Sweet Dreams, Horrible Lies

Awaken, My children...

"Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed."- Romans 13:11





I like sleep. There is nothing more relaxing than knowing that as soon as my head hits the pillow, I will get rest. I like sleep. The feeling of drifting off away from consciousness and being in a world that's not like the one I just consciously left. I like sleep. But more than I like sleep, I like being awake. Being awake means I'm alive and aware. I like being awake. Being awake means that I can take advantages of new opportunities that come my way. I like being awake. Being awake means I can see, hear, smell, touch, walk, think, act....

One thing that I have been told (not yet proven, thank you very much to those of you, you know who you are!) is that I sleep with my eyes wide open. They tell me it's creepy. My mother often recounts of times I've been in the hospital, and the doctors come and start talking to me and I don't respond. She has to tell them that "She's sleep...she can't hear you". My husband says the same thing. At night he has to stare to see if I blink and that's how he knows if I'm up or not. Do you know how creepy it is for your husband to just stare at you and you stare back not knowing why he's staring? LOL

Another thing about me is that I'm easily scared out of my sleep. I'm not exactly a light sleeper as in, I hear every noise. I hear "expected" noise - my kids, my dog, snoring, cars and sirens, and I'm fine. But the unexpected noises - gun shots, screaming, alarms, someone shaking me or saying my name etc and I'm a nervous wreck for about a good hour after.

Well, now that you know my sleeping history, I want to focus more on the last part. The being-awaken-out-of-my-sleep, part.

Have you ever been asleep, having a good and vivid dream and someone or something awakens you? How do you feel? Or, have you ever fallen asleep in a new place - maybe your new home, hotel, someone's house only to wake up and not know where you are? How do you feel?

It's hard to be waken out of your sleep. For most, sleep represents comfort, peace, safety. It's what you look forward to at the end of a long and hard day. For that to be taken away can cause great angst. We are in that time now where the body of Christ has been put to sleep. I have been studying with the help of a fellow believer that I hold his counsel that he has given me over time very dear. And studying with him I have come to understand something he taught that I want to share. In his book "The Remnant Bride", brother Joseph discusses in depth what I am going to attempt to do in a few short sentences. While many people believe the body has been put to sleep because of the enemy, I don't believe that is what it is.

They body has been lulled to sleep yes, by those of the world and the promises it brings. But I believe the Father has purposely let it happen. We can look at two types in the bible to show us what I mean:

Genesis 2:21-22

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 

Here we see the example of the Father putting the BODY of Adam to sleep to extract a piece of him that would soon be his bride. Now, let's look at a New Testament to this fact:

 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

These two verses also leads us to another revealing truth - not everyone who says Lord Lord will see the kingdom of Yah and also, one can be saved (in the body) but not be the bride (the awaken and extracted part of the body). Like I said, there is a lot to all of this that is further clearly explained and biblically supported in that book above. I'm always the proponent of "knowing those 66 books" before reading another written by man. Mainly because many books will lead you away from Yah instead of to Him. So, you must be careful. But I will have to say, this one is pretty spot on and will CAUSE you to go back and have to study deeper the things that Yah is telling us.

Now, back on topic. Why do we like sleep so much? Because we love the false sense of peace and the false reality and delusion (dreams) they bring. We don't want to wake up because the sleep feels good. But now is not the time to sleep and believe the lies we believe are true. Now is the time for the body to WAKE UP and seek truth. Love the truth NOW. Seek the truth NOW, while it may be found.

6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

"Well, what do you mean, Deidra? That Thessalonians verse is talking about unbelievers!" I contend that you are wrong. Let's look at another supporting verse:

Matthew 24:9-13

“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.”

Notice - who will be the ones falling away? Unbelievers can not fall away. It will be believers that fall away. And why do they fall away? Because they did not love the truth. They would not wake up. And because of that, they fell into a deep sleep - the delusion that the Father will send and is currently sending.

I urge you. If you say you are a believer, it is time to put away the things of this world. In our sleeping, we refuse to see the light. Our eyes are closed and we are enveloped in darkness. The same is true spiritually. 

We sleep being entertained by the "church services" and the world. We sleep when we believe in "our country". We sleep when we perpetuate racism and racist thoughts. We sleep when we cheer violence. We sleep when we find ways to look for strength in ourselves and puff ourselves up with pride thinking we can. We sleep embracing a false peace and love that the Father has not given. The sleep causes us so much delusion - so many lies and false dreams. And so, children of Yah, it is time to wake up.

