Kathy L McFarland

I remember reading the account of Christ going to his crucifixion for the first time as a young child and I was horrified. Even at that young age, I had the realization that He was hanging from that cross because of the sins I did and would do in my lifetime. I realized with horror that it was me that pounded those nails into his hands, as my savior offered His life to the LORD God for redemption of my own.

That gift on Calvary, given because Jesus Christ loved me so dearly, has always been enough for me. If the LORD GOD told me today that I would lose everything I own, everything I love, everything I am in an instant, I would still praise His Holy Grace for giving me the most precious gift of all; salvation through the sacrificed blood of my precious Jesus Christ. It was so undeserved, but oh so blessed to receive the ultimate gift of love and eternal life.

I know it sounds like big talk and brings images of Job and God and the devil sorting the things of righteousness out as the friends debate the proper response to his tragic life. But I must tell you: I have been there, and faced that desperate loss, and I know. I have lost everything I loved, everything I was, and everything I knew in one very wicked instant. And at my lowest time, when I faced homelessness and loss of everybody I loved, and everything I had ever lived for, my precious Jesus and his sacrifice of life for me became my only focus.

And when I was at my lowest, it never crossed my mind to ask Jesus for anything more than allowing me to be called one of His people, and to receive redemption through the grace of the LORD God. I honestly never thought about asking for riches, or power, or help or even the basic things to sustain my life. I was so overwhelmed that when my whole world had ended, and I was repulsive to every person in my old life, that I was given a new life, and I was loved with a love that would never be taken away.

It is my Savior Jesus Christ I live for forever because the sacrifice he made for me was the most precious act of love I could ever receive, and all other rewards pale in comparison. So I have a hard time understanding the newest movements that are winding through the community of Faithful. I remember a few years back when people started saying a prayer focused around a tiny scripture in hopes that they would be rewarded greatly by the LORD God for their faithful and repetitive asking for riches. Now, I talk with brothers and sisters on every day who are striving to achieve the newest goals of self-actualization through a purpose driven life. I listen as they implement their newest goals and direct their life to its fullest potentials.

I wonder, isn’t there anybody left among the Faithful that love Jesus Christ enough that the sacrifice He made for them is exactly enough? Is there anybody alive today that could lose everything, and still sing praises to God for the salvation of their soul?

I spoke with three new converts this week; all three of them came to Jesus Christ because of goods, time and money received by faithful Christians who took time to help them out when they were down. In each instance, the new convert was so astounded that a non-relative would help them with the worldly things of life, that they started going to church to figure it all out. Hey, they wrongly thought, it worked! And now there are three more converts who have committed to following Christ for the wrong reasons entirely. They think if Jesus led others to give them so much help before their acceptance, then how much more riches can they expect to receive now that they belong to Him? When do the riches start rolling in, now that they have bent their knees? How much study is required of that purpose driven life to effect the opulent rewards of true belief?

What a struggle each of these converts will have when they realize the path of Jesus Christ is not filled with riches, but with trials, tribulations, persecutions and loss at every turn. What a terrible conflict of nature and spirit they will one day struggle with, when they are faced with accepting Christ’s sacrifice over the tempting riches placed before them by a devil just waiting for their greed to overshadow the Gift. What shame they will feel when they remember the time when the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins was not enough.

1 Timothy 6:6-12
“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (1Ti 6:6-12 AV)

1 Peter 2:19-25
“19 For this [is] thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (1Pe 2:19-25 AV)

Let me say from the start: these words are gonna get me in trouble.

The conservative Christians will be shocked that such a topic would ever be discussed, the liberal fellows will grin from ear to ear, and the unholy and worldly will try to use my words to convict me of things I am not guilty of. So, I will try to be very careful how I say the message, avoid using the words that readily define the condition I am going to discuss, and pray that you receive an understanding of my message through a deeper reading of my words.

The problem is the strokings of the self-focused. It is a worldly problem of nature that has been reinforced through the school system in providing liberal praise for every action, regardless of achievement or effort. The need for pleasurable experiences is escalated through the constant exposure to provocative, sensual and outright pornographic images that pummel us everyday, stirring the hidden “feel good” buttons and offering a quick “pleasing stroke” for the self focused.

