell, “Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity, I NEVER KNEW YOU!” What a horrible thing to hear Jesus Christ saying – especially when it’s you to whom He’s speaking!

Indeed, it will be a shocking thing to hear the Lord cast you away, never to enjoy the abundant glory that will overwhelm us in the presence of God. Being told to depart from Him will absolutely be the most horrible, the most terrifying words a person will ever hear in all of eternity, not least because of the alternative, but to be cast away from His glory is going to be unimaginably horrific, once an unrepentant sinner has seen what it will be like in paradise, afterwards forever to be denied access. The tormented souls will suffer anguish alone in outer darkness where their misery will cause gnashing of teeth – forever – and the sinner won’t even be able to look forward to dying to get out of it, even if we can’t wrap our heads around the concept – forever means forever. The human soul is eternal – it cannot be destroyed, so how does God deal with this paradox? He forgets you ever existed. Let that one sink in – you are suffering in torment in absolute darkness for all of eternity, and no one even remembers you ever existed – but you know, and there you are!

There will be a small (comparatively) group of folks, however who will hear the most comforting, joyous words ever to be heard by man, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.“! These people will be the ones who listened when He called, the ones who decided that earthly pleasures and sin cannot be compared to what He offers. Can you imagine the sheer exuberance, the victorious reverie that will come into your heart to hear Jesus Christ say that? To all who think they know what success in this life means – that will be SUCCESS!

Take a good look at where you are, and how far removed from the sins of the world you choose to be. There are many places and pursuits that can be justified and/or rationalized but which are snares of Satan. A paycheck does not justify a man compromising his principles, or the principles of God. We all have to understand that – separate ourselves from the malevolent vagaries of the world – far enough so that we don’t have to wonder if we’re far enough or not. A few extra bucks in the offering can be a good thing, but if your support is going to enemies of Jesus – or if you’re trying to buy yourself a ticket to Heaven, you’re wasting your time.

It’s not too late, but it’s looking like it soon will be. Please get to know Jesus – He’s the best Friend you could ever have.

God bless all,

MK

Where is your vision? Where is your confidence? Are you among the multitudes who have been deceived into the notion that it’s still okay to accept the horrible things that are going on in this world and say nothing for fear of attracting the attention of the enemy? I’m not sure how things will evolve from here, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to tell that things have gone beyond any point of return to “normalcy”, in fact, if you are a rocket scientist it might be harder for you to see it.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, it’s abundantly clear that we are living in the last days of our existence as humans on this planet. People are dying by the thousands from the record heat in places around the world. Floods are occurring in places that have till now hardly ever even received much rain. Slaughters and wars are taking the lives of hundreds of thousands. At this writing, the Campi Flegri super volcano in Italy is shaking the ground in what many scientists are saying is a pre-eruptive phase – if this one goes off, there’s going to be a whole new basket of problems with which Europe, maybe the world will have to deal if it’s powerful enough, it might be the last.

We sit on the razor’s edge of nuclear war and the guys with their fingers on the button are itching to get it going, but the Lord is giving people like this old Grandpa time to get the messages out before it all happens to give everyone a last chance to come to grips with the reality of Jesus Christ and what he means to us in these troubled times. There are those who laugh at this notion now, but I’m thoroughly convinced that everyone will stop laughing quite shortly. God sees a world that is behaving as it has in times past, such as in the days of lustful decadence that consumed the world prior to the flood of Noah’s time. God was so angered that He was ready to completely wipe out all of mankind but decided to give us another chance. Another time His anger was on display was during the destruction of that immoral and sick bunch of people in Sodom. Think about what that must have been like, seeing fire raining down from the sky and having nowhere to hide from it. Now imagine it on a scale of the whole planet instead of just one or two perverted towns. The world is just as immoral today as it was in the days of Sodom, and I’m pretty sure He is just as angry as He was back then. It ain’t gonna be pretty folks.