As with all things, have balance......

On the opposite side of sleep is that if you stay awake for too long, you can miss things. Proof of that angst (as a side note) is that if you ever want to mind control someone - deprive them of sleep. Keeping someone awake will alter them in considerable ways. I urge you to look up MK-Ultra project for more information. 

So, don't stay awake SO much that you are distracted and can't focus. Don't allow the enemy to take advantage of you being awake. Waking up out of a deep sleep has the potential to cause fear. Don't allow the enemy to abuse you and take advantage of you being awake. Don't allow your being awake drive you to fear. We, as the children of Yah, don't have that spirit. It's easy to follow every rabbit hole the enemy digs, but stay focused....keep your opened eyes on Him.

Sleep time is over. There is a terrible time on the horizon that will proceed the coming of our Lord -Yahshua's the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see.....wake up.

How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? - Proverbs 6:9

Why We Love False Teachers

They live and breathe among us. They are our neighbors, "friends", relatives, church "leaders". They are great orators, sometimes charismatic, grandiose, authoritative. They are calculating, manipulative, self-seeking, wrong. They are false teachers.

Being involved with social media, coming out of bastardized and institutionalized church, and being involved with several friendships, I have run into my fair share of false teachers. Yes, a small handful didn't know any better and have been able to see error and correct themselves. But for every one or two, there seems to be about one hundred more that continue on with "business" as usual.

One thing I have begun to notice is that the world is starting to take notice of the false teachers and the shenanigry they bring. And when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (or as his momma called him Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr) spoke out, I knew I had to finally write about it. I had been sitting and stewing on this blog for a long time. I felt a prompting to write, but I just wasn't sure. Then this article came out. I mean, here is a man who has forsaken the Father in Heaven for another god, but can still see the blatant error in false teaching. And while I don't completely agree with all he said (he misquoted scripture in that article), the things he did say has merit. Yet, there are thousands (and I was one of them) of people who week after week, sit under a false teacher's tutelage and can't discern if it is raining or someone is spiting on them from above. Something is wrong. So, I prayed.

"Why Father? Why are so many people accepting false teachers in their lives?? What is it??"

From that question, He lead me to think on all of my experiences with false teachers. And the Father showed me two common themes.

1. People are drawn to them because of their carnality and fleshly desires. Those teachers provide their "need" or false hope of attaining that "need".
2. People say they know My Words, but ignore Me when I give My warnings to leave them alone. They feel they are the ones that can change them.

Those two answers, as plain as they are, are really profound. I have said once before, when we start "needing" things outside of Christ alone, that is a great time for the enemy, through his means or someone, to exploit us. Let's look at a couple of contrasts in the bible in regards to needs being met.

1 Kings 22:1-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

Ahab and the False Prophets

1 For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” 

Can you spot the need and how King Ahab searched for it outside of Yahweh? His need is found in verse 3 - greed, power, and control. Carnal needs that he wanted to fill. Because of those things, he wanted to overtake Syria. In doing so, he found people who would placate his need. Now, here is something interesting to note. This king surrounded himself with false prophets. These false prophets were not "new" to him. They were around him, they studied him, they new his likes and dislikes, they knew his inner desires, and knew what to say and do to fulfill his need. This time was no different. They saw his need, and took advantage of it for their own gain and pleasure. For what could be more pleasurable than saying that you "work for the king" and all the pardons/benefits/prestige and money that come with it?

The same goes for those in false teaching positions. They will study a people, discover their "need", and offer them what they want. What benefit comes to them? For some it would be money, some prestige and the need to feel important, some adoration, some control, some power, some the need to feel wanted, some a false notion of success and finally some all of these. None of which is something that the Father calls His teachers to. They are suppose to be the conduits of Christ, not wanting the benefits and the "Bride" for himself. And this is the seduction that is a false teacher - a seller of dreams, hopes, and aspirations, not the gospel of Christ that often tells you to deny yourself and that you will face persecution and death. Because, if that true message is preached to the carnally-minded masses (who are their targets) they get none of the benefits.

Now, let's look at this contrasted situation between Christ and satan.