Liberal psychologists encourage excessive rewards to our children, and liberal bosses hold feel good seminars to motivate their workers. The newest and greatest companies are the ones who package these “personal strokings” and offer them as incentives for their employees to enjoy. Group dynamics now focus on the individual needs, rather than the group goals, and every meeting of people is viewed as an opportunity to make them better.

Christian spiritual growth through the study of the Word of God is no longer encouraged, but is replaced with the feel good books that give purpose to life through driving the needs of individuals above the needs of God. Personal accomplishments and the resulting strokes is what life has become for the human race, and

Christianity is not immune from it’s insidious touch. The problem with this self focused need for strokings that the people of nature demand, is that it has crossed over into our spiritual gathering places, and the spirits of many of our young Christians. This desperate need for stroking is evident in every aspect of our fellowship. Pastors and church leaders spend hours upon hours talking with the most needy self focused, providing each with the attention they demand or risk creating rifts inside the congregation that are irreparable. Teachers of the Word of God are pummeled with personal story after personal story, as the focus on His Word is moved to a focus of the self-focused students gathered in “study”. Christian parents feel guilty and give in to the self-focused demands of their children, who are motivated by the environment they study and play in.

More personally, the need for strokes of the self-focused continually attempt to remove my focus from the things of God, repeatedly try to disrupt my life, and always cause me many burdens and pain. It is the main reason why I remove myself from relationships with not only some of my Christian brothers and sisters, but even some of my personal family and friends as well.

They stand in front of me and demand my attention and my vocal praise for deeds that matter nothing to me or God. They come to me and use my precious time to mindlessly drone on about pathetic and small things in their life that bring focus only to themselves. They become offended if their focus is directed to higher things, and are hurt when their efforts of attention getting fail, and strokes are not forthcoming. Those misguided selfish ones who are closest to me, use a form of blackmail to force the strokings of their nature to be done. They suggest through word and deed that if the strokes are not forthcoming, then they will soon be gone, away from me and the Word of God forever.

I’m tired. I’m tired of being forced to focus my attention on the pathetic things of nature that mean nothing to me or God. I am sick of feeling used and dirty when the self-focused are filled with happiness from the attention they have sucked from me. I am sick that many come to me to touch me and my relationship with God, with expectations that they can get my peace and my joy by brushing up against me.

Oh, how I long for true Christian fellowship where the self is no longer the subject, and God is the focus. How I crave to have Christian brothers and sisters who walk with me to learn the deeper things of God, without requiring me to make them feel good before the learning takes place. And oh, how I hope, that I never, ever make my Father in Heaven feel as dirty and disappointed as the self-focused have made me feel in their demands for attention and feel good strokes of nature.

The first time we met her was when her husband was boorishly offering his testimony of Jesus Christ. The practiced speech of his salvation had worn thin over the years, and the rote memory of his words dampened the rejoicing that should have been present at such an offering. We stood politely and waited for him to finish his witness, all the time wondering how we could have moved next door to a man who, at his best, judged all things in accordance with the spirituality he had experienced, with no room for new and exciting joys that come from an ever growing faith. She had seen our hidden distress, and giggled as her husband went on and on. Pretty soon, she was doubled over in laughter and urging him to speed up, apparently tired of the same old story herself. When he had finished with a great “Amen” she guided him to the garden and put him to work lining up the rows with a string and hoe, and then quietly introduced herself to us. We have never been the same since.

Ginia was the picture perfect grandma, who could pickle anything that grew, and puff up a pastry with a quick swish of her spoon, and can a batch of cherries and their jelly in a fall afternoon faster than it took Jim to get past the first putterings of the day. Her appearance fit her role nicely, and the glow of a healthy life was always lighting her face framed in white mane of glory. When she would laugh, her belly would start before her mouth uttered a giggle. The tiny rolls of fat would move in ripples, then waves, then overtake her whole body as she reared back for a good laugh. But even then, before a sound came from her mouth, her joyful tears would start dripping down her face, and her face would turn a beautiful red, and you knew it was coming. BAM! Her laughter echoed throughout the block, and it would rush past you and snare the funniest bones in your body when it grabbed. The joy of heaven would rush through her delight, and warm even the coldest days in the hardest times.

