Our Spiritual Winter...(the election)

http://billrandles.wordpress.com ^ | 11-09-12 | Bill Randles

[bayliving]

And the people chose Obarabbas.....

[bella1]

yes, amen

[arasina]

Excellent!

[GOP Poet]

Thank you so-o much for this. I very much needed to read every inch of it. God bless you Pastor Bill!!

[PMAS]

*

[blueunicorn6]

Did Jesus turn his other cheek to the money changers in the temple? I just retread Chapter 18 of Matthew. I don’t believe Jesus would have taken kindly to the Democrats three times renouncing God at their convention.

[Long Jon No Silver]

Nothing new under the sun. Religious and social trends revolve throughout history. The ascendant political majority at the national level in America are the Greco Romans and are engaged in the same battle for social supremacy that was waged against the observant Jew or Christian of bygone years. And so it continues as one worldview elevates the sensual and materialism as the sole quantification of meaning whilst the opposing camp focuses on the means of restraining and containing the potentially destructive ‘ fire of human initiative’. Alas there are multitudes of people whose only sense of meaning and purpose is obtaining a similar car to their next door neighbour etc etc. Depressing

[BlatherNaut]

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

[lurk]

The kingdom of God is invisible and apolitical. Jesus did not involve himself in Roman politics.

It takes a few election cycles for the church to start to figure that out.

[arasina]

I know you’ll enjoy reading this.

[annieokie]

America Mourns, Lady Liberty Mourns. Let this video uplift you, perfect song for this moment. “Because He Lives”. Bill Gaither. Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hveyU2WoPk

[DoughtyOne]

I did. It’s the way I see things playing out.

If you would have told me this nation would be destroyed like this, just over twenty years after Reagan left office, I would have said you were crazy.

Folks, self-determination has never been given a better chance to exist and prosper on this planet.

It has been tried, and has failed.

There really isn’t another test that needs to take place.

Man cannot govern himself. God is the ruler of the universe. We can now accept it, without a doubt.

God will take care of His own. That doesn’t mean we’ll be spared here. It means there is an after here and now, and God will not forget us, as we forgot Him.

I suggest we renew our connections. Repent. Get ourselves right with the one true rule of the universe.

Give it your best shot Obama. Many others have tried and failed. You will be no different.

[Salvation]

All things that happen to us can make us

bitter or better . . . You Choose!Father Brett Brannen

[beckysueb]

Thank you for wonderfully putting this in perspective. It is all so clear now. God is trying us. Toughening us up, so to speak. Pushing us into a stronger faith and closeness with Him.

[Chong]

Bookmark to read again.
Thank you, pastor Bill.

[Arlis]

Thank you, Bill, for nailing it again.

I would only add that clearly the word of the Lord today TO HIS PEOPLE (i.e., believers - not Republicans, not conservatives, etc.) is II Chronicals 7:14.

The nation is in the state it is in simply because the church has no testimony to the world, “the salt has lost its savor”, and has embraced the world and its ways while saying that it is proclaiming the gospel.

As many have pointed out, the verse starts with, “IF MY PEOPLE...” It is we Christians who first need to repent, and confess our sins. Instead of pointing our fingers at liberals, Democrats, Marxists - we must look in the mirror.

And repent. “Judgment begins with the house of God...” James

When the church is no longer salt, the world and its ways are unrestrained.....we are reaping what we have sowed.....

[trebb]

Good article/post. My shorter version: Jesus told us to "resist not evil"; I believe that's because it's His job and our job is to carry the Word of the Gospel. The Bible tells us that we will degenerate before He comes to set things right - we should find comfort in the Word enduring. We can't stop it from happening any more than Jesus would have chosen not to let them murder Him - it's all in God's plan. Pray for divine guidance, love God with all of your being, and love each other - it will comfort you as we head down into the depths. A little prepping for lean/violent time is also in order.

God Bless

[Not gonna take it anymore]

http://grassrootsactionalert.com/?CID=7&RID=31025852

Four More Years (What It Means)

From the Desk of Steve Elliott, Grassfire Nation

November 7, 2012

Four more years ... of exile. But there is hope. Please read my thoughts on where we go from here. —Steve

Dear Friend,

I’m writing to you to explain why, even after a late and discouraging evening that stretched past 1:00 a.m. on the East Coast, I was back at the office before 8:00 a.m. this morning.

And why the sinking feeling I felt last night has already been replaced with a deep determination.

And why I’m going out to buy equipment for our new office this afternoon.

And why we are going to build, build, build — despite a stunning and, for me, unexpected defeat.