Matthew 4:1-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Temptation of Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

 “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5  Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

 “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone,  Satan! For it is written,

 “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

If we look carefully at this encounter we should notice something. The enemy satan knew Christ. He studied Him and have known Him since he (satan) was created. Satan was given authority over this world - yet, there was NOTHING that he could give Christ. Christ had no earthly need, no reason to have His ears tickled, no personal agenda to fulfill, therefore no reason for someone to use twisted scripture and thoughts to lead Him into carnality.

False teachers prey on your "needs". They take time to study their audience. You may not even realize it, but they do. Once your need is discovered, they also find a way to fulfill that need - which is why their doctrine can ebb and flow with the changing of the tide keeping the ability to keep your ears tickled. Which leads me to my next point, point number two.

False teachers can not be saved from themselves through human efforts. There are many people who feel it is there "job" to help false teachers see the truth. But those were not, nor ever were our instructions from our Father. We were never meant to "rehab" them and there are several instructions and warnings for us not to do so:

1 Timothy 6:3-5, 11 ESV
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain....11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. 

Romans 16:17-18 ESV
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Ephesians 5:6-13 ESV
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ... 

Colossians 2:8 ESV
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 

Matthew 7:15 ESV
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 

2 John 1:10-11 ESV
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 

2 Peter 2 English Standard Version (ESV)
False Prophets and Teachers
2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.
Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Throughout all of those verses, no where does it say that we bear with them in trying to get them to see truth or come to Christ. We are not to rehab them. That is not our work. The bible does instruct us to:

1. Test them by their spirit and not their appearances or show they put on - 1 John 4:1 and John 7:24
2. Not receive them but expose them and avoid them - 2 John 1:10-11, Ephesians 5:11, and Romans 16:17, Matthew 15:13-20
3. Pray for our enemies and those who despitefully use us - Matthew 5:43-45

That's it. Nothing more to do. We don't have to "tarry with them a little longer", "help them see the light", "stay because if I leave then everything else will be ruined". It is not our call to in any way entertain them lest you partake in their evil and be lead astray with them.

But why? Why can't we stay and help those who are perceived to know Christ and seem to be brothers and sisters through His blood? The bible again gives us insight and instruction if we are willing to listen:

• they will secretly bring in destructive heresies
• they will teach doctrines of demons - using deductive reasonings this will be so that people will be "devoted" to those teachings as described in 1 Tim 4
• they will teach every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes as decribed in Ephesians 4:14-15
• they will lead you astray as described in Proverbs 10:17

How can one who is supposedly of Yah do this? The simple answer is, they aren't of Him. Christ said:

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44

Between what Christ says without stuttering and other scripture, these things tell us they are children of the devil. Trying to "teach" them won't help. If it does, then we can effectively draw satan to Christ for salvation. No one with the Spirit of Yah can lie about Him. The Spirit brings us into truth and teaches us all truth. He would not have us lie on or about Him. One who does not have Him and still teaches isn't teaching the truth and if they are getting "benefits" they probably don't want truth (or else they'd be seeking it and accepting correction instead of trying to find ways to skirt around correction and "make it fit" to continue to deceive and gain the Bride's benefits). And THIS is why we are not to try and "rehab" them. If their hearts are to change, that will be solely the work of the Father in them. If we continue to bear with them, the scripture is clear on what will happen to us.

This is a hard understanding. Many of us are friends with, family of, or are taught by false teachers. Step foot in a church on any given Sunday, and you are probably walking into a den of darkness. And "home churches" or fellowships are not immune. The enemy lurks in all people who seek any "need" outside of Christ and his agents have needs that he can provide no matter how big or small the "following".

I know we want to see them do better, we want to help, we want to believe what they have to sell. But it is in our best interest to follow the instructions of Yah. Leave them be and let Him deal with them the way only He can. With false teachers, we are dealing with a matter of the heart - for it is not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out. And what comes out comes from the heart.

Stay vigilant in these last and coming days. Many are sent to decieve and draw you away from Yah. It is up to you to not fall victim and seek the truth in Him always.

