This article is not part four of the Year of the Giant and Year of the Righteous, but one that has been impressed upon me to publish now. God is so good. I do fully intend to continue with the Year 2022 mini-series. However, just a heads up that there will be a few things about 2022 that I will mention further on in this piece.
Hindrances
Hindrances and
distractions can tie you down and hold you back from moving onward. And they
surely have been happening at an amazing rate to countless folks! Yes, it’s a given that these things can
simply be a normal part of life. Yet we are not in normal times.
We take into account
the ‘normal’ hindrances and obstacles in life, but when they come in like a
flood, fast and furious, beyond normal measures, what is one to think?
Are these just part
of what to expect as things in life accelerate and escalate? Are these things
allowed by God as exercises and challenges that strengthen us to endure?
Is it to teach us
deeper levels of trust and patience as we wait upon God to move on our behalf?
Or are the hindrances, distractions and interruptions part of the enemy’s
strategy and arsenal to wear the saints down?
It is getting harder
to discern what is par for the course of life, and what is a spiritual attack.
The lines between normalcy and what is a spiritual attack are becoming as
blurred as the lines of gender. It is due to the escalating intensity of the
clash of the kingdoms.
This is all part of
the enemy’s last days stratagems and strategies. In the former, Satan and his
evil legions plot by deception. Four times (for a man that did
not waste words, four times means, ‘pay attention’!) in his speech on the
Mount of Olives, Jesus warned heavily about deception in the last days, “[…] let
no man deceive you.”
The
counterfeiter/imitator Satan has vessels of dishonour that he uses to carry out
his plans. His strategies are intended to bring in the Antichrist, the lawless
one Satan chose “instead of” (anti) Christ. His
stratagems are cunning, crafty and subtle as he wages war against God’s people,
and against the remnant of the King.
Even still, there is
always a logical explanation behind why God allows what He allows, but we may
not always get the answer or understanding as to the ‘why’. And yes, that can
be very frustrating, but it is where trust comes in (and patience).
Many saints say, “I
won’t give glory to the devil”, meaning they either will not mention him at
all, or they speak rarely of Satan, and downplay his influence, interference
and rage that all of us will face in our journey homeward bound, that is, if
our trip is long enough.
Those saints are
loved and their position understood, but I do think they err on the side of
their caution. It is true that Christ Jesus gave all true born-again
Spirit-filled disciples, power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all
the power of the enemy. [Lk 10:19]
And absolutely, God is Sovereign! He warns us about the adversary (Satan) and his legions (armies) of evil demons. He also gave us spiritual armour and reminders of who we are warring against, and how to overcome him. However, discussion of the enemy is not giving him glory. Ignoring something does not make it go away.
I know that is a factual statement. I have some extra pounds that I have been ignoring, and they simply are not going away. If I chose not to talk about them, they still are there (sneaky buggers).
However, if I confront them, and take God-given authority over those pounds (along with prayer and God's wisdom), aligning my faith with God's instructions, those pounds will have to flee...
Of course, I'm being facetious, but it is a lighthearted way to prove that ignoring something does not make it go away - confronting opposition with God's wisdom and direction will always bring results. I hope that lightened up your day a tad.
New converts
need to be made aware, and each one of us need to prepare because once we
commit our lives to be disciples of Jesus the Messiah, we become large targets
on Satan’s radar.
These hindrances and
distractions have been coming particularly fast and furious this past week; in
ways and from people that simply cannot be ignored (landlord, family,
medical sources, other business matters, etc). These must be addressed.
The fact that a few
others have mentioned the same happening with them acts as confirmation to me
that I am to move forward with testimony. It is helpful to hear from others. It
keeps us in the loop, helps us balance everything.
Transparency
Transparency must be
genuine, not fabricated or counterfeit, in order for the other two to be
properly applied. Jesus came against the Pharisees because they prayed publicly,
but privately they secretly devised plots, and hid their agendas, ever
seeking power, control and money.
Their transparency
was counterfeit. It was fabricated, that is, concocted for public approval.
Their hearts were cold and calculating in reality, yet they presented
themselves as good and pious men. That was only one reason Jesus (Yeshua)
called them hypocrites, along with a few other ‘choice’ names.
Testimony
And saw Him
saying unto me, Make haste, and get quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me. [Acts 22:18]
Those were Jesus’
words to Paul the apostle. Be assured that there will be times our witnessing
concerning Jesus (that which He has done for us) will not be accepted,
or the giving [sharing] of it will be critiqued. Let it not sway you, my
friend.
Whether a critic
speaks from their flesh (their carnal nature), or whether the devil
speaks through them, do not allow words to darken or cover up your light. Shine
forth brightly so that Christ may be glorified through you.
Around the world, in
many different countries, there are people who continue to be a bold witness
for what is right. When it comes to the kingdom of God, multitudes of all ages
testify to what Jesus has done for them. Some do so under threat of arrest, losses,
torture or death because they know this world is not their home.
