The Price of Cruel Judgments

During this time of trial (which is only the beginning) I have learned something very

important. It is that everyone has a strong opinion about things that we know far less about than we think. Also, it seems that every one of us thinks that his or her opinion is of utmost important, and only our opinion is right while others are wrong, unless . . . they agree or coincide with our own somewhat.

Because of this, judgments abound, and in the process of delegating truths and errors when it comes to the narrative that is being spoon-fed to the masses, we are placing ourselves in the seat of judgment and relegating the TRUE JUDGE to the back of the FRUITFUL TREE in the pasture while we take our place in the great and spacious building, pointing our finger and laughing at those seeking shelter beneath that TREE.

Why are we doing this to each other? Why are we allowing this separation to occur among us? We are children of a King, royal sons and daughters of God, yet our actions are anything but.

Over the last few weeks, I have seen and heard things and witnessed actions among God’s people that have literally broken my heart. How far we have fallen in six months’ time! How wide the division has grown, and how deeply planted the seeds of contention have been sown! The roots as so embedded that only the Master of the Vineyard will be able to dig them up.

Oh, how I pray to never be a part of the resulting crop of tares that is plucked up and cast

out to be destroyed! And how I long to be bundled in with the precious wheat, to be safely stored up for the Master’s use. This is an endless prayer I carry inside for myself, my family, and all my brothers and sisters of every religion.

I wish with all my heart and every fiber of my being that we could all glimpse the big picture, that we could all catch the vision of the beautiful masterpiece we are a part of.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, God is not the author of contention, and as soon as we allow contention to enter our daily dealings, the Spirit leaves. Once we allow that to happen on our end, we truly don’t have anything solid to stand on to justify our reasons for giving it entrance, nor any power from the Lord when pleading our case. Whenever contention seeps into our hearts, it manifests itself in our thoughts, words, and deeds. So, in essence, the BEST thing we can do is to pluck the seeds of contention before they take root.

I have spent many a night lately crying myself to sleep and praying–crying and praying for my family, for friends, and for my fellow church members, as well as all my brothers and sisters in Christ. The time of preparation is shortening by the day, and instead of using this time to point fingers and betray our neighbors in hasty judgments and criticism, we should be anxiously engaged in spiritual preparation and doing all we can to get our ducks in a row and get right with God.

Because in the end, the opinions and judgments of man won’t matter; they never should have mattered in the first place.

If we have a heart for the Lord, it is Him and only Him, that we will look on as our judge, for He will indeed be our judge, jury, and executioner.

And I pray that the last role will not be needed in my life, or yours.

Much love to you all 

The Wolf We Feed

Yesterday was one of those day when my feelings just ran the gamut, and so many questions about the state of the world and my place in it continually fired through my mind. Then last night, after spending some time opening my heart to Heavenly Father, I was blessed with the peaceful assurance that God is aware of EVERYTHING. Nothing done in secret is ever truly secret, and things done in the dark to divert, deceive and destroy will one day be brought to light.

For some of us, these latter days are - and will continue to be - days of pain, sorrow, fear, and despair. However, for those who are prepared (meaning striving to live the gospel and preparing for every needful thing, both spiritually and temporally) these are -and will- be days of refinement, wonder, joy, faith, and hope. Part of that preparation is remembering that we are not fighting against men, but against the powers of darkness, and a major way that dark power is spreading is by breeding perpetual opposition in the world and in our homes. The great division isn't just about the separation of the wheat and the tares.
In Luke 12: 52-53, we read that in the last days:
"there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

When it comes to decisions in life, we humans usually act according to our conscience and each person's conscience is different. Something I have learned over the years is when my heart is fixed and focused on my Savior and the things of God, it is God who rules my conscience. There have been times when I've done and said things that have seared my conscience, as have we all, but as I have said many times, constant repentance is key in overcoming my weaknesses and mastering my mind and heart. It is a sometimes brutal and painful process, and it really can be exhausting, but it is oh, so worth it! The more I stay focused and the more I repent, the more I feel my Savior near and the more I can feel His influence in my life. Nothing is more important than that.

Every day at any given time, we have good and evil spirits surrounding us and accompanying us wherever we go, which is why standing in holy places at all times is so important. Right now, my most holy place is my home, because here, I am surrounded by the things of God, and I try to take those feelings with me everywhere I go. But I remind myself constantly that Satan and his minions are always ready and waiting to pierce my peaceful sanctuary, and fear, despair, and harsh feelings of any kind provide the opening that the evil one needs to enter, thereby placing the righteous ones outfield and weakening that protection.

