The snake looses

Recently the enemy of our souls has been hard at work in attacking me.  Frequently at night there has been a heavy presence that seems to be crushing the life right out of me.  I cannot move or breath.  I barely eek out the name of Jesus and then the presence flees.  This has occurred sometimes twice in a night. On one such occasion a bright light came from the other side of my room, smashed into the darkness and disappeared through the wall on the opposite side.  I knew that God was intervening on my behalf and I awakened praising Him.  I have slept with my Bible right next to me.  I went so far as to literally paint the name of Jesus on the door frame in the bedroom and both doors that lead to outside.  I called and spoke to a minister of my church who talked with me for about 45 minutes.  This gave me great hope and a reassurance.  Occasionally I also dream about a snake attacking me.  I always awake just before the snake strikes.  Last night's dream was so different.  I was again dreaming about a snake but this time it wasn't coming after me it was hiding beneath a stairwell behind something that was on the stairs.  I was fearful and I didn't want it to strike anyone who might be on the stairs, so I faced it, reached behind whatever was on the stairs, grabbed the snake by the neck, took a deep shaky breath and wrung it's neck and I didn't let it go until I knew it was dead! I praise God for His work in crushing the serpents power!  God's work on the cross allows us to have the victory over sin and satan.  I am just full this morning of singing the praises of my Maker and my King, Jesus Christ who gives me the victory!!! God has even been speaking through my local radio station by the songs that seem to have lined up to be played right now!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Lm_rvd9sc   The song is Shelter by Carrollton.  A little rocky, but the message I love.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7WLyCzql8  Priceless by King and Country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU  Redeemed By Big Daddy Weave.  God is soooooooo awesome!

Resurrection morning is coming

18 long years have come and gone since the day my daddy took his last breaths.  We had talked before he died about the Lord's soon return.  As I sit here listening to a record, yes a record, but it's on Youtube, of George Beverly Shea singing ,"The King is Coming!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0v35yVIL5Q  I know that THE King IS COMING and it is so much sooner than any might expect!  The enemy of our souls continues to attack me.  Last night was no exception.  I had awakened just before 2am to see if I could see the meteor shower but it was too cloudy so I went back to bed and prayed for everyone I know until I fell back asleep.  But, back to that fateful day 18 years ago; It was a Sabbath, the 22 of 2000.  I wrote this that morning about my step mother:

My hollow eyes have seen

The misery that awaits us all

Death in all its horror

Life is but a dream.

Where is the value in life?

I've seen it in her saddened eyes

So tender, so kind, so loving,

That's what it's all about.

Since it was Easter that weekend, I knew that the Sabbath sermon would be about the resurrection.  Imagine sitting through a sermon on the resurrection knowing that your dad was laying dying!  Yes there is hope of the resurrection because Jesus died and rose for us.  Such a hopeful message, not on the typical Jesus' resurrection but on the resurrection of Lazarus.  I just cried through the whole thing!  After service my step sister and her husband distracted me some by going mushroom hunting, morel hunting season was in full swing.  But then we got the call, come home NOW!  It won't be long now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBrVyeUxDBc Heritage singers, "It won't be long" 9:25pm Nurse pronounces daddy gone.  Asleep peacefully, the long turmoil over, rest now till Jesus comes. Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Two dreams last night about a house

Awakened last night with migraine headache, which I still have so pray for me.  Once when I fell back asleep, I had a dream that I was in a house and it was moving day.  I was going from room to room unplugging every appliance.  Someone following me around the house asked me, "What if so and so finds out what you are doing?"  I replied, "I don't care what they think," and then I just kept going to the next rooms unplugging things.  The house already looked as if nobody had lived there for a while, with things strewn all over the rooms.
People it is time to move.  We need to be unplugging from this life.  The cares of this world should no longer be ours.  Moving day is fast upon us.
The second dream was a bit scary.  The house was different and large.  Many stories tall (maybe 3 or 4) There was someone who had come into the house with a machine gun and had begun to shoot up the house.  I snuck around from room to room warning the people that the woman with the gun was coming, (as if they couldn't hear the gun fire)!  The woman with the gun got angrier and angrier as she went from room to room finding no one to shoot, because they had already been warned.  She began to hunt whomever it was that was doing the warning.  It became increasingly hard to hid from her.  I had gotten through about one half of the house and I could hear and see that there were others on the other side of the house still calmly playing.  The gun woman was upstairs on one side. I was downstairs on that same side.  She had the height advantage.  She could look across and see the people playing or see could see me if I attempted to get to them.  If I stepped out where she could see me then I risked her being able to shoot me, but if I didn't try then the people in the room who were still oblivious to their danger would surely perish.  I stepped out and yelled as loudly as I could, "get out, there's a shooter."  She was enraged and looked over the balcony and took aim at me.  I briefly saw the people in the room slowly become aware of the gravity of the situation and then I woke up.  The enemy of our souls is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  It is high time that we as a church wake up and get about the business of giving the last warning to the world.  Jesus is coming very soon.

