The Wrestling Match, Written by my Husband

The Wrestling Match, Written by my Husband Mel

Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

We are all participants in a wrestling match. For our fleshly nature is contrary to God’s Spirit, and the two natures are in opposition to one another. Our flesh wars against God’s Spirit, and must be brought into subjection to God’s will. Many people say that we are only human and God understands, as well as, tolerates our carnal nature. This false belief is a lie and is contrary to God’s Word. God’s Holy Spirit is more powerful than sin and He has equipped us with the power to live a holy life, separated from the world. The battleground is our mind and our will is all that stands in the way from totally surrendering to Christ. If we purpose in our heart to love God more than the world, and are willing to yield our minds to the convictions of the Holy Spirit, then God will transform us into a new creation. All things are possible with God, if you will surrender  your will to his.

 Christ said, that if you love him you will keep his commandments. Paul said, that if you continue in sin you do not know the Father or the Son. No one is perfect by any means, for we have all sinned and fallen short of his glory. Paul is speaking of habitual sins, also known as bondages. A sinful lifestyle will lead you down the broad road to Hell. Christ made atonement upon the cross for sins committed in ignorance, as well as, for sins that are repented of. Grace is not automatic, grace follows repentance only. Repentance means that we are sorry for our sins and are turning away from them. If we stumble and fall, we should not get discouraged. We should get back up, dust ourselves off, and press forward in Christ. There is grace to help us overcome our fleshly nature. God does not expect a new believer to grow up overnight. God gives us time to grow in him. We enter the Kingdom of Heaven as babes on milk, but we are expected to grow up to strong meat in time. God is calling His children to bear much good fruit for His Kingdom. Galatians 5, lists the works of the flesh, as well as, the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the sinful nature will bar a person from entrance to God’s Kingdom. Gal 5:19-21 states that those who practice these sins, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Christ said, that any tree that does not bear good fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire. God’s Word, states that some will produce thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold fruit. As we grow in Christ, we will produce different levels of fruit, but we must produce good fruit if we are truly born again. To be born again, is to become a new creation in Christ, through submission to the working of God’s Spirit.

Many years ago, I worked as a security guard in a large office building. I had a conflict with the cleaning crew over security issues. This conflict caused me to have a great amount of bitterness toward these people. The Lord gave me a dream about the bitterness that I was contending with. I dreamed that I was walking through a building and the lights went out. Later the lights came back on. The angel of the Lord walked up to me and said, “You could have been injured, or killed, when the lights were out.” I was told to remain plugged in to the power source, which is the Holy Spirit. I was then seated at a large banquet table, with candles and good food. The lady, who was the supervisor of the cleaning crew approached me and looked very irritated. I was eating a red pepper, which is symbolic of anger. I spoke to her with kindness and forgave her. I understood that when we have bitterness, or hatred, toward others, we are walking in darkness rather than light. Bitterness, or hatred, will cut you off from God, as well as, his protection. God cannot look upon sin, it will cut you off from His provision, until you repent. Ephesians 5, tells us to be imitators of God, and to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. Ephesians 5, also tells us that no unclean person has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God. That is why it is crucial, that we allow God’s Spirit to purify us, and separate us, from the sinful world. Without holiness, no man shall see the Father. We are told to walk in the light, bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit, as well as, to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 

Who will you serve?

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Mystery Babylon, Written by my Husband

This is the article I mentioned in my "Revelation, Part 5" video that I said I would share.

