Self Deception

The last days are known primarily by the presence of multiplied forms of deception. That is something the New Testament is clear on, something that we are to expect, in the words of Jesus, and warned of also by Paul. By far the most insidious and unnecessary manifestation is the person who thinks they are good with God, but when brought to judgement, are told,”I never knew you. Away from Me, you workers of iniquity.” Instructions of what is necessary to please The Judge of all flesh and spirits is already available. It’s called the Bible, and needs to be read by everyone, and I do mean everyone. Allowing someone else to interpret it for you, creating an office of priest, is a path to destruction. We are all our own “priest” in that only we, ourselves, can work out our relationship with God, and only in the Way He has prescribed. Therefore, there is THE instruction manual.

Such self deception is the “form of godliness” warned of in Timothy. At first I assumed it was this religious expression of secularism called “tolerance” which I consider to be nothing more than self torture. Then I realized that the antichrist cult of death called islame (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose) could be accused of masquerading as a religion, or a form of “godliness.” Now I have a new candidate to add to the list of all these lies of the enemy (plenty of choices available to lead one astray).

There is an essentially lazy person who wants an authority to tell them how to get to God. They’re not choosy. Any kind of works based salvation message will do. Doing it this way makes reading and studying unnecessary, and they still get to feel good about themselves. They also have a calling, apparently, to whip others into shape and into following the same path. More glory for them. And pride. But no actual salvation.

Confirmed

Since I am one of the watch”men” on the “walls of Jerusalem”, the Lord has been gracious to respond directly to my question. On the Friday of the weekend of second Passover, I received a message, from Him, upon awakening from sleep. I heard the sound a lamb makes, a short blast on a silver trumpet, and the words, “Daughter, I’m coming.” This only happened after I had sent a card to my Jewish friend, Laura, telling her messiah would be revealed on the weekend of second Passover. The reason I felt so comfortable laying it on the line with her that way, was because the Lord had previously, and specifically, answered my prayer for a sign if the rapture was this year (my question). Since my name, that HE gave me, means, as Boaz said, “I will do all that you have asked” this specific indication I requested, was that I would hear my new daughter in law was pregnant, even though they were not planning on having a child yet. She literally found out she was expecting right after I prayed the prayer. These were personal confirmations.

Out in YouTube land, there are videos basically proving that the messiah’s second coming is in the year 2030, all using different but biblical calculations ( We understand His return should be on the feast of trumpets that year). Before that, there is the seven years of Jacob’s trouble, what Christians call the great tribulation. That means the rapture is THIS year. I had told my son that the season of rapture is from second Passover to the ninth of Av. That would make the last day on July 26th…726, the Strong’s Concordance number for harpazo….rapture.

Here are the videos…..

https://youtu.be/aw2p06bgyKg

https://youtu.be/4AG_nJNcTjM

https://youtu.be/VaazK76enNk

At the Transition of the Ages

The enemy seeks to grind me down into the dust, but in the darkness, what little light there is, stands out ever more clearly. Utilizing creatively the little strength left to me, hope still provides a way to document the revelation and inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord. Isn’t that why I still draw breath in this dimension, to provide an outlet for the visible grace of the Lord? Yes, I myself am weak, but it leaves space for the working of grace. My own strength was never sufficient for HIS tasks. Nevertheless, He still works through me.

The method is about to change, and in between Second Passover and the ninth of Av, occurs the journey of the despised (by Israel) nation called the church: That contemptible one (Leah) with the “weak eyes” because there are no prophets in it. That which was born of Israel, through the offered body of messiah, THE Body that was carried through this worldly wilderness like Joseph’s body, shall be visibly (to Israel) given the reward of faith (born in weakness, raised by HIM, to power). Strength shall be increased, in a moment of time, at the deliverance. Eyes shall be unveiled, in a moment of time. The judgement comes, to separate the camp, in a moment of time (when the priests move to the side of Moses).

Realize that even judgement, in His hand, brings with it increased grace. Do not be afraid, you whose eyes are to be opened. You will be given twice the power of the Spirit of the Living God, to do the work to which He has called you, and separated you out for. There will be the satisfaction of being HIS vessel, the joy of  seeing your own voice used to accomplish His purpose. And because of the suffering you have undergone, you shall be a fit instrument and conduit for SO much more of His power, that which has yet to be seen, beyond all you could even think or imagine. His strength will be yours, irrefusable. He loves you. You are His Rachel.

