Father God, I didn’t realize how much you communicated with Joseph while he was asleep until I re-read Matthew Chapter Two.  You sent an angel to appear to him in a dream and encouraged him not to be afraid.  You told him to take Mary as his wife, and explained that the child within her was conceived by your Holy Spirit.  You told him Mary would have a son, and that he was to name him Yeshua - for He would deliver people from their sins.

After Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem, the angel of the Lord appeared again. Once again, in a dream, the angel of the Lord gave Joseph a message.  The angel told Joseph to get up and go, take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, right now! King Herod was angry and ready to kill, because he did not want to be thrown off the throne.

Matthew 2:14 to 2:18 says that Joseph listened and left immediately for Egypt. He took the child and Mary his mother, and they lived in Egypt until the death of Herod, thus fulfilling the words Hosea 11:1.

During their time in Egypt, Herod did awful things, he sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under. And these disgraceful acts fulfilled the Word that God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, in Chapter 31 verse 15:  “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The angel of the Lord came again, through a dream to the man Joseph, while he was still living in Egypt.  The angel told him to get up and go back to the land of Israel, and assured him that those who were trying to kill the child would no longer pose a threat to them.

And then the Lord’s message came again, when Joseph was redirected from Judah to Nazareth. And this is where baby Jesus would grow up, like a shoot extending from the Branch.

The truth that God speaks to people through their dreams was also seen when God spoke to the wise men from the East.  Matthew 2:12 says when it was time to for the Wise Men to return to their own country, they took another route for they had been warned by God in a dream not to return to King Herod.

After reading Matthew Chapter 2, two things became abundantly clear to me.  God speaks to people through dreams when they are asleep, and angels absolutely do exist!  The Lord finds a way to direct our steps, especially when it comes to protecting the legacy of his beloved son, Jesus.

Today I started reading Matthew 2, and the first thing I noticed was that men who had spiritual sensitivities found baby Jesus before the Jews!  

Scripture says,
“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod, about that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

According to the Greek translation, “wise men” meant Magi which is the singular word for Magus, a name given by the Babylonians (also known as the Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to wise men who acted as teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers and magicians.

It’s strange to me that “spiritual” men who follow astrology saw the sign of the Coming King before the teachers of the Law and the Prophets did.  I’m taking a guess, but part of me thinks, it’s because the Pharisees were taken over by a spirit of religiosity.

What I mean is that instead of seeking an authentic relationship with God, they sought to earn salvation through the works and traditions of men. Or even worse, their pride kicked in and they believed they could read and make sense of scripture through their own understanding.

I sometimes wonder if the Pharisees paid attention to the prophets as much as they did the Law of Moses? Since the Law was written by the finger of God onto a tablet perhaps they thought that was more important than the Word of God coming out of a man’s mouth?  I suppose I probably would have thought the same way if I hadn’t experienced the Spirit of God myself, or the Words that he dropped into my heart that bubbled up out of my mouth.

You see when a person looks at another man’s face they usually don’t see what God created. They often see with eyes of hate, and their vision is mutated by the log of pride that proudly sits in their own eye.

We wrestle with God. We wrestle with man, and we wrestle with ourselves. We are quick to judge, quick to doubt, and quick to fall into juxtaposition; and yet we wonder why we find it hard to love and to forgive.

Anyway, let me get back to the Law and the prophets before I forget what I wanted to say.

Perhaps the Law was written to act like a mirror - to show humanity why we are in desperate need of a Father. In our own power, we fail.

Our rebellious hearts naturally follow the flesh and go against the purity of who God is.  Without the Law to show us how evil we are, we would have no idea how depraved our natural instincts are. 

So the Law is good and it is true because it reflects how perfect our Creator is; and thus we should take correction from it.  And the only way for us to do this is to submit our flesh and learn to be obedient to it.  When we begin to align our thoughts, feelings and actions to the Will of God, we have finally learned the beginning of Wisdom.  

The truth is we are all sinners and we all fall short of the glory of God, and without his grace we are condemned to eternal death.  And that is where the prophets come in and why the stories of the Old Testament are so important!   All of them point God's grace that is gifted us through his beloved Son, Jesus!