Love,
Deidra

Fickle Love Toward an Unconditional God

I have noticed a growing trend among Christians. While we all know the Father hates idols, we in our "well meaningness" have turned a likeness of Him into one. Yes, we have turned God into an idol. What do you mean Deidra? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I have been in many of conversations as of late where I have heard a Christian say something like "Not the God I serve..." "The God I serve wouldn't do that!" "I know it could only be God because...". Ultimately, that last sentence ends in some sort of "feel good" ending that defies the declared character of Yahweh. And while these statements sound good, they are very dangerous. Making these statements show two things:

1. Conditional love
2. Our allegiance is fickle

Many Christians haven't grown into a mature love for the Father, His Son, or His Spirit. We love them with human nature love, which is often conditional based on how one makes us feel. All of the statements above are conditional. Using those statements, we have put human limitations on the Father such that if He does something out of our fleshly expectation of Him, it's not Him and we can't bring ourselves to serve Him.

"I could never serve a God that would"...for example, kill someone. That god is an idol. That god that someone made up is an imagination that serves our need for a god that does something that we as humans can't imagine. That god placates our desire that Yahweh works for us do to our bidding with the end result being our happiness and comfort.

Want to know why this god is a made up god from our imagination and not Yahweh? Because there are several times in the bible where He did kill someone. So, now what? Does this person stop worshiping the true God to serve the one made up in their mind? Yahweh has killed and ordered men, women, AND children killed. He killed families and whole tribes. He's killed animals. He killed people who thought they were "helping Him out" but yet were being disobedient. Yes, God kills because of His own reasoning, and guess what? He still deserves to be praised, glorified and served by those who say they follow Him.

"I know it has to be a blessing from God because..." - this statement is usually followed by a reasoning that actually goes outside of Yahweh's character, yet makes us happy. Yahweh isn't going to "bless" you with something you can't afford. He isn't going to "bless" you with someone else's spouse (even if they are divorced by man's law). He isn't going to "bless" you with something through deceit. He isn't going to "bless" you through criminal activity. He isn't going to "bless" your same-sex "union". He isn't going to "bless" your false church with your false preacher to have a $65M personal jet while all the other "members" scuffle for everyday living. That god that has done that is not the Father of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. So, now that you find out that Yahweh didn't do those things and didn't make you happy, do you turn to the god that did? That god is an idol and I would go one step further and same that it would be the "blessings" of satan and his minions. Please understand, satan is the god of this world as it stands now and he does have the power (that the Father has granted) to give what seems to be blessings and happiness. Don't believe me, look at how he tempted Yahshua! Look at how those who are evil and doing his bidding prosper. Don't be deceived to think what appears to be "good things" don't come from him as well.

"The God I serve would never allow..." - followed by a statement regarding division, hurt, pain, turmoil, delusion etc. But yes, there has been record of Yahweh doing just that. He asks for an angel to cause delusion. He allows satan to cause division. He allows satan to use the weather to bring about death and destruction. All of this is done for His purpose for He says:

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. - Isaiah 46:10 NLT

So, what are we really saying when we make these statements? We are declaring our conditional love for Yahweh. That if He doesn't make us happy, we ultimately won't serve Him because the god that we serve will do what we please. We are making room for our spirit to divorce the Father. Much like marriages today that are not built on biblical love, but on conditional love. If that spouse no longer makes us happy, we are willing to leave.

We hear this often through what we watch in movies or TV, from conversations with friends and family, even in church. We hear that if our spouse no longer makes us feel a sense of happiness, comfort etc, it is ok to leave. That is not biblical love. And if you subscribe to that, then you also unknowingly subscribe to the fact that as the Body and soon to be Bride it is ok to turn away from Yahweh when He no longer makes you happy or meets your expectations. The world has told us it is ok to turn from a spouse that no longer makes us happy. But where does the Bride turn? That's just it, the Bride has no where to turn! So, just like Christ asked, I also ask, when your expectations aren't being met and you are no longer happy, who will you turn to?

65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” - John 6:65-69

So, what is the solution? We have to have the mind of Christ in all matters. We can't put our conditions of love and allegiance on the Father and we can't withhold our praise from Him if He doesn't make us feel good or be happy. We can't ultimately say that these out of character blessings that make us happy are from Him because once we find out they are not -then what?

Our love can not be rooted in a mind generated idol. Our love and worship has to be pure, based in an understanding that Yahweh Is who He Is and our job is to understand Him and love Him with our whole heart. We can not reason our love for Him for we love Him because He first loved us. Our love for Him is unconditional - even when it hurts. We have no where else to turn, no where else is worthy.

Love and serve Yahweh with no limits.....

