Tag: Jesus Christ

Behind the Beattitudes

The beattitudes starting off the sermon on the mount pronounce blessings that seem to reassure those who hear them, and rightfully so, making them easy reading. I’m here to say they are much more than that, because of WHO declared them. No scribe had the authority to proclaim these things; scripture pointed out the people knew that, after the sermon concluded. To put it in perspective, we need to visit Revelation chapter 5.

  1. 1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Why did this book matter so much? Because it was the judgment of God on mankind. 7 seals indicated it was complete; nothing could be added to it, unless someone worthy was willing to break the seals and add something relevant. It was God’s perfect case against man, that every one must die for his own sins, bar none. Being God’s judgment, only God could alter it. Humanity’s fate was sealed – until Jesus came to die in our place!

His sacrifice was witnessed by all heaven, as also His right to break the seals and add to the edict. Any who believed in Him could repent and receive pardon, trusting His death as adequate payment for the sins of the believer. Not everyone would believe the gospel, so not everyone would be saved, but no longer was everyone condemned, either. His sacrifice provided an alternative to total destruction.

By the time Jesus was born, the world’s condition had degenerated to the point that justice might as well be served. It was plain to the powers in heaven that humanity could not recover. Sin had doomed us, separating us completely from the holiness of God, who created and sustained us. Instead of pulling the plug on our life support, Jesus came in flesh to heal us and die in our place. We who had no future suddenly discovered a bright new one in our risen Savior!

Therefore, judgment was postponed while generations lived and died. Out of these, a minority put their trust in Jesus Christ. Slowly, over millenia, He has gathered a people who were never a people before we bowed to Him, building His own kingdom. He said He was going to His Father to build a place for us, remember? He didn’t need time. He built the heavens and the Earth in 6 days, you know. WE needed time! Many of us hadn’t been born yet. Jesus came to die for us in the fullness of time. Now He is finishing His Church in the fullness of time, as well.

The breaking of the 7 seals were never meant as the beginning of the Great Tribulation. They simply signified what would take place when Jesus suspended judgment for a later time. Ambitious men would rise, attempting to conquer the world and “save” it, in their own name. They were false messiahs. Jesus warned they would come. They failed time after time, because they are not Him. Caesar failed, and everyone with a similar mindset has failed since then, though they threatened stability each time.

OF COURSE, their ambitions and aggression will start wars. They have started many wars, attempting to rob people of their freedom. Revelation chapter 7 shows the progression of offenses and the conflicts instigated by them. Wars produce suffering, shortages and disease, leading to massive death tolls. The prayers of saints who have sacrificed everything to follow Christ beg Him to make it stop. They are comforted, while told that there are still more like them coming home, just be patient.

The Great Tribulation begins after the final seal is broken in chapter 8. Christ will have retrieved His Church by then. We’ll be with Him!

The beattitudes should be viewed in this light, as a proclamation of hope to a world that had none. Without Christ Jesus, there is no hope! It’s jarring and welcome to hear the Judge of nations declare that the formerly condemned are blessed. I leave you to consider those words in this light. The world in general does not believe His gospel, chooses not to repent and is still condemned, but these are His decrees for all who trust in His word!

3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

A Disturbing Dream

Two nights back, I had a dream I can’t shake, so I’m documenting it here. At first, I was looking out over a large body of water from its edge. It looked like a sea; I couldn’t see the far side. As I watched, the water heaped up on itself until it looked like a mountain in the distance. It finally registered that this was a wave, vastly bigger than any other, a tsunami that would soon hit the coast & submerge everything. I turned away, shouting to everyone a tidal wave was coming, so run!

Next thing I knew, I was in a utility truck. The workers pulled in behind one of their buildings, a small one-story station on the coast, up the beach a ways but still on the sand, & shut off the motor. The driver announced we should be safe there. I knew he was wrong. The wave I saw was too tall, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I almost bailed out of the truck, but it occurred that I couldn’t outrun it on foot.