I have given
them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of
the world, even as I AM not of the world. [Jn 17:14- words of Messiah]
So, let us encourage
one another to go forward with renewed strength and boldness (in Jesus)
because people need to hear the voices of witnesses such as yourself as a
testimony to God’s mercy, grace and goodness. People just like you, like me,
like many others…
People have said it a
thousand times and it’s true that everyone does have a story, a
testimony. Down through the corridors of history the stories of others are
recorded who testified of incredible interventions of God, documented miracles.
The Bible is the
chief source of such records, but there are thousands of other books that
testify of Jesus and of His works. Scripture explains why we do not know
everything that Jesus/Yeshua did in the short time that He walked upon this
earth.
Testimony: Greek, martureo – [1] to be a witness, to
affirm and share that one has seen, heard or experienced a thing, or it was
taught by divine revelation/inspiration [2] testify, utter honorable testimony
[3] give a good report
Source: BibleStudyTools : Greek Lexicon based on Thayers’ and Smith’s Bible
Dictionary – public domain
Have you not
known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of
the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? There is no searching of
His understanding. He
gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He
increases strength. [Is 40:28, 29]
And you are witnesses to these things. [Lk 24:48]
Examples:
Feed the flock
of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords
over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. [1Pet 5:2, 3]
When we carry on faithfully, year after year, people will see consistency. Yet, they should also witness growth. We make mistakes as we learn, which we correct. Some are embarrassing mistakes, nevertheless, we all make those kind too.
That being said, we only learn of such mistakes through the genuine transparent ones (unless one is there to personally witness such a mistake, or suffered the consequences of it).
Most of us do not care to err in ways that hurt, offend or do any kind of harm. However, when we do, we [hopefully] learn from them, so as not to repeat them. Then, we keep moving onward,
ever-growing, ever-changing.
Is it not true? In
hindsight, we will see the difference in ourselves. Our desire is that people
are drawn to Christ through such changes. Every day we learn from others, of
all ages. We learn from nature and animals. We learn from everything in
creation.
We learn until the
day we die, unless there are serious circumstances that prevent us (brain
injury, diseases, comatose, handicaps and disabilities and other such valid
reasons). We need not fear that God does not take such things into account.
He certainly does. He is full of grace and mercy, but also full of understanding
and justice.
We are examples,
whether we intend to be or not. As disciples of Christ, we long to be good
examples. However, the Bible also gives us plenty of bad examples, what not to
do, or how not to be.
That does not mean we
are expected to be perfect, without flaw or error. Only Jesus was able to
accomplish that. Our heart's desire is to reflect Christ, to honour him. I have
shared before that when the Word of God instructs us to be perfect, in the
Greek, it means: whole, mature, complete.
Shine Brightly
Yes, we are told how
we will shine to the glory of God (Adonai) through Yeshua, our righteousness.
Then, the
righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has
ears to hear, let him hear. [Mat 13:43]
And they that be
wise shall shine
as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars
forever and ever. [Dan 12:3]
(Some might ask, "Yes, but is that for today, our time now, or was Daniel speaking of Jesus and His apostles, those times?" Daniel was speaking of the last generation, my friend…our generation.)
But you, O
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
increased.
And he (angel) said,
Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed til the time of the
end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do
wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall
understand. [Dan 12:4, 9-10]
Then Jesus spoke
again to them, saying, I AM the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
[Jn 8:12]
That you may be
blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world; [Phil 2:15]
So yes, we who are
His shine His light, some more brightly than others. If we are too hard on
ourselves, He proves to be gentle and kind, instructing us in the way we ought
to go and to be. Nevertheless, if we pamper ourselves or are too easy on
ourselves and walk in arrogance and pride, He knows how to humble us, to
correct and discipline us.
We are His if He does
that; otherwise, we are bastards and not sons. [Heb 12:7, 8] A thousand times
His children are relieved to be handled as His children, even in the harsh
times of discipline. Even then, we are aware of His deep love. It may be so
uncomfortable we squirm. We may even whine a little and pout, but deep within,
and so much further on up the road, we are grateful that He loved
us enough to correct and discipline us.
His wisdom and
understanding are far beyond ours. Yet it is written for us to ‘get wisdom’
and to ‘get understanding’. Where do we get it? Why, from Abba, our
heavenly Father of course, through His Spirit and from the very Word that
exhorts us to do so. We are accountable to Him.
But we also have to be humble enough to learn from teachers, preachers, and other brethren. I cannot emphasize enough how we are to learn from each other, God’s perfect plan, for us to grow and function as one unit, one Body in Christ, in one spirit, one accord.
Yet stay unique to the way God created you, and do not try to be someone you are not. We are to molded into Christ Jesus' image, not the image of someone else.
