Prayer

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. “ (Genesis 2:8)

Many people, especially new Christians, find themselves pondering over one problem more than any other:

“If God is all-powerful, and if He can do anything He wants, and if He loves us and wants to give us benefits, then why are we in this mess and why do we have to pray?”

Good question.  The answer goes back to the beginning of the world:

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

Here is God exercising His supreme creative power not only to create mankind, but also to give man a function and an ability. He could have created men like a bunch of robots, with no will of their own, with the sole function of obeying His will – but He chose not to.

In making this decision, which He made because His whole ethos is Love and Relationship, God took a risk – that man would use his freedom of decision to reject God and go against His desires. Which of course man did.

Because God did not want humans living an eternal life in sin, He threw them out of the garden as soon as this happened.  Later, after thousands of years of struggling with the backsliding of His people, God took the ultimate step, by sending His Son to be the door that would lead man back to Him.

The issue of prayer goes back to the fact that God made the decision to give man dominion over the earth. By turning away from God, humans gave dominion over the earth to Satan. Jesus was fully aware of this at the time of His temptations, one of which was all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” Satan said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (see Matthew 4:8-10).

NOTE:  This does not mean Satan is more powerful than God – far from it!  What power Satan has on this earth is solely derived from the power men give him – and unfortunately, there are many who, wittingly or unwittingly, give Satan power.

By praying to God, we open the way for Him to act on this earth. God can act if we pray to Him, and if He deems our prayers are righteous. It pays to bear in mind the words of James in this regard:

“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3)

I used to have this problem about prayer also, and I am grateful that within a couple of years of being baptized I found the book ‘Intercessory Prayer’ by Dutch Sheets – see sidebar. That book is a brilliant exposition of the whole rationale and power of intercessory prayer, and how prayer is necessary for God to operate in this world.

In my last post, I shared a video about prayer, its value and its purpose – see “The Commander In Chief Never Loses”. Among other things, Donna Rigney touches on this issue.

We are indeed blessed that Our Father saw fit to give us self-determination – even more so, that in spite of our transgressions He devised a way for us to be reconciled to Him.

(Incidentally, it looks as if the CCP and the Elite have been planning to overcome the individual will of men, and turn them into little more than robots, and our current problems (Covid-19 et al) are stages in achieving this end. Needless to say, that is NOT God’s plan for the future of mankind.) 

Do watch this news  from NTD – Top 10 Disasters That Overtook China in 2020.   “Severe flooding in China, China blankets pandemic; Forced demolition reaches high class society. etc… etc…”
Biden, Harris, Gates et al – if the CCP can do this to their own elite, they will do it to YOU!

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When Satan Asked His Senior Devils For A Plan to Destroy America

The chief devils met with Satan in hell to devise the destruction of the United States. When did they meet? Well, it was some time ago, but not very long ago. The question on all their leathery lips was, “How can we destroy America?”

After much squealing deliberation, one senior devil spoke up. “Remember, Abraham Lincoln said there was only one way that America could die.” Lincoln said, ‘If it ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.’

“So, you see,” the demon said, “if we want to kill America, we must get them to kill themselves.”

The Devil asked, “What do you recommend?”

Came the answer: “As I see it, there are three nation-killing forces that stand out in history. They, more than anything else, cause people to turn on themselves. They are Racism, Fascism, and Communism. However, we have a problem in America.”

“What is that?” asked Satan.

“Well,” replied the elder demon, “right now, America seems to be rejecting these notions. The young are attacking fascism. Communism is declining, because their President caused their economy to boom – especially among minorities – and this economic boom has damaged the economy and credibility of Communist countries….

Read More: WHEN SATAN ASKED HIS SENIOR DEVILS FOR A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA

Comment:

Well written Mario! – Reminds me of Job also.

Only one thing – and it’s important: Jesus went to hell after the crucifixion and lay there 3 days, with satan and his spirits gloating around His spiritual body.   And then on the third day the mighty spirit of the Father reunited itself with the Lord’s body in a flash of heavenly, holy lightning fire.  Jesus arose – and that flash of fire and the power arising in Him was immeasurably more powerful than anything hell could conjure up.  The power within Jesus burned the faces of satan and the watching spirits so they were permanently disfigured.