Every prophet in the Old Testament prophesied the coming of Christ.  Isaiah referred to him as the Suffering Servant and "unto us a child would be born."  Micah said the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem and Hosea said he would be called from the land of Egypt.  Zechariah said he would ride a donkey and also said he would be betrayed for silver.  David wrote all about our righteous King through his many psalms, and Solomon referred to him through his precious Song.  Perhaps the most interesting of all is Daniel, the young Judean boy who was led into exile and taken under the wing of the king of Babylon.  Daniel shared the date when the Lord would be born, and described what the signs would be like when the Day of Judgment comes.  Yet, scripture refers to the secret being bound in the hearts of men.

Daniel was a special man. He was gifted by God to have great wisdom, and was given the ability to interpret visions and dreams. But you see, his own brethren did not believe him. Yet, the Babylonian, the Medes and the Persian kings did.

Scripture says Daniel was exiled from Judah and indoctrinated into the Babylonian culture. He was placed into the royal service and he served the kings who reigned, from Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus. He was promoted to the position of Chief Magician and ruled over all the wise men throughout the region of Babylon.

Daniel was able to tell and interpret many dreams because of the revelation power of the Holy Spirit. He was visited by angels and he was told about the first coming of the Messiah, and the great and terrible Day of the Lord. He saw history take place and unfold into the end of the generation.

And Daniel saw Jesus.  In Chapter 7, Daniel says,
“I watched is thrones were put in place in the ancient one sat down to judge his clothing with as white as snow his hair like purest well he sat on a fiery thrown with wheels of blazing fire and a river of fire was pouring out flowing from his presence millions of angels minister to him and millions done to attend to him then the court began its session in the books were opened.”

During Daniel’s time and position serving worldly kings, he never abandoned his God. He always spoke the truth in love while he followed the customs of their culture. He paid respect to these gentile kings while he prayed and intervened.

There were many wise men among them, many Magi’s. But Daniel had the revelatory power of the Most High God, the God who holds all power and authority.

Deuteronomy 32:8 says,
“When the most high assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he establish the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court the sons of God. “

Ephesians 6:12 says,
“We do not fight against flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

So you see, people who have spiritual senses should be given some credit. It means they know there is an unseen realm upon which the sons of God and the angels and demons live. This means they may have knowledge of things unseen and may have been gifted some wisdom to reveal some of it.  The question is, 'Does it point back to Jesus?"

Spiritual wisdom into the unseen realm can be both dangerous and overwhelming.  There are many evil spirits at work.  And yet, Holy Spirit guides us - how do we know which way to go if we don't listen to Him?

Without intimate connection to the Word of God and a heart that is willing to fully submit yourself to Him, a person who is spiritually sensitive could easily be deceived and misled.  They could follow their intuition when it is wrong, and the truth could easily be overthrown.  They could follow their own worldly beliefs and experiences instead of submitting to the Will of God.

My hope is that teachers who preach the Word of God would start speaking this spiritual truth to the Church.  As a spiritually sensitive person, I spent many years trying to make sense of my world.  I was misled over and over again through things like higher education, human psychology and New Ageism,  With so much false doctrine and so many false teachers and false prophets, it is very easy for a new believer in Christ who is a spiritually sensitive person to fall into the concept of Universalism.

But thank God Holy Spirit chases us down and allows us to become broken! Hebrews 12 is my Life Chapter for it speaks to the Christian who is willing to be corrected.  Fear of the Lord is truly the beginning of wisdom, and that is why I believe the Truth in Love is so important!

Since followers of Christ are all called to go and make disciples of men, then the truth is I am to share the Gospel and remind people to be obedient to it.  Pastors have the responsibility of shepherding people, and New Testament prophets have the responsibility of edifying, extorting and encouraging them.  The Lord has showed me what my calling is.  It is to extend the Sword of the Spirit and pray for God’s creation, as I walk with them - through conviction and NOT condemnation.   

Yesterday, I studied the ancestry of Jesus and found there were three sets of 14 generations between Abraham and Jesus.  I noticed several patterns of faith that come through God’s spiritual DNA -
like having a desire to lean in and listen to God speak. 

Other faith patterns seem to include being obedient and stepping out when God tells you to.  I am reminded of Abram when God told him to leave his home, the Land of Babylon, and go to a land that he would show him.  How many people would trust and believe the Holy Spirit when he is leading them through the wilderness to the Land of Promise?
  
Do you remember Jesus, and how he called his disciples to follow him?  They were faithful servants, willing to leave their home and their families, to follow Jesus in obedience.

