It is illegal in the Kingdom to be born again and yet carry on with the carnal mind. We will not be able to grow in intimacy with God if we are continually mixing the ‘old man’ with the ‘new man’. The ‘old man’ is suppose to be dead. The ‘old man’ is limited because it is fuelled by human nature. The ‘new man’ has no limitations because he is fuelled by the living Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Jasmin Frank
hope
The Church And The COVID-19 Problem.
“Through the use of her weapons of prayer and faith, she holds in this present moment the balance of power in world affairs…the Church is the mightiest force for civilization and enlightened social consciousness in the world today.”
Paul E. Billheimer
“The line between national decency and a decent into fear and hatred is, and always will be, razor thin. Any nation that assumes it is too righteous to fall into these same sins will risk making the mistakes that Germany did in the 1930s.
–John Hendrix
The Church should “continually ask the state whether its action can be justified.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
During the last nine months multiple global events have transpired that humanity has not seen the likes of since the 1930s.
In 1933 a man came into power in Germany by the name of Adolf Hitler. He used the disarray and desperation of the German people to capture the hearts and hopes of the nation so he could take complete control over the country.
In the late 1920s, Adolf Hitler spent years spreading his ideas and furthering his political position by using propaganda and force. He slowly wore down the powers of Germany and became chancellor, which was a position second only to the president of Germany.
He used a crises which was later revealed to be entirely orchestrated by himself and his Nazi party.
There was a large fire started that burned down the German parliament in February, 1933. Hitler blamed this on the Communists and stated that it was started in their attempt to take over Germany. He convinced the then prime minister of Germany, Paul Von Hindenburg to suspend sections of the German constitution. The “Reich President’s Edict for Protection of People and State” removed all civil liberties from the people of Germany. This included the rights of free speech, freedom to assemble, and free press, among others.
Hitler used the fear of communism as a way to remove the individual rights of each German citizen.
We are seeing the same tactics being used today. Since March of last year, the media has been fuelling fear in society with the narrative of a deadly virus.
Society has been left vulnerable while they have focused on their “safety.”
Instead of the guise of communism overtaking the government, the Canadian politicians, health officials and media (as well those all over the world) are using the guise of a “health crisis” to take away our Charter Rights and Freedoms.
They are using the fear of COVID-19 as a way to remove the individual rights of each Canadian citizen.
This is not the only similarity we are seeing in Canada to Hitler’s grand schemes. When Hitler took power he began propaganda in order to control the people of Germany.
CTV reported four weeks ago that the Canadian military has for sometime been operating a propaganda arm of the military. They have admitted to releasing false information to Canadians to see how they would react to false news.
This is Canada!
After nine months of this “pandemic” the truth of COVID-19 is coming to light. We have seen that the news media have been giving misleading numbers and that much of what the general public has been told cannot be trusted.
The last number of weeks, the Alberta government released some of the specifics behind the COVID numbers. What the data states is only 11 people in Alberta without pre-existing conditions have died from the virus. The rest of those who have passed had heart disease, diabetes, AIDS, Cancer etc.
They also released that 88% of all COVID deaths in Alberta were people with high blood pressure.
This places a great deal of doubt on the cause of these individuals passing. Did they die as a result of COVID- 19 or as a result of these underlying conditions?
The BC government admitted that all but two deaths relating to COVID-19 were in longterm care facilities. Again, this shows that the general population has very little to fear from this virus. This also shows that the government has not done an adequate job of protecting the vulnerable in these facilities. It is strange we do not hear any ideas or plan to better protect those in long term care facilities. This along with Bill C-7 shows that the Canadian government cares little for the elderly and is not concerned with the amount of deaths we are seeing in the older age bracket.
They would rather piggy-back off these tragic deaths to gain control of the general population. They have segregated this community, isolated them from their loved ones and now they are dying at an exacerbated rate.
The data regarding all of Canada shows that less than 200 people have died outside of longterm care facilities. This shows that the majority of COVID-19 deaths are attributed to the very elderly and infirm.
The CDC in the United States just released new data stating that six per cent of deaths recorded passed solely from COVID-19. The other 94 per cent died with the COVID- 19 virus strain in their systems and had two to six other serious illnesses contributing to their deaths. Most were at advanced age (74 and up) and others died of suicide, stabbing, head trauma etc but were certificated as having the COVID-19 virus in their systems postmortem.
This data shows that the government’s reaction to COVID-19 is unwarranted.