Giving Away Life Just To Live And Lose

Islamic Regime Giving Food Away to Millions for Relief

So, I'm reading a blog that I love to read. In it, he uses this scripture to talk about the fact that what Joseph did in Egypt appeared to "save" the Egyptian people. But, when you really look deeper, he actually enslaved them. Such will be the beast system when it finally settles (believe me when I tell you, it's on the way and many will take the "mark" and choose to flee to it to save their lives and loved ones). As it is said in the Word - there is nothing new under the sun. The Egyptians saw the shadow of the beast system. And now, we are moving from the shadow to the very substance it brings...

Genesis 47:13-26
There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails." Joseph said, "Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone." They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year. When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won't be desolate." So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh's. As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it. Only he didn't buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn't sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones." They said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants." Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth.

We know there will come a time where food will be too expensive to buy in the way we are used to (Rev 6). We are seeing it now. I saw a chart online not too long ago that showed that just a few years ago (relatively) $20 could buy you a whole shopping cart of groceries. Where now, $20 will only get you a few items. Which means, those who don't have full trust in Yahweh and His Spirit for all provision and direction and are used to human means of survival, will be ripe for the picking. They will either gladly or reluctantly take the mark of the beast to buy and sell as mentioned in Revelation 13. The substance of the shadow of Genesis 47 will have begun.

This is a very sobering thought. The shadow didn't have eternal ramifications, but the substance will - for all who take the mark will NOT see the kingdom of Yah. Now, look at all that the Egyptian people gave away for something temporary. They gave away all they had to save their lives when in all actuality, they were (and did) die anyway.They wanted to live and in turn, gave their life away. Maybe that's why Christ says:

Mark 8:35-38 English Standard Version (ESV)
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

On the surface this seems pretty plain, clear, and easy to understand. But let's put this in context of the days where a choice will need to be made. The choice of life or death. The choice of feeding your children or what seems to be "letting them starve". The choice of making money and working to keep the heat and lights on, or the choice of being unemployed trying to find your own way. The choice of having clothing, or wearing tattered and torn. The choice of submitting to the world's leadership to survive or the choice of being killed for not doing so. Yes, that choice will lead you to either have to be ashamed of Him and of His words or stand for Him and look foolish.

Even now, we are in the shadows of these choices. Many well meaning Christians will sell out and are selling out for the shadow of the beast. Many have left the world in their minds - thinking they have - but not in their hearts. Yes, we all have to work...that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about not being able to look to Yahweh to supply ALL of our needs. I know I'm guilty. He has been showing my husband and I this the last few weeks. We are learning to fully trust Him even when we *think* we can do it ourselves - even with the "simple" things.

Many like to say they are on the Lord's side - but I challenge you while "times are still good" to really evaluate how much you trust Him. If all was taken away and you had the choice to survive the world's easy way or suffer or even die when the simple solution would be to just "give in" - what would you do?

Joshua 24:15English Standard Version (ESV)

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Pulling Back From Group Think

Group think. We've all done it. We've all been a part of it. It is the phenomenon of a group of onlookers paralyzed and not knowing what to do in a certain situation. It is the mob of angry people marching down the street in protest - yet not knowing why they are angry, or why they are there. It is the church congregation that meets every Sunday to live out their rules (some made up and some not) without giving any thought as to whether they are being biblically lead by the Spirit. It is the high school "mean girls" that constantly pick on others they feel are not up to par with their standards and codes. It is a nation being swayed to view another as the enemy with unfounded proof to make them willing to go to war. It is the American citizens giving blind loyalty to one of two parties or a president. It is the crowd gathered at Christ's illegal trial screaming, "Kill Him!!" Group think. We've all been there.

Psychologically speaking, groupthink is defined as:

a phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. - Wikipedia

More technically:

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment” (p. 9).  Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups.  A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making. - http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm

According to this same site, there are 8 "symptoms" and "remedies" of group think which are:

Janis' Symptoms of Groupthink

1. Illusion of invulnerability –Creates excessive optimism that encourages taking extreme risks.
2. Collective rationalization – Members discount warnings and do not reconsider their assumptions.
3. Belief in inherent morality – Members believe in the rightness of their cause and therefore ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions.
4. Stereotyped views of out-groups – Negative views of “enemy” make effective responses to conflict seem unnecessary.
5. Direct pressure on dissenters – Members are under pressure not to express arguments against any of the group’s views.
6. Self-censorship – Doubts and deviations from the perceived group consensus are not expressed.
7. Illusion of unanimity – The majority view and judgments are assumed to be unanimous.
8. Self-appointed ‘mindguards’ – Members protect the group and the leader from information that is problematic or contradictory to the group’s cohesiveness, view, and/or decisions.

Remedies thought of by experts

• The leader should assign the role of critical evaluator to each member
• The leader should avoid stating preferences and expectations at the outset
• Each member of the group should routinely discuss the groups' deliberations with a trusted associate and report back to the group on the associate's reactions
• One or more experts should be invited to each meeting on a staggered basis.  The outside experts should be encouraged to challenge views of the members.
• At least one articulate and knowledgeable member should be given the role of devil's advocate (to question assumptions and plans)
• The leader should make sure that a sizeable block of time is set aside to survey warning signals from rivals; leader and group construct alternative scenarios of rivals' intentions.

Let's look at how these symptoms and remedies may look in a Christian setting taken from - http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_groupthink.htm:

Symptoms

1. Illusion of invulnerability, such as “This can’t fail because God is on our side.”
2. Collective rationalization of warnings that challenge assumptions.  For example, if a secular consultant says that money will not come in for the project, group members agree that she just does not understand faith promises.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, such as “Because we are God’s children, what we are doing must be an ethical or good thing to do.”
4. Stereotyping people outside the group as weak, biased, stupid, or even evil.  For example, nationals opposed to building a church in their neighborhood may be characterized as under demonic influence.
5. Pressure on dissenting group members to conform by suggesting they lack faith if they do not support the decision.
6. Illusion of unanimity among group members because the silence of others is taken as agreement even though most of the committee may think the idea is doomed to failure.
7. Self-censorship in which members do not express doubts because of the apparent consensus among other group members.  Because it looks like the whole field committee agrees, no one is willing to look like a Doubting Thomas.
8. Self-appointed “mindguards” who shield the group from problematic information. Committee members who are in favor of the project may take it upon themselves to see that conflicting financial reports are suppressed or taking aside any missionary who expresses doubts and pleading for unity behind the field director’s project. 

Remedies

• Leaders do not express their opinions or preferences when assigning the task.
• Leaders encourage each group member to express objections and doubts when the group meets.
• Members of the group routinely discuss plans or progress with trusted persons outside the group...
• Outside experts should be invited to meetings on a staggered basis and encouraged to challenge views expressed.
• At each meeting a different member of the group should be the “Devil’s advocate” assigned to point out possible flaws and suggest alternatives.
• Before final approval at least one meeting should be devoted to consider all warning signals members can think of.

Of course, in avoiding groupthink, people must not go to the opposite extreme and be so cautious that they get caught in gridlock and do not approve any solution.

If you read my latest blog, I spoke about a magnified perspective, or being in "too deep" to be able to see the bigger picture. If I would take that writing and apply that to this one, I would definitely say that group think is the "magnification" of a relationship and the remedy is the ability to pull back.

In any relationship whether it be of 2 people or 2 million, there will always rise a leader, even if briefly, and there will always be followers and the two together will always produce, if not careful, groupthink. The leader could be a husband, a boss, the foreman of a jury, a preacher, someone appointed or who steps up in a crowd, or the President. Anyone in a position of unchallenged authority will become the leader. This leader has an awesome responsibility to always make sure he or she does not become a dictator, but to make sure that they look out for the overall well being of a group.

Naturally, those under that leader will look to that person for direction. Maybe they do it because they feel the leader is more learned, more courageous, stronger, faster, well spoken, or more wise. When the people look to their leader to fulfill those things they believe they lack in themselves, they start to put that leader on a pedestal. They begin to have the need to protect and elevate the leader because he or she protects the group.

What are some biblical examples of groupthink?

We just ended a world wide "celebration" of Jesus' death. No matter what you feel about the appropriateness of the day, the events surrounding his persecution before death is very congruent with this particular writing. Let's look at scripture:

Luke 22:66-71, 23:1-25
Jesus before the Council
66 At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,[f] 67 and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”
But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. 68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.[g]”
70 They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?”
And he replied, “You say that I am.”
71 “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him say it.”
23:1 Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”
5 Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 7 When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”[a]
18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

Here we can see the hallmarks of group think. First, we have the leaders and we have the followers and a situation. Next, we have an outside person (Pilate and Herod) giving their unbiased opinion based off of independent investigation (or having the ability to pull back and not be sucked into the group), however, it is not accepted. There is a question placed before the leaders and the crowd as to what to do, but before this even happened, the leaders already had come to a conclusion of what they wanted to happen without input from the crowd. Therefore, the crowd shouted with them (although some may not have had an opinion) to "kill Him".

