Plank Issues

God is love. We can only love because God first loved us. God's love (and Christian love, agape) is sacrificial (John 3:16; I Corinthians 13:1-6), God-centered, and action oriented. God's love means to fulfill the law of God in relationship to another person (Romans 13:8-10). It means to do the will of God - i.e., to obey the commandments of God (John 15:9, 10).

As stated in my last blog “The Agenda,” the Christian community over time has cherry picked certain “sins” to be more egregious to God than others, and I would dare to state that any action taken by men that is devoid of love is “dead” to God. In Corinthians 13:2 Paul says, that even if I have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing!

The church has been wrong at times with regards to racial, gender, and socioeconomic exclusions, while promoting those of proper breeding, influence, and power to a higher status. Jesus clearly did not condone these actions. There are church’s like one in KS that promote hate and discrimination yet have no clue what their own scriptures say about loving their neighbors. Jesus did NOT say, “Love your straight neighbors, but hate all others!" God forbid! Yet like Saul of Tarsus, I am confident that these people think they are right in the center of God’s “will," despite what the Word of God says.

With approximately 30,000 - 40,000 Christian denominations in existence today, the Church is probably the most divided religious organization in the world! Ironically many of the denominations believe their core tenets are truth and the others are "heretics." We quibble over Catholic or Protestant, Calvinism or Arminianism, Tithing, Tongues, Baptism, Gifts of the Spirit, and 'once saved always saved,' yet many of us miss the Heart of Jesus. He just said, TO LOVE... over and over and over again! His assertion to us is to love, forgive, have mercy, give grace, receive faith, speak hope, and seek joy!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus equates hate to murder, a lusting heart to adultery, and in 1st John 4:8 it says “whoever does not love does not know God, for God is Love”. I have known a lot of people and pastors in churches that are unloving, cold, and full of judgment/legalism. With a repentant heart I admit I have been there myself. I am not sure any of us can say we are innocent of malice, unforgiveness, and lust (at times) in our lives. So woe to us that cast the 1st stone. My heart in “The Agenda” was not to harm, but to alarm, it was not to condemn, but to rightly divide the Word of Truth. It was a call to the body of Christ to wake up! 2 Timothy 2:15

So when it comes to issues like pride, divorce, gluttony, hatred, gossip, heart lust, material and physical idolatry, disregard for the Sabbath and many others as lesser sins then we should stop and take a moral inventory. We need to challenge our modern disposition that has a propensity to charge violently at the "major sins" (as we see them), and instead ask God for His eternal perspective.

 The point of this blog is not to poke a finger in the eye of the Church, but rather to gently and respectfully ask her to remove the plank, so that she can help others with "the speck.” If our heart is truly for people to know The Lord, and for others to be drawn to the Church, then we MUST radiate the love that Christ lived, died, and rose again for! Moses face was “radiant” when he was in the presence of The Lord. Imagine if the Church partnered toward that same beauty filled endeavor, it would be awesome! Let us remember we aren’t just living to die and go to heaven, but rather, we live to love, and we will fight to lay hold of the prize! And one day we will be Immortals in the Thousand Year Reign of Christ back here on a New Earth. We will reign with Messiah in the New Jerusalem, with full access to the New Heaven. Take heart, Jesus will war again to finalize this epoch of history!

So let us be mindful not to marginalize or exclude. No sin should ever be swept under the carpet of our post-modern cathedrals, because sin in its simplest form, still separates us from our Fathers heart. Let us strive to create love where there is hate, acceptance where there is ostracism, forgiveness where there is judgment. If for any reason we cannot extend a hand of grace, then haven’t we but reduced ourselves to mere “posers for Jesus?” It’s time to Rise. Christians' Rise!