Furthermore, there have been reports of false tests, and people who were never even tested getting positive results. These reports have also become more and more rampant.
The test used to detect COVID-19, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test has been proven to be inadequate to detect COVID cases. The inventor of the test himself, Kary Mullis said it was never meant to be used to diagnose.
He stated , “PCR tests cannot detect free infectious viruses at all,”
The fact that COVID-19 has yet to be isolated in a lab makes it even more concerning that most of the world is using PCR tests to verify COVID.
The PCR test picks up everything from the common cold to the flu which is another reason we have seen a spike in COVID cases but an all time low in flu cases this time of year.
The measures of mask wearing have also been debunked by a large body of reputable scientists.
The scientific evidence says that the wearing non-surgical cloth masks makes you 13-times more likely to get sick because you are breathing in your own toxins.
The World Health Organization even stated that “masks carry uncertainties and critical risk including risk of self-contamination.”
To those who are vulnerable, mask wearing is even more dangerous as they have a higher chance of infection.
For most people they think wearing a mask in the stores is no big deal. However, in Nazi Germany, Hitler made a certain population wear a yellow star on their arms.
Do you imagine anyone being forced to wear that star said, “No big deal it is just a piece of fabric.”?
If you know your history you know why they had to where that star. Hitler had a plan and it included step by step manipulation and control. From a small scale, to a greater and greater scale.
Once the general population was used to seeing the yellow stars he moved those same people who wore the stars into ghettos. He cut them off from the rest of society. After that he moved them into death camps.
We hear this as history but we are seeing the beginning of the same actions being done here in Canada. Once the general masses are compliant with wearing masks the governments will push further. Restrict every citizens freedom even further. The masks are just a starting point. Once people have accepted mandatory mask restrictions without even a shrug the government will push the envelope even further by implementing more restrictive and evasive measures upon society.
We have heard in the news there will be a vaccine ready in the next few months. Science tells us it takes 7 to 10 years to safely develop and produce a vaccine. Nine months is not close to seven years.
(I won’t go into all the details here about the how and why this vaccine is being released so early.
There are a couple logical conclusions to why this may be. Feel free to send us an email regarding this as well as to request the vast amount of research I am referring to in this message. I have included relevant links at the bottom of the essay.)
Why do we need a vaccine if the survival rate of COVID-19 is 99.8 percent?
The details surrounding the roll out of this vaccine gets even more concerning for the general public.
I do not share these details lightly.I am writing this after nine months of study and prayer and with a deep conviction. I am writing to Christ’s Church first and foremost and secondly to anyone with logical thinking who are seeking truth in these days.
I feel a deep conviction to shed light upon what is evident to me and many others who have had their eyes opened to the reality of what has been set before us.
The reports that are being released is that, those who refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine will be cut off from society, not unlike the Jews in Nazi Germany.
For those who refuse this potential dangerous vaccine the threat is that we will not be able to work, or shop. That we will not be free to do much of anything involving people. Travel, socialize, take our kids to the zoo or museum, etc.
If these plans go through without the public’s refusal and condemnation of these dehumanizing policies, the results will be devastating.
I am not saying these things will happen. I am saying the writing is on the wall and judging by history it is not looking good.
No government who has removed the people’s basic freedoms has ever willingly given them back. The various arms of Government in Canada and other world powers said we would be shut down for three weeks. It’s been nine months and the Canadian governments have just rolled out more restrictions.
There is a very good chance that we will be facing some hard times.
The current events get even more concerning. As we saw in the news a few weeks ago, the city of Calgary is partial defunding the local police. This trend of defunding is happening all over the world.
Most of us have heard in the news two weeks ago about the federal government’s plan for the great “reset.”This plan is being supported and coordinated by multiple global players.
Everything is pointing to the same conclusion.
Some really sinister plans are unfolding. They have been conducted in sequence and in order to have the least amount of resistance from the general public.
The governments of the world using the politicizing of the BLM movement are posing to continue the defunding of the police. As a replacement they will bring in the military to enforce these new measures of control and seizure.
The measures have already begun as many provincial governments have announced that they will be using the military to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
There were similar shifts of militarization in 1930s Germany with Hitler’s storm troopers, the Germany military and the Gestapo.
What the worry here in Canada is and what many people in government have alluded to is that after a large portion of us have been cut off from society the next plan is to move those who refuse the vaccine into camps.
Seize all their property and move them into camps just like Hitler did to the Jews during his dictatorship.
