The Ending of 2017

2017 was a year ruled by politics. Every single fact and issue has become political. This year’s news was monopolized by people on both sides of a widening and divisive gap covering their ears and shouting about how they’re right and good – and how the other side is wrong and evil. Although there is nothing wrong with getting involved in politics, obsessing about social constructs can lead one to ignore universal truths.

The Vigilant Citizen was never about politics. Its scope goes way beyond trying to have a politician elected. It is about the unseen impact of culture and symbolism on the human psyche and realizing that our current environment is toxic and detrimental to the mind and soul.

Since 2008, I’ve been highlighting the many ways popular culture is toxic and how it constantly caters to our darkest impulses. In 2018, we are seeing consequences of such a culture: A generation excessively prone to anxiety, depression, and suicide. People are so keen on numbing themselves from the world that they are dying by the tens of thousands (in the US alone) of opioid abuse – drugs created by pharmaceutical companies to numb pain. As celebrities sing about “popping pills”, people are numbing themselves to death. The opioid crisis is symbolic in itself, in a dark and troubling way. It is symptomatic of a palpable mal-de-vivre, a profound malaise of the soul. Several factors are causing this climate and our constant exposure to media and its distorted messages is a big part of the equation. As we’ve seen this year, the messages keep reaching new lows of depravity while attempting to reach children as young as possible.

This past June, I published an article titled “Something is Terribly Wrong With Many “Kids” Videos on YouTube” which exposed the disturbing content found in “children videos” on YouTube. The video platform has been flooded with thousands of videos aimed at toddlers filled with content that is either shocking, terrifying, sexual or all-out traumatizing. Even worse, some videos are targeted by child predators. Dubbed “Elsagate” by some online communities (because they often feature popular children’s characters such as Elsa), these videos garner billions of views and expose babies and toddlers to a steady regiment disturbing media.

Fortunately, some good has come from our collective vigilance. In response to the outrage, YouTube “terminated more than 270 accounts and removed over 150,000 videos” from their platform. YouTube also “removed ads from nearly 2 million videos and over 50,000 channels masquerading as family-friendly content” and “turned off comments on over 625,000 videos targeted by child predators”.

While this might be a step in the right direction, the same underbelly is still bubbling not so far below the surface, constantly churning out videos from stars and idols promoting self-destruction. This year alone, we’ve seen Katy Perry being eaten by elite cannibals, Selena Gomez torturing herself and calling it a fetish, and Lil Uzi Vert spinning around in a bloody, pill-induced Satanic haze.

The symbolism that is pointed out on The Vigilant Citizen is the outward, easily perceptible manifestation of a dark undercurrent, an underground philosophy that guides the actions of those in power. Understanding this mindset – as foul and disturbing as it can be – allows one to navigate the world with eyes truly open.

There is a process in motion and every year it is more visible. Indeed, there is a conscious and deliberate effort to distance the masses from what is true and authentic in order to move them into an artificially created environment, custom-made to stifle the human spirit. The further away we are from truth, health, balance, and harmony, the easier we are to control.

For this reason, it is essential, more than ever, to stay grounded and connected to what life is truly about. We must reconnect with Life with a capital L. What is Life with a capital L might you ask? Well, like you, I am still finding out. However, I do know that, since the dawn of time, it has been represented by a simple yet powerful symbol: A tree.

Picture a great big tree, with its massive roots firmly gripping the soil that is full of nutrients and its tall branches reaching for the rays of the sun. Across all ages and across all cultures, the symbol of the tree represents Life … with a capital L.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life can be found in the canons of countless religions and mythologies. It is an age-old archetype that symbolizes the connection between Earth and the heavens.

It is found in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The tree of life is also part of Egyptian, Persian, Chinese, Germanic, Celtic, Aztek, and Iroquois mythologies. In nearly every case, the tree is associated with knowledge of life and a described as a key to immortality.

For instance, at the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, the tree of life is in Eden, guarded by two cherubims. Separated from the tree, Adam and Eve found themselves subject to physical and spiritual death.

A 19th-century painting depicting the tree of life in Eden guarded by two cherubims.