We strive for the
eternal, not the temporal [2Cor 4:18] Do our words align with our actions, our
walk, our talk? They will if we are ‘for real’ (genuine, sincere).
Are we consistent? It takes time to see these things, but even the critics will
see, if they stay around long enough.
Sometimes we all take
three steps forward and two back (sometimes three back, wait a moment to regain
our composure, making others wonder if we are treadmilling [going nowhere
fast]), but we rise again and press onward – part of learning and growing.
The Holy Spirit
always gives us warnings if we fail to see that we are straying. He is faithful
and will not allow temptations that we are not able to escape. He promises that
He will make a way so we can handle it. [1Cor 10:13]
Running the Race
There are times where
it may seem like a 50-yard dash, where we accomplish much in a short period. Those
are joyous victories! Other times, it is like a relay race, a real team effort.
We run with others, and pass things along to each other, inspiring each other
to press on, to go forth, running toward Yeshua,
our Jesus.
Then there are those
seasons in life where it seems like we are running in a never-ending marathon.
We start off eager and run well, with strength and determination. We do our
best to hold steady, but further on, obstacles begin to get in the way, slowing
us down.
We deal with them and
move on past them, regaining composure and speed. Until…the uphill treks, which
seem long and arduous. The race started out in fair weather, but we can run into
a blinding, violent storm.
We want to trust, so
we step out in faith, then our logic kicks in as we look around, seeing and
hearing, and doubts set in, which leads to fear. “Save me Lord – don’t leave
me here like this!” When darkness
falls, we need His light to guide us. If we try to find a shortcut, we can go
off course, which can really set us back.
The race can be a
lengthy and hard one. In the longest
runs (trials/hardships), even the mightiest will begin to weary. In
those weak moments, we watch others pass us by. We began so positive, even
though we knew the race would be a long and difficult one, we were confident
that we could meet the challenge. Even wearied and fatigued, we run determined.
As time progresses,
as our strength begins to wane, we begin to wonder where the finish line is and
how much further we have to go. In the spiritual race, remember, the Coach runs
alongside us. He will restore our confidence, even when we must lean on Him for
strength; He gives it.
There are times He
may have to carry us, and we may not even know it. That happens to most of us when
the race is herculean, toilsome and long-lasting. The Holy Spirit is our
constant companion.
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| I think I can...I think I can... I knew I could...I knew I could... |
He is the Coach that encourages, instructs, disciplines (corrects); He cheers us on, assuring us He has not forsaken us, but that He has been and IS running right here, right along with us! Faithful Comforter and Teacher!
He reminds us that “we
are more than conquerors through Him that loved us, and nothing [but
nothing…NOTHING] can separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ our Lord.” [Rom 8:37-39]
Run the race; shut
out the voices of the naysayers, the accusers, the discouragers, and all those,
whether in the flesh or in the demonic realm, who long to see us quit. My
friend, do not quit! The finish line is just ahead…run with hope and
confidence. He speaks in the now.
Even through a
stranger, right here, right now; do not give up, my beloved. Remember, You are of God; He is
for you, not against! [Rom 8:31] He is an ever-present help in trouble. [Ps
46:1]
Who Dangles that
Unreachable Carrot on a String?
What would cause
someone to have a disdain for testimonies? Is not the very Word of God (Holy
Bible) filled with the most astounding testimonies? Do we not read about
the strengths and the frailties of forerunners, as well as the wickedness of
mankind’s sinful nature?
Yet, are we not awestruck
by the examples of God’s grace and mercy upon mankind, and His willingness to
forgive sins? When a testimony is timely and addresses the very situation that
we find ourselves in, are we not inspired?
When others
accomplish things that we only dared to think of, does it not give us courage? It
is said that courage is contagious. Well, it certainly is inspiring and
strengthening! Do such things not offer hope to the hopeless, and comfort to
the downtrodden? They do.
Do the godly examples
that many set before our eyes not shift our attention toward the heavens, and
toward the Saviour of mankind? Have not
certain examples moved us, even perhaps challenge us to seek God and to pray (cry
out)? Do they not stir us, and often change our perspective, helping us to
see from a different angle?
Does not the Spirit
of God draw us to repentance quite often through testimonies and examples? Let
us love one another by humbly continuing to share testimonies that expose our
weaknesses, true, but more importantly, show the one and only way to eternal
life? Do such testimonies and examples not glorify Christ Jesus?
We see that His arm
is not shortened that He cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that He cannot hear.
[Is 59:1] We learn that sin separates us from God. [vs 2]
At one time, our lips
spoke lies; we muttered perverseness (or thought or saw it). We all have
embraced vanity, lies, mischief and sin, even if in secret or minute portions;
a part of our fallen nature. Did we plead for truth and justice in those times?
