Spiritual Torture

Spiritual Torture

1/23/15

Well if that title does not grab you not much will I would say.  Humanity has witnessed many different methods of torture and for the most part been pleased with its results.  What one would call useful information is desired in such sessions and with the influence of pain, results are conditionally produced.  But what is spiritual torture and how does it affect our lives?  Does it serve the same purpose as physical torture?  Is it just as effective as physical torture?  These are questions that many Christians have and some may have not even thought about before, yet the results of spiritual torture are far greater than the physical because in the spirit, time is no more.  The battle is for your eternal life and it really does not get much bigger than that.

I recently watched a documentary on some of the torture techniques that mankind used in the Middle Ages and to be quite frank about it, it was fascinating and gruesome all wrapped up into one long and detailed program.  This program focused on the method of burning people alive and I found it very interesting not only the way that people used this method of torture and execution but also how well recorded they kept records of these events.  I also watched a documentary that dealt with different type of instruments used in obtaining information from prisoners during this same period of time.  This documentary too had its fascinating architectural procedures in order to provide specific people unknown knowledge about certain areas of lands.  While I have always known that humans have used these methods in order to obtain “secret” information from enemies, I still find it intriguing of the mannerisms in which the human mind can think up in order to obtain their goals.

In the past few years there have been many news reports and investigative reports that have been released about modern day torture and the methods of which this century’s leaders have obtained unknown or “secret” information from others.  While the majority of the world deplores this type of method gathering there are some people in leadership capacities who see nothing wrong with this setting.  No matter what a person believes about this method the human mind of another shall always have a different opinion concerning the matter and if we are truly understanding and compassionate about free of speech then we must also include freedom of thinking as well, because both senses follow each other.

On the more personal level we have read and witnessed accounts of other types of personal torture as well.  Hardly a week goes by without us reading or hearing about some person that has captured another person and held them without their consent.  This type of torture comes in a variety of situations and conditions with some lasting for years or even decades.  Physical torture is not the only method of choice for some either, mental torture is very cruel to anyone that it is being subjected to and usually proves to be very devastating and debilitating if allowed to continue.

The major question that all of us should keep in mind when we learn of such torture methods being used is why were these people being tortured in the first place?  What did they do or who were they associated with that placed them into this category in the first place?  Over the millennia we have read concerning the security of past and present States and how these States go about creating and maintaining stability and security within each State.  One has to agree that these two factors play an important part in the legitimacy and lasting of a particular state or government.  But to what extent will and should a government go to in order to keep the stability present and to know what their enemies are doing around or in their own protective zones? 

When I was in the military they gave us special classes and physical exercises on some of the methods of “information gathering” techniques and even placed us into these type of conditions in order for us to understand what was kind of involved. It was not a pleasant few days but I did learn a lot about how far the human mind will go in order to complete an order.  As I contemplate some of the methods that were used on my personal body, I can see how effective this type of “information gathering” can be and why it is used, but it still does not deflate the suffering in which it relates to the victim.

How many of us understand that our immortal, spiritual and eternal enemy performs this type of activity within our lives?  First we must understand that we do have a spiritual enemy and that it is his job to find out how he can do the most damage to our lives, no matter what the angles may be in order for his to accomplish this mission of his.  Ever wonder why torture has always been used as a method of finding out information and why it is used at all?  It is because it is a perfect way of getting one to surrender their beliefs for another person’s, or government’s, or group’s current causes.  Our enemy uses the exact same tactics when he is trying to grasp information about us, on a spiritual level.  We must never forget that our enemy cannot obtain information from us unless we voluntarily give it up to him and there are many ways that this can occur.

These are very important questions which some may not find too significant, yet our spiritual enemy operates in the same manner yet turns the tables in the fact that he does not care what you think about his methods or how he completes them; he just does it and then walks away after his goal is accomplished.  What information does he need that is so important that he has to spiritually torture us?  This is a logical question but many people probably do not think about it at all.  In order for us to understand this spiritual torture we must first understand how our enemy gathers the information to use against us, then we can grasp the definition of spiritual torture and it is used against us.

This is why it is very important to understand our history and our lineage for sometimes the information is already there and easily accessed, it is because our enemy operates in basically the same manner as our physical enemies do.  Our lives are a walking encyclopedia of information, about our family, our surroundings, our physical and mental conditions and our spiritual connections with our Creator.  Through the situations that we associate within, through the words that we say about ourselves and towards others, the friends we associate with and through the places we cohabitate in all provides our enemy enough access in order for him to accomplish his mission. 

I know that this fact is hard for some of to contemplate and to accept but I ask those of you who are reading this and do not agree with this statement to stop reading for a spell and think about some of the areas of your life that you have struggled with, and then compare those situations and circumstances with your life according to God’s Creative purposes for your life and then you will understand the difference between the two standards.  THIS is the spiritual torture that our enemy uses against us and it is very effective because for the most part we have no idea of what is going on and we just accept it as life and go on down the road.  There is a connection somewhere within your lineage or your own personal life that our enemy has legal access to because of what has been played out.  And if we take hold of this truth we can do so much more for the Kingdom of God because we then could explain the reasoning behind so many other people’s spiritual torture sessions.

I am going to address a current situation that our society is currently embracing and that is of homosexuality.  I understand that there are many heated debates and discussions ongoing concerning this topic but none that I have read about or heard about have truly defined the foundation of what is going on here and that is spiritual torture leading to spiritual death.  There are many portions to this situation and the portion that I am going to address comes from the person who claims to be a Christian yet submits to homosexuality and how it relates to the spiritual aspect of their lives.  If you want to understand the divine order of relationships go to Genesis Chapter 2 and there you shall fine the definition of mankind and how we are to live and reproduce accordingly.  Also, look at Job and all of the troubles that he endured and after all was said and done, ask yourself who was left in the picture and that setting will show you the same type of bond and relationship.

Recently, there have been a number of Christian performers and church leaders come out as being gay.  Every one of them that I have heard so far has made some kind of statement of how they have struggled with their state of living because of their status of being a Christian.  There are probably some other people out there who have not had this feeling and that places them into another portion of homosexuality and I am not dealing with that issue in this article (I have a feeling that I will at some point in the near future however).  It does not matter who the people are or what positions, if any, they hold within any church denomination, our enemy cares nothing but destroying your life from the eternal outward.  Reality suggests that this area of humanity has been growing for a very long time which means we need teaching and understanding of what is occurring, not condemnation and separation.

First of all I have to ask myself if these people understand that there are two immortal and eternal kingdoms that are vying for our lives and that these two kingdoms can NEVER mix in any way.  The beginning portions of that question and statement are easy to answer because we have all been taught that our enemy wants us to die and go to hell but the last portion of that question is not as well known.  These two kingdoms can never mix is the portion that I am referring to and how we have humanly tried to blend these kingdoms together and in doing so have allowed our spiritual enemy access to our lives. 

Secondly, the phrase used by these hurting people is very important and is the focal point of what God wants us to understand and that is this: their struggles with their sexuality and their feelings is a prime example of spiritual torture and the methods by which our enemy uses in order for us to accept information from or to give away information to him in order for him to accomplish his mission in our lives.  This statement should speak volumes for those who have been raised in church and have these sexual tendencies will be tortured and many will give into this form of spiritual torture simply because they do not know what it is or how to combat it.  What is so sad is that these people who are suffering from this type of torture do not know what they are saying, acknowledging and accepting into their lives and the lives of their families and future familial generations.

The confessions from these people, who are very sincere, places a huge bulls-eye target upon their spiritual heart, and allows our eternal enemy to take pot shots at it whenever he chooses.  To add complications to this setting, many Christians who do not comprehend what is occurring pour fuel onto the situation by their inappropriate words and actions towards them.  It is totally embarrassing when a Christian, group or church take a militaristic attitude towards people who are suffering.  It is important that both sides of this issue understand that spiritual torture is a battle that is being fought and that the outcome of that battle will have some determination of the overall outcome of that person’s spiritual life.

I just read today that one of the founding members of a popular Christian music group has renounced Christianity and has endorsed atheism as his belief.  This is another prime example of people not being taught about what is actually transpiring within their lives.  Our enemy has gained control of enough pulpits around the world that his message of coffee and tea before, during and after the service is far greater of a topic than what the Word of God has stated.  Include the fact that the majority of Bible and Theology centers do not teach anything about spiritual warfare and combine that with practically no teaching or even understanding of Kingdom concepts, and the current condition of the Church is what has been reaped. No wonder there are so many people within the church denominations that are questioning their faith and questioning the existence of God!