At the very end of the Bible, in Revelation, the same tree is mentioned again: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”.

17th-century depiction of the Tree of Life in Palace of Shaki Khans, Azerbaijan.

An 1847 depiction of the Norse Yggdrasil – the tree of life.

Although each culture has its own elaborate story surrounding their version of the Tree of Life, the core message is the same: It is through the essence of this tree, which is rooted in the true source of life, that one can truly flourish.

Today, most of us are completely disconnected from that tree. And those in power are doing their best to push us as far away from it as possible. Through a debasing and abhorrent agenda, they seek to disconnect us from the core of that tree and its wise, life-giving essence. They want us to be like dried up leaves, detached from the tree, and floating aimlessly at the mercy of the winds they choose to blow at us.

Instead, like a tree, we must be firmly rooted in grounds made of strong values, solid knowledge, and patient wisdom. Like a tree, we must reach for the heavens and allow our fruits to be ripened by the sun.

While the spiritual meaning of the Tree of Life is something that few of us can fully grasp, all of us can take simple steps in the right direction to connect with it. Disconnect from the hypnotic light of screens and the nauseating sounds of media. Reconnect with nature, with the elements, and with life on earth. Breathe fresh air, gaze at the stars, and admire the miraculous force that animates all living things. Step back from the dizzying torment of society and resynch with the balancing rhythm of nature. Take the time to truly connect with your loved ones, with your neighbors and, of course, with yourself.

Because, although being aware of the evils of this world is all-important, we must not allow ourselves to be consumed by it. We must use this knowledge to identify what is toxic, not to obsess over it, but to clearly focus on what is healthy. Although we all want to change the world for the better, the true challenge of our lives is to change ourselves for the better. And this is what being a Vigilant Citizen is all about.

Thank you for reading my articles, for sharing them throughout the web, and for contributing your own thoughts through comments and messages. Today, more than ever, we need independent thinkers that rely on a solid moral compass – not a predetermined agenda – to understand the world, to speak up, and to fight for what is right.

Our work is far from done. See you in 2018!

Sincerely,
VC

Paradoxes of Scripture

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Proverbs 11:24

“To get, we must give.” This is not the world’s method for attaining prosperity, but it is the paradoxical message of today’s verse, as well as that of Christianity in general.

Note some of the many other paradoxes in the Bible related to this basic truth.

To really live, we must die. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Galatians 2:20

To save one’s life, he or she must lose it. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
Luke 17:33

To be wise, we must become fools. “If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."
1 Corinthians 3:18

To reign, we must serve. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." Matthew 25:21

To be exalted, we must become humble. “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12

To be first, we must be last. “So the last shall be first, and the first last." Matthew 20:16

Finally, note the ninefold paradox of a truly Christian ministry:
“In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God. . . . By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
2 Corinthians 6:4, 8-10

Institute for Creation Research

Present Yourself Approved

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth.

Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. 

But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words-I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. 

Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else. Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. 

The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

Justified By Faith

Something to Ponder...
There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer. - John Wooden

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:1-5

Without "Love"

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.” Romans 1:31

 

The phrase “without natural affection” is the translation of one Greek word, astergeo. It was a characteristic of many pagans of the ancient world. Significantly, it is also prophesied to be a characteristic of the humanistic pagans of the end-times. “In the last days . . . men shall be . . . without natural affection” 2 Timothy 3:1-3. These are the only two occurrences of this word in the New Testament.

 

The word stergeo (“natural affection”) is one of four Greek words for “love,” but it is never used at all in the New Testament. It refers to the natural love that members of the same family have for each other. It is such a common characteristic of all peoples that there was apparently no occasion to refer to it at all—except when it is not present, when people lose their instinctive love for their own parents and children and thus are “without natural affection.” One thinks of the widespread abortion of these last days, as well as the modern breakdown of the family in general.

 

Another Greek word for “love” is eros, referring to romantic love, or passion. Like stergeo, eros also is never used in the New Testament. The other two words, however, are used frequently. Phileo, referring to “brotherly love,” occurs over 30 times. It indicates fondness, based on a community of interest with the person or persons so loved.

