Turning Down the Lights (Poem)

Have you ever used a flashlight during the day,

Or perhaps in a room that was quite well-lit?

Unlikely. It shines brightest in the dark.

Even with good batteries, it won’t light your way.

No matter how powerful your flashlight kit,

In good light, it is better to be parked.

 

Jesus revealed Himself as fiery light to four of His friends.

What an awesome sight, especially if this was in the dark! ¹

And He promises like Him, His saints will one day be. ²

So I wonder, for His return to Earth, what might this portend?

‘Heaven invading the Earth to install its global Monarch!’

Reflecting on that scene, this unique thought came to me.

 

He said ‘every eye will see’ His invasion. ³

In our day many folks say they don’t believe what they see,

And some taunt believers for perceiving what we believe.

To enhance the impact of His incursion,

It would be best, physically and figuratively,

To turn down all lights for the impact He wants to achieve!

 

There is an eye-catching part in Zechariah,

That says there will be no light ‘during the day’ He returns,

But in the ‘evening time’, there will be light. ⁴

We know He’ll return in the midst of Armageddon’s scene.

When the world’s in a mess from tribulation downturns.

And we’ll be with Him, also fiery bright! ⁵

 

I don’t know about you, but to me it sounds like,

He will turn down all lights, in Israel or across the world,

To accent our collective ‘light impact’ to all on-lookers,

Then in the dark, display His incredible might:

Flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone on soldiers hurled!

Mt. Olive split, a global earthquake, dissolving all soldiers. ⁶

WoW!!!!!!!

 

What a mighty …alien invasion in the night,

One that Hollywood could never capture!

Guaranteed to captivate global attention!

But there’s another perspective on turning down lights,

One by which lives today could be fractured,

One with many historical illustrations.

 

Any invasion of a nation starts long before,

The invading army steps one foot on that land,

Various ways and means are begun in advance,

To identify its weaknesses and then explore,

How best to exploit them, and get the upper hand.

Invasions are strategic, never happenstance. 

 

The Lord’s planned Earth invasion will not be on a whim,

It certainly began a long, l-o-n-g time ago. ⁷

He’s since strategically weakened many of our systems,

And many of our ‘life lights’ He has already dimmed. ⁸

Some of these you suspect, others you clearly know.

Think of our ‘light equivalents’ across our man-made kingdoms:

 

Our ‘lights’ of:

--Societal fidelity or 'glue'

--Endless energy supplies

--Financial/economic status

--Nations’ territorial integrity

--Endless scientific discoveries

--Comfortable homes and lifestyles

--A wholesome, stable climate in which to thrive

--Competent governments at all levels of governance

 

Friends, these are but a few ‘lights’ that He has begun to dim. ⁹

And many more of our ‘lights’, He has promised to darken,

Before the day of His assaulting physical invasion.

Because long ago, folks lost awe, respect and fear of Him.

If the darkest part of day is the hour before its dawn,

Then darkness will soon be fleeing His …blazing light eruption!!!

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¹ Ezekiel, Peter, James, John. See: Ezekiel 1:26-28, 8:2, Matthew 17:1-2, Mark 9:2-3, and Luke 9:28-29 

² See: Daniel 12:3, 120, Matthew 13:43, and 1 John 3:2

³ See: Revelation 1:7

⁴ See: Zechariah 14:6-7

⁵ See: Ezekiel 38 and Zechariah 14:5 and Revelation 19:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, and Hebrews 1:3

⁶ See: Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 1-9 outline the 1st War of Gog and Magog, likely to occur sometime during the tribulation plagues. (See: Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel) Those plagues are detailed in Matthew 24: 29-30, and Revelation 8, 9, 16, 18, and 19.

⁷ It was first promised in Genesis 3:15, leading to the birth, death, resurrection, accension, and promised return of Jesus with His saints and angels. (Zechariah 14:5 and Matthew 25:31)

⁸ By ‘lights’, I refer to human systems by which we ‘see and perceive’ our way through this life.

⁹ And to achieve His objectives, He uses angels, demons, people good and evil, animals, climate changes, pestilences, droughts, wars, etc. Check out Ezekiel 14:13-23, and then Ezekiel 9 for one implementation approach. The Bible is full of many other implementation approaches. This may challenge some folks’ errant understanding of John 10:10.

Tribulation Age Precursors: Lebanon Meltdown? (Poem)

See the series here

NEWS FLASH

Readers with a keen interest in end-times prophecy,

Here's a matter worth keeping an eye on, actively:

Immigration from Lebanon, at an incredible rate,

Might signal two predicted events for which we should all wait.

The Lord promised a Goshen-type event for His Jewish kinfolk,

Just before He puts the entire world in His tribulation yoke.

To draw most of them suddenly to the Promised Land,

Zechariah 10:10 is a key part of His plan!

But as we all well know from reading the world news,

Between Israel and Lebanon, they're ...'issues!' 

Some folks say in Lebanon, more Jews will never be welcome!

But I hear The Lord saying, 'Keep an eye on ...My work, shalom!

So let's do exactly that, and see what will unfold.

Eyes also on Jordan for what the Prophet foretold.

Will The Church worldwide still be here

when these two events occur??

Or will they happen after we've been caught up in the rapture??

No one on Earth really knows, but this is what I propose:

Forget relationships between governments that oppose,

The Lord can flip the switches to reveal all that He disclosed.

To me, Earth seems to be in ...'tribulation precursor throes!'

