One of the toughest things for me in the wilderness season I was going through for the last few years was realizing that much of what I had come to think was good in the World was not good at all. Many of these were things that I initially considered harmless, but were anything but when it came to knowing Jesus and walking with Him in faith. I recently wrote a blog titled ‘The Difference Between Legalism & Living by the Spirit of Christ’ and in that I described how I learned what legalism is which is a trap used by the devil to try and convince us that we can never overcome the guilt of sin that held us down for so long. Another aspect I came to conclude was that much of the World is evil and that nothing is at all what I initially thought or what it seems.
Growing up, I was like anyone else who learned constructive values and came to the belief that when you worked hard you could accomplish anything and achieve the American Dream. Do good, work hard, treat people how you would want to be treated and all will go well. This was a rule of thumb to live by and I abided by it for many years but what poisons us is accepting that which is not of the Lord. These are what we consider to be miniscule things that we may take part in each and everyday without even realizing we’re doing it and before you know it we are accustomed to a way of life that is contrary to the Word of God.
When you start living your life in being led by the Holy Spirit and not doing whatever you want, the Lord has a way of showing you sins you never thought you were taking part in. While I felt conviction in my heart for several things I was doing wrong for a long time, I asked the Lord one day to reveal to me any sins I had not recognized. I was an avid music fan for most of my life and liked what I perceived was a good movie just like anyone else. One thing the Lord impressed on me one day when I was going through my playlists on Spotify was just how much of it was filthy. Songs about WANTING the good life, WANTING that relationship that wasn’t meant to be -to work out, WANTING that beautiful body, WANTING sex with that person you could not have. Getting REVENGE on someone who broke your heart. In essence, I found myself beginning to hit the skip button more and more and eventually, I could no longer embrace listening to that music anymore. Not all were bad, but most of them were.
It reached a point that none of it was appealing anymore and it wasn’t just music, but movies too. I used to not think anything of watching a well-directed Hollywood flick. I invested a lot of money into a home theatre system years ago to get the most out of my movies -but when I began walking with Christ, I began to realize that many of the movies in my collection were saturated with foul language, sex and violence. Many of them I learned were predictive programming where they are used to condition people to the events in what is later coming if not program the public with evil propaganda as a means to accept that which is evil.
Many folks don’t realize this because when they have believed for so long ‘it’s just a movie’ it is very difficult to break years of that type of conditioning. I also came to learn that many of the celebrities in these movies were also involved in questionable activities. Many of them did not line up with my beliefs spiritually. Because of this type of conditioning, is there any doubt at all as to why we are so tolerant of the sins of this nation and around the World? We believed a lie that was satanic in nature and went right along with it for many years and chucked it up ‘well, that’s just the way it is.’ No, that’s not ‘just the way it is.’
Long story short; Just like the music I had listened to in my teenage years where I was too blind to see anything wrong with it, so I was too, blind to that which was showing on the big screen. I remember what it was like when I began to feel the conviction. I thought, “I spent my money on this? I wasted all those years on this? I don’t want this anymore. Why did I even like this?” You could say that I had become awakened to a spiritual blindness that rooted deep and not only that but because of such a large collection and the time spent, that it became a form of idolatry.
It doesn’t stop there for many. While I was never a huge TV watcher, many were. Over the course of time, much of what we have now embraced has also entered into reality shows on television and from there it began to permeate our society in the schools, in the universities so much to the point that it has had an effect on everyday living in that we have surrendered what is good and noble and living for God to now embracing what is exactly the opposite. We have begun to complain and be found wanting over issues that the average person just twenty years ago wasn’t even thinking about on an idle afternoon.
Everything now has become about being right and arguing with those who don’t subscribe to what is being pushed in the mainstream. It has had a devastating effect on, not only who we are as a country where it came to our founding principles but now to where we are calling to cancel each other out. We have embraced the murder of millions of the unborn under the guise of ‘women’s rights.’ We have embraced what is the confusion of our youth where it comes to gender and what is ordained as a man and a woman in the Holy Word. We have embraced racial divide when we are supposed to be all part of one body and mind in Christ. Many self-professed Christians are acting this way and this is not what we learned in the Holy Word.
When we see all of this, all we need to really see is that we have fed the beast and it has grown and become a cancer -a cancer that must be cut out immediately before it kills us. We became blinded by the World and embraced evil and as such it is killing us. Part of the problem as well is that many of the pulpits have not spoken out and so this ‘cancer’ has become a leviathan, where as many who identify as Christians are unknowingly embracing these sins while calling it good under the guise of love and those of us who dare to speak out on what is good are chastised, isolated and persecuted.
