Tag Archives: Gifts of the Spirit

Tuesday’s Prayers for Asia (12/6/2016)

 

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” (Mother Teresa)

On some days , when I don’t feel like fasting for Asia and its 4.4 billion people, Mother Teresa’s words encourage me to continue onward and add my little drop of faith to God’s plans for Asia.

My prayer today:

Lord, use my little drop of fasting to free those who are wrongly imprisoned, to lighten the burden of those who work for You, to let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people in the various nations of Asia. (Based on Isaiah 58:6)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for  prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 600 million people live in abject poverty in the slums of Asia.

6. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

 

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San Francisco: God Loves You, But… (Part 3)

Dolly 77

“What you’re seeing is the governing demonic principality over the University of California, Berkeley. It’s a religious one and one of the gatekeepers mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 16:18. Now, look down,” he said, pointing to students walking along the sidewalks below us.

I watched various students crisscrossing the Campanile Esplanade on their way to classes. At first, they looked normal to me, wearing typical college apparel. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then, my spiritual eyes kicked in and what appeared normal in the natural realm was not so normal in the spiritual one.

Have you ever seen pictures of a flying dinosaur known as a pterodactyl? It has a long, slender head with a mouth filled with sharp teeth, scaly-like body, web-like wings and talons for feet. This sort of resembles the creatures I saw, sitting on the shoulders of almost every student walking below me. Each creature was the size of a large crow and had wolf hair on its body, and a slender rat’s tail. The beings constantly whispered into the ears of students while holding a wing over the students’ other ears. At times, the creatures defecated and vomited on the students so that each person dripped with slop and sewage. It was ghastly and I yearned to warn the students.

“Follow those two over there,” said the angel, pointing toward two guys.

Somehow, I was able to focus on the two students. They talked to each other as they walked along, just basic talk about their classes. Then, they walked into a free speech area where a street evangelist was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Both stopped and listened. As they were standing there, I watched the pterodactyl-like creatures use their beaks to snatch the seeds of the gospel out of the twosome’s hearts with swift surgeon-like precision. After a few minutes, the two students walked away, none the better for their experiences.

Again, I wanted to shout and warn everyone. Someone needed to do it. Why not me?

The angel touched my shoulder again with his hand and I turned toward him. “Now, it’s time for your spiritual ears to be opened.” He reached up and touched both of my ears with his hands.

Wouldn’t you think it would be quiet in the spiritual realm over the University of California, Berkeley? It’s not. There is constant clamor, reverberating throughout the whole atmosphere, most of which comes from the ruling principality. But what really shocked me is that the demonic principality’s words mirrored the liberal attitudes on the campus. From the deans down to the professors, and then, to the students. The religious principality constantly spewed out proclamations like:

White Americans are racists… All wars are immoral and wrong… Homosexuality is not a sin… Pro-choice is a woman’s right… Same-sex marriage is morally acceptable…Traditional Christianity is irrelevant, mean, hateful, judgmental and dogmatic…Jesus never said anything about homosexuality…Jesus is the Way which is open to other ways, such as Hare Krishna, Buddha and Mohammad…God is a God of love and not judgment… Satan and demons are fictional beings…The Bible contains  no more authority than the Koran, Buddhist sutras, Veda and other spiritual writings…Creating social justice is the main emphasis of the gospel…Global warming is a Christian stewardship concern…

I stood there with my mouth open, drool running down my chin. “Hey, many of these statements I agree with,” I muttered aloud, not realizing I had done so.

“And that’s why you are deceived.”

“Deceived? Me?”

“Yes, you and most liberal Christians who believe such garbage.”

“But, but – ”

“Not only are you deceived, but your faith is dead when it agrees with Satan’s agenda. He’s always a liar, even when his words sound righteous. Your faith, in order to have life, must be based on what the Lord has stated in Scripture and is presently saying to His church.”

I kept quiet as his words ripped my theology apart.

Then, he pointed down again. “Look.”

There just below us, was a student resembling a fluorescent light bulb walking across the esplanade. She lit up the whole area around her as she hurried on her way. But unlike the others, she did not have a creature sitting on her shoulder and instead, one hovered around her head like a helicopter, trying to alight on her. For some unseen reason, the creature could not land. Frustration etched across its face.

“Listen,” said the angel.

My ears adjusted themselves to only listening to the girl. Her footsteps and the movement of her arms came through loud and clear, but there was something else. “Dee, dee, bah, bah, hooka mah hundae,” she whispered over and over.

She was speaking in tongues!

“Your message to Christians on college campuses is very simple,” said the angel. “It’s the same one Paul gave to the believers in Ephesus when he said, ‘Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Then he added, “In case you have forgotten, these scriptures are Ephesians 6: 17-18.”

It bugged me that he knew I had not read my Bible for years. What else did he know?

The above scene is from my eBook novel, Deceived, Dead and Delivered.   

(Continued in Part 4…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2011, may be seen here.)  

