The Proof Came—AFTER

November 07, 2017

I have read Exodus many, many times before, but because of our current situation, I am reading it with new eyes. Moses felt very inadequate for the job God was giving him. God was asking him to go see the king and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The problem was (in Moses' mind), he wasn't an important person! How was he—just an ordinary man tending sheep for the past 40 years—going to get an audience with the king? And how in the world was he supposed to lead a group of people who weren't even looking for a leader?

You have to love God's response to Moses' questions. Even though God is a God of details, He didn't give Moses some play-by-play description and written-in-stone proof of how this was all going to work out. Instead, He tells Moses that the proof will come after he is successful and when they are all worshiping God on the mountain.

God said, "I will be with you. This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." Exodus 3:12

The proof came—AFTER! 

AFTER—Moses completed everything God asked him to do; AFTER—the people were set free; THEN—they would worship the Lord on the mountain; and that would be the proof. The proof of God's faithfulness came AFTER Moses chose to believe God's promises and AFTER he chose to follow God's path of obtaining the Israelite's freedom.

The proof came—AFTER.  

There is another "after" referenced in Exodus 3.

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. Only a great power will force him to let you go, so I will use my great power against Egypt with all the miracles that will happen in that land. After I do that, he will let you go."  Exodus 3:19–20

Their freedom came—AFTER!  AFTER—God used His great power, AFTER—God did everything He said He was going to do; THEN—His people were freed; and all would know that He is the LORD.

The proof came—AFTER.

We all like to live our lives in the land of "before." We like having concrete evidence of something and knowing exactly how everything is going to come together BEFORE we begin. We like to know everything that is expected of us BEFORE we start. But here God is saying the freedom comes AFTER He uses His great power; and the proof Moses isn't crazy will come AFTER God frees them and they worship HIM on HIS mountain.

AFTER. We have a lot of "after" situations in our lives. The only way to prove we aren't crazy when we say we believe this lawsuit is not going to go to trial—is AFTER it doesn't go to trial. The only way the story of Jane E. Wolfe can be proven authentic—is AFTER everything she said comes true. The only way we will ever be truly free from our accusers—is AFTER God uses His great power to free us. The only way for HIS story to be told and Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) or Walking By Faith: A True Story of God's Faithfulness to be made public—is AFTER we are somehow released in a permanent way without any risk of appeal of the current lawsuit or any future lawsuit, which my brother-in-law has already threatened to file.

Why "after"? The answer is found in the first few verses of Exodus 10. God used the Egyptians stubbornness to give them proof of HIS great power. "I have made him and his officers stubborn so I could show them my powerful miracles." I love the next verse. "I also did this so you could tell your children and your grandchildren how I was hard on the Egyptians. Tell them about the miracles I did among them so that all of you will know that I am the LORD."

AFTER—His promises have proven true, THEN—all will know that HE is the LORD. It all goes back to the very first chapter Jane asked me to read and the very first step in understanding why we have been taken on this long journey. Purpose. It is all about HIM. This is HIS story. All honor and glory belong to the LORD.

So, we are going to remain standing on the edge of the precipice even if it means we don't have a safety net or rope to save us should we fall. God has a purpose for this journey we have been on these last ten and one half years. He is either going to fulfill His promises and free us in a miraculous way by HIS great power—or—we are going to look like fools. Either way, we choose to stand firm in our beliefs and we will remain faithful to HIS purpose.

We will wait for—the AFTER.


Next Entry: The Purpose: To Bring Honor and Glory to the LORD!

Brick by Brick!

November 01, 2017

The first initial years of "the storm" were overwhelming and time consuming, but once all the legal filings were submitted to the courts, things became quiet. The wait for the judge to issue his rulings began. Months passed. And then years passed. We became accustomed to the lull in the nastiness. And then a few weeks ago, the judge sent out a notice to both parties soliciting available dates for a trial to be scheduled for the Spring or Summer of 2018.

What?? A trial?!? Is there going to be a trial?!? For YEARS, I have been absolutely sure that this lawsuit would never go to trial. SURE! There are many, many reasons why I have felt so strongly about there not being a trial. You can read about some of them here and here. To get a letter from the judge requesting available dates for a trial was a complete surprise and rather disconcerting. It temporarily threw me off balance. I had a lot of questions and no answers. Feeling discouraged, on October 20th, I sat down and wrote my feelings out in a prayer to the LORD.

LORD,

What is it YOU want? What is YOUR will for our lives? Is it YOUR will for this ugly battle perpetrated upon us to go to trial? Is that YOUR will? Is it YOUR will for my journals and the story of Jane to be made public? Is that the way you want YOUR story to be told?

I have so many questions. So many. I'm not doubting you, LORD. I am doubting me. I have been sure for years that this battle was not going to trial. I still believe that. But am I crazy? Was it just wishful thinking? Is it something I have conjured up in my own mind? I really don't believe so. I really don't. But LORD, I want to be sure. I want to be sure that I am surrendered to YOUR will and following YOUR path.

LORD, I have absolutely NO doubt that you are going to protect us from my sister and brother-in-law's vicious and false accusations. NO doubt whatsoever. I guess what confuses me is the path. Do you want this battle to go to trial? Do you want the blogs to be made public? How does that work? Things have changed. The wait for the resolution of the lawsuit has been open ended with nothing in sight, so waiting wasn't that hard because there was an open ended time frame (in my mind) for you to complete your will. But now things have changed. Lawyers from both sides have agreed to set June of 2018 aside for a trial. There is now a point in time set aside for a decision and it is nine months away. Am I starting to doubt? I'm not losing faith in the end result, but I am really confused about the process. Did I misunderstand? Am I wrong? Last night I was reminded of what our Pastor always says. "Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light."

The blogs are for the most part done and ready. As far as I know I have completed the journey I felt YOU directed me to take. Is YOUR story really going to just sit idle for over nine months? Is there something else I am supposed to do? Am I losing my faith?

In the end it doesn't matter. You are God and I am not. So what is the problem?

I am ashamed. Why am I struggling? Nothing has changed. Am I worried about being wrong in what I have so passionately written about? Is it my pride that is suffering? Am I fearful of looking like a fool and trying to explain why everything I said I felt God was showing me was wrong and (evidently) a figment of my imagination?

LORD, I confess to you my fears. I confess to you my doubt. I confess to you my need to know what is going on and how you plan on doing things. I am weary. I surrender all to you. I surrender it all to you. My hands are open. You are God. I will continue to trust you. I do trust you. If I'm made to look like a fool—then so be it. The only thing that matters is YOU. I bow my need to know how you are going to protect us to your authority and sovereignty. I'm sorry, LORD. A planned date doesn't mean anything. I will still follow your footpath no matter where it leads. Help me to only look ahead at each next step and not start looking into the future. One step at a time, LORD. One step at a time. May YOUR will be done in whatever way YOU choose. 

Writing my thoughts down always has a therapeutic effect for me. It calms my mind and soothes my soul. It brings me back to Truth and to what I KNOW.

• I KNOW God has a plan for our lives.
• I KNOW God has promised us His protection.
• I KNOW I am to tell HIS story.
• I KNOW this lawsuit will not accidentally go to trial.
• I KNOW that while God may allow the "world's" court system to set us free, it cannot be His revealed moral will because the filing of this lawsuit violates His written words.
• I KNOW God has given my sister and brother-in-law ten plus years of Grace.
• I KNOW there will come a day when accountability for our life choices WILL happen.
• I KNOW that HE is in control—and that is enough.

