Tried
by Fire
At the very start of this article, I will say that most
of what I write is geared towards those who are disciples of Jesus Christ.
However, my heart is concerned for the lost, the backslidden, the struggling,
and all who are on their way to the lake of fire, lost forever.
If I am to drive home one point, it would be this.
There is hope in this turbulent time, and that I say with utmost confidence
because of the Lord. It is not peace as the world gives, but a peace that
passes all understanding.
In His wisdom, he humbled me. In his love for me, he
chastened me in the furnace of affliction, as the intensity of the fire shone
into the deeper places of my heart. So hidden that I was even unaware…and sometimes
the revealing of them is hard to bear.
But to get to the root is to shake free…just as dross (impurities in silver and gold) is
brutally loosened in intense fires to be able to come to the surface and be
skimmed away.
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And the Holy Spirit reminded me of the words he placed
within my spirit: It is better to walk in
the humility of correction than in the pride of error.
The sting of the impurities as they are shaken loose so
they will surface and be taken away ([disposed] as sinful waste). It can be overpowering
at first, to one who sees and owns their sin. It demands humility and truth,
determination and strength to unite as one, as pride and error loses it hold
and is overcome by God, who is an all-consuming fire.
Only someone who owns a thing can give it away.
Confession of sin is ownership. It’s reality; it is the nature of mankind, the
fallen nature. To give up sinful waste is akin to skimming off the dross.
It is a purifying process, the dross as it were. Jesus
is the Refiner, purchased and paid for us by his very blood. He is close to a
broken and contrite heart, which the humility of confession brings – godly
sorrow unto repentance.
If He chooses me to be but one voice to speak forth a
message, please do remember (as I always stress emphatically), the messenger
gets the message first! I too must
search my own heart and must confess and repent of anything the Holy Spirit
reveals in me that is impure, unjust, unrighteous, sinful.
Pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, whatever may be
hidden deep within…anything! Any impurity that the precious Holy Spirit
reveals must be separated from us, brought to the surface (acknowledged) and removed as waste (confess/repent), so that we may be purified and refined. He will purge us, but we must go through the
fire.
This is done as surely as dross (impurities) is separated from silver and gold and skimmed away (removed), so that what remains is
refined as silver and purified as gold. This is part of being molded into the
image of Christ Jesus (Messiah Yeshua).
Many justify themselves by saying with utter
confidence, “Well, God knows my heart.”
It is true that God does indeed know our heart, but do we? It says many times
throughout scripture that He will try the heart, and it will be tried by fire,
even in the furnace of affliction. [Is 48:10]
In Deuteronomy 8:2, the Lord speaks to the Israelites,
explaining that he led them in the wilderness to humble and prove them (try/test), to find out what was in their
hearts and whether they would keep his commandments or not.
I the
Lord search the heart, I try
(test) the reins (mind/will), even to give every man according to his
ways, and according to the fruit (results) of his doings. [Jer 17:10]
1 Peter 1:7 states: That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes,
though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ.
The trying of our heart and reins (mind/will) is found all throughout scripture, from the Old
Testament to the New. We can choose to go through, or we can excuse sin,
justify it, compromise or walk away. I am not “all that”, nor have I “arrived”.
The Lord is still doing a work in me and shall until the day I pass from this
life and time.
However, we must choose to work with Him. We are to be
overcomers and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Our works do
not save us, but our faith produces action; the fruit of our faith will be glad
obedience to God and all He asks of us.
It is time to choose sides and to stand, watch, pray and wait…He is
bringing us all together, step by step.
Choose
Life
But what shall we say to these things? [We (who are children of light) do well to
remember] – that God is for us and not
against. [Rom 8:31]
For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. [Rom
8:14, 15]
It is my hope that those who do not know the Lord or
the gospel would gain some insight or understanding into the agape love of God, expressed to us through His Son Jesus Christ (Yeshua).
I do not add or take away from scripture, but I do not
have every word memorized. I do know what is contained therein, what the Lord has
caused me to remember, out of His goodness.
Jesus is not going to strike us down if we cannot memorize all scripture, or just some small portion. Our Maker knows our intellectual abilities, our capabilities and all limits we may have. We are all different.