Then I was on a platform I couldn’t identify, open to the air & moving fast away from the danger. There was a peninsula, or possibly an island, where 3 tall identical buildings stood beside each other on the coast. They resembled apartment buildings, roughly 30 stories high. There was no visible activity around them. I remember hoping they were evacuated, because I KNEW they wouldn’t withstand what was coming. Whatever my transport was, it was fast enough. I & others aboard would get clear.

Right before I woke, someone made a comment that seemed to stick with me past the dream. It went something like this, “In all my years here, nothing like this has ever happened on the lake!”

I’ve never heard of a tsunami on a lake! Since I couldn’t see the other side, it had to be a big one. There are only two reasons I can conceive it might happen: seismic activity or a meteorite strike. Not sure if a nuke could manage it. Whatever the case, I felt I should share the dream. I immediately thought of the Great Lakes, but I think the Great Salt Lake might fit the description, too – assuming the location was North America. I’m American, so if God gave me a glimpse of something in advance, it stands to reason it would be in the nation where I live.

Strange things will happen in the Great Tribulation, weird signs where the Lord is working to get the world’s attention in a call to repentance. Perhaps the final transport I couldn’t identify signifies the rapture of the Church – or maybe it was a cucumber dream. Scripture indicates God will divide the nation that tries to divide Israel. The U.S. has pushed the land-for-peace idea for decades, provoking God’s hand, or more specifically, His word. There’s been speculation that the Madrid Fault could make that happen, literally dividing this nation by creating an inland sea.

I don’t know much, but I know the Lord Jesus will preserve me according to His will. What He did on the cross is enough to save whoever calls on Him in repentance for his sins. This kind of dream disturbs me for the suffering it implies, not because I fear it coming to pass. Bad things will & do happen, but in the end, He will gather me into His arms & I’ll be okay. You can reach out & obtain the same grace in this life, but… this life is not a sure thing, so don’t put it off!

The REAL Test in the Upcoming Election

Political fervor always reaches a crescendo this close to an election, especially a presidential election. That’s normal. Something bigger is on the line this time, though. The LEGITIMACY of the U.S. election system to resist corruption will be proven or its failure exposed, once & for all. It took a hit in 2020, then another in 2022. If 2024 follows the pattern, three strikes puts America out as a free nation.

It’s not really the individual ambition of any one mortal threatening freedom loving Americans. Some have personal ambitions that align with the globalist agenda, but only Satan has the longevity to pursue such a plan over multiple generations. It has had advocates for centuries. It would have died with them, if it was theirs alone. Over this nation’s existence, it has made continual strides toward a one-world dominion, absolute evidence of a guiding intelligence manipulating its implementation. From Bush Sr. to Obama, 28 years of Presidency representing BOTH political parties were advocates of globalism. That’s not coincidence, it’s collaboration and conspiracy behind the scenes.

Donald Trump freaked the globalists out. After all those years, a man challenged the globalist objective by running America like a corporation. Jesus Christ was acknowledged as the only true divine Savior of humanity, which is globalist anathema! Secular humanism with the rejection of Jesus is essential to enthrone another ‘messiah’, as the Bible predicts. When Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it became clear his rise to power was God’s doing. He’s been a target ever since.

Many would label me a MAGA Trumper, but I actually have mixed feelings, rather than a bias. I love America. Trump was & is good for America, but didn’t really change it beyond his term. If it doesn’t have a change of heart, it won’t repent. Without repentance, it isn’t salvageable; even Jesus Himself can’t fix it! When He raptures His Church out of the world, America’s ability to resist evil will be gone with it. I prefer it doesn’t collapse, but if Antichrist’s unveiling is necessary before Jesus returns to set up His kingdom, the Lord might as well get it over with. His reign is more desirable, in the long run.