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Inside Israel

The Shuk in Jerusalem

The Shuk in Jerusalem

Once again, it’s time to hear from our sister in Jerusalem about what she is witnessing there as a believer in Yeshua. Put your prayer shawls on and pray for Israel and Sister J. Now here she is —

BELOVED Sisters and Brothers in the SON whom we love together, and so also love one another, may you have HIS SHALOM, HIS blessing and HIS encouragement in The Name of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus Christ.  May HE ALONE be glorified and may you be blessed.

It was interesting that our Grandbaby was born during the time of such fires (it is the fire of GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT that we need).  I wrote to you during the first few days of the fires and thankfully today seems to signal the end as we have a much needed, drenching RAIN.  The issues of the fires, however, were big in many ways.  I had a chart released by the government of the estimated numbers, which I wanted to send out as I have seen some greatly inflated numbers and some ridiculously low ones, but alas, I seem to have lost them.  This is the most accurate information I am able to glean at this moment from different sources:

On 22 November (actually the first ones began on the 18th) a wave of fires (both wildfires and urban fires) began in Israel from south as far as the Dead Sea area to Nahariya. Some of the fires occurred naturally; others were arson attacks.  On 28 November, after 8 days, the firefighting services announced that the emergency condition was under control, after firefighters fought 1,773, of them at least 39 were major fires that required at least ten crews or more. The largest fire occurred in Haifa, where 527 apartments were destroyed completely 77 buildings, leaving 1,600 people homeless. 75,000 residents, about a quarter of the city’s population, were evacuated from 11 neighborhoods.  Other major fires occurred in Zikhron Ya’akov, Jerusalem area as well as smaller fires all across Israel and the West Bank. Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority reported that more than 20,000 dunams (4,900 acres) of forests, brush land and open space were burnt, the largest amount since the Mount Carmel forest fire (2010).

While most of the fires were caused by weather conditions and negligence, some of the fires were caused by arsonists suspected of being nationally motivated Arabs. Two Arab citizens of Israel confessed they deliberately set up fires. At least 35 people were arrested on suspicion of setting fires or inciting to do so. More than 15 were citizens of the Palestinian Authority and at least 10 were Arab citizens of Israel. Officials in Israel has stated that the deliberate setting of fires is a form of terrorism. As of 28 November, at least 25 cases of fires were caused by suspected arsons.

The battle to push back the flames marked among the most difficult operations ever undertaken by Israel’s firefighters. Some 2,000 firefighters battled the fires since Tuesday, many of them working in grueling 24-hour shifts alongside 450 soldiers from the Home Front Command and 69 Cypriot firefighters. In a rare move, the Palestinian Authority also sent fire crews to help. Fourteen planes from Israel’s firefighting squadron, aided by at least 19 additional planes supplied by ten other nations, carried out some 670 sorties dropping more than 1.62 million liters of liquid and foam over fire-struck areas. Russia and Turkey joined Greece, Italy, Croatia and Cyprus and the US in sending volunteers.  (others too.  I am sorry to have lost the list so soon.  Even Kazakhstan offered assistance and fire fighters from the Palestinian Authority took part) In total, over 20,000 police officers took part in operations across the country, police said Tuesday.

I remember reading about the great Chicago fire, the day San Francisco burned, and seeing films of major cities on fire, but it was quite a chill to see Haifa, our largest Northern city up in flames and to watch other smaller villages completely burned to the ground.

As usual, Israel is at her best when there are needs and doors opened up, families drew one another in, needs were met with open arms, but it remains to us believers to pray for the many who came out with thankfully their lives but nothing else.  One Holocaust survivor’s apartment was destroyed. There are many scars that need the touch of God. I have no doubt that some of you will pray.

 

But I have two anecdotal stories to share that you won’t read in other places:

Last Monday I went to work and there was a very strong smell of gas in the office when I entered.  I searched and found nothing.  We HAVE no gas in the office, but perhaps it was from another apartment.  Now kicks in my immigrant mentality. I had NO idea what to do about it but to pray and to commit it to The Lord.  Who do I call and what do I say?  I didn’t know. So I also prayed that if I were in danger some passerby would smell it and know what to do.

About 40 minutes later Mali came to work. “WHAT’S THAT SMELL!  GAS!” she yelled as I nodded my head.  “DID YOU CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT?” she yelled in a panic.

“Nope.  I don’t know how to do it, and they are so busy with all of the fires….” I answered honestly.

She threw her hands in the air and then ran to call them. I paid close attention knowing that now I could do this if it happened again within my memory-bank period. Then she ran around looking for the source.  Finally she waited outside to direct the firemen to us murmuring, “What’s taking them so long!”

JUST as we heard the sirens, Mali looked up and noticed something dripping from our (honestly) antique iron door locks.  She reached up and dabbed her finger in it and sniffed. Then she turned red.  “Oh NO!  False alarm! Here is the smell.” Apparently a gasoline-based oil had been used to lubricate the ancient device the night before.

At that very moment in they came, fully decked, strong, young, handsome with axes and … well…forgive my drama but with the presence of heroes.  Five of them.  Mali cringed. “I’m sorry!  I’m so sorry!  It isn’t gas!’