It is through these spiritual battles that our eternal existence is completed.  If we continue to spiritually battle long enough without knowing what is going on or what is at stake it is very easy to succumb to the fight and just give up.  The complete picture is not comprehended and that is exactly what our enemy wishes it would stay like.  The Church is not helping in this Kingdom fight either, for she has willingly yet ironically given up on the same fight and joined with the world’s message of peace and love, not knowing what the consequences will be for doing such.  When these people say that they are struggling with such decisions they are telling the truth, for this struggle is for their eternal existence; in other words, it is a fight for your eternal life.

I have not heard too many people come forward, admit that they have struggled with this area, refused to give in, understood the Kingdom principles involved, and overcame this area and proclaimed victory.  I have heard some stories of people that were gay that gave up that lifestyle and became heterosexual, but these are few and far between because of the amount of coverage going in the other direction.  I can guarantee you that this struggle is one of the hardest battles to be fought because the stakes are so high.

A worrisome trend that I have noticed is that when these people do lose the battle within and accept a homosexual lifestyle that they have no regrets about their decision and that all of them so far are happy and relieved about their choice.  Ever wonder why this is the case?  The home team has won the battle and once that decision has been made the other side of the Kingdom battle shall not overrule your choice.  God has never and shall never force His presence upon our lives which means that once a person chooses to life in this manner, the kingdom of the world has advanced and has successfully pushed back the Kingdom of God in your life.  All godly influence and spiritual life is cut off and will not even be recognized as being present as time continues.  It becomes easier for them to accept and to talk about yet have the emotional responses of a church behind them.  God does not do emotions, just ask Jesus about His time in the garden praying.  People who accept this decision do not understand exactly what has occurred, for they believe that they have won over the struggle by accepting a worldly condition for the struggle does diminish.  In truth they have allowed our enemy to strike a mortal wound in their spiritual heart that will slowly bleed out the eternal life that God wants for their lives. 

Let me provide a case in point to expound upon this fact.  What happened to the people during the Middle Ages who were brought in for torture and “questioning?”   Many of those who did give up and confess their “sins” to their tortures usually did so in order to make the pain stop.  What happened to these people?  Many of them were left so disfigured that they could never live a normal life again and everyone who came in contact with them understood what had occurred to them.  This would isolate these people from others and even family members, for fear that they would be associated with a traitor or with a person of accused of treason.  These people were considered to be lucky in that they were allowed to live; some life huh.

Still, others who gave up “information” had their torture sessions halted, but for a short while only.  After their information was deemed complete many were tortured even further and given further horrific treatments before their bodies gave up the fight and ceased as a functioning unit.  Sometimes the “after” torture session was so intense that many people did not make it after this single session.  To the person looking inside or from a distance it would seem that they had been cruelly over punished, yet it still occurred and was swept under the rug.  It is hard to imagine but in some places that type of torture occurred just a few decades ago and if one really had the guts probably could find this type of activity occurring today.  Place this setting within your personal life and you will have the exact same scenario going on within you.  The information that your spirit possesses is a huge destructive pot that will end our enemy’s grasp upon all others, so it is his job to silence you and for you to cross over and support his cause.

This is what spiritual warfare does to our lives if we do not understand what is going on and what the true battleground determines.  It has been stated within the Bible that we are to rid ourselves from the world and to separate ourselves from the world.  However, if we do not know what is from the world and what is from God how can we fight for this separation?  We as a society have come to the conclusion that what humans deem necessary is the rule of thumb or the code of conduct and as long as we contend that this belief is accurate then we have no place for any higher authority to claim otherwise.  Want proof of this? Go sit in any junior high school or high school classroom and watch and listen and you will not have to sit there very long until you realize who actually controls the room. 

Yet we tolerate this torture process of the basic foundation of our lives, both physically and spiritually.  We are headed for a doomed life and true eternal separation from our Creator if we do not wake up and realize what is transpiring around us and within us.  I am speaking on a personal level and on the Church level; both are in dire straits and are in need of rescuing and if both of these entities do not do something to change the state of our nation, our nation shall quickly follow.  The only one that can rescue us from the mess that we have voluntarily placed us in is God.  

If we truly turn our hearts towards Him He will show us the way to effectively combat our enemy and pull us out from our current existence and restore our spiritual hearts back to life again.  If we do not change our ways and continue our current progression, we will leave God no choice but to remind us of whom we are and of whom He is.  God is God and He loves His children and as a holy and just Creator who cannot change His ways shall act as a parent should.  It is strictly our choice to continue to have spiritual torture sessions or not.  Will life always be easy?  No, but at least we will have the combat readiness in order for us to be on the same plane as our enemy is when he attacks. 

DLB

The Fire is Already Present

The Fire is Already Present

1/21/15

How much do we proclaim to know about the Word of God?  Do we understand its fire-like consistencies or do we just refer to its contents when it is convenient for us to do so?  These concepts are necessary for us to understand how the Church functions when they are witnessing to the world and it is compulsory that we understand that there is a difference in thoroughly knowing the Bible and just whimsically flashing a passage or two to others in order to get a point across.  God’s Word represents life, eternal life and the direction in which this eternal life is spent depends upon what we know and portray to the dying world.

I have to admit that the small community that I live in is probably a typical one in the fact that when something out of the normal occurs in the area the majority of the people begin to act crazy.  It is amazing how many rumors get started and what is even more fascinating is at the speed of which these rumors circulate.  It has been almost 1 ½ years now since the house across the street from ours burned and as the neighbors and I were trying to keep the street inhabitants under control I remember seeing people around that I did not recognize.  After the excitement settled down a bit I took a longer look at the people gathered in the area and realized that the majority of those people I did not know and many were not even from our neighborhood; and this was after midnight.

Our Dachshund Heidi likes to sit on the top of the couch and look outside our large bay window.  It allows her to see what is occurring and who is walking along our street.  For the most part she usually sticks to this placement during the day but every once-in-a-while she will extend this “viewing” after the sun has set.  One night a few months ago she was sitting in her usual place on the top of the couch and she all of a sudden sharply raised her head up and began to rapidly turn her head back and forth as if she knew something was there but could not see anything.

By the time I got over to her she had graduated into whining and whimpering but still continued to look in both directions along the street.  After her shaking began I finally heard a small and faint noise of a single siren.  As I continued to comfort Heidi, the siren came closer but I could tell that it was not coming towards us.  The sound brought back memories of the house fire the year before and I instinctively glanced over at the unoccupied house just to satisfy my curiosity but everything was dark and quiet protruding from the house.

I then heard another siren begin and as I sat there for a moment realized it was headed in the same direction as the first, then the third siren became audible but this one was one from a fire truck.  Within a few minutes many sirens were sounding and heading in the same direction which of course peaked my mind and continued my curiosity.  So much so that when bonnie came up the stairs I looked at her and she immediately knew what I was thinking and she asked me “do you want to take a ride?”  I was off the couch and into my shoes within a few seconds and ready to go.  Yep, we had fallen into the same category as all of those other people had done with the fire on our street. 

It took us a while to find the fire and in fact it took some amount of time because it was up by the high school and off the road a ways.  We actually had driven past it and did not see it until after we had turned around and basically given up on locating it. Both Bonnie and I saw it almost at the same time and then we understood why all the excitement was occurring.  Another house had caught on fire and the fire department had responded in full force to combat the blaze.  We could not see any flames remaining so we had shown up very late to the party and did not pursue the matter any longer, but it was sure fun to talk about for a while.  We laughed at ourselves for getting caught up in the moment and doing our best to do exactly what we fussed about when others came to our neighborhood and did; got to love being human.

In both instances the people within hearing distance understood that a fire was occurring somewhere due to the distinctive sounds of the fire trucks.  The fire and police departments had personnel on each scene and were directly involved in putting the fires out while the “looky loos” were present in force as well but participated indirectly, mainly getting in the way if you want to know the truth.  In both sides of the participation aisle presented varying directions.  The ones directly involved in fighting the fire knew exactly where the fire was located and were doing their jobs accordingly.  The ones who might have known where the fire was exactly or came onto the scene just to see what was going on may not have known exactly what was specifically occurring but arrived and stood around and did absolutely nothing, but watch and talk about what might had occurred.

When I was an older kid and teenager I remember watching many commercials on television that featured Smokey The Bear promoting fire safety and prevention.  When I was younger I was fascinated that a bear could be the one to instruct me about fire safety yet at the same time I had many thoughts about why fire was so destructive.  As I began to enter into high school my science classes taught how fire begins, consumes and how it can be extinguished.  As my life experiences continued, I realized that millions of people had been exposed to fire safety and prevention training as well and understood the potential dangers of fire.  It is also understood that once a fire is started it will acquire all of the necessary fuel ingredients so that it can stay “alive”.

