Wisdom from Andrew Neal

 “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25, Luke 18:26

I have come to understand this to be Truth, with men, all what Jesus commanded us to do, and not do, within us, it is impossible. If there is not a “transformation of mind” our only presentation is of works, and not in the Spirit, and those who embrace such will clearly hear “depart” rather than “well done”.

Which provokes me to examine myself to see what I believe, knowing this way is still “straight and narrow” and in these days we will see a “great falling away.” However, what overshadows everything…I am persuaded that I am loved and I am His, a son of God.

Thank you, thank you Jesus!

The Kingdom of Heaven

 The idea of the Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom whose origin and authority and justice and mercy are directly from heaven. This earth will one day be the locale of the Kingdom of Heaven. Obviously (at least for everyone who is not a preterist) this evil age is not heaven on earth, but God can and will cleanse and restore the earth and all who His Spirit has drawn will dwell on this earth with the Messiah of Israel ruling from His throne in Jerusalem. Perfect Justice will be enforced and bowing to the God of Israel will not be optional. There will be purpose and meaning and a very agricultural society with no more war, because Yeshua is on the throne and He enforces it.

This evil age is not the kingdom of God.

You cannot bring the kingdom of God into this evil age.

There will be a time of cleansing and then restoration to Eden, in an act performed by God and clearly explained in Revelation and Daniel and Isaiah.

God is not trying to help you make more money to build His Kingdom, where did that idea even come from. God needs your money???

Your neighbor might need your money, and the Bible does instruct you to give it away, expecting nothing in return.

Be aware

Be careful

Deception is the thing to fear in the end times and self-deception is the most scary thing of all.

"Depart from ME, I never knew you." Scariest verse in the Bible.

God and His Chosen People

“Sing for joy, you Gentiles, with his people!” Paul is quoting this from Deuteronomy in Romans 15:10, but it is always a wise idea to go look at the whole passage and see the context. Turns out this is from Deuteronomy 32 (play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in your mind) such a powerful chapter. Deut. 32:40 “Yes, I lift My hand up to heaven
and say, ‘As I Myself live forever,
41 when I sharpen My lightning sword
and My hand seizes it in judgment,
I will return vengeance on My foes,
and those who hate Me I will pay back.
42 I will make My arrows drunk from blood,
and My sword will devour flesh—
the blood of the slain and the captive,
the head of the leaders of the enemy.’
43 Make His people rejoice, O nations,
for He will avenge the blood of His servants.
He will return vengeance on His foes,
and atone for the land of His people.” WOW, Paul chose a very interesting passage to highlight to the Jewish people who would be reading the letter to the Romans that the Gentiles were entering into the commonwealth of Israel according to the plan of God. The HCSB puts it this way, "Rejoice, you nations, concerning His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants. He will take vengeance on His adversaries; He will purify His land and His people." Paul has been driving home the point all through Romans that Gentiles need to come in as servant's of the Jewish people. We (Gentiles) are called to be a people who rejoice when people who kill Jews suffer the vengeance of God, we are called to rejoice when Jerusalem and the surrounding lands are purified along with the purification of the people. We need to pray for the heart of God for this people and their land.

Recently I heard it said that the Name of God, the reputation of God, the faithfulness of God is all tied to fulfilling the promises about the chosen people and their chosen land.

Unite Me with Your Heart, Your People, Your Land

 A friend used to speak of "dangerous prayers", the title of this post is one of those dangerous prayers.

The nations are about to rage.

Individual gentile believers will be caught up in nations that are ruled by false gods that hate the Most High and His chosen people and His chosen land.

That hatred will play out in many ways, but the end result is the same.  

If you unite to the Jewish people, you will have a target on your back from the culture that you live in.

God has promises, God has prophecies, God has a very specific way that He is going to "wrap-up" this stage in history and there is no middle ground.  Revelation is a book in the Bible that is either ignored or totally used to promote some fear-mongering teaching that will raise money for the "teacher" and his ministry.  

No Complaining

 …that you may know what is the hope of His calling… —Ephesians 1:18

Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.

You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must “work out your own salvation” which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it “out”? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly— “By my God I can leap over a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you….” Rise to the occasion— do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.

May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality— a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.

2 Kings 22-23; John 4:31-54

from Jonathan Jonas

The Process

 We need to be aware that one process is taking place while the faithful, covenant-keeping God, continues to work with those who live believing loyalty for the remaining portion of this evil age.  That process is bringing those who are His to the end of their strength.

It is a mercy driven process, but it does not feel like it, due to our position in the midst of this evil age.

It calls for trust.  It calls for community strengthening and encouraging each other in the long journey.

God carry us, through.

Lawyers, Guns and Money or Unions and Health Care

 Warren Zevon had a great song, actually he had many, but Lawyers, Guns and Money was one of the really good ones.  He is very underrated as a song writer for our times.

In 1986 I graduated from nursing school while working for IBM.  I worked at IBM on night shift and I went to nursing school during the day, and I slept.  I had a girlfriend at the time but she really didn't need me and so she didn't require much time. IBM never had a union and for a period of about 50 years never needed one, this company never laid anyone off.  This company had good benefits and stayed very competitive within the industry. They gave out stock and rewarded employees who came up with ideas that stream-lined a process or in any other way saved the company money.  Then along came Apple and changes in technology that pushed this gigantic company behind in the tech race. So they laid off people and closed entire plants with very little warning.  A union was needed to protect the workers, but it was too late.

So I have been a nurse on and off since 1986 and I have always said I would never be a part of a union because I would not want to go on strike and walk off the job leaving my residents/patients in the care of some paper-pushing nurse or administrator who have no idea how to care for people.  Recently having been fired in Maryland (which is an "employment at will" state, which means if your boss wants to fire you and you are not a minority you will not be able to win back your job back, period) I have had to re-think my position on unions.  I know there is corruption in union leadership.  I am aware that humanity is fallen and that is why socialism and communism and capitalism do not actually "work".  The only thing that will work is when this evil age is brought to a close and Yeshua reigns over the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.  Even though, I acknowledge the corruption in union leadership, I was just watching a documentary about the coal miners strike in the 70's in Harlan County, Kentucky and it made me think.  The people at the top of any organization are driven by money.  Health Care is absolutely no exception. Government sets up a bunch of rules for health care facilities to get money and the facility is driven to do whatever it takes to obey those rules, to get that money.  The nurses, GNA's, housekeepers and maintenance people who keep the facility going and give it a good reputation are not the most important thing, the money is.  The only protection a worker is going to have is a union, and no one would ever want to be placed in a position to have to strike, but as a last resort it may be necessary.  My advice to every health care worker out there is consider becoming part of a union, because if you are not you are just a number and if you interfere with the money flowing in, in any way, you will be fired.