We can all see and feel it coming. It’s just a matter of how long He chooses to wait. When the very last sinner on the earth that will be saved is saved, that’s when He’s going to light the place up and it will be an event of unimaginable terror. Nobody’s going to be thinking about their bank accounts or whatever luxurious properties they have, that big old multi-million-dollar mansion, their stash of gold, or even all that freeze-dried food they stored away. They’ll all be horrified – in total shock at the absolutely awesome power of an angry God, an indescribably irate Creator of the universe, and the ones who will experience the greatest fear will be those who rejected Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Who actually died at the hands of people of the same mindset as is throughout the world today. It will be a fear of such magnitude that you will be able to feel it in your bones. Many will be scrambling into their holes that they’ve carefully carved out of the ground and stocked with non-perishable foods and water and such, as if that would help them in any way from the angry God. For crying out loud, He created this world, does anyone not think He knows how to destroy it?!! When that Day comes, they will recognize the futility of all their preparations.

Today we look to our scientists for information concerning things like asteroids or Yellowstone erupting, or even what to expect following a nuclear war. Think about this – whenever an “authority figure” tells you what will happen after such an event, he is smart enough to know that if and when a cataclysm of this nature occurs, he might be dead wrong about what the world will be like, or if you took the correct survival strategy, but who cares? After such an event, who’s going to be around to hold him to account for being completely wrong? They can say anything, no matter how preposterous, and it won’t matter one whit after such an event – whether they were correct or whether they were dead wrong! Curiously, the one thing all of them are studiously avoiding is to warn you about being right with God – that’s the answer to all the dilemmas we will face, if we are unfortunate enough to survive the coming apocalypse.

We must learn of Jesus Christ and take that all-important decision to follow Him in order to be safe from that which we fear, but there are other tremendous blessings to be had in taking shelter with Him from the impending storm. For one thing He has a special place in His heart for the poor, so if one happens to be a worker in an African diamond mine, or a rickshaw driver in Mumbai, or (and these are near and dear to Him) a simple fisherman, He is already in a favorable position with Jesus. Don’t get the wrong idea, He is perfectly willing to accept a person with wealth into His Kingdom, but the wealth will have to go first. He spoke with one wealthy young man and told him that he was right with God in every other aspect of his life, but he’d have to give up his wealth in order to follow Him, and the fellow couldn’t bring himself to part with his riches, a choice which prompted the Lord to say, ” [Matthew 19:23]  “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Any wonder why the wealthy of the world don’t like for us to tell folks about Jesus?

It is beyond the purpose of this post to engage in any kind of argument over religion or sectarian dogma – in all honesty, we don’t have time for that sort of thing. It is my purpose to tell all of y’all (ok, I’m from the south) about the Lord Jesus and just how much you mean to Him. Y’all seriously need to know about Jesus Christ and if I’m getting cross-threaded with you because of your current religion or religious practice, I ask you to at least look into the possibility of serving Him – He’s the only One who can promise us eternal life in joy and peace. For now though, we don’t have much time left, He’s gathering His people right now. The Bible says in Revelation, “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. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come ^[j]for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Folkpotpourri been blessed to have readers from many nations with whom I can share, and if I’m speaking to those who do in fact practice other faiths, I implore you to check out the Kingdom of Christ – you’ll find there is no other way to serve our God, who as mentioned will be extremely upset with all who rejected His Son because they rejected His Son. Jesus is the Centerpiece of salvation, the Key to our becoming a servant of the Almighty. Believe in Him now, and when we get to Heaven we will have all of eternity to argue the merits of any faith (other than the faith in Jesus Christ) you will need to leave behind – if you still so choose to argue them.

We face catastrophic times and events and we all know it. There is little we can do to avoid them because the power of the evil one is greater than our power. We have an opportunity to become a part of that great harvest, but we must come to Him who wields the sickle, repent of our sins, get baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. For all who are hesitant to believe because of there being Three, trust me, they are all one – I don’t know how, no one else does either, regardless of what they say (unless they are a prophet), because there are a lot of things about the spirit world that God did not give us the ability to understand, however we will know one day. God can take as many forms or identities as He chooses. He’s still God.