If one thinks about this state of the fire it can be drawn as a constant state which needs to grow or to die out.  In either circumstance it is necessary for humans to plan out the fire’s future which includes letting it burn itself out or to voluntarily put it out before it does any further damage.  Many questions occur when a fire starts which include, how the fire started, how hot the flames were burning, how long it took to put out and how much property or land was destroyed.  All of these questions are considered normal questions even if the fire is still burning at the time.  These questions bring out the desire of the human heart to try and fathom of events that have occurred and to try and understand why they occurred.  It is a natural state of humans to question things, even the ones we are not directly involved in, or believe we are not involved in.

Many of us might have helped in putting out the two fires mentioned above or believed we could have, but in reality how could we effectively accomplish this task?  As I looked around our immediate neighborhood I saw many people just standing around just watching and not offering much help at all, but they sure did stir up the gossip chains.  There were many other cars passing by the high school road that night as well, and it was amazing to notice that each one of them slowed down when they realized where that fire was burning too.  We all know about the fire and are quick to give our opinions about it to others, but for some odd reason that is all we do.  How does a fire go along with our spiritual lives and how does it tie into the Word of God?  Those are questions that should be easily answered but for most of us we cannot answer them because all we do is look at it instead of understanding its meaning.

There is no question that many of us that walk this planet are familiar with the Bible and its contents.  I am also quite confident that many of us do not fully comprehend the finer details of God’s Word and what it means to our lives.  How can I justify this statement?  My father has been a minister for over 50 years and while I have sat under his ministry for a good portion of those 50 years, he readily admits that God shows him new things every day.  If this true, and it is, then there is no reason for me to believe otherwise, I do not know everything and I also know that my finite mind cannot include every drop of information that God’s Word has for each one of the people on this earth, but what God does show me I learn from and what God shows my father he learns from, so why would I doubt that statement especially since each article I write and every word that my father reads centers from the Word of God?

God’s Word is the only true source of eternal life and salvation and we have allowed our enemy to steal that truth from our hearts.  It is this purpose of this message of the knowledge of a fire that God wants us to understand.  It is frustrating and hateful for one of God’s people to use a passage of scripture without understanding its entire context.  It is easy for all of us to do this and this is not the first time that God has shared with me to write about this topic, but it is of the utmost importance for us to understand the entire Word of God and not just the portions that we want to use as defensive or offensive measures.

I understood exactly what was going on with the fire that was burning across the street from my house.  I was directly involved since I was the first one on the scene and made sure that everyone that was inside the house was out.  I had split decisions to make if they were not and I was prepared to take a risk if necessary.  I also understood the intricate details of the house since I knew of the conditions of the family that lived there, which placed me privy to the hidden dangers as well.  I am not bragging about that night at all, but with the extra knowledge of the details of who lived there, what the general appearances were, and what the conditions of the people living there I could give a full and accurate account to the police and fire department concerning the issue at hand, while most of the spectators around the scene only could provide fictitious accounts.

It is these types of details about God’s Word that He wishes for us to understand.  Giving sketchy details to others will only prove to produce doubt and hurts because it gives these people nothing to feed upon and thrive from, only questions and doubts to ponder and then throw away.  The Church have become masters at this strategy and what makes things worse is that they have no clue that they have been sucked into this lifestyle.  God knows that if we do not know His Word cover to cover and word for word we will have no chance of surviving the attacks from our enemy.  We will not be able to withstand the tricks because we do not comprehend that the Bible is filled with people and their stories, and whether or not they succeeded or failed due to their knowledge of God.

How do I know this to be true?  Look at all of the denominations falling over themselves trying to appease the world and its standards in order to make headlines and to prove that they know God better than others.  It is sickening to God and we are voluntarily moving from our own lukewarm status to perfect worldly sinner status and parading around happily about it as well. It is evident that they are looking at the Word of God as one that is standing by watching the fire but does not know the intricate details of what is going on.  If they did understand the details concerning God’s Word (the fire) they would be falling over themselves trying to bring the people of the world to Christ instead. 

There is no way possible that we can personally understand every nook and cranny of God’s Word, it is physically impossible for us to have the notion of doing so.  However, we must find it within our hearts to understand what exactly is occurring in the lives of those people within the context of the Bible.  The Church cannot give people that do not know God just a morsel of information about God either, for if this occurs we are proving to them a disservice and actually providing an eternal lie; like Satan did in the Garden of Eden when he seduced and tricked Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden tree.  If we understand the Bible in all of its wisdom and knowledge and apply the contents to our lives, then we will be able to effectively share this knowledge with others; we know about the fire and can present it to others accordingly.

What occurs when the people that we bring into the Church and then allow them to continue in the sinful practices that they harbor?  What happens when those within the church settings approach these people and then begin to witness to them and showing them that the Word of God says things differently than what they had been told?  What happens to these people and who do they believe to be telling them the truth?  This is exactly what I am referring to when people of the church accept ways of the world into their lives and accept them as the truth from God.  They are standing by the fire and spreading idle (idol) gossip to the people that really need God.  This is the dangers of not understanding the fire and the capability that it has to burn and the same principle applies to the Word of God.  Using a portion of its message for a specific purpose or belief is very dangerous and it can lead to one’s own eternal separation from God and eternal death.

It is time that we tell the truth to ourselves concerning this topic.  First of all if we believe that we know a great deal about God and His ways we need to repent now!!  Secondly, if we fall into the category that we know just portions or parts of scripture we need to place our hearts back into the Bible and ask God to show us what His word says to our lives, so that we can truly witness to the people that are dying in their sins.  Lastly, if we are in the category where God has shown us some specific details about His Word we need to be doing everything in our power to share this information with others, including and continuing to learn from the passages of wisdom that we have been shown.  Our learning about God and His ways never stops and if it ever does, it should be a signal to us that something is wrong within our lives.

I do not mean to sound cold or harsh concerning this matter but it is necessary for me to share what god is trying to get across to us today.  The settings and conditions of the Church are in dire positions and by our words and actions it has become clear that we do not desire to change our positions concerning these matters.  God is doing everything He can to show us that we need to stick our hearts back into His Word for guidance and for us to realize that even though we have fallen away from His ways; He is just and ready to restore our standing within His eyes.  We cannot allow our pride to influence our sinful mannerisms nor can we allow the god of this world seduce us well enough to blind us into falling away from God eternally.  If we do not understand God’s Word thoroughly, then all we are doing is effectively spreading rumors and believing rumors.

DLB

Guess Who Part II

Guess Who Part 2

This portion of the sentence is very interesting because it is very specific in who it is talking about and who it is referring towards.  “and became strangers to God” simply states that the people chose to place God out of their lives and through the mentioning’s of the previous sentences in this passage it is very clear that it was the people who did this and NOT God.  This presents a picture of framed ideas from the people that voluntarily chose to ignore God and His ways and to do things their own way.  God allows this to occur since He shall never force His Ways upon us, it has been, is now and shall always be our choice to serve Him or not.  It is not a good position to be in when a nation deliberately rejects God, the dangers are endless.

In no way does this portion of the sentence mention that God becomes strangers to us and we should really understand what this means to our lives.  When we choose to ignore God and to push Him out of our lives we will arrive to the point that we cannot hear what God is saying or wanting for our lives.  We will not understand what is occurring around us and even though we have nothing to do with Him, we will curse him when times become tough.  But what about God?  What is He doing while we are thumbing our noses at Him?  He is still watching us and calling out to us because as any good parent will do, they will watch out for their children no matter what the circumstances of that child’s heart may be.  God never stops or ends His relationship with us.  He continually yearns for direct communication with us and it is His desire that we restore our communication with Him on a daily basis.  He knows us like no other and through this understanding will try His best to grab our attention at all times.

“And as for their innocent, their little children, they offered them up as sacrifices.”  While this may be the last sentence in the addressed passage, it surely is not the least or even less intense as the previous ones.  In all honesty, this sentence serves as the accumulation of all the previous sentences within the passage and presents the inner state of said nation.  To answer the question that many of you are asking, yes, this nation actually offered up their children as sacrifices and ended their lives all in the name of what they believed to be right; the same name that they had allowed into their lives and had placed before God.  You want to know the real reason God stated not to have any other gods before him…..there you go!

