IMPACT (or, Full Circle)

 

I've been considering God's words. They carry impact. Destructively so. Creatively so. What He destroys cannot be as it was. What God does do, following the destruction of His words, is… 

*Restore the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25-27 says, “I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts - the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust - My great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame. Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.”)

*He gives beauty for ashes. (Isaiah 61:1-3 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”)

*He causes dry bones to live again. (Ezekiel 37:1-6 says, ‘’The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry. Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,’’ I replied, “only You know.” And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘’Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’’)

Jeremiah 23:16-24 warns:  Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. "They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You will have peace"'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.' "But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened? "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. "The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it. "I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied. "But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds. "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off? "Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:29 goes on to say:  "Is not My word like a consuming fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

Isaiah 30:20-33 tells us:  Although the Lord has given you bread of deprivation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will desecrate your carved images plated with silver, and your cast metal images plated with gold. You will scatter them as a filthy thing, and say to them, “Be gone!” Then He will give you rain for your seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plentiful; on that day your livestock will graze in a wide pasture. Also the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned feed, which has been winnowed with shovel and pitchfork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. And the light of the full moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord binds up the fracture of His people and heals the wound He has inflicted. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from a remote place; His anger is burning and dense with smoke; His lips are filled with indignation, And His tongue is like a consuming fire; His breath is like an overflowing river, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads astray. You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, To go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. And the Lord will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And in the flame of a consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour, and hailstones. For at the voice of the Lord Assyria will be terrified, When He strikes with the rod. And every blow of the rod of punishment, which the Lord will lay on him, will be with the music of tambourines and lyres; and in battles, brandishing weapons, He will fight them. For Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, a pyre of fire with plenty of wood; the breath of the Lord, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire.

Romans 11:16-36 says, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." "This IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, When I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or who HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

In Matthew 19:25-26 the disciples question Jesus following Jesus' conversation with a rich man. It says, ‘’When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a parable, ‘’to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I recently learned that the word ‘’confess’ in 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) means: to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent… to concede. When we make confession we are agreeing with God about what He declares to be true about a matter! We come into agreement - accord. Let us come into accord with what God says about a matter. We must love the truth more than comfort and convenient imaginings. Otherwise, what hope have we of any REAL comfort born of assurance? The truth, indeed, will set us free. We cannot be established anew if we are unwilling to accept being salted with fire, and crushed and shattered under the impact of God's words.

Psalm 103:17 tells us, “... the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, and His justice to the children’s children…”

Jeremiah 9:24 instructs, “... but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

In Micah 6:6-8 the writer asks, “With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Jesus told those who would aspire to the Kingdom to be perfect as their Father in Heaven is perfect. Then He demonstrated how when He laid down His life for us. We are instructed in mercy, justice, love, humility, hospitality, kindness, and meekness. These things God loves.

We may take comfort in 2 Corinthians 12:10 which tells us, “... I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” And, in Isaiah 30:15 which instructs us, "... In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”

Finally, in Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Well Diggers

I'm in Genesis 26, where Isaac and his servants are digging and re-digging wells for water. What arduous work that was! Digging wells with hands and whatever tools they had until they hit water, lining the wells so the dirt would not collapse in, and then capping the well to keep the water clean. Re-digging the wells of Isaac's father, Abraham, that had been filled in with dirt by the enemy. Very labor intensive work!

To me this speaks of seeking - of groping - for Jesus - the Water of Life! He tells us to seek! There is something important to the work, or experience, of seeking. NASB 1995 version of Acts 17:27 is my absolute favorite expression of the verse, saying, "... that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..." This idea of 'groping' for Jesus. It's what I do. Perhaps it's like digging a well. The enemy has thrown dirt in the wells of those that were dug before us. We re-dig them. We revive their testimonies again and again. To God be the glory!

In my recent exhaustion I have been left a bit unfeeling. Not in a jaded way, but in a depletion. There is a saturation point, and I am at the desaturation point. Dehydrated, one might say. The demands of life have depleted my umph. There is no room left for me - Praise Jesus! I'm at the back of the line with the stragglers and the needy. Allelujah! I remember it has never been about my survival and self preservation. Following Jesus has always been about laying down my life. It's always been about a cross.

