The Tearing Down of Strongholds

The Tearing Down of Strongholds

2 Cor 10:³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Many Christians feel unworthy or incapable of ministering for Christ, therefore they limit their spiritual potential. Satan's desire is to establish walls or mountains of fear or doubt in our minds to render us useless for the kingdom of God. Quite often people that we know will discourage us from pursuing a ministry that God desires to use us in. The key to being effective for God is to conquer our fears with faith, as well as to bring every thought captive into the obedience of Christ. The entire world is a mission field and a person does not need a degree in theology in order to share their faith. The other day, I was going for a walk and I stopped to visit with a man on the trail and I used the opportunity to share my faith. I have also witnessed to people in Wal-Mart, grocery stores and elsewhere, I always pray that the Lord will bring divine appointments my way. If you are willing to be used by the Lord, he will use you according to your level of faith.

Not only are there spiritual strongholds within our minds, but there are also strongholds of sin that will jeopardize our relationship with God. Many people within the churches struggle with addictions to alcohol, pornography, cigarettes etc. and deliverance seems impossible to them. But with God all things are possible, and by relying on the power of God's Holy Spirit accompanied with faith, a person can be set free from all types of bondages. Fasting, accompanied with prayer, is a powerful weapon against sinful bondages. When a person goes on a fast, they are giving something up to show God how serious they are about their prayers. Fasting is normally the giving up of food for a period of time, but it may also include giving up anything that you enjoy, in order to seek God for a breakthrough. When Christ's disciples could not cast out demons they asked Christ, why.  He replied, "This kind only comes out with prayer and fasting." Fasting is a time honored principle that will bring results to seemingly impossible situations. 

When Joshua led the armies of Israel into the promised land, they were instructed by the Lord to drive out the inhabitants of the land. When the Israelites saw Jericho it must have seemed intimidating, the walls surrounding the city were so wide that chariots rode on top. But Joshua trusted in the Lord, and he knew that his God was much bigger than those walls. God instructed the Israelites to have seven priests carry trumpets in front of the ark. The armies of Israel would follow the ark of the Lord and they would circle the city once for six days, and on the seventh day they would circle the city seven times. When the priests would do a long blast on the trumpets, the armies of Israel would give a loud shout and the walls would collapse and the armies would go in. In the same way that Joshua trusted in the Lord for victory over his enemies, we should also have faith that our God is bigger than the walls of fear, doubt, or sin, in our lives. Let us also shout in faith and bring those strongholds down!                

Joshua 6:1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
² Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. ³ March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. ⁵ When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Satan's Throne in your Home

Most people are unaware that Satan has a throne in their home. Many people desire to be healed of sickness, delivered from demonic oppression or possession, or to hear from God, but they are being blocked. Quite often the programs that people watch on television is robbing them of God's blessings, as well as bringing demons into their homes. The television set is Satan's throne in most homes. The Lord showed me that music, video games, as well as television programs are blocking prayers from being answered, as well as keeping his children in bondage. Many Christians are receiving visions and dreams from familiar spirits, instead of the Lord because of the compromise of television. Throw out your television set and you will open yourself up to the blessings that God desires for his children.

In the past, the Lord dealt with me on the issue of television. I felt that if I was careful to what programs I watched, everything would be okay, but television was an idol to me, as well as a compromise to my Christian faith. Television is filled with extreme violence, fornication, adultery, occultism, profanity, swearing ect. I was filling my eye gates and ear gates with the trash that Hollywood produces. For the eyes and the ears are gates to the soul, should Christians be filling their souls up with darkness? So, we made the decision to rid ourselves of all television shows, as well as movies.

Even commercials have become X-rated, on CNN they would frequently show this commercial that showed men and women dancing provocatively, taking off their clothes. How much of this are we going to tolerate as Christians? Also consider how tv has de-evolved over time. There are now infomercials about sexual enhancement. Also consider the heavy metal/blackmetal music being played in the background of movies, shows and commercials. Many claim that they would never allow this type of music to be played within their homes, but they are allowing it in their homes through television. After watching a television show, how many times have you gone to bed and had undesirable music playing in your head? It has happened to me many times.