It was so good, so joyful, being near her, until one day, her laughter came close to killing us. This very Christian, very Baptist, very God fearing woman was a walking testimony in herself. She never spoke with words about her relationship with Jesus, but you knew by just being in her presence that she was one of the trusted faithful of God. She received respect from everyone who met her. She had the bearing of one who was quite able to walk to Jesus and give him a hug, without having to prove to watchers that she had that right. She was a true and perfected Christian, and you couldn’t help but watch and copy her ways of life.

One hot summer day, while we were all sitting around. relaxing from the hot and steamy work of pressuring some corn to preserve, her husband came in and asked where his dinner was. She tried to look at him quietly, without notice from us, but she failed in her private message, and we saw a quick glimpse of pain come over her eyes. It had been a long day, and she just didn’t have the strength to fix a meal. We quickly jumped up to help, reassuring her that we were up to the job, and we went into her kitchen to start his dinner. Forging through her freezer, we found a small portion of meat wrapped in some freezer paper, and it looked like just the right amount to feed one appetite. Plopping it in the microwave, we thawed it out, and then spent many tense minutes studying the slightly browned piece of meat to figure out what it was. Neither of us knew for sure what cut it was, but we figured cut up into a little casserole would make a good hot meal for him. Dinner preparation finished, we proudly carried our quick casserole to her very hungry husband, mentioning to Ginia that we had found the perfect size of meat to avoid left overs. She giggled in delight at having skipped meal preparation one of the few times in her life.

Suddenly, she grew pale, and ordered her husband to drop his fork immediately. which he did quickly. and then it happened. Her belly started rippling, and then rushing in waves, and then convulsing in abnormal contortions. Tears filled her eyes, her face got red, then purple, then blue, and she tried to talk, but words would not come. Her husband tried to calm her down, but to no avail. Bordering on unhealthy, we began to fear a heart attack or a stroke as she struggled to breathe from one of the biggest laugh fits ever experienced by woman. She dropped to the floor, breathless, and held her sides as she struggled to breathe through the gasps of laughter.

Finally, she was able to speak the words. ”Minie”. We looked to her husband to decipher, and he had dropped to the floor, pale, weakened and laughing in the uncontrolled convulsions. He struggled to tell us what was so funny, but all he could say was “Minie”. Nervously giggling, then joining them outright in a good old fashioned laugh, we got caught up in their delight, and began receiving the wonderful blessing of God’s joy, as it washed over us. We didn’t know why we were laughing, but it was so good and right, and we certainly would not have been able to stop if we chose.

Thirty minutes of gut wrenching laughter later, Ginia stopped suddenly and with all the strength she could muster, asked us to sit down and not look at her or talk to her or make a sound. She said she had something very important to tell us and it would be impossible to get out if she saw our faces. Two years ago, “Minie” her precious little doggie had a tumor in his private parts, and after his operation, she just couldn’t bring herself to part with his privates. She put them in freezer wrap, in the freezer, so she could bury them with him when he passed away.

Oh the horror. Oh the funniest thing we had ever heard! Oh dear God, save us from our uncontrolled laughter to come. We fell to the floor, unable to get our breath, unable to control our bladders, unable to stop our laughter and unable to plead for mercy.

Who would have ever thought that a good Christian Baptist woman could ever have something like that in her freezer next to the pop up rolls and sausage! We coulda died that day, killed by a laughter that was much too big for us to hold!

People who hate God always focus their attention on His People and His Things. To hate God requires a person to actively participate in attempting to lessen His Things. Those who hate God the most, are those who love themselves the most. It is a person’s false belief that they and their things are greater than the LORD GOD and His Things, which lead them to their hatred.

People who hate God want harm to come to His People and His Things. Their greatest pleasure is seeing a faithful and professing Christian fall down with public ridicule. Their daily focus is directed toward the disparagement and condemnation of those who would call themselves Christians. They persecute and malign followers of Christ, and gain a certain degree of worldly power with their actions that falsely convince them that they are more powerful than His People.

They often try to place Christians in their quagmire dramas, to cripple and restrain works by Him. At the same time, God haters work diligently at destroying the credibility and truth of a Christian, and will use lies and manipulations to accomplish their goal.

When God haters take their hatred to their graves, they are promised a very harsh punishment in the Day of Judgment. Sometimes God haters are given chances in their life to redeem their sins against Him, through the acceptance and following of Jesus Christ. Usually, the offer is rejected.