We study to know our God, His character, what He did, what He does and what He will do. We get as much down in our heart as we can, and stand on His Word, for it is Spirit (alive) and is truth (which sets us free).
God's Word is wisdom, knowledge, understanding, love - it is everything good.
Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [Jn 8:31-32]
Straying from the doctrine of Jesus will not do and is avoided,
and as led in His timing, even expose every false doctrine (teaching) that I am aware of. It’s a
continual learning process as discernment upgrades through hardships, trials
and blessings.
I would ask those who have been following along to
please bear with me whilst I repeat certain things. The purpose behind the
repetition is the Lord’s doing. He loves mankind, desiring that all should come
to repentance. [2 Pet 3:9]
However, we know that not all will, according to the
Holy Scriptures. By His goodness, grace and mercy, God gives warnings, but the
stubbornly rebellious, proud and arrogant, fearful and unbelieving shirk it off. He will pursue us [Ps 139], but He will not
force us. From the beginning, He urges us to choose life, and isn’t that what
we long for, eternity with our Creator?
But
as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. [1
Cor 2:9]
I
call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before
you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord your God, and that you
may obey his voice, and that you may
cleave unto him: for he is your
life, and the length of your days: […] [Deut 30:19]
But
if it seems evil (undesirable) to you to serve the Lord, choose
you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your forefathers
served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [Josh 24:15]
Satan has purposely set out to weary the people of God
with deception, hindrances, distractions, and many troubles, which includes lying predictions given by his false prophets, or those who unwittingly repeat 'his' words.
The devil counterfeits and imitates all he sees God do. He is the master of
illusion, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. [Jn 8:44]
His goal is to weary us, to have us destroy faith, steal hope, and kill our love (for God and for each other - thus breaking the two most important commandments).
Satan does all he can to deceive us, to keep us in fear, unbelief and rebellion. He hurts us by seducing us with temptations, then laughs when we are trapped (imprisoned) by addictions.
This is
intentionally done covertly, overtly and cleverly, but with sleight of hand and
deception because Satan’s passion is opposite to God’s. He will use man, woman or child, whichever one he knows will likely cause us to fall through their seductions, or through their own sins.
Temptation itself is not a sin (I once thought it was; what a nightmare). It is giving in to the temptation that is sin. Satan tempted Jesus in every way possible in the desert wilderness, when Jesus was at his physical weakest on a 40 day fast. [Lk 4:1-13]
Jesus did not give into any temptation, but countered each one with the Word of God. Therefore, Jesus/Yeshua did not sin.
Overcomers
It was a creationist scientist named Kent Horvind who
once said something I never forgot. The first I heard of this preacher man was
in the late 90s, early 2000. A friend brought over a couple of videos about him
and told me he was a Christian, a creationist (a scientist who believed in creation).
I was not walking with the Lord, and my friend was not
a Christian either, but he found the documentary type videos that Dr. Kent Horvind put out was a splendid
work at linking science with creation.
He liked science and was intrigued by evidence linking
creation with science (I reckon my friend was searching at the time. He did become a Christian about five years later). I had the videos for several months before I finally
watched them. Mr. Horvind does reveal strong evidence, so strong that it is hard to
refute.
In one of them, Kent
Horvind stated that “deception (and
in the one case he mentioned, false teaching) is like rat poison. It is 98% good food, and 2% poison, and it is the 2% that kills.
I never forgot the
latter part. It only takes a little bit of poison. Yet to realize that 'most' of the food is 'good', that makes it more astounding that only the tiniest portion kills. It reminds me of the words
of Jesus (through the apostle Paul), […] a little leaven leavens the
whole lump. [Gal 5:9]
After all, Satan tempted Jesus, all the while quoting
the very Word of God (Torah and other verses in other books). He
spoke truth, but he twisted it (it was tainted with lies, like good food tainted by poison).
Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks
about seeking whom he may devour. [1Pet 5:8]
Horvind was hoodwinked, framed (set up) by the powers that be, and has served a decade in prison over
supposed tax fraud and other bogus charges. Last year, a website called ‘hour
of the time’ posted a straightforward history of what
went down between Kent Horvind and
the US government. It’s worth the
read, especially in these days of deception in all places, and at all levels.
In order for Satan to successfully deceive people, he
must present mostly truth, with just enough ‘poison’ (lies, deception, spirit of error) to convince us, to go off the narrow road
and away from our Lord and King. He discovers our personal weaknesses and works
from that point. He has many watchers (demons) that report back to him. He is not omnipresent.
Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God; for many
false prophets have gone out into the world.
You
are of God, little children, and have overcome
them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world
hears them.
We
are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.
By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. [1Jn 4:1; 4-6]
Just because someone sounds like a Christian, test all
they say by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. It is the devil’s desire that
all of us should perish, up to our necks in sin, and be condemned to the lake
of fire, the second death. His hatred for mankind is obvious, but we have not
seen the fullness of Satan’s wrath yet.
But Jesus came that we might “[…] have life, and that more abundantly." [Jn 10:10] We must be
overcomers. [Rev 12:11] For an excellent read on “The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error”, written by Warren E.
Berkley (June 2004), see: Expository
Files 11:6; June 2004
Therefore
rejoice, ye heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
because he knows that he has but a short time. [Rev 12:12]
Humbled by the Purity of God’s Love
How often does the Lord God (Yhvh), our Great Spirit Chief do something marvelous when we least
expect it? A day or so after I had posted the very solemn and cautious
forewarning “Sound
the Alarm” on October 28th.
It followed a previous
cautionary article called, “Time
is Almost Up” on 10.02.2016, I was arriving home after
running some errands.
As I was just about to enter the field that I pass
through in order to park my car (once
winter’s snows have passed), I glanced upward. My eyes caught a surprise
sight in the heavens that made me gasp. I was not looking for anything - so
unexpected.
In the second article mentioned above (Time
is…), I had explained how there have been many false prophetic
warnings given by people in the past who include specific dates along with
their “prophecies” (which proved false).
The Lord would have me post “Not today…” to counteract the false prophecy. It was always
after much prayer and enquiring of the Lord that I would publish the word that
negated the false claims.
Truthfully, my heart is greatly humbled by the purity
of God’s love as He interacts with us, His creation. To allow any one of us to
voice his words to others is an unspeakable honour, but He alone is glorified.
I am well aware that I know nothing of the future without the Lord, and even
then, I only know what He reveals to me, if He so chooses to.
If He does so, it is with trembling, yet a trusting childlike
faith in God alone that I will publish what He reveals to me, but only if that
is what He instructs me to do. All along my walk with Jesus (Yeshua), He has been teaching me about
trust and faith. All said it must align with scripture and all that God is.
I will say this. Great responsibility and
accountability comes along with doing anything that we attach the Lord’s name
to. We will indeed be held accountable. Another important fact to remember is
that the Lord will not share His glory; pride will lead to destruction. Believe
it!
One example: You
will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well;
because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not
high-minded (prideful), but fear:
For
if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not you.
Behold therefore the goodness
and severity (balance)
of God: on them which fell, severity; but
toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness: otherwise you also shall
be cut off. [Rom 11:19-22]
Second example: Pride
goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. [Prov 16:18]
Is it not strange how often we hear people say that ‘pride goes before a fall’? But no, the Word of God states that ‘pride’
will lead to destruction, but a haughty
spirit, which is ‘arrogance’, will
lead to a fall.
I thought I trusted Jesus (Yeshua) in all things, but as others, I have learned that there are
times when faith must be
strong enough to act on that trust.
There have been times, much to my
chagrin, when my faith was weak or greatly shaken, even to a point where I
hesitated in doing a thing, or times I wondered if I would even still remain standing
at all, yet God upheld me as he strengthened me.
