Don’t mess with our G-d!

King David, before he was crowned king, was pursued by King Saul. Taking refuge in the town of Zif, King David was betrayed by the local people, who reported his whereabouts to King Saul, then sent spies to follow David’s trail, assisting King Saul in his attempt to capture King David. It was regarding this time that King David wrote Psalm 54 (or a psalm that we now know as Psalm 54), which begins:

O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves.
Selah

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.
—v.1-5

So here’s the thing. King David had found a place of security and relative peace in his flight from King Saul, who had already given up the pursuit. Then all of a sudden, King David is betrayed. It would be easy to despair. But King David looked to the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, asking to be vindicated by G-d’s Name. King David didn’t say that he was blameless or that he didn’t deserve what was happening. He simple placed himself in G-d’s hands. King David knew the L-rd as his L-rd. The G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, the G-d of Jacob, the G-d of David. Personalized.

Today, we can personally know the L-rd who is G-d, when we let go of our false sense of self, yielding to the Son of G-d, the Messiah, Lord Y’shua. Savior. We are vindicated by the G-d of Israel through Lord Y’shua. Those, like the betrayers of King David, who come against us “do not set G-d before themselves.” King David’s enemies, like our enemies of today, did not realize that their efforts were doomed from the start. Though it may appear that they might win, they lose. King David knew what we must know and understand, his enemies as our enemies have the evil turned back upon themselves.

If you have a sense that this is leading somewhere else, you are right. Check out who’s going to find herself in the angry hands of a Holy G-d: “Far too many women are denied access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth, and laws don’t count for much if they’re not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice—not just on paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed,” said Hilary Clinton at an address at the Women in the World Summit. Hilary Clinton is out to change the religious beliefs of Christians.

More to think about—an article in CharismaNews interprets Ms. Clinton’s comment, saying: “It used to be, you were considered compassionate, caring and humble to embrace the values of the Bible. Now you are the enemy … according to Secretary Clinton and President Obama. It is only going to get worse.”

Provoking Fear

As I’ve followed more closely current events and reporting over the last several months, I see three broad divisions in news reporting originating here in America. The first is what has become to be known as the mainstream media (MSM). These include corporately owned outlets such as CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, and the major newspapers and magazines that publish online, such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and my favorite, the Christian Science Monitor. While there are hundreds of television networks and print media, I’ve read that all are owned by only six corporations. Interesting, if true.

Generally, all media in this division report the news in a journalistic fashion, using a variety of sources, are written in a news-reporting style, and, unless in an opinion column, leave out opinions except where quoted by a source. Can these news outlets slant the news? Of course. How a report is put together, the various sources and what they say, and IF an event is even reported, all work toward a particular self-interest.

The second group are not outwardly owned by corporate media, are relatively well written and well reported, yet occasionally contain some reporter opinion within the main articles. An example would be Breitbart. These sites offer their own take on the news that is reported in the mainstream, as well as adding news that isn’t generally covered, or is covered in a limited way.

Then there are the individuals and small teams that say they report the news that the mainstream media isn’t telling us. They know something that the mainstream either doesn’t know, isn’t paying attention to, or doesn’t want you to know. At least that’s what they’ll tell us. This group is collectively referred to as “conspiracy theorists.” Yet while they aren’t corporately owned, many are heavily sponsored by one company. My favorite in this category is Steve Quayle. Most of the articles are links to other, similar, news sources. Of those written by Mr. Quayle, I read that he’s a Christian, believes that satin with come to Earth through a stargate, and will do so very soon, perhaps in September during the final blood moon. Many in the category of news quote each other. Mr. Quayle becomes an expert that is quoted by the All News Pipeline, for instance.

These news outlets have in common a lack of journalistic style, poor grammar, dubious sources or un-named sources, and after an article or two, leave me wanting to run, not walk, for the hills in abject fear of any of a hundred very horrible things that are about to happen, and happen especially to me. Often, we are called “shepple,” and ridiculed for not believing in what they write, by believing the mainstream media, whom they say are liars. We all, we are told, are being lied to by government officials. One of these websites that foretells of the fall of money, that the banks will soon close their doors along with our access to what we though was our money, will sell us silver and gold. Mostly they give away fear.

