ELECTION 2016: The Christian’s Dilemma

Tags

"Never Trump", America, Christianity, conscience, future, Hillary, Trump

October 20, 2016 Posted by Dutch Sheets Ministries – No Comments

Dear Fellow Believers,

As you can tell from my greeting, I am writing primarily to you, the American church. I am doing so personally, not representing Dutch Sheets Ministries. Though this is longer than the blogs I normally send, please read it as an urgent, heartfelt appeal. The sense of urgency I feel is hard to put in words. I have prayed and wept much over the condition of our nation, and continue to be deeply burdened. We are so close to the precipice of a complete self-destruction—a devastation of such magnitude that it would take decades to recover. Some believe a complete recovery would never be possible. The America we have known and loved is being systematically dismantled and reshaped.

Voting is a precious right and a serious responsibility; I realize it is also a very personal and private one. We do it by secret ballot in America for a reason. I don’t want to be another voice of manipulation—there are so many in presidential election campaigns—therefore, it is with the utmost caution and conviction that I do this.

I also want to state upfront that I am neither a registered Republican nor Democrat. Years ago, I concluded that if my “calls to prayer” were to be trusted by believers across the board, I would have to issue them as an independent voter. With this in mind, I relinquished my party affiliation, along with the rights to vote in primaries, help shape party platforms, possibly become a delegate, etc. and became an Independent. Since then, like many of you I have become fed-up with both parties—disillusioned with the Republicans, offended and appalled by the Democrats. I say this to assure you that I am not making this appeal in order to stump for “my party’s candidate.”

Finally, I want to also preface my appeal by saying I have not been a huge Trump fan. Had I been allowed to vote in the primaries, he would not have been my first choice. His seeming arrogance, insults, history of philandering, personal ambition, etc. were very disconcerting to me. I kept an open mind, however, knowing God uses imperfect people and that He is very merciful—I don’t condone sin, but neither do I cast the first stone—and knowing that people do, indeed, change. I was also challenged to remain open-minded about Trump by the fact that several spiritual leaders I trusted were convinced God wanted to use him to overthrow an ineffective and corrupt system. Over time, I came to agree with them. However, for me, this election is not nearly as much about who I am for, as it is who and what I am against; and frankly, even with my initial concerns, the decision has never been easier.

One of the most devastating occurrences in America in our lifetimes, ranking up with The Supreme Court’s decisions of Roe vs. Wade and Engel vs. Vitale (the removal of prayer from schools), was the election of Barack Obama. I gave a strong warning about what would happen to our nation if he was elected. Sadly, it has all come to pass: a continued liberalization and empowerment of the judicial system in America; a weakened economy (our national debt has doubled in 7 years to $19 TRILLION!); further moral deterioration, along with a rebellion to and mockery of God (does anyone remember the White House lit up in the colors of the LGBT movement after marriage was re-defined by the Supreme Court? If that wasn’t an “in your face” to God and those of us who “cling to their God, guns and religion” by the man who mockingly said it, I don’t know what could ever be!); increased violence; a weakened position in the world, along with a weakened military; the advance of radical Islamist terrorism; a setback in race relations; and more. I rejoice that our nation has been able to elect our first black president. I am deeply saddened, however, that it was Barack Obama.

The damage has been so great that America is now one president away from a complete transformation to secularism, a loss of our Judeo-Christian foundation, the loss of our position as the stabilizing force for good in the earth, and the leading voice of the gospel to all the world. If elected, Hillary Clinton will be the president who finishes the job. She stands almost entirely against everything we, the church, are for, and for everything we are against. Hillary is pro-abortion, including partial-birth abortion, the most insidious evil of the last century; will raise taxes while continuing out-of-control spending; will further weaken our military; is for completely open borders; is pro-gay marriage; supports Obamacare; has no respect for our Judeo-Christian heritage; sells influence; and is a proven liar. Do not be fooled—she will completely finish what Obama started.

The notion peddled by some “Never Trump” Republicans that they can keep Hillary from accomplishing what she wants for 4 years, then replace her with someone they prefer, is laughable. The fact that they should know this, and don’t, is truly scary. Even more frightening is…perhaps they do. The Republican Congress has done nothing to stop Obama; why should we believe they will do so with Hillary? When they threaten to curb Obama with “the power of the purse,” he simply calls their bluff and either bullies them into giving him what he wants, or simply does as he pleases through unconstitutional executive orders. A Republican controlled Congress has done nothing to defund Obamacare, slow down the TRILLIONS of dollars of debt he has accrued, prevent his treasonous acts with Iran, defund Planned Parenthood and their selling of babies’ body parts (can you even believe such a thing even exists, and that the Obama’s and Hillary condone it?!), or stop any number of other inappropriate actions and wasteful expenditures. Much of Washington, DC is an out-of-control cancer that must be cut out.