The hatred of those who hate God, are more potent than the love they have for anyone other than themselves. If one of their loved ones betrays them by loving the LORD God, that person will face their ridicule and rejection which will eventually lead to direct and purposeful persecution at their hands.

God haters are vain just as Lucifer admired his beauty and perfection to be above God in his delusion. Everything God haters do in this life is for nothing. Their works in this world are dead. Their lives are pathetically lived with the self-focus of perfectness reflected in the mirror, but absolute wickedness reflected in their ways. They are vulgar, worldly and ugly.

Christians who have contact with God haters must separate themselves from their presence. You cannot save a God hater, and you cannot bring a God hater to Christ. If there is hope of salvation for the God hater, then it comes at the active moving and grace of the LORD God, and not in your hands at all. Certainly, a new Christian without a solid foundation of Jesus Christ formed, will never be used to directly bring God haters to Christ. The LORD God would never jeopardize one of His new Children for such a difficult task of witness to the infidels in the world.

Leave the God haters to their wicked ways of living. It is vital that Christians separate from their presence, if they are to walk the straight and narrow path of Jesus Christ. To be in the presence of a hater of God, dirties your soul with the wicked things that hatred brings. More importantly, to allow the hatred of God, His People and His Things to be actively expressed in a Christian’s presence, causes the holy temple of the living God to be polluted with the wickedness of that hatred, and lessens the ability to complete His
Works as He Wills.

IF YOU DENY CHRIST because a gun is pointed at you or at your loved ones, or to remove yourself from a fiery death, or to gain your release from kidnappers, or to stop persecution, or to gain advantage, or to survive in order to live another day (it really doesn’t matter the excuse) you are still guilty of denying Jesus Christ!

The Palestinian kidnappers of Fox Journalists (years ago) held a gun to their heads and told them to read a prepared statement that announced to the world that they had converted to Islam. They
complied, then after their release announced that they did not mean what they read.

End Times Christians do not have that freedom! There comes a time when every Christian must stand up strongly and faithfully declare their allegiance to Jesus Christ. In these times, it is crucial to stand firm, regardless of the threats made to you.

The world considers the reading of the kidnapper’s letters as mere propaganda; to the Christians who are forced to read that trash, it is something more. It is the denial of their allegiance to their King. Certainly, many would argue that to survive is the important thing, for if they were dead, their witness to Jesus Christ could not continue. But in reality, a Christian’s witness to Jesus Christ is destroyed the first time He is denied. From that moment of denial, the word a Christian speaks is of no consequence. If a Christian cannot stand tall in conflict, then his faith is pretend. It is a Christian’s strong stance in times of danger to himself or his family that is the powerful witness of the One they serve and love.

It’s scary times, I know, and to imagine yourself or loved ones in this situation is sickening and terrifying. We can hope that each of us survives these end days intact, without being placed in the threat of death or persecution for our belief. The Word of God, and reality, tells us that most of us will in fact be placed in very difficult and scary positions in order to break our testimony for Jesus Christ.

It is the testimony of the martyrs and saints that spread Christianity throughout the world. It is the blood of those who stood strong in faith in Jesus Christ, and announced to the witnesses that He is King and Savior above all! It was the burning saints that looked to the Heaven for redemption, rather than the world for salvation, who cried out to their Lord in faith as they burned, rather than remove themselves from fiery death through denial of the One they loved.

When your time comes, and you are faced with that terrible choice of saving your life, reputation, family, possessions or freedom through the denial of your walk with Jesus Christ, or going to your death and facing persecution for your belief:

Shout loudly to your Savior so all can hear…

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO MY LAMB! WITH ALL MY STRENGTH, WITH ALL I AM!

Then ready yourself for your glorious reward! Any day is a good day to die, when you can go with your faith in Jesus Christ being proclaimed to the world!

One of the coolest things for a Christian to witness is when the forces and agents against the LORD God are moved by Him in preparation for His Works to be completed.

The righteous people of the LORD God carry out the works that the LORD God Wills, but often those works cannot be accomplished until the conditions and times are just right. The knowledge of the timing of the works of the LORD God is essential for Christians. It is this timing that allows for the preparation of all of the players and actions to come together to ensure the success of the Works for Him.

This preparation is exemplified in the story of Esther (Book of Esther). She was advised by her father that the Jews were being persecuted and threatened with death by the wicked Haman, and she was in a perfect position to stop it.