The end is nearer than when we first believed.

Last night I was dreaming that there was this mother with her children.  The children kept chasing after a toy, a stuffed bear or something like that, I don't rightly remember now. It was also as if a tornado or other catastrophe was coming and the mother was trying to herd her kids to safety.  One of her kids kept slipping from her grasp and chasing after this toy. I awoke when the mother and one of her children were falling into a crack in the earth and the other child slipped out of her grasp to rush after this toy.  God please save my children from the want of this world, and help them to be ready for the coming catastrophe that is soon to be upon us!
 In other news I just saw a "newly" minted coin with Trump and Cyrus on one side and a "Third" temple for Jerusalem on the other.  April 19th will mark a 70 year anniversary of Israel being recognized as a nation. (Interesting that it has been 70 years)  http://www.wnd.com/2018/04/new-coin-minted-to-fund-building-jerusalem-temple/  https://www.charismanews.com/world/70549-newly-minted-trump-cyrus-third-temple-coin-prophetic-confirmation-during-israel-s-70th-anniversary  https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/103700/global-support-third-temple-coin/     Is that Isaiah 60:8 on the inscription and if so what exactly does that mean? Isaiah 60:8 "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" In reading the rest of the chapter it is talking about Gentiles coming to help build up Israel. "3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy  rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea,  those nations shall be utterly wasted." People are really believing that in the last days there will be a new temple! Daniel 2 clearly tells us the kingdoms of this world and how it will come to pass. "31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. sawest:  32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,thighs: or, sides 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.without…: or, which was not in hands 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in  pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."  https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4995/t/right-on-time--prophetic-appointments-revealed-  There was a prophetic time for the children of Israel but it ended in AD 34. (See link above) There WILL be a New Jerusalem, however it is in Heaven currently. Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

 I can't help but wonder how many more signs do we need that we ARE living in the very LAST days????

What manner of persons?

I woke up this morning feeling another sermon coming on and the following text in my head. 2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? I feel very strongly that Jesus is coming back very very soon, but even if He wasn't our days on this earth are short and unknown.  A terminal illness like my dad had or an accident of some sort and our lives are gone, in an instant. A friend of mine was given a dream which reminded me of the history of God's church.  In the beginning, when the apostles were going out preaching, the people and the gospel that was preached were more pure.  Over time since compromise has crept in the people of God, us, have become less and less pure.  Sometimes I think that we say the word, Laodicea and wear it like it is some sort of badge of honor. We don't think that Revelation 3:17 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" applies to us personally, just to the church at large.  Well I have news for you, and by you I mean me, as well as us as individuals, I am laodicea, You are laodicea.  Laodicea is not the building or even the organization as a whole(although that is true in part), we, as individuals make up the "organization". I am also reminded of the parable of the ten sleeping virgins.  We are them as well. Sound asleep.  So, let's imagine for a moment that we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we only had a year or less left to live.(whether that was by the fact that Jesus was definitely coming back or that we were given some terminal illness)  If you knew that, then what would your day look like today? Or next week? I am reminded of this text in Genesis 35:2 "Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Beth–el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."  We need to be preparing our hearts now.  We need to be  Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) "laying aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"  I am reminded about this story from EGW vision as recorded here: http://www.whiteestate.org/sop/2000/story.html "The road got narrower and narrower so they had to leave their wagons because there was not room enough for them. Some of the people tied their luggage on the horses and rode the horses. The path kept getting more narrow, so the people were all crowded near the wall. When their luggage hit it they would sway toward the edge. They were afraid they would fall off the edge, so they cut the luggage from the horses and it fell off the side. When the road became so narrow that they were afraid they would lose their balance, they got off the horses. Finally they left their horses behind and followed each other, walking in each other's footsteps. Just then small white ropes came down the wall and they grabbed them to keep their balance. The ropes moved as they moved. Finally the path became so narrow that they had to take off their shoes and stockings. Even then it was difficult to stay on the narrow and dangerous path."  The time is now to leave all the "luggage" behind, and hold onto the ropes.  There is no further need for the things of this world. We need to be putting behind us those things which are standing in between us and God. TV, movies, shopping, finding different ways to amuse ourselves.  We need to be doing everything that we can to win as many souls to Jesus as possible, starting with our families and working our way outward. To our neighbors and our cities or the area we live, work and go to church in!  We need to wake up! We need to be looking only at,  Philippians 4:8 (KJV) "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  While I'm on the subject, Genesis 35:4 quoted above indicates that not only do people need to put away the foreign gods but also their jewelry.  God calls us to a purity and holiness, which are absent of these things.  There is nothing in this world that we can take with us. The only thing that we can hope to accomplish in this life is to plant as many seeds as we can for the Holy Spirit to water, aka tell people about Jesus and what He means to us. It is  Romans 13:11 (KJV) "high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

