On My Mind And Heart As 2024 Wraps Up

FIRST: CHRISTIAN CONFUSION

Christian Confusion is like this for me (true story): Online are two reputable women. One is a dentist, with a proven record and perfect teeth and gums, who says significant to dental health is to drink liquids solely at mealtime, never between meals, and not even a swig of water after you brush your teeth before bed—you want that healthy plaque-busting biofilm to build up on your teeth between meals and while you sleep. The other is in alternative healthcare, also with a proven record, who says it’s vital we drink up to two liters of water a day, but never at mealtime—you want stomach acid to remain undiluted to facilitate food breakdown for best nutrient absorption. Let that sink in. Short of using an I-V, when and how are we to “do water” the right way and enough of it? Teeth vs. stomach acid. I don’t think God created our bodies as brilliantly as He did, and then made it so we have to make that choice. Neither do I know the answer other than this: do the best you can and trust God in all things.

To the main topic: Two men of God whom I respect, each expert Scripture exegetists who do deep research of root words, culture, and whatever else required to arrive at what God was/is saying in His Word, disagree about this: One believes in pre-Tribulation Rapture, the other in pre-Wrath-of-God Rapture. For me, this is NOT about which one is right: It’s about how two expert exegetists arrive at different beliefs. God is not the author of confusion. BONUS: At the end is a 13-minute video from Jamie Walden, whose comments are so like my own thoughts about this matter, written before I saw his video, and which I’ve removed from here—no need to be redundant. If the Rapture has you enraptured in any way, it may be worth it for you to consider what he says.

I have, and continue to add to, a “Discrepancies” list I’ve told God I’d appreciate clarity about, if He thinks it’s important for me to think on these things at all. He did say Holy Spirit would teach us all things, but I wonder if He actually meant what HE deems is necessary for us to know, rather than us wasting time (and grace) on knowing lots of stuff so we can tell people we know lots of stuff, rather than getting to know God more intimately and focusing our attention where He wants it. Too often, as Walden taught a couple Sundays back, in my zeal to know and understand more about Jesus as a follower of His, I’ve relied on a few too many people as humanly flawed as I am, to help me understand how God wants me to know, follow, glorify, and magnify Him, rather than primarily on Holy Spirit to do this promised work in me, through God’s Word and then some. I trust Jesus to get me to the goal, just as He said He will. In fact, He told us throughout His Word how to do this. Here’s a recap, in honor of Thanksgiving Day, which is this week in the U.S. as I type this: (295) LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS: THE MARTIAL ART OF THANKSGIVING – YouTube

I want to state that this writing had been in draft form for two days before a then-current Walden sermon was posted, one I consider God’s answers to some of my questions about this very topic. Walden also said something akin to what I’d written in my first draft: Far too many of us – Christians as well as non-Christians – like the sound of our voice and thoughts posted on social sites way too much, especially those that express condescension toward others or faulty biblical doctrine, of which I’ve been guilty as well. I’ve spoken often to God about a desire to sit in silence with Him more often, rather than talking at Him as I learned by example. In fact, the night before watching Jamie’s video provided here, I told God, “I’ve believed I have to fill time with You with words, but I feel the absence of YOUR voice and presence—and I don’t like it, LORD. I want to be silent with You. Is that okay?” Then I found Walden’s latest teaching, which I HIGHLY recommend: (286) DEAFENING SILENCE: A CALM AMID THE STORM – YouTube

The only prayer that has ever seemed completely right to me, no matter what is going on is, “Thank You, Lord,” especially because I can trust Him in all things. But I thought, from others’ examples, that I was supposed to hammer God with requests, telling Him what I want, which, I admit, always felt akin to Name-It-and-Claim-It witchcraft to me, so I was always uncomfortable doing so. I wasn’t asking for things for myself—He knows what I need better than I do and always meets my real needs. Still, asking for things for others, to me, is tricky, especially for healing. What if God is trying to get a person’s attention so He can lead them to healing something in their soul and I’m yammering for His hammering to stop. How unfruitful is that?! Do I trust Him with the lives of others as I trust Him with mine? Yes. I feel more comfortable thanking Him for fulfilling His perfect will and purpose for them.

Sometimes, I make up songs about God’s greatness and history that I sing to Him. Sometimes, I feel the need to pray aloud all the praise Psalms, personalizing them to Him, and thanking Him from my heart. Sometimes, praying aloud the protection Psalms for others feels right, stating how righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, a verse I say to Him often, especially in light of the times we’re in. Sometimes, I don’t feel like praying beyond thanking Him for several ways that He is and what He does. When I wanted to sit in silence with Him, I didn’t; now that I want to, I struggle with it. Sitting in silence with Him—waiting on Him, after years of not, will take some adjusting to on my part. I lasted all of about three minutes the first time I tried this, but I’m not giving up.

SECOND: LOVE DEGREE

Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. I failed to write down who said or wrote this statement, but I have it where I see it every day: “THE DEGREE TO WHICH YOU LOVE SOMEONE IS HOW MUCH YOU WILL SUFFER WITH OR FOR THEM.”