The thing about these sites, another common bond, is that there is a thread of truth to their writing. Take the simple fact that our own government is spying on us, has set up fake cell phone towers to listen in on our phone conversations and read our texts, and does have a very large database that tracks us. This we know, if we are any bit an American citizen, is completely against our rights under the Constitution. From this simple fact of spying conducted against Americans by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), these blogger newsies tell us our names are compiled into a “red list.” They say this list that will be used this summer to raid our homes and drag us all off to concentration camps. They say there are thousands of “disposable coffins” stashed for ready use. Wait, disposable coffins? Does that mean there are also reusable coffins?

But wait, there’s more. To continue the Orwellian nightmare, the military exercise this summer know as Jade Helm 15, has train cars with shackles in the floors traveling to the southern states, foreign troops being smuggled into America through our southern border, and lots of stuff is being stored in closed-down Walmarts in several states. There are even tunnels beneath most Walmarts we are told, that lead to airports and connect other Walmarts and military bases. All of this so troops can freely move about. (Back in the day I used to shop at the Post Exchange, but maybe Walmart is under contract.) And the reason for the military exercise coming up? Well, if we wouldn’t bury our heads in the sand, if we’d wake up, these newsies tell us, then we’d know that the military is practicing for martial law and confiscation of our guns. Well, confiscating guns somebody’s, that is. Can’t get guns from homes where there are none.

NOTE TO NSA, or to whomever: See, I’ve just been doing some research. Really. Please take my name of the Main Core watch list now. Thanks in advance. Yours Truly, Wil Robinson.

Seriously, though. There are things happening that aren’t explainable. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are earthquakes and Tsunamis. Fish are dying in the Pacific Ocean, chickens and turkeys in several northern states of America. There are riots and there is lawlessness in the land. And don’t forget the desertification of my home state of California, the once-great Republic of California that we so affectionally called the ROC. And what about the spiritual forces, dark forces, that are moving gullible men and women to commit acts, or support them, that are abominable in the eyes of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. Certainly we are on the eve of destruction, and the Second Coming is, well, coming.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

—Second Coming, by William Butler Yeats

For some interesting notes and links to “end time” fulfillment of Biblical prophesy see Running from Babylon.

Let us pray that we not fall prey to fear, that we look to the Lord and to His Word, which is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. The lamp that shows us where we are, where we stand; the light thats illuminates the path upon which we are to journey.

Let us pray we look not to the hills to rescue us, but the Lord of Heaven, the Creator, the Father of our Lord Y’shuaJesus.

Let us pray we have the strength and wisdom to act in accordance with the will of our Lord Y’shuaJesus. We are not to simple stand by, watching and waiting, but we are called to some action, or will be soon.

Let us be prudent and store up that which is appropriate against the day in which there will be nothing left in stores, or that we are not allowed to buy (see Revelation 13.)

May G-d have mercy upon us in these troubled times.

The Staff of G-d, the Sword of Joshua

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’s hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

—Exodus 17:8-13

It makes sense that Moses should stand upon a hill, above the battle, with upheld arms. The symbolism seems clear. Moses raising his arms, yielding to the will of G-d, his own strength wanes. Aaron and Hur support Moses, allowing him to continue to hold high the staff of G-d. The staff symbolizes authority. It is upon G-d’s authority that Moses sends Josua and the people of G-d into battle. Somewhere I read that the names Aaron and Hur meant Praise and Word. This, too, makes sense. For holding up the arms of Moses, supporting the waning strength is:

Praise of G-d
Word of G-d

But let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that all it takes to gain victory over an enemy is to stand upon the authority of G-d, holding up the Word of G-d as our justification, lifting our hands, our arms in praise. For there, below Moses, boots hit the ground, weapons found their mark. The people of G-d fought for liberty from their enemy, an enemy that would enslave them.

And some 3,000 years later—two-hundred and forty years ago—farmers on what is now American soil stood together against another form of enslavement: British imperial tyranny. They stood together for Liberty. They stood together for Justice. And so it began in Lexington, not far from Boston, that well-trained British soldiers were ordered to move against the colonial people, against farmers and craftsmen. They were ordered to subdue men and women, untrained in the art of war. But the colonist stood bravely against the “red coats.’ Ordered to give up their arms, they refused. Shots were fired. Shooting continued into their backs as they ran. Men died, including their commander. This was the battle, really a massacre, of Lexington. But. . .

. . .came Concord. On April 19th, 1775, things would be different. It began a mile out of Concord, at Meriam’s Corner, as the red coats crossed a bridge, still exuberant from their victory and sacking of Lexington. They marched toward Boston. They met more untrained farmers and craftsmen. But this time, the red coats faced a different tactic, one we call guerrilla warfare.