To be sure, there are Republican leaders who desperately want to change things but the entrenched, lobbyist-owned, career politicians–many of them liberals in conservative clothing–have neither the will, backbone, and perhaps not the intellect needed to change it. Radical surgery is necessary. Again, it is laughable to think that the leadership of this weak and diluted Republican Congress would be able or willing to stop the agenda of the libs once they enjoy an even greater momentum from another White House win. Someone please tell me why we should believe that. If the Republican Party has not sold us out, why did they spend $18.2 million on Bush’s election in 2004, $53.5 million for McCain in 2008, $42.4 million for Romney in 2012, and $0 on ads to elect Trump?! They have sold us out.

It is also ridiculous, and perhaps insincere, for the “Never Trump” Republican leaders to suggest “we would only need to reverse 4-8 years of damage if Hillary is elected, which in the long run isn’t much.” Again, these leaders are either lying or horribly deceived. The damage presently occurring to our nation is—in the sense of time—exponential. Every year of damage means closer to 10 years in it’s longevity.

• How long will it take America to reverse another $4-8 trillion of increased debt? Decades!
• How long will it take us to recover from the decimating of our military? Decades!
• How long will it take to defeat a now entrenched Obama/Clinton-enabled ISIS? Decades! (And honest military and intelligence leaders admit that we now have many radical Islamist terrorists here in the US, not just abroad.)
• How long will it take to undo the loss of appropriate fear, which our enemies, and the enemies of freedom around the world, once had toward us? Decades! (Our enemies now laugh at us, while attacking us with our own weapons, or weapons purchased with millions in ransom money we paid them. While Putin rebuilds the Soviet empire and China makes plans to rule the world, we are disarming. We can’t even identify our enemies. Obama and those around him are foolish and spineless, and our military leaders know it. We are the laughingstock of our enemies. Hillary helped to set this debacle of foreign policy, and she will continue it.)
• How long will it take to recover from 2–5 Clinton lifetime appointees to the Supreme Court? Decades! If she appoints five, which is feasible, she will have single-handedly appointed over half of the Supreme Court, and will have given the liberal, non-constitutionalists a 30-40 year, 7–2 majority advantage! (There is one vacancy now, and of the other 8 Justices, the three oldest are 77, 79 and 83; two more are in their late 60’s.) Then there are the several hundred lifetime Federal Judges she would appoint. Obama has already appointed nearly half of our Federal Judges—all liberals—and Hillary would appoint the other half. This entire scenario is unthinkable! If all this occurs, these overreaching, legislating ideologues will finish the job of decimating everything you and I stand for. America as we have known it may then be gone forever. We have less than three weeks to stop this.

Do not listen to the “only four years” crowd!

I also want to make an appeal to those who say their conscience won’t allow them to vote for either Trump or Clinton, so they simply won’t vote at all. I sincerely respect your convictions, but in this election, that argument fails the logic test (as does voting for someone who cannot possibly win). Trump’s potential negative developments do not come close to the magnitude of those Hillary would produce. We simply cannot—regardless of our concerns regarding Trump—allow all the above-mentioned consequences to happen. I respectfully appeal to you to turn your “conscience” and “principles” toward the unborn, your children, grandchildren, and the destiny of this nation. Please! (emphasis blog owner) We have already been down this “not voting” path once before when millions of evangelicals refused to vote for Romney because he was a Mormon. As disgusted as I am with Romney’s current choice of Hillary over Trump, how much better off would we have been with him, rather than 4 more years of Obama?

To see how Trump would actually lead, I would challenge you to look at those with whom he has surrounded himself: Pence; Carson; Huckabee; Giuliani; Christie; Gingrich; Palin; trusted generals; law enforcement officials; border patrol officials; evangelical leaders of all races; and otherwise, ethical, conservative leaders. What does this tell us? It is probably the greatest indicator of who Trump now is, clearly making the case that he has changed his moral ways over the past 10 years, as he claims. I personally believe he has changed. I also believe God has gripped his heart for the nation, and is in the process of further transforming Mr. Trump. God has certainly allowed him to be humbled. Of course, the statements made by Trump on the video released from 2005 were despicable. However, if we reject him because of the sins of his past, we would also have to reject Abraham, King David, Rahab, “the woman at the well”, Mary Magdeline—all adulterers in their unrighteous past. And don’t forget murderers like the Apostle Paul. A lot of formerly despicable people will be in heaven! And a lot of them, by the way, became great leaders and champions for God. Some changed the world.

These associations also tell us that Trump’s stated conservative bent is genuine, and they state that he is wise enough to know what he doesn’t know! I believe Trump is showing us that he will function, if elected president, as any wise businessperson does: find qualified people who know how to get the job done, as in the above examples, and empower them to do it. I like those whom he is signaling to us would be those leaders. They are proven, trustworthy and honorable. If you cannot vote for Trump, vote for them.

