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FAITH ON MY SLEEVE

12/19/2020

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I guess most of you know
that I wear my faith on my sleeve. 
You see, I was a child
who lived traumatized
and grew into a woman
who was super resilient.
I would let people in,
on my own terms,
but as soon as they let me down,
as everyone eventually does,
I would kick them out,
or run!

And I did this too
with God.

He first came to me
when I was young.
He pursued me more than once. 

When the fighting started,
He would comfort me with His love.

I remember writing poems,
when I was only five.
I would go into my head
when I felt all alone.

And I would pretend.

I would imagine a world,
in full color,
where unicorns and rainbows
would fill the land.

I created my own kind of
Wizard of Oz
and I would skip along,
through the wildflowers,
with imaginary friends.
I truly enjoyed my world
of technicolor
before the monkeys came in.

The men would come.
So many of them.
Not for me, but for the drugs.
They would hug me and smile,
and tell me to call them uncle.
They told me how beautiful I was.
They would fumble around,
with their hands,
and penetrate me,
with their eyes.
I was just a child.

All the while,
I would tremble in my bones,
and pray for them
to leave my home.

Always afraid. Never protected.
Always shamed.  Never loved.
Unworthy.  
That's how I felt.
Unless of course,
I was distracted. 

I was given grace 
through the public school system.
School was a safe place for me to go.
I didn’t have to be afraid
because I knew there were adults
who would take care of me.
Yes, some of the kids were mean,
but I was able to handle them.
It was my teachers' approval
that made me happy.
It was their compliments
that I longed for.
Their classrooms were inviting.
Always clean and comforting.  
The sequence and structure
helped me
move through the chaotic days.
Their kind words,
and their calls home
saved me.
Literally!
My mother would send me to school,
when they called her.
Instead of keeping me home
to take care of my brothers.

You see, I was the family hero
of the chemically addicted family.
I brought hope into a dark world,
and I knew the meaning of responsible.
I was the oldest child, and the only girl -
hope was found, in me alone.

God made me smart,
but my body matured through stress.
I grew up with fight or flight,
running my entire life.

God gave me intelligence.
He gave me an inquisitive mind
that loves to find out;
and He gave me words
to express knowledge.

Reading was my escape
from an unpredictable life; 
and writing was my way
to heal myself.

Fourteen schools.  Lots of moves.
Never stable.  Never smooth.

I was 12 years old
when I called on God,
“God, make it stop!"

is what I yelled.
His Spirit fell on me like a blanket.

A large covering fell on me,
like
newly fallen snow.
The fighting stopped,
and the hateful sounds went away.

It’s as if my life 
had been turned inside out,

and I was no longer afraid.

Peace surpassed all understanding,
in that incredible moment.
And it all happened 
in a haunted house -
in Camillus, New York.

I saw so many things, 
in the spirit realm,
including a girl 
with patent leather shoes,
who laid in the tub, 
beneath the water,
as if she were drowned.

The sounds in the attic
were eerie - 
especially at night
when I would hear objects move.
The creeks were frightening.
I could hear them coming down the stairs.
I knew in my spirit,
there was more than one evil spirit
living in my home.

And then there was the basement.

I had to walk right through it,
at 3 am, all alone,
when my mother would not get out of bed
to let me in.
She was sleeping.  
She must have been drunk.
She could not hear me 
even with the loudest of knocks.

So I summoned up my courage
and opened the outside door
to the basement, and let myself in.

I felt evil eyes, keenly observing me.
I prayed to God
to keep me alive.
I focused, on the light
that shined beneath the door
at the top of the stairs.

God was with me. 
I felt His words say, "move along,
"this basement is only a shadow of death."

God has always been there.
I just didn’t really know Him.
He was like an acquaintance
who always showed up
when least expected.

Yet, He was there.
His presence was known,
even more so than my parents.

I tried to get to know God
when I went to college.
I learned all about Him 
through my electives -
which were mostly 
religion classes.

I studied Native American religion,
Catholicism, Hindu and Baptist.
I studied Islam and Jewish and Buddhist.
And when I was finally done
with my liberal education,
I was completely brainwashed.

I had decided that
God was made by humans.
He was an imaginary Deity
that provided humanity with morality,
as a way to separate
the bad from the good.
This was my new religion -
and it represented an ethical way 
for people to live
because it was fully based
on human love.

Thank God, He did not give up on me.

Holy Spirit pursued me.
Once again!
He chased me down
and impressed upon me
the need to open up His Word.

At 23years old, 
I requested a Study Bible
from my husband for Christmas.

​I dug in, but the words made no sense.
What was I supposed to read? 
Where was I supposed to start?
This was way too difficult
for me to do alone.

At my work, there was a woman,
who was a Christian.
I asked her to help me.

She advised me
to place my hand on the Bible
before even opening it up, 
and ask God to help me understand it.

So, that’s what I did.

I started with Genesis.
I read it over and over again.
I was drawn into the history.
It was like reading 
a really good fictional story!

So much imagery!  
So much feeling!
So much drama happening, 
over and over again!

When I was 25, 
I met a Messianic Jew
in graduate school.
We became friends,
and he invited me and my husband
to his church.

The First Baptist of Church of Jamesville -
was on the outskirts of Nedrow.
It was not far from home.
Pastor Scott
was a very kind man,
and he is the one who baptized me,
and helped me feel welcome in church.

Then I got pregnant, 
and my husband and I separated.
There was never a time in my life
that I felt more alone.
I died inside,
while my baby grew alive,
but the Lord had taught me
to be strong.

I mean, I had overcome so much.
I was resilient!
From parental divorce
to my mother's mental illness;
from her drug abuse
to sexual perversion and promiscuity,
from cocaine and all kinds of drugs
candy coating my home,
And I did it.
I was the first one in my family
to go to college.
I had learned to be super strong.

As a kid, I was threatened
by my step-father,
not to tell anyone about the drugs in our home,
or else the police would take
our mother from us.

My brothers and I,
never felt loved.
We were rejected 
because we all we did
was get in the way
of the adults in our home.

Anyway,
it was happening all over again.
My husband became another person
who I could not depend on.

So I lived, like I had always done.
Strong and resilient -
totally independent.
I moved out on my own.
Just me and my son -
I didn't need no man!

But then,
my husband had a change of heart.
He wanted to start over again.
He said he wanted to be 
a better man.
He said he was scared,
and wasn't ready to be a dad.
He was angry that I had gotten pregnant,
when he was not ready to move on.

So I moved back in.
But the hurt was never gone.

We had two more children.
And our life moved right along.
We lived in a quaint home,
on 20 acres of land,
but then we moved to Nevada
after my 23 year old brother died.
I was ready to take chances,
because everything changes,
and we only have one life to live.

All this time, 
we attended churches.
I even taught the children's ministry,
and I ran a Christian Coffeehouse
on Saturday nights.

The Lord was good!
I learned everything about Him!
And yet,
He still felt like an acquaintance.

Why? 
I couldn't explain this.
I studied Him intently.
I learned all I could
to know about Him.

He had a name,
and when I would call it,
He would come with open arms.

But after the trial was over,
I would forget about Him.
I would do life on my own,
without Him.

So then, 
while living in the desert,
I went astray,
and cheated on my husband.

I was tempted
to live authentically.
I thought my dreams
were totally up to me.
So I left my husband 
and I waited,
but he didn’t do the same.

Promises were made.
"Some day" 
became the rope
that choked me.

So I returned to the man
who loved me.

Then we moved.
Escaping bankruptcy
and marriage infidelity.
Broken dreams.
Hoping to obtain a life
once again.

We moved to the Greater Hills
of Clermont-
the closest we could find
in Florida,
to the mountains.

We tried.
My husband and I.
To move on
unchanged -
pretending as if 
nothing had happened.