It takes the crushing of the olive to make the precious oil... The oil to keep the lamp light burning. Is this the oil the 5 unprepared virgins were without? Had they not experienced the crushing? Had they been unwilling, and had this left them unprepared when the Bridegroom arrived? They did not do the necessary work of preparation for their Bridegroom. When He finally arrived there was no oil for their lamps, and no time left... 

Making of oil takes pressure (crushing) and time. There is a necessary separation of the pulp (flesh) from the oil. How convenient it is to simply go to the store and buy your oil. Yet, even that takes time... Seeking, effort, expense.

Google says that "in ancient times, olive oil was made by crushing ripe olives into a paste, pressing the paste in woven bags or baskets to extract the oil, and then allowing the liquid to settle so the oil could separate from the water and pulp. The harvested olives were typically first crushed using stone mills or by hand, then the resulting pulp was placed into baskets and put under pressure from weights, a lever, or a large screw. The oil was collected in vats, and hot water was sometimes added to help wash out the last bits of oil."

Time, pressure, separation...

With taking up the cross comes resurrection. Baptism is the symbol of this principal. We die and are buried with Christ. We rise again and live with Christ. The arduous and important work of digging wells, and re-digging of wells that the enemy has filled with dirt, rewards us with refreshing water - and water is life. Jesus Christ is the Water of Life! We seek Him - grope for Him - although He is not far from us. This is important work! How much more we appreciate refreshing water after having worked for it. When too much comes too easily we can lack gratitude and take our Jesus - our Bridegroom - for granted, ultimately leaving us unprepared. This ought never be. 

We can expect to be crushed in the process of preparation for our Bridegroom... So we may have oil in our lamps. Allelujah! We can expect to seek (dig and re-dig wells), and expect to find Jesus, the water of life! We do it for the joy set before us. The joy of the Lord is my strength. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Tend to those wells, Brothers and Sisters... Seek Jesus!

Why Forgive?

 

I listened to a teacher I trust and respect this morning. He was talking on why we forgive. He said that we forgive not for the benefit to ourself, but for the benefit to others. He said it is an expression of love in action, not necessarily based on how we feel. I believe he got it partly right.

I would like to say that we forgive as an act of obedience to the Father and for His glory. Any time our philosophy involves the veneration of man it is off the mark. Jesus said that our obedience is an expression of our love FOR THE FATHER. Jesus said that if we love Him (Jesus) we will obey Him. Obeying Jesus is obeying the Father. They are One. So, in that regard, to forgive is an act of love - not for the benefit of man (although all people involved benefit from forgiveness), but to the glory of the Father! Remember when Jesus asked Peter three times (as many times as Peter denied Him), "Do you love me?" When Peter acknowledged that he loved Jesus what did Jesus do next? He gave Peter something to DO. Jesus instructed Peter to care for His sheep. Jesus has commanded that we love God, first, and then love others. Love requires the actions of love. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to the Father for the one who loves Him, to the glory of the Father. The one in unforgiveness is the one in rebellion.

When Jesus was in distress over His impending death, he said (in John 12:27-28), "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." What Jesus did He did for the glory of God the Father because He loves Him! Jesus' love for mankind was the second love.  Jesus' love for the Father was His first love and prompted His obedience for the glory of the Father. Jesus set the example for why and how we take up our cross, and forgive.

Isaiah 1 and Ezekiel 36 are the litmus test to what I am asserting here. Please read these chapters. They are so important to learn from in our perceptions as to "God so loved the world" in John 3:16. God loved the world 'in this manner' - to HIS GLORY!

In a portion of Isaiah 1, in verses 18-20, it says, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. IF you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But IF you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

In verses 26-28 God goes on to say, "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city." Zion will be redeemed with justice and her repentant ones with righteousness. But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, and those who forsake the LORD will come to an end."

We see here God's deliberate plan of forgiveness and salvation for His people foretold. We see that it is conditional. In Ezekiel 36 God makes it very plain why He does this. Here is a portion of that scripture. 