It is a fine line to walk, as we are called to love unconditionally yet there is spiritual warfare all around us. As persecution abounds, we will feel the dichotomy of being inclined to fight in the physical sense of the word while trying to balance things like, loving our neighbor, extending grace, etc.. There will be times when God calls us to fight but that should be the exception not necessarily the assumption. We will win far more hearts and minds with love. We can never lose focus of the world around us, and this is the harvest that Jesus called us to. I am urging us all, to take a good look in the mirror and remove our own planks, before trying to remove the speck from someone else. I am trying, I am pressing in, and with God’s help I will see clearly. People will remember how we treated them long after they forgot what we knew.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love suffers long, and is kind; Love envies not; Love does not boost, is not proud, Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; Bears all things, believeth all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

“If you think you know the truth, but can’t yield it to others in love, then you only have a half-truth...and that might as well be a lie.”

Jay Frier

The Agenda

 I write this blog from a place of conviction, humility, and a heart that would seek to know the depth of God’s heart and truth. I fully acknowledge my own sins, and I don’t feel they are any less egregious to God than the one I am addressing in this blog. So plank in eye, Bible firmly in my hand, and from a prayerful, repentant heart, I will begin.

 

The impetus for writing this blog is that a local, evangelical pastor has decided to declare from the pulpit that homosexuality is not a sin. The pastor has boldly stated that he will be: promoting homosexuals to positions of leadership within this Church, conducting gay marriages, and having baby dedications for gay couples. Claiming to be “Thrust by a divine wind” has decided to give his seal of approval by condoning the gay lifestyle as “sinless.” His rambling statement regarding the church’s position on gay issues was deceitful. It opposed and usurped the authority of the Board of Directors/Elders, as well as the members whose financial contributions were given on the basis of trusting their leader (who vowed to follow proper protocol within church leadership). He has decided to embark on this journey of condoning the gay lifestyle as sinless, with no accountability. He compares himself to be analogous with renowned civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. by comparing the “struggle before him” to the civil rights movement of African Americans. He says, “Could you be a church in Selma and not march? I don’t think I can do that. We are on the front edge of a movement that means so much.” A friend of mine wrote a blog about His decision aptly named “Grace Pointe Church, less like Selma, more like Ferguson”.

 

 I would like to make five major points and then wrap with a conclusion. I invite you all to draw from your own heart and from scripture, then decide where you personally will land on this delicate topic.

 

1. The Bible is the Word of God and is clear about all sins of sexual immorality. The practice of     homosexuality is clearly in that list.

 

2. Common objections and simple answers

 

3. There is a difference between people who consider themselves homosexual and the agenda that has been dogmatically thrust upon society over the last 30 years by anti-religious organizations.

 

4. Sodom and Gomorrah did not get there in a day

 

5. Where this agenda is headed

 

1)--- In many in Christian circles today an emergent ideology is being promoted which says the Bible is no longer morally accurate or relevant for the post-modern, enlightened culture in which we live. I would remind you that this Bible we have in our hands and hearts today has stood the test of time and accusers for hundreds of years in its current canonization. God warns us about adding to or taking away or adding to from the truth of His word twice in scripture.

 

Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”

 

Revelation 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”.

 

As for armchair theologians, who have been misinformed that scriptures like Hebrew 8:13 and Romans 10:4 declare that the Old Testament Law is abolished through Christ, please understand that there were three kinds of “law” in the Old Testament: Civil, Ceremonial, and Moral. Christ said in Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Thank you Steve Berger!

 

I have heard from quite a few people who formerly acknowledged the Bible was/is the Word of God, but have now departed from that belief, at least in part, mainly the parts they don’t like or can logically understand. Romans 10:17 says “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. We are fed lies from TV, internet, media, politicians, some educators (who oppose the Word); the list goes on all day long. The multibillion-dollar advertising industry is well aware that “exposure leads to acceptance”, so it is no wonder that God’s truth is being twisted to look like a lie. Listen to the vile lyrics of modern music, analyze the story lines of the “so called family shows,” look at the smut magazines in our grocery stores, and the highly sexually provocative nature of TV commercials (to name a few). Yet somehow, when we as bible believing Christians cry out against this “agenda” (that pushes sexual deviancy), we are labeled “judgmental”? This is the agenda I am addressing. We should not be surprised when the truth looks like a lie.

 

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

Colossians 2:8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.