[vs 4]
I can tell you that
the testimonies of others, and/or their examples have stirred me to repentance
on various occasions regarding different things throughout my walk. To stand as
a witness for Jesus/Yeshua is an honour – transparency is honoured and
appreciated.
Be encouraged to
share your testimony when the opportunity arises. You could bless others in
ways I never could, and vice versa. It is one reason we are called a “body”; we
each have a separate and unique part to carry out.
One part of the Body
may be able to accomplish things or reach people that another part may not be
able to. It all works together, like a machine. All a part of God’s perfect
plan.
You do not know who
you may help, but the Lord knows. You may never know who you helped until the
day that Jesus hands out the rewards to His faithful ones, and you may end up
with an armful of crowns to throw at the King’s feet.
He who orders our
steps will lead us to help others because loving God and loving our neighbour (others)
are the Creator’s heart (two commandments Jesus spoke of, because in doing
just the two, you will cover all 10. Selah).
When a (proverbial)
carrot is dangled in front of you (something that will personally tempt you),
the purpose is to keep you going in the direction that the person dangling the
carrot wants you to go. It is to entice you to follow their lead. Stand your
ground. Do not give into temptation.
Banner of Hope
Unfortunately, that
does happen sometimes, but please know that if that happened, it was wrong and
not of God, whether that person spoke from their carnal nature or whether a
demon spoke through them, like Satan spoke through Peter one time (to Jesus).
What is repented of
is covered by the blood of Jesus, who sacrificed His life for the redemption
and forgiveness of sins. [Heb 9:22] The Lord will cast all our sins into the
depths of the sea. [Micah 7:19]
If such injury was
done to you, I urge you to work through such wrongdoing to the point where you
can honestly forgive them and release it into the competent
hands of Jesus. In so doing, that same forgiveness will destroy any bitter
root. All bitter roots die, when utterly saturated in the sweet waters of
forgiveness.
OLD ADAGE: Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on
the heel that has crushed it.
Although this is
often credited to Mark Twain, investigative ‘quote sleuths’ are still searching
for the original source. It has circulated many countries, with the kind of
flower often being changed to rose or lily. (I treasure this. It is easy to
understand and envision -BP)
Read All About
It
I am going to share a
story that I try to remember whenever negative opinions or comments come my way
or are presented to others. It has likely been around for centuries, but I
enjoy telling it. There are multiple versions, and it is repeated in many countries,
in various languages.
However, despite the
fact that there are often slight changes in characters, places or dialogue, the
moral of the story remains consistent. Yet this story helps put naysayers and
their words in the right perspective, and keeps it all in balance.
It was simply called,
The Old Man, The Boy and the Donkey. I heard it as a child, when I was
growing up. Many others have also heard the story, but not all have… Let’s
either stir up memories or make them, shall we?
I will give the
condensed version (meaning the “dialogue part” will be simplistic).
Hopefully though, I give ample details to make it intriguing enough to get the
reader through to the end of the story, to present the moral.
The Age-Old
Story for Critics
The young grandson
did indeed feel ashamed for he loved his grandfather. He quickly dismounted and
urged the reluctant old man to mount the able beast. When he got up on the
donkey and the young lad walked alongside, then the people were content.
They journeyed
onward. After a time, they entered the next town along the way. The murmurings
of the people arose up again. “What a heartless old man! Look at him riding
all comfortably. The poor lad looks exhausted.”
Feeling guilt and
shame, the old man slid down off the donkey. Then the people were content. Once
outside of town and after a short talk, they agreed that they both should ride
the healthy, strong donkey.
Everything seemed to
be going along splendidly. They had stopped and fed and watered their beast and
refreshed themselves too. Then they continued on their way and soon arrived at
the third town.
The grandfather and
young boy looked at each other. They both silently dismounted. Once again, the
people looked smug, satisfied as the two passed by with the donkey following
closely behind them.
They finally decided
that they both should walk. They were confident when they walked into the
fourth town, but it did not last. “What a waste of a good, healthy animal.
Is it not called a beast of burden? How wasteful, how foolish.”
By this time the grandson
and old man were exasperated. Nothing seemed to please the people. Finally,
they coaxed the beast to lay down upon its side, and gently they tied its feet
to a pole and carried the animal.
Surely that should
shut the mouths of the naysayers. The donkey would be under no strain or
neglect at all. He would not be burdened with any weight. However, that logic
was quickly dismissed because the fifth and final town was the worst.
That stirring accusation
enraged the people, and before either of the two could make an explanation, the
people picked up stones and began throwing them at the old man and the young
boy.
Dodging as many
stones as possible, the two ran as fast as they could out of town until the
last person gave up on chasing them. Winded and gasping for air, the two
plopped themselves down upon the hard ground. They loosed their pet donkey from
the pole, watered and fed her.