This is where things are heading if something does not change. We cannot know the future with absolute certainty, however, these or similar things are may happen if something does not interrupt the current trends.
Our rights and freedoms are being chipped away and the majority of our society is going along with it.
Now many provincial governments have effectively canceled Christmas. What is the best way to control the population? To separated them from their support systems: their loved ones and friends, to isolate people and demoralize them so they are reliant on the government and not one another. Christmas is the one time each year that everything is closed and families get together to celebrate the birth of Jesus and connect with family.
This is a huge strategic step in the overall plan.
History shows us that when governments begin taking away their citizens rights and freedoms there is only a small window in which the people can peacefully assemble, refuse tyranny and keep the government accountable. Once the propaganda and early restrictions are imposed and the people go along with it, the government gains a foothold which historically is not released until a full on revolt or civil war is started.
This is why it is imperative that we see the signs of the times and take advantage of this small window of opportunity that is quickly closing.
How do we as the Church react?
What do we choose to do?
How is the Church to conduct her self with this present state of affairs?
I have been seeking the Holy Spirit about this for many months!
What is the role of the church regarding the COVID-19 problem?
This week I felt a great deal of clarity, peace and also a release to start sharing.
I think about the Second World War and how most of the Church in Germany accepted Hitler. How many who did disagree didn’t speak up because of fear.
I heard a story of a church which was near the train tracks where cars of Jewish people were being transported to the concentration camps.
The people in the church would hear the cries of those who were suffering in the box cars and they would sing louder to drown out the Jewish peoples screams.
We cannot sing louder when the cries of injustice start to scream.
“To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend these things are not happening.
This is just the beginning. Things will get worse before they get better.
We need to be prepared as a Church!
“If we want to be Christians, we must have some share in Christ’s large-heartedness by acting with responsibility and in freedom when the moment of danger comes. . . mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behaviour.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What the Holy Spirt has said to me is we need to get in front of this.
How do we do that?
First we cannot give into fear. Despite how dark things seems to be, we have no reason to fear.
“The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” -1 John 4:4
We have no reason to fear.
Satan has his strategies and he will do anything he can to implement them but he is a defeated enemy.
He has lies and deceit.
Jesus is the truth and the light and all the enemies lies will one day be exposed.
We know the end of the story. Jesus wins! He returns in bodily form just as He left.
Jesus has greater plans and strategies than those used by Satan and Jesus wants to use His Church for His kingdom plans.
We who are part of the Church need to ask Him how we are to walk out His kingdom plans in our lives regarding world affairs and then be faithful to His call and know the power of heaven is behind you.
Let us remember that Satan is behind these schemes. We cannot afford to make this about the people around us.
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.“- Ephesians 6:12
These ideologies go beyond one person!
Hitler himself was influenced by Charles Darwin and Charles Darwin was influenced by his grandfather Erasmus Darwin who along with other leaders of society signed the humanist manifesto. The purpose being, to get God out of every avenue of society.
After the Second World War, the same scientists who created the gas chambers went on to use some of the same compounds and chemicals to develop the morning after pill. Margret Sanger who created Planned Parenthood was greatly influenced by Adolf Hitler and she saw abortion as a way to eradicate the “lesser races”.
This selfishness, evil, self-worship and desire to control others is the essence of the first sin which was the attempt to be like God.
All of this is from the evil one. We fight against the lies and the false ideologies of this world, not against people.
I hate wearing the mask. Even more so, because it is a tool used to control and manipulate the masses.
Jesus loves that person. He died for that person!
We need to remember that.
We need to love those around us.
The governments of the world are manipulating people. Well intentioned people are following these “restrictions” thinking they are helping “flatten the curve” that they are saving lives, that they are not spreading COVID-19 to others. These people’s efforts and care for those around them are being used to enslave themselves and others. Those who have died “labeled” COVID-19 deaths have been used to further this underlying agenda.
I love those around me. I am not going to yell or argue with someone working in a store who is just trying to do their job by asking me to put a mask on. I will tell them politely that I am mask exempt. If that is not accepted I will quietly leave. However, I will not compromise my convictions nor my health to appease people. I will not contribute to the degradation of society by wearing a mask.
We have to tell others the truth out of love and not out of anger about the ideologies that they have been fed.
Then what do we do?
These huge global movements seem so overwhelming.
First we need to be informed. Maybe you have never heard the facts I have been sharing. Maybe it is all new to you.