‘It smells like gas’ one of them said.  She pointed to the lock and they checked it out.  Suddenly the last two men stepped forward and one began to explain in English.  I looked up and recognized a US insignia.  I stood up.

“Are you volunteers from America?”  I asked.

I wish I could explain their look, such a tender combination of real humility and pride. “Yes ma’am, we are.  We came to help with these big fires that you all are having here.”

I wanted to kiss them.  Before I could the leader said, “And this man here is from Cyprus. He came to help us too.”

That was too much for Mali and me.  We both jumped up and down, thanking them profusely, just as the police drove up to make sure we were ok.  What a touching sight.  Love was reaching out in all directions.

But that wasn’t ALL.  Several patients were late and complained about a huge traffic jam.  “An accident,” one said authoritatively.  “Always an accident.”

But it wasn’t.

Aaron HarNoie came in.  I like him.  I shared his testimony with you around Jerusalem Day, how I learned that he was a hero.  Sometimes, once a hero, always a hero.

“I caused that traffic jam,” he said.

“Oh no, were you in an accident?” I asked.

He laughed. “I saw some guys in a car acting suspiciously, so I followed them.  They stopped near a field and ran out and left some things and came back laughing. So I kept following them.  I wrote their license number on my hand.  When they did the same thing a second time I got out and looked in their car and it was full of fire starters and incendiaries.  They drove off laughing and flicking cigarettes.  Took me a long time to find a policeman but they took off and set up roadblocks.  They got them, but what a traffic jam!”

Again Mali and I were on our feet.  It was a day of heroes and we were humbled.

 

In the midst of all of the agonies that this world is in right now as it plummets toward fulfillment of His Faithful Word, there are jewels and moments that perhaps are meant to keep our hearts tender.  Today an Israeli Arab lumber company in Haifa area that was not damaged donated the wood to rebuild a synagogue that was destroyed by the flames.

Keeping our hearts soft in the midst can be such a challenge in these days.  On the train the other day I looked into the face of an African, probably an illegal migrant, a girl of perhaps 15.  Her face was so hard and dead that my heart ached.  I wondered what kind of horrors she has experienced and prayed for her to be rescued from her hell.  I was in the emergency room all night on Tuesday and there was a mental patient curled up in an unresponsive ball.  Her name is Olga, and I prayed for her.  Awful things happen and we will grow hard and dead or MOVE TOWARD HIM WHO IS LIFE.

That challenge NEVER ends…hard things are happening more and more – even how much more we need to be turned toward HIM!

I will close this now.  Since August I have been in high gear with my family issues…and as wonderful as they have been the intensity has highlighted again my limitations.  Thankfully, my limitations are really His opportunities.  Here am I Lord!

As we invite Him to search our hearts and lead us in His way, may His fire follow His Light and set us aflame again with our first love, that we might glorify Him in the days yet ahead, even in the midst of fires.

God bless you all.

I send my love,

your sister J

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San Francisco: God Loves You, But… (Part 2)

Dolly 77

 

At 9 p.m., my studying was completed. So, I stood up and walked into the kitchen for a drink of water. Turning on the recessed ceiling lights, I stopped dead in my tracks. A grotesque creature was sitting on a stool at the island counter. If the angel was the epitome of the Kingdom of Light, then this being was the dark side’s counterpart. Its gloomy eyes glared at me and its lips formed a sneer. Oozing sores plastered the being’s face and neck. A filthy robe covered its torso. The air was charged with a stench of decay.

“Listen up Chuck,” the creature said in a raspy voice.

Fear struck my chest like a baseball bat. I had trouble breathing. Confusion settled over me like a morning fog. Two and two did not add up at that moment.

“If you go to businessmen and tell them to leave churches and no longer give money to ministries and churches, some bad things will happen to your family. Your two sons will die in an auto accident and your wife will go insane. Do you hear me?”

I could not speak.

The creature drummed its dirty two-inch long fingernails on the granite counter. The beat reminded me of a funeral march.

“I said – do you hear me?” the creature hissed out the words.

I nodded.

“And I can do it. It will be easy, just as easy as it was for me to come into your home. No one can protect you from me! Not even God!”

The creature bared its brownish-yellowish teeth with a hideous grin as it stood up. “Don’t you ever forget what I told you – okay?”

The being walked over to the door leading out to the deck. Then without opening the door, he stepped through it, and left.

I collapsed on the floor and wept. My body convulsed in fear.

“Oh God! What have I done to my family?” I screamed.

Afterward, I pulled myself together and wandered into the family room, collapsing on the sofa. What is happening? I thought. Everything is hitting me at once. What can I do? My mind raced in circles searching for answers, but I found none. Finally, I fell asleep.

As I slept, a voice visited me. Was it a dream or a vision? It was like both, but different at the same time. I was awake, but asleep.

“Chuck,” the voice said.

Looking up, I saw myself standing in front of a stage in what looked like a large auditorium. It was black. None of the spot lights were turned on. The red velvet curtains were drawn apart. The voice seemed to be flowing out of the darkness blanketing the stage. I felt no fear, but in fact, was comforted by the voice.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Do you have some questions?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead.”

“What was that being in my kitchen?”