Mystery Babylon, Written by my Husband, Mel

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Rev 18:4-5  

In Revelation chapters 17 and 18 we read about mystery Babylon. I believe that this prophecy is in reference to both spiritual Babylon (harlot church), as well as physical Babylon (Rome, United States).  Bible prophecy tends to be multi-layered, which means it may have dual or tri significance. First, we will examine the spiritual meaning of the harlot who sits upon the back of the beast. 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,  with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Rev. 17:1-6

 

And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. Rev 17:18 

 

Rev 17:18 states that the harlot is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. I believe that this is a reference to both Rome, as well as the Roman Catholic Church. She is depicted as an adulterous woman clothed in purple and scarlet, scarlet is symbolic of sin, and purple is symbolic of royalty, as well as is the official color of the Roman Catholic Church. This adulterous woman sits on many waters and commits  fornication with the kings of the earth.  This is a depiction of the harlot church which rides upon the back of the beast (anti-Christ, as well as his beast empire).  The biblical term Babylon is used many times within the old testament as a reference to sin and wickedness. There is also a similarity between the adulterous wife of Yahweh, mentioned in Ezekiel, and the harlot of Revelation. Just as Israel was unfaithful to God many times within the old testament, so much of the church is unfaithful to Christ today. To live in un-repented sin is to commit spiritual adultery. Mystery Babylon, is referred to as the mother of all harlots, I believe this is a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, as well as her offspring, the many protestant churches that preach a lukewarm  apostate message of compromise (grace without repentance). God commands his children to come out of the harlot churches.   

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Rev. 18:4-5

The dragon is a symbol of Satan, and it is interesting that many of the popes use the symbol of the dragon on their coat of arms, medals, shields, as well as grave guardians. In fact, dragon art work, as well as statues of dragons are found throughout the Vatican in Rome. I believe that this clearly shows that Satan is the god of the popes. I will post some pics of the Papal medals depicting satanic artwork. 

The Lord has given me many dreams, in which he refers to the modern church as Babylon.  Within the dream of the lukewarm church, the Lord showed me many Christian congregations within a Roman Catholic Church building. The Lord referred to these harlot churches as the offspring of their mother church. The number one concern of the Lord is the sin in peoples lives. Many who profess to know Christ, are adulterous in God's eyes, because of sinful bondages in their lives, they are slaves to sin, instead of allowing the Lord to set them free. Here is a link to my dream of the lukewarm church.  http://twelfthhourendtimeministries.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreams-of-history-of-lukewarm-church.html

There are many similarities between Babylon, Rome and the United States. I believe that Rev 18 has a duel prophetic meaning, in which the modern Rome of the end times (United States) is depicted.  The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John while he was imprisoned by the Romans on the isle of Patmos. At that time, Rome was the most powerful empire in the world, as well as the richest, through it's merchant trade. Today, the United States is the most powerful nation, as well as the richest economy in the world. 

And according to Rev 18 it will burn in a single hour. This may refer to nuclear warfare. Rev 18 also states that the merchants of the world will mourn over her, because they were made rich through their commerce with her. Babylon, Rome, as well as the United States were melting pots of many ethnic groups. In fact, our federal government is based off of Rome's government which was the world's first democracy. Our Senate and House of Representatives are also modeled after Rome's equivalent. Even many of the buildings in Washington D.C. are of Greco-Roman architecture, including Capital Hill. The seal of the Caesars was the eagle with arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. And the motto of Rome was "E Pluribus Unum" meaning, out of the many one. Look on the back of your one dollar bill and you will see the same. I believe that only the United States meets the criteria to be the Rome of the end times. Like I stated before, Rev 17 and 18 depict both spiritual, as well as physical Babylon, and that is defined as wickedness.    

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’  “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Rev 18:1-24

  

 

Being a Doer of the Word

 

It's funny how none of the images I searched online for the phrase, "Be doers of the word," included verse 21 from James, chapter 1 (which was why I made my own graphic). So, let me include it now, in fact reading verses 21-27 really helps one understand these verses better:

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:21-27

I obviously did not look at every image or read every sermon, but from what I found, most people interpreted the words, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only," as doing kind things for people as Jesus commands. While I whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment as well, that is not what these verses are about.  However, I will explore that issue as well.

The book of James was written by one of Jesus' half-brothers. If  you jump ahead to the second chapter, you can better find the meaning others are searching for in chapter one.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:14-24

Again, other people tend to leave out the holiness message in these verses and focus just on doing good deeds.  And, of course, most modern pastors leave James 2 out of their sermons altogether! But yes, make no mistake, faith without works is dead! And works without righteousness is in the grave right next door! We need both for salvation!  