Doesn’t God still speak the same way through his Spiritual DNA?  Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we shall fear no evil for our God is with us, and his rod and his staff comfort us.  Psalm 23 says that the Lord is our shepherd, and we shall not want.  He makes us lie down in green pastures, and leads us beside still waters.  He restores our soul and leads us in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  This is promise that comes through God's spiritual DNA.
   
One foot a time, waiting for God to provide, leaning and listening for the next directive. This seems to be how faith works.  Faith is being obedient, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. It means trusting God above everything else and doing what he says despite what others may say.  

Another faith pattern is believing that Jesus has placed us into position for a reason, despite the condition or the season.  If we listen and do what he says, then it doesn’t matter if we live in a castle or in prison - we are in exactly the right position to carry out God’s mission.  Health and wealth is not about earthly pursuits, it’s about God’s heavenly riches.  God has many children who are born into sickness who bring joy and happiness to those who are depressed.  And there are many people living in poverty who do a much better job at serving and thanksgiving than those who seem to have everything.  The reward is in Heaven, and prosperity comes to the faithful and obedient.

Another faith pattern is being quick to repent for being out of spiritual alignment.  The desire is not to continue to walk around crooked and bent, it’s to humble thyself and ask for forgiveness.  

And I believe one of the most difficult faith patterns to master is to walk in humility and patient endurance, and this is why my life verse is Hebrews 12 - it's all about God's loving correction. 

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  Hebrews 12:7-12

It's so important to remember that if we are aiming to please everyone instead of an audience of One, then we will trip over every lie that the enemy throws at us.  Without our eyes totally focused on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith, it is easy to distracted by the shiny little objects that so easily distract us. 

It's crazy to me that Holy Spirit showed me patterns of faith through the ancestry of Jesus. From Noah, a man who had never seen rain, yet built an arc according to God’s plan, to Abraham, who walked out of Babylon believing that God would lead him to the promised land; from Moses, who bravely went to Pharaoh and demanded that he let the Lords people go, to David. who trusted God so much that he was willing to take on a giant, and later, after being convicted by the Holy Spirit for committing adultery and murder, he wiped the tears from his eyes and believed in his heart that he had been totally forgiven by God.  These are some of the faithful witnesses from who we get our spiritual DNA from.

To the men and the women who believe that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, remember - remember that when our time is up in this world, Jesus has prepared a place for us.  When we are done wrestling with God and man, just as Jacob had been, we will receive another name to consecrate our deep faith.  

Revelation 2:17 says, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it."

Children of God - Hold on. You are a faithful servant, and this is all that the Lord our God asks for.  Be assured and have confident hope that Jesus is coming back to build his Kingdom, and that you are a Citizen of Heaven.

The Gospel according to Matthew is the first book in the New Testament.  I wonder why “Matthew” is first, could it be because he starts with the genealogy of Jesus?
 
I know that whenever I meet with a new client, I usually do a family history to get background knowledge of my client.  This helps me to know where they come from, and what kind of patterns they bring with them.
 
Matthew begins describing the ancestry of Jesus through Abraham - Who is the father of Isaac, and Isaac is the father of Jacob.  Jacob is said to have wrestled with God and renamed Israel, because Israel means, “you have struggled with God and with humans, and have overcome.”  This can be found in Genesis 32:28, and it represents one pattern found in the genealogy of Jesus.
 
Israel became the father of Judah, and on his death bed he blessed Judah with “Your brothers will praise you; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons will bow down to you.  You are a lion’s cub, Judah; You return from the prey, my son.  Like a lion he crouches and lies down, Like a lioness – who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until he to whom it belongs shall come And the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether is donkey to a vine, His colt to the choices branch; He will wash garments in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, His teeth whiter than milk.”  Genesis 49:8-12
 
Fourteen generations came from Abraham to David;  the shepherd boy who killed Goliath.
And David became the anointed king, after Saul defiled himself.  David is described as “a man after God’s own heart” because of his desire to be obedient. 

David committed many sins, mistakes that many people would never recover from.  He committed adultery with Bathsheba, then made arrangements for her husband to be killed.  But in the end, he repented, and believed that God forgave him.  Nonetheless, there were still consequences for the committed sin, He and Bathsheba lost their first son.  David cried and prayed for many days, asking for God to intervene.  But God’s decision was already made, and when David realized his child was not returning, he cleaned up his face and went on with his life.
 
David learned the fear of the Lord, and because of this, he would not strike Saul, God’s anointed one.
Instead he trusted and believed, that the Lord would intervene for him.  And that is exactly what the Lord did when the time was right for him.
 