“What do you think it was?”

“A demon.”

“Yes. That was a demon power sent to frighten you by the religious ruling spirit over America.”

“But how did that happen?” I asked. “I always pray for angelic protection over me.”

“Yes, you do,” the voice said. “For just a few moments, the angels who protect you backed off their posts. When they did that, the demon power slipped into your realm.”

It hit me like a hammer between the eyes. The Lord set me up and used me as ambush bait.

“But – ” I said, trying to put my thoughts into words.

The voice interrupted me. “You have been chosen to have insight into spiritual warfare so that you can teach others. Spiritual warfare is not played on a Game Boy. It is played out in real life scenarios where lives and destinies are at stake.”

The voice paused for a moment and then added, “Satan and his army want to kill Christians and their families, and destroy their destinies on the earth.”

I cringed. “But what can I do to protect my family?”

“What does scripture say?”

Once again, the voice bounced my question back to me.

I thought for a moment before answering. “Cast my cares on the Lord for He cares for me.”

“Yes. And don’t forget that Jesus rebuked demons. He refused to allow them to speak because they are all liars. You can do the same in Jesus’ name.”

I was silent, not wanting to ask my next question.

“Can Satan and his forces really hurt my children or Dusty?” I finally asked.

“Yes. Your rebellion and sin can open the gates for Satan’s army to come into your family’s lives. But by the same token, a causeless curse will not alight on you or your family. So, walk with God and avoid sin.” The voice was silent for a moment. “Any more questions?

“What about my problems with Dusty?”

“She is not the problem – you are. Dusty is like most women in that she desires to see her husband as a sold-out man of God, not a half-hearted pew-sitter. You obey God, follow His instructions, and she will be happy to walk by your side.”

With that answer, the voice left and I returned to my sleep.

The above scene is from my eBook novel, Deceived, Dead and Delivered.   

(Continued in Part 3…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2011, may be seen here.)  

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San Francisco: God Loves You, But… (Part 1)

 

Dolly 77

 

When the vision ended, I sat there trying to make sense of what I had just seen.

That’s when the angel appeared.

He stared at me. “Let’s go.”

Shock hit me, my mouth hung open. “Huh?” I mumbled.

Without explanation, the angel reached over and grabbed my left hand. We took off at the speed of light. I looked down as Albert disappeared quickly into a black dot and heard a faint “wolf” fall out of his mouth.

The dome of the San Francisco City Hall appeared directly ahead of us. It looked like we would crash into it. But before I could scream, we passed through it and landed in the Supervisors’ meeting chamber on the second floor. A wooden bench somehow telescoped out of the wall, up near the ceiling, and we sat down.

Under us, I saw the eleven supervisors sitting in their leather swivel-chairs. Each had a laptop computer on the desk in front of them. They talked and carried on. It was the weekly San Francisco Supervisors’ meeting.

The angel turned toward me. His robe whispered softly as he pivoted around.

“Open your eyes and see,” he said with a quiet power filled with heavenly authority.

I looked down again. This time my spiritual eyes opened.

I saw a grotesque creature sitting on the right shoulder of each of the eleven supervisors. The chimpanzee-size beings had a mixture of what looked like reptile, dragon, and wolf-like body parts with stubby tails, talons for feet, scale-covered wings, web-like hands and misshapen faces which protruded into long snouts and were filled with sharp teeth. They resembled dingy, gray gargoyles.

Each creature held its right wing over their assigned supervisors’ eyes. Their right hands were curled into a megaphone shape so they could speak directly into the supervisors’ ears. Their left hands looped behind the supervisors’ heads and covered their left ears.

The creatures never rested. When they were not speaking into ears, they looked up, around and at each other, their heads constantly moved about, their eyes searching to and fro. They seemed to be driven by a deep dread, almost as if a cruel slave master’s power instilled a fear in them.

What is this? I thought. Why am I here?

“Today is show and tell day, preparing you for your first assignment next week,” said the angel.

“First assignment – next week?”

“Quiet! I’m the teacher. You’re the student. Understand?” he whispered a stinging rebuke at me.

His voice contained no anger. Love cushioned the blows, but yet, I felt the power behind the rebuke. I shuddered and nodded.

“Earlier today, you had a vision. In it, you saw yourself being used as a sword by the Lord Jesus against a brass gate. The brass gate you saw was a gate of Hell over this city. It must be attacked so the truth from heaven can be heard in San Francisco. You are His chosen weapon for the undertaking.”

He paused a beat before continuing.

“Your spiritual eyes have been dialed up two notches, but that’s more than enough for you to get an idea of what’s happening in the Supervisors’ meeting room,” he said. “As you can see, demons sit on the supervisors’ shoulders, blocking information that is contrary to Satan’s agenda. At the same time, evil ideas are constantly spoken into the supervisors’ ears.”

He pointed a finger at me. “Remember: our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the hordes of Satan.”

I nodded.

Then, he pointed at the supervisors. “Look again.”

This time I saw words streaming through the ceiling on what looked like hologram ticker tapes carried on laser beams. These words flowed to the ears of the creatures, the supervisors and everyone in the room.