And Jesus grabbed satan and stripped off him all the jewels of honor the Father had created him with. Jesus stripped away all his beauty. And finally He stripped him of the keys to hell and the grave:

“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

That immeasurable power of the Father is available to His remnant. It doesn’t take all of ‘the church’ to exercise it.
It takes only those who are willing.

Generation Of Deception

“There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.” (Proverbs 30:14)

The prophet Agur [Solomon] taught inspired wisdom for your life by sets of four things (Proverbs 30:11-31). He began with four kinds of people, identified by particular sins.

Some people love to take advantage of others and oppress them, especially those who are relatively weak and unable to help themselves. These violent persons have no ordinary compassion or pity, but mercilessly use others in any way they wish for their own pleasure or profit.

Generation here means a kind of person, for it lacks demonstrative pronouns or other modifiers for a period of time. It is not a prophecy of the future, when violent men would hurt the poor, for all ages have such sinners. It is not a prophecy of bad men in Christ’s time, for such a use would be unique in Proverbs and without practical wisdom for life.

The four generations are more than four temperament types – melancholy, phlegmatic, sanguine, and choleric – though each has sinful tendencies. The lesson here is beyond disposition: it is four kinds of people with specific sins. Rather than assign temperaments to each generation, learn the sin and the corrective wisdom for each kind of person.

The fourth generation, or kind of evil person, is oppressive and cruel in word and deed, especially toward the helpless, poor, and weak. This critical and condemning brute has no pity or regard for those in need or trouble. He or she is selfish, merciless, and violent. They do not have ordinary compassion for those under them or near them, and they may rise to positions of influence or power by corrupting or destroying those in their way.

Consider the first two brothers, Cain and Abel. How could Cain kill his brother for merely doing what was right? Especially after God warned him and told him how easily he too could be accepted? How could Cain then casually hide the murder, even when God Himself inquired?

Because he was a child of the devil (I John 3:12), and you show the same devilish spirit of murder when you are angry without a just cause (Matthew 5:21-26).

It is easy to direct the proverb at rulers or murderers in history like Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mao Tse-Tung, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Harold Shipman, Luis Garavito, and others.

But Solomon directed his wisdom closer to home, where aggressive or violent treatment of the poor and needy qualifies, from abortion to oppressing employees to defrauding spouses to harshly crushing the spirits of children to excessively taxing the poor to paying less or charging more than fairness indicates to callously ignoring those who are in need.

David faced such men during his life, Saul, Doeg, Absalom, and others. Even his own nephew Joab had a cruel spirit of revenge far different from David’s, which caused him grief on several occasions. He wrote of his predicament with such men in these words,

“My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” (Psalm 57:4).

Jesus Christ, the Son of David, had to endure cruel and hateful treatment by the Jewish leadership during His life, and they forced His crucifixion in the end, though He had done nothing to harm them or their nation. Within his own band of apostles was a heartless thief, who stole from the poor and betrayed His lord, master, and friend for a measly thirty pieces of silver. Together they fulfilled this proverb better than anyone else.

Godly men are merciful men (Matthew 5:7). In fact, they love mercy (Micah 6:8). Solomon taught elsewhere that righteous men are even merciful to animals, but the men of this proverb are cruel even when mercy should be shown (Proverbs 12:10). It is the pure religion of Jesus Christ to kindly consider the poor and to visit orphans and widows in their affliction (Galatians 2:10; James 1:27). Instead of picking on the less fortunate, they pick them up!

It is the duty of every parent to teach their children to be merciful, lest they grow into the selfish tyrants condemned here. Since most let their hair down at home, it is a great place to teach and require compassion and mercy in all dealings. Sibling rivalries, oppressive parenting, irreverent responses, and other such relational problems should be corrected before a monster is formed by a dysfunctional home allowing cruelty of any sort.

In contrast to these wicked men, you may cast all your cares upon the God of heaven, for He cares for those who put their trust in Him (I Peter 5:7). Even if your mother and father forsake you, which is contrary to nature, then the LORD will take you up (Psalm 27:10). His mercy is everlasting, and you can trust Him even for forgiveness of heinous sins. Though He has power to condemn and punish, He will forgive those who confess (I John 1:9).