The value of this nation’s own future was downgraded so much that they believed that their own actions could be mimicked well enough that the true meaning of life itself was overridden.  This was not forced upon them; it was their choice even though their belief in their idols “demanded” these sacrifices.  This action also inhibits and demolishes any concept of life within God’s laws for His values on life were not thought about.  One would think that such a nation would not adopt laws of this nature or be tolerant of such practices.  Yet, it is clearly stated throughout history that many individuals, groups and nations have adopted this practice for their idols or “supreme beings.” 

What is harder to fathom is that many people within this nation in the passage actually believed that their idols were being perfectly served through this action of sacrifice and that their personal future would somehow be rewarded for doing such deeds.  This practice became so common that these rituals were publicly celebrated and became a popular course for each worshipper of that belief.  This action meant that other idols had to find other methods in order to stay up with the others, so added techniques and dress must have been introduced into the ceremonies.  We must also contend that not everyone within the defined nation accepted or participated in these rituals and it is reasonable to wonder how they were looked upon and treated by those who differed in opinions.

Have you guessed who this nation is that the passage is referring to?  If one is not familiar with the Bible it would be difficult to figure out because so many nations have these characteristics and traits within their boundaries.  But the nation that is being referred to in this passage is a true nation and it is one that is still in existence today.  It is once again a thriving nation and has representative all over the world, but this representation has not been around very long.  This nation, while it has been around for millennia has only recently given its own recognized state.  This nation that the passage is referring to is the nation of Israel.  And while this nation is considered to be an ancient one, the path that she chose to take caused her many millennia of heartache, pain and grief and she would not see freedom and statehood again for a very long time.  Her existence and standard of living was totally destroyed and from their freedoms came slavery and subjection to their enemies.  It would seem like this portion of Israel’s history would be hard to accept and to swallow, but we must understand that this nation was created by God, for God and through God.  It was created and established through a divine covenant which can never be broken, only violated; there is a huge difference in those two words that many of us do not understand.

The nation of Israel did live in this vile and evil condition and the events that surrounded this time are recorded in history and the time frame of when it all came crashing down around them was in 732 B.C.  The people of Israel did know their roots and how these roots were created yet they came to the belief that their own physical ways were more important that God’s divine ways.  The Bible states that Israel had fought many wars over their tenure and had won war after war with decisive victories.  But for some reason at this time in human history their spiritual strength was so weak that their physical capabilities were actually inhibited enough to be defeated by an enemy.  The nation of Israel was defeated so soundly by the Assyrians that their way of life never again was the same.

What was so humiliating about this defeat was that the Assyrians were considered a “nobody” people with very limited talents, military and structure.  They were considered to be weak in every area and were not even wanted as an ally in other regional ways due to their lack of strength and influence in the region.  So how did this unknown warrior kingdom rise up enough to destroy God’s own people?  It was not because of their physical abilities or capabilities but it was due to their spiritually dead hearts.  It must be understood that God’s laws are in place for our own protection and not as and inhibition and if we understand this concept it is easier to know why God allowed this process to occur.  He does not like allowing this but it is necessary in order to engage a process of restoration between God and mankind.

It was this time in history that an unknown nation rose up against a divine institution and dealt a life changing blow to the nation of Israel.  This event also served as the launching pad of a violent yet well organized empire that would expand over a vast amount of territory.  The Assyrians became known for their warriors and their militaristic definitions and served their constituents with a heavy hand.  So much so that their ways of power centered around a single term that is commonly used today but had not yet been defined, terror.  They struck fear into their enemies, conducted brutal and unconventional raids to enforce their hold within the world and demonstrated no mercy even for the innocent.  After such a time of rule on the earth, Assyria was defeated and fell just as hard as they had conquered.  To this date the Assyrian nation or empire has not returned but some of its legacies do remain.  One in particular is their language, which is an advanced tongue that over a billion people use today, Arabic.

Even through these events God did not like the Assyrians but allowed them to conquer His people in order that they might understand the importance of the line-up of their priorities and what those priorities meant to their survival.  This is a nice piece of history one might say and for those who cannot stand the name of God or who do not believe in Him might have the attitude of “good, those people are no longer able to preach their god to me and they got exactly what they deserved.”  Many will not put the connection together with today and how it affects our individual lives here in America either, and this is their choice as well.  I cannot foresee God continuing His blessings on a nation that voluntarily snubs their noses at His laws; however, it is quite easy for me to believe that Israel believed that God’s protection would always be upon them and that they could continue to live in such a manner as they thought was right, without God being present.

If one reads the history of Israel it cannot be denied that the majority of their lives have been rigorously tortured.  Many nations have rejected the Jews from their lands even though each country has benefitted from the Jewish presence.  The majority of these countries has eventually shunned the presence of Jews and has in some ways contributed to their scattering and death.  What is striking to me is that the majority of those countries on this list “invisible” claim to be Christian or is lands in which the Church had or currently has a strong presence.  All of these examples and circumstances were part of Israel’s struggles and pains that they were still living because of the decisions that had made millennia before and one must consider the results of those countries that also persecuted the Jews as well, for they too were not left out.

I know this is somewhat an interesting example about Israel and how they got things wrong but the question that some might have is how does this apply to our lives today?  Where does America and western ideologies fit into this concept of destruction, for we are not God’s chosen people and in no way can we ever take their place.  It is well known and accepted that for the majority of the people that are currently alive in the west have heard something about God and His existence.  The Church is spread out all over the world and has a well known presence in most countries.

When the question of what occurred in 1492 is asked of us, our minds are quickly jarred into Christopher Columbus and the journey that he and his men took with royal instruction to seek out a new world.  I do not believe that it is coincidence that while Columbus sailed out to seek a new world with the blessings of the royalty of Spain, and at the same time the actions of the Catholic Church against the Jews were playing out.  There was a reason for these two events and while mankind believed that they were completing both settings in the name of God, only one of them had a divine purpose.

I have always wondered about why the United States was created and then blessed so greatly over these past few centuries.  It was not until I read about the two incidents in Spain that opened my eyes to what was really going on behind the scenes of human actions.  It is well known that god works in mysterious ways and that those who follow His ways will be blessed beyond measure.  It is evident that this country has fallen into that category and even though many may not even believe in God, His mercy and blessings have been present in this country.  I wish that I could say that we have graciously accepted the responsibilities that come with these blessings, but to be honest we have taken these blessings and turned into our own idols and have dismantled the foundations that were laid a long time ago.  Can God really use just one single event to establish a long lasting plan?

Yes, I do believe that this single human act turned the tide of humanity forever and yes I believe that this country was founded on values that allowed everyone to enjoy the freedom desired by those who wished for it.  For God had to start somewhere didn’t He, and this could be considered a mysterious way, right?  I have witnessed many activities in other people’s lives that is hard to explain other than “it is God” as an explanation and I cannot argue that point.

In what manner does this story about Israel have to do with the west of today, and especially America?  I understand and acknowledge that America and her fellow ideological allies are not Jewish in any way and that they do not represent Israel in any way either.  We as a society have not replaced the Jews or Israel as God’s chosen people by any means and we shall never do this either.  However, God does not provide refuge for people to serve Him and then forget about that place of refuge.  And with this remembrance status the blessings will be great and the judgment will be just as great, for God loves His children and He is just in all ways.

It is no coincidence that the discovery of this portion of the world centuries ago was ordained by God and I also know that this country has been blessed beyond belief for seemingly non specific reasons.  If we place God’s perfect ways into the picture it becomes clear, with an appropriate time table, that these events were divinely put into place.  The blessings that have been given to our lives and the allowances that we have freely given over the past three centuries or so have been astronomical.  Yet while our fiscal responsibilities have been un-proportioned our spiritual responsibilities have been laid waste.

I challenge you to jot down this paragraph of sentences that I have used as the reference of this article and then after you have completed this small task begin to search the news for some similarities.  Forget about the politics, forget about who is right or is wrong and on which side you believe and just compare our activities to that of ancient Israel.  It will not take you long to find the answers if you use your heart instead of your emotions.  America and her allies have fallen right into the same trap that Israel did and it is going to cost us our lives, literally.  No, we are not God’s chosen people but our land was chosen by God to serve as a safe haven for all those who wish to seek His ways for their lives, and we have blown it!  Israel sold her heart to the world, not over night but it took time to complete, and we as a spiritual harbor will suffer the exact same fate if we do not change now.  God allowed her choices to occur and to be obtained and Israel forgot what would be coming after these choices were made laws within their existence.  God is a just God and will deal with His children accordingly and righteously.  As any good parent would, He will start out small and try to grasp our attention, but when we ignore Him, He must delve deeper in getting our attention; and this He shall do for we have flat ignored Him.