I read them; they said, “Alternative life style.” “Pro-choice.” “Gay pride.” “Toleration.” “Christians are bigots.” “Abortion is a woman’s right.” “Separation of church and state.”  “San Francisco Pride.”

As each new message arrived, the creatures spoke into the ears of supervisors. A source from above orchestrated everything.

The angel pointed up. “Look.”

As I obeyed, the ceiling and roof over us opened and I saw into the second heaven. My eyes took a few moments adjusting to the spirit realm. But then, I saw a creature sitting on a large brass throne, blocking a portal coming out of the third heaven. Light rays attempted to flow through the portal, but only a few rays were able to pass by the large creature.

The creature’s appearance alternated between looking like a beautiful angel dressed in white and that of a monster version of the dingy, gray gargoyles, sitting on the supervisors’ shoulders. Like the smaller demons, the creature never rested. It caused fear in the hierarchy of demons below it and seemed fearful of its own cruel masters above it.

The words I saw, streaming through the ceiling like hologram ticker tapes, emanated from this creature. I saw additional word streams coming out of the creature’s mouth, heading toward Sacramento, Hollywood, Washington, D. C., New York City, newspapers, television networks, movie studios, publishers, corporations and thousands of other places.

The angel interrupted my thoughts.

“What you are seeing is the spirit of depravity. It is a ruling principality over San Francisco and guards a gate of Hell over the city. So powerful is this spirit that its wickedness is spread throughout the nation.

“The reason the spirit switches back and forth between appearances is it is creating confusion by this maneuver in the minds of people, whereby good is called evil and evil good.”

He grabbed my left hand. “Hang on.”

We flew up over City Hall and stopped, suspended high above the dome’s peak. The angel waved his hand over the city.

“Next week, your assignment is to begin engaging the spirit of depravity in battle.”

He then spent a few minutes giving me instructions from the Lord God of Hosts.

The above scene is from my ebook novel, Jonah.

(Continued in Part 2…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2011, may be seen here.)  

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Why California? Why San Francisco? Why Now? (Conclusion)

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Sins are never committed in a veiled vacuum, out of eyesight. God sees everything, but even more than that, all sins are committed openly in the spiritual atmosphere which envelopes the earth. This is the realm where  the prince of the power of the air reigns.

Our sins do more than cause a separation between God and us. They empower the prince of the power of the air (or Satan) to gain a greater foothold on earth. I believe this empowerment works according to the same spiritual principle stated in Matthew 18:19-20, because our sins agree with the father of lies. Then, if the sins are committed with the consent of a second person or more, the sins invite more of the presence of the kingdom of darkness into a city, a region, a state, or a nation (territory).

So, when people say, “Our sins don’t affect anyone but us,” they are not quite accurate. At the least, the sins lessen the amount of righteousness in that territory on earth, which then affects everyone who lives there.

Spiritual warfare may be defined as the constant, never-ending war between the forces of God and the forces of Satan to displace wickedness with righteousness, or vice versa, here on earth, territory by territory.

If righteousness displaces a measure of wickedness in a territory on earth, that area will then have a higher level of godliness. But if wickedness displaces a portion of righteousness in an area, then that territory will have a higher level of depravity.

Unlike physical warfare, spiritual battles are not fought with swords or guns, but rather with our acts (of love or sin) and our words.

The acts should be self-explanatory, but if you have any doubts, check Galatians 5:16 – 26 to study the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell… But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. (James 3: 6, 8-9)

Our spoken words have the power of life and death in them.

If our words are spoken in love, backed by faith, and filled with the truth of God’s words, then we will impart life and advance righteousness in a territory. These God-filled words may be spoken in prayers or through other communications.

Sadly, the opposite is also true.

If our spoken words agree with the iniquities committed in a territory and do not agree with God’s words, then our words bestow death and advance wickedness in that territory.

Now, even though God has set up the world to be in subjection to angels, He is still the CEO of the universe. If the cry of wickedness in a territory becomes too great and the iniquity too severe, God will act. He may even remove that city, region, state, or nation (territory) from His sight. That is exactly what He did with Sodom and Gomorrah in 2067 BC and Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Remember: God has not changed so we need to pay attention to His voice before it’s too late.

So, why California? Why San Francisco? Why now?

The answer I believe can be summed up in one word: children.

As many realize, God is patient with mankind because He wants everyone to repent and none to perish in an eternal Hell.  This is the Father’s heart filled with love for His creation.

Yet, when the ruling principality over San Francisco, the spirit of depravity, gained enough power to compel politicians  in the state capitol in Sacramento, California, to vote in laws requiring innocent children (K-12) to be exposed and lied to about iniquity, God must act.

The three branches of government, which are supposed to protect innocent children, have been totally deceived by the spirit of depravity. Since these three branches refuse to act for the children’s sake, the Lord God of Hosts will rise up and act.

Because of the many saints who have labored in fasts and prayers over the years for San Francisco and California, God will first act in mercy. The calamities, which will soon hit California, will look anything but merciful because of the damage and death toll involved. But yet, like Elijah’s prophetic warning about a forty-two month drought, it is the mercy of God, calling people to repentance.  (Prophetic words on earthquakes taken from my ebook,  Planning + Preparation = Survival.)