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Even now, the significance of Lexington and Concord awakens a response in Americans that goes far beyond the details of the day or the identity of the foe. An unmilitary people, at first overrun by trained might, had eventually risen in their wrath and won a hard but splendid triumph.” —Author Willard Wallace

Who will we turn to in times of trouble?

The world as we know it is about to end. We face devistating geological upheavals, increasing in number and scope. The Pacific Ocean is becoming radioactive, fish are dying. Chickens and turkeys are being killed, millions so far, as they are diagnosed with avian flu. We face and imminent monetary collapse, and not just in Greece. Riots rattle America. Racial tension is at an all-time high, like a pot about to boil over. A spirit of control pervades the world, as liberty is sent packing for a long, lonely holiday. We face tyrannical individuals that have allied themselves against the people of G-d. Islamic terror spreads its ugliness, its lawlessness throughout the world. We face deception from within our own ranks, within the Church. And in these times of trouble, to whom shall we turn? We must remember—we must not forget—how David responded:

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
In your faithfulness put an end to them.
— Psalm 54:4

Matthew Henry commented that “If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God’s threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David’s present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God’s promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the redeemed.”

Be like a green olive tree

But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
—Psalm 52:8,9

“David contrasts Do’eg’s arrogance and self-reliance with his (David’s) faith in God, which guarantees his safety and protection (verse 10). While the wicked will ultimately wilt and wither, the righteous, who place their trust in the Almighty, will be like a “fresh olive tree”; they will be saved from the schemes of their adversaries and will enjoy a long life of success, blessing and prosperity.” — From Daily Tehillim, Perech Summary

I will awake the dawn!

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me.
—Psalm 108.1-6

We must learn how to praise God from David’s example:
1. With fixed heart.
2. With freeness of expression.
3. With affection– lively, but not carelessly.
4. Publically.
5. With magnification of God’s mercy and truth
—Matthew Henry

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah — Psalm 46:1-3

“Don’t use that tone of voice with me, mister!”

The other day my wife brought in a “newsletter” from the homeowners’ association. It began with a paragraph on how it’s spring and time to start making the properties look nice. It went on to say that several new people had moved in since the last newsletter. The remainder of the “newsletter” talked about fines people can expect and legal action if things aren’t done like the board members–elected by the homeowners–want things done. I guess the idea of mentioning the new folks was to let them know just exactly what they have gotten themselves into when they moved into the neighborhood.

It’s just not a friendly newsletter. It didn’t welcome the new folks to the neighborhood. It didn’t tell me anything that was “newsy” at all. It just lambasted us all in advance. It concluded saying that the board would be coming around on a walk through to inspect. That’s only one of the reasons I don’t care for this property!

When I was a kid, I might not have been the perfect gentleman that I, of course, now am. I may have once or twice spoken rudely my folks. I can remember hearing, “Don’t use that tone of voice with me, mister!” It’s all about how we talk to people that can make me a friend or an instant enemy. It’s about tone of voice. The board member who wrote the “newsletter” doesn’t understand Biblical principles.

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. . . [1 Timothy 5:1]

It’s about Respect, which is due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. Matthew Henry comments “Respect must be paid to the dignity of years and place. The younger, if faulty, must be rebuked, not as desirous to find fault with them, but as willing to make the best of them. There is need of much meekness and care in reproving those who deserve reproof.” I disagree with Mr. Henry. I don’t see in Paul’s message that the young are to be rebuked, but despite that Mr. Henry cautions that it isn’t about finding fault, but helping make them better. Paul suggests we are to speak to others as if they were our fathers, brothers, sisters. Mr. Henry speaks to the need of much meekness and care in our speech.

Many years ago, a traffic police officer in Ontario, California, Officer Orr, had been on the job for nearly thirty years. In all that time, he had never written a traffic violation, yet when people saw him they sat up straight and checked their speed. Were these drivers afraid of Officer Orr’s rage should they be stopped? No. Quite the contrary, he spoke with each person gently, explaining why it was important for them to follow the traffic laws. He went into great, graphic, detail on the results of accidents in which he and others had encountered, and described the injuries. It took quite a while for Officer Orr to quietly explain the facts to these could-be accident victims. Quite a while. A quiet word does wonders.