Also consider how the family structure is being perverted by Hollywood. The children are always fussing or cussing at their parents in many of these shows. Women are always in charge of their husbands, as well as belittling them, and men are always cheating on their wives. The homosexual agenda has really taken over tv as well, there are now tv sitcoms featuring gay parents raising children. A gay man, child, or lesbian woman is featured in many programs today, in an effort to desensitize the American public. I believe that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for this generation. Many people use the excuse that everyone, including pastors have televisions, but does that it make it right? During Noah's generation he was the only righteous man on earth, and because he refused to compromise his convictions, God spared the lives of Noah and his family.

Also consider the occultism within television and movies today. Witchcraft, Satanism, Buddhism, New Ageism, Hinduism, channeling, ghosts, reincarnation, quija boards ect, are all being promoted by television. Even childrens cartoons are filled with occultism. These type of programs are an open door to demons in your home.

The Lord gave me some dreams, as well as words concerning television, that reflects how serious this issue is to the Lord. The Lord said that I was cutt off from him, I asked how? The Lord told me that I was cut off due to compromise by watching television.

A number of years ago, I dreamed that I was going to a movie theater to watch a western. I pulled up into a reserved parking space marked rodeo. When I got out of the car, I was surrounded by five or six, seven foot tall men. They said that they were looking for run away slaves. I told them that I was not a slave. They said that they were going to hold me captive until they could verify that I was not a run away slave. They put a chain around my neck to lead me away, and then I noticed that one of the tall men looked like Frankenstein, another looked like Dracula. I believe that the tall men were fallen Angels and I was being held captive by the sin of television and movies. The Lord showed me that even supposedly innocent shows were still wicked to him because thay are produced by Hollywood. Everything from Hollywood is accursed to God.

In another dream, I was seated on the couch in front of our entertainment center like I did in the past. Where the tv once was, there was a coffin, and on each side of the entertainment center there were full size coffins. My arms were outstretched, and between my arms was a mini coffin. The Lord spoke and said, ” Mystery Babylon has been in front of your face this entire time”. I understood that my arms had been wrapped around television for a long time, I loved it and it was idolatry to me. Our culture, as well as much of the church system is Mystery Babylon. The Lord then spoke to me as I was waking up and said, “Television is a magnet for demons to enter your home”. According to the Lord, tv is spiritual death. In a recent dream the Lord showed me a slimy pig entering a home through a television set. Consider the following Scriptures in regard to the Christian life.

Matthew 7:13 ” Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Matthew 7:14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it
.
Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Also, consider this account from God's Word. In Joshua, we read that Israel could not stand before their enemies because of disobedience, Achan took a Babylonian garment, as well as gold and silver from the enemies camp and hid it, in the camp of the Israelites, and according to God, this accursed thing brought a curse upon Israel. The Lord showed me that in the same way, television is also an accursed thing, that is bringing defeat from our enemies as well, and is blocking Gods blessings.

(NKJV) Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.

10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 “Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 13 “Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.

25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

Reflecting the Love of Christ

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

There are many people out there who need a helping hand but very few people are willing to help those in need. When we have compassion for the poor and sick, we reflect the love of Christ. Greed seems to control many people in our materialistic society, and the love of money outweighs compassion for the needy. There were times in my past when I went through crisis situations and could have used a friend, or a helping hand, but no one was there for me. People tend to run the other way when a person is experiencing hardships, like sickness, financial problems, or the death of a loved one. But Christians should be examples of love to a lost and dying world. The love of money is truly the root of all kinds of evil.

 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

I admire the fine work of ministries like the Salvation Army, homeless shelters, food pantries, shelters for battered women etc. My wife and I used to do volunteer work for a Salvation Army homeless shelter, and we found it to be very rewarding to be able to minister the love of Christ to those who were hurting. The entire world is a mission field, and if you know Christ, then you are a minister, as well as an ambassador for the kingdom of God. Not everyone is called to preach behind a pulpit, but we are all called to share our faith however we can, as well as reflect the attributes of Christ. Christ taught us to let our light shine before men and not to hide it under a basket.

