Salvation as a Gift, Maturity as a Pursuit

I do not doubt most small church pastors and many of the works that are done in the world have a sincerely desire to teach others what has helped them. And I do not doubt at all the existence of God the Father, Jesus His Risen Son, or the Holy Spirit. Each of these entities of the Triune God should have a profound impact on each one of us in our introduction, belief system knowledge, pursuit and empowerment, but do they? It is hard to teach others what you do not understand yourself and it is hard to equip a soldier if you have never been in a battle. If you have been taught Christian ease, then you will unlikely seek hardship and even more likely run if you ever see battle. If you have been taught that God the Father is not a God of justice and fearing Him is the beginning of wisdom, you have been introduced to a modern day “Fairy Tale.” God is love. This is also absolutely true also and God is also righteousness and the world we live in is full of unrighteousness. The world is also full of things that do not represent love or compassion or care or concern does that make God sad or mad? Attacks on missionaries and ministries worldwide, anti-Semitism is at peaking ebb rivaling the Nazi frenzy but this time the Jews are finally saying no more! Is this a time of spiritual warfare or a time of peace and safety? Do any Christians recognize their peril as the Jew recognizes their peril? Are we fast asleep, cuddled and coddled, pampered, heavy crème feed babies, fattened for the slaughter, listening to songs that protect our ears from the screams of terror? Maybe something is amiss?

Is it possible in realm of the ways the modern church; our structures and our doctrines by which we function; produce spiritually blinded or crippled babies from our perpetual milky way mills? Is it possible that our shifting societal concepts we have come to wrong assumptions which can result in wrong conclusions? When I step back and look at all of the different doctrinal perceptions that have become entities within the realm of the modern day church systems, producing some sort of babies is a common theme. Most of today’s Christian churches have some “Biblical basis” for their belief systems and within that system, some association to “Christ” or “God” is either made or assumed. I did say most but I did not say all simply because there are great divisions or deviations that have occurred. In fact some of these groups may have deviated so far from any “Biblical basis”, the “conversion” has possibly “no fruitful connection” or an impaired, limited fruitful outcome. In today’s modern church systems if you just show up every week that is considered a faithful believer, but is that the only criteria? In this coffee and donut age of the potluck church dominion at least the starving should show up, shouldn’t they? Are they uninvited or are they too just not interested? Almost every church or religious doctrine ascribes some sort of spiritual benefit to the organization as a general context of most organized religions. Many churches are more like social clubs. There is a Biblical narrative that brings us some information that should always create a desire in us to question our specific circumstances in these things so as to stay true with the initial intent. There are quite a few Scriptures that give us this message of concern for these times we are living in right now. Matthew chapters 19-25 come to mind, especially chapter 24 tells of very specific troubles and that there will be a great falling away! God does not give us warning like this to scare us but rather to make us recognize that we might need to understand how we could actually be so vulnerable. So let’s take the warning seriously, could we please?

            II Timothy 3:1-17 says, (1.) “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” (2.) “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,” (3.) “unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good,” (4.) “treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (5.) “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power, Avoid such men as these.” (6.) “For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,” (7.) “always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.” (8.) “Just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.” (9.) “But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also,” (10.) “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,” (11.) “persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out o them all the Lord rescued me!” (12.) “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (13.) “But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (14.) “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,” (15.) “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (16.) “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (17.) “so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for  every good work.” (NASB)

            I realize that there will be a potential for many different kinds of spiritual babies, are going to have an option of reading these words. The last thing that I want to do is to disrupt the good work of God that may have started in you as a believer. I also do not wish for you to be stalled in your faith because no one has been willing to train you to be effective in your faith and to actually become a soldier, equipped for battle. The Biblical perception of how God has ordained a relationship with Him is paramount for each person. And as hard as it is to fathom that the American churches are distinct-fully out of touch with the reality coming in like a cat on an opened bird cage, singing God bless America. That each one of us reads this by which you can personally assess your situation in light of the Scriptures as you read the love letters of God to you. How important is this absolute understanding of God loving and caring for us, and do not misunderstand His clarification of training us for battle, and good soldiers actually die at times. Recognize also that God “can” also intervene no one can snatch us out of His hand nor out of this life ahead of His intention. But we have some doctrine that says before anything tough comes along the rapture will happen because God will never let His church see any of the wrath of God? I feel like there are clearly two story lines playing at the same time and it is as diverse as the polarization that is happening in America? Is anyone willing to open our eyes and here the trumpet blasts of God that says war has broken out and no one is prepared for battle?

But they do not have a shield of faith, certainly never tested against flaming darts. There helmet of salvation is buried in the garage of forgotten gifts. They do not have their feet shod with the gospel; they have never cared for such trouble. Their loins are not girded with truth, as Pontius Pilate so aptly questioned, “What is truth?” Their breastplate of righteousness is a tin foil badge crumpled into a marble sized ball. Their sword of the Holy Spirit has been whisked away by generations of non-biblical teaching that says that is neither necessary, nor available for today! We have never been tested personally, so how could we understand or know the strength of His might? The power of our prayers are also untested concepts, in fact could someone please explain their purpose? Perseverance in the church is met with the attention span of ADHD child hearing squirrel, a clanging bell feeling magnitude 8 earthquakes simultaneously while playing a video game. Being “alert” is not even a concept that can be discussed, for what? And to put an end this charade, what is this Bible thumper trying to do now, kick out his soap box and send him somewhere else we simple do not want to hear him whine!

Some church doctrines teach that just by being a member of the organization you are saved. Others teach that if you are not saved during this life you enter a place called purgatory and people can pray for you to be saved after your death. Others teach that there is no way to lose your salvation, touting once saved always saved. My guess is that Judas Iscariot who was one of the 12 hand-picked disciples of Jesus and was loved and befriended by Jesus, later betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The Pharisees who paid him called it blood money because the betrayal led to Jesus being crucified. Every rat knows to not go down with a sinking ship and this parade is over folks, swim for your wives! 

In the title I believe two deeply Biblical narratives are presented whereby the salvation message of God is often the basis for many of the churches but the methods can vary greatly. Secondly in this process of the maturity narrative implicated or taught from the Biblical narrative; has been averted or even segmented into channels as vast as the arterial systems of the human body. There are basically two things that are quite apparent in the Scriptures and one of those aspects leads to division, which breaks correct direction and authority. The other is unity, this aspect of the Scriptures to have very clear instruction with clarification, has been cited, needs to be sought, understood, acted upon, and brought to accomplishment. Yes this Bible thumper has read and learned from history and God has shown Himself before in these apparent apostate times. He has also prophetically foretold of these very times we are heading into right now, saying great peril is coming, will anyone hear?

I am starting to recognize why most people’s relationships with God tend to find moments of complacency and tend to even completely die based on valuation. It is possible the cares and worries of this world that get in the way because our objects of affection are so subject to change? Each stage of life has different cares and concerns and worries, or does it? For so many in American the latter years of life as they have come to enjoy the fruits of their labors is sheltered by their personal wealth. But is that a safety or is that a false idol that has consequently replaced their reliance on God? Or even worse is it now a way of happily serving both, equally, clearly recognizing and giving all the glory to God, insulated from the depravity of the poor misfortunate deplorable that missed their calling.

How many others have just watched themselves touched by their personal recognition of personal journey of ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth? Jesus watched the crowds enjoying this great work of God healing and delivering the needy from their burdens. They enjoyed His rich teaching and marveled at the multiplication of a little food into a feast but their hearts were not there for change but rather entertainment. They have heard of John the Baptist who has not only done his works before his God diligently and has been beheaded, clearly a prophet proclaiming and announcing Jesus as Messiah. Recorded in the Scriptures is the religious contemplative narrative of the ill equipped to understand the signs of the times in Matthew 11:14-24 which says, (14.) “‘And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.’” (15) “‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (16.) “‘But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,’” (17.) “‘and say, “We played the flute for you , and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”’” (18.) “‘For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon!”’” (19.) “‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’” (20.) “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.” (21.) “‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.’” (22.) “‘Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.’” (23.) “‘And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven will you? You will descent to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.’” (24.) “‘Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.’” (NASB) 

Do we need to step back one more layer to see the connection to of the natural function of male and females having a reproductive multiplication to having a baby? Depending on the parents training “their baby” may or may not have some connection to any modern church system, belief system or religion. These babies are naturally trained by observation of their parents, whereby these babies are exposed to some formation of some tradition which they we follow religiously by default. The old saying that seems to be most applicable, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” And yet what we saw is that “our ability today”, to act like Chorazin and Bethsaida, is more evident generation to generation than is ever apparent that we will learn from history?

Part of my greatest concern is the “Rapture” concept that is derived in the churches across the spectrum of most churches today. However it is simply not reflective of the prophetic declaration of the Jewish Bible “Tanakh” (Catholic Old Testament). The “day of the Lord” and the prophetic rapture of the church are a synonymous event, not segregated as currently taught! But because the lack of knowledge of the feasts in the Tanakh the feast of trumpets are not understood therefore the day of the Lord and the rapture are not understood. It is also the reason that Revelation is not understood. It is the reason that I Corinthians 15:51-52 is not understood. The premise for the modern day theology is based on God not being a God of wrath toward His churches and yet the churches in Revelation chapters two and three are in pretty rough shape for the most part. In the feast of trumpets there are seven days of trumpets blasts and the seventh day, the last trumpet blast is always where the hand of God is shown as all powerful. I Corinthians 15:51-52 clearly signifies the prophetic event, saying, (51.) “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,” (52.) “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (NASB) I do not doubt the rapture at all but the timing of this event is not understood nor sequenced properly within the great witnesses of the prophetic Scriptures. The seventh trumpet of God in Revelation occurs after Babylon the great is judged in Chapter 18 of Revelation. Seven seals are opened first and the seven seal is the opening of the seven trumpet judgments. Right now the current instruction from the misinformed teachers has the “Gentile church raptured” before any of these seals or of the last seal which is the seven trumpets.

Second the premise of the modern day rapture is based on the separation of the Gentile believer from the Jewish believer?  However Isaiah 56:1-12 clearly refutes this Gentile only perception and is directly talking about being joined in Jerusalem at the holy mountain of God only with Jews saying, (1.) “Thus says the LORD, ‘Preserve justice and do righteousness. For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.’” (2.) “‘How blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who takes hold of it; Who keeps from profaning the sabbath; and keeps his hand from doing evil.’” (3.) “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from His people.’” (4.) “For thus says the LORD, ‘To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast to My covenant,’” (5.) “‘To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughter; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.’” (6.) “‘Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants,, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast to My covenant; (7.) “‘Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. There burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.’” (8.) “The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, ‘Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.’” (9.) “All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.” (10.) “His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;” (11.) “And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own ways, Each to unjust gain, to the last one.” (12.) “‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.’” (NASB)

Just to clarify some of the prophetic vernacular the dogs are any people not of Jewish descent, in other words the Gentiles. As shepherds they are drinking the blood of grapes, the cup of the Lord yet walking in the ways of the world hoping and seeking great gain instead of guarding the sheep. So even sheepdogs know to bark and protect when danger is coming and yet these shepherds are mute dogs, who are greedy to eat of the abundance. This makes the rebuke of Jesus look calm to Chorazin and Bethsaida in comparison to the Father’s distain for the shepherds that are caring for His sheep.      

What most of us have the greatest propensity to do is to follow in the steps of those that have led before us whereby more people tend to be followers, than leaders. Babies grow into adults and have babies that grow into adults and we can see this cycle that has become more apples falling from the apple tree, almost without exception. But societies and cultural anomalies tend to vary city to city and region to region, nation to nation where our cultural norms have social and societal norm by association. Over the centuries we have historical accounts of wars and societal take over’s that have forced a submission of one or many peoples to be under the authority of another culture. There tend to be a melting pot effect over the first and second generations that exchange some cultural modalities as a group, whether for good or bad. America the beautiful has become a harlot that would make Oholah and Oholibah blush and according to Ezekiel 23 they did not even know how to blush. Sixty million babies have died on the altar of convenience and the promotion of the empowered “self identity” in America the beautiful, we have proven the Jews understood God better than we.

And I had mentioned the 7 churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 briefly but now it is time to also examine them more. Recognized there were 2 among the 7 that did not find any disapproval before God as He prophetically examined and told of them which are Smyrna and Philadelphia. These are the ones which hold the Jewish remnant in relationship that have always sought God the Father with all their hearts, souls and minds and saw Messiah as their salvation from God. Oh the lovingkindness of God that is bestowed on those who seek Him and love Him and are deeply rooted and grounded in the prophetic Scriptures. Religion hides but relationship is like a flower that blossoms with the fragrance that shows His everlasting lovingkindness, His perfect justice and righteousness beyond compare.

Spiritually born babies in the Biblical sense are a very specific group according to the strictest teaching of the Bible and are detailed very carefully for our instruction. This instruction actually has very specific details of how to become a spiritual baby in this Biblical sense but also give insight and instruction to the fruit that will produce if it is brought to an adult status. The spiritual adult Jewish leader Nicodemus was born as a baby of religious practice and his faith and practice had elevated him to a Pharisee as a teacher. But was his “life and this process a growth acceptable” to God the Father or to His Only Son who was coming as the Messiah bringing the salvation and redemption of God to the Jews! John 3:1-21 gives us some insight and dialog of how disruptive this concept Yeshua (Jesus) had come to bring saying, (1.) “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;” (2.) “this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’” (3.) “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you , unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (4.) “Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’” (5.) “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit be cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’” (6.) “‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’” (7.) “‘Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must be born again.”’” (8.) “‘The wind blows where it wished and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” (9.) “Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’” (10.) “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these thing?’” (11.) “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.’” (12.) “‘If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?’” (13.) “‘No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.’” (14.) “‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;’” (15.) “‘so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.’” (16.) “‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’” (17.) “‘For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.’” (18.) “‘He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’” (19.) “‘This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.’” (20.) “‘For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.’” (21.) “‘But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.’” (NASB)

If the baby doesn’t have a fruitful outcome as a maturing plant, one must ask why? First, was the baby legitimate? Nicodemus was not a legitimate born again baby was he? Second, where might this teaching falter or fail? To “believe” is meant as an action word not merely a moment in time to think a thought or pray a prayer. And is this act to believe now; a recognition of our capacity to recognize yes we have been redeemed by the grace of Almighty God alone as a precious gift, but are we now mature adults and warriors for God? Or do we find there is a lot of growing up to do just as we would see in the natural sense of seeing a natural baby grow. Is it not from watching the baby inside of us; rebelling to follow correct instruction, from ignorance, from doctrines, from false teachings, from a wounding, from an obstruction, from a sin? Many suppose this struggle is a vain struggle, others are clueless and never have even tried to become different, yet others become a plant and see the dirt opening to sunlight and are squashed with the very first footstep of adversity. Needless to say it is a very complicated maze of which is hard to completely understand unless there is pathway that is bigger than any man supply. It is this untold portion of what makes a spiritual baby become born again is that point of a Biblical foundational truth that Nicodemus has to be confronted with in his personal religious deceptions! For many of us this same unfettered truth must come to rest in our hearts, just because we grew up a “Christian” in name does not make us a matured “Christian” by being “born again”! Second part of this process is the part that is either going to substantiate our point of belief, is it a momentary commitment? Or is it something that is adhered to by faith with perseverance and learning to be valued and pursued by instruction, washed and regenerated by the renewing of our spirits through the word of God and the works of God? And is it the Spirit of God that is changing our spirits as men to understand the hope of His calling and the learning of endurance through suffering and testing. Yes, God tests those He loves, are you willing and desirous to draw near?

It is imperative to interject a bit of kingdom of heaven realm thinking and belief system into the heady conversation. One of the greatest confusions of all the religions is deviations caused by division; this is an implementation by the enemy of God. The Bible is an instruction manual beyond any compare whereby God has given to us immense attention to the details for a perfect result. So although both these intentions and instructions by God were perfect in both application and implication for our relational training; our familial training can impose a veiled cloaking. Our familial training, of which we have been basically been trained by rote, has come some religious stigma and / or belief system, which imposes a supernatural veil filtering all forms of conversation. We automatically assume a position and our filter system blocks any invasion of any new concept or perception by default. Without the intervention of the Holy Spirit of God to convict our hearts to desire to know God could any of us ever be changed to any new belief contrary to what we have learned in our familial settings? Instruction from God must be read and understood by our human minds to ever gain a deeper understanding or knowledge of God which can only be achieved by having faith in His ways. These concepts and thoughts, these fortress strongholds and chained doors, these spiritual dominions and territorial disputes are only broken with prayers and fasting. This is not a trite thing to see someone come out of spiritual death and bondage; this is a work and working of God that we partner to request of the Holy One, Almighty God.

The most fascinating part of the relationship with God is imparted by His instruction manual, which is a spiritually appraised book. Within the confines of this book, we have been given specific instructions that can bring us to a consistent belief system and how it must come into this relational understanding. What we will also find in this book will be things that contradict some of many of the familial teaching by which we have been trained by rote. Other things will possibly deepen our faith in those things based upon our familial upbringing. Some of what God may open our eyes to see will go against religious teachings. Other may go against what the prophets of today might be saying to the church today that does not represent the current battle or the prophetic storyline of the Scriptures. There is not real unity in much of what is being told as prophetic today because it causes division and is leading to a great falling away of the church marching headlong into destruction.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 is not a happy song to dance with nor a pleasant conversation to marvel at our convenience but rather a stark prophetic warning which says to the present day religious community, (14.) “Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.” (15.) “A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,” (16.) “A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.” (17.) “I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung.” (18.) “Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD’S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of earth.” (NASB)

And yet there is the prophetic hope that is given by Zephaniah 2:1-3 with recognition that we have failed to walk with God in an acceptable way, giving us a way of escape, if we will recognize our wickedness, saying (1.) “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame,” (2.) “Before the decree takes effect—The day passed like the chaff—Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you.” (3.) “Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger.” (NASB) I believe this message is to all the Gentile churches that have a foreign gospel and contrived a form of godliness. That because of our sinful rebellion we most look like the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation, rich and sassy, crème fed babies saturated with the false prophets wooing lies. We do not know how to blush! Psalm 51 is unknown to us as a prayer; repentance is Old Testament portion that is only a ritual of the old Jewish law of God unnecessary for the modern enlightened believer.