If that statement stopped you in your mental tracks, as it did me, that’s a good thing, especially if you see yourself as a basically good or nice person or perhaps have never thought about it much. God commands us to, first and foremost, love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, spirit, body, and resources – and to love others as we love ourselves. However, when we usually consider God’s command to love, we tend to think of the latter half of that command. We may not like what we really feel when we think of certain people, and so try to imagine feeling anything kindly toward them. In some instances it’s distinctly challenging or distasteful.

I believe this is because we have misplaced where our focus should be first and foremost: On how much we love Christ Jesus. Think about it: If we love HIM as we should – not just emotionally but in spirit through every thought, word, task, deed, and prayer – wouldn’t all the rest of it fall into place, especially how we relate to everyone, based on ALL His instructions in His Word? There are times to be personally involved and times to walk away (“shake the dust from your feet and move on”), times to admonish in love and times to call out evil. With some people, you love them by praying for them, not staying with them. For some, you love them by telling them what God says about the sin they’re imprisoned by, but definitely not by approving of their sin. Love donates a coat or food or funds, pays for a meal, and is expressed in many small and grand ways, sometimes in anonymity. Often, giving in anonymity brings more joy, and is why God said not to let our left hand know what our right is doing. I recognize my need for improvement in all ways, and thank and praise God for knowing this and still wanting me.

The degree to which you love someone is how much you will suffer with or for them. How willing was/is Jesus to suffer for and with those He loves? How much do I/you/we love Jesus? Enough to suffer in persecution, torture, or death for Him – as He said some who follow Him may or will do and, for some, are doing as you read this? That’s a deeper question for us to ponder and talk over with our LORD and Savior, especially with what’s coming. And if some of us don’t know what’s coming, as well as what’s already here, God help us. He certainly tried to do that by telling us what to expect.

THIRD: RIPPLES IN THE POND

I’ve been thinking about the “connective tissue of humanity”. Everything we do will either bring a blessing or grief in some measure, either immediately or somewhere down the line. This could be by what we said or didn’t. A choice we made or didn’t. An action we took or didn’t. An outcome we intended – or never, ever intended. It’s why relationship with Holy Spirit, Who is there to guide us, is imperative. Otherwise, we operate out of flesh. I admit that when I’m before my Savior Christ Jesus, if we do a life review about the ripples we created, I’ll weep an ocean of regret tears about this. We can be so concerned about how others see us, which often influences our choices. Jamie Walden has asked in other videos: “Have you ever asked God how HE sees you?”

FOURTH AND FINAL: WHO WANTS MY GOD?

When other believers see or hear us, do they want a relationship with God akin to ours? The REAL God of the REAL Bible, that is, not the current woke-Jesus deception from the Adversary or false woke “bibles” being spewed today. Does our relationship with God make unbelievers want to get to know our Almighty God and Father? Is what we think, speak, write, post, and do even half as much about God as it is about us? This is a thought-provoker for me, one that’s not as simple as it first sounds. For one thing, God has much to say in His Word about who, ultimately, is His. That makes it a relationship, or absence of one, between each person and Him.

From Jamie’s “DEAFENING SILENCE” video, relating this to the Adversary’s actions: “I can keep you in perpetual distraction so that you will never be radiant in Christ, which is the only thing He died to make you…. As a tactician, I know that all I need to do is keep you from walking in the power and the majesty and the all-sufficient love of God revealed to you in Christ Jesus. That’s all I gotta do. I just gotta keep you from knowing it. So then you’ll never duplicate, then you’ll never fight, then you’ll never stand, then you’ll never speak up, then you’ll never arise, then you’ll never shine for the light of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD has arisen upon you. Then you’ll never advance, then you’ll never fulfill the Great Commission, then you’ll never [have] peace, you’ll never rest, you’ll never [have] joy, you’ll never [have] quiet confidence, and then nobody else around you will want your God, because of the way you reflect Him. See, I don’t need to get you in a great moral failing, I just need to get you from knowing your God… That’s all I need to do to steal God’s glory through you.” – What Jamie said there weighs on my heart: do others want God based on how I represent Him, according to His preferences, that is, not theirs?

WHAT ABOUT 2025?

Friday, November 22, it was announced that a former Ukrainian commander stated that direct involvement of Russian allies in Ukraine means WWIII has begun. As I type this, more people are beginning to mention it on news programs—the possibility of that war, that is, not that it’s formally begun, just the impending threat of a first strike and who’s actually leading this “dog” in this hunt. By the time you read this, no telling if this topic will be buried, covered, hyped, or we’ve entered a reality citizens are not eager to experience.

In Josh Peck’s well-researched book, THE LOST PROPHECIES OF QUMRAN: 2025 AND THE FINAL AGE OF MAN, he discusses the remarkably prophetic accuracy of the Essenes: You could practically tell time by them, except it’s been proven you can literally tell the times and seasons by them. Next year – 2025, according to the Essenes’ Dead Sea Scrolls, it’s the beginning of the end of the Age of Grace.

I’ll end with this quote from one of the most remarkable women of our Age — CORRIE TEN BOOM  (her entire family was remarkable, in fact). I take this quote to heart, and pray we all do.
AND… IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE RAPTURE, THIS IS FOR YOU – Jamie Walden & Christopher Brock (13-minute version, as promised above), AND the entire straight-talking, Bible-based interview the Rapture segment is taken from can be watched here: TIME IS UP – Jamie Walden & Christopher Brock