————————   Re-published with permission   ————————

We should pray for wisdom and discernment so all can judge and discern rightly in these present, treacherous times.  Biden and Harris out of their own mouths have fitted themselves fair and square into the above description.  Wake up, people!

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Spiritual Realities Today

The so-called ‘real’ world is very real to us – in fact, the evidence of our senses makes it almost overwhelmingly ‘Real’. We are assailed daily by sights and sounds that overwhelm thinking and attention, to the point where all else seems unreal and unimportant.

This is the truth for most people in the world today.

In point of fact, the spiritual world around us has a huge influence on our lives and what we make of them. I am sure we have all read somewhere about guarding the eye and ear gates – but few realize how vitally important this is.

Before I get onto more on that topic, I want to address the reality of the spiritual world as evidenced in just a couple of scriptures.

Spiritual World Revealed

• In the story of the prophet Elisha during the war between Israel and the Arameans, the king of Aram planned to capture Elisha because he was advising the king of Israel on war tactics, and so he surrounded Elisha at Dotham, with mass troops.  “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked.  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’  And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 15-17)
• Daniel, who wrote one of the most prophetic books in the Bible, was given a rare vision into the spiritual warfare that goes on around us.  He describes an experience by the River Tigris after praying for his people for 3 weeks, when an angel appeared to him and said:  “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince [ie spiritual power or principality] of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” (Daniel 10:12-14 – my insertion)  Incidentally, the prophecy that followed proved to be true.

The Eye and Ear Gates

Few people (even Christians) are aware how important it is to guard the eye and ear gates of their souls. The Enemy many years ago seized control of the TV Media – a truly disastrous move for humans – and we are now beginning to realize the fullness of that in the current Mainstream Media domination of the airwaves.  The United States Presidential Election is a prime example of how Satanic influences through TV can warp and corrupt true knowledge.  Now American patriots are struggling to reverse the disastrous effects of this infiltration on their media and their country.

People have become hooked on being ‘entertained’, on sitting down in front of the TV screen at the end of their day with a beer and a bunch of popcorn to chill out. They have come to think of this as their ‘right’ and ‘relaxation’ after a day’s hard work.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is not a relaxation, it is a TRAP.

Even if you are not fully paying attention, what comes out of that screen, in the form of hatred, violence, smut – even pornography these days – not only affects your mind, soul and spirit, it leaves an imprint on the atmosphere of your home and the airwaves around you (by way of analogy, think of EMFs).   This infiltration is the spiritual reality that powerfully influences your life and the life of your family. Children are especially vulnerable.

The more of this stuff you hear and see, the less spiritually sensitive you become. Satan is busy dumbing down the world to his level. The more he can influence you subliminally in this way, the easier it is for him to win you over into real sin.

And it is VERY hypnotic.

In my early years in the ‘70’s I had no television. I can clearly recall visiting friends who had a TV and because I was new to it, I found it very hard to drag my eyes away from the screen. Imagine how this affects children – and the fact that they (and adults) become ‘impervious’ to it is actually not a good thing.

This is the way to lose all discernment and spiritual sensitivity.   Beware!

I lived with a TV for a short time in the late ‘70’s, and for 17 years up to 2004 – with limited exposure – mainly news, news commentary and a couple of TV serials. I found even in that, there was much that I just could not stomach, and finally in 2004 I quit TV altogether. No regrets!

I heard a very interesting commentary on Jesus healing the blind man at Bethsaida in Mark 8 yesterday, and the way this healing was explained illustrates my point. The scripture reads:

“He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’  He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’  Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Don’t go back into the village.’” (Mark 8:23-26)

The commentary suggested that the reason Jesus took this man out of the town was to get him away from the carnality of his spiritual surroundings. That makes excellent sense to me – especially bearing in mind the influence the spiritual blindness of the people of Nazareth had earlier on Jesus’ ministry there (Mark 6:1-5).

We need to commit to becoming more aware of how our spiritual sensitivity affects the outcomes in our lives.

Carnality is a huge trap. It is actually the beginning of the end. Jesus left His followers in no doubt of the terrible dangers of the slippery slope. Read His words at Matthew 5:27-30 and take them seriously. What He is talking about is not ‘divine retribution’, it is the result of Satan’s wiles acting on the human mind and heart.