We will STAND on the promises of God. We will continue to believe and hold on to HIS Truth.

There have been some other new developments pertaining to the lawsuit as well. Three of the four attorneys (including the lead attorney) representing my sister and brother-in-law are now no longer with their law firm. To us this is huge news. We felt their lead attorney was just plain vicious in his actions, words and tone. He didn't appear to be interested in facilitating any kind of negotiation or reconciliation and gave my sister and brother-in-law free rein in trying to cause strife and discord among our immediate and extended family members. Nothing appeared to be sacred or off-limits to either him or my sister and brother-in-law. We are SO grateful he is gone.

The timing of his departure seems rather remarkable. He literally left the firm just days or weeks before the judge sent the notice out asking for available dates from each side for a trial. He took a position as an in-house lawyer for a large company so he will NOT be able to assist my sister and brother-in-law again on their case. This is a huge blessing! We never need to see him again and we are very grateful. The scheduled dates for the trial are still up in the air. Some time in June 2018 is what the attorneys for both sides agreed upon but my sister and brother-in-law would not agree to those dates, so we are waiting to hear what the judge decides to do.

Shortly after the news about these new developments broke, the phrase "Brick by Brick" came to my mind early one morning and it got me to thinking.

In the beginning of this conflict, my sister and brother-in-law put up a brick wall of their own doing. Every effort we made to bring our conflict to a peaceful end (by using biblical principles) was blocked by a brick wall of resistance. They thought they were in complete control of their destiny and ours. While my sister and brother-in-law were building a brick wall of resistance, God was building a brick wall for our protection. "Brick by Brick" obstacles to block their plans and intents have been put in their way from the very beginning and the obstacles continue to build as they try to take us down financially by using the "world's" court system. Losing their lead attorney, ten years into the legal process and immediately before the judge requested spring and/or summer trial dates from both sides, is certainly another brick placed in their way. It will now cost them a considerable amount of more money to continue to pursue us. It will take a new lawyer many billable hours to be brought up to speed on the sheer amount of volume and details of the case.

Brick by brick.

Even the scheduling of a date appears to be a brick in their path. In their letter to the judge they stated the only times they would be available for a trial would be in very early spring because a trial later than that would cause their seasonable businesses hardship. I'm not sure if the judge will grant their request or not. Our lawyer is scheduled to be out of town and then has two other trials scheduled and the judge is typically in Florida in the time frame my sister and brother-in-law proposed as the only time they would be available. To read their claims of hardship and their basic refusal to consider other times was rather astonishing. They are pursuing us, we are not pursuing them! You would have thought their response would have been something along the lines of, "you name the date and time and we will be there." Instead, they had the audacity to tell a judge that his time frame for dates was not acceptable to them. Incredible. Their own words have caused more bricks to be added to the wall being built for our protection.

Brick by brick.

LORD, our prayer for my sister and brother-in-law remains the same. May they understand that without you they are nothing, and may they desire nothing but you. LORD, thank you for patiently giving them time to change their hearts and lives. Thank you, for granting them ten more years of Grace. LORD, we have always said they cannot pursue you and pursue us at the same time. So, Lord, I come boldly before you and ask in the Almighty name of Jesus for you to build the brick wall of protection around us so high they can't climb over it and so wide they can't go around it. LORD, I pray you would knock down their brick wall of resistance. LORD, I pray you would block the path of disobedience they are on to the point where the brick wall of protection you have built around us is insurmountable and they cannot successfully go forward in their desire to pursue us. LORD, we pray the words of Psalm 140:8 - "Do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed or they will become proud." LORD, their planned intentions were clearly demonstrated when they chose to go against your written words and instead filed this lawsuit in an attempt to use the "world's" court system as the means to further their false accusations and their evil intentions. LORD, I pray that brick by brick you would block their ability to pursue this case to trial. LORD, may YOU release us through YOUR power and YOUR might. May all know that is was the LORD God Almighty who stopped the avenger and saved us from the lion's mouth. We pray this in Jesus' holy name. Amen.

Brick by brick.

Addendum: 2/19/19 ~ A light bulb of further understanding went on as I was reading this today. Jesus is three types of stone: 

• Cornerstone—someone to build your life's foundation upon
• Stumbling stone—someone who puts or allows obstacles in your path for the purpose of getting your attention and letting you know you need to change your heart and life 
• Crushing stone—someone who will eventually hold those who refuse to follow Him accountable for their life choices.

I Peter 2:6–8 - " 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' (Quoting Isaiah 28:16) Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' (Quoting Psalm 118:22) and, 'A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.' "(Quoting Isaiah 8:14) 

Matthew 21:42–44 - "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  (Jesus quoting Psalm 118:22,23) 'Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.  He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.' "

Many of the decisions my sister and brother-in-law made throughout "the storm" just didn't make sense. My husband and I (and others) would often just look at each other and shake our heads. How many times did we (and others) say, "Why on earth did they do that?? How does that make any sense?!"

I thought my sister and brother-in-law were (all on their own) building strong walls of resistance and they thought they were in complete control of their destiny and ours, but now I am starting to see things a little differently. I am beginning to understand God's hand has been in even the smallest of details. I now believe God-planned and God-allowed stumbling stones were put in their path; obstacles which were meant to get their attention and change their course of actions. 

So many situations are running through my mind. So many things that just didn't seem to make good business or logical sense. The disturbing thing is this: my sister and brother-in-law think they are building a wall of resistance against us when in reality, their wall of resistance is a fight against the authority of God. Because my sister and brother-in-law refused to change their hearts and lives, God allowed them to continue to build a wall that ultimately prevented them from owning our joint project which in turn prevented them from realizing any eventual profits from their deceitful practices. They also didn't make any money from the large sum of money they removed from the project; they lost the entire amount they removed and much more. 

My sister and brother-in-law's covert strategy to take over the project—failed. Their scheme to keep all profits for themselves—failed. Their plan to make a large profit off of the money they removed from the project—failed. All their best laid plans and strategies—failed. Not only did all their strategies for ill-gotten gain fail, but now their insistence on moving forward with a lawsuit has cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. We absolutely believe their attempt to have the courts enforce the "agreement" they deceitfully obtained as a way to financially ruin us for their own gain will fail as well.  

We always wondered, but now we see more clearly. Their decisions weren't just bad business practices or illogical thinking—it was God's hand at work. Stumbling stones were put in place and brick by brick a wall was built to thwart their plans. God has given my sister and brother-in-law opportunity after opportunity to change their hearts and minds, to surrender, to turn from their self-centered ways, and to build their lives upon the Cornerstone. For that I am very thankful. However, there comes a time when "time" runs out and accountability happens.

The stumbling stone becomes a crushing stone.

None of us like to think about judgment. We would all much prefer to talk about the wonderful Grace of God and sit around a campfire singing, Kum Ba Ya. But TRUTH is the truth. Some day we will all stand before our Maker. At that time He will either be the Cornerstone on which we have built our lives—OR—He will be revealed as the stumbling and crushing stone. He is either Lord of our lives—or He isn't. 

Oh LORD, we are still learning so much. While we have understood much of what YOU have done, we at the same time have understood very little. I am just amazed at even the glimpse we have been given. LORD, we trust you and ask that you continue to put obstacles in their path that will prevent their plans from succeeding. Thank you, for building walls of protection around us. LORD, there are not enough words to adequately thank you for all you have done these past twelve years. Thank you, Father.

