The Love of Many Will Grow Cold

It is strange that my little comment that Jesus would save the Queen and Tony Blair yesterday actually upset some people. Why would that upset people? Is it because people believe the Queen and Tony Blair are high level Satanists?

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor 6:11

Many people who were once high level Satanists get born again and come to the knowledge of the truth. Wouldn’t we want to jump for joy at the prospect?

Is it because people believe they are Nephilim? I don’t know – they don’t LOOK like giants! Oh, maybe you believe that their blood is tainted with Nephilim blood like when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men and took them wives back in Genesis 6? Hhmmm, except who’s the sons of God now? US! We are the sons of God. Why would the sons of God in the Old Testament be evil angels but in the New Testament be us? Doesn’t make very much sense hermeneutically, since the Word interprets itself. So either the sons of God in Genesis 6 were men, or we are angels. You decide.

The lie that there are half-breeds among us tainted with demon blood is so ridiculous yet I believed in it too in my past. But that is why it is such a perfect trick of the devil. Once you establish a people as being less than human, you open the door for all sorts of atrocities. That is what they did with the slaves when this country was new. That is what Hitler did with the Jews during the Holocaust. That is what we do today in our battle against the rich oligarchs. Even these people that are supposed to be tainted with Nephilim blood believe it is true and so they are sold out to worshipping the devil with no hope of ever having a real relationship with the Father, or of understanding what Jesus accomplished on the cross for them. How very sad.

We put people into little boxes, into categories that we think define them and I have been just as guilty of this as anyone else. If we think that GENETICALLY a person is beyond saving, then we won’t bother praying for them and witnessing to them or GOD FORBID loving them!

Where does it stop? Why stop with the elite? What about Muslims or Mormons or anyone else that does not believe like “us?” What about the people in Guantanamo? They are deserving of torture according to many professed Christians, certainly Jesus didn’t die to save them as well? Why does the idea of Jesus dying to save all really bother so many people? It is because deep down, people worship their own selves and call it Christianity. If they think they are “saved” and everyone else is going to hell in a handbasket, then they can believe that they are special and better than anyone else.

The Pharisees knew the scriptures and yet with those same scriptures they justified killing the Savior. We are now the generation that calls hate love and separation unity. We hate homosexuals and muslims and say that we are good little Christians. Even the idea of really loving them and not condemning them is foreign to us when we Christians should be the ones who show the greatest amount of love to these people and teach others how to love. But alas, the love of many has waxed cold.

Pray for those elites – trapped in generational cycles of Satanism and abuse. They actually need our prayers more than anyone. Pray that as a whole Christianity will become more loving and abandon the spirit of Condemnation that now reigns in our modern churches. Pray to understand the love of God and how to love your neighbor - whoever that may be.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

A Future and A Hope

A couple days before I left Oregon, I listened to a recent podcast from Chris White at Nowhere to Run website. He played a clip of a testimony from a man named Jon Courson. I'd never heard of Jon Courson or heard his testimony before but it really affected me. In the clip Jon was saying how the Lord had given him the verse Jeremiah 29:11 right at the time that his wife was killed in a car crash and how much that verse was something he was able to hold onto as he dealt with this horrendous situation. You can listen to Jon's full testimony here. I cried the whole way through listening to the clip but I never had a chance to get to listen to the whole testimony.

The Wednesday before I left I was able to get together with my youngest sister for a 'girl's night out.' We were waiting in the Dutch Bros drive thru so my sister could get a strawberry infused Red Bull and I was telling her this story about this guy and how the Lord had given him that verse right before his wife died etc. (there is much more to the story but you should listen to his testimony, I can't do the story justice, it should come from the source.) I couldn't even tell my sister the story without crying some more. Just that the man had to go through such hardships but the the Lord in his tender mercy gave that man just the verse he needed to see him through.

Toward the end of this recent bus trip I began to get discouraged. I'm sure I have the patience of a rock now but I was starting to stress out after 35 hours. All sorts of stupid thoughts were going through my mind. What if my cousins were mean to me like they were when we were kids? What if my aunt thought that I was a heretic if I believe that all men will be saved, even the Queen and Tony Blair? What if the pressure is more than I can handle and I have a nervous breakdown or become catatonic? What if they discover that I am just a big dork after all?