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All Of Creation Waits

Man tends to be so anthropocentric that he rarely considers the full outcome of his original sin against God and all the rest of Creation at the outset of human history.

Jesus and I’m sure all of the Apostles were fully aware of it.

At Romans 11:19-22, Paul states it plainly:  “…creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

The Source Of Bondage

Today’s experts explain away the desperate condition of our planet and all its inhabitants (animal and human) with explanations like ‘global warming’, ‘deforestation’, ‘loss of habitat’, ‘over-fishing’, ‘poaching’ and so on and so on.  These things may be true as immediate causes, but they are only a comfortable way of overlooking and blaming away the root cause of the decay of our beautiful planet.  At the bottom of it all lies depravity, in the form of human greed.

It is the desire for ‘more, more and yet, more’ that lies at the root of all the things that are wasting our world –  from industrial overreach, destructive farming practices, chemical emissions, chemical fertilizers, chemical herbicides and pesticides to wars and waste disposal.  This curse starts with every one of us as individuals (as it began with Eve), and it goes all the way through to today’s mighty nations and corporations, whose impact is so large.

The Hope Of Liberation

After Jesus finished His 40 day fast in the wilderness of Judea, the Devil came to tempt Him – hoping to have the same success with the Son of Man as he had had with the world’s original inhabitants.  He posed 3 temptations –

• bodily pleasure – “Make these stones into bread”;
• egotism  – “Prove yourself by publicly testing God’s ability to save you from death”;
• materialism  – “Bow to me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world” – and you will not need to die for it.  (Matthew 4:1-11)

All of these tests, Jesus waved aside with direct reference to scripture.  But in the third attack note that Satan offered “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor”, if Jesus would bow down and worship him.    Here, Satan was actually within his rights – and Jesus knew it.  Adam and Eve, by accepting Satan’s offer and going against the word of God right at the beginning, had in fact handed the world over into the Enemy’s hands.

Jesus’ response was again to quote scripture – the passage in Deuteronomy 6:13 where God calls on His people to worship Him alone.  We are indeed forever indebted to our Savior for His strength, wisdom and steadfastness in this crucial encounter.  We cannot doubt that without that, the world would have been brought to an abrupt end.

And so the whole of creation “waits in eager expectation” for mankind to get its act together and complete The Great Commission ordained by Jesus:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  (Matthew 24:14)

The Story Behind The Artwork

This piece is very dear to me:  it is called ‘Murphy’s Garden’.

Murphy was my gardener – and I must say he was a much better gardener than either the Kunekune pigs or the Arapawa/Damara sheep that I have currently. He knew his place, and he didn’t eat things he wasn’t supposed to eat.

As well as keeping the pasture in shape, Murphy used to mow the lawn, and I came home one day with my Mom from shopping (about 2005/6), to be greeted by this scene. Fortunately I had my camera with me.

Gemma the white border collie and a bunch of white ducks in the foreground.   Beloved Staffy cross dog Flynn half hidden by the fence at left, and Murphy himself, centre stage.    Offered for fun and because of its wonderful, magical atmosphere.

Olympus OM1,   c 2005/6.  For more details about the work and products, click on the image.

Countering Lies And Backsliding

When Jesus came on this earth, the officials of the then church were what we would call ‘backslidden’. This is not fiction – just read the gospel accounts of the ministry of John The Baptist to see that clearly.

Church rulers, instead of leading the people in the spirit, had sold out to ‘The Law’ (Pharisees) and Mammon (Sadducees). They were oppressing the populace by the unrealistic expectations of their version of ‘The Law’, and unrealistic taxation in the name of the Temple.

John The Baptist

John’s special ministry was to preach repentance to a nation spiritually in the wilderness. The story of The Baptist’s preaching – how the people flocked to him in the wilderness of Judea, confirms this:

“Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. ‘You snakes!’ he said to them. ‘Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! The axe is ready to cut down trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.‘  The people asked him, ‘What are we to do, then?'”  (Luke 3:7-10)

Here is a people totally without spiritual guidance, seeking truth – Real Truth.   And Jesus took pity on them. (Matthew 9:36)

Jesus And The Truth

It was Jesus’ calling and His nature to fight against backsliding and deception – and if He were not listened to, to give His life for the people.