Ezekiel 36:16-36 says:

Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.' But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!" 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it."

Here God makes it clear that His forgiveness, redemption, and restoration of fallen people is for the vindication of His Name! It is for the sake of His Name. While He carries our sins away as far as the east is from the west and remembers them no more, we do not forget our sins. When we have been redeemed and restored to life we look back upon our sins and abominations and, in our own sight, we loathe ourselves for them! We are ashamed and confounded - deeply regretful. So, in obedience, we forgive others their sins for the love of God and for the glory of His Name. In this we express our love for others, as well. If we do not forgive we are not forgiven. We are among the transgressors and sinners who will be crushed.

Glory to God for His perfect justice, full of mercy and compassion! Glory, honor, and power to His Name! May His Name be vindicated in all the earth. He has glorified His Name, and He will do it again. Let us glorify the Name of our Father in Heaven! Praise be to Him that He has shown His love for us in this way! Hallelujah! To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

The One Who Is Spiritual

In Psalm 51:6 King David says, "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom."

In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

The scriptures say much about the importance of truth! Jesus Christ is the Word, and the Word is Truth. Jesus and truth cannot be separated. Jesus and truth cannot be dissected, meaning 'having a divided form or structure'. If one did dissect Jesus there would be found truth in every part of Him.

*In John 17:17 Jesus prays for His followers, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

*In John 4:24 Jesus says, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

It is not wise to minimize the importance of truth, nor to compromise with a lie. 

According to Ephesians 4:15 we are to 'speak the truth in love'. Jesus' command to His follower is to love. The first command is one command and plural in nature. It is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. In Mark 12:29-31, after being asked what the greatest command is, 'Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; and YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'" Jesus followed with the second greatest command saying, "The second is this, 'You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

"Caritas" is the Latin word for charity, and it is used in biblical translations, specifically in the Latin Vulgate Bible to translate the Greek word agape, which is the word most commonly used when we speak of biblical, or godly, love. While modern English translations often use "love" instead of "charity" for agape, the term caritas and its derivatives are found in the Bible. A notable example is the opening phrase of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, "Deus caritas est," which translates to "God is love" and is directly from the Vulgate's translation of 1 John 4:8 (The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love). So while love and truth are not synonymous, in the concept of caritas (love or charity), love and truth are inseparable and mutually essential. The Catholic Church's social teaching, especially as articulated in Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth"), emphasizes that one cannot exist in its authentic, purest form without the other. Just as the Lord our God is One, the Son and the Father do not exist one without the other. Elohim is 'one', with plurality as in a unit. (*This is not an invitation for Catholic bashing.)

Regarding 1 Corinthians 2:15, I have listed in the photo six different translations I deem reliable. The verse says, "... he who is spiritual appraises (judges; discerns) all things, yet he himself is appraised (judged; discerned) by no one." Some translations say, "not subject to any man's judgment", or "rightly judged by no one".

The original word for 'appraise' used here in this verse is 'ἀνακρίνω', transliterated 'anakrinō', phonetically 'an-ak-ree'-no'. 

Strong's definition is: properly to scrutinize that is (by implication) investigate interrogate determine: - ask question discern examine judge search.

Thayer's definition is: examine or judge; to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinise, sift, question; specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation; to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses; to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing)

It means 'to separate or divide up, hence, to examine carefully, investigate, then, to determine, judge of, estimate, make a distinction.

I have been feeling distressed in concern for the larger Christian community. This is not a new thing for me, but a common occurrence. I pray and weep much in concern over these. I, too, have been bringing to the Lord the painful feelings of the recent recognition that I am 'expendable' to that same community (not to all, but to most) - which, in love and truth (ONLY) should be my 'tribe', my 'family'. For quite some time I have recognized the solitary nature of God's people as testified about in the scriptures of both Old and New Testaments - frequently experiencing hostility, and finally ending up abandoned and alone, even martyred. Yet, to experience the same can be initially painful. So we pray, "Father, forgive them". They don't know. Jesus DID say that the Way is narrow and few will find it! Oh, that we would heed the words of Jesus and take them to heart.