They had no
reasonable options left. They had to return home, but the only way was back through
the same towns. They finally decided to bang on every farm door, until finally,
they found a farmer who bought their beast to use for plowing. How sad their
donkey was as she watched them walking far up the road, leaving her behind. What
had she done wrong?
They learned the hard
way that it is not possible to please everyone. They managed to keep their
sanity, but they lost greatly in the end.
It is not possible to please everyone and if you try, you will
come up empty. If we choose to please people rather than God, we lose.
If we lack
wisdom, we are told to ask of God, who will give to us liberally, without
finding fault. Wisdom shall be given. [Jam 1:5]
Seek God, surrender
all.
For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake,
the same shall save it. To what advantage is it to a man, if he gains the whole
world and lose himself, or be cast away? [Lk 9:24, 25]
NO RUSHING
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| Errr - I 'am' hurrying. What's the rush? |
Be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and supplication (humbly/earnest petition), with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [Phil 4:6, 7]
Straight forward,
practical advice, with a splendid promise. …but there are times that not
getting upset and concerned can be a real challenge. In other words, when
certain things present themselves, bringing it to God may not be the knee-jerk
reaction it should be. Emotions, such as anxiety and/or fear can interrupt our thoughts
to pray.
In today’s fast-paced
society, if one has a blog or a news site, or if one posts videos, and they
fall behind, chances are they will lose people that they had hoped to reach.
Things move quickly these days. Posters can get anxious if things prevent them
from keeping up with regular posting.
Something that just
happened can be old news within hours, then folks want updates, updates,
updates. We are the “need to know” generation. But what happens if you are a one-person
team and illness strikes, or for a reason that has yet to be explained, chronic
fatigue slows you down, or other unexpected, unpreventable challenges cause productivity
to proceed at a snail’s pace?
Of course, we come to
the point where we do pray, but what do we do when even answers seem delayed?
What if the delay is about learning patience (“Yes Lord, I
learned it now…can you answer already please?” [‘impatiently’ asked])
If obstacles or
hindrances slow us down, and things are accomplished at a snail’s pace, or as
quickly as the proverbial turtle (who, by the by, still managed to beat the
arrogant rabbit in the race), will we panic and try to rush?
If we fall behind, we
fall behind. Yet, we still press on, resigning from all fear and angst, and
truly trusting God with the outcome of things. God’s will will be done no
matter what. Holy Spirit, help us to remember to pray because we know Abba
hears us.
He will balance
everything out and bring us into perfect alignment with His will, if we can but
have faith and trust in Him. He is excellent at orchestrating everything. Sometimes,
I wonder – in the times we are learning patience and endurance, does the Lord
hear millions of earthly voices simultaneously asking Him: “Are we there
yet?”
Trusting God in
the Hardest Tests
Remember Job?
Festering with pus, painful sores that caused him to scrape
himself with potsherd (broken antique pottery fragments). [Job
2:8] He had to be making it worse with the scraping, but somehow there had to be
some kind of relief too, or else he would not have done it.
Satan had Job in dire
straits. The devil increased the pressure and stress to maximum levels. He was
forbidden to kill Job, but he brought Job as close to death as possible,
inflicting pain and misery at unbearable, torturous measures.
If that was not
enough, he brought four of Job’s friends to him, three of whom would accuse him
of some secret sin, or for being punished over some iniquity. Bit by bit, Job began
to slowly crumble as the trial and time wore on, and with relentless pain and oozing
sores.
He was so changed
physically in the test that his friends did not even recognize him at first. In
the seemingly never-ending trial, Job began to question God. The pain was too
much, for too long. The disease horrific. The accusations from friends were a
different sort of agony.
Job did weaken
mentally, emotionally and physically, who wouldn’t? Yet even still, he held
fast to faith, trust, integrity and patience in God…even if it was
as a grain of mustard seed.
What about Abraham
when he was told to sacrifice Isaac? He trusted that God would fulfil His
promises to him (he would be the father of many nations). Even if the
promise meant that God had to raise Isaac back up from the dead.
Abraham held fast to
his faith, integrity, patience and trust in God.
Then our turn comes.
We too will be tested; our faith, integrity, patience and trust will be tried.
The great testing, the heavy trial for both of these men was difficult. Job
lost everything, including all ten of his precious children (seven sons,
three daughters), all his servants, all of his hundreds of livestock and
all material possessions.
Some testify today that
they too lost everything at one time – wife and children, marriage dissolved,
possessions, work, everything gone. But Job also lost his health to such an
extreme that he was unrecognizable to his friends, and as close to dying as
possible.
Pain that is constant
and persistent will slowly begin to break down even the strongest of souls.
Losing a loved one can devastate a person; one can barely fathom how Job felt
when all ten of his grown children were killed.
After Job lost his
health, and everything was stripped from him, his wife asked him if he still
held fast (retained) his integrity. She exclaimed, Curse God and die!