And then the dream
found me once again.
He kept me on a line
with lots of promises -
so I waited...

But then, 
I finally realized
it was never going to happen.

I repented.
I went to the cross
and asked God
to take this temptation away.

I realized it was never
about the man.
It was truly my own shame
that I longed to escape.

But the enemy would not let go.
Temptation came again,
but this time
through my husband.

My husband felt alone.
He was always on the road.
I barely acknowledge him.

He met another woman,
a friend from the past.
But I did not know it.

I could tell.
I knew the signs well.
There's a disgust that comes
when lust is involved.
Secrets penetrate
every hidden interaction.

The pain of rejection stings -
and the bitterness that comes
is unending.
It hurts to the core of your being.

Satan had his hooks in.
Scales covered our eyes.
Leviathan is twisted.

Too many lies! 
Too much distrust!
The hurt was more
than any marriage could bear.

And the words -
they hurt to the core.
The words that we said,
brought death, not life
to our marriage.

Divorce.
It was the only way out!

But then, once again,
God came in.

He healed what we could not.
And He went straight to the rot.
He pulled the weeds out.

He declared,
"Not in My house, Satan!"
"Get Out!"

God spoke when we could not.
He pulled us out of the pit,
and He showed us the power of the cross.
He told us to trust Him.

And He did this individually,
in my husband and me,
while we were separated.

The days were unbearable.
We submitted.
We waited on God
to teach us how to love,
and how to forgive.

He explained 
how His blood covers our sin.
And He showed us
how much He love us.

He taught how to love each other.

You see,
I wear my faith on my sleeve
because my heart 
has been surrendered.
And strengthened.

It’s stronger than the defensive armor
that I used to wear.
It's the essence of who I am,
on the inside and the outside.

My faith is real.
There is no doubt within me.

He is the most stable home
that I’ve ever had.

God is no longer an acquaintance.
He is my most trustworthy friend!

If you don’t know Him intimately
like I do,
then you have no idea what your missing!

If this is you, then just ask me.
I would love to introduce you.

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THE CREATOR AND HIS CREATION

12/17/2020

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Did you know that God’s Work
​is already done?
That’s right!
Our human story has already been written.  
It’s an epic tale
about a Creator and His creation,
humans who struggle endlessly
with this concept of faith.
As a way
to bring disobedient children
back to Him,
our Father writes
many trials and tribulations
into our lives.
Yes,
He could give us a life
full of constant blessings,
but what good would that do
if it kept us
independent of him?
Jacob’s trouble
is also meant for us Gentiles.
It’s an opportunity to remember,
repent and come back home.
We would be like the prodigal son -
the one who went astray
and squandered his inheritance.
Or even worse,
we could be like the good son,
the one who stayed home
but kept a hardened heart.
We would be like
the Drunkards of Ephraim,
living off the souls
of the oppressed and the poor.
Even worse,
we could be like kings and queens,
living in luxury,
thinking that we deserve
all of God’s blessings!
On our own
we are foolishly
bound to the curse
that God spoke upon Satan,
and Adam and Eve.
It was a curse
that is cast out
through the people
of every nation, race and creed -
a curse based off the premise
of questioning God’s authority
and wanting to be like Him.
But because God loves us
more than life itself,
He saved us through the flood
that took most of humanity out.
And from that the rainbow was formed,
not to represent pride,
but to show us the love of God.
After the Days of Noah,
Abraham was born.
And from his seed,
a faithful nation was made.
And from the line of Judah,
David would become King,
and from his seed,
Christ would be born.
Christ was a man born to a virgin,
and He was fully God born from Holy Spirit.
It’s kind of hard to make sense of it.
But I have learned to just trust and believe.
Jesus came
so that He could die a horrible death,
so that His blood could cover our sinful selves.
He paid the price
to give us all a brand new life,
but there is a small cost that we too must pay. 
All we have to do is fix the mistake, 
that humanity made back
in the Garden of Eden.
We must trust and believe
the Word that comes out of
​God's sovereign mouth!
The creation has been given
a second opportunity
to trust and believe God,
the One who created everything.
And all we have to do
to reverse the eternal curse
is to have a mustard seed of faith
that Christ is the Son of God,
and He is our Righteous King.
Jesus is also called the Son of Man
because He actually God in the flesh
who became the second Adam.
So if you are reading this,
and your heart is lighting up,
that probably means
that you are a Child of God
who hears your father’s voice.
All you have to do,
is follow the sound that draws you in.
Get into His Word
and He will lead you into light.
His Holy Spirit
is the Lord who makes you strong.
He is the One
who helps the scripture to make sense.
If you are spiritually dead
and falling asleep while reading this,
that probably means you lack faith.
Without faith,
you will not experience God’s presence.
Without faith, you will not have intimacy.
The only way
to fix this fatal mistake,
is to repent and give back your life.  
Once you understand
that you are just the creation,
you will long to return to your Creator.
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DANIEL 7 (PART 2): WHEELS AND WINGS

12/16/2020

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This has to be Daniel's weirdest dream yet - a terrifying nightmare that scared him to death!  But the dream was not just a dream! It did not just magically appear in Daniel’s head for absolutely no reason. No way!  Not a chance! It was actually a vision, given by God, that showed Daniel what would happen in the last days on earth!

Daniel.  A nobleman of Judah. Brought into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar.  The King of Babylon, who was sent by God, to bring His hammer of judgment down.   

Daniel had served Nebuchadnezzar as his Chief Magician because the Lord, our God, put him into this position.  He was gifted with immeasurable wisdom, and he had the ability to interpret dreams.  Daniel lasted a very long time, living under rulers who did not know God.  He would serve the Chaldeans and we he would serve the Medes.  He would serve Cyrus, the Great Persian King.  He would serve the men who did not know God, but he never veered by denying His God.  

During the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign, Daniel wrote this down,
“In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others. The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind. Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!” Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast. Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.”
Daniel 7:1-12

Then Daniel said,
“As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Daniel was troubled by all he had seen, and his visions completely terrified him.  I can't imagine how frightened he must have been - to see these beasts and the wrath of God.  This is what Daniel did, 
“I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.”  Daniel 7:16-27

When our Discovery Daniel Study met tonight, we discussed all of Daniel’s visions and dreams.  And we discussed some of our own.

A couple of us have had some, while others have had none.  But we all agreed that God has different ways that he speaks to us.  We acknowledged that our God is alive, and that His Spirit resides inside each of us.  We shared how much reverence we hold for Him, and how much we naturally bow down to God.  We shared how God’s Word is always inspired, and how eating it leaves us in awe.  We spoke about confident hope and everlasting faith, and how Holy Spirit continues to give us strength.  And we all agreed, Daniel's dream reminded us of Revelation 13.  And the "wheels of blazing fire" reminded us of Ezekiel's vision in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Then we remembered that Daniel in Chapter 6, retreated to his room when the King made a law against his God.  Daniel went to his room, all alone, and he prayed to God while facing towards Jerusalem. The scripture says he did this three times a day, in the morning and night and mid-afternoon. And we realized this too is what King David used to do! Just read Psalm 55, verse 16-17.

We all decided to make this our daily practice - to set a compass on our phones and pray three times a day facing Jerusalem.  We also decided to honor God by honoring each other, and not to question or doubt how God speaks to us.  Instead, we would pray for one other, and believe that we are the Body of Christ.  

Daniel said, "I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.”  ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:28‬
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We discussed in our group why he kept it to himself. Was it because He was reserved? Was it because God told him to? Was it because it was all too much to try to find words? Was it because he feared the Lord? Or is possible that he had no one to talk to? Did he have anyone who he could trust with this news?