Yea, God alone! It is He that builds the house;
otherwise, it is built in vain. If our house is built upon sand, we will not be able to withstand the storms or trials life
brings our way and great shall be our fall. But if our foundation is built upon
the Rock, we may be greatly shaken, but we will
remain standing. [Ps 127:1; Mat 7:25-27]
Is that not the way with all of us? Whether we are
trusting God for healing or deliverance (for
ourselves or another), salvation for a loved one, or some other miraculous
intervention that is impossible in the natural, do we not find our faith
stretched, greatly shaken and strongly tested? Guaranteed that Satan is
involved in the testing – remember Job.
When terrible things happen to us or to our loved ones,
or on a grand scale or in an onslaught, again, is our faith not tried beyond
measure? Do we not find out just how much we do trust God and how strong our
faith actually is?
The faithfulness of God to lead us by His precious and
Holy Spirit simply cannot be emphasized enough. His patience, mercy and grace
are immeasurable. As a good Father, He is most willing to help us in ways that
only He can. Yet, He still gives us the freedom to choose.
He warns us when we are not in alignment with His will,
or we are walking dangerously as the Israelites did. He always gives fair
warnings before He passes judgment. The same is true to this day. Warnings have
been sounding a long time.
Obedience versus Disobedience
Judgment has indeed begun (beginning in His own house) and shall continue until the day of the
Lord (the day He pours out His wrath upon
all evil, upon all nations filled with the unrepentant and rebellious, great
sorrow shall befall all alike, from rich to poor, strong to weak, due to their
unrighteous practices, ways, violence and hatred).
Those who do not obey God are called children of
disobedience, and the rebellious are also called the children of wrath. These
are those who will soon come to know God’s wrath in the day of the Lord.
Wherein
in time past you walked according to the world, according to the prince of the
power of the air (Satan),
the spirit that now works in the children
of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind; and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. [Eph 2: 2, 3]
However, it goes on to say that God, who is rich in mercy
and loved us, saved us by grace. There will be no excuse because Jesus Christ
came into this world to take our place upon the cross, bearing all sin, to
reconcile us back to God, if we would believe and receive Him.
When a predicted event would pass without incident and
false prophecies failed, I would be in awe at the Lord’s faithfulness. It is
ever His glory alone, as I am but an ordinary woman, who only knows and
believes what the Lord speaks to me. Without him, I can do nothing. [Jn 15:5]
He does not tell me (or anyone) everything, and that is His prerogative. I believe it is
our Creator’s way of keeping us from becoming puffed up with pride. I am but
only one of His children of light,
but to even be a voice for Him at any time is humbling indeed.
I am still learning more about trust, especially when
it is tried at times when I must believe what He says He will do in the most
impossible situations, and then again when and if He causes me to wait –
particularly when I do not understand a thing or if it defies logic.
Yes, everything is tested (tried), so that we know where we truly stand and where we fall
short. As Jesus, we learn obedience through the things we suffer [Heb 5:8]; we
learn trust by practicing patience and with childlike faith [Rom 5:3; Mat
18:3].
It is a process,
but I believe God is speeding things up with new believers due to the lateness
of the hour. It is true that Jesus (Yeshua)
strengthens us when we are weak. All we have to do is humbly seek Him. He waits
for us and he will indeed be our strength.
Multitudes are experiencing multifarious trials as
never before, wherein their very faith and trust in God is pushed to a
precipice. If this is you, hold fast to God through Jesus Christ. He has been
preparing us for that which is soon-coming.
I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
[Phil 4:13]
Search the scriptures and see all the prophecies that
are being fulfilled now at a rapid pace. Will we be as those in the days of
Noah, filled with unbelief and mocking the obvious, whilst ignoring God’s
warnings? Jesus said that the last days will be as the days of Noah. [Mat
24:37]
Fear Not
The example of the Israelites in ancient times is a
very sobering one. We are not better than they were, in that we could just as
easily fall into fear and unbelief, given the right circumstances. It is
guaranteed that fear and unbelief will lead one into rebellion.
We are told to work out our salvation with fear and
trembling [Phil 2:12]. Although salvation itself is a gift to all who will
believe and receive it, [Eph 2:8] we must grow and mature. Believing and faith are only the beginning of our walk.
We must learn trust and obedience, and much more along
that narrow path, which seems to become increasingly narrower the closer we
walk in and with Christ Jesus (Yeshua).