It sounds harsh, cruel even, but people forget that she too had just lost all
10 of her children.
Job understood that that
his wife was beside herself in grief. That is why he said that she spoke as a
foolish woman. He knew nothing made sense to her either and grief had absolutely
crushed her spirit and will to live. Imagine, all ten children – gone in an
instant.
Yet he not only loved
her, he loved God more. So, he challenged her by asking if they should only
receive good from God, and not evil. Job’s words were not considered sinful,
and nothing more was mentioned about Job’s wife. Later, Job had 10 more
children, so when the trial was over, God blessed his wife as well.
Do some of you find yourselves in that place today? You don’t want to murmur and complain, yet you must let God know where you are at. Death seems to be the only logical relief from pain, yet you hold fast to the hope of healing. “How long, Lord…how long will the enemy triumph over me?”
Hold
fast, saint of God! The end is closer than you think…the finish line is just
over the horizon.
The right hand
of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I shall not die but live to declare
the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me sore: but He has
not given me over unto death.
Open to me the
gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: [Ps118:16-19]
The ways we are tried
today within our individual cultures and societies is different in how God
allowed testing back then, mostly due to changes and laws, but our hearts, and
faith and trust will be tried. He is allowing heavy things to happen that will
test us.
I warned friends in a
group, beginning a couple of years ago, that the Lord was/is allowing the trying
of hearts, but it was not taken to ‘heart”, if my meaning is
understood. This will be explained further on in the Year of the Giant and
Year of the Righteous series. It has already been mentioned in part one,
but it is applicable to 2022! Keep that in mind, saint.
This is on a global scale
because the remnant are scattered around the nations of the world. The trying
of the hearts will not be how we expect it. And most certainly, it will not be
in a way that we would choose. Yet guaranteed, the testing has been and is
indeed happening.
Many have often said
that it is when the pressure and stress are really applied to us that we find
out what we are really made of. There have been times I have not been pleased
with how I handled a matter. In fact, it disappointed me. I pray that with God’s
help, I have learned, grown and changed.
The problem is that
we all think we will be cool under pressure. But I think it depends upon the
people (is trouble arising amongst friends or loved ones, or strangers),
and upon circumstances (how close to home does it strike? Will it affect our
loved ones?)
Yes, we all want to
believe we will be as cool as cucumbers, but that is not always how it goes.
May God help us through His Holy Spirit to remain faithful to Jesus, without
violent retaliation or anything that would grieve the Lord in any way, but to
stand bold and strong for that which is right and true.
Yahweh’s thoughts and
ways are not like ours. It is yet just one more reason why we are dependent
upon Him and need His guidance continually.
For My thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts. [Is
55:8, 9]
For you see your
calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. [1Cor1:27-29]
The year 5872 adds up perfectly to 22: [5
+ 8 + 7 +2 = 22]
Year of the giant = the Goliath of 2022
is fear (a spirit of fear will torment multitudes globally),
being the ‘Goliath’ sweeping over the minds globally.
In Part two of the Year of the Giant and Year of the
Righteous series, I tell of the dream I had with a giant, an unseen giant who
remained hidden – but the shoes he left in “plain sight” were size 22. I had no
idea at the time why that size or its meaning.
This year (and onward), most who are fearful
will not know it because this giant remains out of sight [hidden in the
shadows of a soul]. Only confrontation draws this giant out – countless
this year will fight more fear, (as it grows in stature), including
a number of Christians not yet perfected in God’s love (more on this later
in the mini-series)
When people are in fear, they are easier to control
and to manipulate. Government leaders know this. This evil spirit (of fear)
has the ability to provoke violence and much more.
Goliath had four brothers (some scholars claim three).
The ‘spirit of fear’ is accompanied by other ‘giants’,
but who are these companions? Who sends them? First clue. They are not of God. ‘Persecution’ will be one [giant] of
the companions. Violence is another.
It is written:
For God has not given us
a spirit of fear,
but of power, and of love, and of sound mind. Therefore, be not ashamed of the testimony of
our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be partaker of the afflictions of the
gospel according to the power of God; [2Tim1:7, 8]
A Giant Versus a
Shepherd Boy
Ishbibenob [2Sam
21:16], Saph [vs 18], Sippai [1Chron 20:4] and Lahmi [vs 5]
These are said to be
referring to brothers of the giant Goliath the Gittite (an inhabitant of
Gath in ancient Palestine, one of Philistines’ major cities).
These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. [2Sam 21:22]
[1Chron 20:8] says the same, without numbering the giants
The Lord impressed the
following upon me in December, 2021. It is posted in Part 1 of
the “Year of the Giant and Year of the Righteous”:
[Excerpt]
This is the message I
was given, all glory to God alone:
• the year of the giant,
both in the spiritual and in the physical; both for the good and for the evil.
There will be things that take place which will be giant (gigantic) in
proportion, meaning things too big to ignore – too massive to forget.