Anyway, fourteen more generations passed from David to Jehoiachin.  Jehoiachin was King of Judah, when God exiled Judah to Babylon.  Between David and Jehoiachin, Israel became a divided nation.
The 12 tribes of Israel divided into a Northern and Southern Kingdom.
 
When David’s son, Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king.  And when Rehoboam set high taxes, Solomon’s official, Jeroboam, resisted him.  10 tribes rejected Rehoboam and moved to the land of Shechem, Where Jacob’s well is located.

The area became known as Samaria, and it became the capital of Israel – what was known as the northern kingdom.  Jeroboam made a fatal mistake by instituting a form of calf worship, and declaring that pilgrimages to Jerusalem were unnecessary.  Only Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam, and they stayed in Jerusalem, also known as the City of David.  And for hundreds of years, the kingdoms did not mix.
 
Finally, the Lord had enough.  Both kingdoms were adulterous.  God positioned Assyria to destroy the northern Kingdom and Samaria.  Some were exiled and taken away, but most remained in the land.
The Assyrian king brought in people from other nations, to mix religions with other cultures.  100 years later the same happened with Judah, Benjamin and Jerusalem.  This time by the Babylonians.
But in the case, the noble, wealthy and educated were exiled to Babylonia to be indoctrinated.
Between the birth of Jehoiachin and the birth of Jesus, another fourteen generations had past.

That’s three sets of 14 which equals 42 generations!  Don’t you love how God is a God of order?
 
During this time, a remnant was created.  Faithful servants who would be obedient.  70 years passed while Judah was in exile,  During this time, they were encouraged by the prophet Jeremiah to live peaceful lives among the Babylonians while they patiently waited for the Lord to release them.
 
Zerubbabel was Jehoiachin’s grandson, and Ezra was a priest at that time.  They were ready to lead the people back home, when the King Cyrus of Persia was told by God to release them.  Between the time of temple rebuilding, and the time of the birth of Jesus, many Judeans took on a religious spirit.
Pharisees and Sadducees mixed the priests with the ways of their government.  Fear of exile drove many to hold fast to the Law of Moses and tradition, while greed took over the mind of merchants.
 
Now onto Jesus.

To my knowledge, Jesus had no children nor was he married to any person.  He spent his life forming friendships, and teaching people about the Kingdom of God.
 
The generations after Jesus did not grow by the flesh, but rather by Spirit of God.  And those who accept Jesus as their King are impregnated by his seed.  That is why Abraham is known as the Father of Faith, because it’s through his line that Jesus came.  It all started with a single step of a man listening to God and leaning in, then having faith to walk away from Babylon, the home of Chaldeans.
 
Faith means being sure of the things we hope for, and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.  It is by faith we understand that the whole world is made by God’s command, and so what we see that the natural is not the end.  
 
Faith come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  And faith without action is completely dead.

I just love walking with Jesus, and am so glad Holy Spirit led me to read the Gospel according to Matthew.  I have a feeling the Lord is going to show me more faith patterns growing beneath the genealogy of Jesus.

Guess what?
I almost tripped and fell again.
Stumbling over the same old sin.
Thinking that my life is my own.
Believing the lies of the opposition.

The natural man, inside of me
often focuses on what my eyes can see,
and believe
what my own thoughts think.

I look at people and wonder,
“How can that be?
They promised their allegiance to me.”
What kind of person shifts their loyalty?
What kind of Christian acts unethically?
How can a person cover themselves
with such a blatant mask of deceit?

And as I think on these things,
I get entangled in demonic weeds.
I begin thinking, “I’m not good enough.”
I begin thinking, “I’ve had enough.”
I begin focusing
on what is wrong inside of them,
and then I start thinking
what is wrong with myself.

Seeds of bitterness begin to grow
faster than I have time to cut them down.
And before you know it
I’m being dragged
down
into
a hole
that I can’t
get out of
on my own.

And that is when I call on Jesus!

That is when I am reminded
of what Paul meant
when he said, “I die daily.  My life is not my own.”

Humility and High Ways
don’t seem to make sense -
but in the spiritual realm
there is no other way to consider it.

Humility means 
that we choose to submit
to God’s authority
and High Ways of Thinking
are not our own!

You see,
Abraham offered Lot
whatever land he wanted,
and Lot chose the land
that looked most watered.
But over time
the land that Lot had began to rot,
and the land of the humble
became the most prosperous.