Hillary, on the other hand, would give us 4–8 more years of polytheists, liberal progressives, media elites, police-haters, global statists, financially irresponsible leaders and a weak military.

Perhaps a better way for the disenchanted to approach this election is to vote AGAINST someone. I would suggest to you that voting against a candidate is a good reason to vote! “Neutrality” is not a valid option at this critical crossroads in history. The times demand that we make a stand! If not for, make your stand against:

• Vote against the foolish, selfish, shortsighted, establishment Republicans fighting to maintain their power.
• Vote against an immoral, ungodly Democratic Party. (To those who take issue with this characterization, don’t forget that they booed God at their convention in 2012.)
• Vote against an unelected, unaccountable, overreaching, out of control Judiciary that believes it has the right to reshape America.
• Vote against the unethical, biased, lying and untrustworthy media. (We will never reclaim America until we reject their influence. They may be the single greatest obstacle to America’s recovery.)
• Vote against a weakened military.
• Vote against a loss of national sovereignty and a one-world government.
• Vote against open borders.
• Vote against policies that enable radical Islamist terrorism.
• Vote against the removing of our 2nd Amendment rights.
• Vote against higher taxes.
• Vote against Obamacare.
• Vote against the redefining of marriage. (It is not too late to reverse this.)
• Vote against abortion-on-demand, partial-birth abortion, and Planned Parenthood with its selling of babies’ body parts.
• Vote against liberalism and progressivism.
• Vote against the silencing of the church. (Only the totally naïve do not see this coming quickly.)
• Vote against revising our history and the loss of our Judeo-Christian heritage.
• Vote against the politicization and exploitation of racism, and the polarizing of America.
• Vote against the slandering and weakening of law-enforcement.
• Vote against the politicization of the Justice Department, the FBI and other important departments of government. (Both departments are now undeniably and shamelessly used for political purposes and to oppose Christians and conservatives.)

Pastors, if you’ve ever made a stand, make one now—it may be your last chance. Tell your people the truth…clearly. Pray and fast! Turn your services into prayer meetings.

To all believers, if you agree with what I have written, forward it to all of your friends and family members. Most of them hear only from a hypocritical, lying media, which is now the propaganda arm of the liberal agenda. Speak up. Appeal to them to read this and think about it.

And vote!

Vote for a future, one that includes what you love and believe in. Trump has flaws, but Hillary will be fatal.

Sincerely,

Dutch Sheets

Treasury Direct. “Historical Debt Outstanding – Annual 2000-2015.” Last updated June 8, 2016. https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
Wolfgang, Ben. “Clinton admitted she’s for ‘open borders’ in paid, private speech: WikiLeaks.” The Washington Times. October 8, 2016. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/8/hillary-clinton-dreams-open-borders-leaked-speech-/
Vogel, Kenneth P. and Isenstadt, Alex. “RNC TV ad spending for Trump: $0.” Politico. October 13, 2016. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/rnc-donald-trump-ad-spending-229711
Murashko, Alex. “DNC: Christian leaders comment on night ‘Dems booed God.” The Christian Post. September 7, 2012. http://www.christianpost.com/news/dnc-christian-leaders-comment-on-night-dems-booed-god-81234/

Just a few random thoughts about God

Tags

calling, character, comfort, family, lost causes, love, Love of God, relentless pursuit, unconditional love

1. How freeing it is to apprehend that God uses every circumstance (even though He does not cause them all) in our life to develop both our character and our calling (purpose!)

2. God is all about family. He is the good, good Father, and we (every human being) are fully and unconditionally loved by Him. (thank you Chris Tomlin) That’s it! Our purpose as human beings is so simple … yet we mess it up all the time. Our individual calling (purpose) is simply to receive the boundless love of God, then share it with each & every person we encounter. Simple!

3. Since God is all about family, He sees no rejects, no losers, no lost causes. Since the beginning of time, He has desired a family. His desire is for ALL to join His family to share His goodness and His love, and since the beginning or your life and mine, He has been working to bring us into His family for the purpose of loving us. That’s it! No rules. No obligations. Only love! But … such unconditional love is so foreign it frightens most of us. Why?

4. Perhaps the most difficult concept to understand @ God is that He is much more concerned with our character than our comfort. He works continuously to craft each of us into unique billboards that radiate His love, so all may come into His family. It is God’s love that comforts us,  corrects us, compels us & challenges us to share the love we so richly & abundantly receive. God is forever motivated by love, and so, too, we, as God’s sons and daughters are compelled to  act out God’s love in our own lives.