When we trust in him, he will cover us and there we find refuge.
I had been pondering many things as I drove home from
town. The heaviness and urgency upon my spirit that “great danger fast approaches”,
which the Holy Spirit forewarned about, still has not departed.
The warning given on October 2, 2016 that great danger,
great trouble is fast coming upon the peoples of the world, in every nation is
a reality, despite what naysayers or skeptics may say.
Our Creator does not want us walking daily in fear.
Yes, He gave us emotions, and in a dangerous situation fear automatically can
surface, since we have built-in survival instincts. However, we have to
exercise and increase those instincts.
Akita
mani yo – [Lakota] Observe everything as you walk (in life)
We are only to have the fear of the Lord, understanding
that all power and all things belong to Him. He wants us to trust him no matter
what, and He will be with us through all things.
There are at least 76 verses (if not more) where the words ‘fear not’ are found in scripture.
The Lord knows well the frailty of mankind in our fallen, sinful nature. He
does not expect us to deny our emotions, but we cannot let anxiety overtake us.
We bring all to him in prayer.
And
the Lord, He it is that does go before you; He will be with you; He will not
fail you, neither forsake you: fear not,
neither be dismayed. [Deut 31:8]
The fear that He does not want us to have begins with
doubt and blossoms into the fear that opposes faith. I am not speaking of the
doubts of those who do not know the gospel or Jesus, but I speak of those who
know him and do not believe what he says.
That fear is united with unbelief, and unbelief opposes
both faith and trust and leads to rebellion. The Lord has been increasingly
warning us for years about the great tribulation coming, so we either believe
his Word, which foretells of these things, or we do not.
Deception and Betrayal
Jesus gave us the signs to look for in the book of
Matthew 24. One of the main points Christ Jesus (Yeshua) emphasized regarding the last of the last days is ‘deception’. He said many would
come in His name and deceive many. [vs 5]
Many would ‘betray’
each other, [vs 10] (betrayal involves
deception).
He warned that many false prophets would arise and deceive many. [vs 11] When the Lord
repeats a thing, it is to be considered very important and taken most
seriously.
He said that false Christs would arise, and repeated the warning
about false prophets, saying that they would show great signs and wonders and deceive many.
He said that if it were possible, they
would deceive the very elect. [vs
24] That tells us that the deception
will be very strong, most convincing and extremely believable. Without knowing
God’s Word (Bible), without abiding
in the Lord and receiving his clear leading, and without the discernment
of his Holy Spirit (who helps us), it
is indeed possible to be deceived.
He also cautioned the people about hypocrites, and
those who say in their heart, “My lord
delays his coming.”
And
saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [1Pet 3:4]
Jesus warned that brother shall betray (deliver up)
brother to death, and the father the child, and the children will betray (rise up against) their parents and cause them to be put to death.
[Mat 10:21; Mk 13:12; Lk 21:16]
Deception is already abounding globally and so is
betrayal, even amongst Christians, due to the false brethren, the wolves in
sheep’s clothing, those who refuse to let sin go, false teachers, false
prophets, greedy shepherds, the infiltration of Satanists and others who
practice magic in the dark and yet say, ‘praise
the Lord’.
All these things are
happening and will worsen as the last days speed hastily toward the climax.
It is my understanding that what is coming will be the
catapult for a domino effect. The latter was made known to me in 2008, when I
wrote the article “We Overcome”. Indeed, the Lord gives fair warnings, grace
periods and space for us to repent. He always has.
He is Faithful and True [Rev 19:11], but He also
stated, the time comes when the warnings must end, and the event He forewarned
us of does indeed arrive, when least expected.
It is out of love He warns us, as surely as He did in
the days of old, with Moses and the Hebrews, with Joshua and the Israelites,
with Jonah and Nineveh, and numerous other examples. He does not want us
running off half-cocked in fear, but we are not to ignore His warnings either,
saying, “How do YOU know what God says?”
But
you believe not, because you are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: [Jn
10:26, 27]
Lord, have mercy! He speaks to all who are willing to
listen, but many allow fear to hinder His voice. Others are deceived by Satan,
either because they are new in the faith, or they are overly concerned about
being deceived (my friend, just ask Him
humbly and with pure intent to keep you from deception. I firmly believe that
is a prayer God honours).