Brick by brick. Stumbling stone by stumbling stone. Obstacles ignored. Walls of resistance built.


Next Entry: By HIS Great Power

II Chronicles 29:1 – 32:23

July 20, 2014

There is so much to write about Hezekiah. But first I want to write about this morning's sermon with Dr. Gregg Chenoweth. It was about timing: TDD—Timing Deficient Disorder. There is horizontal timing (meaning things in chronological order) and there is the multiple layers of vertical timing. One is absolute. The other can be vague. While the timing may not be clear, there is one thing we know. There IS a when.

"We Know the What... But When?"

1. Coiled Christians say "wait" to a good cause when a greater one is available. They'll even say no to friends in getting there.
2. Coiled Christians say "now" with immediacy and courage if they have heard from God.
3. Coiled Christians know being misunderstood or criticized after their decision does not mean they had a TDD moment and got it wrong.

"There is a WHEN! Be ready for it. God will bless your faithfulness."

The text for Dr. Chenoweth's sermon was John 7:1-14. But during his message, Dr. Chenoweth quoted verses from Jeremiah 33 - "...pray to me and I will answer you..."; and Isaiah 30 - "...the LORD longs to show you compassion... if you go to the left or right... you will hear a voice saying go this way." The exact promises God gave us through Jane (Her Name Was Jane). WOW! Co-incidence? No. God-incidence.

We have been battling "the storm" for seven years now. That is a very long time to be caught in difficult circumstances. We know the what ... we just don't know the when. Dr. Chenoweth's message today encouraged us to hang on! Remember God's promises! There is a WHEN! Be ready for it! God will bless your faithfulness! Jeremiah 33 - "Pray to me and I will answer you..."; Isaiah 30 - "I will give you direction." (my paraphrase)

Thank you, LORD, for your perfect timing. Dr. Chenoweth's message was exactly what we needed to be reminded of. My husband says it's the LORD saying, "I've got you covered." We have been battling "the storm" for seven years. We will hang on. We will hang on to Your promises. There is a WHEN!

Now... about Hezekiah. The first thing he does upon becoming king is to open the doors to the temple that his father closed. He directed the Levites and priests to cleanse themselves to prepare the sacrifices and to rid the temple of anything that was unholy. He made it clear to everyone why they were in the predicament they were in; it was because their ancestors had been unfaithful to the LORD. Because their ancestors quit following the LORD; because they chose to reject His commands; because they shut the doors of the temple; and because they stopped burning incense—the LORD was now punishing them.

Hezekiah decided that he would not be like his father. He would break the pattern and return the people to following the LORD's commands. Everything was prepared. The burnt offerings (for the forgiveness of sins) were sacrificed. The people worshiped and praised the LORD with the cymbal, harps, and lyres (Psalm 150) as David commanded. Hezekiah ordered the Levites to, "Praise the LORD, using the words David and Asaph had used. So they praised God with joy and bowed down and worshiped." (We praise the LORD quoting the same Psalms the people quoted during Hezekiah's time. How cool is that?)

Hezekiah wrote a letter to be sent and read throughout the land. It said, "...return to the LORD... then God will return to you... don't be like your ancestors... don't be stubborn (KJV and the NIV both say "stiff necked")... obey the LORD willingly... serve the LORD... come back to the LORD... the LORD your God is kind and merciful. He will not turn away from you if you return to him." Did the majority of the people rush to repent? No. They laughed at it and instead made fun of the messengers. You have to do what God puts on your heart to do. How others respond to it is out of your control. In Hezekiah's case a few men were sorry for what they had done and they changed their hearts and repented.  

The people brought their tithes and offerings to the temple. They brought so much that there were piles and piles of offerings. II Chronicles 31:10 - "Since the people began to bring their offerings to the Temple of the LORD, we have had plenty to eat and plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed his people. So we have all this left over!" God bless when we willingly give back to Him what HE has blessed us with. 

Hezekiah "did what was good and right and obedient before the LORD his God." He did everything to the best of his ability. He tried to obey God's teachings and commands. He was successful because of his obedience.

But then...

"After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done," the king of Assyria attacked them. They weren't attacked because they were unfaithful to God. They weren't being punished because of the sin of their ancestors, and they weren't being held accountable for unfaithfulness. Hezekiah was doing everything right and they were being attacked. He encouraged his people saying, "Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or worried... there is a greater power with us than with him. He only has men, but we have the LORD our God to help us and fight our battles." (II Chronicles 32:7-8)

The king of Assyria surrounded them and attacked them. He ridiculed them. He wrote letters insulting them. He tired to scare them. He did everything he could humanly do. BUT GOD! God fought the battle and God WON! The LORD saved them and took care of them.

These chapters show two different spectrum's: punishment for disobedience; and trials (trails) to be faced even in obedience. We've come to understand we are not being punished and we are not victims. Sometimes the trials we face are the result of someone else's disobedience. But take heart. God will use for your good what others intended for your harm. And in the process, you are given the amazing opportunity of seeing the Hand of God at work in your life.

There is a when! Be ready for it! The battle will end and the victory will be won. God's promises are true. Let's get that altar of stone started! The WHEN is coming!

I've just had an "aha" moment! Of course the A.T. needed to end! The trail (and my goal to hike it) played such an undeniably important role in our lives as we navigated "the storm." God's purpose for putting us on the trail has been fulfilled. There is absolutely no reason for us to continue. None! It seems so obvious now. The Appalachian Trail's role from now on will be one of remembrance.

The WHEN is coming! Blessed be the name of the LORD!!

LORD,
You just amaze me. You take the layers of our life and just keep peeling them away. The more we surrender to you the more you reveal of yourself. We stand in awe of who YOU are. Thank you for the opportunity to see YOUR hand at work in our lives. We love you, Father. How majestic is YOUR name in ALL the earth.

Addendum: 6/23/16 ~ The construction of the Praise Shelter is well underway. The shelter is up and stained. The fireplace is built and the old brick street pavers are laid in the one half. The stones engraved with the chapters Jane told us to read are going to be placed in the path this weekend. Soon. Soon it will be finished.

Addendum #2: 8/22/18 ~ Picture of the Praise Shelter and video of the cobblestone path.

Next Entry: II Chronicles 32:24 – 33:25

II Chronicles 25:1 – 26:23

July 18, 2014

Amaziah becomes king. He does what is right, but it is more out of duty than a passion to follow the LORD's commands. When Amaziah became established, he held those who had killed his father accountable. He followed the laws of Moses and did not hold the children accountable for the actions of their parents.

Amaziah prepares his soldiers for battle. He also hires 100,000 soldiers from Israel for 75 pounds of silver. A man of God comes to him and says—what are you doing? Don't let the men from Israel go with you. Why are you trusting men instead of God? "You can make yourself strong for war, but God will defeat you. He has the power to help you or to defeat you." Amaziah says—but what about the money I have already spent? And the man of God replies—walk away from it. "The LORD can give you much more than that."

God has the power to help you OR defeat you. Put your faith and trust in Him. Rely on HIM, and only Him. It is HIS battle.

So Amaziah goes to war without the hired men and God provides the victory. But THEN, Amaziah brings home the idols of the people he defeated and started worshiping them. Why? Why would he do that? I've always said the most dangerous time isn't when you are facing a battle bigger than yourself because you know you need God's help. The danger comes when the battle has been won and you forget it was God who won the battle. The focus becomes, "look what I have done" instead of, "look what God has done."