As for the church leaders, He nailed it in John 8:44 when He came up against the Scribes and Pharisees in a discussion about Truth, by saying:

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

The importance of this quote, and its relevance to the present times, becomes plainer from the context. The discussion began with Jesus talking about His Father. The Jews (John: religious leaders) misunderstood Him – either through error or on purpose – and countered, “Where is your father?” The discussion went on, and Jesus finally said, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Immediately, the Jews sidestepped: “We are the descendants of Abraham,” they answered pompously, “and we have never been anybody’s slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?” (John 8:33)   That claim for a start was untrue – the people of Israel had been enslaved several times – and taught the languages and customs of their captors.

When Jesus challenged that statement, the Jews changed their tack again: “God himself is the only Father we have,” they answered, “and we are his true children.” (John 8:41)   It was at this point that Jesus came out in full condemnation:

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

The Truth Today

I want to show the crucial importance of this statement in its relevance to where we are right now.

For the first time ever, the world is in the grip of a philosophy that holds there is no such thing as absolute truth – that is, there is no independent standard by which truth or error can be judged.   Your folly is as good as mine.  This travesty is being taught to children and teenagers, and instilled into the minds of anyone who will listen.   It is a direct, Satanic attack on honesty, uprightness, ethics, wisdom, learning, absolute truth, God, the Bible and Jesus Christ.

Its real purpose is to destroy the underpinnings of civilization and bring as many people as possible into Satan’s future domain, as quickly as possible.

Those behind this ideology couldn’t care less – they have their wealth, their bolt-holes and no doubt consider themselves untouchable.  They would love to see the world’s population seriously reduced by chaos and lawlessness ASAP.

What does all this mean right now, close to election time?

• As far as today’s church is concerned, make no mistake – God is subjecting it to a mighty shaking, in which only the things that cannot be shaken will remain. (Hebrews 12:27)   In the run-up to the American Election, the fallout of backsliding churches is becoming evident, – and their pastors will be held responsible for leading their flock into stumbling. (Luke 17:2. Matthew 18:6 , Mark 9:42)
• For the nations: yes there are many things that need to be repented of and turned away from.   We all have indeed sinned.   But this is not the time to throw the baby out with the bathwater – like de-funding the Police, for example: wouldn’t some people just love that?   No – that way lies Anarchy.  Cleanse, but do not destroy.

We and the nations need above all to repent (turn away from all ungodly acts) and dedicate ourselves to cleaning house, chopping at the root all unhealthy trees and rebuilding afresh systems that are worthy to serve the peoples of the world as per the example set by Jesus and followed by Ghandi, Mandela, Martin Luther King, and Mother Teresa – to name just a few..

This is no mean task.

Above all, remember this:   It is a historic truth that Marxism, Socialism and Anarchy have never achieved the result of improving the lot of the world’s people.    

And they never will.

You Will Be Free Indeed

It was Jesus who made this statement – quoted in an earlier post – about Himself, actually:

“Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  (John 8: 31-36)

Jesus was referring to the freedom that comes from a life in Him, but I believe this statement applies equally well to the freedom that comes from living in a country that follows His values and His precepts.  Until this last election, America was slipping further and further away from the Godly principles of freedom for a nation.  Personal freedoms were being eroded, standards were being sabotaged.  Standards were being twisted and reshaped out of all recognition.  America had lost its standing as a world power.

If there had been another term under the same regime, many believe American democracy would have been gone for good.  This would impact not only the USA, but also the rest of the world.

Many intercessors have prayed that the scales would drop from the eyes of those deceived by the Great Deception that has been taking place.  It is a blessing that Americans saw the issues, realized the urgency, and made the choice for Freedom.

Stand strong again now, do not be deceived by the enemy’s new displays and threats, and do not be drawn into more division and strife.  Above all, don’t believe that to carry on under the existing system would have caused things to improve – far from it.  That was the slippery slope.  Instead, pray for grace, for everyone.  God has said, “I am doing a new thing.”  So remember this:

“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”  ( 1 John 4:4)

Satan is ‘he who is in the world’ – and you can absolutely count on the fact that Jesus is far, far greater.  He will bless America again.

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”   (2 Chronicles 7:14)

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