 

Leviticus 18:22 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Romans 1:26-28 Leviticus 20:13 1 Timothy 1:8-10 1 Corinthians 7:2 Mark 10:6-9 Jude 1:7

 

The above scriptures are very clear regarding the sins of sexual immorality and specifically homosexuality.

 

2) The media promotes that “People are born this way, and it is genetic.” But I would point out that there has been no gene found which would dictate a person’s sexual tendencies at birth. Furthermore, I would also point out that sexual orientation is chosen around the age of puberty. We are born with sin, and no one is above sexual perversion. I would say that, left to our own devices, most heterosexual males would be polygamist, procreating with any female, at will. As we have stripped the sanctity of marriage, there has been a movement toward open marriages, sexual addiction, and all sorts of perversion. If not for God we would all be terribly lost. This is why we need a Savior! Jesus tells us we need to be “born again” to put to death the carnal man. We as Christians don’t write the Word. We are just partakers and do not possess the authority to overwrite the Bible.

No matter how our feelings lead us, homosexuality is called an abomination to God. The Washington Times and many other studies have shown that the statistics regarding the average length of a relationship for homosexual men is about 1.5 years, and they have an average of 8 additional partners during that time. Research also indicates that the average male homosexual has hundreds of sex partners in his lifetime. So where are the Loving, Faithful, Monogamous Committed gay male relationships that are so deserving of marriage?

 

3) Several far left liberal organizations seem to be at the forefront of driving the gay agenda, which is spearheading this particular internal controversy. Unfortunately, the LBGT community happens to be the horse to which they are attaching their anti-Christ/God crusade at this particular time. But as I will mention in section 5, it could be any form of debauchery. You could replace the homosexual topic, which this church has decided to condone, with premarital sex, adultery, polygamy, incest, and the outline of this letter would be the same. The Dark-Agenda is looking to undermine the legitimacy of the Bible as the authoritative source of truth for Christians and other seekers of truth. People or corporations that disagree with Christians’ stance on topics like abortion, homosexuality, or freedom to practice our faith will be slandered, maligned, and crucified by media whenever possible. They will scream acceptance and tolerance yet continue to reject any position which opposes their regime.

 

4)--Sodom and Gomorrah did not get there in a day. I have spoken with many Christian defenders of gay marriage who are accepting of homosexuality as sinless, and their defense is that the “acts” that are spoken of in the six primary scriptures regarding homosexuality are actually talking about “forced homosexual acts”. That simply is not the context of these scriptures. That would be called rape! Not “abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another” as described in Romans 1:27. But the conversations have led me to a really relevant point. Again I say that Sodom and Gomorrah did not get there in a day, and you can be assured that somewhere prior to their destruction, they were exactly where we are in 21st century America today. . . . . . . somewhere down the path to desensitization, moral bankruptcy, and weak complacent minds. We see a foreshadowing of where a society must have been before men could attempt to forcibly remove other men/angels from their neighbor’s house and rape and abuse them openly in the streets of the city. Stand up people! Your children are at risk of living in a world that is fast-tracking to this place!

 

5)-- So where is this agenda heading? MTV now has a show called “HappyLand.” The motto of the show is “INCEST IS HOT!” They are promoting that incest is shameless and are trying to brainwash the public into accepting that blood brothers and sisters should be free to have sex, as they “love each other!” So my question is, will churches like GracePointe marry brothers and sisters in the future? We would shudder at the thought, but I fear it is just around the corner! What about polygamy, polyandry or group marriage? While we abhor the thought, isn’t this where we are headed? If the statutory age limits drops, won’t pedophilia be the next dark horse to which the agenda attaches itself?! How about bestiality or any other form of paraphilia?? Are we not tempting damnation by opening Pandora’s box? I can hear the readers on the other end of this thread saying, “We will never get to that level of debauchery.” But in fact, we are already there my friends. Just Google any of the depraved behaviors listed above, and you will see they are lurking in the “closets” of society right now. Just as homosexuality was seen as a perversion 30 years ago (and is now openly accepted), I fear in years to come we will see our innocent, youthful daughters and sons being used by this dark agenda in ways that would make us vomit today.