^{MATT 5:14} “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Bible has many warnings in regard to neglecting the poor if you are able to make a difference. James the brother of Christ, said that faith without works is dead. I have heard many people say to those in need, "I will pray for you", but they neglect to help them. In the book of Acts, those who had an abundance shared with those who lacked, so that every need was met. We need to have the same compassion that the early church had.  

James 2:14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

There are many ministers today that are teaching their flocks to worship money, this is known as the prosperity gospel. It is appalling to me how many messages they preach are about, make me rich and bless me. What about blessing others and helping the poor? These wolves are blessing their own pocketbooks with the money from many who are struggling to pay their bills. Quite often these apostate ministers are living in million dollar mansions and driving very expensive cars. They are robbing God by fleecing the flock. The prosperity gospel is polar opposite to the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, I believe that God does prosper some to further advance his kingdom, but few people are good stewards of God's  blessings. You cannot worship God and money, because only one will be your master. 

Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.


Matt 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”     

The Lord's Table - Revelation 12

Rev 12: 1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ² Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
³ And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. ⁵ She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. ⁶ Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

I believe that many of the Lord's children will be protected, as well as fed by the Lord, in the wilderness during the Great Tribulation. Even now, I believe God is raising up people to prepare a place of God's choosing, in remote areas for this time. I refer to this as the ministry of Joseph. During the seven years of plenty, God's servant Joseph, stockpiled enough food to feed both Egypt, as well as the surrounding nations for the seven year famine that followed.  God also, instructed Noah to build an ark for the survival of mankind, if Noah had not been obedient to the Lord, none of us would be here today. God did not build the ark for Noah, but instructed him how to do it, and it took Noah one hundred and twenty years to complete the ark. I believe that those who will hear God's voice will be prepared for this time of war, famine, as well as persecution.  God will have his ark's of safety and provision established in remote areas for this time. Now is the time to make preparation for the seven years of distress ahead. 

In Rev 12 we read about the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a garland of twelve stars upon her head, this is a representation of Israel. The twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel, and she bore a male child who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, as well as will be caught up to Heaven, this of course is our Lord Jesus Christ.  The description of the woman is similar to Joseph's dream (Genesis 37:9-11). In that dream, the sun represented Jacob, the moon represented Joseph's mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were the sons of Israel which bowed down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now among the other tribes of Israel. I also believe that this comparison to Joseph's dream is an indication of God's provision in the wilderness. The dragon who is making war with the woman is Satan, working through his anti-christ, and beast empire. 

  Rev 12:13  Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ¹⁴ But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. ¹⁵ So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  

Rev 12:13-17 speaks further of the persecution against the church. The woman is given two wings of an eagle so that she may fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for three and a half years. Satan (the dragon), is enraged and makes war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The woman mentioned in this chapter is symbolic of Jewish believers in Christ, and the rest of her offspring is a reference to the gentile Christians. Rev 12 is not a reference to the modern day nation of Israel. It is a reference to both Jews, as well as gentiles in Christ. Apart from Christ, there is no salvation or protection from God. May those who have open hearts to God, read this prophecy and understand.  

Come as you are, but don't stay that way! Written by my wife!

 

It has been on my heart to write about what it means to be truly born again.  My last blog, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep," had to do with being lost, and allowing Jesus to find you and be saved.  However, once you have surrendered your heart, mind, and soul to Christ, you are not instantly saved forever.  The theory of eternal security is a lie of the devil in order to put Christians to sleep.  When we think there is grace for everything, and that our actions suffer no consequences because our salvation is guaranteed with one simple prayer, we can easily slip into a life of sin and comfortably stay there.