Esther was married to King Ahasuerus, and he loved her above all others, and had made her Queen. Still, there was protocol to follow, and just to enter into his presence without being summoned risk a death sentence to her. Esther had to make her husband aware of
the wicked acts of his chief Prince Haman, and his threats against the LORD God’s people, but to blurt it out in the wrong time would result in her own death, and the empowerment of the Prince.

Esther began the process of doing a great work for the LORD God and saving His People, by letting Him know of her efforts, and her relinquishment of control to His timing.

1. She asked the Jews to fast and pray. Her father, Mordecai, led the Jews to accomplish the fast and bring God’s attention to the movement to protect both himself from the gallows, and the destruction of God’s People.

2. She went to her husband and arranged a great feast for the next two days, to be attended by only her, King Ahasuerus and the wicked prince Haman.

Then the timing of God and his preparation of the players begin:

1. Ahasuerus was prepared by God to receive the distressing information and understand the deep implications by causing his sleep to be disrupted. Because he was unable to sleep, he commanded the book of records to be brought before him and read. Within those records, was the report of Mordecai’s loyalty and great actions to honor and protect the King. Ahasuerus’s heart was moved to reward Mordecai’s service.

2. The wicked prince Haman was prepared by God to pronounce the reward to be given to Mordecai by allowing Haman to think that that the King was preparing to reward him instead. Haman mistakenly assumed that the King was asking what reward should be given him, when in fact Ahasuerus was preparing to reward Mordecai. Haman recommended that the man in the King’s favor be given glory and authority, and he excitedly prepared to receive those honors.

3. The faithful servant of God, Mordecai, was prepared by Him to receive the promotion to prince, and to lead and protect His people, when the timing of God caused the works of Him to be completed at the hands of Esther.

All the while, Esther waited, until the LORD God had made the preparations for His Works to be carried out in His time. She prepared the banquet, the King prepared to sleep, Haman prepared to be honored, and Mordacai prepared his people. In God’s time, Mordacai was made prince, and Haman was hung in the gallows that he had ordered to be prepared for Mordacai.

Today, I wait in anticipation of a great work of the LORD God’s to be completed, and the restoration of the integrity and honor of one of His people. I have witnessed His preparing many people, some righteous and some wicked, to bring His Work together in a platform that will eventually lead to one of His Works being done. And when I grow impatient for this holy and just act to be completed, I remind myself of the story of Esther, and how critical it is that we allow the timing of the LORD God to move at His Will. It’s a matter of time, His time, that is going to make the difference, and bring the most glory to His Ways!

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. (Hebrews 6:1-3 AV)

1. The Foundation of Jesus Christ must be laid first. This foundation consists of receiving knowledge and understanding of six things according to Hebrews 6:1-3:

(1) Sin
(2) Faith
(3) Water Baptism
(4) Holy Spirit
(5) Resurrection
(6) Judgment

2. Once the foundation of the doctrine of Christ is laid, a student must go on to learning new things of the LORD GOD according to His Grace and Will. No student can grow to perfection, by repeatedly learning the six principles of the doctrine of Christ.
Focusing over and over and over on the six things contained within the Foundation of Jesus Christ, prevents a Christian from growing to the place that the LORD God Wills.

Many Christians become so focused on these six things, that their spiritual growth stops at that very place. I am sure you all have witnessed, and maybe even experienced this same problem:

(1) Sin Focus – When a Christian keeps dwelling on the sins of themselves and the sins of others. Usually this results in condemnation, exclusion, focus on sin, or backsliding.

(2) Faith Focus – When a Christian has a spiritual focus on his faith as an excuse to avoid the study of God’s Word. This results in a Christian that is ineffective at evangelism, makes him susceptible to becoming confused and tricked into cults and being led by false
teachers, and confuses young Christians with loose interpretations based on feelings rather than the Word of God.

(3) Water Baptism Focus – When a Christian focuses over and over on water baptism, they lose the big picture of God’s Grace that allows salvation of a sinner. This results in a Christian leading many astray by bringing people to the waters for redemption and making them feel that their act protected them from damnation. In the midst of it all, the message of free and undeserved gift of the LORD God to give us salvation through His Grace is lost, which eventually leads to confusion among Christians between the differences of faith and works.