It is a proven fact that when humans change the course of their hearts, their entire lives change course as well.  It is obvious that America has done this exact feat and we have inkling of an idea of what we have done to the foundation of our lives.  We as a nation still have a very short window of opportunity to change things back to where we once were before God has to foundationally wake us up.  It does not matter what political affiliation one is associated with, for God deals directly with both parties according to their hearts and not their physical memberships.  God cannot look upon worldly beliefs and laws then judge His people, He must rule according to His truths and ways.

Here is another tidbit for one to think about.  It has always been puzzling to the person from the west to read about the end times in the Bible and consequently find no reference or any type of symbolism that would suggest that America was participating in these events.  If Israel was beaten enough to be scattered abroad the entire known world at that time, wouldn’t it be feasible for us to understand that our demise would be so significant that we could and would lose our current status within the world’s stage?  God has done this before and He shall do it again on the same scale if we do not change our course.  It would make sense that our nation was not around during the important times in the history of humanity, and yet it is sad that such a land that was created as a harbor for those who wanted the true freedom to know and to worship God would not be included in the final act of God’s plan for humanity.

God has always had a plan for humanity when it comes to second chances or refuge.  God has never been a one and done creator when it comes to humanity and each one of our lives is a testament to that truth.  This nation was built upon strong godly principles and we have done our best to miss the boat and water down these ideals from the moment we stepped foot on these shores.  We have progressed so much over the last few centuries that we have turned into almost identical twins with ancient Israel.  This is scary folks and if we do not listen to what God is saying to us now, our future could be in serious doubt.  The existence of our country as we know it can be placed into an entirely different category, one that mimics other countries that have been ripped apart by human deeds that they thought were in the best interests of their country.

We can voluntarily choose to have God restore our spiritual lives before the physical portions have to be included in this process or not.  As I close this article I am reminded of a question that I asked my mother a while back and it was this: What kind of state does a person have to be in if restoration is warranted?  Her answer still rings loud in my spiritual ears and it something like this: total destruction, or in ruins.  God is God and there is nothing that we can say or do to change that fact and truth.  He can do whatever He sees fit for the world and He will allow many unusual events to occur in order to grasp our hearts back to Him.  It will not be the Green Party that destroys this country, nor will it be the Democrats or the Republicans, but it will be the nation itself, made up of individuals that have shunned God’s laws and ways in order to please themselves that shall allow for destruction to come.  We have a chance to change this course but we need to do this now.  Restoration is a good thing but it is strictly up to us of how much we have to restore.

The passage that I referred to in Part I of this article comes from the book entitled "The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn, Chapter 3 pg 17.

DLB

Guess Who Part I

Guess Who Part 1

1/20/15

I am going to go with a different approach to this article in that I am going to give you a passage of words and I would like for you to read it, study it and then decide who I am talking about.  The catch of this approach is that at the end of the article I will give you the answer as to whom I am referring to and hopefully one shall see what god wants to understand about our lives, the Church and the condition of the world and how all of it has become woven into one big entangled mess.

If you are familiar with my articles and the way god has showed me to write about the topics He wishes for us to understand, it will be easy to conclude that He uses history as a base for these topics.  It is amazing to me that He not only uses human history, biblical history but He also uses my own personal history as well and to be honest He leaves nothing amiss when doing so.  I have also repeatedly stated that many people within the world do not care about history and for the most part pay no attention to it and the results that it has brought to the world. 

God wants us to understand that He sees everything that we have done in our lives; no matter how hard we have tried to hide those things.  God also knows everything that every person, tribe, band, group, company, troop, state, province, country and nation has ever done and that nothing has escaped his all seeing eyes.  This is why He can honestly state that He knows and understands our hearts and it is through our hearts that He justly rewards us for our doings.  And since God is a complete God and it is stated that He gives and takes away, sometimes those rewards that we receive are not always the “best” in the line of graciousness; or at least we may not believe so at that moment.

It also must be considered that God understands modernity and everything that comes along with it.  While we love to remind everyone that we are by far the most advanced and technological society to have ever graced this planet, we quickly forget who actually gave us the ability to make all of these toys that we believe we cannot live without.  This means that since God is the one who gave these things to us then He can render them useless as well, especially when they become more important in our lives than His ways.  This method of progression comes from God and He is the only one who can authoritatively remove this process from our lives so that we must re-evaluate our standings. 

We also have been given a powerful tool in establishing the truth about what is going on in our lives and in our world.  It is the gift of our mind and our heart.  Our hearts are the created organs that bring us life and allow our desires to be thought about and then developed.  It is our lives that allow us to complete this process and to achieve the furthering of our existence.  God’s plan for our lives does not include anything that has the opportunity to hinder us in any way, but if we stagnate our relationship with Him the divine directive that He has for our good will be compromised.  When you place all of these truths into place we can understand how important it is to keep God in our lives and at the forefront of every choice we make.  Now, for the meat of the article and the fulfillment of the title of this article.

“When it began, they were still using God’s name, but with less and less meaning behind it.  Then they started merging Him, confusing Him with the gods of the nations.  And then they began turning against Him – subtly at first, then outright, then brazenly – driving Him out of their national life and bringing in idols to fill the void.  The land became covered with idols and altars to foreign gods.  They rejected their covenant, abandoned their standards, and exchanged the values they had always lived by for those they had never known – spirituality for sensuality, holiness for profanity, and righteousness for self-interest.  They cut themselves off from the faith on which their nation had been established and became strangers to God.  And as for their innocent, their little children, they offered them up as sacrifices.”

That is the passage that God has shared with us.  Now, His question to us is this: Guess who this passage is talking about?  There are some statements in this passage that automatically shift the setting to some time in human history and that would be an accurate assumption.  But when one places this passage into the concept of human progression it renders it not so easy to know what time frame it is referring to.  It is also important for us to understand that it is not just the physical aspects of these actions that are in play here, that it also refers to the spiritual ones as well and it is the spiritual side of these matters in which shall determine our current status within the world.  Let us look at what transpires when we break each sentence down in that passage.

“When it began, they were still using God’s name, but with less and less meaning behind it.”  It is easy to understand how this statement can be placed into any society that wishes to exist without a supreme being as its divine and authoritative figure.  All throughout the Bible God has to deal with Israel concerning this matter on a wide array of levels.  In some instances it was small and in others it represented a huge destruction of wealth, status and even personal life.  In our time we as a nation have witnessed this event occur as well.  While some of these views have been present with us since our establishment it has only been since the 20^th century that they have become widely and violently displayed.  The movement seriously gained presence in the 1950s and has grown with every decade since, none greater than the last few decades of our history.  We can use God’s name but only in certain times and in very limited places within our society, yet we can incorporate and force other religions upon our children at any time.

Then they started merging Him, confusing Him with the gods of the nations.”  What a powerful statement that portrays a choice of the people.  Only a loud and voicetress cry from the people can something be merged with a society, and this occurs when the popular opinion of such conditions are generally accepted.  This occurs within any historical nation or current nation simply because of the inhabitants and the ideas that they have within.  Look at our nation and how we have incorporated Allah into the same category as God.  Allah, a made up god that has been placed into existence by a human / human created being and proclaimed as the savior of the personal being.  It is now being taught that God and Allah are the same and that they are equal on every level, virtually merging God with this false and non-existent figure and we are buying it and now selling it to the world.  It is easy that we fall into this category as well, just as the nation that is being referred to in the passage was.

“And then they began turning against Him- subtly at first, then outright, then brazenly…”  My mind can only fill with many thoughts of how this past society accomplished this feat.  The ideas and methods must have numbered in the thousands and grew with each short period of time just by the examples we have concerning this nation.  The thoughts and patterns were there and we read about them over and over and many of us failed to even recognize them, for they are almost word for word of what we are demonstrating today within our own country.  In order to have this pattern one must first question the existence of God by belittling His existence and presence within both the personal lives and within the laws of the nation itself; it grows from there.

Denying His existence within our lives is the first step in doubt, which was actually administered to Eve in the Garden of Eden, and if you want to go back even further for the truth Lucifer himself doubted God’s true existence – think about that statement for a moment and then place it into the context of this article.  When we subtly exclude God it usually means on a personal level and then it continues from there just as something starts as an individual idea and grows into a law.  The next step after some friends join in the gathering it is time to step up the idea and make it public and show to others that one can have this belief and still continue to draw breath.  This opens the door for other thoughts which will support other ideas and in this case focus upon ourselves with the exclusion of God, but we are still hesitant when challenged but bold enough to publicize our new beliefs.  Kind of sounds like our society back when I was a young kid.