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly. (Proverbs 15.1,2)

The point of our righteous and pure speech is to show that we respect the person to whom we are speaking. The feeling I get from too many things I read, hear these days is that the person looks at me with distain. This disdain may be construed as judging. Paul wrote to the Romans (2.3-5): “But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. . .”

My mother often said, “Chickens come home to roost.” She meant that how I treat someone will come back to me someday. If I treat you with respect, then I will earn respect. If I treat you with disdain, I will earn disdain–not only from you, but one day from others, too.

We do well to acknowledge our sins, our errors, and confess them to our Lord in prayer. Our repentance puts us on the righteous path with our Lord.

Pastor Profile: Pastor Peter Kasibante of Uganda

Some background on Uganda (Source: Wikipedea): Beginning in the late 1800s, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the British, who established administrative law across the territory. Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by intermittent conflicts, most recently a lengthy civil war against the Lord’s Resistance Army, which has caused tens of thousands of casualties and displaced more than a million people.

The official languages are Swahili and English. Luganda, a central language, is widely spoken across the country, and multiple other languages are also spoken including Runyoro, Runyankole Rukiga, Langi and many others. The current President of Uganda is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who came to power in a coup in 1986.

Uganda’s economy generates income from annual exports that include coffee ($466.6 million), tea ($72.1 million), fish ($136.2 million), and other products.^[61] The country has commenced economic reforms and growth has been robust. In 2008, Uganda recorded 7% growth despite the global downturn and regional instability.^[62] Uganda’s struggle to achieve their economic status was primarily due to decades of wars and corruption resulting in the nation being considered one of the poorest countries in the world.

Pastor Peter Kasibante founded Christian Abundant Life Ministries in Wobulenzi, 48km children north of Kampala City in 2002. In his first service he was alone but now, praise be to God, they are many. Their vision is: To build the church of at least 500 people; To build an orphanage home of at least 100 orphans whose parents died AIDS\HIV and internal political wars; to build a Bible school (offering certificates and diplomas) church greeting and to build a primary school. They have already begun an Infant school. He requests prayer for the needs of the poor children in their area and the vision God has given them.
Postal Address: Christian Abundant Life Ministries P.O.Box 166 Wobulenzi, UGANDA. East Africa

(Source: Pastor Peter Kasibante and Renewal Ministries Fellowship)

Of Scraps and Remnants

Making notes–on scraps of paper, in the margins of my Bible–is something I’ve been doing for years. I do this even while keeping notebooks of my studies. Most of the time I take from what’s written on these note scraps and rewrite them into the notebook I’m working on at the time. Several months ago when I got to the last page of what was then my current notebook, I had a pile of scraps left over. I gathered up the pile and simply pasted them between pages where they seemed to fit– like a patchwork quilt.

Now these notebooks serve as pre-writing and facilitate thinking before any writing I do, such as postings to JonahzSong. For a couple of months I’ve been having trouble starting a new notebook. In the morning, sitting in the kitchen, bowl of oatmeal and cup of tea, open Bible, an a new notebook, I’d read some passage and get an idea, and then jot it down on a piece of paper. I want to continue the thought before starting the notebook, I tell myself. Day after day I seemed to do the same thing, without continuing the previous days work. I’ve not been able to put together anything resembling coherent notes, nothing to write in the new notebook, and certainly nothing to write for JonahzSong.

It’s a matter of getting started. It’s the “blank-page syndrome.” Once a page gets started, it’s much easier to continue writing; once something’s down on the page, it can be rewritten. It’s a matter of just getting started. So. . .

Along with my studies, and the normal work that occupies much of my daily life, I’ve followed various blogs that try to interpret current events in light of the Bible, especially prophesy in the Bible. A common thread among these websites is that we live in the Last Days, and that current events follow along the lines of Lord Y’shuaJesus’s response to: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Rev. 24:3) Y’shuaJesus replies to one part of the question only:

See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
(Rev. 24:4-14)

The first thing out of the mouth of the Lord involves people that lead us astray. The Lord says many will come in His Name, proclaiming to be The Savior. They are going to have the ability to lead people away from the Truth, and into another truth, that isn’t truth at all, but a lie. These false prophets, false messiahs, will make some sort of sense by twisting the scriptures, often using one scripture while ignoring others. They will gather support from both nominal believers, as well as non-believers. They’ll be charismatic. Look at Charles Manson and Jim Jones, just to name two. And while we may think that it is only religious leaders that we need to beware of, look at Adolph Hitler’s rise to power 1930s Germany. He used both political and religious deception to stir up the German people’s unquestioning adoration, which encouraged their support and contribution. Look at the evil Hitler and his followers did to the world.