 

No matter what your sexual orientation, we are all the pinnacle of God’s creation and the climactic culmination of His grand design. You are the crowning jewel of the entire universe, and His love for you is deeper than any unsacred romance you will find on this planet. You are not labeled by anything as miniscule as sexual preference, but you are identified as a creation of the Most High God, with opportunity to be a co-heir with Christ. When you release the labels with which the world has tried to tattoo your heart and mind and immerse yourself in The Word of God and the encouragement of genuine Spirit-led community, you will find freedom and True Love!

 

I think we should acknowledge that the Church as a whole (I don’t like to generalize) has done a pretty poor job of loving the Gay and Lesbian (LBGT) community the way I’m sure Christ would call us to love them, though I think we are getting better. We have cherry-picked sins like abortion and homosexuality to demonize, while keeping sins like pride, unbiblical divorce, gluttony, hatred, gossip, Idolatry, disregard of the 4th commandment (Sabbath) and many others as “lesser sins” . . . .therefore bearing lesser in severity in our 21st century Western hearts and minds.

 

 So while I am adamant about the points of this letter, I also implore us as Christians to take a much more humble and loving approach to our spiritual family members that live with this identification and allow The Holy Spirit the space to work and redeem just as He did in our lives. Many have polluted, with great hostility, those that live their lives labeled as homosexuals; and because their very identification as human beings is wrapped in this delusion, it is very hard for them to de-identify with this unholy label. We were never meant to be identified by our sexuality or gender preference, but by our son or daughter-ship in Jesus Christ!

 

I hope everyone who reads this will hear my heart and know that this is not as much about homosexuality as it is about a systematic attempt to dismantle the authority of Scripture and discredit The Word of God. You could replace the topic (sin) of homosexuality with fornication, adultery, pornography, or incest and the position of this Blog would be identical. We cannot take any of these “sins” and declare them as “sinless” because we feel the need to be relevant and bow to the cultural winds of change. We should love the homosexual community for sure, but why do they need to redefine an institution that is thousands of years old as marriage is (they already have the same rights)? Or why boycott and label as hatemongers organizations and people like Hobby Lobby, Chick-Fil-A and Phil Robertson merely because they believe something that is different? Why demand the Boy Scouts appoint gay leaders or aggressively promote the gay agenda in our military and schools? This is an agenda that is DEMANDING acceptance, and anyone who believes Marriage is between one man and one woman is an antiquated bigot, hatemonger, exclusionist, intolerant, homophobe, etc….. Can we not have our opinions (that are far more established and generally accepted) and not be vilified? The answer is unequivocally NO because “The Agenda” is about crushing anything that opposes it. In the name of “tolerance”, it is in fact the most intolerant of all! We must stand united to stop the stripping of our moral fiber as a nation and as a Church, or our children will be used as pawns and targeted next!

 

I will close with these words from the apostle Paul.

 

Romans 2:15

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; What does your conscience tell you?

 

I pray these words uplift and do not demoralize anyone so as to allow others to feel the unfathomable magnificence Christ wants to bestow upon us. I repent and acknowledge my own sins as I write this blog, knowing that I am susceptible to the same iniquity from which we are trying, with love, to restore others. I pray you will continue to be inspired and to inspire others toward the heart, truth, promises, and blessings that await us when we keep our eyes set on the LORD!

 

 

Thanks Jay

 

 

Word of God:

1 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 3 12-19; 1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:3:Galatians 1: 8-9: Matthew 24: 10; Colossians 2:8

 

Homosexuality

Leviticus 18:22

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Romans 1:26-28

Leviticus 20:13

1 Timothy 1:8-10

1 Corinthians 7:2

Mark 10:6-9

Jude 1:7

 

 

 

Risk and courage

Risk and courage are the hallmarks of these perilous times that we live in today, and for those that choose to play it safe…. They will lose their life anyway. Besides lives absent of risk are merely existences, and not the real lavish experience that God desired for us in this brief moment of our eternal journey. We are handed down paradigms about God, Faith, and Country that paints tainted pictures that conventional wisdom tells us would be blasphemous for us to question, but God clearly invites us into that dialogue with Him, and that is the very purpose of sending His Holy Spirit. We have been so ensnared by the battle of civil religion and morality that we have lost sight of the most valuable and profitable command.