Heavenly Father wants to bless each of His children with a wise heart and I pray for that constantly, to possess the wisdom I will need in forging ahead. But knowledge comes first, and heavenly training in how to use that knowledge (the ability to discern truth from lies) is a must. Then, depending on how we exercise our agency, wisdom is sure to follow.

With all the evil that has been - and is presently being perpetrated on human beings, I have witnessed Ephesians 6: 12 in action:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

We have all witnessed it in one form or another. But I have learned that witnessing it is not as important as how we choose to let it affect us, and being ambivalent and dismissive is definitely not the smart way to handle it. On the contrary, adopting those attributes when it comes to evil is detrimental to our eternal salvation. Which is why it is so important to remain prayerful, especially now, because I don't know about you, but I need the Lord's influence in my life every second of the day. I will forever.

My greatest prayer for each and every one of us on this beautiful sabbath day is that we focus on faith instead of fear, hope instead of despair, and joy instead of sorrow. Yes, we need to recognize the tools of the adversary and the negativity they produce, but we shouldn't feed that spirit.

And may we not allow ourselves to be driven and tossed to and fro by the events and happenings of this world, but seek righteous and truth, and then stand firm in it, steadfast and immovable in the Lord.

Spiritual Blindness and Other Truths

I've spent a great deal of time this morning praying and asking the Lord what He would have me
write, begging Him to lay on my heart something I could say that would uplift and edify. Then my thoughts drifted back to last night and what was supposed to be an evening of celebration of our country's "independence." I sat out on our condo's small patio, praying and thinking as the popping of fireworks sounded near and far around me.

After heeding a prompting from the Lord to sell our house last summer, then renting a basement apartment for six months and waiting for Him to direct us where He needed us next, we were led here to our new little home. However, due to circumstances beyond our control (virus, social distancing, etc.) my husband and I haven't been able to get to know fellow church members and neighbors as much as we would like, and for a short time, we felt a little lost. We didn't know what our purpose was for being here.

We finally came to the realization that for us, this is a place of spiritual preparation. Oh, we have met a neighbor here and there and I still drop off a treat every now and then. We also minister where we can and spend time with our children and their families, but spiritual preparation has taken precedence in our life.

Everything in our world has completely changed, and contrary to popular belief, nothing will ever return to what we've known as "normal" again. It CANNOT. Yet that truth is not what the majority want to hear, and it makes me sad.
Many don't want to hear anything that does not fit in with the current narrative. Some don't want to hear about the secret combinations that are controlling the nations. No one wants to hear that we as a people have been deceived for so long, it has become a dangerous programming - a mindset that we can't seem to break out of. The majority does not want to hear that LIVES MATTER. We can't seem to grasp that God is not the author of confusion and contention, and any time contention enters a conversation, we boot God right out of it. (Think about various Facebook posts). Many don't want to be counseled to trust in God and not in the arm of flesh, because they seem to believe that a college degree, doctorate, money, power, position, or notoriety puts that man's opinion above God's. In fact, that type of faithful adulation turns these very individuals into the gods of this world. And that is on us.

But these are the things I cannot talk about, because mine is not the popular opinion, nor is anyone else's who may share it. There are far more opposing voices that scream a lot louder.

Last night as I pondered all these things, I felt so alone, but I knew that I wasn't. I kept asking, "Father, are you here? Lord, are you here?" And then I sat quietly and allowed myself to imagine Them both saying, "Yes, We are here." I felt comforted. And it is because of that comfort that I am able to share what is in my heart.

"Their eyes are glazed so they cannot see, their minds are incapable of discernment." ~Isaiah 44:18

"Spiritual blindness is just that - an unawareness of lacking discernment in things divine. Spiritually blind people don't perceive the signs of the times or what God would have them do to save their souls." ~ Avraham Gileadi

We have been told over and over to spiritually prepare ourselves and work on truly coming to know the Savior, and in no way is this a post of me calling anyone to repentance. I have enough repenting of my own to do. I just hope and pray that hearts will be softened, and that eyes and hearts will be opened, that we may all come to understand that nothing is as it seems. As I've said before, God knows all. He knows the beginning to the end, and He sees all the lies, deceptions and injustices that we do not, and He will judge accordingly. He loves us more than we know and wants to show us so many truths.
And though He allows evil to reign for this season (in as much as we allow it to), He is always one step ahead and in control. My most heartfelt desire is to be found on His side, at all times walking in His path.
I pray that I will be found worthy.
This is my prayer for all of us.