This year we face grave threats to our practice of true faith, a faith based upon our relationship with G-d through Lord Y’shuaJesus. These threats begin as attractive lures, such as finding purpose in our lives. There is also a desire for revival and we fall err to such experiential stimulation as began in Toronto and shifted to Florida. From the political arena, great strides are being made at influencing our faith. We are inundated with reasons why our traditional faith is no longer valid. And some of our denominations are buying it. Pastors and church leaders are influenced by the wishes of their congregations. To this Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, posted recently on his Facebook page: “God’s Word doesn’t need a majority vote. God’s Word is true regardless of the winds of moral change, and we must stand up for biblical truth in the midst of a depraved society.”

Yet what happens to Christians in these what may be the Last Days? A baker is not only driven out of business, but given a court-issued order to pay a large sum of money for refusing to make a wedding cake for homosexuals, which the baker considered inappropriate based upon her Biblically practiced faith. This faith, her practice of this faith, is protected under the rights accorded all people by G-d, and specifically protected in America by the American Constitution. The court has seen fit to toss out the Constitution to uphold a civil complaint based upon no right at all. In another state a florist refused to provide wedding flowers to a homosexual couple. She is under attack from the court also. There is evidence that these situations are to be repeated throughout America in support of a larger agenda by individuals that are taking a stand against Christian’s rights to practice their faith. Outspoken individuals are saying that Christians have no right to own business if they feel they need to practice their religion in them. It seems it’s okay to have faith inside one’s home, but not in public. Sounds like Germany in the 1930’s, which led to Jews not only losing their businesses, but their homes as well. And you can say that these are just a few cases and it won’t happen here, now.

There’s a strategic approach to the take over of America, and is summed up as the approach of the Fabians. Here’s something from one of my note scrapes: “The Fabian Society is a very old group originating in England in 1884, with the purpose of forming a single, global socialist state. They get their name from the Roman general Fabius, who used carefully planned strategies to slowly wear down his enemies over a long period of time to obtain victory. “Fabian Socialism” uses incremental change over a long period of time to slowly transform a state as opposed to using violent revolution for change. It is essentially socialism by stealth. Their original emblem was a shield with a wolf in sheep’s clothing holding a flag with the letters F.S. Today the international symbol of the Fabian Society is a turtle, with the motto below: “When I strike, I strike hard.” — The Fabian Society, The Weather Eye

Lone Cross atop a mountain in east central California, hope of a sunny day breaking through. — Lone Cross atop a mountain in east central California, a sunny day breaks through. (Wil Robinson, 1977)

Why is this all happening? If you haven’t figured it out yet, we who would attempt in any small way to follow in footsteps of Lord Y’shuaJesus, are going to find out that his footsteps lead not to prosperity of the material sort. We are not living and working and striving throughout our lives to retire to a nice cottage on a hill overlooking a tranquil valley covered with green grass and flowers. We are being led along a road that leads to trials and tribulations and eventually if we endure we will be granted a lovely death with Messiah on Calvary, or beheaded in the name of someone’s false god. Guess we missed that part when the alter call was made for all the hurting, lonely, empty people to come forward and accept the peace of the Savior of the world, Jesus! Well, there’s nothing to do now but suck it up. I like the way Thomas put it when the Lord’s other disciples were saying that it wasn’t safe to go to Jerusalem. Thomas said:

Let us also go, that we may die with him.
(John 11:16)

Seriously. What’s next. The hand writing is on the wall. We’ve been given various signs. We make a choice. We either offend people by our choice to be Christians First, or we offend Lord Y’shuaJesus, and be spit from His mouth for being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. It begins with keeping our eyes toward heaven, toward the One seated upon the Throne, toward G-d through Lord Y’shuaJesus. Sure, we continue to pray from our family, our friends, our neighbors, our communities, our nation. We continue to pray and hope for revival in this land. Who knows, G-d may find more than ten in our modern-day Sodoms and relent, withholding his fury. It is our’s to continue in His Word as we walk in His steps. We must remember the courage of those who stood fast in the face of persecution. We must hold fast to the teachings of the Bible, putting away from us all that opposes it. And when all is said and done, we will endure. And in our enduring “to the end [we] will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Rev. 24:14) Hallelujah!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .