With age comes a perspective the young can't see
because they've yet to experience maturity
(that my life is not about me).
But that's the price we pay -
the years we waste and days,
to bring us to the place
where our heart's sole desire
is to see God face to face
to welcome His embrace
For in His presence, all that we should not be
is conquered within us daily
that all we should be
may blossom and bloom
for Him to consume
the beauty we become, yearns daily for the Son,
and our souls drink the rain of His love poured out again and again
and we open our hearts fully to Him
that the fragrance of a heart restored to
it's original condition
will replace the former stench of sin.
Thereby we become another jewel in His crown.
Thereby we become another plant in His ground
That all creation might hear
that most joyful of sounds -
The song of the Bride
and the song of the Groom
echoing throughout eternity,
from our hearts, Lord to You
that we may be forever
Your eternal source of pleasure -
The work of your hands, the breath of Your mouth -
Serving You with our hands (deeds) and our mouths (worlds)
No more trying to resist You
but humbly seeking, oh Lord, to kiss You
as we approach Your throne of Grace
we seek nothing, oh Lord, but Your face.
As Simeon and Anna desired but to touch You
and see You - Oh Lord so do I - I need You
to remain in my proper place......

In contrasting Babylon (Satan's kingdom) with God's kingdom I keep seeing more and more Biblical examples - God is good. For instance, the story of the rich, young ruler's encounter with Jesus. What it teaches us is so important God includes it in three of the four gospels. In the story, the rich, young ruler runs to Jesus and kneels before Him and asks "what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Seemingly a good question but unfortunately he's been around religion all his life which has taught him he can do something to be saved. He believes that by keeping the Law to the best of HIS ABILITY, a set of do's and don'ts, he can be saved. Nevertheless, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, knowing full well he cannot, knowing that trying to keep the Law cannot make a man good enough to gain entrance to Heaven. Indeed, the young man calls Jesus "Good master" and Jesus tells him "none is good", but Jesus tells him some commandments to keep and he replies "all these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"
Now Jesus strikes at the heart of Babylon, for Babylon is all about self, pride in ones self, ones accomplishments, self possessions. Jesus wanted the young man's heart. He wanted him to lay down his life by picking up his cross and following Jesus. Worldly wealth and riches usually keep us from following Christ because they end up taking the preeminence in our hearts - they become our heart's desire and focus. They aren't bad in and of themselves unless they prevent us from obeying and following Christ, but they aren't the problem, our lustful, corrupt hearts are.
The young man "heard that saying" to sell all he had and give it to the poor, and "he went away sorrowful for he had great POSSESSIONS". Now contrast his response with the new believers in the book of Acts who were full of the Holy Spirit (whom the young man caught in religion did not know), who when the kingdom of God displaced Babylon in their hearts "sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need". This is how a follower of Jesus lives - he does not hoard money and possessions, he sees needs and meets them, for love can do no less. Self is no longer served, other's are served instead. They not only sold their possessions and goods but "neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostle's feet; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."
The needs of the few were met by the largess of the many. No one who had a need was neglected. They were the opposite of the rich, young ruler who "went away sad", refusing to follow Jesus if it meant giving up possessions and pleasures in this life to gain them in the next. Rather than leaving Jesus the believers in Acts left all their worldly possessions and wealth - yet so many pastors today teach and practice the opposite, get as much as you can, build bigger and bigger churches and homes for this is God's will. It is a god's will, just not our God's. Lusting after money or worldly wealth is so dangerous to us and so anti- kingdom of God that when Ananias and Sapphira withheld some of the money they got from the sale of their possession, lying to Peter and the people about it, God struck them both dead. Less than thirty years after these passages in Acts took place, history shows us the Romans came in and took or destroyed the very lands and homes the believers sold. If we are truly living as citizens of heaven and not earth, nothing of this earth will matter to us, except souls.
When my wife and I were told by God to go to the mission field He chose for us, He told us to sell our land and home and we did without hesitation. We've given away cars. I've given the shirt off my back and countless ties because I believe Matthew 5:42 should be our lifestyle. "Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not you away" (and when you give to someone who borrows from you, expect nothing in return).
Living in America, the heart of Babylon, where everyone is obsessed with money and possessions, where even the churches have become "dens of thieves" and "houses of merchandise" "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves" - they were profiting from God's people! They were making their living off them. And Jesus "said unto them, it is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves". In America, unbelievers see these grand churches, worth millions, and the pastors living in million dollar mansions and they associate God's house with money and greed, not prayer. They see no difference between the hearts of God's people and their own hearts. If our churches had Jesus in them we would find him healing the blind and the lame, and caring for the poor, the orphans and the widows.
The religious hate Jesus. When they saw "the wonderful things that He did....they were sore displeased." No, those whose hearts are set on things below do not want Jesus' presence in their midst. They only want to use His name and His words to gain wealth and power and fame. They want to make a name for themselves, not glorify His name. "There shall be false teachers among you" "and many shall follow their pernicious (deadly, fatal) ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." As I said, the world mocks Christianity because of the pastors and televangelists who focus on money, making merchandise of God's people. "and through covetousness (wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions) shall they with feigned (fake) words make merchandise of you" - they'll lie to you to get your money, they'll twist scriptures to suit their purpose, they'll abuse and misuse the concept of tithing to get people to give their money to them - all in the name of Jesus. I wish Jesus would rid His house of them today as He did then, and I believe He will, even through this epistle I am now writing.
My heart's desire and my prayer is that God will raise up and release Bezaleels and Aholiabs into the Body of Christ today to help modern day Nehemiah's build the Bride of Christ - The New Jerusalem, properly. She's been "ruined by religion" but will be rebuilt in His image and likeness. "Bezaleel" means "in the shadow of God", depicting someone who remains close to, intimate with God. "Aholiab" means "Father's tent" - we desperately need wise hearted  people who remain in and have been raised in our Father's tent (house). We truly need "every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord has put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him to come unto the work to do it". This word, this message The Lord has been pouring into me and now out of me these last two months here in Korea - I'm thrilled to see it repeated by other's, a few others. I'm confident this word will get out to all "who have ears to hear" and I'm believing a remnant will rise up and shake themselves free of all that is of man that they may become bound with all that is of God. LOVERS OF TRUTH COME FORTH!!!

Lord, they refuse to see who you really are. You wiped out entire nations. You destroyed the Moabites and the Ammonites - to protect your people, that you love. You loved the Ammonites too and gave them ample time to repent, hundreds of years to turn from their wicked ways, from Idol/Baal worship but they would not. You were long suffering. I think the false prophets believe You are two different Gods, one in the Old Testament and another in the New, like you were born-again and became a different God in the New Testament but You're the same yesterday, today and forever.
The Old Testament shows us our true condition apart from You - without Your blood. It shows us the consequences of rejecting You and living for ourselves, making ourselves the god we choose to worship.
The New Testament shows us how to turn from our wickedness, how to embrace you and live with you and serve you in a manner pleasing to You. It reveals Your mercy and love extended to all mankind but it doesn't negate who You are in the Old Testament. You will still burn up the wicked as chaff. You are still to be feared. Though You've redeemed us to yourself - You still have the power to cast us into Hell. I fear and tremble before You and I grieve for all the false prophets and pastors preaching a perverted form of your love, some saying there is no Hell, or just preaching Your love and not your wrath. You are lamb and lion. 

Thoughts on Judgment continued

America is not a Christian nation. We export and consume more porn than any other nation on earth. We've more homosexuals than any nation on earth and we love them, we support and encourage them and allow them to marry. Our churches are full of them. We've murdered, legally, with our nation's blessing, more children than all other nations combined except maybe China. We are not a Christian nation according to God's definition of Christianity but thank God we have Christians in our nation, who, because of the cry of their hearts and the prayers on their lips caused God to pause in His judgment of America. Obama was a blessing in disguise for because of his wickedness, many, many began to cry out to God for righteousness - yet, as usual, once we are comfortable again, we turn our backs on God. We continue to fill our religious, denominational "jails" with bound and blind souls, flightless birds unable to soar in the Spirit. Without real Apostolic breakthrough, our nation's descent into madness and wickedness will continue. The only safe place from God's wrath is to hide in the cleft of the Rock - Jesus himself. Those found in Him will escape the wrath to come, for they - "loved not their lives unto the death".
Jesus is our safe harbor. He is our Ark, both Noah's and the Ark of the Covenant. Noah's Ark says to us, I will preserve your souls blameless till the wrath is past - and you shall inhabit the new heaven and the new earth prepared by my Father for those who love Him. Only remain in me and do not flee. The Ark of the Covenant says - I will keep My promise to never leave or forsake you. I will dwell among you and I will be your God and you will be My people. I will hide my face from you no longer. Your heart will be my Holy of holies where we will meet together forevermore. He is our "rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower"!
Remember, his vengeance is poured out to comfort those who mourn the wickedness of the world they are in but not of. As the world laughs us to scorn, as they mock us and rejoice over our deaths - He who sits in the heavens shall laugh and hold them in derision. We must "put on Christ" and put off the religious Christianity we wear as a fig leaf to cover our shame and nakedness, where the Pastor is exalted but not God. We must forsake man's traditions and doctrines. We must identify and forsake all "doctrines of devils" taught in churches as the doctrines of Christ. We must fall in love again with our first love, whom we've cheated on, with lies from "the father of lies" - Our first love is Truth and we must all become "lovers of Truth". We must remain faithful to the end. Amen. 

Thoughts on Judgment continued...

They chose Babylon over the New Jerusalem. They chose  to exalt and glorify self, to spend their short lives on themselves, to consume and not give, as a daily regimen. God is sending watchmen urging them to heed the words of His prophets "but they said we will not hearken". In America - God in His mercy sends judgment - a 911, a hurricane Katrina (Katrina means chaste, pure - He was judging America's penchant for wickedness, for homosexuality in particular, the practice of it and the tolerance of it), a hurricane Harvey (Harvey means mind, intellect - He was judging humanism, trusting in and exalting our intellects over His, creating a religion that uses His name and His word but centers around us, our understanding), or a hurricane Michael (Michael means "reflecting the spiritual truthfulness of God' - He was judging the many churches that are misrepresenting God, reflecting doctrines of devils and men instead of the Truth according to the Holy Spirit).
In America they "trust in lying words that cannot profit". "All is well" goes the common refrain - ALL IS NOT WELL! They'll tell you "peace, peace" but there is only peace for those surrendered to His will, who are pursuing Him, heavenly riches, not the worldly wealth Babylon teaches men to lust after. Not fleshly pleasures. The worst thing that God could do to a people clinging tightly to a false religion, who are on a path to Hell all the while thinking they are going to Heaven....is nothing. His judgments are full of His mercy. They are His wake up call to a nation lifting itself in pride, not humility. We must not continue, day after day, living apart from Him, watching our movies and our TV's, our many games or even just watching ourselves, apart from Him. He created us after all to enjoy life with us. While we practice our religious ceremonies, content in the system Satan has devised to prevent us from knowing and fulfilling God's will, while we embrace our traditions of man that exclude God's presence among us, while we practice a form of godliness but deny His power - He interrupts our routine with a tragedy. How dare He! But if, in the midst of a tragedy, we turn our hearts to Him AND KEEP THEM TURNED TO HIM, if we repent and turn from our wicked ways, if we receive Him with our hearts and not just our minds, then the judgment was merciful indeed.
These many "love" preachers and prophets, who say speaking of our Father as a vengeful, wrathful God who sends judgment, is false, are themselves false, or at the least unbalanced or misguided for God is clearly both at the same time - loving to all, wanting to save all, but all just and fair to all. Whom He loves He rebukes and chastens. His wrath, again I say wrath, the wrath of our "loving God", will be poured out as wine. He will judge and cleanse the whole earth, this time by fire. To be continued...

Jesus spoke extensively of the Day of Judgment and we, I proclaim, are now in that day, the "Day of Vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn", "to appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" and I am called to "raise up the former desolations" and "repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations" and men shall call me "the minister of our God", "For I the Lord love judgment" "and I will direct  their work in truth" and my seed the Lord has blessed and "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of Salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with jewels". My jewels are the wisdom and knowledge He gives me. I seek the perfume of His presence "for we are unto God a sweet savour (taste or smell) of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life."
Oh how God sees every injustice committed every day! He is quickly coming to comfort those that mourn in Zion. He will not leave the wicked unpunished. We are now in a season of judgments. Hurricane Harvey was just the beginning. 911 was a prophetic call to America to repent and turn from her wicked ways. It was a call to exchange pride for humility, yet she would not. I alone, to my knowledge, declared the truth of the twin towers - they represented the pride and arrogance of Man. They represented a modern day tower of Babel, they represented Babylon "the great whore" who seduced men int buying and selling instead of freely receiving and freely giving as love does for all mankind. When those twin towers of trade fell, it was a prophecy of Babylon's soon coming fall "and the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication with her and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, alas, alas, thet great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come>(If a thousand years is as to the Lord as one day, then one hour is 41.66 years) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore". Babylon's god is self and it's worshipped with money. No wonder the merchants mourn. Satan's system taught them to focus of self, to "get" money, possessions, for self. Jesus' system is the exact opposite - we sacrifice self on behalf of others. Love gives, not takes. "For God so loved the world that He gave". The towers falling were a sign showing America "I will exalt the humble but abase the proud". O my people, even as I see judgment, I see this scripture has come to pass - "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many". These are they that prophesied in His name but knew Him not. These are they which have "healed the hurt of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace". Even as I prophecy of the coming judgments, they say I am a false prophet. They falsely represent God saying a loving God would not send a hurricane, a loving God would not harm people - they do not know that the people brought it upon themselves. What did America do with all it's wealth and prosperity? What is America's dream? To get and consume more and more and more. We do give to the needy, but we don't give as the widow, sacrificially. Our heart's mandate in America is to live as comfortable a life as we can till we die, it is not to live the gospel in obedience to Christ "From the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness, (inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions, greedy) and from the prophet even to the priest every one deals falsely". God offers them a path out of the mess they're in, He offers them "the good way" for them to "walk therein" where they shall "find rest for your souls. But they said "we will not walk therein". 

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God"

Folks, a word about judgment. All throughout scripture we see God judging. He judged the tower of Babel. He judged Sodom and Gomorrah. He judged Jericho. And most importantly to us, in our day, he judged the whole earth in the days of Noah by sending the flood. 

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the (second) coming of the Son of man be"

"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men"

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"

"Ii is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment"

While we were in "The acceptable year of the Lord's favor", we tended to only see and acknowledge our God as "the Lamb slain for the sins of the world". We saw Him as a loving shepherd come to gather his lost sheep. We knew that "God is Love" but we refused to look at the other side of God - clearly depicted in Scripture - the God of wrath. 

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the Throne, and from THE WRATH OF THE LAMB: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

The answer is no one. No one shall be able to stand in the "great day of his wrath" but every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Yet do you see? Do you see that the gentle loving Lamb has also great wrath? And that there is a time and a season for his wrath to be poured out? 

"Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh (this word "laugh" in the Hebrew language means "to strut as a lion"), the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall HE SPEAK TO THEM IN HIS WRATH, AND VEX THEM in His sore displeasure"

Now I ask you, how will He "speak to them in His wrath?" He will do as He has always done - He will send his prophets -

"and the nations were angry and your wrath is come and (I tremble as I write this) the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward to your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Your name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth"

He judges! He has the right to! He has the right to punish whom He will and reward whom He will. I believe that "The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him".

Part two coming soon