We don’t know the answer to this question.  But we do know this - we are tired of doing life alone.  We are tired of tryin to go rogue.  We decided we would be a support to each other, and we encourage each other to be vulnerable.  And we would trust God with everything that He said.  We would be like the eyes on Ezekiel’s wheel - moving in step with His Holy Spirit and listening to His wings when He moves.
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TRUTH AND LEADERSHIP

12/16/2020

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Leadership is important
in every aspect.
As the leadership goes
so does the marriage,
the family,
the church,
the society,
and the government.

​The laws that we create
are an extension from it.
From what authority
do our laws branch?
Do we follow the Word of God
or do we make up our own?

Do we allow
for human sacrifice
like in the days of Manasseh
when for 55 years
he ruled with pride and evil intent?

Do we drop our faith boundaries
and open up our gates to Paganism?
Do we let human love
change God’s definition of marriage?

Do we believe God
created Adam and Eve
to be a perfect fit?
Do we believe God created
a complimentary difference
between woman and man?

Do we tell a father
he is not needed
in his child’s life?
Do we tell a mother
that parental bonding and attachment
are not important?

Do we encourage a mom to choose
a career over raising her children?
Do we continue to apply bricks
to break the family unit?

Don’t we come up
with all kinds of excuses!

Do we value money over everything?
Do we live each day
praying for retirement?

Do we allow education
to decide what principles
are taught to our kids?
What if they are wrong,
and go against God’s laws?

Do we subside
and totally give in?
Do we roll over
and wave the white flag?

What if the king of the kingdom
appears to have a good heart?
What if words of peace
come out of his mouth
but everything he does
is an abomination to God?

What if God is taken
out of our government?
What if we are told to honor
every kind of faith?

What if we are told
that Jesus is not the only way?
What if the world king
decides there is another way?

Since we are called to love,
how much should the Christian accept?
What justifies letting go
of our plumb-line faith?

What should we do
when our husband has gone astray?
What should we do
if he leads with an iron fist?

What if a mom and her children
live every day afraid?
How much abuse
are they supposed to take?

And what if a wife says,
“I’m doing it MY own way!”
“I don’t give a shit
what you have to say!”

What if she dismisses
everything her husband has to say.
What if he is squashed
under her feministic foot?
What should he do?

What if the children rebel
and spit in their parents face?
What if they insist
that they WILL get their own way.
How much disobedience
are parents supposed to take?
At what point should they say, 
"If you can't respect me,
then get out of MY house!"

How much are we to submit?
When has idolatry and rebellion
become too much?

What do you do
when your pastor says,
“Well, you married him”
when you go to him
about domestic violence happening
in the home?
At what point should a member
question his authority,
and stop him and say,
“That does not seem what God has to say." 

How much do we rely on humans
to tell us the truth
instead of going to God
to tell us the answers?

Shouldn’t the answer
from the Pastor be,
“A husband is to love his wife,
like Christ loves the church.”
Shouldn’t that be
the very first response
that comes out of his mouth?

And isn’t a wife
supposed to honor her man
and submit herself to him?
Not under his control,
but under his protection.

And aren’t the children
supposed to respect their parents?
Isn’t that how authority works?

And what about the leaders
who run our government
aren’t they an extension of us?
Aren't they supposed to be JUST
representatives of the people?

It certainly seems
we have everything backwards,
does it not?
Instead of coming in,
shouldn’t the Church be going out?

And why do our shepherds
feed the flock sugar coated messages?
Well, I guess I already know
the answer to that!

Sugar and honey
makes everything go down -
even when it's not good for us.

Many preachers and prophets
love to tickle the ears of humans.
They love to speak
peace and prosperity 
to a dying generation.
People don't like to hear
about God's wrath or impending judgment,
since we are rooted in God's love
and He sent his son to save us.
"Fear of the Lord"
is not for me.
It's a term of old 
to make men follow God's law.

That is the great lie
that most people believe.

The truth is we must have
a personal relationship with Jesus,
otherwise when our body dies,
he will say,
"Depart from Me."

Intimacy 
is what determines
whether you have faith to believe.
"Fear of the Lord"
and submitting to God's authority
is a natural extension from it.

What will happen
to people’s heart and minds
if we continue to digest
human thoughts and ways?”

God tells us
that his thoughts
are not like our thoughts,
and his ways are not like our own.
What will we be like as a nation
if we continue to abandon Father God?

What will happen if we continue
to twist His Word?
Eventually the Body of Christ 
will begin to crumble and break.

Is this what Daniel calls
the Kingdom of Baked Clay?

And all because
we lack spiritual nourishment
and thus we lack enduring faith.

It’s like the parent
who buys what’s convenient
instead of filling the fridge
with life-giving fruits and vegetables.

Our stomach and our cells
were never meant to digest
such harmful chemicals.
Wouldn’t we expect mutation to happen?

The body eventually dies
when we feed it wrong.

Leadership
It is where it all begins.
It’s like the mind and the mouth
that takes substances in.

We have to come back
to God’s authority!
We have to digest
what His Word says!

It’s time to stand up and fight!
We must put on our Shoes
FITTED with the Gospel of Peace,
and we must tighten our pants
with the Belt of Truth!
We must put Jesus in our hearts,
and confidently wear
our Breastplate of Righteousness.
We must pick up our Shield of Faith
to defend ourselves from the arrows
the enemy sends our way.
We must put on our Helmet of Salvation 
and remember to cry "Maranatha."

I, Cherie, being a faithful servant
of My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
decree and declare
that this WORD must go out -
as the Sword of the Spirit
extends from my mouth! 

How can we fight the good fight,
and run with patient endurance
when we twist the truth,
and don't submit to God's authority?

Without the Belt of Truth,
our spiritual pants will surely fall down - 
and we will be a laughing stock -
a mockery and humiliating witness to God!

We must stop this abomination!

We must stand for truth
and be his faithful witness!

Who do you serve?
Is it God or is it man?
Or even worse,
​are we serving ourselves?
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WORDS

12/16/2020

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How do we use words
when our world is turned
upside down?
Do they even make sense
when they escape
from the depths
of unconsciousness?
Do they even sound right
when they blurt out
of our mouths -
like a child first learning
to play the clarinet?
And what happens
when words fall like rain
on the page lying in front of us?
Do they heal like a band-aid,
and stop the pain
from gushing out;
or do they leave a stain
that penetrates to the core
of our very heart?
Words -
they are the author
of every thought.
They write a story
and they express a plot.
And the funny thing is this -
They can be expressed
from all kinds
of different perspectives;
and they can quickly change
depending on someone’s mood,
or what is reported by the news.
Yet, we are still held
accountable
for all of them -
even the ones not written
that run through our heads.
Every word
that is thought or said;
every word
expressed quietly, or out loud,
has an implication
on our ourselves,
or someone else.
All of them,
whether yelled
or running over and over again;
ruminating
according to
their own story lines -
they all have impact
on what our next action is.
And it all can change -
on the drop of a dime -
depending on our mood,
or something else that has happened,
or said!
Distracted, or disgusted-
We can shift quickly -
to a new sub-heading.
At any time
we can change our minds
on what we focus on.
Perhaps their is something
more appealing to look at.
Perhaps there is a different way
to phrase that?
We can even see in pictures
if we choose to.
We can create an image
of how we think or how we feel.
And our description can be based
in both fact and fiction!
The imagination is totally God-given!
Creation -
an extension of a thought.
A branch -
extending from a tree of love,
or hate.
Rooted in the Creators mind,
and constantly evaluated.
Judged whether it is good,
or not.
Coated with the emotion
attached to it.
Loved and told it is good.
Hated - it has been misrepresented.
Stunned - by all that has been done.
Beauty promoted,
waste rejected.
Rested - totally settled.
Peace has finally come -
no more words are filling my head!
Music without lyrics
plays like a harp.
Quenching the troubled soul -
Like Saul and David.
A calming to the soul
after a great credenza
is really all that anyone
could hope for.
Maranatha
Lord, Come
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DANIEL 7 (PART 1):  MARANATHA!