 

The fourth “love” word, of course, is agape, which is used over 300 times. This is the type of love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved, the love that impels one to sacrifice his own interests for the benefit of the person loved. This is the love of Christ, who “loved me, and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20. And this is the love generated by the Holy Spirit in the believer, for “the fruit of the Spirit is love” Galatians 5:22.

"A Life Without Prey"

And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. Jeremiah 45:5

A promise given for hard places, and a promise of safety and life in the midst of tremendous pressure, a life "for a prey." It may well adjust itself to our own times, which are growing harder as we near the end of the age, and the Tribulation times.

What is the meaning of "a life for a prey"? It means a life snatched out of the jaws of the destroyer, as David snatched the lamb from the lion. It means not removal from the noise of the battle and the presence of our foes; but it means a table in the midst of our enemies, a shelter from the storm, a fortress amid the foe, a life preserved in the face of continual pressure: Paul's healing when pressed out of measure so that he despaired of life; Paul's Divine help when the thorn remained, but the power of Christ rested upon him and the grace of Christ was sufficient.

Lord, give me my life for a prey, and in the hardest places help me today to be victorious.
~Days of Heaven upon Earth~

Be Still And Know God

Be still, and know that I am God 
Psalm 46:10

Is there any note of music in all the chorus as mighty as the emphatic pause? Is there any word in all the Psalter more eloquent than that one word, Selah (Pause)? Is there anything more thrilling and awful than the hush that comes before the bursting of the tempest and the strange quiet that seems to fall upon all nature before some preternatural phenomenon or convulsion? Is there anything that can touch our hearts as the power of stillness?

There is for the heart that will cease from itself, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding," a "quietness and confidence" which is the source of all strength, a sweet peace "which nothing can offend," a deep rest which the world can neither give nor take away. There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still, small voice.

There is in the swiftest wheel that revolves upon its axis a place in the very center, where there is no movement at all; and so in the busiest life there may be a place where we dwell alone with God, in eternal stillness.

There is only one way to know God. "Be still, and know." "God is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."

"All-loving Father, sometimes we have walked under starless skies that dripped darkness like drenching rain. We despaired of starshine or moonlight or sunrise. The sullen blackness gloomed above us as if it would last forever. And out of the dark there spoke no soothing voice to mend our broken hearts. We would gladly have welcomed some wild thunder peal to break the torturing stillness of that over-brooding night.

"But Thy winsome whisper of eternal love spoke more sweetly to our bruised and bleeding souls than any winds that breathe across Aeolian harps. It was Thy 'still small voice' that spoke to us. We were listening and we heard. We looked and saw Thy face radiant with the light of love. And when we heard Thy voice and saw Thy face, new life came back to us as life comes back to withered blooms that drink the summer rain."
~Unknown~

"News-Fast?"

Several people have written to tell me about how they are dropping out from watching or reading the news. They call it a "news fast." It seems as though the headlines are so full of hate-filled acts, confusion, war, natural disasters, suffering, and even plagues that some people just can't take it anymore. It is information overload in a very dark way. I have to admit as someone who observes news and events, these days are among the worst I've seen in a journalistic career spanning 46 years. While the previous decade was marked with identifiable prophetic news, the past year has been outright chaos driven by hate and division-not only in the United States, but around the world.

Indeed, these times we live in seem to be an ever-increasing time of trouble. While we are not in the time of Jacob's Trouble (Biblical tribulation), these are prophetic days in that they are racing toward prophetic events. These are times when events are coming into alignment so that prophetic events will come about. We see the hearts of men growing cold through terrible rhetoric. There are natural disasters taking place in the Middle East such as the earthquake in Iran. Israel is deploying defenses against increased terror attacks. Saudi Arabia is in upheaval. There is famine predicted in Yemen. Major leaders oppose one another on one front, and are allies on another. Relationships are disrupted and strained.

These events test faith. They pressure our senses. They can cause conflict within the mind. They may prompt withdrawal from society-such as "news fasts." Taking a break from it probably isn't a bad idea-some time to rethink, regroup, refresh. But it doesn't make it go away. We are a prophetic people living in prophetic times. Our challenge is to make disciples in this dark and dying world that offers up so much clear and present danger. We cannot shrink from our Great Commission, otherwise the world gets darker. Resist the temptation to bury your talent. These are times when our talent should be invested and multiplied.

