Test Tube Mitosis
Being “Nice” Hides the Devil
Being “nice” was one of the hardest habits for me to break; you know, the kind of nice where you smile, speak politely, allow others opinions to be spoken while you remain quiet, with no anger, justification, or need shown in the presence of others. My original folks valued the characteristic greatly, and as a small child it was that nature that was acceptable. It made the perfect victim for the attack of the devil, as my “nice” was taken advantage by Satan trying to destroy my physical, mental, and spiritual life by horrible manipulation of perverseness and lies. As those lies multiplied, and deeper penetration of wicked attacks permeated my life, the “nicer” I became, hoping upon desperate hope that if only I were “nicer” I could have a normal life like normal kids.
As a young adult, I stayed “nice” even in the difficult times of sorting out the wicked attacks from the realities of my life and who God expected me to become. If I was “nice” and allowed my enemies to tell lies, then they would recognize my sacrifice and surely value my life more. If I got angry, if I suffered disappointment, I would always get “nicer” and “nicer.” My family learned that if I was “nice” then I was really, really upset. What a messed-up emotion that prevents God’s Truth and reality from those watching and gives a place for the devil to hide!
As a mature, spiritually-strong Christian that is very loyal to those that I love, I am not “nice” today. I am truthful, principled, strong, sometimes abrupt, sometimes demanding, always direct and focused upon the issues at hand. I love fervently. I AM LOYAL! Those that I love, those that choose to be in my life know that I will not betray them. But they also know that I will speak the truth, hold them accountable, and demand they rise up to a higher level of mature responsibility. No one describes me as “nice” today. I have finally become the person God made me to be, and He has removed the nature of “niceness” from me completely.
This week I was reminded of the “nice” expectations of my past when two betrayers were described as holding that nature. Good on them, and good on the person that observed their “niceness.” That lets me know with no doubt that the devil is hiding behind the cloud of “nice” once again, and I will take adequate precautions to ensure the protection, safety, and sanctity of my loved ones. Isn’t that nice?
A personal note to the one who wrote: Say you’re sorry. Instead of cleverly organizing your words to sting and try to gain an upper hand, pause for a moment. If you are wanting to talk to me, let me assure you that there is only one position that will allow communication to begin; you must be humble and listen for truth. Every scenario you have imagined is false. The things you have tried to fill-in-the-blanks to somehow support the perverseness of your husband against the truth are wrong. One day, should you be graced by God to rise again, you will know the truth. I think of that day often and sometimes I cry. I know how much tears you will shed when you realize all that has happened that was twisted into wicked lies to protect the devil’s own.
I am so sorry for you. Life has not been very kind. Your faulty thinking has been twisted into places that it should never have gone. And now, at the end of your life, there is a strong possibility that your hatred and anger toward God and me might well prevent your acceptance of His salvation and the receipt of eternal life. Even sadder, the Methodist salvation of crying out for forgiveness at the moments before death is known by your sinning husband. There is a possibility, that should he somehow get his timing right and confront his evil doings in the moments before his own death, that he can cry out to Christ and receive forgiveness for His sins. How sad would that be that he would see Heaven, while his wife was destined for eternal punishment because the hatred and lies created within her cannot recognize the truth.
Its not fair to you. Rethink your position concerning these issues before you die. Come to me alone, without wickedness, and we will talk face-to-face. You will be safe. Maybe if you look into my face, and feel the Lord in my presence, your troubles of confusion will be straightened into clarity of thought and you can finally know the truths. I love you. (Publicly published because you possibly do not receive the mail that I write)
Shana Tova! Happy New Year!
The Coming Son of Man
The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:29-31
Kathy L McFarland (6/12/2018)
Tribulation, End Times events, the coming of Christ, and rapturous rising of Christians to their Lord in Heaven are debated topics amongst the faithful in every generation. So, lets start with the easy part and work our ways backwards and forwards a bit to fully understand the revealed portions of God’s plan for the rescuing of His people from His continuing destruction of the earth and the degenerate dwellers thereon.
We know when this prophecy is going to unfold!
Immediately after the tribulation of those days…
Christians will know when Christ’s time draws closer, maybe. At least, we will be able to discern when it is NOT time yet. And, we will certainly have a hint that if the worst affliction and hardship is occurring to the world and mankind that has ever happened before, then maybe believers should be watchful in those days for the Coming of the Lord.
The tribulation of such ferociousness toward mankind that it has never had its equal since the beginning of the world will bookmark those times. Scripture tells us that the very elect people of the Lord, those that are dedicated fully to Him and doing His works diligently and faithfully in this time, will be at risk of losing their salvation if the days of tribulation are not shortened (Matthew 24:22)
So, it figures that if the world is experiencing such a great tribulation that a Christian has no historical reference, and things are so bad that there is no hope for recovery, then possibly Christ’s coming is near. But, then again, people living during the plague, world wars, depressions, perversions, oppressions, holocausts, with their lives controlled by dictators and wicked rulers, must surely have viewed their world as tribulated past endurance many times. Yet, mankind lived on. It is going to be even worse than all the bad things that have ever developed against the survival of mankind and the world in the past. It is the Tribulation “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:21).”