Amaziah starts worshiping the idols that could not save those he had attacked and God had beaten. The LORD was very angry and sent a prophet to talk to him. Have you noticed that God always sent someone to warn people when they were getting off track? Unfortunately, it made Amaziah mad and he did not repent. His response was basically, "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

God provides each of us the opportunity for change, but the decision to listen and obey falls entirely upon our own shoulders.

Amaziah would not listen. He tried to align himself with Israel again. Instead of being joined with Israel he was defeated by Israel. He was captured by his enemies, and later he was hunted down and killed by his own people. "God caused all this to happen" because he sought help from others instead of God. Why? Why? Why? Why are some people so stubborn?

We all need to let go (of our pride) and let (surrender to) God.

Uzziah becomes king. He does what the LORD said was right. "As long as Uzziah obeyed the LORD, God gave him success." Therein lies the true secret to success. It is not our own abilities, but God's response to our servant-hood. Unfortunately, when Uzziah became powerful, "His pride led to his ruin." He became unfaithful to God and he thought he was above the rules. Only the priests were allowed to burn incense on the altar, but Uzziah decided that he would do it. The priests tried to warn him, "You have been unfaithful, and the LORD God will not honor you for this." Uzziah wouldn't listen. He became angry and he did what he wanted to do. Because of his actions, Uzziah developed a skin disease and he could no longer live in the palace. He was separated from being around other people for the rest of his life.

The most dangerous time is not when we are in a crisis. The most dangerous time is when things are going well.

LORD, I want to finish strong! May we follow hard after you now and when "the storm" is over.

From the Life Lesson in my Bible – "The humble are always at peace; the proud are often envious and angry." ~ From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis.

In my Bible margins I have written – "Isn't that amazing! The very thing they think will bring them stature and control actually binds them in a prison. A self made prison of envy and jealousy. What they thought would bring freedom is instead an albatross. A goal or "feeling" that can never be attained."

II Chronicles 25:9 - "...the LORD is able to give thee much more than this." Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has written in her KJV margins – Much More!  See Romans 5 - Uncle Amos's "much more's."

Addendum: 4/12/15 ~ "Walk away from it...the LORD can give you much more." Luke 6:38 - "Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you." We are watching this happen. "The storm" has battered our finances. In our human minds we think, but how can we be restored? How could that happen? How would God be able to do that? See II Kings 6:8 – 8:15.

Our human minds cannot begin to fathom the magnitude of God's love and abilities. Cannot. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. 


Next Entry: II Chronicles 27:1 – 28:27  

II Chronicles 19:4 – 21:3

July 16, 2014

NCV - "You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you... don't be afraid or discouraged, because the LORD is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow."

NIV - "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

KJV - "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you... fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

The reference for that verse is found in II Chronicles 20:17 and it is our prayer. Oh LORD, may it be so. May ALL know that it is YOU who saved us from "the storm." We have done all You have commanded us to do. We have taken up our positions. We are standing strong. We are putting our faith and trust in You. We are Walking by Faith, first and foremost praising Your name. Hear our prayer. Save us we pray. Amen.

Jehoshaphat repents for getting off track. He goes back to Jerusalem. He again does what he can to turn the people back to God. He appoints judges to settle disputes. He tells them to, "watch what you do..." the job you are doing is not for people, it is for the LORD. He says again, "watch what you do..." God wants you to be fair and he doesn't want your decisions to be influenced by money. He goes on to tell them, "You must always serve the LORD completely, and you must fear him... have courage. May the LORD be with those who do what is right."

Jehoshaphat is doing what is right and minding his own business when the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites banded together and set out to make war against him. It was unexpected and Jehoshaphat was afraid. "So he decided to ask the LORD what to do." He gathered all the people together to ask the LORD for help. Jehoshaphat prayed. "LORD, you are God... you rule... you have power and strength... no one can stand against you... you forced out the people... you promised... you gave this land... IF trouble comes upon us we will come before you... we will cry out to you... THEN you will will hear and you will save us." LORD, here is the problem: people are coming against us. It is people you allowed to remain! Now they have come to force us out of your land that you gave us. "Oh God, punish those people." We have no power against those who are coming to attack us. "We don't know what to do, so we look to you for help."

Then Jahaziel stood up to speak. "Listen to me... the LORD says this to you:

'Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle is not your battle, it is God's.' "

Then God gave specific details. "Tomorrow go down there and fight those people. They will come up through the pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine that leads to the desert of Jeruel." And then the promise found in II Chronicles 20:17 -

"You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you... don't be afraid or discouraged, because the LORD is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow."

All the people bowed before the LORD in worship. Then some Levites stood up and started praising the LORD. (Psalm 150) The next morning the army headed out. Jehoshaphat stood before them and said, "Listen to me. Have faith in the LORD your God, and you will stand strong. Have faith in his prophets (the words He gave us through Jane), and you will succeed." And then Jehoshaphat did an amazing thing. He listened to the people's advice; he chose men to be singers of praise to the LORD (Psalm 8); and he put them in front of the army. As they marched out they said:

"Praise the LORD: for His mercies endureth forever."

And when they began to sing and to praise God, the LORD took over the battle and secured the victory. II Chronicles 20:22 - "As they began to sing and praise God, the LORD set ambushes... and they were defeated." They praised the LORD before the actual battle was won. They believed in God's promises. They praised the LORD before and after the battle... and ALL knew it was the LORD who secured the victory. (Psalm 140:12 - "I know that the LORD secures justice....")

Addendum: 11/14/14 ~ "You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you..." I believe this. I truly believe this.

Addendum #2: 6/22/16 ~ HE will secure justice. HE will protect us. HE is the answer. HE is the One. What does the end of "the storm" look like? I have no idea. But it will be in HIS time and in HIS way. ALL will know it was the LORD who secured our justice. (Psalm 140:12) We absolutely STILL believe this.

Addendum #3: 4/26/18 ~ See the following updates:

By HIS Great Power
The Purpose
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!


Next Entry: II Chronicles 21:4 – 24:27

II Chronicles 11:18 – 15:19

July 12, 2014

The story of Rehoboam.

After Rehoboam became strong and established, he (and the people) became self-reliant. They stopped obeying God, and they abandoned the laws of God. Oh, the dangers of PRIDE and forgetting that it isn't about "I" do. It is, "I can do all things through Christ." Rehoboam forgot (or ignored) the

God

     ↓   

  Man

relationship, and trouble ensued.

The king of Egypt attacked them. The LORD said, "You have left me, so now I leave you to face (them) alone." It is always in that order. We separate ourselves from God; we are left on our own. The LORD never abandons us first.  

When Rehoboam sees what is happening he becomes afraid and repents. The LORD saw they were sorry, so He held back His anger and prevented the king of Egypt from totally destroying them. Even though Rehoboam repented there were still consequences. The king of Egypt stripped them of what they were most proud of; their many prized possessions. Rehoboam "made himself" a strong king. "He did not want to obey the LORD.

Pride → punishment.

Abijah (son of Rehoboam) becomes king. There was a war between him (Judah) and Jeroboam (Israel). Abijah brought 400,000 soldiers into battle. Jeroboam brought 800,000. Abijah stood on a mountain and said, "Listen to me!" You know that God gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever, so what are you doing following Jeroboam, the son of one of Solomon's officers? You are making plans against God by planning evil against us. You are arguing against God. You have made yourself golden calves to be your gods. You have gotten rid of who God appointed as priests (the Levites) and you have appointed your own priests. You have left the LORD. "But as for us, the LORD is our God; we have not left him." (Psalm 140:6 - But we say, "You are my God...") "We obey the command of the LORD, but you have left him. God himself is with us...." He is the One leading us. Listen! Stop what you are doing! Don't fight against God! It won't work! You won't succeed!