Black sheep

Funny how a single sentence from someone close to me can remind me what they really think of me.  Too stupid, too damaged, too broken, never good enough.  I don't want to be bitter. Really I don't.  People ask me all the time why I don't move closer to family.  It's because about a day or two is all that we can really get along, and I hate it. Maybe I'm just projecting...  How can we expect to go to heaven if we cannot get along down here?  Judgmental attitudes will not work in heaven.  I feel that I want to say how I'm not really so bad; see how others are doing things that are "worse" than me. But then it is me that is being just as judgmental as others.  I have always felt like the black sheep in my family, making bad life choices, not finishing college, not having the best of jobs, always needing helped out.  I know in my head that we are all sinners saved by grace and that no one sin is any better or any worse than any other sin, and that all sin will separate us from God.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snjd291QmiE&list=RDEMSpZ8H9-X42DpIOWflH4R3w&index=27  So this song by the Gaithers just came on "Sinner saved by grace" Is it my own vain imaginings that cause me to feel this way?  Does "she" mean to come across as condescending and does she realize how her words come across to me?  Am I just overly sensitive?  Talk to her? Last time I poured my heart out to her I got told that I was a hateful, ungrateful...(bad word).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc&list=RDEMSpZ8H9-X42DpIOWflH4R3w&index=27  "Blessings" by Laura Story comes on now. "What if your healing comes through tears? What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?" These words catch my ear as I type.  Yes I can forgive her. Must forgive her. God help me. The accuser of us wants me to hold on to this but I cannot.  It is a two fold poison.  I internalize my self loathing and also have bitterness towards others.  The master deceiver is hard at work.  Even now God is using the songs that pop up on youtube channel to speak to my heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijytLs96yig&index=27&list=RDEMSpZ8H9-X42DpIOWflH4R3w  "God will take care of you"  

Psalms 27:10 (KJV)

"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." Thank you Jesus.   

Arise shine

 I planned on making a trip to Texas to see my nephew being born.  I set my alarm for 4am and went to sleep.  Now God and I have this arrangement that even though I set my alarm, He wakes me up at whatever time that I really need to get up to leave.  So at 2am this verse pops into my very awakened brain. Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb_tttKrmR0 (not the version that I have but similar) As I looked at the time, I inwardly groaned.  Couldn't I sleep for just 2 more hours? Please? I tried, but then the above scripture song kept playing in my head, but then it was interspersed with a different song that is current on the contemporary Christian music station that I often listen to.  This other song I do NOT like at all.  It wouldn't stop so I got up and ready for my 13 1/2 hour trip.  I was reminded of my dad waking me up in the mornings singing... "so rise and shine and give God the glory."  Dad couldn't sing. (I woke my kids up like this too) It has been almost 18 years since we laid my father to rest, and I look forward to the day when Jesus comes and resurrects him and he will not be in the kind of pain that I last saw him in. Anyway the trip was relatively uneventful, just the way they should be, I did see a group of 3 deer once and then a whole herd later.  I also saw 3 wild turkeys.  My nephew was born Friday morning.  He is perfect.  At a recent Bible study a lady that I have never met before gave me a word that I took as coming directly from God about the direction of my life.  At nightly prayer one of my friends told me that she saw my face as she was praying.  And Just now my youtube songs just came up with the Heritage singers, "I just feel like something good is about to happen". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8IRymyYVo&t=0s&index=7&list=PLEB96D4CAB7E19ECD I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is coming VERY soon and that He is working out His plan in my life.  The recent attacks of the enemy of our souls is all the proof of that that I need, but these other reasurrances are little blessings that my God has been giving me and I just wanted to spend a moment praising Him for all the ways that He continues to lead and guide me.