How Misplaced Hope Blinds

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down–this leaning wall, this tottering fence? Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies.  With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Yes my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock , my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Psalm 62 NIV

We all have hoped for things that were just out of our reach or have blindly placed our hope in people, only to be disappointed, time and time again.

We are reminded in The Word, that our hope cannot reside in things or people, “some may trust in horses and chariots, but we shall trust in the name of our God.” Only when we trust in God, totally and completely can our hope attain its goal.

Therefore, once we understand that hoping in people is futile, we can see beyond the blinders and face reality. There is no hope for this country if we depend upon its current leadership to retain its position on the global stage. That knowledge was reinforced on 7/7/17 when we witnessed (some of us) a meeting between trump and Putin (the initial meeting and handshake), and then later learning that trump caved–being “honored to meet” the person who attacked our free and fair election process. Putin played trump like a finely tuned guitar–stroke, by stroke–arousing his ego to the point of blindness.

Anticipating trump’s reaction to this alleged, “first meeting,” I posted a thread on Twitter and pinned it so all who care to dispute what I said won’t have a problem finding what I said.

Body language says it all. With the initial greeting–the handshake and pat on the back (reassuring Putin that he–trump was being obedient) was telling for all who were observant. While trump sat anxiously awaiting their “time alone” Putin was relaxed and acknowledged–intentionally or unintentionally–their “finally personally meeting.” Now, some could say I was deliberately attempting to make something out of nothing, but from everything I’ve discovered about Putin–he understands the import and impact of words–they matter. He wanted the world to know and especially Russia to know–he and trump had been communicating for some time. In fact, I’ve concluded the entire meeting was choreographed by Putin so he could make sure that his wishes were being followed. We are in the throes of being absorbed by Russia and its autocracy since trump doesn’t have the balls or backbone to stand up to a tyrant. And it would appear that the GOP Congress is also missing balls and backbone to address the situation and to remove the traitor from the Oval Office.

Anyone hoping trump will become “presidential” is blinded by their refusal to see the reality playing out in front of them. He may hold the title, but he is not the president of the United States when he undermines and bashes American intelligence officers and our Free Press–disavowing any acknowledgment of our Constitution. 

My hope–is in Jesus Christ–and Him alone and I trust Him to guide me in all things. I know Everyday Americans are smarter than those who were gullible enough to vote for trump in the first place, and they’ll research and discover the plausibility of supporting me, as the next president. I’m not asking people to have hope in me, but to have faith in their own judgment and relationship with Christ as they ponder supporting me.

 

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Planted by God or Men?

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For said, ‘Honor your father and mother and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. They worship in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ “ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into the someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will both into a pit.” Matthew 15:1-14 NIV

The Word of God speaks loudly and pierces the hearts of all who truly love Him and desire to please Him. And since it does, we are without excuse–we cannot allow the hypocrites to teach us anything when they have learned nothing. We cannot afford to allow the blind to lead us anywhere. 

False teaching will always be exposed along with the false teachers and apparently–there are many.

Yet once again, I find myself propelled to dismantle the false notion being promoted that God chose trump or that Jesus appointed him or that Jesus showed up at the polls and voted trump into office.

The most misused or misquoted segment of scripture people have used to “support their fallacy” has been Romans 13:1,2 without giving heed to the rest of the passage. Now, I believe that Paul spoke with the authority and under the anointing God gave him, but he is not a substitute for Jesus nor is he part of the divinity. Paul was a spokesman–taught under the law, and rose in the Spirit of God to teach truth for the day in which they lived.

God can and will use anyone who is willing to be used by Him. Paul is the greatest example of that we’ll probably ever know–and that’s because of his experience with God on the road to Damascus.

Unless a person has had a “Damascus Road” experience–which fueled their knowledge and desire to please God–they are not true representatives of who God is and anyone who teaches that they are–is a false teacher and hypocrite. 

The truth of what I’m saying will soon be revealed publicly and then I wonder how all those false teachers will feel–those who lied to their congregations–pushing agenda of man’s making and not God’s.

Anyone who is of God–promotes love not hate; peace not war; and understands the command we have to defend the rights of the poor and needy, not the rich and greedy. God never tells us anywhere in His Word that we–mere human beings–are to exercise control over people, but we should promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ–so when they receive Holy Spirit–they are controlled by Him.