5.”What if you rejected everything about God that wasn’t God and accepted Him for who He is — God for you?”  This is from a powerful little book entitled, IF, by Mark Batterson
How much of what we attribute to God ought to actually be attributed to the words, attitudes, or deeds of certain believers? The single most radical concept of God is that He chooses in every case to love each person, AND He  continuously moves heaven and earth to draw each one into His forever family. Unfortunately, none of us get it right … even most of the time,but He never stops drawing us. e never stops teaching us. He never stops lov

Why not ask Him about it?

🎶 Good Good Father 🎶

Why does it hurt, Lord? part 1

Tags

"The Problem of Pain", “Love Letter”, Christianity, church, goodness, hurt, LONELINESS, Love of God, pain, reality, sickness, trials, tribultions

Why does it hurt, Lord?

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains:
it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

I had an interview a couple weeks ago, and the interviewer told me he was a Christian. We talked a bit, and he said his 6 yr old grandson had just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He was struggling with this. He said the child asked him why God was mad at him. He was actually asking my opinion.

So, I carefully asked a few foundational questions concerning the Nature of GOD:

1. Is GOD sovereign?
2. Does GOD love each of us equally?

If GOD is Sovereign …

The concept of GOD’s sovereignty rests on His nature as Creator. If He designed and created all things, then He ought to have “sovereign” control in the design and functionality of all He created. Isn’t that the “fair” thing? Whatever we create, we expect to “control,” yes?

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ~ Jeremiah 18: 5-6

If GOD is sovereign, He can rightfully do with each of us as He pleases. It is really that simple. So then, the companion question revolves around the perfect Love of GOD.

Does GOD love each of us equally?

Romans 5: 6-8
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4: 9-10
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There are many more parts of the Bible that talk about, define, and express the boundless unconditional Love of God freely given to you and me. In fact, honestly the entire Bible is one giant “Love Letter” explaining how deep, how wide, how high, and how limitless GOD’S LOVE is for us. He created us for His pleasure, to have an open friendship with Him. To apprehend that the Creator of the Universe desires an intimate friendship with us, with each of us, as David says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Ps 139:6)

“The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word “love”, and look on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake. “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the divine love may rest “well pleased”.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis, takes a deeper look at the difficulty so many Believers, and the Church at large, have with the reality of PAIN. Sometime in the last century, the Western Church adopted a wrong mentality in the belief that becoming a Christian meant suddenly that all pain and difficulty would be removed from our lives. To accept that belief is to deny reality AND the ability of GOD to walk us through pain.

In fact,Jesus promises us pain … tribulation, affliction, difficulty – whatever word fits your situation or mine.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16: 33

Why would Jesus bother to say this if He planned to remove all our pain?

Pain is a part of the human condition, and it is here to stay. Going back to the statement the interviewer’s grandson made, the fact that this child has diabetes is not an indication of GOD’s wrath or disapproval. Nor is it a curse, a punishment, or just for fun.

I don’t pretend to understand why beautiful, loving people are stricken with cancer or helpless children become victims of abuse. This much I do know: GOD loves endlessly, so I have to trust that GOD, in His sovereignty, has a GOOD purpose even in those events or situations that seem irredeemable because GOD is good and He cannot move against his nature.

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

James 1 starts with this admonition:

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James tells us that our “trials” have divine purpose, and that purpose involves growing something in us of Christ, that we “lack nothing!” So we’re encouraged to “count is all JOY!” Elsewhere, we’re told to “In everything, give thanks!”

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 136: 1-2

It’s all a matter of perspective.

We can choose to sit around and bemoan the imperfections of our life, the apparent areas of lack, the unanswered prayers, or

We can do as the Psalmist does in this Psalm, and rehearse the GOODNESS of GOD, and give thanks for GOD’s faithfulness to us, especially in the dark places.

Seeking perfection in this life will only bring us disappointment and despair, while rehearsing GOD’s GOODNESS will enable us to savor richness of this life.

The facts remain. GOD will never leave you no matter what happens. His love for you and I doesn’t hinge on our behavior, our attitude, or our faith! GOD chooses to love us … each of us. He gave us hundreds of promises and He is not able to lie because He IS Truth. He is not able to break His promises because His name is “Faithful and True!”

“There is no security is what God is doing. There is only security is who God is!” ~ Graham Cooke”
Graham Cooke

Related: 12 Things To Thank God For In The Midst Of Affliction

Confirmed: U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution

Tags

Africa, American Church, call to prayer, Christian Persecution, Christianity, church, conviction, devotion, islam, Jihad, martyrs, middle-east, suffering, Syria, torture

Will YOU pray?

Confirmed:
U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution
Special Bulletin

By Raymond Ibrahim

Prominent indicators confirm that the U.S. is the chief facilitator of the persecution of Christians around the world today.