If you are feeling the pressure of events running out of control, remember what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Recall the word of God in Psalm 46:1-2, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." Nahum 1:7 says, "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him." The noise of the news, the events that shape the words in the mouths of the world, are of no effect to those who trust in the Lord. Stay focused on the Lord. He is your refuge.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
~Bill Wilson~

Father, Count Me!

Is there some desert, or some boundless sea,

Where Thou, great God of angels, wilt send me?

Some oak for me to rend, Some sod for me to break,

Some handful of Thy corn to take

And scatter far afield,

Till it in turn shall yield

Its hundredfold

Of grains of gold

To feed the happy children of my God?

Show me the desert, Father, or the sea;

Is it Thine enterprise? Great God, send me!

And though this body lies where ocean rolls,

Father, count me among all faithful souls.

~Unknown~

Come Close To Him!

"He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray, and as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering... they saw his glory."
Luke 9:29-32

"If I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy glory."
Exodus 33:13

Come close to Him! He may take you today up into the mountain top, for where He took Peter with his blundering, and James and John, those sons of thunder who again and again so utterly misunderstood their Master and His mission, there is no reason why He should not take you.
So don't shut yourself out of it and say, "Ah, these wonderful visions and revelations of the Lord are for choice spirits!"
They may be for you!
~John McNeill~

Veterans Day 2017

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
~Patrick Henry March 23, 1775~

It is hard for many of us to begin to understand and appreciate the great freedom we enjoy as citizens of the United States or its cost.

Most of us grew up in an era when military service was not valued by a very vocal segment of our nation - much less honored. Veterans who had put their lives on the line in service to their country were not welcomed home as heroes - but as outcasts.

It was a time when it was hard to imagine why anyone would voluntarily choose to enter the military. Looking back, the only word for our nation's treatment of our veterans during this period is - appalling.

It wasn't until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that people began to peek outside of their comfort zones in the United States at life in countries with little freedom. We saw the cruel treatment of women in many Middle Eastern countries as they were beaten for appearing on the street without male escorts - even if their only reason for venturing out was to purchase food for their children. We saw how girls in these countries are denied access to education and have no choice in their marriage partners.

In Sudan, we learned of people - even children - tortured and murdered because they refuse to deny their faith in Jesus. In China, pregnant women are forced to abort their unborn children to comply with laws on family size.

In Central American countries, those who publicly disagree with governmental policies often mysteriously disappear - never to be seen again. 

In North Korea, prisoners are incarcerated in camps that are dedicated to political crimes, and they are also subjected to forced labor, physical abuse, and execution. The list of human rights violations and atrocities outside of the United States is extensive.

Yet, here we sit - in the wealthiest nation on the earth - free to attend the church of our choice, to own as many Bibles as we want, to choose our own spouse (or choose not to marry), to vote for the leaders of our government and even protest to our elected officials when we disagree with the decisions they make.

And why can we enjoy these freedoms? 

Because the men and women in our armed forces understand that freedom has a cost. And since the birth of our nation, brave men and women have stepped forward, weighed the cost and chosen to lay down their lives in service to their fellow countrymen.

Thank you just isn't enough. We need to pass these truths on to future generations - and Veterans Day is a great place to start.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Where's The Truth?

Propaganda is defined as "chiefly derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view." In America, propaganda was always supposed be properly identified. For example, the news media's freedom is expressly guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. This freedom is supposed to be used to expose government propaganda with truth and hold the government accountable. When the news media largely just takes what the government says as fact and supports the point of view of big government, it causes government and politicians to be far less accountable and far more powerful.

When I was in Journalism school, we did a lot of analyzing of news stories to be able to recognize bias. Back then, we used Pravda and Tass--the official "news" outlets of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. They were the most clever propagandists of the time. For example, one story was about an international race between a Russian and an American. The America won the race by quite a distance. The headline in the Communist papers went like this: "Russia second, American next to last in international race." You see how truth can be distorted by propaganda. The government has its own point of view and its own propaganda. Unlike the Soviet Union, America's media was and is free to report the truth.