Yet, if California ignores the earthquake calamities and continues to follow and bow before the spirit of depravity, God will bring such heavy calamities on California that the whole world will mourn and weep over its demise. (Prophetic words about terrorists’ attacks also taken from Planning + Preparation = Survival.)

California, choose for yourself this day whom you will serve.

(Conclusion…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2012, may be seen here.)  

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Why California? Why San Francisco? Why Now? (Part 9)

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In 863 BC, a stranger showed up at the gates of Samaria. He mentioned that he was from Tisbeh, a city forty miles east of Israel’s capital and on the opposite side of the Jordan River.

Somehow, the stranger wangled an audience with King Ahab. The stranger’s dress, coarse camel’s haircloth with a rough leather belt, showed him to be a nomad of the desert, not a man suitable for the king’s court. But still, he approached the king.

King Ahab most likely wondered what the country bumpkin wanted when he saw him. He probably gave an impatient sigh and uttered, “So, Elijah, what do you have for me?”

Elijah spoke one of the shortest and most powerful messages in the Bible, just twenty-four words:

“As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1)

The Bible does not give us an inkling of Ahab’s immediate reaction to Elijah’s short message.  But, most likely, it caused a big enough ruckus so that Elijah was able to slip away without being stopped or followed.

Okay, was the drought which Elijah warned King Ahab and Israel about an example of God’s love toward the Jews?

You have to remember the drought lasted forty-two months. No rain meant no crops, which in turn meant starvation for animals and people. Babies and the elderly would have been the hardest hit, but also prophets of God were slain.

As a guess, let’s say 1/2% of the population died. That would translate into 20-25,000 deaths resulting from the drought.

Now, what’s your thoughts on whether or not the drought was an example of God’s love?

Eventually, Elijah showed up and challenged four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a fire contest on Mount Carmel. Why fire? Because Baal was the god of fire. Why Mt. Carmel? That was where the pagan prophets sacrificed to Baal.

“Eureka!” The prophets of Baal probably thought to themselves. “Elijah has stepped in it this time. He’ll be toast!”

But in the end, the Lord God of Israel sent fire and consumed the sacrifice on the altar made by Elijah. Then, Elijah slaughtered the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal in front of Israel and prayed for rain to fall on the nation.

Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39)

Once again, what’s your thoughts on whether or not the drought was an example of God’s love? Tough question, right? Although the people repented, thousands of people died or were slaughtered.

For myself, I have no doubt it is God love:

First,  God is loveHis character  never changes and there are no variations in His perfect love at any time. And even when He judges a nation in His godly anger, He is 100% love. It is who He is. Period.

while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the LORD had struck down among them. The LORD had also executed judgments on their gods. (Numbers 33:4)

Secondly, God knows how to set people free who are imprisoned by their second nature sins, also known as iniquities. He is willing to take on the gods of the people’s iniquities, or ruling principalities, in a face to face battle, not on neutral ground, but in the ruling principalities’ strongholds.

You see, God is not afraid of a fight. He is not a bit fearful of how entrenched or how fortified the enemy is in its own stronghold. He just needs a man who is willing to be His vessel, like Moses was in Egypt, Elijah at Mt. Carmel, or Jesus on earth. The man just has to believe:

No man [champion, servant, or whosoever] will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)

Yes, there may be collateral damage in setting the people free and deaths may occur. But the deaths are due to our rebellion and sin and not to a lack of love on His part. We must trust that God knows what He is doing.

So, why California? Why San Francisco? Why now?

(Continued in Part 10…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2012, may be seen here.)  

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Inside Israel

The Shuk in Jerusalem

The Shuk in Jerusalem

Once again, it’s time to hear from our sister in Jerusalem about what she is witnessing there as a believer in Yeshua. Put your prayer shawls on and pray for Israel and Sister J. Now here she is —

‫Blessings, grace and mercy to you in His Presence…The Presence of The Lord Yeshua, Jesus Christ, The Son, The Messiah, The fullness of The Glory of God.  May He be blessed and praised and worshipped. For He Alone is worthy.

‫  Thanksgiving is celebrated today in America, but the giving of Thanks, offered up to God, is not unique to America.  I do so thank my American upbringing for this most lovely of holidays, in the way it was intended and the message that established it.  THANK YOU LORD…FOR YOU ALONE ARE WORTHY AND YOUR MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!

     We in Israel have been given abundant commandments and opportunity to set aside special times to give thanks, yet Thanksgiving is one of the American holidays that we personally (and many others from America here) still observe.  The reactions of Israelis hasn’t changed much through the years and I always find it, well…forgive me…but ‘cute’.

‫     “You are ordering a WHOLE turkey??  WHOLE?  Do you know how BIG they are?”