Before the Son of God comes…
But immediately after the tribulation…
Six events will happen:
- The sun will be darkened (Matthew 24:29)
- The moon shall not give her light (Matthew 24:29)
- The stars shall fall from heaven (Matthew 24:29)
- The powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29)
- The sign of the Son of man in heaven will appear (Matthew 24:30)
- All the tribes of the earth will mourn (Matthew 24:30)
Then the seventh event will be Christ’s coming in the cloud of heaven with power and great glory!
Each of the six events that occur prior to Christ’s coming are significant and typologically revealing. In the next week, we will be looking at each of these events deeply and discover the mysteries that the Lord has hidden in the midst of His Word as He prepares us to understand the end.
Genesis
Flower1
Slow Surge
Trees Walking
Trans Ams and Babes in Christ
Check out this ride! I was riding high! I had a killer job, a good paycheck, and was able to buy my first car. I cannot even explain to you how pretty and very, very fast it was. I won’t bore you with the under hood stats; but, it would hit sixty in under three seconds. Much under it! Though I grew up driving the Kansas straight highways, where 100 mph was common to me, navigating the streets of Spokane were a bit different. Every stoplight in town became life threatening to everyone in my path. I could drive fast on the freeway, but, the car was too powerful for me to handle. No matter how hard I tried to anticipate the lights, I would always screech to a stop. Then on the green, I would leave all cars behind me, and usually some rubber. I didn’t want to admit to my family that the car was too much for me to handle. But it was. I was not yet skilled enough in perfect clutch control or the fine muscle uses of the accelerator. I drove to the dealership after having it only a few months, and was looking at a van that was more practical for my growing family. As I was looking, I saw my Trans Am leave the lot. I found an old boring van and the dealer was really happy, since he had already sold the Trans Am to someone that had seen it drive into the lot, even before I signed the papers!!! Oh it was a beautiful car!
As a Christian leader today, I have the crucial responsibility to measure Bible teachings to the appropriate level for each student. If I teach a babe in Christ (a brand new Christian with only folk training) a lesson meant for a mature Christian, two things can happen. The first would be the total failure of learning that Scripture since it was not based on foundational learning. The second problem can lead to young Christians reading a great deal of magical spirituality and misrepresent the Word of God. Just like my fast car, tragedy is just around the corner. That misunderstanding can lead to false teachings and possibly a loss of salvation. Scripture says:
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
Some churches that are especially far away from Christ’s teachings often ignore the babes, or promote the babes way past their understanding, which leads to those churches getting worse and worse in the presentation of the Gospel of Christ. Most of the famous television ministries play to the babes and promise riches and power to come to them if only they send payment. So, the babes in Christ are taken advantage of and suffer greatly.
But, more and more, the babes in Christ just sit in a pew or send spiritual messages to each other on the Internet, and think this is all they must do to be right with Christ. That is error. Strong Christian leaders must try to teach every Christian that comes to them, including the babes. We must analyze spiritual growth correctly, and insure a foundation of Christ is laid. Then, we must go on to teach the Christian more advanced things of the Word of God which one day can lead to the revelation of the mysteries and supernatural doings of the LORD God. But, that is a long journey for a student of God’s, and it can never be hustled. My car was too much for me to handle at that point in my life; give it to me now, and I would perfectly operate the vehicle. The Word of God is even more powerful, and in the right hands, the LORD God can be known by many. However, those that study the Word of God must be given stair steps of training, with brick upon brick laid to the foundation, so the believer can eventually be fully equipped with the Word of God.
Good Yom Tov
Oh it is going to be a very good year. Finally my family is over the pains of last year, and we are moving forward together, stronger than we have ever been. My recent health problems are solved, and I feel strong, and ready to do the Lord’s ministry. Thanks be to the Lord, everyone in my family is healthy, not-wealthy, but wise (if you don’t count the teenagers and younger adults). Okay, I’m proud of all of them. Zac is preparing for his Washington D.C. trip next year, and is doing really good applying his grindstone and getting good grades as a Junior in High School. Jen is doing well in working toward her teaching degree as a Sophomore at University of Idaho, and had a really good interview with the UI College of Education for full entrance into the program. And Elizabeth and Jeremy are figuring married life out, continue to show great love for each other, and…we don’t see them much. LOL. Jo and I are doing so well. We are healthier and happier than we have ever been. Oh, it is going to be a very good year!
So why am I talking about a new year when it isn’t January 1st? Because today is the most Holy Day for the Jews, called Yom Kippur. This holiday actually begins with Rosh Hoshanna, ten days earlier as Jews celebrate their lives and begin to examine their shortcomings, which will be fully expressed in prayer today. They pray to G-d to forgive them of their sins, to release them from vows, and to remember them and keep them in the Book of Life for another year. Good Yom Tov, my Jewish friends! May your name be in the Book of Life, and that G-d allows you to prosper in this next year.
Ever since Jo and I have been doing works for the Lord, our New Year begins the day after Yom Kippur. Usually, our works that change, happen about a month or two before; by Yom Kippur we know what we will be doing for the year. We become charged with the Holy Spirit, and our output of new work flows exceedingly well. Happy New Year, my precious Joanne! Its time for us to get to work serving our Lord better than we have ever done before.