When a society drifts away from God, it also has no bearing of truth. Some of the most godless people are in the highest places of both government and media. They believe truth is relative and that the ends justifies the means. Without God, there can be no truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me." Without Jesus it is extremely difficult to even discern truth because he is the truth. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:3,4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not..." Jesus also said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you."

Herein is a two-fold problem. Americans are being fed deception by the news media which by and large cannot know truth because it has no foundation in Christ. Therefore, good citizenship as Americans requires that we do not believe what we hear from the media and seek the truth on our own. Moreover, we are called by Christ to make disciples. Romans 10:13,14 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" We as Christians must do a better job in making disciples, otherwise the truth will never be known.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson

www.dailyjot.com

Walk of Shame

"When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul: Discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you: To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks perverse things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perversity of the wicked." Proverbs 2:10-14

Hollywood is a sordid state of affairs, as are the politicians associated with it, and the people who pay for it.

To Be The Salt

  

 

"I am sad folks...

I am sad because many in the church will not hearken to the warning message. Instead, they have raised a token image and plastered MAGA over it. But let every man, and every devil be a liar, and let God’s Word be true. Because God’s Word is true, and His Word reveals that we are in the end times. It also proclaims that in the end times, great evil would be unleashed." Nathan Leal http://watchmanscry.com/?p=7054

 

I read many articles, watched many videos, listened to many opinions and heard the investigation and what it entails....or not. I think that Nathan Leal summed it up best, of all the material that I’ve seen this week.

When God brings judgment, He often uses evil men and women to do that judgment. He lifts the protection that God provides to a country and allows the demonic to attack and destroy.

I believe that Stephen Paddock was just such a man, tormented by demons.The one thing that has laid on my heart and mind is what his girlfriend is saying:

Vegas Shooter's Girlfriend Says He Would Lay In Bed Moaning, Screaming

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/las-vegas-shooting/vegas-shooter-s-girlfriend-says-he-would-lie-bed-moaning-n808156

That sounds like demonic torment to me. And, I’ve heard and read articles of people suffering that torment. During the day, they seemed fine, but at night…

Please understand that God is the one allowing this. And you need to ask yourself ‘why’, if you don’t already know.

What did Jesus, our Lord and Savior say that we are?

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

We are the preservation of our nation and community. When our church walks with God, the demonic are blocked. When our church does not walk with God, the demonic are not blocked. I believe Judgement has begun. I do not say this by special revelation. I have seen no vision. I have not heard any voice from God on this. But, I read the Bible, and America’s judgment is there.

If you do not understand what I am talking about, consider these facts:

90% of all Heroin comes to the world via the US. 

90% of all pornography originates in Los Angeles. 

America is in the top five, for the most permissive nations in the world, on abortion.

America murders close to a million babies a year. 

America demands that every country in the world make abortion legal and easy to obtain.

America demands that the world celebrate and protect homosexuality. 

America breaks in pieces any country that does not bow to the petrodollar.

The most popular movies in the world are American movies that promote sex and violence to the world. 

American music is the most popular in the world, and it teaches an obscene level of sexual conduct.

50% of all American Pastors are regular consumers of pornography.

The abortion rate and divorce rate among American Christians is only a little lower than for non-Christians.

Think about that for a moment, and then think about the wrath of God. It will be poured out upon America. And, it needs to be poured out, or God will need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. And, it needs to be poured out because American Christians have forsaken the way of God:

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

 
Judgment must come upon that which is evil. It must. But, God may spare those parts of America that turn to righteousness:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I believe that it is too late for America. Judgment has begun.The only thing left at this point, is to be the salt.

Mind The Checks

"And after the earthquake a fire; and after the fire a sound of gentle stillness" (1 Kings 19:12

A soul, who made rapid progress in her understanding of the Lord, was once asked the secret of her easy advancement. She replied tersely, "Mind the checks."