Mark 12: 29-31

The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Before Jesus Christ found me, Risk was a word that I lived by every moment of every day by, and I see now that I have let the pendulum swing too far to the other side. The best and most Godly people and gifts that Jesus gives us in this world are going to be risky, and I see that clearly now. I wish I could turn back the hands of time, but perhaps this is just about God turning it forward? We dream, we risk, we hope, and we risk, we walk the path that God has set before us, and we risk everything, but the gain is the joy of our Father. Love well!

I have seen love in the most unlikely of places in the last few months and in circumstances that standard church paradigms would declare far too risky to approach, but God shows up in places that astound and amaze. I feel the weight of judgment, fear, and condemnation being leveled by the true essence of love, and peace is evident when I get away from the law of my critical mind, and trust that the spirit of God resides in the circulation of the blood from my heart to my head.

Risk with the right motivations and Love without Pharisaical boundaries! Challenge convention wisdom, examine the motives behind man-made tradition, and ask bigger questions that test the establishment. Jesus was never behind any political party, movement or religious denomination. The Kingdom of God is a “Power Under / Love First” kingdom and every kingdom of the world is a “Power Over / Eye for Eye” kingdom, so our power structures will never line up with His. I will seek to know the depths of the Love of God and let every declaration or judgment that I make this year be framed through the lenses of that love and serve as He served. I will Risk everything to gain Him, and have the courage to stand!

Jay

Thankful

What are you thankful for today?

Sometimes as we look in the mirror, listen to ourselves in conversations, and reflect on human nature as a whole we realize what depthless unappreciative little beings we can be. But tonight as I sit down at this laptop I want to challenge everyone who reads this to lay every care down for just a minute and bask in the wonderment of what God has done for all of us. No matter what you may be facing right now and I know some are facing grievous loss, traumatic diagnoses, the ramifications of abuse, and seeming financial ruin, but brother/sister I promise you this is merely a blip on the radar of a universal map that is our overall existence.

James 4:14

You don't even know what tomorrow will bring--what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

 Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Please read those scriptures a couple of times as you meditate on what this little note is saying to you personally , and seal the words of God to your heart and mind. The peace and joy of The Lord will surely follow and through Christ a new perspective will begin to emerge in your spirit that will transform every circumstance you are facing today into nothing more than the life transformation that God intended it to be from the very beginning. So let’s start by reflecting over the things that God has done in our lives that we need to be thankful for and give Him praise and gratitude for those gifts/relationships, and let our hearts reside there.

 There are many scriptures that say “and it came to pass” (396 to be exact) which basically means “It happened”…… and God says “if it came to pass” it did not come to STAY! A lot of things are going to happen in this life and some are really tragic, painful, and ugly, but it is never the end. Even when they mark the inevitable end of this life on this earth they are just milestones to the next chapter for those who love and believe. Whatever you are facing today know that has it, and He was forsaken so we never have to be forsaken ourselves. Trust God and be thankful in this very day for you could be in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, etc…. right this very second with a knife to the throat of yourself or worse yet someone you love, cherish and are here to protect.

I hear a lot of preachers teaching about the prophetic of this age, end times, and heaven, but have yet to hear a good message about the 1000 Year Reign of Christ that is to come shortly. I will not elaborate all my thoughts about the biblical research done on this 1000 year reign into this blog, but suffice it to say there is another glorious age to come on a new Earth down here. It is apparent in Isaiah 11: 6-9 and again in Isaiah 65: 18-25 that there will be life, love and procreation during this time of unprecedented peace. I am not sure our role as transfigured saints, but I am excited about the next chapter of this glorious eternal life as we emerge from the cocoon of mortality into the transcendence of the unending.