Some do not hear him because they are bound up in lust
of the flesh, lust of the eyes or pride of life (worldly), or they are not
taking everything to the Lord in prayer as we are instructed in scriptures.
[Phil4:6]
Window of Promise
Near the start of this entry, I mentioned having seen
something unexpected in the heavens. On my drive, I had pondered many things
the Lord had revealed, as well as His warnings. My reflection included the window [spiritual] that Father said was closing, adding that a door would open for the
obedient.
My concern was genuine and deep, not only for others
who are struggling in areas [addictions, relationships, etc.], but also for my own shortcomings. God knows our
very thoughts. He tries our heart. He continually astounds me, finding myself
in awe of Him, the more I come to know Him wholly, deeper.
Just before I exited the road where I live to enter the
field, I glanced upward. The sky had scattered clouds, but above I saw a break
in a cloud where the sun was shining through.
Alongside the opening in the
cloud there was part of a rainbow, just a sliver of one. There was no full bow
in the sky and no rain had fallen since the previous day.
Not only had there been no rain that day, but the
rainbow (or part of one) was right
alongside where the sun was shining. It did not strike me at the time, but that
fact in itself was God’s doing.
It is a well-known scientific fact that rainbows caused
by the sun’s light always appear in a portion of the sky that is directly
opposite the sun, which is always situated behind the observer of the rainbow.
Yet, this partial bow was directly alongside the opening where the sun was
shining.
As what I was seeing registered in my brain, the words
‘window
of promise’ resonated in my heart. The understanding came as an answer
to my questioning thoughts.
The window had not yet closed, though the opening
was small. How immeasurable is God’s grace; how fair his warnings; how
incredible is his patience and understanding!
If we willingly surrender our lives and obey
God in all He asks, our Lord’s promise (personal
promise) to us is guaranteed. Is it not amazing that when we are not even
looking for a sign, He may just very well give us a sign anyway – a sign that
we know is only His doing?
Therefore, before I get into the meat of this article,
the Lord impressed upon me to share His sign and to offer a word of hope. Hope: The window is not yet closed, but please, take heed the lateness of the
hour!
The window will close, but it is not yet closed. Great danger
is fast approaching and is nigh upon the nations of the world. He has not
lifted or removed the sense of urgency and seriousness from my spirit.
The heart of the matter is for any who read this to be
aware of any conviction the Holy Spirit may be placing upon you. It is His work
to discipline, correct and help us.
Heed His work; hear His message and obey
His leading. His love is so great for us that He shows us the way out of
bondage and/or sin. Yea, God is not mocked – what we sow, we shall reap.
For
he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows
to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
[Gal 6:8]
He is positioning His people for such a time as this.
Many have been waiting a very long time for personal promises to be fulfilled.
If there is anything that you know deep within that you must let go of in order
to be pleasing and obedient to God, do it now (surrender), whilst the small window is still open. It is stamped
with the signature of God’s promise.
[…] Does the Lord
take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the
LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken (listen) than the fat of rams. [1Sam 15:22]
Below are the pictures I took of the opening and the
rainbow. The camera’s pixels are low and quality is poor; however, at least I
can show you what I speak of. The pictures were taken as soon as I parked the
car and ran in to grab my cell.
By the time I came back out, the clouds were beginning
to shift; a soft but noticeable wind was blowing. When I tried to zoom in to
show that it was indeed an opening in the cloud, only the brilliance of the sun
could be seen, not the sliver of rainbow or anything else.
The distance I zoomed out at is the only one that was
not obscured by the bright sunshine, but as I was trying to quickly grab the
shot, the wind was blowing and clouds were shifting. So, unfortunately it does
not quite look like an opening, but rather a cloud.
However, at least the reader understands, and even more
important is the ‘slice’ of the rainbow that I speak of. Remember, it
represents “promise”.
Our
God has a gentle way of proving to each and every one of us that He indeed is
Sovereign and His timing is perfect.