Progression becomes further into our human thinking and we begin to increase our intolerance to the “controlling” lifestyle that we were raised from.  The world has no answer to this that it will give but will include God in the reasons for our breakaway from our beginnings.  With the new backing and lists of freedom demands we openly condemn God from our existence in every form and have nothing to do with His ways and beliefs, we have found out that we can have these beliefs and still draw breath so it must mean that it is ok.  Protesting and then aggressive legislation arrive and it is now illegal to even mention the name of God outside of personal settings, but that too shall change pretty quickly since even travelling to church is on the table as illegal.  We now can see hawks testing this process by intentionally provoking known groups into standing up for what they believe.  The brazen aspect of our society is now in full swing and it has no intentions of falling away.

“- driving Him out of their national life and bringing idols to fill the void.”  This is one of the defining statements in the passage that says it is not referring to a modern day society.  But let us look at what this sentence is really saying.  How do idols actually become idols?  Idols are objects that are placed within a life, a group or even a society that one looks towards and worships as if it were alive and a part of them.  It is a representative of how their heart believes and the ones who worship this idol will pay homage to it on a regular basis.  We know that Ancient Greece and Rome had huge temples and statues that they erected in the name of gods and used these figures to worship the specific god that it was built for.  Sometimes these statues were even conceived and then generated for leaders of the community.  It is a voluntary process to build a setting in this manner and when this type of setting is constructed there cannot be any mention of God since He cannot have any other gods before Him.

In our society there are not statues and buildings that have been erected honoring Zeus, Hercules, or any other person that we are required to walk by and pay tribute to.  However, we have created within our own personal lives an idol of self that requires continual monitoring and praising that represents the exact concept as a statue or building that the ancients erected.  WE are fervently creating our own personal gods within our lives all-the-while ignoring the individual requirements that these idols are requiring from us.  The excitement of these new objects, create an overpowering sense of personal reality and, in fact, establish our own individual and independent reality inside; what can be more specific than this feeling?  Are these types of feelings that the group portrayed in the passage the same as we are displaying today?  Humans exhibit similar tendencies to do similar things, no matter what part of history one wishes to consider, so I would have to say that both cases are the same just by this fact alone.

The scary portion of this sentence is that we can place whatever we deem necessary into the idol category.  It does not matter if it is money, cars, women, men, guns, or even pets they all can fit into this category and become the center of our existence.  We have no idea that we are actually filling a void in our own personal lives when we try to place idols within our lives.  Each one of us has a portion of God within our lives, God established it when He created mankind and He continues this process today.  And when this occurs we shall defend our choices to the death simply because we have chosen to instill the idol philosophy into our lives.  There is no room for God in this atmosphere, and there is a simple explanation why.  The world understands who created it and it also knows who its ruler is and given these two facts, the phrase have no other gods before me comes into existence.  Therefore, after a certain amount of time, God’s opposition becomes brazen for it is the natural progression of human idol worship.

“The land became covered with idols and altars to foreign gods.”  As I mentioned in the above paragraph, this statement is an example of a natural progression.  Idols and their status became so popular and common that it was not unusual to dodge them as one went to the market.  It did not mean that there was always someone laying items down in remembrance or someone paying homage to them constantly, but it mean that these symbols were present all around, whether it is in public places or in the privacy of individual’s homes.  It did not matter which idol statue, god or foreign god was presented, the only thing that counted was that everyone knew that they were there and had the opportunity to present themselves to them at any time.  This action automatically takes God out of the personal lives of His people and when allowed to be cultivated long enough on the individual level, the national level is not far behind; just human and worldly progression laws at work.

Once again it is not difficult to see these patterns in our own lives today.  We as a society place things on a heightened level, especially things that we find close to our hearts and might support our cause.  I am reminded of a movie that came out a few decades ago called “Die Hard”, it was a series of thriller movies that predicted a police officer fighting bad guys, some of them foreign and some Americans.  The part that I am referring to occurs in the first movie where the person in charge of the heist is making his demands to the police.  He begins to list some of his fellow terrorist groups and the release of some of their members that various governments are holding across the world.  As he is making his list he mentions one group that his comrade is not familiar with.  When immediately questioned about who the group is, the leader states that he read about them in “Time” magazine.  The story is fictional of course, but at the same time it brings into light of exactly how we feel concerning idols and causes that support our own.  It is also the identical reasoning to allow other idols into our society and to have them dominate our lives, no questions asked.  Again, since God is the creator of the world and the world has its own ruler, which is the immortal enemy of God and us, God cannot live within this environment.

“They rejected their covenant, abandoned their standards, and exchanged the values they had always lived by for those they had never known…”  This statement is very important and very concerning at the same time.  “They rejected their covenant” portion speaks volumes and should be taken quite literally.  To reject something means those people involved chose to not follow something that was previously put into place.  This could mean a change in flag colors, it could mean a change in official meetings with other nations or it can mean changing the entire basis for the foundation of the nation itself.  I cannot imagine God becoming enraged over the changing of a flag but I can see Him becoming concerned about this maneuver since it could become a process in which further and deeper changes may occur.

In this statement a specific word is used, covenant.  It is a word that the country being referred to was defined by and through and is a word that is eternal in nature and can never pass away.  The word itself stands alone in its meaning since it cannot be broken only violated.  For it is a word that God used in order to define His relationship with this country, for eternity.  God cannot change in any shape or manner which means He cannot change this standard for any reason.  Since this word is an eternal word that means only the other party has the possibility to violate the meaning of this word.  For if God was able to change His standards then He would be classified as a fraud, give His immortal enemy the legal right to reclaim his position in heaven and justify every sin that has ever been committed.  Covenant is based upon blood and it is eternal, period.

Just how many standards were changed in the people’s lives within this nation?  It is an easy question, for it was enough to make mention of this entire process.  Changing a standard in order to benefit a society is a wonderful concept, but it is its foundation that represents its beauty for the people.  If its beauty relies upon the world and personal gain without holy guidance it will only progress into selfish indignation which is the only attribute the world can offer.  However, if the foundation of this standard is rooted solely within the confines of God, the real beauty of its raising will be achieved.  According to this passage it is evident that the raised standards of this nation was strictly on the personal level and in such time turned into a selfish baseline for their existence.  And as we all know, God wants us to choose Him over everything else that we know or live by which means there cannot be any “self” product placed before Him.

It is common place that humans like to have new things in our lives.  It does not matter if it is clothes, food, cars, houses or anything else, it seems like we need to have something different at regular intervals.  We cannot deny that sometimes these new and exotic items become enough of our lives that the idea of something new turns into an obsession, and then dominates our thoughts and actions.  This sentence provides another portion of evidence that this nation had turned its spiritual heart away from God, so much so that once again their standards have to be specifically mention as a caustic agent of their condition.  I could write 14 articles on this simple phrase alone and still not cover all of the items that detail out this phrase.  It is the concept of bringing in new ideas that stimulates our lives enough that once they are incorporated into our presence we will defend them with every breath.  Through my own life I can understand how easy it is to forget the ways of the Lord and how His presence in our lives becomes dull when we are not studying His Word and applying it to our lives.  And when we allow the lack of studying His Word to leave our hearts, we have no other choice but to accept new worldly conditions and standards which we have not known before.  Worldly excitement replaces godly and holy excitement, and while happiness temporarily arrives, certain pain and separation will soon follow on many levels of our lives.

“- spirituality for sensuality” This portion of the sentence addresses a huge explosive topic that speaks volumes about the condition of the human heart.  This term is solely based upon the sexual intentions of humans and how they “get their message” out to everyone else around their immediate world.  The definition of the word sensuality is as follows: the enjoyment, expression or pursuit of physical, especially sexual pleasure.  These three words describe a transition of the human in such a drastic manner that it goes from a holy life to a physical and sexual life.  This subject I will be sharing a separate article on, but I cannot ignore the topic now for it falls into such an extraordinary position within the nation’s function that it actually changes how they view life itself.  When a nation goes from being in a spiritual one to a sensual one it changes its desires from a godly nation to a worldly nation; the priorities of such a nation change, on an individual level, group and even national level and with this priority change comes directional change as well.  And when this occurs, the protection of God that surrounds mankind begins to wane and if not corrected according to God’s standards, will break open and life-changing events will begin to be noticed.