I am reminded
that Jesus does not see
what we define
as success and greatness.

He looks to the heart that beats within.
He defines our greatness by our faith in him.

“I die daily”
echoes Jesus’ command
to fully submit yourself to his teaching.
“If anyone would come after me
let him deny himself,
take up his cross daily,
and follow me.”
Luke 9:23

The Cross
for followers of the Way
could be viewed
as a daily decision
to endure humiliation -
and it may feel like
you’ve been stabbed in the back
by a trusted person
who has pledged allegiance.

It could be a husband, a Pastor, a coworker, a friend;
or even worse, it could come from within -
an unexpected behavior that you've done
that does not line up with what God's Word says.

And this is why
Jesus shows us how to love
and how to forgive.
Without humility
there is no chance of shaking off Sin.

Jesus could have come as The Lion,
that he is,
or he could have come as the cut rock
from the Mountain of Zion,
But he didn’t - for a reason!
At least, not yet!

Instead, our Creator
came as a man -
as a sacrificial lamb.
To be the final atonement
for the sin
that separates us from him.

He came as a Servant
to show us how to live; 
he came to show his image
of what it means to love and to forgive.

He came to give mankind
another chance to live.

Jesus allowed himself
to be mocked, and humiliated -
and killed - in the human flesh.

And he did all of this
so that we could have faith
to believe in him.

He taught many people about the ways of God,
but he didn't do it by demanding their allegiance.

He led by example,
and used many parables
to teach about his precepts
according to the Kingdom of Heaven.

And he did this
while speaking the truth in love.

He never demanded
that anyone be true to him.
And he already knew
who would betray him.

And yet, he walked out the Father’s plan.
He fully submitted himself
to carry out the Father’s Will.

He found comfort through the Holy Spirit.

So on this day,
as I FEEL broken and afraid,
I submit my spirit to God’s Will,
and His High Ways of holiness.

Humility and High Ways
are not in opposition
as many people around us
tend to teach us.

Jesus said,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, 
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, 
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, 
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they will see God.  
Blessed are the peacemakers, 
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when people insult you, 
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. 
Rejoice and be glad, 
because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.
Matthew 5:12
"The Beatitudes"

You see,
"Greatness" has nothing to do
with my dress or my shoes.
And it certainly
does not have to do
with my Queen Bee attitude.

"Greatness" is found in the humble,
and the faithful,
through people like Abraham,
who offered Lot the choice of land,
and then lived peacefully
with what was left.

Father, give me this kind of heart.
Give me the opportunity
to present myself daily as a living sacrifice.

Help me not to focus on
what went wrong,
or how stupid I am.
Help me to die to self
one day at a time.

Daniel Chapter 8 is about events and dates.
The end of age is prophesied by Daniel,
Through the angel Gabriel about 500 years before the birth of Christ.

We must have wisdom.
Prophecy can get crazy.
But that does not mean we should scoff at what Jesus has commanded.
"You can tell the weather patterns but you can't tell the seasons."

Daniel 8 is at the heart of eschatology.
And yet, modern-day Christianity doesn’t even touch it.
I mean really, who teaches it?

Most would put Daniel 8 in history.
But Jesus said it.  Paul spoke it.  And Gabriel revealed it –
As an End of Age Fulfillment.

An invaded Jerusalem.  A desolation.
A future temple destroyed after Babylon.

Could it be the 2nd Temple?  Is that the End of the Age?
Daniel must be cross-referenced to other important scripture.

Daniel 11 and 12, 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2,
Matthew 24 and Revelation 12 and 13

There’s a transgression.  An army.  A withholding.
A little leader who has a degree of authority will grow into a position of great superiority.

There’s a theory.  That the little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes.
Jesus said the events are yet future so Antiochus cannot be the Anti-Christ.

I know, it’s crazy.
The little horn will come forth at the End of the Age.

Is the south Egypt?  Is the east the Middle East.  And we all know
the glorious land is Israel.

Does the Anti-Christ come from Rome?
I don’t think so.  I think he’s Islamic.  Possibly a Caliphate?

The little horn will grow up to the host of heaven.
Truth will be cast down and trampled upon.
Just like the hosts, the stars and the sanctuary.

Daniel Chapter 12:1 says Michael will come and stand up for the Jewish people.
The stars forever and ever are significant.
Revelation 12:7 says Michael and his angels will fight the dragon.
And he and his angels will be cast down out of heaven.