(4) Holy Spirit Focus – When a Christian focuses on the feelings of love, joy, peace, strength and all of the other emotions felt when the Holy Spirit is moving, and rejects the day to day walk with Christ in faith. This results in a spiritual being that relies on emotion and feelings, rather than then faithful belief in Jesus Christ and the study of Word of God.

(5) Resurrection Focus – When a Christian focuses on his resurrection to heaven. This results in a Christian that becomes so caught up with his future reward, that he forgets to accomplish the Works that the LORD God has for Him to do while he is alive.

(6) Judgment Focus – When a Christian focuses excessively on the coming Judgment by Jesus Christ and the approaching Last Days. This results in apathy, fear, exclusion, separation, self focus, and a loss of credibility.

Most faithful Christians can barely wait for the Last Days to be completed, and a New World governed by our Lord Jesus Christ to be established. It’s an exciting time to be alive. But there is so much work for the LORD God to do and so few workers to do it. A Christian doing the works of God doesn’t have time to focus on the ever afters right now!

Let’s move on into perfection! When we have established our beliefs and our spiritual beings on the Foundation of Jesus Christ, then lets get going on learning the new and wonderful revelations that the LORD God Wills for us to know. Let’s stop this focus on the things we know well about our faith, and push that envelope to a place where we can become PERFECT for our King and our God!

It’s simple math:

A person that lives to be 70 years old will spend:

23 years 7 months Sleeping (8 hrs a night x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days /12 mos)

1 year 3 months Bathing (3 hrs a week x 52 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos)

3 years 0 months Bathroom (1 hr a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos)

4 years 4 months Eating (2 hr a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos )

4 years 4 months Food prep or seeking (2 hr a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos)

23 years 7 months Work or school (8 hrs a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos)

4 years 4 months TV watching and Gaming (2 hrs a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos )

4 years 4 months Travel (2 hrs a day x 365 x 70 / 24 hrs / 30 days / 12 mos)

A basic life, lived 70 years without vacations, family times, sports, or hobbies spends about 68 years and 7 months just surviving.

When a 70 year old Christian faces Jesus Christ on their Judgment Day, if they have not been prudent with their time of life, they will be testifying about the works of the LORD God they did in this life for only 1 year and three months.

If that 70 year old has been faithful to the LORD God’s Word, and taken one day out for Holy Sabbath every seventh day, then he has 10 years and 1 month that he can present to the Jesus Christ as evidence of focusing on the things for the Kingdom of God.

If that 70 year old Christian has allowed the Will of God to work through them and complete the works He has directed, the works are brought to the throne of Jesus Christ, and weighed for reward. It is time, and a matter of weighing the results that are created through the use of that time that matter.

Christians must dedicate every free moment of time to do the Things of the LORD God. That is His Will, and that product of our dedication is what we will be presenting before Jesus on the day He asks for an accounting on our works that bring Glory to His Father during our lifetime on earth.

As we enter into these last days, it is essential that we focus on the leadership development of those people chosen by the LORD God to assume those positions. Leaders of God are not chosen by vote nor volunteer. Leaders of God are made by Him, and given the wisdom and skill necessary to complete the tasks at His Will.

Unfortunately, most congregations today are focused on developing the fellowship and finances, and fail to recognize the critical need to uphold the leaders. If we fail to help develop their
presence and practice of our leaders chosen by God, then we are going to be in trouble in the days to come, as world forces continue their move against the Christian Faithful. It is vital that we bring our Christian leaders to their full potential, able to use the wisdom that God grants them in the spiritual things, as well as the ability to protect their position among the natural things.

I wish it “were the good old days” where there was a common separation between natural life things and spiritual things. It was pretty easy back then to realize when you were crossing the line, or wallowing too much in the pleasures of the world; you could wash
yourself up, and go into the presence of your spiritual congregation of believers, and get right back on track.

When I was just a young Christian, there was a big “Jesus Movement”. The movement brought converts closer to Jesus by speaking of Rapture and the Tribulation to come. It caused many of my age group of young people to rush to Him for comfort. And it caused just about as many to rush away even quicker when days passed, and nothing happened.