Jeroboam wouldn't listen. Instead he sent some of his troops to "sneak behind" Judah's army. You can "sneak behind" man, but you cannot sneak behind God. When the people of Judah realized they were being tricked, they cried out to the LORD. They didn't run, and they didn't hide. They gave a battle cry, and "God caused" Jeroboam and his army to run away. "God handed them over" to Judah. The people of Israel were defeated, and the people of Judah won. Why? "...because they depended on the LORD." Jeroboam never again became strong. "The LORD struck Jeroboam and he died."

Accountability. Consequences. Every king that followed Jeroboam followed in his foot steps and did evil. Every single one! They couldn't succeed because they were trying to circumvent God's will. It won't work. It can't work.

Abijah dies and his son Asa became king. Asa did "What the LORD his God said was good and right." The LORD gave them peace because they obeyed the LORD. But then Zerah from Cush comes out to fight them with an enormous army. Asa called out to God saying, "LORD, only you can help weak people against the strong. Help us LORD our God, because we depend on you. We fight against this enormous army in your name. LORD, you are our God. Don't let anyone win against you." (Psalm 140 - "...don't let their plans succeed or they will become proud.") The size of the army doesn't matter because the battle belongs to the Lord. They couldn't do it but God could, and He did. "So the LORD defeated (them)... they were crushed by the LORD."

When you face a battle that is bigger than you, remember this truth: You can't do it, but God can. Don't give up. God is in control. 

II Chronicles 15:2 - "The LORD is with you when you are with him. IF you obey him, you will find him, but IF you leave him, he will leave you."

II Chronicles 15:7 - "But you should be strong. Don't give up, because you will get a reward for your good work."

Don't give up! God IS in control. II Chronicles 15:15 - "They looked for God... and found him."

Jeremiah 29:12–14 - "...then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! I will let you find me," says the LORD. "And I will bring you back from your captivity... and I will bring you back to this place."

LORD, we call out to You. Hear our cries for mercy. Protect us from "the storm." Protect us from those who "have set traps along our path."


Next Entry: II Chronicles 16:1 – 19:3

Revelation 13:1–18

August 08, 2013

The Holy Trinity       
God the Father                
Jesus the Son                  
Holy Spirit

The Unholy Trinity     
The Dragon—Satan
The Beast—The Antichrist
2nd Beast—False Prophet

The dragon stood on the seashore and a beast came up out of the sea. On it was a name against God. The Dragon/Satan gave the Beast/Antichrist all his power, his throne, and great authority.

Satan is a counterfeiter. He always attempts to counterfeit the real thing—God and the Holy Trinity. To counterfeit THE Christ, the Antichrist had a mortal wound that was healed. The whole world was amazed by this and they followed after him and worshiped the beast and the dragon.

Revelation 13:5 - "The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months."  It used its mouth to:

• Speak against God
• Speak against God's name
• Speak against the place where God lives
• Speak against all those who live in heaven

The beast had the power to war against God's people and to defeat them. He controlled every tribe, people, language, and nation. All the people whose name was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life worshiped him. BUT! The Lamb is the One who died for our salvation. The beast could/can only do what he is allowed to do, and his power is only allowed for a set period of time. God's will is God's will. Try as he might, there is nothing Satan can do to circumvent it.

Revelation 13:9 - "Anyone who has ears should listen." Now is the time to listen. 

"If you are to be a prisoner,
     then you will be a prisoner.
If you are to be killed with the sword, 
     then you will be killed with the sword.
This means that God's holy people must have patience and faith." 

Then a second beast came. This time it came from the earth. It looked like a lamb (again, trying to look like and counterfeit the Holy Trinity) but it spoke like a dragon. It had the same power as the first beast. Its purpose is to have people worship the beast/dragon. It/he performs miracles, even calling fire down from heaven to earth while people watched. (This time trying to counterfeit what Elijah did.) Revelation 13:14 - "It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do."

Imagine how easy it will be for people to be fooled. Most people have heard "the stories" in the Bible. The world goes through tremendous tribulations, wars, disasters, and chaos. Now what is happening sounds vaguely familiar. Is this what I heard about as a child? Is this God? You can see how people will be easily fooled.

The whole purpose of the second beast/false prophet is not to just promote the Antichrist, but to force all people to worship the Antichrist/Satan. If anyone refused to worship the beast he had the authority to have them killed. The false prophet also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free or slave, ALL people to have a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without that mark you cannot buy or sell anything. Total dominance. Total control.

All the people who were unwilling to surrender to Master Jesus and accept his free gift of salvation are now forced to be a slave and worship the false Antichrist. Forced! What deep sadness I feel when I think about those who chose to reject God's lamb and refused to surrender their lives. Because of their choice they are now slaves to Satan and they subjected to cruelty and a nightmare that is only beginning. It makes me want to do ALL I can do to make sure the sphere of people within my influence have ALL the knowledge and every opportunity to accept Christ's free gift. There is just nothing more important than that. Nothing.

It used to be hard to fathom how the logistics of what John says the false prophet would have the power to do could possibly happen. How could people be forced to have a mark? How could the buying and selling process possibly be controlled? But now, with the advancement of technology, you can see how this could so easily happen. Almost no one uses cash any more. We drive under the toll road entrances and it automatically "reads" our information. The world economic system could be taken over so easily, and it probably won't even look like a hostile take over.

Oh LORD, the Church needs to wake up!! We as believers need to wake up! Whether Christ's return is today, tomorrow, or hundreds of years from now—time is short. Surrender to Master Jesus today!!

Addendum: 11/1/23 ~ 2020 showed us what we couldn’t have imagined. The world wide reaction and COVID rules and shutdowns revealed how total control could be forced upon us all. 


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

Revelation 12:1–18

August 07, 2013

Revelation 12 symbolizes the conflict between God and Satan. It's a conflict that Satan doesn't and cannot win, but that does not stop him from trying to create havoc along the way.

God reveals (and John describes) a battle between a woman and a giant red dragon. The woman represents God's plan for man's salvation through the birth and death of Jesus. The red dragon represents Satan. Satan was determined to stop God's plan for salvation before it even began. The dragon "stood in front of the woman who was ready to give birth so he could eat her baby as soon as it was born." His plan to destroy God's plan failed, and the child and the mother were protected by God.

I have a whole new appreciation for what Mary must have endured before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. I'd never really given much thought to how Mary's life was impacted by Satan's desire to thwart God's plan for salvation. Stopping God's plan for man's salvation was/is the driving force behind all of Satan's actions. Understanding this also gives us more perspective on how Jesus as God/man was the target of Satan's attacks. Jesus was God's Son and His plan for the salvation of man. It wasn't "just" the temptations in the desert, it would have been daily attacks. Satan would have been relentless and would have stopped at nothing—all to try and circumvent and prevent God's plan. He thought he was successful when Jesus was nailed to the cross, but Satan (praise the Lord) can never stop God's power. Since he couldn't thwart God's plan through Mary or Jesus, he has turned his attention to "man."