How wonderful it will be to stand tall in the face of the coming catastrophes, fully aware that we have absolutely nothing to fear because we are safely in the care of the Son of God! Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil, for He is with us – that means everything, friends! Let those who walked without faith be the ones to fear and tremble at His wrath and His astonishing glory when He comes back – instead of fear, we who trust Jesus shall be filled with unimaginably joyful exuberance. So, learn of Him, know Him, love Him.

God bless all,

MK

There’s a bridge down the road from here, they call it a high-water crossing- it’s a big concrete culvert shaped to allow the water in the creek it crosses to flow up and over it when there’s a lot of rain. When the creek is at or below normal levels, there are some big tubes or culverts that go right through the concrete for the water to run through. The little creek is especially pretty in normal times with the clearest Ozark water gently running through the greenery of the summer woods, or my favorite, the pastels of autumn.

The road running over it is just a two-lane blacktop – back where we came from in a previous life in East Texas, we called these “Farm to Market Roads”, just a low-traffic paved road through the country. Most of the back roads around here though, are not paved at all. These are dirt, or gravel roads, and they can get kind of rough, especially in the dry days of summer when they grow a series of ridges that form perpendicular to the direction of travel and are evenly spaced about a foot apart. They cause your vehicle to rattle and at the right speed, you can lose traction and actually skid on them as you navigate through a silent forest of dusty goldenrods or brilliant trees of autumn.

My favorite arteries through the backcountry are the many foot trails that wind in the woods out here. No roads at all, you just hoof it through the woods and listen to the birds and insects and feed the ticks. When the weather’s bad though, you are relegated to travel by automobile, and if the rain is really crazy, the high-water crossings become inundated and you either find another way to where you’re going or just stay home. Here in the hills, the drainage through the hollers is such that a lot of water can collect in the many creeks and rivers, and I guess the county budgets don’t have enough funds to build real bridges on all of the back roads. The crossings can be dangerous to attempt when the water’s up though.

When you come to one of those crossings when the water’s high, it gives you pause to think about situations we come upon in life where things get difficult for us. Like the ravaging flood waters, we often find ourselves in situations in which we have to consider our options, which during times of high water, are limited.

I suppose the first thing to consider is whether or not we really need to get across, how important is our destination? Do we need to get there badly enough to risk the peril of getting washed down the creek if we were to try to cross? Can our destination wait – usually a few hours – until the water goes back down? Is the trip worth going, often several miles, back and around a different route? Difficulties like this we encounter on a road trip bear a similarity to hazards we get into on our life’s journey.

Where are we going, and what kinds of risks are we prepared to take to get there? Seriously, if we’re on life’s road and we are required to make a decision in difficult circumstances, can we do so with a degree of confidence that we might get through, or on the other hand, might our choice lead us to a catastrophe? Is the threat of going through our obstacle at what might turn out to be a high cost worth the threat of not getting where we are going? If we’re trying to get to a fishing hole, maybe it would be prudent to turn around and try again later or maybe not at all. But if we have a family member down that road in dire need of help and whose life is depending on us getting to them, it might be more incumbent to try to get through.

As this old grandpa sees it, we are all on an important mission traveling down this road we call life. It is of the utmost importance that we understand what’s at stake at the end of this road – which for mankind is everything – we must get there with our spirit intact! But in this journey of which I speak, there is only one Route we can take, and unfortunately there will inevitably be some serious hazards. Those hazards will be placed before us by that wily old Devil himself. To mention a few, i.e., the promise of wealth can get in front of us (in so many ways), an inopportune high water of immorality that appears before us, and that one is particularly insidious, given our human nature, or any other of a myriad of earthly distractions. Whatever your flooded high-water crossing, on this trip you have no choice – you absolutely must get beyond the hazard, but how? How do you face that raging torrent of fear, anger, lust, pride – all of which are set before you to hinder your journey?

The answer is already in your heart, and all you have to do is listen to it. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” – He’s already there. He will face that obstacle with you and take your hand and lead you through it. There’s no doubt He can do it – He was observed by eyewitnesses shutting down a major storm at sea! There’s no need to fear even the most intimidating dark cloud of discouragement when the Son of God is with you. There’s a lot of chaos and evil in the world today and it’s getting worse by the hour, but there is no threat He is unable to overcome – He’s the best Friend you can have and the only One you need.