+ + Let’s Be Clear: We Just Got Pummeled

Before I go on, let’s be clear: last night was a defeat, and I didn’t see it coming. I expected a “Tea Party Wave” — perhaps a 300+ electoral-vote victory for Romney. All the signs seemed to be there. The 2010 elections, the failed recall of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and even the Chick-fil-A Day pointed to a re-shaped political landscape. The polls and crowds made it clear that there was more enthusiasm with Romney.

But that wave never came. The people did not rise up and reject Obama’s statism. Quite the opposite — 15 million fewer people voted, and Romney earned less votes than John McCain did four years ago.

+ + Far Worse Than 2008

Upon reflection, what happened last night was far worse than what happened in 2008. Our first “dance” with Obama was mostly about smoke and mirrors — “hope and change” that was never really defined. For many Americans, Obama 2008 was more an idea, an idealized dream and a collective catharsis from our dark past.

But Obama 2012 was something altogether different because now we know the real Barack Obama. We watched him advance the most radical leftist agenda since at least FDR. We saw him rape and pillage the free market and impose a government takeover of industries. We witnessed him go to foreign nations and apologize for America and then leave our people alone to die in Benghazi.

This time we knew Barack Obama. Yet a majority of American voters said, “More!” The opposition to Obama’s agenda never really showed up at the polls.

We can try to console ourselves by saying it was a close election ... that the leftist media gave Obama the election ... that we couldn’t really expect a Northeastern liberal Republican to be our standard bearer ... that a bizarre hurricane swung the election.

All that may be true.

But it matters little now. And the less time we spend blaming each other or the trickery of the other guys the better.

So here’s why I’m more determined ... why I’m building.

+ + A 2,500-Year-Old Letter Written for Today

I want to share with you a letter that, although 2,500 years old, it could have been written this morning. For us. For faithful patriots who feel like they just discovered they will have to live at least the next four years in exile.

This letter was written to Jewish exiles who had been pushed out of Jerusalem and forced to live under a tyrannical ruler named Nebuchadnezzar.

The exiles wanted one thing: they wanted to be re-established back in Israel. They even had a prophet named Hananiah come to them and tell them that their time of exile would only last two years.

You can read about it in Jeremiah 28.

Hananiah was a false prophet. He died.

And so Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles. You’ve probably heard a part of that letter recited many times. It’s one of the most commonly quoted passages in the entire Bible. Unfortunately, this passage is mostly taken out of its proper context and delivered as a “feel good” word that everything is going to be O.K.

One of my friends was quoting this verse yesterday morning:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Those words sound so good. The future is bright. God has a plan for prosperity, for a real hope and a real future. On the eve of the election, it must have meant a Romney win, the GOP takes the Senate and we start the rollback of the Obama regime, right?

Not exactly.

+ + The Plan Was Exile

Here’s the shocking context of Jeremiah 29 (and I offer to you, the context for November 6, 2012): the plan was exile.

That was the “plan” Jeremiah’s letter was talking about. I encourage you to go read all of Jeremiah 29. Here is the immediate context:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you ...”

The plan was 70 years of exile. Keep that in mind the next time someone quotes Jeremiah 29:11 to encourage you that your time of trouble will soon end. Not only was the exile going to last 70 years, the exile WAS the plan!

If you don’t believe me, go back and read the beginning of the letter, from Jeremiah 29:4. Here you’ll see the Lord (through Jeremiah) giving the Jewish exiles specific instructions on how to conduct themselves in exile:

—Build houses and settle down.

—Plan gardens and eat what they produce.

—Marry and have sons and daughters.

—Marry off your sons and daughters so they can have children.

—Increase in number; do not decrease.

Again, remember the context. A false prophet had just come and said the time of exile would only last two years. That prophet died. The truth is, the people will be in exile for 70 years. And the directive is to build families, grow businesses, think trans-generationally and increase.

+ + Seek the Welfare of the Land

It gets better. Because Jeremiah’s letter makes it clear that building and marrying is not enough. People in exile must do something else — they must be a blessing to the land.

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

So let’s review. First, the plan is exile. Second, build. Third, bless. Simple, clear instructions.

But why was this important? Why a “plan” for exile with specific instructions on how to act in exile?

Historians tell us it was during the Babylonian captivity that the Israelites moved from a Temple/Jerusalem focused society to a synagogue and community focused society. Simply put ...

It was the lessons learned during their time in exile which enabled the Jews to survive 2,500 years in exile. But not just survive — but to thrive and become the most prosperous, most successful and most innovative people group in the history of civilization.