Praise to God Almighty! Within twenty minutes, the rain
began to fall. I show the yellow fall leaves that blew down with the wind and
the raindrops upon my car.
Be encouraged, brethren!
Meaning
of Window Closing
This message is not to be understood as a “repent or burn” type message. That is
not the case at all. As long as we have breath, there is opportunity for us to
truly see our sin for what it is and release ourselves from it by humbly
acknowledging it before our Creator.
For this reason, Jesus came into the world. Even
judgment is given to shake people to their senses and come to repentance. The
real window or door is forever closed once we draw our last breath, but up
until that time, there is still hope and a chance. God is a God of second,
third and fourth chances.
How many chances did He give to the Israelites in the
wilderness? How many times did he stay his hand because of prayer and fasting,
combined with repentance? How many times, when time after time, when His people
fell back into sin, did he offer a way of escape and room for repentance?
Yes, there is always a chance to repent (change of mind and heart) as long as we live.
This window of promise that is spoken of here is directed at those who have
been waiting for an answer to prayer, and manifestation of a personal promise.
With that being said, then hopefully what I say next
will be understood also. The true body of Christ is an army of believers. Each
person has their own testimony, their own strengths and weaknesses, their own
trials and their own training (in their
own wilderness).
Ever since mankind demanded a leader, a king to direct
them, rather than to take their directives from God, the Lord has those he
chooses to be leaders.
And
the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken (listen) unto the voice of the people in all that
they say unto you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me,
that I should not reign over them. [1Sam 8:7]
In an army, everyone starts at boot camp, where the
mind must be transformed to make warriors that will fight the good fight. With
believers, it is being transformed by the renewing in the spirit of the mind.
[Eph 4:23]
We are to have the mind of Christ [1Cor 2:16] That
means all we see, hear and do is done from Christ’s perspective; to bring God
glory, to depend on God, obedience, humility, love and compassion for those in
need of salvation, deliverance and healing – the Father’s will.
We learn from hardships and trials how to stand strong
when under stress, persecution and threats. We must listen and learn, act on
God’s instruction and move as one unit (body
of Christ), of which Jesus the Christ is the Head.
Without the head, the body
dies. It is as nothing. Without Christ, we can do nothing. He is the Vine, we
are the branches.
The
Making of Warriors
It takes time and hardship, trials and suffering have a
way of humbling us, but it will work together for our good, if we love God and
are called according to his purpose. [Rom 8:28]
It is good that we come willingly, gladly, not forced
or coerced, but drawn by His goodness, mercy and grace – such pure love. This
is so we come to a place where we long to die to self so that Jesus may rule
our hearts as King and Lord.
A surrendering of the ‘old man’ [carnal], which keeps us in bondage, and the birthing of
the ‘new man’ [spiritual], which
liberates us…this gradually takes place. (Christ
in us, the hope of glory!)
Love, faith, trust, compassion, justice, discipline (self-discipline), forgiveness,
dedication, righteousness (Christ’s),
prayerfulness, perseverance, endurance (patience
and waiting), a heart of thanksgiving and worship, discernment, spiritual
warfare – all of these things the Lord teaches us through His precious and Holy
Spirit. It’s a work; it’s training in the highest degree.
I
returned, and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of
understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to
them all. [Eccl 9:11]
He perfects these things in us as we lay down our
lives, submitting to his Sovereignty. These things become part of us, and the
Body of Christ as a whole. It is necessary that God builds us up from the
foundation, stone by stone (living stones),
so that we stand strong in the storms of life, both in the natural and in the
spiritual.
We must learn to recognize the true from the false, and
we (Body of Christ) must learn to act
in perfect unison, praying one for another, standing in the gap and even
engaging in spiritual warfare through prayer and fasting if need be.
Endurance and enduring are two of the harder lessons.
This is where faith and trust can be stretched to the point to strengthen and
harden (as a worthy sword is shaped in
the hands of a wise and patient blacksmith, who puts steel through intense
fires and through the waters).