According to the recently released 2014 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, Syria is the third worst nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq is fourth, Afghanistan fifth, and Libya 13th. All four countries receive the strongest designation, “extreme persecution” (other designations are “severe,” “moderate,” and “sparse” persecution).

Aside from being so closely and harshly ranked, these four nations have something else in common: heavy U.S. involvement. Three-Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya-were “liberated” thanks to U.S. forces, while in the fourth, Syria, the U.S. is actively sponsoring “freedom fighters” against the regime, many of whom would be better labeled “terrorists.”

The Syrian situation alone indicts U.S. foreign policy. According to Reuters:

“Open Doors, a non-denominational group supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, said on Wednesday it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. There were 1,213 such deaths in Syria alone last year, it said. “This is a very minimal count based on what has been reported in the media and we can confirm,” said Frans Veerman, head of research for Open Doors. Estimates by other Christian groups put the annual figure as high as 8,000.”

Read More

Will you pray?

Restoring The Republic

Tags

America, constitutional republic, Crises = Opportunity, democracy, freedom isn't free, individual freedom, kingdom of God, liberty, passivity of Americans, Republic, revelations, theocracy, What can we do about it?, Where are we headed?, Where should we be headed?

MorningStar Prophetic Bulletin #83
February 6, 2014
Rick Joyner

America is not the kingdom of God, and it is definitely not the New Jerusalem. Even so, many nations have been called by God for special purposes. After years of studying American history and the founding of our Republic, His hand in our founding became clear to me. America has a purpose in preparing the way for His coming kingdom.

The kingdom of God will not be a democracy, but a kingdom. It will be built on many of the freedoms that are foundational to America’s strength and accomplishments. People were created to be free, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The coming kingdom will be the world’s Jubilee. Like the biblical year of Jubilee in which all debts will be cancelled and all inheritances restored, this will happen for all mankind.

In Isaiah 40 we see that we prepare the way for the Lord by building a highway. America is part of that highway. While other nations have a part in this too, my primary calling is to my own nation. With the crisis America is in now, I am focusing on its part although the same principles can apply to others. Though America has had many great crises that have threatened our existence, they have all resulted in a great advance toward our ultimate purpose. The present crises can do the same. As we are engaged in building our part of this highway, the favor and blessings of God have been upon us, and it is His way to save the best for last. We must not give up on our country now. We can be sure that God has not.

Crises = Opportunity

For many years we have been saying that each year would be more challenging than the last. I don’t think we have been wrong yet. What can we expect for 2014? It will be even more challenging too, but that does not mean it will not be a great year. Keeping in mind that victories don’t come without battles, and no great victories without great battles, this is the year we can expect some breakthroughs and a turning. Now is the time to see these crises/opportunities and prepare for them.

2013 gave us shocking revelations, unprecedented in American history, of the government’s use of the IRS to intimidate and control political opposition, domestic spying by the NSA, and the building of an apparatus that could be used for totalitarian control even beyond the imagination of the authors of 1984 and Animal Farm. The year ended with ObamaCare collapsing, the Administration reeling, stock markets soaring, and the politically incorrect Duck Dynasty rising in popularity far past the President or any other politician. We can learn much from these signs.

Not everyone who stood up for Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty agreed with him. However, there was a rising agreement that he had the right to say what he thinks without being penalized. Repulsion to political correctness is on the rise as well as a refreshing embracing of anyone with clear speech and the courage to say what they actually think. This is certainly a good sign.

The revelations of our government’s domestic spying apparatus should have caused the greatest outrage of Americans. The relative passivity of Americans about this is troubling. However, there are also signs that people are waking up to this threat as well.

As the saying goes, “If you do not change your direction, you will end up where you are headed.” Therefore, we will look at these and other major revelations that are illuminating ultimate issues with serious consequences. We will do this using a slightly modified version of The Three Great Questions:

Where are we headed?

Where should we be headed?

What can we do about it?

Continue reading HERE

A Roller Coaster Year

Tags

2014, City of God, New Jerusalem, New Year, prophecy, prophetic dream, roller coaster, vision

INTRODUCTION: Many years ago, I built my first website on the messages of other men and women of God. In the belief that God uses as many “vehicles” or methods of communication as possible, I believe God is eager to share with us “secrets” of what He is doing today. Keep in mind the story from the Old Testament of Balaam and his talking donkey (Numbers 22:22-41 NKJV.)

Anyway, this is the God of Creation we’re talking about and I, for one, will put no restraints on Him! So in that mindset, this is a “Word” concerning this new year.

My God bless and increase our wisdom & understanding according to His extravagant love for us!

Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,
but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.
Proverbs 29:18

by Rick Joyner

A Vision of a Roller Coaster

When I prayed for this coming year, I was shown a roller coaster. This means we will have ups and downs this year. I realize that hardly takes a prophet to predict, but the encouraging thing about this vision was that the ride ended at the highest point. We’re going higher this year! So don’t be discouraged by the dips. Hang on and know that we will be going up again soon.