Remember, all the information in the world will do you no good if you do not go to Christ to show you the truth behind the data.
How can we watch the news and not engage?
We need to engage with Christ!
Not engage with human reasoning but engage with the reasoning of the Holy Spirit.
We need to pray for our eyes to be opened to the enemy’s plans.
We need to ask the Father for discernment.
Then we need to speak up.
“First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out- Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Martin Niemoller
How do we use the information that we have gathered?
We have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada. Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Association, Freedom of Religion, of conscience, of belief. All of which are being trampled upon under the guise of health and safety.
The facts are clear. What the public health officials are telling us are not scientifically verifiable, nor do they represent the consensus of the health experts at large.
The public health officials are not the experts. The experts disagree with public health.
The public health officials get their pay cheques from the government, which are influenced by the mass media. It’s not to their advantage to listen to the proper science or to the experts. They actually are guilty of suppressing the truth.
It is reasonable to state our rights and freedoms just like Paul stated his roman citizenship. It’s within our rights to civilly disobey unjust and amoral rules and regulations. The restrictions are not laws and to subvert our rights and freedoms they need ample cause. It’s not a health emergency just because they stand up and say it is. They need proof. Which they have yet to provide. Nothing has been passed in the legislature or the parliament. We have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to stand upon for this very reason. We must stand upon them in times of wayward government regulations and restrictions. What the governments of Canada is doing is illegal and against our rights as Canadian citizens.
We need to ask the Holy Spirit where, and when we are to speak up and share the truth of what is going on in society. We need to ask the Holy Spirit where to take our stand.
“Who stands fast? Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principals, his conscience, his freedoms, or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith … and in exclusive allegiance to God…where are these people?”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Church throughout the history of the world have been the leaders in every natural disaster, every social plight, speaking up regarding every corruption of society and injustice. The Church has lead all mankind forward by the guidance of Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
Matthew 5:14 says “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”
We have the truth that the world needs. Jesus Christ is not surprised by what is going on and we don’t need to be either.
We are not behind the times. We as the Church have a prophetic voice to the nations and to the world.
Whether society wants to admit it or not, no where else will they find the answers they seek.
“The ultimate question for a responsible man to ask is not how he is to extricate himself heroically from the affair, but how the coming generation is going to live.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We as the Church cannot afford to sit in the shadows waiting for this “COVID Crisis” to pass. We need to rise up.
You see in scripture, the prophets rose up in the darkest of days prophetically proclaiming the coming days. Prophetical speaking about the deeper realities that they were facing in society.
They were shunned and despised, chased down and murdered. However, the Spirit of God could not be quenched. And it will not be quenched now. The Spirit of God burns on through His Church.
We are seeing a new season of prophecy unfolding in these trying times.
We saw an increase of miracles and healing the last decade. The increase of the miraculous will not stop. Along side the growing momentum of the miraculous, we are now seeing the spirit of prophecy increasing. It will continue to increase until Christ returns.
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up and proclaimed this prophecy in Acts 2:16-21
“No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’”
We have been living in the end-times since Christ ascended into heaven. This passage expresses the increase of the Spirit’s activity as the end of the age draws to a close and all history will be rolled back like a scroll.
Satan is pushing his agenda and so the Holy Spirit pushes back with an increase of power, influence and truth.
We see the lies that are inundating our society. The Holy Spirit is proactively activating Christ’s Church with the Spirit of Prophecy. We see deeper words being spoken, we see spot-on accuracy with prophetic words increasing. We see servants of Christ cutting through the lies with words of truth.
Discernment will increase with the remnant that is the true Church. They will see with spiritual eyes to cut through the lies like a hot knife through butter. Their words will penetrate hearts and will open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind who will come to know Jesus as a result.
With a prophetic voice the Church will be given the wisdom and discernment to apply the gospel to what is going on in this nation and around the world.
We will have the prophetic insight on how to be proactive not reactive.
The world sees what they are being told to see/ Through the Holy Spirit we can see the unknown realm of the Spiritual battles that are going on behind the scenes.
2 Kings 6:15-18 conveys the reality of open eyes to spiritual realities. When the city of Dothan was surrounded by enemy forces:
“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
Jesus, open our eyes to see the truth behind the curtain. Take the scales off our eyes to see the spiritual realities around us. Give us discernment, wisdom and piercing truth.
I proclaim every eye and ear be opened in your Global Church to be in complete unity with the work you wish to accomplish through us. In Jesus name!