In the meantime, I remember thinking hard about the techniques that Satan might use against me in end times in attempt to remove my allegiance from my Jesus. I practiced in my imagination rejecting the millions of dollars, fame, and the power that he might offer me to denounce my Christian faith. At many junctures in my life, when money and power would temptingly come my way, it was easy to reject in the name of the LORD God, because I
could recognize the wickedness behind the offers. I was thankful that I had prepared early, because that was the common way Satan used to grab people.

Times have changed though, and the End is nearing. Satan is getting his armies in order, and is increasing his attempts at snaring both the young and older Christians. But, this is important: He has changed his focus. He is going after the mature and older Christians and applying tremendous pressure to them, in hopes that if they fall, many of the younger Christians will be dragged down with them.

The technique the devil is using to tempt Christian leaders is not the promises of riches or power. He’s plucking away at
family members, removing one after another after another. He’s causing Christian leaders to be put into positions that give the appearance of evil when they hold strong to their Christian beliefs. He’s not using the techniques of promises to riches and power against them. Instead, the devil is using rejection, exclusion, ridicule, anger, mistrust, and emotional blackmail to force their giving up of their commitment to the Faithful.

Yesterday, I might have encouraged each of us to focus our complete attentions on the young Christians, to offer them protection, guidance, hope and a model for spiritual life
that they can follow in these tough times. Today, I have changed my focus; young Christians are important, and we need to do
all of those things. However, we MUST FOCUS our attention on upholding the mature, the strong, the leaders, the shakers and the movers in our Christian family. If a Christian Leader falls, they potentially can take many, many, many young Christians with them, to Satan’s great delight.

The strong Christians leaders must uphold each other, joining together in strong congregation, focused on the Word of God, and upholding the principles and patterns that He has set forth. Once the strong Christians have come together and united, the
young Christians have a better place to give more of them selves to our Christ.

Times are going to get rough in the coming days. We must stand together in allegiance to Christ, and uphold the leaders that the LORD God has placed in our presence, by helping to develop the wisdom, skill, responsibilities, and character that have been given
to them by God. Leadership development works really well in the ways of the world and it will work even better with the ways of Christ’s Leadership. We just have to focus our attention and efforts with our commitment, prayers, and moving with the precious Holy Spirit together.

It’s no secret to any of my close spiritual friends, nor even some of my distant Christian brothers and sisters. I have difficulty with prayer. Prayer to me is the most sacred of conversations with the LORD God and Jesus Christ that I can have. So when I begin my prayer, I start sharing the words on my heart, when suddenly I start canceling the words out and stopping them short, because they sound vain and unworthy for my Holy LORD God and Savior Jesus Christ’s ears.

I am a “stutterer” in prayer. It is a difficulty I have had all of my spiritual life. It is my complete reverence for my God and my King that renders me dumb. The more closely I walk the walk of Jesus, the more I draw close to the LORD God and complete the works He Wills me to do, the more difficult prayer becomes to me.

Oh, there are moments when prayer is natural and forthcoming from my lips. When I find those special moments when I am moved by the Holy Spirit to places outside of myself in worship, or when I have exceeding sorrow, or uncontrollable joy, then my soul shouts and sings the words of God that my lips would never be able to speak. It never happens in public, and it never happens when planned….those periods of soul prayer happen naturally, but not as often as my heart desires.

“Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision [is] for [many] days. 15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16 And, behold, [one] like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. 18 Then there came again and touched me [one] like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, 19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace [be] unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. 20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and [there is] none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.” (Daniel 10:14-21 AV)

My soul focuses on three points…

(1) Daniel was rendered dumb from the experience of the vision

(2) Jesus Christ touched Daniel’s lips, which caused him to open his mouth and speak

(3) The words that Daniel wanted to speak required strength to be given to Him by Christ, before he could even utter the supernatural words. Words not normal, but words given to him by Christ to speak in His strength.

I suddenly saw a flicker of light pass through my understanding:

JESUS GAVE DANIEL THE WORDS TO SPEAK AND THE STRENGTHENING OF HIS SOUL SO HE COULD SPEAK THEM!

It’s not my words to be focused in prayer, but the words given to me to speak by my Jesus that creates that deep communication with the LORD God.

My destination of understanding prayer is not complete yet; the journey will be steady and challenging and progress at the pace that God Wills. But I thought that maybe there is another stutterer out there who might receive some new understanding from my journey.

So I wrote it rather than trying to say it!