Back to James 2:15-16.  How often do people who call him/herself a believer do the exact same thing? They see someone in need and say, "I'll pray for you," but simply walk away. Praying for people is a powerful act, but when we have the ability to help and do nothing, then those prayers are hypocritical.  Do not drive past the same beggar on the street every weekend and refuse to offer him your extra coat or buy him a burger for lunch!  Do not see a lonely widow weeping for her husband and refuse to find time in your busy schedule to take her to dinner or simply visit her in her home and chat for a while.  Do not watch a struggling mother try to afford daycare and work and refuse to babysit for free or slip her some money.  There are so many, many ways we can help people!  It does not have to cost you any money.   Homeless shelters need blankets and clothing, donate what you don't use. I am by no means a wealthy person, but I can (and do) still find ways to help to the best of my abilities and resources.  And, there is still so much more I can do.

I think you get the idea, so I'll move on.

Let's go back to James 1, verse 21. James encourages us to "lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word."  Becoming a Christian is much, much more involved that saying a simple sinner's prayer.  We must continually give up our sinful ways and embrace the Word of God and the principles of Jesus Christ.  I so love James' illustration in verses 23 & 24.  When we read the Word of God and maybe even weep over it and feel guilt for our sins, but then walk out the door and start swearing, going to movies, get drunk, look at pornography, etc., we are just as foolish as someone who forgets his/her own reflection. Why bother reading the Word of God or going to church (or better yet, listening to a true holiness preacher on YouTube), if you have no intention of following God's rules?  When James called the Word of God, "the perfect law of liberty" in verse 25, he did not mean (as most of the preachers now falsely teach), that we are at liberty to sin!  When one obeys God's laws one is liberated and free because he is not bound in chains by sinful actions. That is true liberty! When you sin and disregard the ways of the Lord, there is no liberty except in your own rebellious mind. The truth is, your sins are dead weights holding you back. Now don't pretend you don't feel that way when your guilt make you feel shame.  You can read more when shame is healthy at my blog, "When is Shame not shameful?" https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2019/07/when-is-shame-is-not-shameful.html The only way to be free is to repent of your sins and then do your best not to repeat them! Make Jesus Lord of your life and do your very best to walk down paths of righteousness! 

I could probably write for another several hours on this topic but I will wrap this up.  Please reread the above verses from James 1 & 2 and let his message sink in.  Yes, it is absolutely our duty to help others in need, so find at least one person or organization you can help this week.  But if you truly consider yourself a Christian, your works must be backed up with a righteous lifestyle. 

Justification by Faith Alone, Written By my Husband

 

Justification by Faith Alone, Written by my Husband, Mel

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Salvation is a free gift that can never be earned by our good works. No one can ever be good enough to save themselves, it is prideful to boast in ones ability to obtain salvation through themselves, or ritual. Ritual, liturgy, works, observing new moons , sabbaths, or festivals, cannot save your soul. You are either married to the Law, or the New Covenant. Grace is defined as unearned favor. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 7:4-6 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Christ, became the sacrifice to pay for our sins. His atonement upon the cross provides redemption to fallen man-kind if we will truly make him Lord of our lives. Christ was the spotless lamb of God who took the sins of the world upon himself to bring salvation to many. His blood will wash you white as snow if you will repent, and turn from your sins, and have faith in Him. For we are saved by faith alone. However, the Lord desires obedience more than sacrifice. Come as you are to Christ with a sincere heart and let him purify you. No one is perfect, or without sin, but we must allow God's Spirit to sanctify us and set us apart. If you are truly saved, the love of God will be in your heart, and good fruit and works will be the natural result. Grace is defined as unearned favor, however, grace follows repentance. We must be born again to be saved and that means to become a new creation in Christ. A lukewarm church will be vomited out of God's mouth according to Rev 3. It is possible to back-slide and lose your salvation if you do not remain in the vine, Jesus Christ. Please consider these scriptures.