This should not bring us fear. When we are surrendered to Jesus we are protected by Him and Satan has no power over us. But, it sure does explain why Satan works so hard at keeping people blinded and ignorant to Truth. He knows God's Truth is what will set them free. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life..." (John 10:10)

Revelation 12:7 - "Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." The dragon and his angels cannot be a victor over God's angels, and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven and were thrown out—down to earth. Then John heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God
     and the authority of his Christ have now come.
The accuser of our brothers and sisters,
     who accused them day and night before our God,
     has been thrown down.
And our brothers and sisters defeated him
     by the blood of the Lamb's death (First and most important)
     and by the message they preached.(and by the testimonies of His followers)
They did not love their lives so much  
     that they were afraid of death. (They were totally surrendered)
So rejoice, you heavens
     and all who live there!
But it will be terrible for the earth and the sea,
     because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with anger,
     because he knows he does not have much time."
     (Revelation 12:10–12 ~ Emphasis and comments mine)

When the dragon/Satan realized he was thrown out of heaven he was angry and full of vengeance. He sought (seeks) to destroy anyone who is a follower of God, starting with the woman who gave birth to the Son. God prepared a place of safety for her, but still Satan did not give up. He poured water out of his mouth like a river to carry her away, "But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon."

Satan doesn't take defeat lightly. He was very angry, "and he went off to make war against all her other children—those who obey God's commands and who have the message Jesus taught."

Obviously there is a lot of symbolism and deeper meanings here which I don't understand. But the bottom line is this:

• God is more powerful than Satan
• We know who wins the final battle
• God provides protection for His people
• To have that protection we must obey His commands (not just know them, we must OBEY them) and we must have the message that Jesus taught (not just head knowledge of Christ, we must HAVE a personal relationship with Christ).

Satan is defeated by the blood of Christ's death and (incredibly) by our testimonies. Our testimonies of God's salvation plays a role in defeating Satan's plan. What an incredible thought.

God is in control. Satan may try to wreck havoc, but he is not in control. We can depend on God for our strength, courage, and victory.

Addendum: 3/4/17 ~ I was thinking this morning about the length of time between Satan's success in getting Adam and Eve to believe they could assert their self-sufficiency over God's authority in the Garden of Eden to when God's plan of salvation culminated in the virgin birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Thousands of years passed between the downfall of man and the birth of Jesus. No wonder Satan was so adamant at trying to prevent the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. He thought his plan was working. Thousands of years had passed. 

Time is of NO importance. God's will—WILL happen and nothing can stop it. Now, thousands of more years have passed since the resurrection of Christ, and Satan is still trying to prevent as many people as possible from accepting God's plan of salvation.

The blood of Jesus defeated Satan's plans and our testimonies bear witness to his defeat. Satan has spent thousands and thousands of years trying to thwart God's plan of salvation and trying to prevent humanity from accepting it. No wonder there is such a battle. He wants God's position. He doesn't have the power to come up with his own creation so he tries to counterfeit God's position. He's relentless. He's determined. But no matter what he does, his ultimate defeat is guaranteed.

The end of the story is already written. The outcome is certain.

Revelation describes the battle. For a period of time Satan will have what he thinks is full control. He doesn't understand that God allows him only so much time and power. I take that back. I think he does know that God is in control, and it makes him angry and he fights back even more. BUT! There is coming a day when his rule of terror will permanently end and his eternity of punishment will begin.

On that day, on that planned day, all of creation will rejoice. God's will—WILL be done.

There is coming a day! Oh what a day that will be.  


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18

Revelation 4:1 – 6:17 (Continued)

July 30, 2013

Then ALL creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth joined in saying:

"To the One who sits on the throne
     and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever."

The four living creatures said, "Amen" and the elders bowed down and worshiped.

Are we "getting" this? Have we even begun to understand that life, our temporary time on this earth, is NOT about us and what we want? If our eternal lives in heaven are spent worshiping and praising and giving honor and power and glory to the great I AM and to the LAMB, then why do we think our lives on earth (which are like a mist) are about what we want, when we want it, and how we want it? And then we have the nerve to tell the great I AM what He should do for us?!?

Oh my goodness! Who do we (people) think we are? Certainly not servants of Master Jesus. What has America done with Christianity? What have we done with Christ's message? Where did the idea of prosperity "religion" or this feel-good-God-just-wants-us-to-be-happy "religion" originate? The answer is from selfish desires and from pride. It's from disregarding God's very first commandment and worshiping ourselves instead of God. And out of a selfish heart we present God with a laundry list of our wants. The prayers of the "saints," which should be a sweet smelling aroma to our heavenly Father, are instead a stench in the nostrils of the Most High God.

I want my prayers to be ones of worship, honor, glory, and praise to the only One who is worthy and to the Lamb. I want my prayers to be a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of my heavenly Father. 

The Lamb began to open the seals. One of the four beasts told John to "come" and see  So, John looked and recorded what he saw.

1. The first seal was opened. John looked and there before him was a white horse. Its rider had a crown and bow and it went out to conquer "determined to win the victory." Revelations 19 talks about Jesus coming on a while horse and being called Faithful and True. I don't believe this white horse and rider is Jesus. Instead, I believe it to be the Antichrist whose mission is to counterfeit the Christ as part of Satan's plan. He is determined to conquer, but not for the good of man. It is instead for man's destruction.
2. The second seal is opened and a red horse came out  Its rider was given power to take away peace from the earth. Violence runs rampant. Evil abounds.
3. The third seal is opened. A black horse came out. Its rider held a pair of scales. Famine takes over the land. Desperation and starvation are everywhere.
4. The fourth seal is opened. A pale horse emerges and its rider is death, and Hades followed close behind. War, starvation, disease, and death by wild animals kills a fourth of the people of the earth.  
5. The fifth seal is opened. John saw under the altar the souls of the martyred believers who were killed because they were faithful to God and His words and message. Their souls cried out "Holy and true Lord, how long until you judge the people of the earth and punish them for killing us?" Each of them were given a white robe and were told to wait a short time longer because it wasn't quite time yet. There were still more believers who were going to be martyred. When the time is right, THEN judgment will happen.
6. The sixth seal was opened. There was a great earthquake. Total chaos ensued. The sun became black, the moon became like blood. The stars fall to earth from the sky. The sky closed up and disappeared. Every mountain and every island was moved from its foundation. Total chaos. Fear was everywhere and no one was exempt. From the richest to the poorest, from kings and rulers to those who were free or slaves, everyone was terrified. They realized there was indeed a God and that He was showing His wrath. They called on the rocks and mountains to fall on them in a futile attempt to hide from God's wrath. They understood they could not stand up against the holy wrath of the One who sits upon the throne and of the Lamb. What they didn't understand is this: even the rocks, the very thing they were trying to hide under, understood the majesty of God and that He deserves our praise.

The consequences for disobedience kept increasing with each seal that was opened. It reminds me of Leviticus 26 where God talks about the reward for obeying God and the punishments for not obeying God. Each time the people refused to obey, the punishment increased seven fold. Leviticus 26:1 - 27:34; Leviticus 26:1 - 27:34 (Continued); and Leviticus 26:1 - 27:34 (Continued). 

What a contrast between the rewards given for obedience and the punishment set aside for those who have chosen disobedience. What a contrast from praising the Father and the Lamb in Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 and the tribulation described in Chapter 6.

If you are a believer: Stand strong and continue in the faith.

If you are a non-believer or a "religious" unbeliever: Change your hearts and lives while there is still time. Do it today!!