As I read 1 Corinthians 2:15 this morning, after a time of prayer over all this (Jesus Christ is not only our Teacher but also our Wonderful Counselor) - begging God to see with His eyes, to have His heart, to have understanding that comes from Him, to receive His correction - I got stopped on this verse. What does Paul mean that while the spiritual person judges all things, that same person is judged by no one? Why did this lead me to the verses on truth and love? I believe it is this:

God is love - 'caritas'; 'agape'. Jesus proclaimed He is truth. If God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son (Who are ONE) are dissected, (divided; judged; separated; investigated; scrutinized, etc as per definitions of the word 'appraised/discerned/judged in 1 Corinthians 2:15), there would not be - nor is there - any part to be found separate from one another, nor separate from truth and love. The one 'who is spiritual' (belonging to the Divine Spirit of God the Holy Spirit; one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God), then, cannot be dissected and found separate from the same BY ANY MAN. They are subject to no man's judgment in that being dissected (divided; judged; separated; investigated; scrutinized) no part of that spiritual one is found separate from love and truth, nor any part found separate from God, nor any part found separate from another spiritual man. Therein, alone, is unity. The one who is not spiritual cannot (rightly) judge the one who is.

Expendable

I chose a photo for this blog where Charlie Kirk looks young and vulnerable - as he was. I am convinced he was taken out by his own - those he was proselytizing for. They gave young Charlie accolades without the underpinning of respect, while bolstering his platform as he rode the wave of the useful political tool of Zionist Christian Nationalism. His success was a curse wrapped up as a blessing. Then he began to waver on Israel as his eyes were beginning to open in some areas regarding USA and Israel. Because whether one agreed with Charlie, or not, he really did believe his rhetoric and I honestly don't believe he was given to deceit. This does not mean I don't believe he wasn't deceived. I believe he was. I believe we all have had to contend, personally, with deception in our life experiences. So, this is a grief on my behalf, not a condemnation, for poor young Charlie. I have no place to condemn anyone. I am not God. This does not exempt me from making judgments - evaluations. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit to discern a matter, and we should pray for and practice discernment. In John 7:24 Jesus said, "Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” There is no righteous judgment without mercy.

A day and a half after the assassination of Charlie a reporter questioned Donald Trump on the White House lawn. Reporter: "My condolences on the loss of your friend, Charlie Kirk. May I ask sir, personally, how are you holding up over the last day and a half, sir?" Donald Trump: "I think very good. And, by the way, right there you see all the trucks? They've just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House..." Trump goes on to elaborate further on the ballroom with no mention of Charlie. Either a real (Mob) Boss move, or a complete lack of real concern over Charlie and his wife and children, or both. We must not mistake Trump as a man of concern and compassion. Finally, Trump spoke at Charlie's memorial. He spoke that Charlie's position would be one of love, forgiveness, and wishing well upon your enemies (although Charlie supported public and televised executions). Trump said, "I don't. I hate my enemies." And went on to further say that he does not wish his enemies well. (Side note), Trump isn't THAT concerned with getting into Heaven.

I document this as an objective observation. My point is that Charlie was expendable to those he had hitched his proverbial wagon to. It appears that even his good friend, Pastor Frank Turek and Charlie's body guard - the men standing around Charlie - were giving out a flurry of gestures and signals brief seconds before Charlie was shot. Standard security measures of checking in with each other? I don't know, really. I do know that an official assassination takes weeks to months of precise and deliberate planning. An official assassination almost always comes with a false flag event requiring a patsy. I also know that CEO's and such are being assassinated with heightened frequency now, with zero reporting. Charlie's assassination, however, was high profile - a significant and further divisive attraction for all the world to see. A public and televised execution, if you will, by a gun he was in absolute support of. Charlie's assassination was a very useful, morally exempt, rotten, political tool for both the Right and the Left. A tool of appeasement for Israel, as well, it likely may be. There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Charlie died at the hands of everything he believed in. In this he was a 'martyr' - just not a martyr for Jesus Christ.