It was 12:30am when I called my aunt to come pick me up at the bus station. I desperately wanted a shower but I was so tired that I didn't think that I could lift up my hands in order to wash my hair. She showed me my room, gave me a hug and told me we would talk in the morning. "I'm glad you are here." she said as she showed me the bathroom. Right on her wall was hanging the verse Jeremiah 29:11. It was worded different than I had heard it in the teaching, but it was really what I needed to see at that particular moment:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you Lord for that.

The next morning I talked to my aunt and told her how much seeing that verse in her bathroom had meant to me. I also told her some of my concerns about the future. She said, "The Father has a plan for your life. You just need to be encouraged in the Lord because He knows the desires of your heart." Then she brought her portable CD player into my room and said I could use it anytime and that I could listen to any of her christian music CD's. It was amazing how comforting it was to listen to some music and remember all the good the Lord has done in my life and that He does have a future for me. And a hope.

(LOVE) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Cor 13:7)

Blessings in Christ
Linda

There are NO Accidents

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The Lord brings people into our lives for a reason. Sometimes He reveals the reasons to us – but most of the time He doesn’t. But whatever the reasons – revealed or not – nothing happens by accident.

So it was no accident that after an exhausting ride on the bus for 21 hours my phone rang. I had to dig through my backpack carry on in order to answer it.

It was Johnny.

I had actually been thinking about Johnny lately. Ever since my profound theological and spiritual paradigm shift, where it was revealed to me that all men would be saved through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Since I had met Johnny last summer and he committed the ultimate faux pas of grabbing me and kissing me like they do in the movies, I have prayed that the Lord would truly save him. I had told Johnny that I could not be friends with him because I really needed to focus on the things of the Lord, and I believed at the time that it was God’s will that I not be in contact with him. But even after that he still left messages on my voice mail and sent me text messages every month or so saying, “Come to Ontario. I miss you.”

So now that the scales had fallen off my eyes, I began to see people differently. There was a man on the bus ride with me who had tattoos on his face and a tattoo of a spider web on his hand. He was really nice. I actually talked to him a bit when we were stuck in the station for 13 hours. But what I had really noticed about him was his walk. It reminded me of the way that Johnny had walked. I wondered at the time if it was a gang walk or a prison walk, what was it about that walk? Something about it was this air of slow confidence that said, Yeah people, I’m here and you know it. Later he was sitting in the seat in front of me when we could finally head out again. A boy got on at the next stop and sat with him and I overheard the boy ask him where he was headed. “Hell if I don’t change my ways.” He answered matter of factly. I’m pretty sure he had answered that question the same way many times before.

I was still praying for Johnny every day, but now I began to ask the Lord – what about Johnny Lord? Why is he still calling me? Why did we meet? Why do I still think about him? My newfound understanding that Love conquers all and that we are to love people no matter who they are – because Jesus died for them as well – was making me question the legalistic way I had judged Johnny before. The Lord began to show me that here was Johnny: Grew up in the gangs of Southern Oregon, was in trouble all his life, tried to commit suicide by running over a cop with his car thinking the cop would shoot him, but it didn’t work out that way. Did 6 years in prison for that, was released from that prison just to be trapped in the bigger prison of Ontario Oregon, the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. He was seeking the Lord the only way he knew how – going from church to church and talking to the pastors telling them that he was trying to straighten out his life and know the Lord.

I always knew that the reason that I went to Ontario on that amazing trip last summer was to meet Johnny and to pray for him. At the time I thought, who is going to pray for Johnny if I don’t pray for him? But now the Lord began to tell me that it was ok for me to talk to Johnny and befriend him because he is a baby Christian that really needs some encouragement right now. Of course, I made sure to tell the Lord that I would need a confirmation that it was really from Him. I hadn’t heard from Johnny since April, so I told the Lord that if was really His will that it was okay for me to be friends with Johnny now, that the Lord would have Johnny call me again.

So now here he was, on the other end of the line. I told him I was going to Wyoming to help my aunt move and possibly help my 93 year old grandparents. I asked how he was doing and he said, “so it’s ok for us to be friends now?” I said, “yeah, I think so” So I got his address and told him I would write him a letter from Wyoming. He was pretty happy when we got off the phone.