The Great Apostasy is in Progress

The Great Apostasy is in Progress

 I have stated earlier that I believe the great apostasy in second Thessalonians, which others call the falling away, is already in progress. While I concede that the Lord respects His called people by acceding to that interpretation and it’s ramifications (of abandoning the faith of the fathers), yet there is One who’s position is more relevant to our condition, then what is our own opinion (of our centrality to the question). 

God has His appointed times. He has His Plan. What I am seeing, I feel by saying it, is just repeating what preachers have always said, that our culture is circling the drain, before the plunge into the abyss of being handed over to satan. Preachers may have always said it because rebellion is in our nature, but we all know this time is different. For instance, there is the culturally unpopular Romans chapter one, which specifically says that a people in rebellion will suffer the symptom of sodomy. That is what happens when the Lord withdraws His Spirit. Only His Spirit can provide the spiritual sight and faith necessary to bring repentance and belief (and He will not be gracious forever). The specific sin is the result, not the cause. When He says it’s time, it’s time. His patience DOES have its limits. He will “turn him over to the tormentors” and “appoint him a portion with the hypocrites”, by leaving “ that wicked servant” to satan’s devices. Great apostasy indeed!

These times bring much greater pressure from the enemy, for he senses his short window is coming. There is heartbreak and oppression surrounding us. We can no longer fight in the natural, in a world which has only contempt for HIS Love. Let us pray for deliverance, for ourselves and those enslaved. Let us pray for the power of the Almighty to manifest, that His Name and identity be unveiled to His elect. Let us pray that HIS will be done, and His kingdom come! Let Him find faith on the earth!

Shaken (by the power of the Almighty!)

 Just before the birth, the birth pains get more intense. Maybe if life were somewhat normal, we could question why, and God is very patient to answer our questions, and then by the reading of the Word, we learn how to recognize His answers. Be what it may, right now is the battle and the war, and prayer is not an option, it is a necessity! We who are His, are privileged and honored to be a part of His merciful plans. He develops us as warriors willing to fight. He gives us the strength and faith for the conflict! He welds us as His weapon! We are called out of, for this, because within the very word “fight,” there is also the word “gift.”

As the messenger pointed out, the closer we get to God, the more we are persecuted. “All those who would live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” We can rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Him (who is more than worthy to receive our offering).We are His Body, “regarded as sheep to be slaughtered,” just like Him. We are the gentile Ruth to the kinsman Redeemer, Boaz. And what did Boaz tell Ruth? He said to her, “I will do all that you have asked.”

We have the authority to ask for anything, when we want what HE wants, and place our very life on the altar, as He did. In the courts of heaven, our prayers plead for justice, and the God who is THE judge, is now also, our Son given for us, and our Prince who gives peace.

I offer an overarching example in my own life. I remember when I was young, I prayed the Lord would wake me up in time to get the kids ready for church. Well, there was an earthquake right on time. (I told the Lord His sense of humor was amazing.) More recently, I was praying and praising Him, and rejoicing in what I knew He would do, soon. The earth started moving and shaking and at first I was laughing in joy, but it went on and on, so then I rebuked it and it was still. Around the same time, when I was praying with my sisters in the Lord, the whole house was rocked, gently, and all of us in the house felt it. The most recent incident happened the first day of a two day fast, the purpose of which was to ask the Lord deliver His people Israel from their unbelief. That was the same day of the recent violent shaking in the Middle East. Hasn’t The Lord said He will shake heaven and earth?

Forsaken

 2 Thess 2:2 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the [a]coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your [b]composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a [c]message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the [d]apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above [e]every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time.7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [f]He who now restrains will do so until [g]He is [h]removed. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His [i]coming.

This passage is just one more which has the brethren disagreeing as to its interpretation. I have long held, that the apostasy is better served, by being understood to be the departure. However, I watched a video on YouTube in which a very learned brother pointed out that nowhere in Ancient Greek literature is a physical departure, of human beings, able to be inserted into the meaning of this word. The intrinsic understanding supported by the word, in the text, is a political, emotional, or religious displacement. The exact same word is used one other time in the New Testament, where the religious Jews complain of the Christian’s teachings, saying that they are teaching Jews to “forsake Moses.” One of the root word’s conjunctions is even used for the word meaning divorce.

Clearly, the passage’s subject and context is “the coming of our Lord….and our gathering together with Him.” The one thing standing in the way of the revealing of the identity of the “son of perdition” is the One who restrains, this phrase “restrains, removed, revealed” being a repeat of the same idea of “apostasy, then the unveiling,” of who is the antichrist. Paul’s repetition of the same exact idea, twice, in two different ways, is how he is making plain what is to happen, and in what order. His students thought the day of the Lord had already arrived (judgement) and he was saying that this ONE thing must happen FIRST, because the man of sin was God’s wrath and judgement.  Paul’s argument about “the day” was that first there is THE turning away (a singular, identifiable event), then Antichrist is revealed, and after that would be the feared “day” of the Lord. The one-time event of the restrainer removed, or THE apostasy, had to come before anything else. His whole argument hinges on only this one thing, occurring just once (unlike rebellion, which is continuous.)