These things shall
happen (and are happening) on a global scale in the global arena;
however, as far as where, what and when, it is entirely in God’s (Adonai)
hands, for He alone is the Sovereign God. He gave us His Word to read and
follow.
[End excerpt]
Freedom 2022
Sabotage – a word that has been upon my heart for almost a week
now. I am doing my best to get this article out…fighting chronic fatigue.
The Freedom Convoy 2022 left BC two days after the above was posted (about things that would happen in giant proportion; click the "Year of [...]" title for link).
It has become an event “too big to ignore – too massive to forget”. It has been a friendly, peaceful protest against the COVID-19 mandates, although it originally began as a protest against the truckers having to be vaccinated or quarantined for two weeks when driving between Canada and the States.
It is not an
anti-vaccine protest, as apparently most of the truckers are vaccinated. They likely
had to be vaccinated in order to keep their jobs, and most have families to
support. Their protest is against the mandates that take away the freedom to
choose, or else lose work – this according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance. Hence the name, FREEDOM 2022
Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. [Micah 2:1]
If it is true, I am
inclined to believe that [some of] those people are either infiltrators with totally different
agendas or organizations, who are using the protest as a ploy to get their
anger, rebellion and statements out, or they are plants sent in by the officials
as a ruse to end the protest.
Now something has the
people living in downtown Ottawa pushing for lawsuits. Of course, a way to make
money out of all this. If horn-honking is continuous, that is understandable. In
all fairness, that would get to anyone after so many hours. That should stop
now.
Someone had mentioned
nearly two weeks ago, a few days after the truckers left BC and support across
the province escalated and made headline news; they said to watch officials
and hate groups try to turn this into a January 6, 2021 event, similar
to what happened in Washington, DC. Fellow believers, let us pray that is not
so, and that the Lord reverses any such plans of the enemy.
Initially when it was
said, I did not think it would come to that, but that thought did provoke me to
prayer. It is well-known that nearly everyone is tired of wearing masks, being
forced to vaccinate, and losing freedoms if a vaccine passport is not produced.
After prayer, for a little
over a week now, when truckers began to arrive in Ontario, the word SABOTAGE
has been heavy on my spirit. I sense urgency, danger – but it surpasses the convoy,
meaning it does not just pertain to the demonstration.
Fellow saints,
we need to pray!
Inspiration
Spreads
These protests are
now a global happening, as we all can read about, with organizers in various
countries planning similar convoys, having been inspired by the Canadian
truckers. As the convoy left B.C. and headed towards Ottawa, Canada’s capital,
the Prime Minister who had mocked the convoy as a “fringe minority”, suddenly disappeared and has been moved to a safe
place as a security measure (at the time of this writing).
When social media posters
were accusing him of cowardice, the mainstream news media reported that
the PM and two of his children had been diagnosed with Covid and were
isolating. Most found the timing convenient and claim it is a coverup for his
hiding out.
 |
| This search was Feb. 1, 2022 click on any picture to enlarge |
 |
| Youtuber Russell Brand also noticed the media blackout. I found his video in a search. He had over a million views on Feb 1, 2022. |
Putting on Hero
Capes
All of a sudden,
negative reports are surfacing. One such report was out a few days ago. It
comes from an international Arabic news channel, Al Jazeera. They report
that the protesters are defiling monuments, threatening Canadian journalists
with death threats, harassing press and vandalizing a CBC Radio Canada van.
The angry actions of
three downtown elderly residents, supposedly anonymously recorded, are being hailed as
“heroes” for standing up to truckers coming down their street. They call
the truckers bullies and claim they were harassing them for giving a thumbs
down every time they honked, as well as other such accusations.
It seems like ever since Pastor Artur Pawlowski stood up against police enforcing their Covid-19 mandates, multiple arrests and thousands of dollars in fines, simply for opening church, which began when he was holding a Passover service, and ever since he has been hailed as a hero by countless journalists and supporters, now other people want to be in the headlines as ‘heroes’ as well, standing up for “their rights”.
The CBC (paid by powers-that-be who promote and push for
the Great Reset) quotes some social media posters:
[Excerpt]
“Three older ladies just blocked a small convoy led by a dump truck on
Cooper. They were fantastic and are my heroes,” posted a Reddit user Monday,
alongside the photo.
“Not all heroes wear capes! Some wear shawls,” another wrote in
response.
[End excerpt]
It is interesting that one of the three women said that it was no longer a protest, but an occupation. Now, the police are saying the same thing, and the word is beginning to crop up randomly.
If it has become an occupation, I am not yet aware as I am not quite up to date on the latest news (as at time of this writing, Feb 2). It is hoped that is not the case.