I told this story to my aunt (who is an amazingly strong Christian and I have more to say about her in a later post.) She immediately felt led to put Johnny on our prayer list that we can pray for him that a man with the spirit of truth within him would find Johnny and be a mentor for him and disciple him. She told me, “Everything happens for a reason and there are no accidents with the Lord. It is good that you are here in Wyoming for a season, so you can be a friend but you are too far away to jump in a car and go down and see him. The Lord has a work in Johnny, just as He also has a work in you. Let’s just continue to pray for him.”

Now I am beginning to understand that the Lord didn’t want me talking to Johnny when I was so legalistic. He didn’t want me getting any of my legalism on Johnny and contaminating him, he’s had enough hardship in his life without that. So now I can encourage him in the Lord and see what happens with that day by day.

Pray for Johnny my friends.
Blessings in Christ,
Linda

In a nutshell:

27 and a half hours on a bus with
55 other people
3 separate roadsigns with the words "crossroads" on it
2 medical emergencies from fellow passengers
13 hours waiting in the station for connecting bus

1 amazing Lord and Savior who was with me through it all and made sure I arrived safely in Casper -

Priceless!

The Adventure Begins...

I am filled with excitement! Today I am doing up the last of my laundry and packing. I really wish I had that Mary Poppins bag that I was talking about since I may not be able to shut my suitcase when everything is said and done. Maybe I will have to cut some more stuff at the last minute. But it's all good.

Tomorrow my dad is taking me to the bus station around 9am and the bus leaves at 10am. I am taking my computer because the website says that they have wifi and plug ins for your computer on the bus. But you never know. I will touch base from the bus if I can, but if not, I will post when I can. Not sure what my internet access will be once I get into Wyoming. Please pray for me while I travel.

I talked to my aunt this morning who said that on Saturday my one cousin is getting baptized and they are having a BBQ after that we will go to. Cool, more BBQ's! My personal goal is to lose 80 pounds while I am in Wyoming - but even that is ordered by the Lord so I will leave it in His hands and keep working on that lifestyle change, one day at a time.

Love you all and we'll talk again soon!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Loose Ends Tied

It was a busy weekend. My son’s friend from Idyllwild who is now living with his grandpa in Coos Bay came up to spend the weekend at my parents while my son was down. He did that last year when my son was here and we were joking about making it an annual thing. He is a good kid and he and my son and I all went down to Saturday market in downtown Portland. We also went to see the movie “Green Lantern.” Then we had a BBQ (again!) at my folks and my sisters and their families came over.

Sunday, my dad and I decided to follow my son back to Spokane since the van was not running 100%. It was overheating and my son concluded that it probably needs to have the radiator replaced, which was not going to happen this 4th of July weekend. So we were stuck driving no faster than 55 miles an hour and stopping every 30 miles to let the van cool down before continuing on.

During times that we were stopped my son would get frustrated. I would pray and sought the Lord about the situation as I usually do during times of stress (and non-stress!) The answer was, “sometimes the trial is not yours.” That made sense. The trial was clearly my son’s because I had brought a book and my embroidery and so felt that I was ok no matter if we were moving or not. So I prayed for the van and my son as we traveled. Remembering once again that the Father and Creator of the Universe is in complete control of my life, made me relax and enjoy the ride – no matter how long it was going to take.

We made it to Pasco when we decided to stop for the night. The next morning we headed out early while it was still cold outside and the van made it the rest of the way to Spokane without overheating. Then my dad and I turned around and headed back down and were home again by early afternoon.

Today my mom is treating me to a pedicure and then I will have my last day at work. My boss has been a good friend and it has been nice to be her personal assistant. I will miss her. She was funny and said that I was like Mary Poppins, my work here is done now I just open my umbrella and float off to Wyoming, to where the need is. I said, yeah, I wish I had a suitcase that I could stick an entire coat rack into!

So my van is taken care of, my car insurance cancelled and my job over. Tonight we are going out for sushi one last time. I’m sure they have sushi in Wyoming but it won’t be Sushi Hana sushi which may possibly be the world’s best sushi outside of Japan. No sushi I have had compares to Sushi Hana. I will miss it! Tomorrow I will wash all my bedding and clothes and then pack.