Daughters

 God's heart is continually grieved for you His little one as you struggle for purpose and acceptance and have only found one failed path after another. The enemy of your soul has convinced you that this life is about settling, selling yourself, and false safety, and The LORD says risk it all for something and someone far greater and that someone is Me. (Yeshua) You have put on the face of the imposter because the world has told you that youth and the beauty that you behold in the mirror-mirror are the only real means to avoid rejection, but The Lord says your true beauty is your precious God-Breathed spirit. At points shame has so overtaken you that denial was your only companion, and so you have taken his hollow hand and remained. God’s Heart is for you to move, flourish, live and live free! Grace covers every stain of your fragile soul, and God does not impute sin to those that have faith, believe and desire to live free from the garbage that this life, other people, and the darkness of this world that has attempted to seize us all with from our youth.

 Romans 4: 7-8

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
  and whose sins are covered;
⁸ Blessed Is the man (woman) to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

You are covered, cherished and loved my child, and God’s mercies are from everlasting to everlasting. The medications of ill-motivated attention, superfluous attractions, and false beautifications will never fill your vacuum of your heart that desires daughter-ship with Abba. You know in your heart that the world around us is full of lies as you sense it in your zealousness to protect your own children, and yet the deception you so rigorously fight to protect them from engulfs you at times, and again you embrace rejection as truth. There is no shame, guilt, burden, or spirit that can keep you from the depths of God’s love.

Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 So live in Truth and Light my elegant and stunning beauty, as you are the exquisite pinnacle of my creation.….. Remember I made you as the finale of the creation of this extraordinary age, and if I made you the crowning jewel of the entire universe how much more do I love you…. even unto death. Don’t be distracted by the atmosphere of this world, but be overcome by Jesus’ Love, compassion, and Grace. (The LORD Says) Don’t settle my love for anything less than the authentic romance that only comes from the Heart of God overflowing the balconies of Heaven to immerse the Daughters of men.

 

Jay Frier

Indecision in victorious times

Ultimately Indecision becomes decision. I am trying to gain perspective as I write this blog as to why so many people are oblivious to the writing that is clearly on the multi-dimensional walls of the days we live in? They see the news on their television, internet, and all things media, and seem paralyzed in their spirit to even want to acknowledge the truth that is staring them in the face. Maybe it’s because we (the church) have “cried wolf” far too many times in the past, or maybe it’s because the thought of the end of this age is shrouded in fear, or maybe they feel a world apart from the global crisis that rages around us, but I believe Jesus would say once again “awake oh sleeper.”

First I would like to encourage the readers of this letter that the days that we are living in are the most glorious times in all of human history. It is the most prophesied, examined, questioned and celebrated era known to mankind, and God has called you and I to live at the very pivotal time of the generations of man for very specific reasons. There is an outpouring of His Holy Spirit coming upon us that has not been rivaled since Pentecost, and God has a vision and destiny for every man, woman, and child that is a piece of this eschatology that will comprise what will likely be a 3^rd and final testament of this age. (That is just a personal thought) This is the a victorious, magnificent, and joyful chapter we are watching unfold before our very eyes, and one that God declared prophetically 2500 years ago in the Old Testament prophets. So as faithful servants of Yeshua let’s be sure to rightly divide the Word of Truth and tell the entirety if the matter that this is not all gloom, doom, and, terror, but rather power, love and a sound mind. To me personally it is not the “end of times” at all because on the back end of this age is another incredible age of time that is the 1000 year reign of Christ, so this epoch is just the beginning of the next splendid age.