(John 15:1-4) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Consider the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt 18:21-35). Peter asked the Lord how many times we must forgive our brother, Christ replied, "Seventy times seven." In the same way that God grants us Grace we must also forgive others. In the parable Christ taught of a king who forgave the debts of his servant. However, the forgiven servant refused to forgive the debts of one who owed him and cast him into prison. The master became angry with the wicked servant and delivered him to the torturers. In the same way, if we do not forgive the trespasses of others, we may fall from grace and be delivered over to Satan. Consider also the Lord's prayer, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Christ's commandment is that we love one another. If we love God, we will keep the commandments of Christ, and that is to love and bear good fruit toward others.

Matt 18:32-35 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Isaiah 53:4-7 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

(Romans 10:9-13) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

( 1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(1 Timothy 6: 11-12) But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

(2 Cor 7:10) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

(Luke 15:7) I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

(1 Cor 6:9-11) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,  nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Peter 4:7-8 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Matt 22:37 -40Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Real Walt Disney

I have been wanting to do a writing on the evils of Disney movies for a while, but was not sure where to begin. I found these two articles the other day and I found these articles.

I am not sure how well this will be received and I may lose some readers over this, but I feel very compelled to share this article. Please carefully read and let God's Holy Spirit guide you in discarding television and movies, especially all things Disney!! There is a lot more out there exposing the evils of Walt Disney if you search "Walt Disney and Satanism."  Please, Christians, wake up and don't expose your families to the evil God hates!


http://www.challengeyoursoul.com/walt-disney-occultism-mas…/

http://www.challengeyoursoul.com/disney-movies-hidden-agenda-satanism-witchcraft-occultism/

Onward, Christian Soldiers!

These past three weeks, I have begun fasting and praying every Monday and I am committed to indefinitely continue every Monday. When in an attitude of fasting and praying, God often speaks to me and my husband.  These past three times after fasting, God has given me three experiences. The first was a series of dreams that showed Heaven.  I won't get into the dreams now (there were many and some were long), except to share the last dream.  I was walking down a winding road in front of a mountain and I was told Jesus was on His way.  I was so excited; I could not wait to see my Savior!  As I looked up, I saw nothing except row upon row of angels, circling the top of the mountain.  The number was uncountable; it was awe-inspiring.  I wish I could draw what I saw, but below is someone else's artwork I found in a Bing search of angel armies.  I chose that picture because the angels in my dream were dressed very similar and holding large swords in front of them. Also, in a different dream earlier (on the same night), I saw similar buildings to the one behind the angel.  The difference was that in my dream, I did not see wings on any of the angels. There were so many angels that I was not able to see Jesus.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Revelation 5:11

I won't get into the dreams Mel and I had last week that 100% confirmed the other's dream, but I will say it was significant and went along with what we have both been praying about. It had to do with a specific false religion that God compared to the false idols of Egypt (in my dream) and being married to Satan (in my husband's dream). That is all I will sayin the subject for now.  

This week, I did not have a dream, but I clearly heard the song, "Onward, Christian Soldiers!" playing in my head.  Maybe it was my own mind, but I have not thought of this song in a while and it matches the theme of the dream I had that I mentioned above.

The message is clear, and I think with all this world has been going through lately (a pandemic, epic fires, unprecedented storms, rebellious uprisings, etc.), you may agree.  Read the lyrics above and really let them sink in, as well as the verses in Ephesians below.  We are in a battle, spiritual, and even physical.  But now is not the time for fear, but I time to pray and put in the whole armor of God.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20

Follow the Light of Jesus, Part 2

This was originally titled: "Don't Exchange the Truth for a Lie," but I decided to rename it as it so perfectly fits with part one.

I have been praying about what God wanted me to write about next.  He gave me two phrases: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil." And "They traded the truth for a lie." God also told me very clearly not to be afraid of anyone who might reject me for my writings because it is important to share the Truth.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

Isaiah 5:20 

Keep those words in mind as they go along with the theme of this blog.