I do not know how this all will end but I know how to read the signs of the times through discernment given by the Holy Spirit.
I do not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future.
I cannot accomplish anything on my own. The Church was never designed to function with a lone wolf mentality.
We cannot do this alone nor are we suppose to.
We must be united!
I can seek Christ on my knees and He will guide me. However, if the Church seeks Him on their knees together the nations will tremble and yield to the rushing wind of the Spirit’s power. All heaven will be moved by a Church united and deployed against the enemy of our souls and his demonic ideologies.
Matthew 10:34 says,”Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.”
The Church formed in fire is the church that stands through the storm.
We have yet to be tested! Not tested in the ways scripture indicates we will be.
Hebrew 10:25: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
The Bible was not written to a single person but always to the Church as a whole. We must seek Christ together!
“The Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.”(Matthew 11:12)
The number one thing we must do is seek Jesus on our knees. More then reading, more then researching, more than talking. We must be face down before the Lord in prayer. Seeking the Lord as a community.
We don’t have all the answers but He does!
History repeats it self. Nations, kingdoms, governments go to ruin and fall. Christ remains the same!
Jesus is the same, Yesterday, today and forever.
Let us remember that and ask Him for guidance as we go forward in the midst of the COVID-19 propaganda, repression and hate crimes which we see being afflicted upon society.
If you are reading this and do not have an intimate, functional relationship with Jesus Christ, if your heart was stirred by the spiritual truths that we have been expressing in this paper, if you long to know what this Christian life is all about, then you need to come into relationship with Jesus Christ. He loves you and has a purpose for your life!
Know that Jesus came as God to earth in the form and appearance of man. Fully God and fully man. He lived in perfect submission to the Father and then bled and died to break the power of sin and death. He died to free you, He died to bring you into right relationship with God. He rose again, vanquishing the power of death forever. And He is coming again! You can know Him and be free and be filled with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus was filled with. I invite you to enter into your true identity, your true purpose and be united with God through relationship with Jesus Christ!
Blessings in the name of the all powerful One, Jesus Christ!
“…whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
– Colossians 3:17
References to data presented and further reading:
– https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Em9NLPDXEAc5b8u?format=jpg&name=large
– https://youtu.be/l4O5CPs7c8I
–https://www.rt.com/op-ed/507937-covid-pcr-test-fail/
–https://www.jccf.ca/justice-centre-takes-alberta-to-court-to-end-lockdowns/
–https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-alberta-offers-even-more-data-on-covid-19-deaths
–https://www.globalresearch.ca/plain-truth-about-masks/5724961
–https://www.jccf.ca/court-to-hear-challenge-to-alberta-government-cancelling-christmas/
–https://www.bitchute.com/video/wOSeTz57xrCF/
–https://vaccinechoicecanada.com/in-the-news/vcc-invites-elected-to-consider-the-evidence/
–https://killingontario.com/letters/2020/10/14/dr-malthouse-to-dr-henry
–https://jbhandleyblog.com/home/lockdownlunacyfour
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpOzHHJmy7g
–https://tnc.news/2020/11/05/calgary-city-council-approves-motion-to-defund-calgary-police-services/
– https://therealtruthnetworkcom.wordpress.com/2020/10/20/trudeaus-great-reset/
Not Death, Life part 2: The World’s Grief
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals, whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours…our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feelings for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner- no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.” – C.S. Lewis
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13:
In the last post I spoke about the reality of life and death, that life is eternal and unending, that life has a beginning but no end, that the end of physical life is just the continuation into eternal life.
Because of this truth we know that we will meet our loved ones who have accepted Christ again, that they are included in the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews. They are safe with Christ, without pain and in everlasting peace.
Because of this hope as believers our duty and desire is to live full and extraordinary lives, trusting God and walking out the calling He has placed before us and upon us.
A large part of our calling is to impact our world for Christ, to influence this fallen world with the Gospel of Jesus, to offer the free gift of true life that is found in Christ Jesus.
I talked about the true life that is found through Jesus. However the majority of the world does not hold to this truth.
The World’s Perspective
The World, much like the Sadducees, cannot accept the truth of the resurrection nor understand the full scope of the life they have been given. The World does not see the truth because people are blind to it.
People only see the external reality which is present in the physical realm. To unbelievers, when the body is no longer functioning, the person is dead.