Back to the present (not the future any longer) times that we are in right now, prophecy is unfolding weekly on our television and computer screens, newspapers, and media outlets globally. I would encourage everyone remotely interested in discerning the time in which we live to read Matthew 24, Ezekiel 38 and 39 and research the names of the modern geographies of the lands mentioned in 38 and 39. I would also take the time you may spend watching your favorite TV shows over the next few weeks and read Joel Rosenberg’s book, Epicenter and watch Steve Berger’s messages from 8/10-8/31 at http://www.gracechapel.net/media/detail/latest-messages as this is crucial information about the times we are in TODAY! I will bullet out some of the highpoints below, but please don’t take my word for anything, but dig into the 2500 year old prophecy that is unfolding like a scroll before our eyes as it seems another huge piece of the puzzle falls perfectly into place every week. As you view world events like the crisis in the Middle East, the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, and the resounding clear-cut message from every terrorist organization in existence calling for the annihilation of Christians and Jews, try to see them through the lenses/meditations of these and like scriptures. The parallels are not just similar, but more like precise as a micro-laser from the words of Old Testament prophets to the words of Jesus and John themselves.  

Matthew 24:7

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:” The word Nation here means Ethnos meaning race or “same race or tribe” and this is interesting because most of Matthew 24 is about the disciples question regarding the end of times and we have seen internal wars in countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Sudan where the people or tribes within the respective nations have risen up against the governments in just the last year or two.

The Lands of Ezekiel 38 and 39 in current geographies:

·         Gog and Magog (Rosh of Meshech and Tubal) are generally looked at as the countries from the north like Russia. With the advent of natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea; namely Tamar and Leviathan, Israel is quickly becoming a massive energy superpower and this threatens its oil rich neighbors and is a prize (booty in the words of Ezekiel) that will likely be the main driver for the war of Ezekiel 38.

·         Persia is modern day Iran and has boldly called for the complete annihilation of The Zionist State (Jews/Israel) and has an alliance with Russia for the 1^st time in history that will culminate in the Ezekiel prophecies coming to pass in the very near future.

·         Cush is not the Ethiopia of today but rather the land just to the south of Egypt, Northern Sudan with is another haven for radical Islamic terrorist organizations.

·         Ethiopia back then was south of Egypt (northern Sudan) and ripe with terrorist cells.

·         Libya (Put) is pretty close to the same geography as it was 2500 years ago and in the wake of Benghazi has been overtaken by radical Islamic terrorist organizations and is now in possession of 12 commercial jet airliners to add to their arsenal.

·       Gomer and Togarmah these ancient names found their location in what today is the country of Turkey. Until recently Turkey was an ally to Israel, but just as the words of Ezekiel declared are now declaring Israel an enemy and are arming Hamas on the Gaza Strip.

So we see an unholy confederacy of these nations aligning to call for the destruction of Israel and Christians. As we watch ISIS, Hamas, and other radical Islamist organization / countries gather to kill Christians and Jews alike with an increased fervency in the Middle East and beyond. We see daily the killing of Christians by Muslims from Indonesia to Bangladesh to Pakistan while China is tearing down church buildings. Christians tortured, beheaded, and crucified in Iraq, with villages burned and churches destroyed, and much the same in Syria.  At the same time we see Russia mounting a direct invasion of Ukraine as Vladimir Putin exploits the weakness and distraction of the United States. The headlines could not be any clearer, and the United States reaction is right in line with our role biblically….. Silent!

Daniel 12:4

“But thou, 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.” When in all of human history could you navigate this entire planet in a matter of hours? (Run to and fro) and when has knowledge ever been increased like it has in our lifetimes? Claims are today that knowledge doubles at the rate of every 13 months, and according to IBM analyst with the advent of “The Internet of Things” knowledge will double every 12 hours. (Schilling, 2013)

So what does all of this mean to the average American Christian today? It means the passivity, apathy and comfort that we have lived in here in our little western bubble is about to shake. It means the message that the angel gave to the church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) is directed at us, and the comfortable, lukewarm religion we have come to thinly embrace is about to be “vomited out of God’s mouth” and we can either get right with Jesus, or allow the passive lies of this world to take us to the frigid dwelling place of indifference and offence in our hearts. This is where people laugh at this kind of rhetoric like it’s for the feeble minded alarmist with a Chicken Little mentality, and scorn the obvious truth of this reality in place of silly ideologies that align to their comfort zones and lifestyles. We live in a time where truth is subjective, and we have been systematically indoctrinated to call “evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20) and that mindset is pervasive in our culture. So if you are constantly fed lies you will be desensitized to the truth over time and those are just plain common sense facts. It is the birthplace of universalism, new age, emergent church and why these vain philosophies resonate so well with a deceived world and church. “Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” Colossians2:8      