Our prophetic friend, Bob Jones, told us several months ago that it was going to be a very hard winter. I think this one has already qualified for that. As I am writing this in South Carolina, it is 8 degrees outside. I don’t remember it ever being that cold here. However, the great thing is that spring will certainly follow! The point is that we must hang on during any dips or hard times. They will come to pass, but they will pass! As Winston Churchill once said, “When you’re going through Hell, keep going.” Keep going.

The roller coaster I saw was very rickety. It did not seem that it could make it through another turn or the ups and downs. It held together though. I love roller coasters, but this one was not the kind I would get on voluntarily. We don’t have a choice, we are on it. Even the strongest systems of this world are very shaky, and most can only make it through another day because God is holding them together. He is doing this for our sakes, so we should never stop praying for them.

A Glistening Train

In the vision, there was a platform at the end of this roller coaster ride. It did not look any stronger than the roller coaster, but as we walked across, it became stronger and stronger. On the other side, there was a beautiful, brilliantly glistening train which we boarded. It was the most beautiful and well-appointed train I’ve ever seen.

However, as I boarded I saw that when it left the platform, it would enter a long, dark tunnel that I could not see the end of. Even so, the tunnel was going up, and this was a powerful, mountain-climbing train. We’re going up. It may be dark and a bit scary for a while, but we are going higher. That was the end of this vision.

Trains often speak of training in dreams and visions. We may still be on a rickety old roller coaster, but the vehicle that is going to take us to where we must go will be training. This speaks to me of Ephesians 4 – the equipping of the saints to do the work of the ministry. Even though it may take a while for us to see where we’re going (the long, dark tunnel) we will be going up. This is the vehicle that will get us to where we must go.

The City God is Building

It is the nature of the faith walk to not be able to see where you’re going, but you should know what you’re looking for. The one who started the walk of faith, Abraham, did not know where he was going, but he did know what he was looking for – the city that God is building, not men.

The cities that men have built are impressive, but once you see what God is building, you can no longer be impressed with anything man is building. It takes revelation to see what God is building. John saw Babylon until he was carried to a high mountain. Then he saw the New Jerusalem, which is the city that Abraham saw. It is still being built. Being a part of it is the highest calling we can have. Do you see it?

As we see in the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem is the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. As Don Potter recently remarked, it is an amazing thing how a bride can look like she is in shambles just minutes before the ceremony. However, in those last few minutes she comes together and emerges so beautifully and so perfect that you know you have witnessed a great miracle. This may well be just the way it happens with the Bride of the Lamb. We may look like a disaster right up to the end and then, miraculously, we come together without spot or wrinkle.

Never give up.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Website: morningstarministries.org

Rick Joyner is the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Final Quest, A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The OAK Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.

The HEART of the Matter

Tags

celebrations, Christmas, dingy manger, Expectations, family, Hanukkuh, heart, LONELINESS, meaning, The HEART of the matter

Have you been to the mall? Are your decorations up? Is your baking done? Did you get your Christmas or Hanukkah cards in the mail? How about all the Christmas music on the radio, tired of it yet?

Last weekend, I had to pick up some chocolate chips for my daughter. She wanted to make some fudge. I stopped at the local grocery store and went directly to the baking aisle. It was overwhelming!(I am NOT one who enjoys the art of shopping, so I am typically in and out within 15 minutes!) I headed down the baking aisle in search of a deal on what I needed, spotted the rascals on the left side of the aisle, and stopped momentarily to compare prices. A young woman with long black hair, glasses, and a scowl was behind me where I stopped. She looked up at me (and I’m only 5’5″) and with a sardonic smile said, “Yes, every time you stop, the whole line has to stop!”

Well, I only had stopped ONCE! I kind of looked at her in disbelief, and looked back at the shelf. When she didn’t make a move to circumvent me, I looked back at her and she told me to, “get f*’d!” I smiled politely and said, “same to you!”

As I finished my shopping, though, my heart broke for her and the thousands like her who have been totally engulfed by our secular, anti-goodness society. It’s not a new thing entirely, but godlessness has become a national past time in OUR time. Only recently, has it become socially acceptable to be selfish, self-centered, and unkind. It is everywhere now. (Watch drivers, if you have any doubt.) People think only of themselves, their agenda, their needs and are completely unaware? or unconcerned? with others. “Screw you, lady! You’re in MY way!”

The HEART of the matter is GOD! Many people, whether alone or surrounded by others, are lonely these days. GOD, whomever we understand Him to be, is relegated to a distant dark corner of our pseudo-sophisticated society only to be recognized as the source of some fringe lunatic. Darkness increases while those holding the Light remain well shielded by the protective bushel of their/our choosing, and we wonder why society is breaking down.