Please don’t go trying to drive through a flooded crossing – this whole story is obviously a metaphor for problems we encounter on our life’s journey, and the answer is Jesus Christ – the answer to all distractions and dilemmas that might hinder our progress. At this point in our world, we could be annihilated to vapor in any given instant of time, or worse, we might find ourselves having survived a cataclysmic occurrence looking forward to a horrible future, but nevertheless, we have to get and stay right with Jesus and I’m serious as a heart attack, if we want to come out on the other side of this – to our destination – as we must. I can promise you’ll never for an instant be sorry you did.

God Bless,

MK

Although I get few likes and comments on this site and I’ not going to lie, it’s nice to hear back from readers, I still continue to post things that I feel people enjoy reading and things that Jesus lays it on my heart to say. As I mentioned on my home page, I’m not monetized, so there’s no pecuniary motivation for me, but I still appreciate knowing that my posts are reaching folks.

I have readers all over the world, but to be honest, it’s because of the great sites I link onto and I often wonder how many folks just click on the link because it’s there. It would be wonderful to know that I’m saying things that give people pause to think about deeper spiritual things and help to provide hope to fellow travelers who’ve become mired in trepidation, but with little to no feedback, I just have to hope.

I’m a big-time dog lover and have 4 pups who are a big part of my life. I’ve written earlier posts about them, especially my girl, Little Britches. They all have unique personalities, but hers is really kind of special. She’s harmless and loveable, a little shy until you get to know her, and she has retained some of the border collie wildness – just a tad, but it comes out at times, like when I give them treats. If I don’t remind her to be easy, she forgets her shyness and snatches the treat (usually chicken jerky) so fast it’s like trying to feed a shark or alligator. I’ve learned to always be cautious and remember to tell her to be “EASY!” because she’s nipped my fingers more than once.

I know you’re wondering where I’m going with this, but I suppose there’s some similarity in writing posts – especially posts that attempt to encourage folks to get or stay engaged with Jesus, in that I always expect to get bitten. There are folks out there who genuinely abhor anyone talking about the Lord and they can be vicious. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at times, though, because sometimes after an especially deep spiritual post and I’m left wondering what kind of nasty comments it will evoke, it seems that I get one of those pleasant feedbacks – always from a non-believer! From such experiences I’ve come to understand what Jesus meant when He said He didn’t come to save the righteous, but sinners. I believe the nice, respectful words to be coming from the hearts of folks who profess to be non-believers, but to whom God is obviously speaking, and I pray for them that they will lend Him an ear. I choose to believe that they will – eventually. These are genuine folks who enjoy the treat without biting.

Although it’s rare to get any feedback at all, it’s even more so to hear back from people who are believers. Odd, that. Jesus warned us about casting our pearls (His wisdom we learn) before swine, but He didn’t go into exactly who the swine are. In His day it was probably the Pharisees, the religious lawyers of the day who imposed all the man-made doctrines on everyone. I guess they were the biters, because He warned His sheep that those guys would trample your treasure and turn on you, so I suppose we should be careful with whom we share. And don’t take it that I’m saying believers are mean, either. I just don’t hear much from them. It’s hard to be cautious with whom you share, however, when you post on the internet. Fortunately, though, I have only been assailed rarely in comments, and I guess I really need to grow some thicker skin, because I have a tendency to let negativity get to me.

If we are to be prepared for the bad times that the prophets warned us are coming, we’ll have to come to grips with the fact that the Lord has some genuine enemies in the world and once they know where we’re coming from, there’s no reason to expect that they won’t declare war on any and all known Christians. But then, we don’t have to be afraid of them because, “…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me…” if we stay focused on Him. Otherwise, a person could start to feel like the Old Red Rooster when he hears she’s coming ’round the mountain. No, I think the thin-skin thing is more about personal acceptance (a fault from a human desire for friendship with the world) than fear, and I need to be able to conquer it without becoming arrogant.