This is a limited view when we have the knowledge of all reality that is through Jesus Christ. What seems to be is not always the case. A lot more is going on behind the scenes.
Just because one doesn’t see the spiritual realm doesn’t mean that it does not exist. In fact the unseen realm is more real than the seen, in the sense that it is eternal. The natural world had a beginning and it will have an end.
Our senses are in tune with physical realities but often we miss the deep truths of the eternal reality. We look at the natural and fail to see the spiritual.
This is like seeing the one you love from a great distance away. You can recognize a silhouette and the figure of the familiar but you do not yet behold their full beauty and radiance until they stand before you.
Life can be pleasant for those who are only present to the fleshly realm but as they are confronted with physical death their limited sight and perception fail and they are unable to recognize the deeper truth of what life was designed to fulfill.
They then cannot find any peace, hope or contentment after they lose a loved one. For them it is a finite and permanent loss. They have no revelation of continued life after death. They have no reassurance that they will ever see those whom they have lost.
This can be a spiraling hole of depression and grief that many do not escape. Over the years I have wondered how people with no hope can continue on.
How can a mother who has lost her daughter find joy in the turmoil and loss?
How can a wife who has lost her husband get up every morning in the house they bought together, surrounded by the life they have built together and keep going?
I know some do not ever fully live again. The loss is to great and they crumble under the pressure. Some grow depressed and isolate themselves; many try to cover the pain with drugs and alcohol.
Some go into a deep denial and pretend that the person they lost never existed.You see this with some parents who have lost a young child, as they will remove every piece of evidence of their child’s existence and never speak of them. Or they do the opposite and pretend the child is still with them, keeping every detail of their child’s life the same, keeping their room like a museum and living as if their child is still in the physical world, cutting off other relationships in the process, never dealing with their grief.
Holy Spirit Calling
You will hear many things from those who are desperate to deal with the death of a loved one.
“They are an angel now, looking down on me.”
“They live on in my heart.”
“I know that their spirit is with me.”
These things are said, not only as an effort to find comfort but as a heart cry for more. As we discussed in the last post, life is not meant to end! It was created at the beginning and is to go on for eternity.
God made each person with a soul and spirit that is designed to be in everlasting relationship with Him.
When people say these things as quoted above, their souls are crying out for the truth that has been placed deep within them. What they are saying is not true, but the hearts behind those words are calling out for the truth!
All truth and hope is found through Jesus Christ!
Isaiah 40:6-8 says,
“A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
This is a prophesy of eternal life, of the restoration of all life, through Jesus Christ. Though sin and death came into the world and flesh dies, “The word of our God Stands forever.”
Jesus Christ is the Living Word, so through Him there is life forever.
As 1 Peter 1:23 states: “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”
The old view of death is what the World still holds as true. However, their hearts cry out for the eternal life that is found in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit is already working in their hearts, calling them to Jesus, calling sorrowing people to His healing hands, calling them to restoration and to eternal life, calling them from death to life!
Jesus spoke of this calling in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Our Job: What We Can Do
God has placed us here to minister to those around us. Though it seems like a daunting task, for what can we do or say to someone who has lost those they love so dearly?
Jesus stated in John 12:32:“And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
The Holy Spirit is already present in grief and Jesus is drawing everyone to Himself. On our own we can do nothing to help those hurting, but through Christ all things are possible.
The truth is, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit within us, and so we bring the presence of Jesus with us as we are with those hurting.
Matthew 5:13-15:“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Jesus told us we are the salt of the earth. We bring His flavour everywhere we go.
The most important thing we can do is be present with those hurting. To be there physically beside them in their hurt. To fill in the gap between death and life. For when we are physically present we bring the presence of the Holy Spirit, who brings life.
Jesus said we are the light of the world, This means when we are physically present in the darkness of death, we are actually bringing the light of Christ into the darkness.
If you have ever been to a funeral with those who do not hold to the truth of life offered through Jesus Christ, you know what I am talking about. The darkness and despair feels heavy and the air feels think and humid making it hard to breath. It as if the spirit of death penetrates the very air in the place.
As a believer you bring the light of Christ and the fresh breath of life of the Spirit.
John 7:37- 38: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
We have rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts! We must let them gush forward like a spring. Water grows stale unless it continually moves. We must allow this living water to flow forth. We must be present with those hurting and the love we show will be the flow of living water.
Matthew 12:43 says “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.”