12/9/2020

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I'm a little nervous to start my study on Daniel 7 because this is where the FAI videos begin.  FAI stands for Frontier Alliance International, and I found out about them when I watched their movie on YouTube called "Sheep Among Wolves."  The documentary was about women in Iran who run the underground church.  These women risk their lives to be followers of Christ, in a country where Shi'a Islam is the main religion, and the culture is run by men.   

FAI taught me the word "Maranatha," which in Aramaic means means "Lord, Come."  According to the website "Got Questions," the early church faced much persecution.  The Romans required everyone to declare that Caesar was god, and the early Christians knew that there is only one God and one Lord - Jesus Christ.   Many followers of Christ were put to death for not worshipping Caesar as their King.  During this time, the believers' morale was lifted by the hope of the coming of the Lord.  "Maranatha!" became the common greeting of the oppressed believers, replacing the Jewish greeting "shalom" which means peace.  The followers of Jesus knew there would be no peace because Jesus had told them so, as recorded in Matthew 10:34 and Luke 12:51.  Yet, they knew the Lord would be returning soon, to set up His Kingdom, and from that truth they drew great comfort.  In addition, Jesus declared all of this to them through several parables that spoke to the theme - "keep watching and waiting and be prepared for My return" as recorded in Matthew 25:1-13 and Luke 12:35-40.

The sole mission of Frontier Alliance International is to lay the foundation where there is none, especially in places like Syria, Iraq and Iran.  In essence, they follow the same desire that was given to Paul, in Romans 15:20, "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation." 

When I started the Daniel study, and created the Maranatha - Authentic Facebook group, I knew that Yahweh would continue to give me wisdom.  His Spirit is who led me to Daniel in the first place, after following Him through the book of Luke.  But like everything that He does, it was never meant for me alone.  His intention was to strengthen me to prophecy over the church, and to build up the Body of Christ. 

I fully believe that He is stirring the hearts of His children to (1) pay attention to Jerusalem, (2) rebuild His temple and (3) shine His light into a dark world. 

After reading Daniel Chapter 6, and preparing my heart and my mind through thoughtful prayer, to move onto to Daniel 7, the Lord led me to look more intently at the word "Peace."  In particular, "Peace and Prosperity to you" as written by Darius the Mede, "to people of every race, nation and language throughout the world."  

I followed the sound of the river, that was declared from Darius's mouth, and it took me to Ezra 4 verse 17.  You see, I use the Blue Letter Bible as an interlinear concordance, and when I typed in Daniel 6 verse 25, it showed me that peace means "Shelam" in the Aramaic language.  And Strong's number H8001 matches the Aramaic and Hebrew  word, Shelam, which only occurs 4 times in 4 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the King James Version of scripture.  The 4 other verses are Ezra 4:17, Ezra 5:7, Daniel 4:1, and Daniel 6:25.   

When I saw that the word Shelam was only used in the books of Daniel and Ezra, I immediately knew that the two, were connected in some spiritual kind of way.  This seems to be the way that Holy Spirit leads me in the eating and digestion of scripture. 

As many people know, I was not brought up in a church.  Nor did I go to a Christian college to attain a bible degree.  In fact, it was just the opposite.  I was truly a heathen, who had a Holy Spirit experience when I was 12 years old, that left an unforgettable impression on me. 

I went to a liberal college and obtained a psychology degree.  I also took many courses on religion and graduated believing in "Christian Universalism" - as if there was such a thing!  Obviously, it was my own mind playing tricks on me!  But God was not done with me.  He stirred my heart to draw in closer when I was just 23 years old.  I read the Bible religiously, and gained lots of historical knowledge, but my heart did not change and I lived as a "carnal" Christian until I was 46 years old. 

In 2016, my marriage died from acts of adultery.  My husband and I separated for a third time.  I filed for divorce, and became extremely depressed, and even contemplated suicide.  2016 was a year that took me surprise.  The Lord allowed me to experience his refining fire, and I finally had the opportunity to die to self.  Jesus showed up, quite literally, through many visions and dreams.  He extended his hand, and lifted me from the swamp, then He led me down the boardwalk to meet Father God.  The experience was transformative and life-changing.  During that time, the Lord healed me.  Not only my heart, but my marriage, my family and my trauma history.  And it all started by believing and having faith in His Word - and learning to trust Him over me.      

Anyway, I had forgotten the importance of Ezra, because I have been so focused on the prophet Jeremiah.  Over the last year, I have felt like Jeremiah - the weeping prophet who warned Judah and Benjamin, over and over again, about the judgement that was coming.  Judah had become like the Drunkards of Ephraim who worshipped false gods, including themselves, and their wealth and prosperity.   Judah failed to trust God, in their national affairs.  They completely removed God from their government, and instead focused on human ideals.  

The prophet Jeremiah has been close to my heart, because I often feel like he must have felt - the warnings were totally ignored by his friends, his family and Judean society.  Like him, people don't want to hear what I have to say, in fact I believe they think I'm totally crazy.  But that's okay.  The Lord has helped me to not fear man, and has replaced it with His overwhelming love.  There is nothing that can stop me from declaring what He has put inside my heart.  And reading Ezra is a great reminder that the Lord is in charge! 

When He decides on a matter, it's as good as done - we can hold onto the truth that His Word is sound, and will be revealed - it's only a matter of time.

The Lord certainly stirs the hearts of his people, and He stirs the hearts of great kings.  He stirred the heart of Cyrus to set His people free.  After 70 years of captivity, as prophesied by Jeremiah, the Lord broke the chains of bondage and set His people free. 

King Cyrus of Persia, who had taken over Babylon, declared that the God of Heaven had appointed him to build God his temple in Judah, in the city of Jerusalem.  He said, "Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem."  And immediately after his declaration, God "stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.  And all their neighbors assisted them."  Ezra 1:4-5

Ezra 4:17 says, "Then sent the king (King Artaxerxes - apparently the 4th King of the Persian Empire:  Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, Artaxerexes) an answer unto Rehum the chancellor (governor) and to Shimshai the scribe (court secretary), and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria (false Jerusalem), and unto the rest beyond the river (West of Euphrates), Peace (Shalam), and at such a time."  

Rehum and Shimshai wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes to warn him about the situation in Jerusalem.  These men, and many with them, were in opposition to what was happening in Jerusalem.  The foundation of the Temple of God had been laid, and they did not want the walls to go up.  They knew in their hearts, as hard as they were, that the people of the God of Israel would rebel against the culture set in place by the Persian king.  

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin actually approached Zerubabbel (governor of Jerusalem) and the other leaders and said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do."   It's important to know that "the enemies of Judah and Benjamin" were actually Gentiles (non-Israelites) who were placed in the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria when they invaded them.  The Gentiles said, "We have sacrificed to him (God) ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here."  You see, Samaria was like a fake Jerusalem, that the Northern Tribe of Israel created, when 10 of the tribes rejected Rehoboam and David's dynasty (1 Kings 12:16). And the Northern Kingdom was taken over by the Assyrian Empire, which occupied the northern region of Mesopotamia about 100 years before Judah and Benjamin were taken over by Babylonian Empire which occupied the southern region of Mesopotamia.  