I imagine this post reads like I think I’m some kind of saint, but trust me, if not for the mercy and grace of Jesus, I would already be in the fires of hell. I don’t know anyone who has committed more offenses to the Lord than I have in my former life. Jesus told a parable about a guy who summoned a couple of people who owed him money. One only owed him a little, but the other one (me), owed him a big debt. He forgave both debts. Jesus asked, “which one of them would love him (the debtor) more?” That’s why I don’t have a problem with getting on my knees and thanking Him from the bottom of my soul. That’s why He’s the best friend any human could ever have, because even after the horrible lives some of us have lived, He still loves us profoundly and wants to sit beside us under the shade tree at the river and spend the day in our company or give us that gentle elbow when we see someone who needs our help. He waits at the very gate of Heaven with open arms for us so that one day we may hear Him utter the greatest, most profound and wonderful words that will ever have been spoken in human ears, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of thy lord!”

Jesus Christ is with us, so you keep that chin up! Even if you and I never meet in this life, I will definitely see you on the other side!

MK

We are now seeing the end times. Of that we can be assured, and it is the mandate of those who have received the gift to discern that Entity upon the cloud with the sharp sickle to shed such inhibitions as restrain our determination and endeavor to give aid to those whom it pleases Him to invite to His Kingdom. Those who have been blessed to understand, and are thankful for His blood, which cleanses the soul, understand that we live with a mandate to share our Divine inspiration, our knowledge gained through His mighty gifts of faith and love, and more so as His return approaches. He increasingly rids us of those restraints and gifts us with such words and thoughts as He deems necessary to fulfil our directions along with giving us the determination to do so.

These words are intended for those souls who have become embittered, who might become lost in hopelessness at the power of evil that we see and feel overcoming the world. Know that these times have to be upon us so that we, as faithful servants of Jesus Christ, may perform our sacred obligations to Him who shed His blood for us. Although we can never repay Him for what He has done for us, we can and shall serve as lights as best we are able to those who seek refuge in this world gone mad. Know also that there is hope, and as the dark clouds gather do not marvel that this Hope patiently abides to allow us time to help gather His sheep.

Our Heavenly Father has provided His servants with everything they need to enter His Kingdom, but He has instructed us that the gate is narrow that leads to life. As we watch so many who live in error, so many who follow false teachers, that lonely feeling of doubt ever threatens. There is a line in a popular song of faith that speaks of a star that becomes increasingly visible as the surrounding darkness increases. We must strive against the gathering darkness and be that star! What a privilege and an honor to have been chosen by the great Shepherd Jesus Christ to help tend His flock!

When He thrusts in that sharp sickle, may we have helped to make ready much for Him to harvest! While He was in the flesh among men, He asked His trusted disciple Peter if he loved Him, and if he did to please feed His sheep. If one studies the New Covenant, he comes to understand that mandate has been inherited by all who would seek Him. We cannot keep our lamp hidden under a basket if we are to please Him. It is our sacred duty to help our fellow travelers to find that narrow gate, thus preparing His field for the Harvest.

There is no doubt any longer that the evil one, that dragon who opposes Christ, has gained control of the world, and in so many ways. The fear and intimidation that threatens Jesus’ followers is the reason for this post. There is hope! Believe it! Jesus said [Matthew 28:20] “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Even to the end of the age! That’s now, friends. Take courage, He is with us.

Those who do not know Jesus, yet are distressed to endure the malignity that permeates the world, are in danger of becoming lost in the tumultuous sea of despair, but only because they have not yet taken refuge on the Rock of Ages. You don’t belong to the evil one, or you’d be able to tolerate his evil. Since the Lord has opened your eyes and you will to resist the evil, you have much Hope! See to it that you look into salvation that comes through Faith in Jesus – you still stand to win an awesome victory that will strengthen your heart! Find Jesus – He’s very easy to find. When you lay down to sleep at night you’ll rest peacefully with a joyful heart – perfect Love – which comes from God – casts out fear! He’s not the hard-core executioner you may have been taught – He’s a perfect friend to have beside you in troubled times who loves you with an incredibly profound love. You’ll never regret getting to know Him, getting to love Him – don’t ask me how I know, I don’t even understand it, but I do know – for sure.