Perhaps the “apostasy” can be better understood, as the removal of God’s Presence. Maybe He needs to abandon those who do not love the truth, to the development of their plans, which results in their own destruction (Rom 1). Is there anything that would drive home the fact of impending judgement, and signify the end God’s patience with the world, more than the removal of HIS presence, manifested by the withdrawal of the ambassadors of His grace? He will not judge the righteous with the wicked. Remember Lot and Enoch? His Spirit will not always strive with man.

Remember Who You Are

Oddly enough, and contrary to established practice (with me), the Lord gave me a message, that spoke directly to my need, through three dreams. Let me fill out the background to this story, so the foundation is established (gotta have THAT, huh? I mean JESUS, of course!)

I’ve been pleading with the Lord to speak to me through my dreams. He seems to do it so easily through others, what with them seeing Him, and speaking directly to them, in their dreams. MY dreams, however, were ones harried and pursued of tasks to be fulfilled, and failure. An oft repeated one, has been of myself in school, with horrible grades and disapproving teachers (and in one, it was the devil, himself, and these kind of messages are from that one, anyway). In truth, the Lord has reproved my discontent, in the past, by telling me that He speaks so easily, and with such familiarity, during the day, to me, with a still small voice, with His Word, and with my circumstance, that He has no need to use my dreams. Still, I have longed to be like others (Who can fathom?)

Well, yesterday, a man was telling about a dream he had, where he died and was in heaven (so now it’s OTHER peoples dreams, huh, Lord?) The angel speaking to him asked him what his ten most important miracles, that he had been given by God, were. The gentleman had a message from this dream for himself, but there was one for ME, in there, too! I had a response to his angel’s question! I immediately thought of my greatest, miracle, blessing, and gift, which is the Lord’s heritage, that new name that He has given me! My acknowledgment from God, that of my identity IN HIM, has meant more to me than anything else I can think of! (But wait, there’s more!)

My dreams last night were the usual, where I revisited my past from the security of my present. I went back to my job site for some event or something, and got hit with memories of angry supervisors, isolated me with no one to talk to, and meaningless tasks. I walked away. Then I was with my youngest brother for some family thing (he wants nothing to do with my Christianity, not even to hear about it). We talked at each other and achieved nothing. I left my brother at the hotel and went to my former high school. I didn’t recognize the place. They were promoting “justice for palestine”. Just when I started to feel really sorry for myself, and was telling my self that I was always an outsider, that I’d never had friends, I decided I wanted to leave that place, and then came the horror part. It dawned on me that I had lost my purse, with my phone and wallet, I had put them down somewhere, who knows where, and without them, I was stuck in that wasteland.

In the dream, I prayed (because that is HIS calling that makes all the difference). I actually found my purse, with everything still inside, including the money, exactly where the hotel clerk had put it, hanging under a strip of fabric to conceal it for me, because I had walked away from him without it. It still had my wallet and ID, and I knew, then, that I would still be able to function in a broken and alien world. I was happy, then. It was like a deliverance.

The message seems obvious, now that I’ve written it down, but I still wondered, as I usually do, after the dream. The Lord brought back a memory of another dream I had, to flesh it all out. In this other dream, from a couple weeks ago, I was trying to inform others that I was royalty. They just looked at me like I was crazy, same as they do when I talk about JESUS (like He’s here, with us).

These dreams fit right in with the other things the Lord has been telling me, like the book “This Present Darkness” (how I feel about the world), where the prayers of Christians are the real battle in the war we fight, and the book “Girls with Swords”, in which the Word is our only weapon. In the second book, she was telling how the Egyptian pharaoh decided to oppress the Hebrews because he was AFRAID of them and WHO THEY MIGHT BECOME. When I got out my Bible for my daily reading, it was the EXACT SAME passage of scripture that was next. However, in the next chapter, there is one other important fact, that the Lord wanted me to know. BECAUSE of their oppression, the Lord heard their cries, and sent them  a deliverer! It was time for Him to remember those who were His inheritance.

This last fact is integral to my own identity. The Lord has affirmed, because of my name, that HE hears my cries. And what have I been crying out for, but the coming of our Deliverer?