So, we see group think in the bible, but is it biblical?

Biblically speaking, yes, we should all be on one accord and of one mind - but that one mind should be the mind of Christ led specifically by the Spirit of Yah. That mind should not be of one person, denomination, or group. This is why the Father warns us constantly to not put anything before Him. This is also why He tells us to conform to Christ, not men.

Many will argue that Paul said to be like him and he's a man that is, of human nature. But what we also have to remember is that Paul tried to walk as closely to Christ's walk as humanly possible. He admittedly had faults. But Paul always urged those to not look at him, but to look at our Savior and to pattern ourselves after Him, just as he was doing. If those under one's leadership doesn't remember that, they will become drawn "into" that leader. They will begin speaking like them, acting like them, thinking like them, believing like them. They will start to pattern themselves after that leader instead of Yahshua as we are told to in the bible. The admiration of that leader becomes so strong, that faults won't be able to be seen. And if this leader has other alternatives ,say control or power, other than serving and looking out for the well being of those under their leadership, it will be easy to take advantage of that group and turn them into groupthinkers. And that is not biblical.

How do we avoid becoming groupthinkers in our walk with Christ or in our daily life? 

I believe that if we take into consideration the things we learn from the bible, and even think about the remedies posted above, the things that are in common is having the ability to "pull back" and see the wider view.

In the remedies given, there was often a suggestion of having someone from the outside to look in and evaluate the situation. That would be the equivalent to having someone in church with the ability to discern and see the bigger picture. For discernment isn't just about "seeing spirits" but also the uncanny ability to objectively observe a situation and put pieces together to distinguish what is true versus what is almost true. We must be willing to admit, we are human and we have weak spots, and not be afraid to look for them. We must be willing to admit to ourselves when we have allowed ourselves to be patterned after a "man" rather than Christ. We must be able to understand that sometimes in our relationships, we can become too deep and look for those willing to help us to pull back. But before we can even invite someone with a wider view in, we have to admit there is or could be a problem and be willing to set up an atmosphere where opposite views can be spoken freely.

Time and time again, you will have many church goers get angry at someone from the outside who says "something isn't right about this church". If you are the person becoming angry, vexed, and ready to go to war at the thought of someone "coming against" what you are a part of, chances are, you have fallen into group think. Stop, reevaluate, correct, repent, and move on by the Spirit of Christ. Don't shun those trying to help.

We also have to be careful to not elevate people and thereby helping to puff them up into thinking more highly of themselves than they aught. Many leaders are known to have a quality that makes them either desire control, power, or to feel important. It is their "drive" or "motivation" if you will. And it is not always a bad thing. We need people who want to take control of certain situations. Think of a Fire Chief leading his men to devise a plan to safely put out an apartment building fire. Or, think of someone on a crowded street yelling instructions to different people on how to help a family trapped in a car from a car wreck. But sometimes those desires can become misplaced and twisted. Because of that, the enemy can use others to help that person fall (spiritually speaking). The enemy can use people to insulate that person's thinking, make that person feel unmerited power.

If you are in a leadership capacity and truly have a heart to serve rather than be served, I urge you - be careful of who you surround yourself with. I am reminded of the story of King Ahab and Micaiah...

1 Kings 22:10-14 

10 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”
12 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”
14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”

If we read further down in the chapter, we see that the king chose the counsel of his prophets - those who elevated him instead of keeping him grounded - instead of the godly counsel of Micaiah. Because there was no room to speak truth and Micaiah did anyway, the king ordered him to prison.   In doing so, it lead him to his destruction and death. This whole scenario is what happens to leaders who fall into groupthink by surrounding themselves with people with the inability to see a "wider view".  To be a good leader, you must not allow those who counsel you to fall into group think. To surround yourself with "yes men", people who will do anything to protect you and your image, is certain destruction. Always be willing to have those willing to disagree, or see the wider view within your circle and listen to them. Only leaders with an elevated sense of self-importance will allow the latter. Reason being, their heart isn't to serve the people, but to look after and protect their own self interest...but that is another writing for another time.