Now I will get to what came to me as I was praying about my perceptions around Charlie, the event, and the disturbing effect it has had on the majority of the remainder of the online Christian community I have surrounded myself with over the past couple of years. (The 'community' of my association has dwindled exponentially over this past year.) Charlie's assassination is disturbing to them, of course. It's a reprehensible and grievous thing. But, what I am talking about is how their reactions to Charlie's assassination has been disturbing to me. I want to say I never really knew of Charlie before this event. I am learning of who he was and his influence. I am sorry and grieve over what happened to him and his young family.

I know I have come across offensively in my reaction to Charlie's assassination to a few of this Christian community who actually give me any time or consideration. They see my response as hate. I see it as love. I quickly and honestly addressed what looks like a disturbing compromise in the ranks, an apparent wavering of former convictions and declarations, a veneration at the level of elevating Charlie to sainthood, suggestions that he died as a martyr for Christ, he was a 'Servant of Christ', a sheep mentality and behavior as the majority of the Christian crowd has been swept up in a Charlie frenzy, and so forth. Former declarations and convictions against Zionist Christian Nationalism, NARS, and Christians involved in Left or Right wing politics seemed to evaporate into thin air. A willingness to compromise evolved. I witnessed panic and increasing drama in the ranks of those who know what the Bible says. Charlie's assassination has become a spiritual tool of bringing to light and exposing that which was carefully concealed in the dark. It has become a spiritual tool of further division and separation. Many see this as a bad thing. We are supposed to be united after all, right? Well, I don't see it that way. Division causes one to evaluate and choose a side. The fence belongs to the devil. The Christian community is being sifted... winnowed.

As I was asking God - again - to see the matter as He sees it, to have His heart on the matter, the thought came to me to find a point of personal identification with Charlie. 

Charlie was a full on MAGA/Trump devotee. He believed in and endorsed the heretical Seven Mountain Mandate. He associated with false teachers and attended a mega church, enjoying popularity, influence, and wealth within the greater Christian community. He garnered a beautiful wife, and they portrayed their selves as having 'real love', and beautiful babies to show for it. I can safely assume they had a beautiful home. Charlie was richly blessed in his life's direction and endeavors! His target of influence was young people. Charlie was a rabid supporter of guns, and supported televised public executions. Just to name a few... He had a 'form' of godliness... I am not convinced as to the 'Jesus' and 'gospel' Charlie seemed to deeply love in great devotion. I don't trust it. It all appears as a wildly popular broad way among a large and particular political and religious culture. That's how it appears. Jesus help me to 'judge with righteous judgment'. I am diametrically opposed to every point I just mentioned. There may be more, but that is enough. The Bible warns against many false Christs, and Satan is a master deceiver, the father of all lies. His first line of offense is to work within the ranks of Christiandom. 

Now for the exercise of finding a point of personal identification with Charlie: Charlie is young enough to be as a son would be to me. I believe God wants me to feel personal about Charlie, as God does. The word that came to me as my point of identification with Charlie is 'expendable'. Besides being a fallible human, like Charlie, I identify with being and feeling expendable. Not with the world necessarily, but with those who should be my own - my 'tribe' - Christians.

Let's take a look at what it means to be 'expendable'. If you are considered expendable, it means you are seen as unnecessary, unimportant, or replaceable and can be discarded, abandoned, or sacrificed without significant loss to a larger goal or purpose. This term applies to both people and things, suggesting that their presence is not essential and they can be given up when no longer useful. 

Key Aspects of Being Expendable:

*Lack of Necessity: You are not essential to the situation or project at hand. 

*Replaceability: You could easily be substituted or replaced by someone or something else. 

*Sacrifice: You can be sacrificed to achieve a goal, such as in a military context. 

*Low Value: Your importance is considered minimal compared to the overall objective. 

*Abandonment: You could be gotten rid of or abandoned when no longer useful.