It can also be the point where someone can quit
believing as he once did, and give up, not really understanding that it is only
in surrender that we are free. Once the
inside of the cup is clean, then the outer also becomes clean. The inside holds
all the impurities, which can harden and be difficult to remove.
That is why the fires must gradually intensify, to
break loose the dross and allow it to surface – all part of the purifying
process. We all must endure hardships and various trials whilst waiting for the
Lord to give us further instructions.
There will be times when one feels as if the Lord has
forgotten, or is not paying attention, or has changed his mind. Not so, He is
listening carefully and watching closely. Nothing catches Him by surprise. His
hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear too dull that he cannot
hear [Is 59:1]. And we also must help each other, as one Body (in Christ).
A warrior must mentally be able to think amidst
confusion, stress and opposition. For
every battle of the warrior
is with confused noise, and garments
rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning
and fuel of fire. [Is 9:5]
The purpose of all that we go through is to perfect us,
to be effective and ready vessels unto honour for our warrior King. He is
choosing and positioning His armies accordingly.
The purest vessels are ones
put through the most intense fires…and endure. It is no easy thing, but those
who love God find strength in Him through Jesus (Yeshua).
The alarm has sounded, as a trumpet. A warning of a
sword coming across the lands (book of
Joel 3 chapters); a sword is symbolic for judgment. The time that we’ve all
heard about for so long is upon us. Search the word and see for yourself. Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel,
Revelation
Search the word…
Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits to see whether they are of God:
because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the
Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is of God. [1Jn 4:1, 2]
We each need to hear his voice for ourselves through
serious prayer, even fasting if need be. Then, it will be confirmed as other
brethren share what is on their hearts. The same message ripples down
throughout the Body of Christ by the same Holy Spirit.
Disciples of Jesus (Yeshua) are hearing the same
message globally. They all have a warning in the spirit. One confirms another.
That is what we are to watch for also. And let two or three prophets speak, and
let the other judge. [I Cor 14:29]
I understand that to mean that we will know each other
by the Holy Spirit that resides in each of us; by our fruit, whether it is good
or bad, and by our love for one another. Whatever one speaks will be in harmony
with scripture, God’s word.
I will end with this. The window is closing for those
who know their leadership qualities, and have waited for answers. All things
must be laid at the foot of the cross and left there.
That is where freedom
lies – humbly at the foot of the cross, as the blood of Christ Jesus (Yeshua the Messiah) washes us clean, and
makes us whole again.
It is as Gideon’s army, if that helps. All the warriors
in Gideon’s army (10,000 troops) all
went to the same river to drink. Those who were watchful as they drank water (lapped water as a dog from their hands, able
to still observe), these alone were chosen.
Only 300 out of 10,000 mighty warriors were positioned
to fight in a battle where they would be gravely outnumbered. Despite all odds,
God gave them victory over the enemy army just as he promised. Gideon trusted
God for his life and the lives of his 300 men. He obeyed God’s instructions and
victory was sure.
The Lord God is about to reveal His decisions, and in
His wisdom, He shall position each accordingly within His armies. Those who
have long awaited promises, visions, dreams, these will manifest.
Obedience
brings blessing. Yet, if anything hinders us, we must rid ourselves of any sin
that has held us from granting Jesus to reign on the throne of our heart. It is
time to make a choice and take a stand.
It is also time to be chosen. We were born for such a
time as this! Therein is our hope – Jesus the Christ, Messiah. Yet the dragon
shall arise before Him, and shall transform itself. He shall possess the one
who is known as the “lawless one”,
the “son of perdition”, one Satan
himself embodies.
The one who will perform mighty miracles and call down
fire from heaven is none other than the dragon, the beast along with his false
prophet. He is the one who is described in Revelation chapter 13. It is the
clash of the kingdoms the Lord God warned of long ago.
That is the meaning of the ‘window of promise’. The
message along with a picture - to the ones who see and discern, and to the ones
who are quickened by the Holy Spirit to hear and understand; these are those to
whom the message is for.
The King approaches. It is the time of allegiance, a
time for warriors to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall
lift us up. [Jam 4:10]
The next chapter will speak about sabotage.
for His glory alone
Bonita dovesofthevalleys4@gmail.com
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