Zerubbabel and the leaders kindly declined the Gentiles offer.  They said, "You may have no part in this work.  We alone will build the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us to."  "Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from doing their work.  They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans."  Ezra 4:2-4

And after some time, "the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.  They greeted the king for all their colleagues - the Dinaites (Cuth'an colonists who were placed in the cities around Samaria), the Apharsathcites (Bethlehem), the Tarpelites (Assyrian colonists), the Apharsites (a transferred tribe to Northern Kingdom), the Archevites (tribe from southern Iraq placed in northern kingdom), the Babylonians, the Susanchites (Capital of Elam - southern Iran), the Dehavites (a tribe placed in northern kingdom probably from Caspian Sea area), and the Elamites (southern Iran)."  NKJ  Ezra 4:9 

They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal (great Assyrian King named after the god of war, Ashur) had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River."  NLT Ezra 4:10


I now see that this kind of peace was a greeting of well-being declared from the mouth of Satan. The Babylonian and Assyrian kings, and the other enemies of Judah and Jerusalem, spoke Peace and Prosperity to the people who united against the Temple of God being rebuilt.  They knew that "if this city was rebuilt and its walls are complete, the Jews will refuse to pay their tribute, customs and tolls" to any other god or king, that is not the God of Israel.  Ezra 5:13

The work stopped, but only for a little while.  The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.  The prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.  The leaders responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem.  Again, many complained to the king of Persia - King Darius.   But to their chagrin, Darius found the order written by King Cyrus, to give safe passage to the captives of Judah so that they could rebuild the Temple of God.  And then he ordered that the government "pay the full amount for the construction costs, without delay, from the taxes collected in the province west of Euphrates so that work would not be interrupted." Ezra 6:8

I think that is good for Part One of Daniel Chapter 7.  I'm prepared to learn and follow the Spirit of God for the Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever!  Peace and Prosperity to the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God!   Being rooted in love, through Jesus Christ, may our branches bear fruit of His Holy Spirit.  May every ear who hears this, receive the seed of Jesus, the second Adam who breaks the original curse that the Lord our God spoke upon us.  May He bless you and your entire family as you wait patiently and expectantly for His second coming.

Maranatha!   
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DANIEL 6 PART 1: tHE AUTHOR OF FAITH

12/6/2020

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King Belshazzar of Babylon
died the same night
that a human hand appeared
and wrote
“Mene Mene Tekel Parsin”
on a plaster wall
in his royal palace.

That is when Darius the Mede
took over and began
the process of dividing the Kingdom!

Of course,
to human eyes it didn’t seem
that Darius was in the process of dividing -
in fact, it looked just the opposite!

It appeared he had added
a whole kingdom
to the sum of the Median Empire
which today is known as
the region of Iran and Turkey.

I wonder... 
why don’t biblical scholars
recognize the Median Empire 
as the chest of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue?  
Oh...I guess they do -
but through the combination of
the Medo-Persian Empire. 
In my limited mind,
this doesn't quite make sense.
I mean...
Darius the Mede ruled
before Cyrus the Great -
at least this is what
the Book of Daniel says.
  
Apparently, there is minimal
historical evidence
about Darius the Mede,
or the Median Empire.
But obviously,
this time period is significant
to the Kingdom of God.

There were 120 regions to rule over,
once Darius the Mede took over.  
And he appointed 120 high officers
to rule over each one of them.  
Then he assigned three men
to supervise over the 120 of them.

Guess what,
Daniel was one of the three
who proved himself more capable
than the rest!

Darius the Mede
was ready to elevate
Daniel to be like a king.  
Scripture says,
“he made plans to place Daniel
over the entire empire.”

But then,
the other administrators
and the high officers
began searching to find ways
to condemn him.  

“They attempted to find Daniel
at fault with government affairs,
but they could not find anything
to criticize or condemn” -
so they went after his religion.

They began colluding,
and came up with a plan
to trick the king into signing
a ridiculous order into law -
a law that would surely
pull Daniel down.

Hmmm...
this sounds much like
the Law of Moses,
but in an opposite kind of way.
God's law was given so that people
could see how sinful they were -
unlike the men in this story
who created their own kind of law
that went against worshipping
the Most High God!

The Law of Moses
was created by God
to show the human race 
how sinful we really are!

As people sin more and more,
they become aware
of God's wonderful grace
because they know that in their own flesh
they are incapable of following it!

The law the men created,
in Daniel 6, was this,
“For the next 30 days
any person who prays to anyone -
divine or human
except to Darius the king,
will be thrown into the den of lions.”

I know...
the order had a short time-frame, 
much like the Median Empire,
before the Persians came along -
but it was long enough
to carry out the will of God.

When Daniel heard
the law had been signed,
he went home and prayed.
He prayed the same way,
he had always done.  
In his upstairs room,
with its window open
towards Jerusalem.  
He prayed three times a day,
always giving thanks to God.

It was then,
in the middle of prayer,
that Satan rushed into the room.  
Just like he would do again,
in the Garden of Gethsemane
through Judas Iscariot’s betrayal kiss.

Actually, it was the jealous men
who pushed through the door
of Daniel’s home
to catch him red-handed
in the act of worshipping God.

When they Daniel
worshipping his One True God,
they immediately ran to the palace
to tell the king what he had done.

Darius was deeply troubled.  
He had an affection for Daniel.  
He was one of his best men,
and he wondered how
he could get him out of this mess?

But the men of the government
continued to press on the king,
they would not let him have an inch
to let Daniel breath.

They reminded Darius that laws 
signed into action
by the king of their nation,
which at that time,
consisted of both
the Medes and the Persians,
could not be changed.

So Darius despairingly
had Daniel arrested
and brought straight to him
to be thrown into the den of lions.

King Darius said to Daniel, 
“May your God,
whom you serve so faithfully,
rescue you.”

And just like the tomb of Jesus,
a stone was closed
over the mouth of the den of death.

“And the king sealed the stone
with his own royal seal,
and the seals of his nobles,
so that no one could rescue Daniel.”

Can you see the analogy?
The seal of the king
was used in place of the seal of God,
the Supreme Ruler of the universe!

The next morning the king got up early,
and hurried to the den of lions.  
And once again,
we see the foreshadowing
of what is written in Luke 24,

“Very early on Sunday morning
the woman went to the tomb,
taking the spices they had prepared.  
They found the stone
had been rolled away from the entrance.  
So they went in,
but they didn’t find the body
of the Lord Jesus.  
And as they stood there puzzled,
two men suddenly appeared to them,
clothed in dazzling robes.  
The women were terrified
and bowed their faces to the ground.  
Then the man asked,
“Why are you looking among the dead
for someone who is alive?  
He isn’t here!  
He is risen from the dead!  
Remember what he told you back in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be betrayed
into the hands of sinful men
and be crucified,
and that he would rise again
on the third day.”

Daniel was only a man,
but God was able to save him!
Just as He has done for us.

The king asked,
“Daniel, servant of the living God,
was your God, whom you serve so faithfully,
able to rescue you from the lion’s den?

Daniel answered,
“Long live the king! 
My God sent his angel
to shut the lions’ mouths
so that they would not hurt me.  
I have been found innocent in his sight,
and I have not wronged you,
your majesty.”

The king was overjoyed
and ordered that Daniel be lifted
from the den.  
Not  a scratch was found on him
for he had trusted in his God.

King Darius gave orders
to arrest the men
who had maliciously accused Daniel,
and had them thrown into the lions den,
along with their wives and children.

It’s hard to think
that God will do the same with people
who choose not to accept Jesus
as their risen Savior.

Some may decide
this is why they don’t need him.  
I’ve heard it said that
if God is full of wrath,
then they do not want anything
to do with him.  

I’ve also heard it said that
a God who can allow hurt to come,
is not a god
that they choose to serve.

And it is true,
I’ve heard this too -
that God is so good
that He will not allow anyone to perish.  
A person can be bad to the bone,
they can even die and go to hell,
but God will not allow
anyone to be harmed -
he will swoop right down
at the last minute,
and save them
from an eternal death. 

But sadly I tell you this,
none of this is said in scripture -
the inspired Word of God
written through Holy Spirit wisdom.

You see the lions leapt on
the evil men,
and their wives and children -
the accusers of the brethren,
and every branch
that extended from them!  

The lions tore them apart,
before they even hit the floor.  
The pit of hell,
devoured them whole,
until every last piece 
was totally gone.  