The attitude of this one young woman shocked my heart, my reality. She was not suffering from some obvious disease, but her heart is sick. Mine, too, struggles under the burden of perfection portrayed by TV and movies … the perfect Christmas or Hanukkah celebrations always show scores of happy family members laughing and embracing one another with tables loaded with boundless delicacies and truckloads of gifts for everyone. I don’t live there, do you?

• But the dingy manger? THAT I can relate to! Our best laid plans sometimes fail.
• The hardship of that journey to Bethlehem with Mary at 9 months pregnant? THAT I can relate to … discomfort is a big part of life!
• Alone in a strange town, crowds of people milling around yet, no place just for them. THAT I can relate to! Surprises! Unexpected journeys!
• Supplies insufficient to the task at hand? THAT I can relate to! Making due with what’s on hand is daily life, and it requires faith in something or Someone bigger than me!

At this point in time, the media (TV, movies, magazines, etc) sets our expectations for more than any of us realize. Today’s movies always show the various holidays … PERFECT! There may be a bit of a struggle to get there, but perfection always arrives. LIFE is not perfect! It is not orderly or predictable. It is our daily challenge to make order out of chaos.

The moral of this story? When the Christmas lights are unplugged, when the Hanukkah gifts are given, when the parties are over and the cookies are eaten, what is left? GOD is there in my emptiness and unfulfilled expectations, and He’s there in yours, too! He didn’t stay in that dingy manger, and the oil has still never run dry! He is not necessarily where we expect Him to be, that’s all. Though we have tried for centuries to package Him and present Him all neat and tidy, He reminds us constantly that HE is GOD, and we are not!

Look for HIM as you celebrate … or as you endure whatever hardships and discomfort is your life. He is THERE!

Is military fight a supernatural battle?

Tags

“So help me God”, COEXIST, freedom of religion, Jihadists, mainstream faiths, military, Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, Military for Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), Tolerance, U.S. military

By Diane Markins

Does including the phrase, “So help me God” to an oath add value or impact? The United States Air Force Academy believed so in 1984 when it changed the candidate oath to include these words. But now they are removing the same words because of a complaint by the Military for Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

Only a year ago, the Latin word for “God” was removed from the logo of an Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The word was removed after objections by the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.

Is religion in the U.S. military under attack from “friendly fire?” Undermining and demeaning Christian faith in the armed forces is expected to come from Jihadists, but it seems that there is a domestic battle being waged as well.

Read MORE

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“Two military chaplains are suing Eric Shinseki, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, or VA, for allegedly being harassed and drummed out of a training and placement program because of their Christian faith.

Chaplains Major Steven Firtko, U.S. Army (Retired) and Lieutenant Commander Dan Klender, U.S. Navy, claim they were mocked, scolded and threatened for their faith while enrolled in the San Diego VA-DOD Clinical Pastoral Education Center program, which trains and distributes chaplains to military and VA medical centers in the San Diego area.



According to their lawsuit, Firtko and Klender allege the Center’s supervisor, Ms. Nancy Dietsch, a VA employee, derided them in classrooms and even had one of them dismissed for failing to renounce his Christian beliefs.

In July, Firtko, Klender and their sponsoring organization, the Conservative Baptist Association of America, filed formal complaint against Dietsch and the VA.

Now the lawsuit, filed with the help of Military-Veterans Advocacy, explains that Firtko and Klender have exhausted all administrative options and that the harassment the chaplains endured violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Administrative Procedures Act and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“No American choosing to serve in the armed forces should be openly ridiculed for his Christian faith, and that is most obviously true for chaplains participating in a chaplain training program,” said Commander J.B. Wells, U. S. Navy (Ret.), executive director of Military-Veterans Advocacy. “Not only was the treatment these men received inappropriate, it was also a violation of federal law and the religious freedom guarantees of the First Amendment.”

The lawsuit, Conservative Baptist Association of America v. Shinseki, has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.”

DREW ZAHN

How can atheism “COEXIST” with mainstream faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, Buddism) when it precludes any existence of God while the others assume a sovereign power of some nature? We managed for 235 years to peacefully live side by side, yet now, in the name of “tolerance” ALL reference to any deity is being erased. Are we so childish that anyone who disagrees must be WRONG? and therefore, denied freedom?

Where is the OUTRAGE? Or is EVERYTHING about Politics?

Tags

America, America in decline, anarchy, culture, gang rape, Illegals, innocence gone, morality, outrage, outrageous behavior, political agenda, prejudice, rape, Right & Wrong, traditional values

Yes, there are many outrageous things happening in the United States of America these days. Corruption, compromise, and more corruption from the Oval Office all the way down through the ranks and social strata to the streets. While it may seem like a oversimplification, the ROOT of the problem is simple: Godlessness!