All in all, we must watch ourselves carefully. Not all will have the ability to pull back, evaluate a situation, and not form an opinion or solution based on group think. For those people, it is important that you learn to not shun dissenting voices. They add balance to every situation. For those who have the ability to pull back, never be afraid to stand - even if it is you standing alone. Your voice is needed. Don't fall into the pit of "groupthink".

Magnified Perspective

Do you know what this is? I'll give you a hint....it's not what you might think. Pull back a little to get a better view. Now do you see it? No? Keep reading...

When you are too close, it's hard to get the broader view and to see that the reality of what you see is something vastly different than what you think you see.

Sometimes pulling back from things will give you a different perspective. I have always known that. I'm the kind of person that sees the big picture rather than the details (that's my husband's department! lol). Also, I am very visual. I have discovered how to recognize when I'm "in too deep" in a situation - it's usually if I can't "see" wide enough. I'm not going to lie, sometimes it takes me a minute to realize I'm in too deep. But, Yah has always been faithful to call my attention to this and begins to pull me back. When this happens, I am able to look at how all the details come together. This ability has served me well and I thank the Father that He has allowed me to have it.

In my spiritual walk lately I have pulled back to see the big picture. I once was in "way too deep" if you will. I focused on many things that ended up making me prideful, even arrogant. I zoomed in on how many "boxes" I could check off. In trying to become "more spiritual", I actually became more soulish. In my past surroundings, it was easy to do - sometimes even encouraged. After zooming out to see the big picture, I realized that if I had died in that moment, I don't think I would have entered the gates like I thought I would. Many believers make that mistake - zooming in, in order to start checking off boxes. It reminds me of this parable that Yahshua told:

Luke 18:10-15 New Living Translation (NLT)
10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I was that Pharisee. I had the comfort and ability to pay too much attention to the "checked boxes". I didn't understand the wider view that Yah has for those who want to live by and through His Spirit. Somehow I had it in my mind that because I had so many boxes checked, that my walk lead me to be a "true believer". Did you get that? Being so far in, pride grew in me to actually put classifications on the level of "believer-ship"! There is no such thing to the Father. You are either a believer, or an unbeliever. There are no varying degrees.

After the Father allowed me to pull back, He showed me my fault so I could repent. How dare I have such a spiritual elitist attitude? Now, yes, those things that were checked were very relevant to my walk. I would say, the checked boxes would have been detrimental to me had I not nixed them from my life. But the Father did not make me aware of those things so that I could puff myself up. No! He made me aware so that those things would be written in my heart as a remembrance of how not to sin against Him and live by His Spirit. He did not show them to me so that I could compare myself to others and place myself in a different and elevated category.

Had I stayed deep in the situation I was in and not had the ability to pull back to see the bigger picture, I would have missed that completely!

Oh! And what you saw above? Yep, it's sand! Tiny grains of sand magnified and close up. Amazing. Yah's creativity never ceases to astonish me.....

Heart Transplant

From this: http://www.wsbtv.com/…/teen-talks-channel-2-about-jo…/nbFRN/

To this: http://www.wsbtv.com/…/police-suspect-hits-pedestria…/nkjbq/

At first I was speechless. But look at this spiritual implication as we get ready to celebrate on Passover our Passover Lamb, Yahshua (Jesus Christ).

Transplants are miraculous. The thought of someone being able to take a body part from one living being and put it into another, and make it work? Nothing but knowledge from Yah. Many transplants, the donor can give the organ and live. But not so for a heart transplant. Unfortunately, someone has to die. Often times when I think of heart transplants, I think of the movie, John Q. The story of a man who's son needed a new heart. They tried everything and he watched his son grow sicker. The father finally makes the decision to sacrifice himself for his son to live. And while it didn't end that way (spoiler alert), it showed the sacrifice needed for another to live.

For this young man, someone had to die in order for him to have a "new heart". Yet, he squandered that gift. While this steams my clams in the natural world, I understand, it's not all that uncommon in the spiritual.

So as we think about pastel colors and church suits, sun-worship breakfasts, Ishtar's ham, fertility goddess eggs and fertility bunnies - remember, there was a REAL person that died that you may have a NEW heart. His Father gave up the most precious gift He had for us in the sacrifice of His Son. Don't squander that gift....

Ezekiel 36:26New Living Translation (NLT) 

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 

2 Corinthians 5:15,17New Living Translation (NLT) 

15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them...17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Have a good one!