To the vast Christian community I have proven to be expendable. I have given from my poverty in amounts too small to warrant consideration to those in Christ in desperate plea who have much more than me. I have been called out, cursed, and shunned by those who claimed title of Brother and Sister - those who made declarations of Christian love. I was useful as the poor needy homeless grandma. I was a threat as the Child of God walking in His authority and grace. I was not supposed to share a vulnerability, share a dream, or stand my ground in the Lord. I was not to contradict, but to fall in line with the rest of what God showed me was a cult of personality. I was meant (and forcefully told) to stand down, stop talking, and take my place. I had taken pains to be vulnerable, yet share carefully (meaning under God's conviction and scripturally), honestly, and boldly, considering those of my association as friends and Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus - those of many who were eventually exposed as enemies in the ranks of Christiandom, where honesty and truth are not as appreciated as one might think they should be. Cult demands conformity and veneration of the primary personalities. Everyone jostles for a position of importance at the table. I concede. I'm happy to stay behind with the struggling stragglers. 

Relationships have fallen away of their own accord because of opposing spirits. The devil is not opposed to the devil. He knows a house divided will fall. But, at the Name and presence of Jesus demons will flee. I have come to give thanks to God that relationships fell away. I still love and pray for those people nearly daily. They don't have to know that. It's between me and God. Yet, these are relationships that God did not want for my life. They were deceptive and demonically driven. I tell the reader these details in the event someone is going through the same type of spiritual battle. The devil is an ancient serpent, a master of lies, and he attacks from within the ranks. Consider Job's friends. That said, my point in all this is that I come away from my experience with the majority of Christian community (so far) feeling (and treated as) expendable. I sound like a victim, right? We all are, even and especially when we think we're not. We have been born into a fallen world where evil forces begin their attack at our conception.

Now comes the important question: Have I felt toward, or treated others, as if they are expendable (in or out of the Body of Christ)? Have I been dismissive of others? There is the important consideration which I will be bringing before the Lord. It may not appear to others this way, but I am concerned should I have a plank in my eye.

Mugsy (& Wiley, too)

 

Yesterday my husband and I buried Mugsy next to Wiley. They were best friends in life. Wiley lived up until two weeks before his fifteenth birthday. We don't know when Mugsy 's birthday was. When we got him the lady said she thought he was about five years old. That was ten years ago. So, I speculate Mugsy was around fifteen years old, too. He had to live a year and eight months without Wiley. They both died of congestive heart failure in old age.

In their young days we took them to a Groomer in Silverdale, Washington. She was an Asian lady who could speak very little English. When we went to pick up the dogs at the time scheduled they looked so pretty. This lady had done the best grooming these dogs have had before, or since. She pointed to Wiley and said, “This dog good dog”. Then she pointed to Mugsy and disapprovingly said, “This dog not good dog!” We could have told her that.

Wiley was the best dog ever. There is nothing more to say. The only bad thing he ever did is get into the food and drag it to the floor for all to share if we left the van for any amount of time. Wiley was very stealth, and he could get into the food no matter where and how high it was kept. If trained he could have been a champion in an agility competition. His level of intuition and empathy was off the charts. Wiley was a spectacular dog. The best I ever had.

That leaves me with Mugsy to discuss. Really, this is about Mugsy. The ‘bad dog’. Mugsy was a fun dog… a funny dog. Sometimes Mugsy had a sitting posture of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh… head drooped down. Other times he would relax with butt in the air. I had pictures of these. Mugsy was so cute. But, sadly, most of my pictures have been lost to the cloud somewhere.

Mugsy instinctively knew if someone was a Preacher and would go for the ankle to bite. He felt the same about saggy pant gangster types. Preachers and Gangsters were fair ankle biting game. While we were parked at a church for the longest time Mugsy once chased the Preacher's son all around the parking lot of the church. I told the kid not to run so I could just pick up Mugsy and remove the threat, but he didn't listen. He ran. And so did Mugsy. Did Mugsy or the Preacher's son listen to me? Not at all.

Mugsy was bold and brave with a smidgen of knucklehead in the mix. Maybe more than a smidgen. He had enough cute and personality to get away with it. When we got him he was free, and the lady ended up giving us $100 to take him. The money was actually to help us get him fixed (we were poor, living in a van). My husband and I often joke that the lady paid us to take Mugsy.

Mugsy’s name was ‘Toby’ then, and he had been the lady's best friend’s dog. We suspect the lady’s best friend may have died, leaving the dog to her to find a home. We convinced the lady we would love and care for ‘Toby’ always, and we did. 