The accuser of the brethren will be conquered
By the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.

Daniel 11 says those with wisdom will stumble,
And be refined and made white until the end of the age. 
The saints will shine bright like the stars of heaven as they are persecuted.

Transgression – against Jesus, the Prince of the Hosts in Heaven.
An abomination of desolation causes great tribulation.

The daily sacrifices are taken away when he rises.
And as he rises, so does the archangel Michael.

Let the reader understand that when we see the abomination of desolation
Leave Jerusalem.

What is the Mystery?  Who is this Man of Intrigue?
Could he be the demonic incarnation of Satan?
Is this the exact time when Satan is cast out of heaven?

Is the demise of the devil in the details of Daniel?

I mean really...who is restraining the revealing?  Could it be Satan himself?
Not wanting to lose his position in Heaven?

Is this why he gives his authority to a human? 
A beast who speaks great blasphemy against God?

And who is the army that is given to him?
Is it a coalition of nations?  An empire for globalization?

Will the Lord’s Word prosper?
Will the End of Age come to pass?

I can say this, the Day of the Lord is coming!
We should know that God’s Word never returns void.

Paul said the Anti-Christ will sit as God in the Temple of God
Exalting himself above all that is called God.

We must know this.
There is a prophetic necessity to identify the third temple
even before the destruction of the second temple was done.

Truth and reality will be cast down and trampled upon.
People will be given over to strong delusions.
Without loving the truth we will be given over to deceit.
We must love the truth more than we love our own lives.

According to the angels communicating in Chapter 8 of Daniel
A host will be given over with the regular burnt offering
It will throw truth to the ground and there will be a halt the sacrifices.

The angel Gabriel said this will happen for 2,300 days
Before the sanctuary is cleansed.
And we already know that Jesus cleansed the temple once,
When as a man, upon the earth. 

Jesus will restore and clean the sanctuary again
When he returns as a Lion with scepter in hand.

Jesus was, and is, and will always be, the Son of Man 
the begotten Son of God.

The temple is paramount!  It’s important to prophecy!
The temple will be defiled by the anti-Christ
But will be cleansed and restored upon Jesus’s return.

This is not the Law of the Old Testament.
Hebrews is not in contradiction to Ezekiel and all the prophets.
All of scripture is affirmed and must be understood
through the Spirit of Promise.

We need to pay attention to Jerusalem, and keep our spiritual eyes open.
For the Day of the Lord is coming soon.

And let us pray, for the Jews and the Gentiles,
who have not accepted Jesus as the Risen Lord.
May they hear his voice.  May they see his face.
May they accept his grace - given freely for all of us.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.  For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
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But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits  be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  
2 Thessalonians 2

Written 1-18-21

I was given my God ordained assignment during the boardwalk vision in November of 2016. 
What about you?
From that time, he prepared my mind and my heart to hear from him.
He had me follow him, and listen closely in. I became a disciple of his.
In 2020, he sent me out to declare my faith.
He rained on me, words to say, to my region.
He made me give warning.
The things I said were not always nice and uplifting.
Most of the time, repentance was stated, and I hated having to say it.
But impressed on me fear of the Lord, and showed me Ezekiel.
But today, a new mission has started.
The Lord showed me that I have been given a face like flint
to defend the faith through a justified position and the work of sanctification.
The last few weeks I have barely heard from him.
And that’s because he’s had me in transition.
I am being promoted in the Lord’s army with even more responsibility.
You see, in 2016, In the boardwalk vision he transformed me.
He lifted me from the pit on the East side of the boardwalk
then he held me and led me to the tent door,
that divided the flesh and the soul from the spiritual.

Jesus opened the door.
And he invited me into the light.
When I stepped in I became a part of him,
and I was filled with his glory.
Everything existed as One,
full of brilliance and purity.
Suddenly, I stood on the left edge of the boardwalk
as a warrior.
No longer dressed like a pauper, beaten and afraid.
I stood tall and strong, wearing leather,
full of strength - with sword in hand.

In a moment of time,
Jesus found me. He saved me.
And led me to Father God,
where I was transformed by His Spirit.
From that moment in time,
when the sun did not move,
I was changed forevermore!

He gave me the ability to forgive, and to live!
He healed my depression and calmed my soul.
He saved my marriage.
He healed my trauma childhood.
And he took away my insecurity.