Please allow me to share a recent dream. I saw a huge brown eagle fly into view, bigger than any known to man. I wondered if it was a condor because of its massive size, but the head was that of a bird of prey, not a scavenger. It hovered as if claiming new territory. Suddenly, a bald eagle attacked it in fury, as if defending its nest. Though much smaller, the bald eagle’s ferocity and maneuverability landed attacks on the oversized bird again and again. The giant eagle wasn’t really damaged, but unable to catch & crush its smaller assailant, it finally withdrew. I knew it would come back as the dream ended.

The giant brown eagle symbolized globalism, the force that will propel the Antichrist to power. It is eager to claim new territory — TOO eager. After prayer, I believe America, symbolized by the bald eagle, will drive it off for a time. Perhaps God will uphold legitimacy in this election, in spite of all the corruption the process has suffered. It’s only a reprieve, if He does. The rapture makes a reversal inevitable. Lawlessness IS coming, as sure as night follows day, and it WILL be enthroned until the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns to crush it!

2020: The Election That Broke America

Whatever is decided when the 2020 election is finalized, whatever the outcome, the USA will never be the same.  Even if free elections continue, voter confidence will never be firmly reestablished.  The nation has been victimized in a way that it has forever lost its innocence, and those who took advantage of us, who claim to be part of us, knew what they were doing the whole time!

Like the man who cast a vote in his own name and another in the name of his deceased wife, there are always some who seek to sway elections improperly.  While such activity is illegal and must be prosecuted, voter fraud is not the same as election fraud.  Counterfeit ballots, unobserved counting of ballots without open validation by third parties and ballots being changed in any way after being submitted indicate deliberate manipulation of an election.

Such activities are bad enough.  They involve cells of people cooperating to achieve goals contrary to the purpose of a free election system.  Those people are legitimate enemies of the state and a threat to national security.  A nation that turns a blind eye to these things won’t last long.

But when the cells are organized to work in concert across state lines, the workers in different municipalities utilizing the same techniques to accomplish one purpose, it is unmistakable evidence of a central directive.  An influential few have to be pulling the strings, because it wouldn’t happen otherwise!

THAT makes for a coup attempt!  The attempt to overthrow a ruler is the very definition of high treason.  Trying to disguise it as a rigged election doesn’t change the truth.  Coopting news coverage to spread propaganda doesn’t make it right, either.

This didn’t happen overnight, folks.  It’s been tried and tested in smaller venues for years.  It works every time it goes unchallenged.  Law enforcement alone has the resources and the right to challenge it, but WHO is willing to put his career and reputation on the line to go digging for the evidence to convict?  AG Barr just made it clear it isn’t him.  He’s not willing to go all or nothing in on this, so he’s taking the safest way out by denying evidence exists.

FBI Director Wray could investigate.  With so much of the Agency’s work done out of the public view, he would risk less than the high profile AG.  Surprise, surprise; Mr. Biden is talking about keeping the FBI in his hands!  Rocking the boat isn’t to his advantage, then, especially when the sitting President has expressed displeasure with him.  Remember, Director Wray is in possession of Hunter’s laptop.  It would take a true patriot to disregard all this in favor of exposing an illicit plot to take over the White House.  Only someone who loves this nation would do that!

AG Barr’s fear is not unfounded, when one considers who is implicated.  Hillary Clinton famously advised Mr. Biden not to concede the race, no matter what.  She certainly had more reason than unbridled optimism to say so!

Speaker Pelosi spent 2020 criticizing the President and stalling House action for Covid relief after the CARES act (you know, the porky bill that paid hospitals $20K per patient to link Covid to any death they could, thereby feeding the public fear of infection).  The exception to her lethargy was when the Postmaster General showed uncertainty concerning his ability to handle mail-in ballots.  His cold feet moved her like nothing else could!

Fortunately, God’s sovereignty is not subject to any election.  He will protect His beloved until He calls us home, exposing the lies that beset us.  Even if America is broken, His word is not!  Let those who do not know Him call on Him in repentance of their wicked ways; and let those who trust in Jesus Christ remember His promises.  We are HIS first and foremost, after all!