Addendum: 2/7/17 ~ I've been thinking about the number seven. Creation took seven days. In Leviticus the punishments increased seven-fold. In Revelation there were seven seals. I've always known the number seven is significant throughout scripture, but I've never taken the time to study it. Today as I was adding the links to Leviticus, I was reminded once again about the importance of the number seven in the Bible.

I wanted to learn more so I googled the question, "Why is the number seven important in the Bible"? and I found this website: Gotquestions.org

"What is the biblical significance of the number seven "7"?

"The first use of the number seven in the Bible relates to the creation week in Genesis 1. God spends six days creating the heavens and the earth, and then rests on the seventh day. This is our template for the seven-day week, observed around the world to this day. The seventh day was to be “set apart” for Israel; the Sabbath was a holy day of rest (Deuteronomy 5:12).

Thus, right at the start of the Bible, the number seven is identified with something being “finished” or “complete.” From then on, that association continues, as seven is often found in contexts involving completeness or divine perfection. So we see the command for animals to be at least seven days old before being used for sacrifice (Exodus 22:30), the command for leprous Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times to effect complete cleansing (2 Kings 5:10), and the command for Joshua to march around Jericho for seven days (and on the seventh day to make seven circuits) and for seven priests blow seven trumpets outside the city walls (Joshua 6:3–4). In these instances, seven signifies a completion of some kind: a divine mandate is fulfilled."

You can read the rest of the very interesting answer here:  "What is the biblical significance of the number seven "7"?

Several different people have said to us over the years that maybe the lawsuit would end on year seven—but that didn't happen. The year 2014 came and went, and the lawsuit continued on. After reading the explanation of "seven signifies a completion of some kind: a divine mandate is fulfilled" I thought to myself—well of course the lawsuit didn't end on year seven. My sister and brother-in-law deciding to file a lawsuit was a direct violation of God's written word. It most definitely was not part of a divine mandate. It was selfish pursuit of evil plans and a desire to circumvent God's authority by using the world's court system to get what they wanted.

Several weeks ago a new thought came to me. I was writing The Beginning of the End on 1/11/17 when it suddenly occurred to me that it is has been seven years since I knew I was supposed to begin keeping a journal while reading through God's Word again. I began the process of reading and writing on November 16, 2009. When I finished the almost four year journey of reading and writing, I knew I was to transcribe my journals into a format where I could organize and label the contents of my journal. So, the plan to create this (private) blog began. The blog was just for my own personal use. Then along the way, while transcribing my journal entries, the unexpected happened:

LORD – What Am I to Do?
The LORD Answers!
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!!

And for the first time, I realized what I had been working on since November of 2009 and what I thought was just for my own personal use was—THE Book. I knew I was to tell HIS Story, but never did I imagine my journals were the way HE wanted HIS story told.

Now it's early 2017, I am transcribing my journal entries for Revelation from my final journal; I am understanding for the first time that it has taken me seven years to complete the telling of HIS Story; I'm reminded of the importance of the number seven; I look up why the number seven is significant in the Bible; and I read the quote, "In these instances, seven signifies a completion of some kind: a divine mandate is fulfilled."     

Is there any correlation?  There is still editing to complete, but the actual writing and telling of HIS Story, the divine mandate I was given, has taken seven years. HIS Story cannot be released until the lawsuit has permanently ended, so until that time, we will wait. God waited patiently while Noah finished building the boat, and then His judgment began. We will wait patiently for God to reveal His timing. In the meantime, it makes me smile to realize this journey of reading and writing has taken seven years. How cool is that?

Here is what I do know. We are just very ordinary people. I'm 62 years old. I am not college educated. You really can't get more ordinary than we are. But, this isn't our story—it is HIS story—and we serve an extra-ordinary God. I don't know why we were chosen to be the recipients of a Blessed Event. All I know is that God has a plan and I want to be faithful.

There is so much that has happened that had absolutely nothing to do with us. So much. It's humbling to realize the path we have been on has been ordained by the great I AM. It turns out it wasn't my idea to:

• Hike the Appalachian Trail
• Begin going to visit the residents of a nursing home on Christmas mornings
• Go to the nursing home on that fateful day in January 2007
• Start a journal
• Begin to pray and prepare for a New Beginning
• Purge our home of all the lawsuit stuff while it was still ongoing
• Begin Walking On His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead)
• Open up my private journals for the world to see

And the list could go on and on. These weren't just random events. I'm convinced they were/are all "divine mandates" that had nothing to do with us—and after seven years—they are almost all completed. Is there more that needs to happen?

So, when or how is the lawsuit going to end? When can HIS Story become public? I have no idea. Nothing about this journey we have been on has been "ordinary." God has done so many amazing things along this path that it's hard to believe the lawsuit would end in some sort of ho-hum way. So, we wait, and we trust.  

Just like Mt. Kathadin is the goal for those planning on hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, Heaven is the goal for a believer who is following HIS path. There are valleys to cross, mountains to climb, and obstacles to overcome, but there is no safer place to be than on HIS path. We will wait to see what God has planned for our next steps. We will take a step, the next step, and the next step. The journey WILL unfold before us. 

 Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead).  

Addendum #2: 2/15/19 ~ Two more years have passed—and the lawsuit continues. I just realized (this past week while reading through my entries) that another seven is coming up.  It was in July of 2012 (while hiking the Appalachian Trail), that God brought it to our minds to begin praying about a New Beginning. Without our knowing it at the time, the New Beginning represented a turning point in our lives. You can read about The New Beginning: The Path Unfolds here.

Addendum #3: 6/26/19 ~ And then there was: A New Path—A New Journey


Next Entry: Revelation 7:1–17

Revelation 3:1–22

July 26, 2013

To the Church in Sardis the One says this:

"I know what you do."

• People say you are alive (a believer)
• But you are really dead (religious unbeliever)
• Wake up!
• You are doing less than what God wants
• Strengthen what little truth is left in you
• Don't forget what you've heard and received
• Obey it!
• Change your heart and lives!
• You must wake up!

Or, when you least expect it, "I will come like a thief and you will not know when I will come..." and your name will be erased from the Book of Life. There are a few of you who have remained servants of God. To those who have won the victory I will call worthy and "I will say they belong to me before my Father and before his angels."

Revelations 3:6 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."

To the Church in Philadelphia the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David says:

"I know what you do."

• I have put an open door before you
• A door that no one else can close
• I know (and you've known too) that by yourself you have little strength
• But you have obeyed my teachings
• You were not afraid to proclaim my name
• You did not give up your faith

As a true believer your body is a temple of the Lord.

Temple—The one and only place where sacrifices were performed. Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for our sins. When we accept His sacrifice and receive Him as our personal Savior, our bodies literally become the temple of the Lord. There are those who say they believe, but their actions show otherwise. They are "religious," but the truth is they are unbelievers, and their bodies are "a synagogue that belongs to Satan." (Revelation 2:9b)

Synagogue—A building, a gathering place, a "town hall" of sorts. It is ran by people, financed by people, and is a place of worship and study. As religious unbelievers, one's body is NOT a temple of the Lord, but instead it is a synagogue, a gathering place—of Satan.

Revelation 3:9b–10 - "I will make them (religious unbelievers) come before you and bow at your feet and they will know that I have loved you. You have obeyed my teachings about not giving up your faith. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the whole world to test those who live on earth."

God put an open door before the Church of Philadelphia. When He opens a door no one can close it. When He closes a door no one else can open it. So, hang on and continue strong in your faith. Then no one can take away your crown. Revelation 3:12 - "I am coming soon... I will make those who win the victory pillars in the temple of my God." Their position with me and my Father is secure.