And the reason that many of us do not know and better understand Him is, we do not give heed to His gentle checks, His delicate restraints and constraints. His is a still, small voice. A still voice can hardly be heard. It must be felt. A steady, gentle pressure upon the heart and mind like the touch of a morning zephyr to your face. A small voice, quietly, almost timidly spoken in your heart, but if heeded growing noiselessly clearer to your inner ear.

His voice is for the ear of love, and love is intent upon hearing even faintest whispers. There comes a time also when love ceases to speak if not responded to, or believed in. He is love, and if you would know Him and His voice, give constant ear to His gentle touches. In conversation, when about to utter some word, give heed to that gentle voice, mind the check and refrain from speech.
When about to pursue some course that seems all clear and right and there comes quietly to your spirit a suggestion that has in it the force almost of a conviction, give heed, even if changed plans seem highest folly from standpoint of human wisdom.

Learn also to wait on God for the unfolding of His will. Let God form your plans about everything in your mind and heart and then let Him execute them. Do not possess any wisdom of your own. For many times His execution will seem so contradictory to the plan He gave. 

He will seem to work against Himself. Simply listen, obey and trust God even when it seems highest folly so to do. He will in the end make "all things work together," but so many times in the first appearance of the outworking of His plans, we sometimes don't hear.

So if you would know His voice, never consider results or possible effects. Obey even when He asks you to move in the dark. He Himself will be gloriously light in you. And there will spring up rapidly in your heart an acquaintanceship and a fellowship with God which will be overpowering in itself to hold you and Him together, even in severest testings and under most terrible pressures.

~Way of Faith~

To Honor Las Vegas, What Do We Do?

"The king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
Nehemiah 2:2-3

I sit here stunned, deeply saddened by the senseless violence of an evil man who massacred my fellow human beings, my fellow Americans and God's precious children. Some who died knew the Lord, others did not, but all met their Maker on the most unsuspecting day. The merriment of music with friends, turned into a murderous, chaotic concert with friends giving their life for friends.

My heart quivers and quails at the thought of the defenseless and innocent being riddled by bullets. My anger, grief and loss is distant compared to the family and friends left behind. I weep. I pray. I hug those in my presence tighter and often. But what else is God calling me to do?

Nehemiah came face to face with the intense suffering of family and friends in his homeland. One of his brothers had just informed him of the chaotic and defenseless conditions of the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem, only to find it in ruins. No security. No leadership. No hope. Only the prospects of fear and famine. Nehemiah lived in ease, peace and affluence, but his countryman battled affliction, poverty and sorrow. The innocence's exposure to evil and injustice moved Nehemiah to move back to his people and provide a hopeful, practical plan. 

"For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight"
Psalm 72:12-14

How can we help? God may call us to serve those far away who were struck down by senseless violence...certainly family and friends. Mourning, comfort, counseling and Christ's gospel are much needed now and for days to come. And for all of us we can become more aware on how to help our community prevent sinful atrocities or to help bring healing to those suffering from sinful actions...their own or another's. Someone's sadness is our opportunity to offer gladness. 

Maybe your role becomes like the King who resourced Nehemiah to carry out his cause for justice and reinventing his community. Your generous investment of time, expertise and money can make a world of difference in your world. Invest in mentoring to keep boys and girls from becoming another statistic of broken men and women. Initiate a movement of prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to breath on believers with a fresh fire of faith and repentance. Work on the revitalization of your town with renewal and job creation.

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Colossians 2:13-15

HE KNOWS

HE KNOWS by Jeremy Camp

My Husbandman

He was better to me than all my hopes;
He was better than all my fears;
He made a bridge of my broken works,
And a rainbow of my tears.

The billows that guarded my sea-girt path,
But carried my Lord on their crest;
When I dwell on the days of my wilderness march
I can lean on His love for the rest.

He emptied my hands of my treasured store,
And His covenant love revealed,
There was not a wound in my aching heart,
But the balm of His breath hath healed.
Oh, tender and true was the chastening sore,
In wisdom, that taught and tried,
Till the soul that He sought was trusting in Him,
And nothing on earth beside.