How can a 2500 year old book lay out in specific detail the accounts of our lives here in 2014 with precision and accuracy that is unparalleled by any writing, religion, or self-proclaimed prophet? The answer is it can’t. That is why the Bible is far more than a book, it is the Truth and The Word of God and there is no other. This is not about fear or trying to scare anyone into a “religion” but it is about relationship and how we need to all get our houses in order and discern the times in which we live and make sober life choices based on these truths. The good news is we have a hope and a gracious redeemer that stands with open arms waiting for us to make the next move towards Him. Take today and make that move! Remember indecision is still decision.      

Storms

I have seen a lot of storms in my lifetime…. Some large, many small, some self-imposed, some simply a result of a fallen world, and then those that came directly from the seat of Satan himself and threatened my very existence, BUT GOD! I am reflecting tonight as I am about a month out from being set free by the Hands of Jesus from one of those large storms that has loomed over me for two and a half years. This self-inflicted tempest seemed life altering, and would leave some permanent scars, and in all honesty it has, but in some miraculous ways. Life altering to the degree that I will never live in the darkness of synthetic sedation and deceptive happiness ever again, and the scars are gentle reminders of the battle that has been fought and lost, and fought and won a thousand times and at 50 years of age the finality of this chapter is concluded.

It is an odd meditation on the other side of the end of a lengthy storm like this one that conjure thoughts like “is this really over?” It almost feels like it was never really real to begin with, and the repercussions have been as merciful as Christ washing my feet by a warm fire in my heart. My mind, body, spirit and soul  are ever thankful tonight and again I feel almost like this is someone else’s story and I am just a witness that has prayed, interceded, and warred (as I often do) for God to do a mighty miracle and He showed up in ways that are “as usual” mind blowing.     

So my question to Him on the backend of this difficult life-lesson is what were you showing me here? I have learned that we never fail a test with God we only take them over and over till we get them right. His simple yet poignant answer was “Right wanting, Right thinking and Right desires” so I have pondered that little nugget in my heart for about a month now, and see the desires of my heart have been wrong. My soul has fooled my spirit by looking for what seemed to be the right desires, but in all actuality I have been attracted to what is wrong, deceitful and controlling. To the point that I have found myself meditating on relationships and activities that I know are seductive, damaging, and full of blissful manipulation. So I am now on a determined path to having the Mind of Christ in everything I put any emotional, mental, physical and even spiritual time into. I will wake every morning from this point forward intentionally seeking joy, and with conviction and a new discipline to have right thinking and right desires in every decision I make, or the decision will be NO.  

I now see where God was transforming my wanting, thinking, and desires when about a year ago He brought a little Jewish girl into my life that was facing storms far greater than mine. A violent meth addict ex that she was still in the midst of divorce from, on the verge of bankruptcy and about to lose her home, about 10 horses and a host of various other animals that she was responsible for, and a 3 year old that was about to be diagnosed with Autism as I entered their lives. She had no idea who Jesus really was, so God gave me a deep burden for this little family and I was as “Jesus” as I could be for a guy enduring his own storm of health, personal, legal, professional issues. She came to know Jesus as her Lord and savior along the way, moved to North Carolina to start a new life and got baptized on August 3^rd 2014 in a Methodist church in N.C. and in the midst of losing everything material in this world just found out she is getting One Million dollars in a life insurance policy that she held for her 1^st ex-husband that suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 54. That right... she is now saved and a millionaire.....  That is just how our God solves storms when we are faithful and just hold His hands and walk through them. This is one of the first female relationships where I had no self-motivations and desired nothing but to see her know the Person of Jesus and sit back as God unfolded one of the most miraculous testimonies that I have personally witnessed, and I was front and center for the wonderful ride. Amazing when we get out of God’s way and let Him AWE and WONDER!!!

“Sometimes The Lord calms the storm and sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child”