At the rate we are heading full speed off the cliff, you have to ask yourself, how long until those who are living in the light of Jesus Christ are deemed to be a danger and non-essential? At some point, you have to ask yourself if you desire to spend eternity, blinded by the darkness? This is where we are heading if we do not wake up from our spiritual slumber and embrace the teachings of Christ and repent from the many sins we have tolerated. The Word is very clear that those found on the earth in the end who refused to turn from their wicked ways will be destroyed. My friend, I would not desire to see you fall into that category. The Word tells us to embrace love, kindness, mercy, peace -that these qualities are of God. There seems to be confusion anymore due to a ‘fairness-doctrine’ that has taken hold where many have been conditioned to believe that what is actually evil is good. Furthermore, we are not supposed to be divided in the way we are. If we are living truly in the Christian faith we should be lifting each other up, not looking for ways to tear each other down.
Ephesians 4:2-6, 14-16 (NLT)
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
1 Corinthians 1: 10 (NKJV)
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
You see, because we allow one negative thing to influence us -why I mention the music, movies and other media -it causes a domino effect of wrong thinking. If this has happened to you, know that there is still hope in the way forward and it is not the end-all, be-all of things. Your hope lies in Jesus, not the world and in the coming storm this is why I believe the Lord put it upon my heart to write about spiritual blindness especially as it is of great importance due to the lateness of the hour. He is calling His sheep to come to Him, to choose eternal life.
I have been spending a great deal of time in Matthew (mainly ch. 8, 9 and 10) and the Book of Acts lately. I have been praying much on this entry and seeking the Lord on what He would have me address when writing it.
This morning (3/18), the Lord began to speak to me in prayer;
“War is coming to your nation. Famine follows. I am the solution in what is coming, not the cares of this world. Many will not understand until these events begin to happen. My son, do not be dismayed when these events occur. Continue to lift up to me those you love. Many will go through these coming trials so that they may see. As it is written, I am the way and the truth and the light. If they will see- If they will seek Me they shall have eternal life. In this season the enemy seeks to stage many events and destroy all that is of me but those who call on Me have nothing to fear.”
The Lord gave me a similar message one morning when I was thanking Him and you can find that message in “A storm is coming.”
A few nights ago, I was spending time in Acts 13 (below) and what spoke out to me was that because when the sorcerer Elymas would not listen to the Word of the Lord when he was warned, was struck blind. Even though Paul was witnessing the Word of God. Similarly, many are still under the impression that somehow or another things will be great and that they are going back to normal -despite many warnings in the Word showing us where we are.
Acts 13: 9-12 (NKJV)
9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
I do not want to discourage anyone, but things are not going back to any sense of ‘normal’ as in any definition we have ever known the word. As I was spending time in Matthew 8, what grabbed my attention was verse 22 (KJV);
-But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
I was trying to understand what Jesus meant when He said this so I paused to ask.
The Lord responded;
“The spiritually dead bury their own because they are blind but claim they can see. They refuse to see for they have not taken up their cross to follow Me. They have chosen the things in the earth and not found eternal life in Me.”
When the Lord clarified this for me, it reminded me of when Jesus saw the fisherman, Peter and Andrew and told them to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:18). This is actually a responsibility given unto all Christians and more so speaks to us all doing our part. We further look to Matthew 10 where Jesus said that anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Him is not worthy and anyone who wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses their life for His sake will find it.
Matthew 4:16-19 (NKJV)
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 10:34-40 (NKJV)
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
It is up to each of us to embrace the conviction we feel in our heart and learn that everything had a season and must be put behind us as the Lord calls us to Him. One of the many things I talked about in a recent blog I did as well as a recent podcast I did with Glynda of JPH was learning how to let go of the past and it has to start with recognizing how damaging the past has been and where it has fomented in our spirit and led us down the wrong path. This confessing our sin and calling on the Lord to create in us a new heart that the spiritual blindness be removed. Jesus said a healthy person doesn’t need a doctor, a sick person does. When we can take the step to admit we are suffering from a sickness and that God wants to heal us, we can embrace His teachings and be set on the path to victory. It doesn’t matter what you have done as God desires to set you free but you have to call on Him and welcome Him into your heart so the healing may begin and that you be saved.
Luke 5:31-32
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
John 9: 25-27
25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
Matthew 8: 2-3 (NKJV)
2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:16 (NKJV)
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”
Matthew 9: 27-29, 36 (NKJV)
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 10: 27-30 (NKJV)
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
So what are we submitting to? The truth in Jesus or the lies of the World? At some point, it is important to realize what we are taking part in and what we have allowed up until this point. When you have had the truth spoken upon you then you know you have a choice to make. Jeremiah 8:8 is one of my favorite verses (posted below) because it illustrates to us that we think we are walking in the ways of the Lord when we are really not. It is one verse the Lord pointed out early to me in my walk and at first I did not understand -because I too, was blind at one time.
It is my prayer you will make the right choice and it is my prayer that this entry has helped you understand that though you may not have known better in the past, there is a chance to embrace that which is righteous.
Additional verses as they pertain to the above;
Jeremiah 4:22 (NKJV)
22 “For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”
Jeremiah 8:8 (NKJV)
8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
Psalm 53:4 (NKJV)
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?
Romans 1:20-23 (NLT)
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (NLT)
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NLT)
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.
Romans 10:13 (KJV)
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ephesians 4: 17-29 (NLT)
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.