We know that this nation that is being referred to in this passage contains humans and we also know that humans exist today, so that means that the human desires and wants are the same both during this time in history and now which means our hearts have the same conditions as well.  It is no secret that sex dominates our lives, no matter what one confesses to be sex represents the most physically attractive and luring facet that dominates our lives.  We all know the origins of sex and why it was created.  Yes, it is the highest form of pleasure that mankind can experience and it is meant to be put into practice in a holy and just manner.  These three words make it clear that sensuality has replaced holiness within that nation and that they have voluntarily torn down the foundation of this institution in order to personally gratify themselves.  This step shall lead to another form of grotesque mannerisms and is addressed in a few sentences below.

“holiness for profanity” is another huge national heart change that speaks loudly to the spiritual and overall condition of a nation.  We all understand that our lives cannot measure up to God’s standards.  From the time that we are conceived until we draw our last physical breath on earth our physical lives represent nothing but death and destruction.  It is a natural occurrence to do good, to trust the human race and to seep a steady and sound heart each day.  Having respect for others who do not share your personal views is a great example of this nature, yet when our desire to do our own personal agenda thwarts this concept holiness goes out the door and holiness’s enemy joins the club.  Words, texts, concepts, and laws reflect the nature of a nation no matter which direction they are driven.  I can only imagine how the language, general references and attitudes were like in this nation in the passage, but it must have been pretty rough and prominent to be placed within this list.  What does profanity gain a person when it is used in such quantity that one cannot go without using such speech in every sentence?  What does it say about the human heart when this type of sentence structure comes out of the mouths of a nation?  It should strike terror in a godly heart for it demonstrates that God has not place within the heart of that person.  It then can be construed that if the national leaders follow their constituent’s lead, that the nation concurs with this standard as well.

“and righteousness for self-interest.” This is pretty much self evident when a nation has changed its priorities.  A righteousness nation will do their best to do what is right in the eyes of their people and to the other nations around them.  Their attitudes towards what is right and what is wrong are clearly defined and everyone involved with that nation knows and understands that those values shall not change.  A righteousness nation will help other peoples and nations when they are in trouble and stay as long as necessary and to provide the needed resources until stabilization is achieved; it does not matter if the situation warrants spiritual or physical help.  The nations in need shall see this true love and respect for their conditions by the actions of the righteous nation, both inwardly and outwardly.

A self interest nation may still provide the supplies to the nations in need, but will provide these supplies with conditions and demands.  They will provide hem but have a standoffish stance towards that nation or people.  They will gladly report about the atrocities committed by others but fail to recognize that they could help or even prevent them from occurring if they had a hand’s on approach to the situation.  The needy people may even be within their own nation or region yet the connectivity and closeness once shared with these people has been cut and while we watch their calamities develop we stand back, shake our heads and go on vacation or go shopping.  Our human, inner distance from these people is painfully recognized by these hurting people and forces a further divide between the two groups.  We lived in one area of the country a long time ago that thrived on this concept: I will be your friend but stay at arms distance.  It is this concept that now consecrates each relationship within humanity and it has produced a self interest and self perseverance mentality that has changed the course of our existence and has complemented all of the other abominations that we now “enjoy.”

“The cut themselves off from the faith on which their nation had been established and became strangers to God.”  This sentence and statement should not come as much of a surprise to anyone.  Why?  Because when a nation incorporates all of the above conditions and accepts them as their foundational and functional state, this is the only course possible that a nation can follow, both physically and spiritually.  It is clear that the nation in this passage has done just this and has enthralled them into this lifestyle without any hesitancy and is now producing a standard that their children only know as normal.  Their faith comes purely from what the physical tells them, even while they ignore the fact that their beliefs are based upon flaws.  The human existence is just that, human and does not require any spiritual guidance from God and if ever suggested that God is needed, the “uninformed and closed minded” opinions are mocked and ridiculed all in the name of a new life without the boundaries of God and the so called limitations He brings.

The need for churches and the messages that they give are no longer deemed worthy.  The secular concept of separation of church and state becomes “miraculously” introduced to that nation’s life and eventually serves as the foundation for this concept, which is rapidly built due to the physical attributes that the Church is presenting.  Yes, even the Church and the concepts of God have been changed all to fit and suit the lifestyles of that nation.  A new foundation has been established and there is no need or use for God within this foundation for it is built upon the very best standards known to that nation, free and equal for everyone who wishes it.

How many of you have cousins that you have never met or only knew when you were very young?  Probably many of us fit into that category and while these people are a part of our family we have no idea about their lives, what they do for a living and for some of us we do not even know their date of birth, yet they share our own blood.  This is a prime example of how this nation in the passage above “knew” God.  While God and everything He stands for was the foundation of their nation, they knew nothing about Him.  

The Story of Your Heart

The Story of Your Heart

1/8/15

Have we really stopped and considered the condition of our heart?  Not the physical heart but the spiritual condition of our heart, the one that shall live for eternity.  It is quite difficult for us to conceive this thought and to place it on a mentionable level would almost be impossible.  But for some reason we have the capability to accomplish this task but the only way that to complete this is to try and understand our Creator and what our lives mean to Him.  However, somewhere in our past, we have totally taken a wrong turn and have tried to seek out our hearts by our own accord.  While we believe that our way is the best, we end up realizing that all we could hope to be is miserable failures without any hope or true eternal destiny.  There is a real destiny for our hearts and all we have to do is to seek out the One person who loves us in countless ways in order for us to find out the true story of our heart.

The medical field has witnessed its share of problems over the years.  It has also triumphed over many medical conditions and diseases that were once considered to be automatic death sentences.  Many of the standards of the medical field back in the early years of modern medicine were much lower than what they are today.  With the development of the precise instrumentation and techniques, the level of responsibility of the personnel attending to these aspects has increased as well.  In response to this type of newly invented levels of care, the regulations for such practices have been raised to correspond with the level of results that are presented.

When I started my career in the laboratory it took almost two complete hours to run a complete chemistry panel on one person.  The instrumentation that was available at that time would only run one specimen at a time, no more.  At this time, not every test that we have available to us today was known about either, which means that not every condition and disease known today was known back then.  I understand that this concept and notions may seem frustrating to some, but there is nothing that we could have done any differently with the knowledge back then.  On the other hand and looking at the future we will one day understand and know about even more specific conditions and diseases than we know of today; the progression shall continue.

With all of this progression one would think that the more we know the better off we will become.  While that theory is a good one to contemplate and to hope for, it is not always the case.  It is easy for us to try and live by these progressive conditions within our personal lives as well and while it may have the “limelight” effect for a time, that luster shall eventually fade and newer and deeper subjects will be needed to suffice our ambitions.  If one wants to contest this truth, I ask you to read history and place each society that you study into this timeline and see what the overall outcome of that society was.  I also ask you to include biblical societies in your study as well, for they are bout humans and what they believed to be correct.  Today, I cannot believe the type of technologists that are being placed into our field of healthcare.  Many of them do not even know how to draw blood from a patient, which is the basic foundation of laboratory studies.  Some have no idea of the concepts of a spectrophotometer and how it works, which is the foundation for each chemistry test that we report out.  Yes, the instrumentation is vastly superior to what I had to operate with when I was young in the field, but I was taught the foundations of my profession not just the instruments used to obtain results.  In short, the heartbeat of my profession has been permanently stopped by our own progression.

Some of you may recall a series of articles I have written about the time when I had my heart attack.  These same people will also remind me that I have not finished that series and have left them hanging with me at the back of the hospital and leaving the hospital to have my heart procedure.  While this series is talking about my physical heart it has quite a frightening similarity to the condition of my spiritual heart at one time and also can accurately describe the spiritual hearts of our country and Western philosophy.  How far have we allowed the world to penetrate our spiritual hearts?  That is the question that we first must recognize as the truth and then we must begin to weed out those worldly aspects that we have voluntarily acquired.

The conditions that I inherited in my genes placed me into a higher risk category of something terrible happening to my life.  In truth it almost did end my life but God had other plans for me and gave me a few more chances to change things.  The condition that I have builds upon itself, it actually gets worse with each bite of food that I take.  For decades there were no possibilities of help for me, even vegetables were bad for me.  Then, science created drugs that allowed my body to reverse course and to begin to heal itself, but I had to make the choice to take them and do what the doctor ordered.  For a while I did this and felt so much better, but as time went along I slowly fell back into the slothful category I once “thrived” in and it was not too much longer that I had serious problems.  Once again it was my choice to endanger my life and to allow death to rear its ugly head around my family.