Apparently, the truckers are now accused of being backed by anti-Semitic supporters, spouting Islamophobic comments. Are there some bad apples mixed in with the truckers, using this golden opportunity to get out their racism, hatred and personal issues with others? Well, it happens quite often whenever opportunists see history is in the making. They will jump aboard to become part of that "history"...it's a fact.
The Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly is also claiming that protesters are guilty of hate,
racial slurs, death threats, stealing food from the homeless, harassment etc.,
and is planning to enforce an end to the lawlessness.
Keep an open ear. The
word “lawlessness” has been popping up all over for months now, starting
back in late 2020 and into early 2021. I would not be surprised if the Antichrist (when in power) will claim that Christians practice lawlessness, twisting scripture like the serpent he will be, causing hatred against Christians to escalate to the point where killing them will be seen as "doing God a service".
With the tens of
thousands of people that joined in to support the convoy, there is no doubt
infiltrators and “plants” are sent in to bring further division amongst the
people, to stir up anger and hatred, and to defeat the purpose of the convoy,
which was to peacefully protest and have the government stop the mandates that
take away the freedom of Canadians.
In checking again, it
appears as if those behind the media “blackout” have now allowed a
couple of stories to trickle onto the search engines, but they are becoming
more and more negative against the “peaceful protestors”.
The people in Ontario
that I know say that the protest remains peaceful except for a few times where
truckers actually had to calm down spectators or people in the
crowd (not connected with the truckers, but so-called supporters), who
were trying to stir up trouble. They reminded these people that it was a
peaceful event, but the seeds of anger and rebellion are being planted. Now the
truckers are being called volatile and angry.
There is talk that a
small group of truckers demanded food from Shepherds of Good Hope, an Ottawa soup kitchen for the homeless. An “unnamed”
mentally-ill man was assaulted (said to be slammed up against a truck),
but was reportedly doing well (unharmed).
The incident was
diffused by security but apparently not without racial slurs. Why would
truckers ‘suddenly’ start to become violent after a week of peaceful
protest? Does this sound scripted, or like a setup to slander the
truckers’ motives and characters? Do you smell a rat?
However, if it was
intended to do harm, it was reported that the news of the trouble spread
quickly, and so many (over 10,000) donations of food came in that the
shelter ran out of room to put it all. That is good news, but it shows the
heart and support of the Canadians!
 |
| Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lashes out at truckers screenshot taken from a GLOBAL NEWS video posted on YouTube |
In all fairness,
there are hundreds of videos showing the truckers moving across Canada, with
people lining bridge overpasses, sides of highways and fields. Not in one video
is any racist flag seen flying, not on a single truck or vehicle, and not even
in the plentiful videos that were posted on YouTube, Vimeo, Rumble etc., …not
one.
 |
| above two photos -- credit Hindustan Times |
 |
| photo--Global News |
Why are there
suddenly racist flags now flying? Why suddenly is violence happening, and “unnamed”
people ‘dancing on memorials’, getting assaulted at soup kitchens, and more? Do you see any racist flags in the pictures above? I see Canadian flags and the Quebec blue and white 'Fleur-de-lis" flags.
And just as suddenly,
the GoFundMe fundraiser for the truck convoy that hit the 10-million-dollar
mark has been removed by GoFundMe. What is interesting is that they said they
supported the Freedom convoy because it began as a peaceful demonstration, but
now it has become an “occupation”. There is that word again.
 |
| truckers already being demonized--fear motivated or sabotage? |
Are people just parroting each other, or has a script been handed out by government in order to end this, and bring all the “fringe” citizens of Canada back under submission? Only one million has gone to the organizers? for fuel, shelter and food, but the remaining 9.1 million dollars will be given to established charities verified by GoFundMe, one report said.
However, it is also
reported that the GoFundMe staff are giving all donors approximately two weeks,
until February 19th to request a refund online. The talk now is that
one woman was collecting the money, making it suspicious, and supposedly
organizers not knowing how the funds would be allocated.
Remember, it IS
the clash of the kingdoms. We see it in the natural, but it begins in the
spiritual. Satan and his worldly rulers of darkness want the Antichrist on the
scene. Fear is spreading and the majority of
‘puppet’ governments are demanding the power and control back that they have
enjoyed over the people for two years.
The governments know
that the people simply want to go back to some kind of normalcy, without masks,
without restrictions about gathering in groups and without being forced to get
jabbed, or to have vaccine passports in order to travel.
In all fairness, it
would be difficult to be living in the downtown area of Ottawa and have all the
commotion going on indefinitely. Horn-happy truckers can become like those who
scrape fingernails slowly across a chalkboard.
At this point it is
difficult to say who is doing the damage, truckers, spectators, supporters,
infiltrators or who? One thing that all people should act upon though, which is
to try putting yourself in the shoes of those who live in the downtown core. Shh
the honking. A little consideration goes a long way. May God grant wisdom to
all.
Part
Two (2) of YOU WILL RISE – continues here
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