Some religious doctrines have been very productive in producing a fruitful outcome even when they have not produced Biblical legitimate babies. The system of proselytizing others to a belief system is as old as every cultural group ever formed and can become a system conveyed by rote or in some applications specifically planned. The orchestration of a planned outreach to any culture or people can be applicable to a systematic approach, which is going to occur by either doctrines, covenants or both. The “cult of Mormonism” does not follow the Bible as the mainstay of teaching but has added the book of Mormon as the template to their doctrine. They have been quite effective with both making physical babies over the decades and with their proselytizing methods of the Mormon missionaries two year commission are tied in suits. We have all met them and seen them, I have witnessed to them and prayed many prayers for them but they are extremely hard to reach! Their doctrines are deeply engrained in the culture and their lifestyles cultivate a very closely knit and monitored existence! Excommunication from the Mormon community including loss of wife or husband is very close to that of the Jewish community with synagogue practices. The Rabbi’s dominion over excommunication for coming to relationship with Jesus as Messiah is as heartfelt and taking Isaiah Chapter 45 and Chapter 53 out of all communication and teaching because it is clearly about Him. The guarding of these sheep in both these cases is more over dominion as in property as an owner rather than as an overseer willing to point to God as the author and perfector. Religion is a flawed result of deviations and division from God because we have imparted our truths and displaced the prophetic truth of the Scriptures. There is no contest with contesting with God, His lovingkindness has once again prophetically proclaimed our destiny if we persist in our religious puffed up flesh, may God give us eyes to see and ears to hear?  

I want to be clear here, babies are the most significant resource of the reproduction of the necessary substance to carry on any construct of a societal next generation. These Scriptural prophetic constructs are Biblical and sovereign commands from the King of all creation, Almighty God. I will not bend my knee to the doctrines of men and I will not be detoured by the pleasures of this world, for the orphans of God are His babies, He desires to bring into His eternity. And the widows of God are His babies that have been religiously obstructed and polarized by supersessionism of the Gentiles as well as an anti-Semitic religious routing of the wicked cloaked in purple robes.

May we see our religious hypocrisy and find ourselves broken, dawned in sackcloth and repentant, pouring ashes on our heads. Joel 1:14-20 cries a second prophetic witness toward a prophetic recognition of our failure, are we capable of hearing this time, (14.) “‘Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly, Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD you God. And cry out to the LORD.’” (15.) “‘Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.’” (16.) “‘Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God?’” (17.) “‘The seed shrivel under their clods; The storehouses are desolate, The barns are torn down, For the grain has dried up.’” (18.) “‘How the beasts grown! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer.’” (19.) “‘To You, O LORD, I cry; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.’” (20.) “‘Even the beasts of the field pant for You; For the water brooks are dried up And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.’” (NASB)

And God reaches and stoops one more time to know and understand these times once again as in Zephaniah 2 He repeats in Joel 2:1-17 calling to those that will choose to become the bride of Jesus focused on relationship for such a time as this, (1.) “‘Blow a trumpet is Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,’” (2.) “‘A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.’” (3.) “‘A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing escapes them.’” (4.) “‘Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run.’” (5.) “‘With the noise as of chariots, They leap on the tops of mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle.’” (6.) “‘Before then the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.’” (7.) They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths.’” (8.) “‘They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.’” (9.) “‘The rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.’” (10.) “‘Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness.’” (11.) “‘The LORD utters His voice before His army, Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?’” (12.) “‘Yet even now,’ declared the LORD, ‘Return to Me with all of your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;’” (13.) “‘And rend your heart and not your garments,’ Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.” (14.) “Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?” (15.) “Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,” (16.) “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber.” (17.) “Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers, Weep before the porch and the altar, And let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations.’ Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” (NASB)

My King, give us ears to hear Your prophetic call: I repent for myself knowing I sinned and transgressed before You, once again cleanse me from my sins and all unrighteousness? I pray for each one hearing these words that you would do a new work in each person and that they might know a deep recognition of Your presence as they desire and learn to seek Your face. Make the Gentiles also part of Your possession. May we be broken in corrective repentance rather than arrogantly scattered as dust? Please, again have mercy on us LORD, we await in ashes, I fear you LORD and I reverence You alone as God. We thank You for Your salvation given through You Son Yeshua (Jesus) and we thank You for Your Spirit first given to the prophets and some of the kings and then to Your Son. And now through Your Son you have allowed His gift to become our gift, to us. Your gifts and Your calling are without repentance, teach us to follow You!