This is the promise of our God,
the Creator of both
Heaven and Earth.  

He is the Author
of the Book
that tells the story of Him
and of us.  

And it is all written, perfectly -
with no falsehood or contradiction.
Everything is woven, perfectly -
through the Old and the New Testament.
  
He is the author and perfecter
of our faith,
and when our eyes are set on Him,
so is our heart.  

The more you pay attention,
and the more you spend time with Him,
you're faith becomes less wavering
and the Word starts to make more sense.

I promise you this,
Scripture says that God is fully love,
and fully wrath!  
And He has set a final judgement day
when all of the books will be opened.

He knows the beginning to the end
because He is the Alpha and Omega!

He has authored several books,
which are all part of the same series,
"The Story of Us and God."

And when He decides
to unroll the scrolls, 
the Book of Life will be opened.
  
And we will see,
what is foretold to John,
in Revelation 20,
“During the time
of final judgement day
when all of the dead,
both great and small,
will stand before God‘s throne,
the books will be opened
and the dead will be judged
according to what
they had done
as recorded in the books.”

“The sea will give up it’s dead
and death and the grave
will give up their dead.  
All will be judged
according to their deeds.  
Then death and the grave
will be thrown into the lake of fire.  
This lake of fire is the second death.  
And anyone whose name
is not found
recorded in the Book of Life
is thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:11-15

The good news is this,
just like God sent an angel to Daniel,
He sent Jesus to us!
And Jesus saves
everyone who believes,
first the Jew then the Gentile.  
The blood of Christ
washes us clean,
and makes us right, in God's sight.
And this is accomplished,
from start to finish, by faith.  
As the scripture says,
"it is through faith
that a righteous person has life.”
Romans 1:16-17

So hold on, Children of God!  
You do not belong to the Tree of Satan!  
You have been cut and grafted,
into the Tree
of the King of Righteousness.  

The Lord has seen your heart!  
He sees you from the inside out!  
There is nothing that can be hidden
from the Eyes of God.  

Take his yoke.  
Trust and believe.  
The yoke of Christ is simple,
it’s easy -
and all it takes is to have
a mustard seed of faith
to believe that your story
has already been written!

I, like King Darius,
not a king,
but a humble servant, 
send this message into all the world -
to the people of every race
and every nation, 

Peace and prosperity to you!
I believe that everyone 
throughout the world, 
on earth and in Heaven,
should tremble with fear 
before the God of Daniel
for He is the living God 
and he will endure forever!
His Kingdom will never be destroyed
and His rule will never end!
He rescues and sees his people 
He performs miraculous signs,
and wonders,
in the heavens and on earth!
He rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions,
and He has rescued us
from the second death!
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DANIEL 5: CLEAN FEET

12/4/2020

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Daniel 5 described
the Word of God coming alive
through the fingers
of a human hand.


Mene Mene Tekel Parsin means
our days are numbered,
our choices are weighed,
and all are measured
against the plumb-line of God.


Faith is the answer
to our eternity.
We either follow Christ
faithfully, 
or we do not.

Christ is the Advocate 
who stands
in the courtroom of Heaven;
at the right hand of God,
and He makes intercession for elected -
those who are written
into the Book of Life.

Opposing Him
is our Prosecutor, 
Satan
who has been
assigned by God
to point out the people
who are hard-hearted -
those godless and wicked
"that did not see it fit
to acknowledge God -
so God gave them up
to a debased mind
to do what ought not be done."
Romans 1:28

Satan will bring up
every single sin
a person committed
when they were tempted by him - 
both sins that were known,
and sins that were not!

And if we stand
before the Judge,
without the covering
of Yeshua's blood,
then God will see
every blemish
and every stain
that contaminates us,
and will be but filthy rags to Him;
completely an abomination -
because He is pure
and we are not!

Yeshua will testify
and bear witness to our faith.
He will declare,
“He knows Me, and I know him."
"He is a faithful witnesses
to a broken world,
and he believed
in all that I told."

Jesus will say,
“Look at his light,
and see how it shines.
He has been justified
by faith,
and sanctified -
set apart for My work!”


And He will say,
“Look at His feet!
He is not a divided man
with one foot in iron
and one in baked clay!
No!
His feet have been washed clean, 
and redeemed
by the blood of Me!”

Can’t you see,
the finger in Daniel 5
is quite significant -
it reminds us that God is alive
and can appear at anytime!
 
He is still writing
on the wall of our hearts.
He is still transforming
and renewing our minds.


The wall of that time
was made of plaster,
a pasty composition
that dries when hardened.

It represents
the substance of our hearts.
Do we let God in,
or have we become
hardened to Him?

God's Word never returns void!
Every Word that He writes
surely comes to pass!


And we can be assured,
with a confident hope
that what is written,
by the lampstand,
where everything hidden
can be seen,
will surely happen.

This WORD is true,
and trustworthy!

“For there is nothing hidden,
that will not be disclosed,
and nothing concealed that,
will not be made known -
and brought to light.”

Luke 8:17

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DANIEL 5: MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN

12/1/2020

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Picture
I believe
the meaning behind 
Mene Mene Tekel Parsin
that was written by human fingers
in Daniel 5 
is for every human
to understand 
and gain wisdom.

Mene Mene Tekel Parsin
was written
by the lampstand,
over against the candlestick
upon the plaster of the wall
of the king's palace.
Daniel 5:5

It was written
for the king to see,
and for the rest
of his friends and his family.

You see,
"King Belshazzar was drinking his wine,
and he gave orders to bring in the gold
and the silver goblets 
that Nebuchadnezzar his father
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,
so that the king and his nobles,
his wives and his concubines 
might drink from them. 
So they brought in the gold goblets
that had been taken from the temple of God
in Jerusalem,
and the king and his nobles,
his wives and his concubines
drank from them. 

As they drank the wine,
they praised the gods of gold and silver,
of bronze, iron, wood and stone."

Daniel 5:2-4

"Suddenly,
fingers of a human hand appeared
and wrote on the plaster of the wall,
near the lampstand in the royal palace.
The king watched the hand as it wrote. 
 
His face turned pale and he was so frightened
 that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking."

Daniel 5:5-6

It does not surprise me -
 not one bit,
that the Lord showed himself
through writing on a wall.
I mean...
He is the WORD, after all!

"In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God. 
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made;
without him nothing was made
that has been made. 
In him was life, 
and that life was the light of all mankind. 

The light shines in the darkness, 
and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:1-5

Do you remember,
what Jesus said to Satan,
when he was led by the Spirit
into the wilderness?

"It is written,
Man is not to live on bread only.
Man is to live by every word
that God speaks.”

Mark 4:4

Jesus also said,
“It is written
"You must not tempt the Lord your God”

when the devil said,

“If You are the Son of God,
throw Yourself down.
It is written,
He has told His angels to look after You.
In their hands they will hold You up.
Then Your foot will not hit against a stone.”

Mark 4:6-7

Everything created
was done through the Word,
some of it was said,
and some of it was written.

In fact,
"All Scripture is God-breathed 
and is useful for instruction, 
for conviction, 
for correction, 
and for training in righteousness, 

so that the man of God
may be complete,
fully equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16

The psalmist said,
"Let this be written
for the generation to come,
that a people not yet created
may praise the LORD."

Psalm 102:18

And Paul said, 
"For everything that was written
in the past
was written for our instruction,
so that through endurance
and the encouragement
of the Scriptures,
we might have hope."

Romans 15:4

So today,
while I write down this poem,
I am inspired by the written Word of God.

The same Holy Spirit
that spoke to the prophets,
is the same Holy Spirit
that lives inside you and me.
What He told Habakkuk
was not only for that time,
Holy Spirit is real - 
and He is alive!

"Write down this vision
and clearly inscribe it on tablets,
so that a herald may run with it."