In each of these examples that I have presented each have represented as choices that has been made in the name of what we want instead of what needs to be done correctly.  Yes, I had to have food in order to survive, but did I have to have all of the types of food that may have been favorable to my taste buds, but deadly to my arteries?   What about the advancements of the technology within my own workplaces?  Yes, it is great that I can turn out a result for the physician within a few minutes instead of a few hours or days, yet if the foundation of that understanding concerning those results is not there, what true future does those results actually have to the patient?  All of this in the name of self gratifying progress?  Can we not see how much this is affecting our spiritual hearts?

Have we become so dependent upon a dying creature that we have totally lost focus upon our own eternal condition?  We place our faith in sports figures, musicians and reality personalities and mourn when something goes awry in their lives.  How much detail do we know about their lives, divorces, gossips, hatred and deaths than we do about our own grandparents?  Where are these people in our lives when we are in the hospital sick or recovering from surgery?  Yet, we live our lives through them and accept their idols as our own, no questions asked.  Why can’t we understand that all of this junk that we filter into our lives actually clogs our spiritual arteries and if we do not allow a holy cleansing we will eventually not be able to feel or hear our own heart beating.

Some people actually blame God for all of the problems that we are facing, but it is not His fault because it was the choices that we made that allowed all of these problems to be incurred.  Many people do not even know that we are in trouble for they do not even recognize that what we are facing is even a problem.  All of these items are representative of self and self love.  There are many levels of this belief within our society and even in this small community that I reside in, I see it every day.  My question is this: how will our lives be and the responses be when everything that we know as “normal” comes crashing down around us.  How can we define “normal” any more and if we cannot define this term then we cannot define what is right and what is wrong and then that is the situational definition of chaos, which is exactly what the world has to offer us.  The foundational heart of our existence has then ceased to beat.

We have found way after way to push the only figure that has the ability to reinstate our foundational heart beat again.  We have forgotten that our lives were formed in His image and there is no other being that has ever existed that knows better of what we need to live abundantly.  Yet, we continue to push Him out of our lives and then replace Him with dead and decaying replacements.  This makes no sense to a living organism and if an organism finds itself in a situation such as this it would find a way to leave its surrounding environment.  Do you know what happens when a heart muscle cell is cut away from the other heart muscle cells?  If one does this and places it on a flat surface and is watched closely through a microscope, it will automatically contract.  It will not lie there and just die, flat on its new surface, it will expend all of its energy to try and survive.  Why cannot we be like this single heart muscle cell and realize that our conditions have changed and that we need to do our very utmost to change our surrounding environment?

This type of attitude is the perfect example of people living through sacrifices instead of having a relationship with our Creator.  Think about this statement for a while and try to figure out why all of humanity has been trying to figure out their own way yet have gained nothing from their endeavors.  Sacrifices become rituals if one does not approach them with a humble heart.  They become mundane and boring and something else is needed in order to make the process more exciting; a progression if you wish to choose to use that word.  This is where we begin to take God out of our existence and replace Him with something a little bit more “exciting and real”.  And if one places this thinking into our other patterns of life, you have the perfect scenario for a complete falling away which shall lead to a certain death.  I refer you to a couple of paragraphs above to where I challenged you to take a look at past societies and fill in their conditions with portions within this article.  It cannot be denied, no matter what you otherwise try to prove.  When mankind shoves God out of the way our way of life falls completely, no matter how good we believe we have it.  There is a reason God put His laws in place, and it is solely for our protection, not our hindrance.

We have no choice but to be born into a sinful world and each one of us inherit that sin as soon as we are conceived.  We can choose to live in this sin and reject the only person that can deliver us from this muck or we can choose to live for Him and to accept Him into our hearts so that our spiritual hearts can beat as they should.  We are headed for a major, major fall if we do not turn back to God.  Since we as a world community have never been as prosperous as we are today, the fall might be so great that it shall shakes us to the core of our existence; and so deep to the point where we might even recover as we once were. 

It is coming but we can change it if we turn back to God today!  Tell your heart to beat again through Jesus Christ and through His Father, they are our only hope and salvation.  Recently God shared an article with us concerning the “fictional” aspects of the Bible and how that even though some of the details of certain biblical times of the Israelites were not given, the results of their state were.  There is a reason for this, because even back in the biblical times, mankind had a choice to follow God or not and it does not matter if you are reading a story from the Bible, reading about human history from a textbook or watching the news each night, one can conclude that if humanity pushes God out of the way, He has no choice but to remind us of who created who.  To obey or sacrifice, that is the true story of your heart.

DLB

A Shemitah Prayer

A Shemitah Prayer

12/31/14

As this year in our lives draws to an end we are facing some vital issues that have not been resolved.  It is amazing to me that the world continues to look at these voids as issues that it can solve alone, without any help from God.  As the past years have came to their ends, they too were left empty without any true direction or comfort simply because we have refused to turn our lives over to God.

This coming year is a very important year in the fact that according to Jewish calendars the year 2015 is a Shemitah year.  I know that this country is not Jewish and up until this very moment of me writing this prayer, we have adamantly denied God into our lives and made it perfectly clear that we have no room for His presence either.  But as for me and my family that is not our request and it is definitely not our will to have that mentality.

In the Jewish traditions, which have been proven correct over and over again I have come to believe that we need to understand exactly what a Shemitah year is and how it will affect our lives even though we are not Jewish.  Over the past few Shemitah years our country have received clear warnings about our lives and how we are living them.  Yet, with these warnings and the consequences that they have brought we have continued to snub our noses to God and have gone our own way.  Once again, my family does not represent this attitude and we welcome God into our lives and into our homes for as long as we draw breath.

I understand that over the past 47 years of my life that I have not always been the best person and that I have done some pretty stupid and hurtful things to myself, to my friends, to my family and to my God.  In this Shemitah year I release this burden and give it all to God and ask that each and every one of you for your forgiveness.  I desire no animosity between any one of you and my family and I ask this all in the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ our eternal Savior.

I want you to know that I am not dying and I have not been diagnosed with any dreaded and deadly disease, for I know that these types of notes usually come in this manner.  But I am concerned that this country is going to change drastically within this next year and I want to make sure that each and every person who reads these articles understands that all of us need to complete this healing and forgiveness process within their hearts.  The Shemitah year is a year of forgiveness and restoration and while it originated in the Jewish calendar it is meant for each one of us, no matter what our faiths may be.

Every seven years we give our garden a rest for planting, it allows for the regeneration of the soil so that it may yield its full potential at all times.  Every seventh year it is a Shemitah year as well and in this last September the Shemitah year began all around the Jewish year.  God is a complete God and He shall always follow through in His promises no matter how we humans deem them important.  God also understands that we have a choice to accept His laws or to deny them.  In my family and in my house w shall accept God’s laws and shall do our best to live through these laws to the best of our abilities.  My family understands that God’s laws are present for our protection from the world, not to hinder our lives in the world.

I ask that God bless each and every one of my family members this year and to keep each of us happy and healthy.  I know that I cannot change every heart within the world but I pray that God opens up my writings to the world so that everyone may have the opportunity to know God and His love for us.  I pray that my country opens her spiritual eyes to God once again and that she return to her spiritual roots and to forsake the world and its wicked ways.  I can only pray that she understands what the Shemitah year means before God has to remind us once again.

Lord God, I ask that You protect each one of Your children during this eventful year and to allow us to be prepared for the entire year and whatever it may present.  I speak blessings on those who understand your ways O Lord and I ask that you instill peace into each one of our lives.  Help us to be still and to listen for your guiding voice each second of every day, so that we may walk in your grace and in your eternal salvation.  Restore our hearts this year God and make our fields fertile with your divine and holy seed again.

Return to our hearts your ever entrusting and divine truth and may we live in this truth through your holiness.  May we never forget the true and great sacrifice that you gave to us through your Son Jesus and may we never diminish His blood and its meaning.  May we continue to live as Your prophets did by keeping our hearts pure before You.  Guide us as we wake each morning and sleep each night.  Return our love to you as you have given your love to us.  I ask that this Shemitah year be one of true blessings to each family that believes in your laws and keeps them.  Help us to endure the judgments that you must bring in order to grab our attention as well.  We love you God and please never forget about those people who love you.

I ask that you receive this prayer from your humble yet wicked servant; one who has wronged you every second of my deathly life.  Continue to show me the words that you desire your people to hear and allow me to place them into the ears and hearts of those who are listening.  Protect us this coming year God as you bring us back to your groves.  Forgive us of our sins against you God and I pray that this will be the last time that You have to remind us in this manner.  I ask Your Shemitah blessings over all of those who know and understand You and who follow Your ways, and I humbly ask for these blessings for my family as well.  I shall always give you the glory and the honor for each day of my life and I pray that I shall be a true and gentle servant for Your Kingdom.

Amen