Satan took Jesus up to a high place where He could see the whole world and offered Him kingship of it all if Jesus would worship him. Of course, Jesus denied him, but how many humans has he taken up to that place and made them similar offers? From the rampant evil in the world, we can see that indeed many have accepted his offer. Those who are in charge of nations and kingdoms of this world tend to be very evil men and women, and a time will soon be here, very soon, when posts like this one will be against the laws of men.

Another sign of the times are the new religions springing up around the world which teach a return to the old covenant of Moses, with its adherence to dietary regulations and observance of the old Holy days and other tenets of the old law. This is the leavening of the Pharisees about which Jesus warned us and is possibly one of the most insidious of all blasphemies due to its being part of the Bible but taken out of context, a practice which Satan has mastered. If followed to its logical conclusion, this dogma will, as intended, strive to completely remove Jesus Christ from any possible relationship with God. That is a twisted attempt to reestablish a covenant which no longer exists, and Christians should avoid it – Satan has employed many false teachers with silver tongues who can persuade all but the most faithful that since the old law is in the Bible, they still need to follow it. They forget or ignore the fact that Jesus fulfilled the law and it no longer applies to us. You have to twist and pervert the gospel of Jesus to believe otherwise. As of this writing, there is word that the Synagogue of Satan intends to rebuild their temple and reinstitute animal sacrifices which would completely obviate the precious sacrifice of Jesus, the one which was made to remove our sins.

This whole attempt to return to the old covenant is designed by Satan to eliminate faith in Jesus Christ. Can you see that this growing cult is serving to widen the gate that leads to destruction? I’m quite sure that since this belief system has grown on them, many “Christians” will be perfectly ok with animal sacrifices when they start – which will have the effect of absolute denial of Christ’s sacrifice.

Another closely related false religion is the evangelical “Judeo Christian” movement. Folks, there is no such thing as a Judeo Christian. There are Christians and there are those who still practice Judaism. They’re like oil and water – they don’t mix and if you try to make them mix, you become guilty of false teaching and denial of the power of Jesus. Every step one takes to return to the old covenant is another step away from Jesus Christ. He told us this would happen but many of those who consider themselves to be Christians will do it anyway.

The fast-growing and false teaching of the mega churches that they are Judeo Christians further serves to demonstrate that a big majority of people are abandoning Christ. A big part of the deception is because there’s money at the root of it, and lots of it, and there are more and more people who are trying to somehow contort it into a belief that they’re staying on God’s side while they are in fact leaving Jesus. You can’t mix the old covenant with the new – remember the part about sewing a new patch on an old garment? Or new wine in old wineskins? It ain’t going to happen. Jesus said He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. What? Do you think Jesus Christ was lying?!! Do you imagine you can approach God more directly by adding pieces of an old covenant that serves to exclude Jesus? Do you believe that you can come closer to God by observing old laws that don’t even apply anymore? In fact, those old laws never were given to the Gentiles at all. The apostle Paul demonstrates to us, however, that the new covenant was handed down to the Jews and Gentiles and is intended for the whole world.

The gate is wide that leads to destruction and it’s getting wider all the time. Many are called, but few are chosen. When that big sickle hits the harvest, there are going to be a lot of folks taken, for sure, but proportionally the number will be small. Jesus will tell many that He never knew them and that’s a shame, but it’s the price they will pay for following false teachers. I personally believe most of those ones will be self-deceived members of the mega churches.

Think about this: There is a vast majority of people in the world who, because of their sinful behavior, immorality, pride, etc., that are in the wide gate. Then there are millions of people who ascribe to false religions. There is, as mentioned, a growing majority of “Christian” people who ascribe to the many corrupted versions of Christianity. The gate to destruction is wide indeed!

There are many, but still a comparative few who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, and that if we put our faith in Him, get baptized and live like He taught us, love God and love our neighbors, we will be saved. That’s the pure, unadulterated Gospel, and Jesus is all we need. That’s the narrow gate, and we need to go through it.