I suggest that in the coming days, people who have falsely stated that trump is God’s choice for president, should meditate on God’s Word–not what the false teachers are saying, and hear God. Surely, what God plants is not easily uprooted, but what man plants–is a hit and miss situation. It’s a maybe and we know that because of what nature reveals to us. Some people plant and things grow because of their “green thumbs” and some people plant and things die.

Regardless of the false teaching, I will rely upon God’s Word as I continue to endeavor to serve the nation as its next president. I don’t expect God to vote for me, but I am seeking His direction in all that I do and in the end, only those showing up at polls will determine my fate and the fate of others. Pause–and think about that.

 

 

Blinded

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 NIV

Blindness shields not just the eyes

But the spirit of the heart when scales

Like those shielding a fish, we can but wish

Truth uncovers all the deeds of darkness

Existing in our government–no matter who’s involved,

So American democracy stands as a beacon, resolved

To be a light unto the world in spite of all the lies.

Blinders are put on race horses to make sure they only see what’s in front of them–forcing them to look straight ahead so they are not distracted by events or issues that may take place on the sidelines.

Some people are physically blind from birth–never knowing the difference between light and dark, colors and hues, but have a remarkable spiritual sight and know how to distinguish between truth and lies.

Some people lose their sight to accidents or illness–and have known the beauty of light and dark, the mesmerizing colors that exist in our world and though some are bitter about the event in their life that caused them to no longer see–they accept their plight and do all they can to continue to live a full life–understanding how blindness changes perception.

There are two political factions–each blinded in their own way–to what they see as right. At the moment–the loyalists to 45 were blinded by hatred, racism, bigotry and need–and were duped by the gas-lighting perpetuated by those who know how to distort truth to make it palatable to the gullible. And then there are the Resistors–fighting  for truth to be exposed on every side and angle, blinded by the need to know–what is and what isn’t.

I am proud to belong to the latter–The Resistors who are fighting to expose truth no matter where it lands. I have not been gas-lighted–duped into doubting what I see in front of me for my eyes are wide open, my ears unstopped, my mind ready to analyze information from various sources and draw conclusions based on the evidence and facts uncovered–not opinion or persuasive means by another.

There are times in which we must be able to admit where we are–blinded by a desire to stay focus on the task-at-hand and for me–that task is do all I can to help expose the intentional undermining of the democratic process in our 2016 election. With the continuing evidence brought to the surface, I know I heard God right from the start and I am more determined than ever to stay the course–the path He has directed–in being in this monumental effort to right wrongs and expose all the lies and liars.

The burning lake–is going to be overrun if current events is any indicator of all those who deliberated lied–under oath–and the pathological liars who do nothing but lie.  All the GOP leadership will have a place in that lake for continued effort to cover the truth with their lies and it is evident to anyone with a functioning brain–they are scrambling to cover their own behinds, but the truth–in all of its ugliness will rise to the surface, exposing all involved in the collusion to simply grab seats in Congress with the help of the Russian hacking.

Are you blinded by the god of this world or determination to know truth?

With Eyes Opened!

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:11-25 NKJV  (the entire chapter is an eye-opener in times like these)

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray!

Open the eyes of our hearts and minds and help us to remove the blinders that keep us from seeing truth when it is right in front of us.

Remind us O Lord, that our goal in the earth is bring others into the knowledge of Jesus Christ and encourage them to live for You on a daily basis.

Keep us focused on Your Word that we might use it as a filter to seeing and understanding Truth for we know there is nothing in Your Word that would lead us to anything that is not like You.

For those who have been blinded by lies and deceit, I ask that You dissolve the scales from their eyes and give them a heart of flesh which will allow the light of love to shine brightly in those dark places that promote hatred and bigotry. Help us to resist the urge to hate when You are Love and to turn away from lying for we know the lake of fire has been prepared and is reserved for liars.

Help us to see O God, that Your Word is the only standard or benchmark by which we can measure goodness, gentleness, kindness and integrity.

Lord, I thank You for hearing and answering prayer and for keeping us looking to You for all the answers to any questions we might have about living for You.

Amen!

 

Blinded!

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4 NIV

There are so many things that cause blindness–other than physiological reasons–and unfortunately, those who are blinded by the tricks of the enemy–seldom realize their predicament.

Being blinded by the enemy’s distortions of truth is nothing new. All we need to do is go back to the garden to see how he blinded Eve with his distortion of truth. And he hasn’t changed his MO; he’s still distorting God’s truth to keep people out of the will of God. The distortions–about truth–are not just used by those who are influenced by the enemy about The Word–they are used to confound and confuse about issues–prevalent in our society–to sway opinions.