The second phrase God gave me, I knew I had heard before, but could not remember where it was in the bible nor what the context of that scripture was.  I had to look it up.  It is in Romans 1.  Because the context of scripture is long, I will post it at the end of this writing.

I realize that a portion of Romans 1 has to do with the sin of homosexuality, but I do not believe that is what God is specifically calling me to write about at this time.  The theme God wants me to focus on is the backsliding of saints. Those that have been taught the Truth and have rejected it.

If you have taken the time to read part one of this blog, then you know that I am just as guilty of knowing not to watch things God considers evil even though I knew better. 

So, if we are taught at an early (or not-so-early) age to avoid witchcraft, drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, etc., then why do we choose to sin?  It is because we have been hurt to the very core and we blame God.  We think He should have intervened and saved us from a miscarriage, a divorce, a death of a loved one, the loss of a home, etc.  We may think we have gotten over the anger towards God, but in all reality, we choose to rebel against the scriptures we have heard for many years, and probably even memorized.  We choose this as a child rebels against a parent they think is being unfair.  In all honesty, I was a good kid.  But, when my parents set a curfew I did not agree with, I simply chose to come home whenever I wanted and suffer the consequences later.  Sound familiar?  Our attitude may sound something like this, "God, I think it was pretty heartless of you to allow my wife to cheat on me, so therefore, I am going to smoke this joint."  or "God, I don't understand why I have lost a child, and since you don't seem to care, neither do I."

Satan absolutely loves it when we allow our minds to wander down such paths of what we consider logical rebellion.

But, don't be fooled...  God does care!  He does not will bad things to happen to us.  Bad things often happen due to poor choices we make, and God will not save us when we jump off a cliff without a parachute just because we say we have faith.  He expects us to be proactive.  You cannot expect God to heal you of high blood pressure if you continue to pig out on chips and ice cream (note to self).  You cannot expect God to save your marriage if you refuse to put down the sin of pornography.  Or bless your business if you treat your employees unfairly.  We have to take care of our marriages, our bodies, and other people if we want God's blessings.  We cannot hold someone responsible that did not pull the trigger.  Unfortunately, our mistakes can cause others hurt.  If you refuse to have your vehicle serviced on a regular basis and it breaks down on your wife and she gets stranded in the middle of nowhere, that is not God's fault.

I am well aware that bad things happen to people who live life as clean as they can.  They are devout in their faith and love God with all their hearts.  Do they have a reason to be mad?  Sure.  In fact, even those that are victims of their own fault have reason to be mad.  The bible says it is okay to be angry as long as we do not sin in anger (Ephesians 4:26)  But don't stay mad; pray that God helps you heal by the power of His Holy Spirit as it is impossible to heal on our own.  We live in a fallen world where man chooses to alienate God.  Therefore, God does not always intervene.  I have very serious asthma to the point where doctors say I could die if it does not improve.  Is that my fault or God's?  No.  Has God chosen to heal me?  No.  But He had lead me to the proper doctor and proper medication and my asthma is improving.  If I was still obsessing over "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and knowingly watching a show that was displeasing to God, I would have no right to even ask God to heal me.  Anymore than you could expect a boss to give you a raise if you are always late to work and have a bad attitude. 

I think I'm getting off subject. 

Anyway, my point was that we choose to dishonor God with our rebellions because we blame Him for our unfortunate circumstances.  We justify glorifying witchcraft or drinking alcohol because it is fun or makes us feel better.  I have heard people often say, "Oh, I know there's swearing, violence, and sex in that movie, but overall I really loved it."  And they watch it again and again.

 Verses 20-21: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This sounds to me like they were well aware of God's power, rebelled, and God was absolutely going to hold them accountable because they knew better.  In fact, I believe God holds us more accountable when we know the Truth and trade it for a lie than when our sins are a little bit more ignorant. 

 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  Hebrews 6:4-6

 Verse 22 states that, Professing to be wise, they became fools.  To me, this sounds like they knew better and justified their actions with false logic, and therefore, became foolish.   