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness.  Joel 2:12-13

It is very true that Christ accepts us as we are and He gave His life on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life.  Yet it is also very true that, though we may come just as we are with all our faults, God expects us to change.  Jesus is a loving Father who readily forgives our sins as long as our repentance is sincere and we do not continue to live in sin.  Think of it this way:  if your child wrote on the living room walls and said, "I'm so sorry, please forgive me," you would forgive him.  If he does it again, you will still love him, but there will be consequences for his actions.  If he does it a third time, and continues to defy you and take advantage of your gracious heart, the consequences become more dire.  It is the same with our Heavenly Father.  Even more so since He is holy and it is His desire that we live holy lives if we are to follow Him.  That does not mean we have to be perfect, but we must seek out to destroy our sinful nature.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  I Peter 1:13-19

On my husband's blog "The Sword of the Spirit," http://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/ Mel wrote a blog in July 2015 titled "The Finish Line," http://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-finish-line.html that goes along perfectly with my blog.  Here is some of what he wrote (I would encourage you to read his entire writing): 

"Most churches today are not teaching their people the truth in regard to salvation. They are taught that by simply reciting the sinner’s prayer that they are saved and the angels are singing in Heaven. The sinner’s prayer is a great prayer when done in sincerity, but this alone does not save a person’s soul, it is just the beginning. Most churches today are not teaching their people to repent of their sins and to be born again. To be born again, a person must become a new creation in Christ, and this means to be set apart from the world and unto God...  If Jesus Christ is truly the Lord of your life then his attributes will be apparent in your life. Christ said that any tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 


"This life of probation, may be compared to running a race. We run this race of life hoping to obtain the prize, which is eternal life with God, but if we do not complete the race and cross the finish line, then all is lost... Paul was saying that like a runner in a race keeps his body in good physical condition, we must also keep our spiritual body in good condition so that we might be able to cross the finish line and win our crown.  Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.  I Corinthians 9:24 

"Christ said that those who endure unto the end shall be saved, if we fail to cross the finish line in victory, then all is lost... And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:12

"The lukewarm church of the end time is preaching a greasy grace message that makes people feel good, instead of  teaching them the truth. When there is no distinction between the sinful world and the saints, then the salt has lost it’s savor and the truth has been turned into a lie. If we live, dress, talk, as well as act like sinners, then we are lost as well. Christ made atonement upon the cross for sins committed in ignorance, as well as for sins that are repented of. If we do not repent of willful sins, then there is no forgiveness. Atonement is not automatic, it follows repentance. No one is perfect of course, but we are called to righteousness, and this means to live right..."
 

"The Book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John by the angel of Jesus Christ. Within Revelation, Christ gave warnings to the various churches that they must keep the commandments of God or they would be cast away. In Rev 2:4 Christ told them that they had left their first love, he told them to repent, and do their first works over or he would remove their lampstand from it’s place. He also told the church of Sardis to repent, because their works, were not found to be perfect before God. Christ told the church of Laodicea that because they are lukewarm that he would vomit them out of his mouth. As you can see, the Word of God teaches us that it is very possible to fall from grace, due to sin, or lack of faith. It is time for the lukewarm churches to wake up and stop leading people astray. James states the truth very clearly, when he said that faith without works is dead."

 
Here are some more thoughts on this subject from a blog I wrote in June 2014 titled: "How do we survive this world?" http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-do-we-survive-in-this-world.html which I also encourage you to read in its entirety. 
 
If we cry out to God, He will hear our pleas.  He wants to protect us and save us... Man’s desire for independence corrupts him more and more.  The mentality of not wanting to be told what to do is only getting worse... It is up to you to surrender yourself to God as well as your independence.  It is up to you to choose to live right and separate yourself from this world. 

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
The key words there are “if,” and “humble themselves.”

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18

Humble yourself and admit you have done wrong.  Salvation begins with repentance and admittance of sin.  In spite of the very popular Calvinistic belief that, poof, you are now saved forever and will automatically go to heaven because you ask Jesus into your heart is a lie.  It is an excuse to live however you want because you are a “Christian.” There is no desire to please your Creator or live a truly Christian lifestyle. There is no self-evaluation or repentance. 