 Yes, a WHOLE turkey has to be ordered a week ahead of time

“Is it THAT time of year again?  Hodyah’ (giving thanks to God) and you have a holiday, right?  And WHY IS IT ON A THURSDAY? Don’t you have to wait until Friday?” (Shabat)

‫    The turkey arrives and, of course, there is no room in my refrigerator, but the butcher wants to know how I have an oven big enough to COOK it.  Even after 22 years, the poor bird is … well… “butchered” in the most colorful meaning of the word.  Israelis are NOT used to eating a whole turkey so you can buy legs, or skinless boneless breast, or a neck, but no one seems to know how to – well – just pluck and clean a WHOLE one. So I get it with lots of extra feathers, patch worked skin on SOME places, and a bit of a torn leg, but I’m thankful to have it.  Even at THAT price!

“How can anyone EAT all of that meat?”  I am still asked at the checkout.  Another checker pipes up “Oh!  I know what that is.  It’s for an American holiday called THANKSGIVING!” She is really proud of herself and beams with knowledge.

‫    I love it!.

‫    But Thanksgiving of course, has not much to do with turkey, although my husband remembers the year that the closest we could come was a skinless breast and a chicken draped over it for the drippings).

‫  It has to do with our God’s mercy which endures forever…even in judgment.

With fires raging across the entire country, I stop to wonder.  I know that some of you do not read the news so you may not know that countless fires are being fought with some 75,000 or more people evacuated. The tally changes constantly.  It is complicated.  After our first good rain, we have had no more.  Easterly winds have dried out the land and water sources to a troubling degree.

But then incredibly strong winds began to blow for a week already.  The first fire seemed to have been started by negligence, but it became an opportune time for arson attacks.  I believe that it was in the Haifa area (Haifa is now declared in a state of emergency) that there were over 40 fires set simultaneously beginning what became a wave of deliberately set fires across the country.  Fire fighting planes from Greece, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Italy were offered immediately.  The Palestinians sent in 4 fire fighting teams and there are negotiations under way to bring in a special US one of a kind firefighting plane.

‫      But to my heart, the questions include more then who, and how, but why?

‫    Many years ago now I was praying and I do believe that The Lord spoke to me.   He showed me that Allah is the “god of deserts and dry places,” whereas GOD…THE ALMIGHTY GOD…IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE…THE ONE WHO PRODUCES FRUIT AND LIFE.  It shocked me and I began to look.  Sure enough the Moslem nations were desert nations.  If you look at a satellite map of our region, you will see one green area and indeed, the line separating the Arab and Jewish areas is called “the green line.”  But this should not be strange to us.  After all, it WAS The Lord who said in Isaiah 35:1-4

“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord ,The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands ,and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear !Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

‫I had been reading in 2 Samuel 21 about when famine was in the land, and David, the man after God’s Own Heart, sought The Lord as to WHY?  The Lord showed him that there was a wrong done to the Gibeonites with whom (through presumption) Israel made a treaty in Joshua 9.

‫   So, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?  God FORBID that I too should be presumptuous because I don’t know.  Is it a warning to us from The One who sends the rain on the just and on the unjust?  Is it a strengthening of the demon-god Allah?  I DO NOT KNOW. But I know to ASK Him and to SEEK His Face AND to pray earnestly for discernment and not follow any vain imaginations of my heart.

‫Psalm 24:1,2 states:

 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.

 For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.”

‫I DO know that the earth (ALL of it!) is The Lord’s and that He established it upon the waters, so I am praying that in spite of our clear [except for sand and smoke filled] skies, I am praying for the mercy of His water to rain down upon us and put out the fires.  I am also praying for Him to turn our hearts and eyes to HIM both for help but also with hearing ears and DOING HEARTS, to follow Him.  And to pour out the Living Water of His Spirit and His Fire.

WE are not worthy by any means, but the world basically knows of His promises to this land and this people, so I pray, “LORD!  For YOUR GREAT NAME’S SAKE save this people and reveal Yourself to the nations!”

HOW THE NATIONS NEED HIM IN THIS FEARSOME DAY IN WHICH WE LIVE.  WHAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO GLORIFY HIS NAME.  Today, Lord?  Pour out Your Spirit?

‫     On this generation…and on the next and next.

‫                Blessings from Jerusalem, with Love,

your sister J in Yeshua

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Why California? Why San Francisco? Why Now? (Part 8)

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If I were a photographer, an apartment owner, or just an ordinary businessman, and two gays wanted to do business with me, I’d say, “Okay, will that be cash or credit card?”

I believe sound business sense dictates that my services or products  should be available to as many people as possible without ever attempting to exclude any particular groups. This is how I believe the marketplace works best.

My personal responsibility as a businessman is to walk in integrity and offer good values to customers for fair prices. This means that each customer, no matter who he is, must receive equal treatment and service. Period.

Now, if two gays lived next door to me, I’d obey scripture by loving them as I love myself. I’d be their friends. I’d help them. I’d defend them. I’d pray for them. I’d drink coffee and eat with them. Most likely, unless they asked me, they’d never know how I actually felt about homosexuality.

This is how I normally live the gospel of the kingdom of God in the world around me.

But there is another side of me, which is filled with red-hot anger.