I have been praying that the Lord softens the road for me in Wyoming and been praying for open doors to love people and tell them the REAL GOOD NEWS. My wise friend Alicia said in a comment on her blog, “Wyoming could also be a place of ‘rest’. He does give us some resting periods – there will always be challenges wherever we are, but sometimes some of them are less than what we previously experienced, or sometimes worse – only HE knows what we NEED to accomplish what it is He wants to accomplish in us.” I have been thinking of that comment during stress moments the last couple days and saying to myself, “maybe that was a prophecy!” The idea has definitely given me comfort many times over the last week or so.

Rest. I like that idea. I still remember Micah 2:10 that I really felt the Lord gave me when I was to leave last summer. I still think it applies to my life today. “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it will destroy you, even with a sore destruction.” This is not my rest. So maybe I will find rest in Wyoming. I hope so. Maybe the kind of rest that Naomi said to Ruth, “shall I find rest for you?” We shall see. Ironically the latest podcast from Voddie Baucham is on Ruth. You can listen to it here. I also read a great post from Stacey Robbins at Free Believers Network.

I’ll check in tomorrow before I take off. Rest in the Lord today my friends. He is in control.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Ordered Steps

The Lord is so amazing the way He reveals Himself to us. Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. When we begin to see and understand the concept of Christ being formed IN us, then our eyes are REALLY open to begin to be able to see Christ being formed in others as well. Before we ever got born again, while we were YET SINNERS, Christ died for us. That is, Christ died for every single person on this planet, even if they don’t know it yet. Even if they are worshipping idols or thinking of themselves as atheists or buddhists or mormons or muslim or whatever. Ten lepers were healed, but only one turned back to thank Jesus. Only one leper recognized the SOURCE of his healing.

That is why, we as Christians – who understand what it is like to have a relationship with the Father and who understand that the Kingdom of God is within us – have to love those around us who do not yet know our Father and His amazing plan of redemption for the whole world through the finished work of Christ. We are to be ready with an answer for anyone who asks of the hope that is in us, that is – Christ IN YOU the HOPE of Glory!

What is more, when we decide that we will no longer judge people or be critical of them in any way, or expect that they need to agree with us on every point of doctrine - but ONLY LOVE THEM – then we begin to really SEE the Christ in THEM even if they are not a professing Christian. Being critical or judging others not only brings criticism and judgment on ourselves, but keeps us blind from seeing the “Christ in you” in those around us.

I saw Christ in my friend that I stayed with in Spokane, even though she is not a Christian. She has so much love for people and one of the reasons we are still friends after all these years is because every couple years she has called me to see how I am. She never says anything bad about anyone, and was such a wonderful hostess.

Last week her and several other people went to go see the band KISS in concert and she had posted a bunch of pictures on her facebook page of them all making the rocker hand sign and wearing KISS like make-up. The old religious holier than thou me would have maybe decided not to go visit her because of those pictures and I would have missed such a wonderful time and I would have missed a wonderful loving friend. I told her that I really believed the Lord arranged this opportunity for me to see her and she listened when I talked about the Lord and was very glad and thankful when I told her I would pray for her sick brother.

I felt this visit was also a preview of what things may be like in Wyoming. Meeting people and loving them and sharing the Lord and maybe jamming with them as well! There is no need for the “hard sell” or closing the deal as in religion’s idea of evangelism. We plant and we water – but ONLY God gives the increase. Either HE draws them now, or HE draws them later – but we don’t save anyone, only the Father through Jesus Christ saves people – and whether or not they are “saved” is not the most important thing. Making sure they are LOVED is.

My son is here and the battery on my van was dead. He got a new battery and it fired right up and will most likely be able to be driven back to Spokane. But we know and recognize that the Lord also ordered all these circumstances to His Glory and for His plan. There had been no-one to look at the van here to say what was wrong with it but if everything hadn’t happened the way they happened, I would not have been able to see my friend in Spokane and share the Lord with her, or see my son before I move to Wyoming or have been able to let go of the van in order to travel that much lighter. My Heavenly Father is so very amazing that I just want to cry in utter AWE at His tenderness and mercy and detail oriented care over all the details of my life.

Love people today, my friends. Show them the love of Christ and look for the Christ in them as you live your lives.

Blessings in Christ,
Linda