Habakkuk 2:2

You see,
it is also written
that we are to be
Ambassadors for Christ -

"All this is from God,
who reconciled us to Himself 
through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 
that God was reconciling
the world to Himself in Christ,
not counting men’s trespasses
against them.
And He has committed to us
the message of reconciliation.

Therefore
we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making His appeal
through us.
We implore you
on behalf of Christ:
Be reconciled to God."

2 Corinthians 5:20



The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete,
our Advocate who gives us strength.
He is the same Spirit
who picked Ezekiel up
and He is the same Spirit
who strengthened his prophets.
 
God’s Spirit
divided the light from the dark,
and He is the One
who separated heaven and earth.
He is the Spirit who gave man his life,
and Holy Spirit is the One who
takes away breath.

Holy Spirit watches over us
and He decides
when His servants prophecy.

Holy Spirit
is the Sword of God
who extends from a man’s tongue
when he has been called to defend the faith.

"For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts
and intentions of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

Holy Spirit resurrects the dead,
and Holy Spirit gives us
revelation and wisdom.

Holy Spirit teaches us the Word,
and helps us to understand
the Holy Scripture.

Holy Spirit can make fingers appear,
apparently, out of nowhere.

Holy Spirit brings reverential fear
to those who are proud;
and Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.

Holy Spirit thinks, creates,
speaks, and evaluates
every thought that He has;
He decides what is good
and what is bad,
and He chooses what is kept,
what is replaced or what is erased.

The Paraclete is our Comforter,
but even more than that 
He is our Advocate 
who gives us gracious strength.

He lives
in the hearts and minds of men,
who have been justified
by Yeshua's blood.

I don't believe that
Mene Mene Tekel Parsin 
was just
written for Daniel’s time.
I believe this Word
is still very much alive!

And I don't believe
it was written
just for a king
who was sinning
through pride and idolatry.
I believe Daniel's prophecy
can be equally understood today -
for we appear to be living
in the end of the age.

Mene Mene Tekel Parsin
is meant for every man to see;
it's a Word
that can teach us
great humility.

It's a Word
that must be displayed in the light!
It's a Word
that can not be understood in the dark.

For all that have eyes to see,
look closely to the meaning -
each man
has numbered days,
and each man
will take a final breath;
each man
will stand and be judged,
and each man
will want
an Advocate!

Each man
will give an account  
for the choices they have made,
in the courtroom of God.
And Satan will be there
to point his finger
 and accuse you of your sin -
He will be waiting
to take you down with him.

But for those who chose Jesus,
​He will be your Advocate
ready to testify
to His blood that covers you.

He is the plumb-line
that will is used for measurement;
He will be looking for a witness
who has faith to believe in Him.

He acquits every man
that He defends,
for He sits at the right hand
of our father, God.

"Everyone will have to give an account
on the day of Judgment
for every empty word they have spoken."

Matthew 12:36

We will either stand whole again,
through the royal bloodline of Christ,
and enter in
to the Kingdom of Heaven;
or we will be a divided man
who is not justified
through the blood of Christ.
And in this case,
we will experience a second death
through the lake of fire.

"And I saw the dead, great and small,
standing before the throne,
and books were opened.
Another book was opened,
which is the book of life.
The dead were judged
according to what they had done
as recorded in the books. 
The sea gave up the dead that were in it,
and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them,
and each person was judged
according to what they had done. 
Then death and Hades
were thrown into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is the second death. 

Anyone whose name was not found
written in the book of life
was thrown into the lake of fire."

Revelation 20:12-15
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Watchman Warning: 18 Months - Pay Attention to the East & North

11/29/2020

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Picture
 On November 5th of 2020, this is what the Lord said to me,
“Babylon is coming, from the North.
You will be surprised by what is unearthed.
The United Nations will stake their claim 

by building their house upon sand.
Monies exchanged will influence men,
and greed and gore will rip open the land.
Watch and see, what will come to be.
Carnality will succeed.
Humans will profane My great name,

and false prophecy will be exclaimed.
I will be taken out of government,
while the Tower of Babel is being rebuilt.
This time, I will allow men 
to destroy themselves,
and this time 
I will be bringing My judgment down.
You know me as the Lamb -
the Son of Man who came to redeem the world.
But you will see that I am King -
the Lion of Judah who will soon stake My claim!
You will have a time and a half to do My work,
and reconcile the hearts of men.
My ROAR will be heard all over the earth,
look and listen for My voice.
I am speaking in reverse.
The scroll is being unrolled,
to bring My Kingdom down from Heaven to earth.
No one knows the day or the hour -
Only the Father.
The harvest is ripe.
The workers are few.
Now get up and walk - and do My work!”  (Get Up and Pick Up Your Mat)


I asked my Pastor what a time and half meant and he said, “One and a half years is 18 months. The number 18 in Hebrew is Chai and it means "To Come Alive". Not sure if that helps.”

So today on November 28th, 2020, I am writing this down to remind myself to look again in 1 and 1/2 years, during the month of May, 2022.

What could possibly happen then?  
It doesn’t seem possible that we could be near the end.
I often wonder if my mind is playing tricks on me?
Could my imagination be telling its own story?
Maybe it’s possible that my addiction to scripture
is creating a mirage of what is to come.
But it seems so real when I’m spending time
conversing with the Lord.
It’s as if He is whispering in my ear
while leading me to understand his parables and revelation.


The year of 2020 brought so much clarity to who I am as a spirit being. At first it came as drops of rain, and then it expanding into a hail storm.  Words began in December of 2019 right before The Year of Clarity.  They came in the morning and dropped without warning, into my pen and onto my notepad.

Then I remember, in March of 2020, I asked the Lord to take His words away, right after Covid hit.  At first it was cool to hear from Him, but then I realized that I would need to exhibit great submission.

What would the world think of me writing His warnings?  What would people say when they heard me proclaiming the truth in love?  

They would certainly think that I was crazy.  I even thought I was!


And how would this affect my counseling business, or my job in the school district?  What would they think if they saw my posts?  Would they think I had gone off the deep end?

And what about my friends, or my family?  Would they hate me?  Would they disown me?

So the Lord honored my request, and for a short time, I did not hear from Him.
But then - I felt all alone. My world became quiet, and I broke down.
What had I done by choosing the fear of man over the fear of the Lord?


I repented and asked for God to forgive me.  And I asked for even more humility.  Help me Jesus to not worry about man.  Help me Jesus to speak the truth in love.

The Lord immediately started to speak again, and I submitted myself fully under Him. Before the morning, His words were back, so I continued to write my blog, Breaking Strongholds.  

At that time, lawlessness broke out, when a cop from Minnesota kneeled on George Floyd’s neck.  An organization called BLM took the opportunity to raise their fist. They began dividing black and white people across America with a hidden mission to pursue sexual perversion, an assault on men, and a social governance of Marxism. We soon saw peaceful protests in the streets, turning into violent mobs who demanded justice.

Shortly after, we saw another violent outbreak, when the mob took over Portland.  They issued an attack on the police, and once again, all in the name of social justice.  It didn’t matter if it was black or white on the blue, the sole intent was to defund cops.  Yes it is true we still have racism, where one color of skin seems to hate another.  I just wish humans could stop looking at skin, and instead pay attention to the blood that runs through all of us.

At this time, the Lord gave me three poems that titled "Hanging in the Balance," "Magnetic Movement" and "Centrifuge."   I’m still trying to figure them out, but I believe it has something to do with the center of the earth.

Oh my God!  Holy Spirit - You did it again! I just looked up what this could mean. Wikipedia says, “In 1973, Andrew J. Woods, a physicist with Gulf Energy and Environmental Systems in San Diego, California, used a digital global map and calculated the coordinates on a mainframe system as 39°00′N 34°00′E, in modern-day Turkey, near the district of Kırşehir, Kırşehir Province, approx. 1,800 km north of Giza.”   I can’t even begin to understand why the Lord continues to show me Turkey, and the possibility of a rising Caliphate.