The enemy needs dry arid places to flourish. He is the one of death and he wishes to bring more death. He would take possession of those who are mourning. He would like to keep the place of mourning dark and dry so He can work more death and despair.
We possess rivers of living water and the fire of the Holy Spirit! We can wet the ground of the funeral home with the Spirit of God, we can wet the ground of the house of mourning with Jesus Christ and bring life! If it is dry, a single spark of the Spirit will light the whole place on fire.
Hearts set on fire and soaked in the love of the Spirit! The devil will have no place there.
Do as scripture says, “Mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep.”(Romans 12:15)
By doing this we will soak those who mourn with living water! By doing this she took ground from the enemy. The enemy cannot reside in living water soaked ground!
We have great authority as believers! We may not feel like we can do much in these situations; we may feel small and insignificant. But this is not true! We cannot let our feelings get in the way of the truth. We have authority in these places to bring life!
Wherever we go, we bring life and we bring Christ!
“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
We are His ambassadors!
We feel we need to say all these things to those who are hurting and if we do not, we miss the opportunity.
This is not true. The most important thing is just to be present with them! Because we are His, because we bring His Spirit, because we have His love, we will make a difference.
Those who are lost and broken will recognize this light, they will feel encouraged and refreshed by our very presence. They will see the hope and love that is within us and desire to have it themselves.
When they ask about this hope we must be ready to give an answer. Then, when we do open our mouths to speak they will be words of life, peace, hope and comfort, for it says in 1 Peter 3:15,“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”
We must be ready to share where our spring of living water is found, in Jesus Christ. We will speak words “in due season.” We will speak the hope that is found through Jesus Christ!
We must be able to tell those who are hurting, “Jesus didn’t take your husband away: He gives only life, He does not take it.”
“Your daughter was not left alone when she died: Jesus was with her the whole time and He loves her deeply.”
We must let them know they are not alone in their sorrow and grief, that Jesus is close to the brokenhearted. After all the crowds of mourners dissipate and go home, He is still there! He loves them and wants to heal their broken hearts!
Our words have power, for we speak with the authority of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In many of the letters in the New Testament the apostles opened by saying, “Peace be with you.” This was not a mere greeting but a proclamation of peace. We speak peace, and peace will be present. We speak hope, and hope will be present. We say “strongholds be broken,” and they will be broken! We say, “Grief and darkness be gone from this place, and it will leave: in Jesus name!
Do Not Doubt. We Are The Hands and Feet of Christ.
When Lazarus died, scripture says Jesus wept. I do not believe He wept for Lazarus for He knew he was to be brought back to life. I believe He wept for the people for they still doubted Jesus and His power. They still did not see that He had the power to bring life nor did they have faith in Him.
We cannot afford to doubt Christ! We cannot afford to question the truth of the life He offers. We cannot afford to doubt the power He has placed in us through His Holy Spirit!
The Only Death in this World is the Death We As a Church Allow!
Life is here among us: the life is Jesus Christ within us. We must share it! We cannot hoard it. We cannot be ashamed of it, or be afraid to share it.
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)
We are the hands and feet of Christ! We are His flavour, the salt of the earth, We are the lights of the world, we have rivers of living water flowing through us. We are ambassadors of Christ and His kingdom.
His Kingdom come, His will be done. His will is that no man should perish. His will is that no one be left in the darkness of death and despair.
Rise up Church! Let us go forward and meet the darkness with light and flow forth with rivers of living water!
We cannot afford to stay at home while the world mourns. We have the answer they search so desperately for!
Everyone raise your hands up and pray for the healing hands of Christ.
Lord Jesus I pray you raise your Church to the calling you have put in our lives, that you will give us your healing hands. That whomever we touch, we will impart your healing, Lord. Let others feel the presence we bring. Let your Spirit burn within us and manifest in healing and with peace, joy and love. Let your sons and daughters arise and go to the desolate places and bring life. Let those who mourn be comforted. Let your hope of eternal life spread throughout the world and may every man and women we meet come into a true relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now, go out and grab a hold of the hand of those close to you and impart peace to those around you. Say, “Peace be with you”!
Let the peace of Jesus Christ be upon you and flow through you to this hurting world.
In Jesus name!
Obey
This sermon was spoken when my wife and I were leading a small church plant in Brandon MB. Presented March 24th 2012
On the subject of obedience.
“Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience will close the deal. You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. This will provide the conditions in which I will be able to do what I promised…”-Jeremiah 11:4-5
Dead 2 Myself Ministries 