The anger is a result of being sick and tired of seeing Satan lie and deceive 2-3% or more of America’s population into thinking a gay life style is acceptable before God and man because it is not! This lifestyle was created by Satan and his kingdom of darkness to mock the Creator and destroy men and women.

So God created man in His [own] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

God created man in His own image…what does that mean?

First, because God is Spirit, He created Adam and Eve to have a God-like spirit within them which was alive to God. Both communicated and fellowshipped in their spirits with Him without any problems.

Secondly, man’s spirit was wrapped in a physical body. But wait, how can flesh and blood possibly be created in God’s image?

The answer lies in four words: Be fruitful and multiply.”

You see, the Creator designed man to be a creator. Sperm from a man joined with an egg from a woman creates life… another human being. This creation process is to be carried out within a marriage between a husband and a wife through sexual activity. And as creators, the two spouses decide for themselves whether or not to create life.

Satan eventually threw a wrench into God’s plans by deceiving Eve and causing Adam to sin with a boldface lie.

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Adam and Eve were already created in the likeness of God!

Yet, Satan’s cunning words somehow caused the two to disbelieve the One who created them and instead believe Satan. After all, the  forbidden fruit looked pleasant to the eyes and was desirable.

This rebellion by Adam and Eve caused sin to enter the world and man spiritually died and was separated from God. Satan then became the god of this world.

Yet, the father of lies, Satan, was not satisfied with just a spiritual separation between God and and the apple of His eye —man. His ultimate goal was to mock God and destroy men. And what better way to accomplish this task than to get mankind to rebel against God’s first command:

Be fruitful and multiply… (Genesis 1: 28)

The Bible refers to sexual activity orchestrated by Satan between two men or two women as the unfruitful deeds of darkness. Unfruitful?  No life can ever be created from this activity. It mocks the Creator’s plan for men and women.

Okay, who killed Harvey Milk on November 27, 1978? The obvious answer is Dan White. But who helped push White into committing the murder?

The spirit of depravity.

(Continued in Part 9…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2012, may be seen here.)  

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Why California? Why San Francisco? Why Now? (Part 7)

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The movie, Milk (2008), was nominated for eight Academy Award nominations and ended up winning two: Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black).

Milk tells the story of the struggles Harvey Milk endured in the last eight years of his life as a gay rights activist and politician. The high point of the film shows Milk (Sean Penn) being elected to a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, which made him the first openly gay person elected to public office in California. But sadly, the movie ends with Milk and Mayor George Moscone being assassinated by Dan White on November 27, 1978.

Rotten Tomatoes rated the movie at 94%. And even though R rated, most Christian reviewers stated the movie was well acted and well done.

The film’s release was tied to the 2008 California voter referendum on gay marriage, Proposition 8, as its premiere was held in San Francisco two weeks before election day, November 4, 2008.

Although always considered an icon by the San Francisco gay community, the movie catapulted Harvey Milk into martyrdom status. President Obama posthumously awarded Milk a Presidential Medal of Freedom (August, 2009). Desmond Tutu supported the founding of the Harvey Milk Foundation (2009).

But then, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 572 on October 11, 2009. This bill designated May 22 as Harvey Milk Day and encouraged California public schools, K-12, to commemorate the life and values of Milk.

Was Harvey Milk a martyr, someone to be admired by school children? 

If you only watch the movie and listen to politicians and gay rights activists, the answer is “yes.” But if you do a little research, a different side of Harvey Milk can be seen.

The script for the movie, Milk, was adapted from Randy Shilt’s biography of Harvey Milk, The Mayor of Castro Street (St. Martins Press, 1982). Shilts wrote the book while struggling to find full-time employment as an openly gay reporter.

Later, Randy Shilt’s explained why he chose to write on Milk’s life:

At the time, for those of us who lived in San Francisco, it felt like it was life changing, that all the eyes of the world were upon us, but in fact most of the world outside of San Francisco had no idea. It was just a really brief, provincial, localized current events story that the mayor and a city council member in San Francisco were killed. It didn’t have much reverberation.” (Quartini, Joelle (June 20, 2008). “Harvey Milk Returns”, The New York Blade12 (25), p. 18.)

Here’s some quotes from Randy Shilt’s book, not portrayed in the movie, Milk:

“…sixteen-year-old McKinley was looking for some kind of father figure…At 33, Milk was launching a new life, though he could hardly have imagined the unlikely direction toward which his new lover would pull him.” (pages 30-31)

“It would be to boyish-looking men in their late teens and early 20’s that Milk would be attracted for the rest of his life.” (page 24)

“Harvey always had a penchant for young waifs with substance abuse problems.” (page 180)

“As homosexuals, we can’t depend on the heterosexual model…We grow up with the heterosexual model, but we don’t have to follow it. We should be developing our own life-style. There’s no reason why you can’t love more than one person at a time. You don’t have to love them all the same. You love some less, love some more — and always be honest with everybody about where you’re at. They in turn can do the same thing and it can open up a bigger sphere.” (pages 237-238)

Why in the world would politicians and educators hang their reputations on Harvey Milk?

(Continued in Part 8…if you are interested, the full series, which was written in 2012, may be seen here.)  

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