Exile was the plan.

So that’s why, today, I’m going to build. And I’m going to plant. I’m going to bless. And I’m going to pray.

For that is the final piece to the puzzle ...

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

So let’s get building. Let’s get planting. And let’s get praying. And let’s bless this land. There are lessons to be learned in exile.

Steve Elliott, Grassfire

[DaveMSmith]

"resist not evil"

I've been in deep prayer and meditation since I heard of these two announcements yesterday hours apart:

Breaking now-- CIA Director David Petraeus submits resignation [over adultery]
BREAKING: Lockheed Martin CEO-in-waiting Chris Kubasik resigns over "close personal relationship" with subordinate.

I used to work for Lockheed Martin in the 90's. Today is the 237th birthday of the Marines, tomorrow is Veterans Day. Service. Honor. Sacrifice. Country. God. Sin. Judgement.

After seeing your post, I Googled Resist Not Evil - great article for me - I could have used this many years ago...

I had my first spiritual experience at 25 when a woman I was living with announced she was pregnant and demanded I pay for her abortion. It increasingly became a terrible situation and I had to have the police remove her (still pregnant) from my apartment. I went downhill from there and a week later started disassociating and my family thought I was delusional (I said I wanted to marry her and have the baby - God would work it out). They had me committed (I thought I was going to Church) and in the hospital, I had a phenomenal out of body experience - it was like all of the spiritual world was rushing through me at once - I opened my mouth and the sound that came out wasn't human - it shook my soul. I started seeing everything around me as correspondences to the spiritual world - peoples names, numbers, colors, books - especially the Bible. I would fall into trances, just moving along looking and listening - totally detached.

I was diagnosed bi-polar. Sometime later, my boss told me she lied to an auditor about an important issue (she was a VP). I prayed on it and felt I had to go to her boss and tell him. I did and shortly thereafter, they found a way to fire me.

I contacted a headhunter and got an interview at the company my step-father worked at. Many people from Church also worked there - I felt I was so blessed that I got the job there. It was the manufacturing facility for the largest mainframes in the world and my position put me into every area I could imagine and then some - working with brilliant people. I thrived there for several years.

I had a few episodes/spiritual experiences there but everything seemed fine until my boss decided to have an affair. Then used me as an alibi with his wife. Things got bad again and I had to be hospitalized but I was released too soon - I went to a mutual friend (a manager) and asked him how he thought I should proceed. He didn't answer me and took the info to my boss and confronted his (he had his own axe to grind). They couldn't fire me so they started to 'make me quit'. I lost my drivers licence and had to take the train to work - I had to get up at 4am. I was really loaded up on medications and could hardly function anymore. My boss went to my parents and they wouldn't speak to me. I didn't feel the Lord anymore. They said they were now limiting my hospitalization coverage. My life was unraveling at 30.

I decided to commit suicide by an overdose of lithium. Long story short, I should be dead, my level was so high (14). I was in a coma for 10 days and had a near death experience. I saw heaven and the tree of life and found out what I must do.

I woke up paralyzed, unable to speak (I still use a wheelchair). I went through rehab and through a retraining program to make sure I still had my cognitive abilities got a job with a large company whose owner's wife was from my Church. I loved it there - they had very high ethical standards. I did well... left for the west coast and moved back and they rehired me.

Then in 2004, I started to become involved with the election stuff here on FR. I was going full pedal to the medal here and with a high performance job. Add to that I reported to a director who, it was rumored by everyone I knew, was having a "close personal relationship" with subordinate. I wanted to talk to either one of them about it but was forbidden by others (something about sexual harassment). I was let go in 2009 just prior to them shutting their doors. I moved to Kansas, slowed down and found peace.

Here, I learned that I'm not a machine or 'human resource' but more like a field of winter wheat. The Bible came alive to me once I understood how an agricultural community works. I've had a few hospitalizations for medication adjustments and spent a lot of time with soldiers from bases here. I've seen up close and personal what Commander In Chief is doing to people under him. I've cried and ministered with them and them with me. I always try to keep them in my prayers.

I didn't start real repentance in my life until I retired. I didn't trust the Word really in my youth and had a poor understanding - felt I needed to internalize evil to understand it and ended up paying a big price. My Church teaches and I now know that when we repent and being regenerated, we are protected from evil and we are raised up spiritually. Evil becomes powerless to the spiritual person. We can see it's effects on others but not be caught up in it... resist not evil.

I know this was long and highly personal but it's my testimony and witness about how sin is like a cancer. My experience and faith make me pro-life who follows the Ten Commandments.

Blessings,