Now, before you totally shut me off, let me ask an age old question, debated through the centuries: Can morality exist without God?

If by morality, we mean a personal system of boundaries, then the answer is maybe. But if by morality we mean a cultural system of boundaries that reflects and aligns with our system of laws, then the answer must be NO! In a culture that acknowledges God, (by “GOD” I refer to a non-specific super deity,) as America did until the 1960’s, there is a universal code of behavior that is generally accepted as RIGHT, and similarly, a set of behaviors that are considered WRONG.

When God is removed, suddenly everything is up to the individual. Right and Wrong become relative: what I believe is right & wrong may not be the same as what you believe, so then whose ideas do we follow? This is where America is right now, and there is evidence every place you look, from the push by a tiny fraction of the America population (some 2%) for same-sex marriage – not content with civil unions (why not, if the legal rights are the same?) – to a significant segment of the population glorifying the gangster lifestyle with ultra misogynistic tendrils and required violence – from the willingness on the part of illiterate college students to sign a petition in support of FOURTH TRIMESTER ABORTION (say what?) to an abject dissociative relationship with the reality of the various scandals and breaches of our Constitution, it seems a large portion of our population is logically (mentally) disengaged! I don’t know how else to interpret the daily news, do you?

**PLEASE watch the VIDEO at the link below, even if Glenn Beck is not your “cup of tea!” The issue he raises here is a deeply provocative one!

Glenn Beck’s Emotional Monologue on the Horrific Story He Says Is Being Swept Under the Rug Because It Doesn’t Further an ‘Agenda’

Glenn Beck confronted society’s morality on his television program Thursday evening, shocked and disgusted at the events of recent weeks.

He primarily focused on the horrific report of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly gang raped by up to ten men in Austin, TX, before being sexually assaulted by another man after being dropped off with “nowhere to go.” Doctors said their findings were consistent with the allegations.

“Where is the outrage? Where’s Al Sharpton?” Beck said, pausing briefly with emotion. “Where’s Barack Obama? Shouldn’t the president give a speech saying something like, ‘This girl could have been my daughter, after all my daughter is just turning 14?’ …How about speeches on the dangers of letting illegals live in the shadows? How about the speeches of let’s just be good to each other? Where are the marches?”

President Barack Obama spoke several times about 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was shot by George Zimmerman in what a jury recently ruled was self defense. The president said Martin could’ve been his son, or even could’ve been him 35 years ago. The issue aroused sustained national fury over the death of the 17-year-old.

But Beck said the 13-year-old girl should expect no such support.

“See, nobody really actually cares about people anymore,” Beck said. “It’s really only about politics. It’s not about Trayvon Martin. They had to make him look like a little 13-year-old-boy…Why? Because it would help them get elected, or re-elected, or get them to cause trouble or get more trouble. But see this little 13-year-old-girl, you don’t have to doctor a picture of her…she is 13.”

He continued: “We are witnessing a society that is completely detached, and we are detached because we have an agenda. Why didn’t we tell the story of the 13-year-old-girl? Because of an agenda. The second rapist was black, the others were illegal immigrants, so we don’t tell that story. That’s not a good story, that doesn’t help us with our agenda…”

……….. continue HERE

Remember Innocence?

America, We Need to Talk!

Tags

America, character, conversation, courage, greed, liberty, life, Old Glory, politics, pursuit of happiness, US Constitution, virtue, WE THE PEOPLE, welfare

Yes, America, you and me, we need to talk:
Do you want to be slave, or do you want to be Free?
That’s the question: Do you need to be Free,
As time exchanges blunt realities.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
Freedom is about personal choices, dreams and goals,
But today, we are starved for such Life, Liberty,
And the drive to pursue happiness: slavery.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
Leadership that chooses, with friendly masks,
To enslave by lethargy the weak among us,
With pretty words and outstretched hands: slavery.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
We used to know, and usually did, the right thing,
The noble thing, the virtuous thing, the neighborly thing,
Now, it is the pampered, arrogant, and selfish thing that thrives: slavery.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
I hear you say, through the veil of myriad sleep juice,
“Look at me now, dressed up so gangsta tough!”
But your heart is rotting within you, my love: slavery.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
So much corruption and so little honor,
So much manufactured contention and so little real caring,
So much competition and so little family: slavery.

America, you and me, we need to talk:
You plus me is supposed to equal we-the-people free,
It’s a musical equation most of us still know:
“O’re the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

America, you and me, we need to talk:
Old Glory still waves gracefully from coast to coast,
Over this land of immeasurable blessing,
No longer quite free, but I see pockets of COURAGE rising!

*Inspiration Monday via BeKindReWrite