But there is good news for those that have rebelled and chosen to backslide.  I see a lot of people who choose to do wrong still going to church, calling themselves Christians, and reading their bibles.  The hope lies in prayers. We can pray this all sinks in once and for all.  That God will ultimately open their eyes, or re-open as the case may be.  Or if it is us that has fallen away, we need to repent and start over.

I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  Revelation 2:4-5

Please prayerfully consider all I have said.  Remember my goal is never to condemn anyone, but if the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and convicts you, please listen and obey.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;  being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,  backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.  Romans 1:18-32

Follow the Light of Jesus, Part 1

I originally wrote this in 2016 and was initially reluctant to write on this subject for well over a year.  I'm not sure why as I do not tend to shy away from tough subjects, and I try to be obedient to what I feel the Holy Spirit is encouraging me to write about.  I think I waited so long to write on this subject because I was not sure how to word it.  Again, I feel the need to repost this blog along with part two that will come in another few days or so.

We know that Jesus calls himself the "Light of the World."

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12

We also know that, just from observing with our own eyes, that even the smallest flicker of light eliminates the darkness.  In other words, light and dark cannot coexist.  They cannot coexists  in the each other's space because one will destroy the other's exclusivity.  

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  John 11:9-10

If Christians claim to walk with Christ, that means that are attempting to live a life in the light.  There are many, many areas that could be considered "dark," but today, I am going to focus on just one.  Christians should not compromise in the area of witchcraft. 

Yes, we all know that people who practice witchcraft will not inherit the kingdom of heaven...

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”  Revelation 21:6-8

But I am not just referring to the art of practicing witchcraft.  I am also referring to the compromise of watching movies and reading books filled with magic.  Before anyone thinks I am being self-righteous, I want to make it very clear that I once compromised in this area in a big way.  That is why I am so compelled to warn against it now.  I will admit that I was a huge "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" & "Angel" fan as well as "The Lord of the Rings" being my favorite movie trilogy.  I loved fantasy fiction.  I owned the above mentioned TV shows/movies and watched them all the time.  Whenever I would watch episode after episode, I found myself in a bad mood all the time.  I knew it was because I was allowing demonic influences into my home, but I did not care because those shows were an addiction to me.  (This was before I was married.)  

The bible makes it very clear that we are not to call the dark things of this world light:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 

When we watch movies like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Frozen, The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe, or even Cinderella, we open up our hearts and minds for all sorts of evil to walk through our door.

Don't take my word for it:

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.  Ephesians 6:12

This verse lets us know that angels and demons are very real, and the dark forces of this world will try to influence us.  We must keep up our guard by not allowing the dark into our homes.  These "cute" Disney movies may seem innocent, but anything involving a witch, wizard, incantations, magic wands, potions, telekinesis, telepathy, fortune telling, levitating, demon possession, communing with the dead, false gods, and even certain hand motions should not be allowed in a Christian home.

It was difficult, at first, to throw away all my movies and books that contained any form of witchcraft because I like to be entertained as much as you do, but I knew it was a necessity if I wanted to have peace in my home.  I did not want nightmares or any other negative influences harassing me and especially not my husband.  I indeed noticed the peace as soon as they were all gone, and I was able to hear God's voice much more clearly.

Reading tarot cards, playing with Ouija boards, having your palm read, & séances are all things are also extremely dangerous and should be avoided.

Avoid Wicked Customs
“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.  You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you. Deuteronomy 18:9-14

There is only ONE light we should follow.
   
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, the gods... in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

You cannot serve both light and dark.  Just as one cannot love two spouses, one cannot love both light and dark.  Choose today whom you will serve. 

Here are a few more scriptures on this subject:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:8-9

Light Bearers
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Do all things without complaining and disputing,  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a  crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:12-16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John’s Witness: The True Light
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  John 1:13

Walking in the Spirit
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law [of Moses]. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 4:16-25

 ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Ezekiel 13:18-23