We see this on a daily basis in the political arena. Some are using “smidgens” of truth and blowing that out of proportion to make themselves look better than another. Quite frankly, the more people attack others on issues that have no bearing on the competence of someone to run the country, the more disgruntled I get with the entire process. It is amazing to me how political candidates will use every possible avenue to destroy another’s character when their own character leaves much to be desired.

But then–the followers of one are so blinded that they only see the truth–distorted as it is–that the candidate wants them to see. I really don’t understand how some people are blinded by the lies–but I’m also not frustrated by bias against any who don’t agree with. I am capable of discerning truth–aside from the efforts by those attempting to distort it. For any who are filled with Holy Spirit and are willing to heed His guidance–truth should never be distorted for us. We have “insight” that the average person may never understand, but will we use what we are given to make a stand for righteousness or will we cave to popular opinion and leave the door wide open for the nation’s destruction?

I’m not promoting one candidate over another–I’m encouraging people to take off the blinders, shed the scales that keep truth distorted, and allow Holy Spirit to show all that needs to be seen. Stop allowing frustrations and personal biases to interfere with ability to see truth. Listen to the candidates–carefully–not the media or their opponents–listen to them and ask Holy Spirit to allow a glimpse of their heart. Are they truly interested in serving the needs of the people–all Americans–or do they have an agenda to serve self? These are not hard questions and the answers are easily seen–when one is not blinded by frustration, confusion and bigotry.

Remember this–a lie is a lie and there is no little lie, no black lies or white lies. God hates all liars and when we speak those things that are not true–we are liars. 

Let’s stick with the facts and leave our opinions out of the equation since opinions are like other body exits–everyone has one and whether we agree or not, there is never any justification for disrespecting others for expressing their opinion about anything.

Why Jesus Said, “If You Were Blind, You Wouldn’t Be Guilty.”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9:41 NIV)

Once again, because of a miracle on the Sabbath, Jesus healing a man who had been born blind, the religious group in their self-righteousness threw the man out the temple, because he dared to challenge them about who Jesus was. To keep this in context, we must understand the back-story (John 9:1-34). Whenever a person was healed, they were to go to the priests (the Pharisees in this case) to confirm their healing. In this particular miracle, when the Pharisees started questioning the blind man’s healing, they accused Jesus of being a sinner and certainly not from God. The man dared to refute what they said and he was prohibited from attending the temple. Now, let’s eavesdrop on the conversation between the healed man, some Pharisees and Jesus.

John 9:35-41

v. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out and when He found him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

v. 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”

v. 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen Him in fact, He is the one speaking with you.”

v. 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.

v. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

v. 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind, too?”

The entire point of this conversation was to let the Pharisees know, they were spiritually blinded–they claimed a belief in God, yet refused to accept what was right in front of them–God in the flesh–working miracles for the benefit of those who would believe.

The world hasn’t changed much in the last 2000 + years. There are still some–both religious leaders and carnal Christians–who are spiritually blind. They claim to know God, yet they refuse to obey God and have in essence, created even more religions that have no basis or foundation in Him who created all things and without Him, nothing was ever created. The religious group would rather adhere to their traditions than to allow Holy Spirit to lead and guide them–in all things. And since they are the leaders in the churches today, not many in their congregations ever witness miracles because their unbelief inhibits the movement of Holy Spirit.

If every church, in every city, all over the world, would allow Holy Spirit His rightful place in any service–people would be healed of cancer, blind eyes would be opened, the lame would walk, and all manner of diseases would dissipate for those who believe. For The Word says, “These signs shall accompany those who believe: In my name: they will drive out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands (to discard them) and when they drink deadly poison (not intentionally), it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:17,18 NIV)  Now, once again to keep this in context, Jesus said this-after He rose from the grave and was included in the instructions given to those who followed Him to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. And as in so many other places, we see the conditions or qualifiers if you will, under which the signs shall follow. “Whoever believes and is baptized and for those who don’t believe, they will be condemned.” (v.15, 16)

So, now the question for all to consider is, “Are we yet blind even though we say we Believe?” If we are spiritually blinded by the traditions of the world and political correctness and fleshly desires, will we ever truly Believe God and obey? If we remain spiritually blind, will we ever be able to accomplish all that Jesus said we would, for those who Believe?