So then, after writing these poems, we saw America divided in half, into the republicans and the democrats. I felt a demonic presence coming through the Media, Education and the Government, and it was real thick in the Democratic Party.  This is when the Lord showed me "The Jezebel Cake" that I recorded in my blog on 9/16. 

I also heard his "Roar" as he surveyed our land, and I heard him cry, “Oh, how the blood cries out!”  Then he gave me a vision of the land, and I saw innocent blood shed from end to end.

Then I saw a Return event that happened in Washington, and it reminded me of what God said about the remnant.  God gave me a vision in 2018 of the woman with blood who grabbed the hem of Jesus's robe.   I heard him say, “I am wringing out my remnant for one drop of my blood covers a multitude of sin.”

So many Christians are rising up, ready to speak the truth in love as defenders of the faith.  This was another call that I heard, in December of 2019. I heard you call your five-fold ministry instead of the church operating as a man of one.   On March 11, 2020 the Lord gave me the poem, The World is MY Pulpit, and this is part of what he said, "Once again, they have made themselves a King!  "One guy and his pulpit" has become the center of everything!  Oh, how I grieve!  Where is My body? (Where is my five-fold ministry?) Where are My apostles?  Where are My prophets?  Where are My pastors?
Where are My teachers?  Where are My evangelists?  The work of the ministry is not done by one.  To edify the body and bring unity of faith everyone must come!  


Then Jesus asked me to walk with him by writing poetic sermons as I followed him through the Book of Luke.  During that time he showed me the East and said “this is the location from which I will come.”   When I was done with Luke 24, you told me to prepare to open my mind. Then you directed me to the Book of Daniel through the prompting of a teaching by my pastor.

And this reminded me of Luke 12:49-59 that you gave me in March of 2020.   "You can tell the weather patterns but you can’t tell the season of when the Lord is coming back” - “Do you not know I endured a terrible baptism?” “Don’t you see the division happening - between hard hearted men and the children of God?”

Then you reminded me of the warning you gave that described China, Italy and America. These three were given to me in March 2020, right before I asked you to stop giving me visions and dreams.  You can read more about them in the blog entry titled, "The Wrath of God."  Two of the countries were drowning in pride, but both came from two different kinds. China was following a communist dictator, while America had chosen a narcissistic ruler.  Both were given authority to rule because of the culture and the people they served. 
 

America, in particular, was described as "division of the dead who choose their pride instead of God" and Italy was described as "the land of the statutes of statues and the walking blind."

It wasn’t until the Summer of 2020 that I learned that Trump would find humility during the 2020 election.  All men who turn to God’s sovereignty, through a heart of humility, will be restored and forgiven.

And thank you Jesus for forgiving me, it only took a moment to become sober-minded. I will no longer be afraid of man.  I will pick up your cross and be long-suffering.  And I will hold my sword and be a defender of the faith.
 

If I lose every person, then so be it.  I choose to follow Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.

In October of 2020, I decided not to move forward alone in my faith. I made a Facebook Maranatha page that was based in Authentic faith through the Words, "Lord Come." 
 

Believers who pursue the Word of God through solo scripture, would help me stay accountable; and just maybe I could be a blessing to them, by spurring on their faith, and encouraging them to walk boldly and confidently in their God-given gifts.

In the first chapter of Daniel 1, God spoke to me about the North. “Pay attention to the north, this is an area that Abraham did not set up an altar, but he did so from the East, west and south."  You can learn more about what I wrote in the blog post called Daniel 1: The North.

Then, on November 1st, the Lord gave me vision of a rectangle of green that took the shape of a flag. And as if I blinked my eyes, the next scene was filled with a crescent moon with a single star.  

I almost forgot about the vision, but later on in the day, the Lord brought it right back.  I asked a friend, another Woman of God, what she thought.  Later that evening, she called me back.  She said, “green with a white crescent moon and a star represented the original Ottoman Empire. Then, not too long right after that, another woman in the group sent me the very same thing.

Then I saw a podcast on the Caliphate, and I immediately knew that I had to watch it.

Then yesterday, I learned even more about the last Imam - who is believed to be in hiding, which is called “occultation.”

This is when the Lord reminded me of a time and a half, and I wondered, “Will May of 2022 be the time of the rising caliphate?”

Is this when the 12th Imam will try to create his global kingdom?
Will we see a rebirth of the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic nation?

Then I saw an image of a giant statue, but this time it was a giant shadow.

Is the twelver state actually an occult, that stands between the background and the foreground?   
Have the 12 sons of Ishmael, and the 12 Imams, attempted to block the light that only comes from God?  Has Satan devised a plan for them to stand between God and the sons of Jacob?  Has the truth been intricately twisted, so that it almost looks the same?

I believe we will see the Muslim nation growing in size, right before our very own eyes.
The beheading we saw in France is just a small taste of what people of the Christian faith can expect.  We will see persecution rising up, even from the ones who call themselves Christians of love.

I believe we will see something resurrecting out of Turkey, and I believe they will be aided by the country of Iran. The North and the East of Jerusalem is where the Lord is telling me to look.

I also believe the United Nations will add powder to the Islamic gun. I keep hearing in my ear, “Do not trust them." 

And all the while, America will proudly sit on their hands and smile, because they lack spiritual discernment.  And if they speak, many will make it about American pride, instead of paying attention to the Middle East and the Land of Jacob.

The Lord says, “pay attention to magnetic magnitude and centrifuge. There is something churning and turning at the center of the earth.” And it feels like radiation or radioactivity is seeping out.”

The Lord took me back to the poems that I wrote but did not understand. In June 4th and June 6th of 2020, he gave me substance that I knew had meaning. It is only now that I see what the center of the earth actually means. I also now get what he meant when I said, “The outer spinner rotates around the inner spinner, but in the opposite direction. It opposes the first and is full of objection. The second is stubbornly slower than the first, but it is driven by ambitious thirst. It's mission is to oppose the inside light, and it does this by highlighting humanity’s plight.  I see spinning wheels and the clicking of heels, and witchcraft veiling the truth revealed. I see confusion and illusion all around.  I see stories being twisted by those who are allowed. I see denial and demise, and penetrating lies. I see hate and crime, and suspicious spies.”  “I see friction in prediction, and contra indication. I see weak conviction and intense adulteration. I see redefinition and rationalization. I see magnetic pulls and devastation.  I see bending down to iniquities, but I also see millions of hearts being set free.  I see a dividing of souls, a plum line of sorts.  A boundary that is divided by what it exhorts.  I hear “Hemoglobin” and see crimson and white.  I see gasping for breath, and oxygen taken from life.  I see the bending of waves putting people in graves.  I hear a crying generation wondering how it became enslaved.  I see the angel telling Joseph to take Jesus and go,  I hear “hide in Egypt until the blowing over of smoke.”  “For the one who is opposed is coming for him, and he’s doing it through people like Herod the king.”  “When all is safe, he will bring you back, to expose the truth and shout victorious!”  “But in the midst of the twisted-ness, he is growing up the bold and courageous.”  I see Satan stepping in with a big grin, firmly committed to suffocating men.  I see super smart, slippery schemes playing off the loftiness of men’s dreams.  In an effort to grab onto hope, the oppressed and possessed will reach out to grab Satan's rope.  But when they pull, the truth will be revealed. He will laugh in their face and say, “Look at how easily you yield.”  He will then look at Jesus and point down at you, and say, “This man is a fraud! He never knew you!”  Jesus will know just what to say, when the accuser of the brethren makes his final play.  In the heavenly court, where all are people are judged, Jesus will ask you, “How much did you trust?”  "How much faith did you have?"
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