The first thing we did was to change Toby’s name to Mugsy. A name we felt better suited to him. He had such a cute mug! And Mugsy was a bit thugsy. My husband and I have so many memories and Mugsy stories to tell. He was quite the character, and all toys belonged to him.

Fast forward to his later years. Mugsy was like a cat with nine lives. God healed him from a large tumor. He had back injuries and issues. He had seizures in his later years that seemed to have gone away in about these past eight months. I rescued Mugsy from the mouth of a pit bull. I am sure I could name more things, but the point is that Mugsy kept on.

Mugsy was a stout survivor. So much so that I prayed for his passing over these past six to eight months. Mugsy did not age well. He had a lot of anxiety and would wake me up nearly every one or two hours every night to pee. I didn't feel well with my own health issues. Add to that a serious lack of sleep. It was brutal and I became very impatient with Mugsy. 

I started to think that tending to him would be the death of me. I wasn't certain who would go first. I am sure that the stresses of caring for him may have taken a year or two off my own life. My husband took him for a few months to help out until it became too much for him. Mugsy actually started doing better - sleeping longer with less anxiety - when I moved into my new trailer. This meant we all did better these past three weeks… until his last two nights. He became agitated again, and finally, on his last day, totally blind. Poor, poor, boy.

Over the past six to eight months I had wished and prayed that God would take Mugsy. He wasn't doing well. My husband would not have him put down, and ultimately we couldn't afford it on his final day. We prayed a lot for Mugsy over the years. But, God is in charge of life and death and His answer to my prayer was, “No”. 

I had resigned myself to this waiting upon cruel and impending death. It is a most difficult thing to be a part of. Can I just say that I HATE sin. With every fiber of my being I hate it. It is because of sin that death entered - that we experience the knowledge of good AND evil. Death is evil, and the ONLY rescue and hope is in Jesus Christ! I hope that my beloved pets that have passed on are in Heaven. I desperately hope to see them there. But, this side of Heaven I cannot know.

God was showing me things through this experience with Mugsy. These were not lovely things. Rather these were things about myself that I do not like. Mugsy, in the end, exposed the worst in me. THIS IS A GIFT FOR WHICH I AM GRATEFUL. 

Don't we just love that which we believe brings out the best in us! We generally hate that which exposes the truth of our depravity. We want to believe and consider only the good, never the evil. But, that is not in the contract - the covenant - for this life. The agreement is for the knowledge of good AND evil. God addresses the evil in our lives when we are His children. He brings us correction. If our pride and hard hearts do not allow for this, and we live in offense and rebellion of this, then we are doomed and will not be allowed entrance into His Kingdom as His child.

So, while Wiley was the best boy ever, I owe Mugsy the greater gratitude. Mugsy had the more difficult challenge of exposing the worst in me. Mugsy's path was not an easy one. It was a path of a warrior, fraught with dangers and obstacles which he met with fun, and ultimately temerity and tenaciousness. 

In the end Mugsy had the greater and difficult task of bringing out the worst in me, and that is the greatest heartbreak. I feel he deserved better, but we (my husband and I) gave all we had to give to the circumstance because we love Mugsy. We, ourselves, are aging and often don't feel well. Add to that a lack of sleep and you get the perfect storm where everything then becomes a matter of how best for all to survive. We throw no one into danger to save our own hide. We protect and guard life. So while we, at times, stormed about ourselves - not doing it all perfectly with the greatest empathy and patience - our motivation, ultimately, was love.

I am sad Mugsy's last months and days weren't better. I am happy, for his sake, that he is home now. I thought I typed, “I am happy, for his sake, that he is gone now”, and looking back over my work I see the word ‘home’ instead of ‘gone’. Maybe God, in His kindness, is telling me something. I pray it is so. The death struggle is real, even when the quality of life is bad at best. When you love you want the best for the one you love, and sometimes the struggle may bring out the worst. 

Thank you, Mugsy, for the difficult job of exposing the worst in me so I can bring it to God my Father (again) in surrender. May you rest in eternal doggie paradise.