Spiritual blindness opens the door for Satan and all the demonic forces he employs to deceive and manipulate. For this reason, sin abounds in the earth and all manner of sickness and disease run rampant because those who say they believe, don’t practice obedience and in operating in the Spiritual Gifts Holy Spirit has for each of us, to lay hands on the sick and watch them get well.

More about what Jesus said and why, next time.

Our Tasks!

“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.” (Isaiah 42:6,7 NLT)

Anyone who proclaims the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior has a job to do. We are called–to be true representatives of Him–who called us–to demonstrate His righteousness (not our own). We are to be a light, guiding nations. We are responsible for making sure the eyes of the blind (spiritually) are opened and those who are held captive by the darkness of their minds are set free. And we do all of this-in the name of the Lord, giving Him the glory for all things accomplished.

Every time the enemy raises his ugly head with lies and half-truths (which are actually whole lies), we must be in position to declare God’s Truth. In order to do this, we must stay in The Word and be ready with an answer for anyone who questions our faith–based on The Word.

The enemy’s strategy is to create scales on the eyes of those who say they believe, but are actually weak in their faith walk. We know these people when we see them because they waver–wobbling between God’s Truth and man’s political correctness in making decisions. They have been blinded to the Truth and then they promote–what they cannot fully see–the Truth of God’s Word over the “constantly changing” landscape of political correctness. It is our job–our task–to keep telling God’s Truth until the scales drop and they can see clearly how the enemy has manipulated them.

One of the reasons people find themselves in the darkness of depressed minds is because the enemy has planted seeds of doubt in their minds–causing them to doubt their own self-worth and doubt whether they are loved or not. The enemy plants seeds of negativity in the minds of all who waver–not understanding that their lack of total faith in God–has opened the door for Satan to enter.

The Word says, through John, “You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” We must keep telling, and keep telling, and keep telling until we can tell no more–the Truth of God’s Word so we can see captive minds set free–and the seeds of doubt are replaced by seeds of Love–His Love and ours–leading them to a path of His plan.

We have tasks to complete before He returns. The world is turning dark as it succumbs to the enemy’s manipulations and we are the only ones who can be a beacon of light in the midst of all the darkness. Are you up for the task? Then let’s get busy–promoting God’s Truth like never before–to His glory by allowing Holy Spirit free reign in our lives!

The Things He’ll Do!

“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16).

God lets us know that no matter what our condition has been, He will change it for our good, because of His love for us.

The blind (physically and spiritually) have difficulty navigating known ways; especially if they cannot anticipate obstacles or barriers. Through Isaiah, God promises to bring the blind by a way they have never known and they will not stumble because of unknown barriers or obstacles. When we allow God to lead us–in life–no matter what happens, we will not stumble, but find our way.

He will make darkness “dissipate” because of the Light of His love and we will be able to see clearly where we are headed. The Light of His love will warm our hearts and open our “spiritual” eyes so we can see what is ahead of us.

However the crooked the path may have been that would cause us to stumble and fall, He will make it straight. The path of temptation to do what is wrong, always twists and turns and makes it seem impossible for us to get back on the right path, but God–who loves us without measure–will straighten the pathway and make sure we stay on it because He never leaves us.

Through Holy Spirit–we are given guidance and direction to help us navigate the paths of life without stumbling because He is our promise–our comforter, always with us. These are things God says He will do for those who are blind so they will not be left out of the promise for an eternity with Him.

For those who can see–physically and spiritually–we have no excuse as to why we cannot stay on the path He has set us upon. We can see–when the enemy rises his ugly head and tempts people beyond measure. We can see–the twists and turns in the road that hinder our success when we allow it to do so. We can see the light of day, every day, and any darkness in our lives comes only when we choose to walk in darkness, forsaking the Light.

God has made it clear through His Word what He’ll do for us as a demonstration of His love for us: Move darkness out our way, make us the head and not the tail, cause everything we do to prosper when we obey, blessings will overtake us and spill over onto everyone we meet, we will be victorious in all things and the list could go on.  Now the question is–what will we do to demonstrate our love for Him?

Lord, help us to remember how much You love us and create in us a heart of gratitude for all You do.  Help us to stay on the paths You have established for us so we may accomplish all that You have designed for us to do. In Jesus’ name we thank You. Amen!

 

Through Whose Lens?

Through whose lens are you seeing life?  Calmly, reflect and think about that.  What we cannot see, we should not judge!  After all, our life’s lens are our own and no one could possibly see through them.