He guided by paths that I could not see,
By ways that I have not known;
The crooked was straight, and the rough was plain
As I followed the Lord alone.
I praise Him still for the pleasant palms,
And the water-springs by the way,
For the glowing pillar of flame by night,
And the sheltering cloud by day.

Never a watch on the dreariest halt,
But some promise of love endears;
I read from the past, that my future shall be
Far better than all my fears.
Like the golden pot, of the wilderness bread,
Laid up with the blossoming rod,
All safe in the ark, with the law of the Lord,
Is the, covenant care of my God.

Warrior

For my granddaughter,

~Haileelyn Louise~

Warrior by Hannah Kerr

See God In Everything

While musing on a sleepless bed;
A new idea that'll bring to earth
A balm for souls of priceless worth;
That'll give men thoughts of things above,
And teach them how to serve and love,

That'll banish every selfish thought,
And rid men of the sins they've fought.
The new thought came, just how, I'll tell:
'Twas when on bended knee I fell,
And sought from HIM who knows full well
The way our sorrow to expel.
SEE GOD IN ALL THINGS, great and small,
And give HIM praise whate'er befall,
In life or death, in pain or woe,
See God, and overcome thy foe.

I saw HIM in the morning light,
HE made the day shine clear and bright;
I saw HIM in the noontide hour,
And gained from HIM refreshing shower.
At eventide, when worn and sad,
HE gave me help, and made me glad.
At midnight, when on tossing bed
My weary soul to sleep HE led.
I saw HIM when great losses came,
And found HE loved me just the same.
When heavy loads I had to bear,
I found HE lightened every care.
By sickness, sorrow, sore distress,
HE calmed my mind and gave me rest.
HE'S filled my heart with gladsome praise
Since I gave HIM the upward gaze.

'Twas new to me, yet old to some,
This thought that to me has become
A revelation of the way
We all should live throughout the day;
For as each day unfolds its light,
We'll walk by faith and not by sight.
Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,
If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING."
~A. E. Finn~

Take Up Your Cross

"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" Mark 8:3

The cross which my Lord bids me take up and carry may assume different shapes...
I may have to content myself with a lowly and narrow sphere, when I feel that I have capacities for much higher work. 
I may have to go on cultivating year after year, a field which seems to yield me no harvests whatsoever. 
I may be bidden to cherish kind and loving thoughts about someone who has wronged me--be bidden speak to him tenderly, and take his part against all who oppose him, and crown him with sympathy and succor. 
I may have to confess my Master amongst those who do not wish to be reminded of Him and His claims. 
I may be called to "move among my race, and show a glorious morning face," when my heart is breaking.
There are many crosses, and every one of them is sore and heavy. None of them is likely to be sought out by me of my own accord. But never is Jesus so near me as when I lift my cross, and lay it submissively on my shoulder, and give it the welcome of a patient and unmurmuring spirit.

He draws close, to ripen my wisdom, to deepen my peace, to increase my courage, to augment my power to be of use to others, through the very experience which is so grievous and distressing, and then--as I read on the seal of one of those Scottish Covenanters whom Claverhouse imprisoned on the lonely Bass, with the sea surging and sobbing round--I grow under the load.
~Alexander Smellie~

"Use your cross as a crutch to help you on, and not as a stumblingblock to cast you down."

"You may others from sadness to gladness beguile,
If you carry your cross with a smile."

The Bliss I Find

Fearing to launch on "full surrender's" tide,
I asked the Lord where would its waters glide
My little bark, "To troubled seas I dread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.

Weeping beside an open grave I stood,
In bitterness of soul I cried to God:
"Where leads this path of sorrow that I tread?"
"Unto Myself," He said.

Striving for souls, I loved the work too well;
Then disappointments came; I could not tell
The reason, till He said, "I am thine all;
Unto Myself I call."

Watching my heroes--those I loved the best--
I saw them fail; they could not stand the test,
Even by this the Lord, through tears not few,
Unto Himself me drew.

Unto Himself! No earthly tongue can tell
The bliss I find, since in His heart I dwell;
The things that charmed me once seem all as naught;
Unto Himself I'm brought.
~Anonymous~

"I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself" Exodus 19:4