Revelation 3:13 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."

To the Church in Laodicea, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of all God has made says:

"I know what you do."

• You are not hot or cold
• Your are just blah—lukewarm
• I am ready to vomit you out of me
• Your attitude/actions are not compatible with my Holiness and I am close to rejecting you
• You think you are rich
• You have worked to become wealthy
• You think you are in control and self-sufficient
• You don't get it—what you are working for (material things) means nothing
• You think one thing—but the truth is you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked 
• The very things you don't want to be—is what you really are

The only way to get what you desire is to come to me. When you depend on me and keep your faith in whose you are instead of who you are, I will bring you through the fires of life as pure gold—tested and true. THEN you will be rich in the only thing that matters—ME. Surrender and submit to me as Master Jesus and your nakedness will be covered and you will be clothed in forgiveness. Come to me. When you search for me I will be as a balm for your eyes, and your eyes will be opened to truth and you will be able truly see.

Revelation 3:19–20 - "I will correct and punish those whom I love. So be eager to do what is right, and change your hearts and lives. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice (everyone who has ears should listen) and open the door (you have to respond) I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me."

He is ready and waiting. He doesn't want anyone to be lost. He is knocking, but He won't take us by force. We must listen and respond to Him by opening the door, by inviting Him in, and by obeying His teachings. THEN we have the promise of winning the victory and (you) "will sit with me on my throne..."

Revelation 3:22 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."

From Christ Through the Bible:

JESUS: The One Who Stand at the Door

"Let me state something important. There is never a time during which Jesus is not speaking. Never. There is never a place in which Jesus is not present. Never. There is never a (place)... that the ever-present, ever-pursuing, relentlessly tender Friend is not there, tapping gently on the door of our hearts—waiting to be invited in.

Few hear his voice. Fewer still open the door.

But never interpret our numbness as his absence. For amidst the fleeting promises of pleasure is the timeless promise of his presence...

There is no chorus so loud that the voice of God cannot be heard... if we will but listen."  ~ From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado

Next Entry: Revelation 3:1–22 (Continued) 

Revelation 2:1–29

July 25, 2013

To the Church in Ephesus the One says:

"I know what you do."

• You work hard
• You don't give up
• You don't put up with false teachings
• You've tested those who say they are my followers
• You've discerned those who are liars
• You've had patience
• You've suffered much for my name

"But, I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first." Otherwise you will lose your witness.

Revelation 2:7 - "Every person who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life, which is in the garden of God." Adam and Eve tried to be in control and "take" what wasn't theirs to have, and they did not own it for themselves. Only God has the right to give what is His.

To the Church in Smyrna the One who is First and Last says:

"I know" what has happened to you.

• You've had troubles
• You are poor, but you are rich in what is important
• Some people have claimed to be something they are not and have spoken badly against you

Revelation 2:9b - "They are a synagogue that belongs to Satan." Do not be afraid! You are going to suffer, but hold on! Remain faithful even if it costs you everything. Revelation 2:10b - "I will give you the crown of life."

Revelation 2:11 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.  Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death."

"Smyrna – name of a herb when crushed gives off a beautiful scent and aroma. So the Smyrna church—persecuted/crushed—was to be a suffering church." (Jane's handwritten note in her KJV Bible.)

To the Church of Pergamum the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says:

"I know where you live."

• You live in a corrupt area
• You have remained true to me
• You shared your faith in me even when it wasn't politically correct and it was dangerous

"But I have a few things against you." Some of you are starting to follow teachings that are not from me. You are starting to conform to the evil times of where you live. For those of you who haven't conformed—hold on. For those of you who have conformed—change your hearts and lives! Revelation 2:16b - "If you do not, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword that comes out of my mouth." To the faithful—"I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory." (Revelation 2:17)

Revelation 2:17 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."

To the Church in Thyatira the Son of God who has eyes that blaze like fire and feet like bronze says:

"I know what you do."

• You have love
• You have faith
• You do things for others
• You are patient
• You are doing more now that you did in the beginning

"But I have this against you." You let a domineering and corrupt leader remain in power. She claims to have special knowledge, but her knowledge does not come from me. I've warned her and I've given her time to change, but she has refused to change and a punishment of suffering is waiting for her and all those who have not rejected her false teaching. Revelation 2:23b - "I am the One who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you for what you have done." Some of you have not been sucked into following her ways or have not learned the so-called deep secrets of Satan. I will support you. "Continue in your loyalty until I come." Revelation 2:26 - "I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to be obedient to me until the end."

Revelation 2:29 - "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."

Addendum: 2/1/17 ~ From the Life Lesson for Revelation 2.

"Good things take time before they're good.... 

Develop an attitude of trust. God can change situations; His name is Deliverer...

One of the most often-repeated commands in the Bible is "wait on the Lord." Waiting on Him "grows you up"; it keeps your eyes off yourself and on Him; it gives you staying power...

John could have spent his time pacing that barren little beach, feeling bitter about what "they" did to him, and scanning the horizon every minute for a rescuer. But he didn't. Quieted under the hand of God into a position of trust and receptivity, John received the most fabulous revelation of Jesus Christ and His future that any man has ever received, and as a result he wrote the Spirit-breathed book of Revelation.

Do you feel as if you're on a "Patmos" in your life? Are you feeling caught and trapped? Settle down. Look up. Let God decide whether He will act according to One, Two, or Three. For you, it will be perfect...." ~ From You Don't Have to Quit by Anne and Ray Ortlund

Well said.


Next Entry: Revelation 3:1–22

II Peter 1:1–21

July 10, 2013

We have everything we need for life and godliness IF—we know Him. We have the very words of God available at our fingertips. It is through His words that we have knowledge of Him and we can receive His power and promises. THEN—we have everything we need to live a successful godly life. He has made it ALL available to us.

For too many years I didn't take full advantage of His Words. I wish I would have because:

• We have these things—because we know Him.
• Through these—He gives us promises and power.
• With these—you become more godly.

Our protection from the world's snares come from KNOWING Him, and the only way to truly KNOW Him is to be carefully reading HIS words.

II Peter 1:5 - Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: Faith (it all begins here)  →  Goodness (virtue)  → Knowledge (of God) → Self-Control (temperance) → Patience (perseverance) → Service for God (godliness) → Brotherly kindness (no selfish motives) → Love (Charity; Christian love)

It all begins with faith IN Him, knowledge OF Him, and action THROUGH Him. 

II Peter 1:8 - "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." If you don't have these qualities growing in your life, then you are not effective and you can no longer clearly see truth and are instead blind to what truth is, your faith experience is in the distant past, and you are in danger of falling away. If you follow God's plan "you will never fall" and you will be able to do great things for Him and by Him, and you will be welcomed into eternal heaven by Jesus with a "well done thou good and faithful servant."

Prophecy—God showed Peter what lay ahead for him. His life was going to end in martyrdom. Peter didn't moan and groan. He spent his time building up fellow believers and doing as much for the cause of the kingdom as he could in the time he had left. He saw the greatness of Jesus with his own eyes and he was forever changed. He heard God tell Jesus that He loved him with his own ears and it increased his faith. He stood strong, and he continued on.

God sent a light in the darkness. He did it with the prophets in the Old Testament, the apostles in the New Testament, and He still does it today.  II Peter 1:20 - "Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God."

Jane can be explained in no other way.


Next Entry: II Peter 2:1–22