Then, in 2019, He gave me a Word to declare to the nations.
​
He said,
“I am wringing out my remnant for one drop of my blood covers a multitude of sin.”
He gave me a mission
to heal the broken-hearted,
the lost and the lonely.
In 2020, He gave me prophetic poetry that cemented my faith.
And today, in January of 2021, I stand before you with a face like flint.
Nothing can shake me!

You will experience the Sword of the Spirit
coming out of my mouth to defend the faith!
This is another command the Lord has laid upon my heart!

But this time,
I will not be acting by myself.
The Lord is raising his children into maturity.
The Body of Christ is coming into alignment with His head.

The remnant is rising!

The Body of Christ is being wrung out
for one drop of his blood covers a multitude of sin.
Scripture says that we have been been saved by grace
through faith in Christ alone.
And it is not by our own doing but by the gift of God.
Romans 2:8

And through faith we have the assurance of things hoped for
and the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

Maranatha! The Lord is Coming!

We believe that Christ has set us free,
and that we can stand firm
and not submit again
to a yoke of slavery.

Bad habits will be broken this year!
We will not entertain
repeated patterns of condemnation.
We are convicted only by Holy Spirit.

We fully submit ourselves to Him.
Patiently enduring.
Always accepting correction.
Waiting for instruction
and rebuking the enemy.

This is the mission
that the Lord has woken me up with.

You will defend the faith by following Ephesians 6.
The Lord says,
“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.”  This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you.

As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”  ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:1-18‬

The Lords says,
“Seek wisdom in these things.  Not as the world gives but through the mind of Christ and the ears and eyes of My Spirit.  For he is in you, and he will show you if you submit yourselves to Him.”

What is love?

Is there a difference
between the way humans view “love”
and the way God defines “love”?

I mean if God so loved the world
then why would he allow his son
to be mocked, murdered & condemned?

Is God’s version of love twisted?
Is the human version of love correct?

And what about peace?

Does peace mean unity
with every nation and creed?

Does peace mean the acceptance
of different religious beliefs?
Are we to tolerate the Jezebel spirit?

Should we become blended families?
Should we worship alters of Baal,
while we honor our God?

Have we become lukewarm?

Are we to water down the Word
and bow down to other gods?

And what about transgender?
It’s does not seem to be
about masculine and feminine anymore.

We have opened the door
to the biological
through surgery and hormones.

Should man become woman
and woman become man?

Should we blur the boundaries of what God has made?

What is right and wrong?
Is there really such a thing anymore?

And who decides?
Is it you? Is it me?
Or should it be God?

Why would Jesus say,
“I have come to set the world on fire,
and I wish it were already burning!
I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me,
and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth?
No, I have come to divide people against each other!
From now on families will be split apart,
three in favor of me, and two against--
or two in favor and three against.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:49-52‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Is Jesus NOT good?
These words certainly don’t shout
“I have Good News!”

Yesterday I saw a group of women
walk into a church
to demand women’s rights
to abort unborn children
be heard.

​She called them haters
and she called them pigs,
then she said,
“2,4,6,8 this church teaches hate.”

The congregation
who honored sanctity of life
was being accused of casting out hate.

She and her friends were escorted
out by the police,
but they turned that into a mockery!

The women began stating
that the cop who was black
was the one who had viciously attacked.

And as I stood watching in disbelief,
I came to realize
that she really believed it.

Humanity has done a great job
at twisting the definition of love,
and I believe
for those who have reverence for God,
it is only going to get worse.

In Daniel 8, the angel Gabriel said
that the truth is going to be thrown down
and trampled upon in the last days -

it’s so important for followers of Christ
to know what the Word of God says
so they won’t be foolishly misled.

The Lord showed me in March of 2019,
that Luke 12:49-59 was for this time -
and I had struggled in the spirit
trying to reconcile this.

How can Jesus NOT want peace?
It seems to go against everything he is!

Why would Jesus
allow families to be divided?
And why in the world did he wish
the world was already burning?

The Lord has been showing me
that love IS seeing the plight of humanity
through the eyes of His Spirit.

And this is why the blood of Christ
is the true meaning of unfailing love
and forgiveness.

It’s not human love that matters most!
It’s not our definition of what it is.

The Spirit of Promise
is for those who believe
in the Spirit of Truth.
​
It’s God’s truth being shared IN love
that transforms us!
And it’s the truth being shared
IN LOVE
that matters most.