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.  I Corinthians 15:31 

Daily very simply means we must crucify our flesh every day not just once.   Psalm 139: 23-24 should be a daily prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

So do we wait until some crazy gunman is at our door (so to speak) before we choose to make the decision to live a holy life?  Of course not.  There are no atheists in foxholes, so the saying goes.  And it is also true that God will have mercy on your soul if you wait until you are on your deathbed to call upon God and repent of your sins.  Yet, why would you wait until then?  If everyone died at the age of 99, most would wait until they were 98 ¾ to start living right.  But no one ever knows when their time on this world is coming to an end.  Nobody is invincible.  Age, race, wealth, none of it matters when you’re on a highway full of reckless drivers or the day you decide to go to the courthouse to renew your driver’s license just happens to be the same day a man with bombs storms in and blows the place up.    

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2

 

 

Jesus longs to hold each of us in His arms.  He wants us to cross the Finish Line and not perish. 

 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. II Peter 8:10

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16.

 

 

I'll end with a few more scriptures on salvation & repentance.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’ Acts 2:20-22

For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.  And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ Acts 22:15-16

 

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:12-13

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Mystery Babylon

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ⁵ For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 

In Revelation chapters 17 and 18 we read about mystery Babylon. I believe that this prophecy is in reference to both spiritual Babylon (harlot church), as well as physical Babylon (Rome, United States).  Bible prophecy tends to be multi-layered, which means it may have dual or tri significance. First, we will examine the spiritual meaning of the harlot who sits upon the back of the beast. 



Rev 17: 1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
³ So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. ⁵ And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

⁶ I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

 

Rev 17:18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

 

Rev 17:18 states that the harlot is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. I believe that this is a reference to both Rome, as well as the Roman Catholic Church. She is depicted as an adulterous woman clothed in purple and scarlet, scarlet is symbolic of sin, and purple is symbolic of royalty, as well as is the official color of the Roman Catholic Church. This adulterous woman sits on many waters and commits  fornication with the kings of the earth.  This is a depiction of the harlot church which rides upon the back of the beast (anti-christ, as well as his beast empire).  The biblical term Babylon is used many times within the old testament as a reference to sin and wickedness. There is also a similarity between the adulterous wife of Yahweh, mentioned in Ezekiel, and the harlot of Revelation. Just as Israel was unfaithful to God many times within the old testament, so much of the church is unfaithful to Christ today. To live in un-repented sin is to commit spiritual adultery. Mystery Babylon, is referred to as the mother of all harlots, I believe this is a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, as well as her offspring, the many protestant churches that preach a lukewarm message of compromise (grace without repentance). God commands his children to come out of the harlot churches.   

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ⁵ For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

The dragon is a symbol of Satan, and it is interesting that many of the popes use the symbol of the dragon on their coat of arms, medals, shields, as well as grave guardians. In fact, dragon art work, as well as statues of dragons are found throughout the Vatican in Rome. I believe that this clearly shows that Satan is the god of the popes. I will post some pics of the Papal medals depicting satanic artwork.

The Lord has given me many dreams, in which he refers to the modern church as Babylon.  Within the dream of the lukewarm church, the Lord showed me many Christian congregations within a Roman Catholic Church building. The Lord referred to these harlot churches as the offspring of their mother church. The number one concern of the Lord is the sin in peoples lives. Many who profess to know Christ, are adulterous in God's eyes, because of sinful bondages in their lives, they are slaves to sin, instead of allowing the Lord to set them free. Here is a link to my dream of the lukewarm church.  http://twelfthhourendtimeministries.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreams-of-history-of-lukewarm-church.html

There are many similarities between Babylon, Rome and the United States. I believe that Rev 18 has a duel prophetic meaning, in which the modern Rome of the end times (United States) is depicted.  The book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John while he was imprisoned by the Romans on the isle of Patmos. At that time, Rome was the most powerful empire in the world, as well as the richest, through it's merchant trade. Today, the United States is the most powerful nation, as well as the richest economy in the world.

And according to Rev 18 it will burn in a single hour. This may refer to nuclear warfare. Rev 18 also states that the merchants of the world will mourn over her, because they were made rich through their commerce with her. Babylon, Rome, as well as the United States were melting pots of many ethnic groups. In fact, our federal government is based off of Rome's government which was the world's first democracy. Our Senate and House of Representatives are also modeled after Rome's equivalent. Even many of the buildings in Washington D.C. are of Greco-Roman architecture, including Capital Hill. The seal of the Caesars was the eagle with arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. And the motto of Rome was "E Pluribus Unum" meaning, out of the many one. Look on the back of your one dollar bill and you will see the same. I believe that only the United States meets the criteria to be the Rome of the end times. Like I stated before, Rev 17 and 18 depict both spiritual, as well as physical Babylon, and that is defined as wickedness.    

The Fall of Babylon the Great

Rev 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. ² And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! ³ For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ⁵ For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶ Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. ⁷ In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ⁸ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

⁹ “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰ standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
¹¹ “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: ¹² merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; ¹³ and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. ¹⁴ The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. ¹⁵ The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶ and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! ¹⁷ For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance ¹⁸ and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’
¹⁹ “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’
²⁰ “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹ Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. ²² The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. ²³ The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

  

 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Written by Julie)

My wife Julie wrote this!

My favorite parable from Jesus is The Parable of the Lost Sheep.  It is proof that Jesus loves us and does not want any of us to perish spiritually.  He is actively seeking out each and every one of us, and wants to welcome us into His fold.

There is more than one version of this parable, so I'll start with the one from Matthew:

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:10-14
 
As I am writing this, I am realizing there is so much to say on this topic, that it may be difficult to say all that is rattling around in my brain.  I pray I can convey all God is laying on my heart. 
 

 
First of all, Jesus already gave His life for us.  He shed His holy, sinless blood on the cross with the desire that we might live with Him forever. 
 
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16
 
Christ does not have to do anything else; it is up to us to choose to accept God's precious gift.  Yet, in spite of this fact, God still actively seeks each of us out and calls us to Him.  He will search for the one lost sheep that has wandered away.
 

 
I would next like to focus on what it means to be lost.  The bible makes it clear that we are all like sheep that have gone astray.   
 
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6

Or put it another way:
 
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23
 
Which means we are all in need of God's saving grace.  In another blog I will explore more on the topic that, although God is full of grace and mercy, there is a whole lot more to salvation than most churches preach.  For today, I will keep it more simple.
 
We all have sinned, but being a lost sheep does not just refer to those who have yet to receive Christ as their Savior.  For one thing, we all sin most every day (without losing our salvation), which means we confess our sins daily.  There are those, whoever, who have been saved and have backslidden.  Therefore, to me this parable is also about those who received Christ as Lord of their life, then later fell away.  In other words, one can become lost again, even after God found you.
 
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  Revelation 2:5
 
There is no shame in admitting that we have done wrong and allow God to change us from the inside out.  Sometime that requires a daily cleansing and always a daily self-examination of our hearts.
 
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.
Psalm 119:175-176

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 

 
Jesus loves us all very much and wants to rescue us from a life of sin.  He will never stop chasing us.  His Word shows He has compassion for us and longs to capture us forever.  He wants to teach us, guide us, direct us, encourage us.  He wants us to cling to the folds of His robes and learn at His feet (by daily reading the Bible).
 
And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:34
 
Once we have been rescued, we are to remain changed.  We are not to give into the temptations of the world.  Reading the words of Jesus will really encourage and guide you in your daily walk.  Obviously, there is nothing wrong with the Old Testament and I love and study the entire bible.  However, if you truly want to learn and grow and be worthy of being rescued, studying the gospels and really allowing Jesus' own words to sink deep into your heart and soul will transform you.  I can say from experience that really focusing on the words of Christ will make you calmer and feel more at peace with every day life.  It will make it easier to live a life set apart from the ways of the world.   
 
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  1 Peter 2:1-3 & 21-25
 

Jesus referred to Himself as "The Good Shepherd," and He is indeed good.  Life is often full of pain, sorrow, and frustration, but God's love never changes.  Jesus is the only way to Salvation and a life of peace. 

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.   “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.   “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”  John 10:7-18

Since I started with the Parable of the Lost Sheep from Matthew, I will end with the version of Luke: 

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.  Luke 15:1-7