For more, please see:

The Goshen Effect (Series)

The Coming Lame Blame (Poem)

Booty/Pre-Post Millennial Reign (Series)

Lebanon is in Terminal Brain Drain

(Foreign Policy Magazine)

When Grace and Judgments Fail (Poem)

See the Grace series here

Have you noticed judicial judgments now are less deterrent,

And by penalties, folks are not effectively penalized?

Have you heard of judges who themselves are vile,

While on other folks misdeeds, they are handing out stiff judgments?

And what of prison guards ‘on the take’, but who go unchastised,

Who with staff shortages, can practice their guile?

What to do when by judgments, behavior changes are naught,

When with exploding populations, prisons are insufficient,

And lack good programs or upright folk to administer them?

Law breakers become better at evading being caught.

Thus, increasing proportions of us become malevolent.

How long before our world becomes …unmanageable mayhem??

In wisdom, my parents meted out corrective punishments,

That were effective in getting the job done!

No punishments feel good as it is being administered, ¹

But their rewards are sure, if with some love they are inherent,

And given before the setting of the sun.

But how does this relate to the mess with which we’re incumbered??

When at giving wise, effective discipline, parents wilt,

They turn their job over to un-suspecting societies.

When societies fail to do the job parents could not do,

Undisciplined ‘grown kids’ hook up with others of their ilk.

Together, they beef-up, then multiply their vulgarities.

Voila! The world over, that’s the condition now in clear view!

From the lowest-to the-highest societal echelons,

We see effects of parents who, with their kids, spared the rod. ²

Undisciplined they were; undisciplined kids they produced.

Imagine life when high level appointments such folks take on.

In positions where they’re free to practice all kinds of fraud,

With broad power and influence, other folks they induce.

There’s an odd concept that, in The Bible, is expressed,

Of people’s sins piling up so high, they reach to Heaven,

At which point Heaven finally responds, resolutely! ³

That’s when folks will have failed all of The Lord’s heart-mind tests. ⁴

So all the way to Heaven, could our sins now have risen?!

If not, must sinfulness get so much worse… unbearably?!?

To each of us, The Lord extends Grace to prompt repentance.

But when this job, Grace fails to achieve, His judgments we shall see!

He will tailor them to lead to righteousness. ⁵

So what if, to harsh judgments, folks develop tolerance?!

Tolerant we have become, and even moreso, folks shall be.

Increasingly wallowing in wickedness. ⁶

That’s when He will answer with …His global blazing presence,

Putting a sudden STOP (!) to mankind’s rampant wickedness!

If about the state of our world, like me, you’re deeply concerned,

Join me in becoming one of His ‘solution agents’.

He’ll teach you righteousness, and re-shape you in His likeness,

Then assign you unique roles in the coming world He’ll govern. ⁷

If to you this sounds exciting, and you’d like to ‘buy-in’,

It begins with His salvation offer,

That will make you forever, a special one of His. 

But if in this kind of government, you don’t want to be in,

No problem. With you He will not bother,

That is…

Until you meet in His ‘final resurrection biz.’

You see, here is something many folks simply do not know:

For ALL folks in the grave, He’s promised a resurrection!

But not all of us will rise at once. That is not His plan.

The firsts are for us who, for sins, …there’s nothing we owe!

Because He paid our price in full with His crucifixion.

The final will includes folks who, from His presence, …He'll ban. ⁸

Sadly, only a small minority,

Of folks who will have ever been conceived,

Will, in His Government, qualify to serve.

Suppose as soon as He fills that tally,

All world governments will then be relieved,

Replaced with Christ’s Government …Earth deserves!

That's exactly what He promises to do...

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¹ See: Hebrews 12:6-11

² See: Proverbs 13:24 and 22:15

³ See: Genesis 18:20-21, Ezra 9:6 and especially Revelation 18:15

⁴ In Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 17:10 and Revelation 2:23, The Lord affirms and thrice confirms, ‘I am The Lord Who tests/searches minds and hearts, to give to each one according to what is in these hidden parts.’ (paraphrased)

⁵ See: What’s Really Going On (…Inside)

⁶ See: Revelation 2:21, 9:20-21, 16:9-11. The latter 2 references predict a time yet to come.

⁷ See: First and Second Comings (Poem), Government-in-Waiting, and Occupying Forces (Series)

⁸ Forever! Please see: Prayer of Salvation (Poem). Only in one sense do I understand how The Lord’s Grace and Judgments will succeed: Grace removes ANY/ALL excuses folks may have when they meet Him at His judgment bar. The only possible exceptions will be folks who will be (1) born during The Millennial Reign and (2) who embraced salvation after satan will be released 'for a little while' during the post-Millennial Reign age. See: Salvation in the Millennium (Series) and Human History Ages (Series). NB: The 'first resurrection' does not refer to a single, numerical event. See: Ponder This... (First Resurrection, Second Death, Hell).

Pivotal Prayer Perspectives (Poem, Part 3)

See the Pivotal Prayer Perspectives series here

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

Prayer, both the life-blood and life-line of believers who please,

All of Heaven after they have gotten up from bended knees.

We have The Mind of Christ -- His Word;

with promises it’s jam-packed!

But if left undeveloped, in prayer, His Will is hijacked? ¹

 

Only as we unpack, then develop His Mind within us,

Will we perceive both the Will and Voice of The Lord, Jesus.

This is how He promises, ‘All My sheep know My voice’,

Interpreting His promises without …comm-link noise.

 

‘Have the faith of (not in) God’, Jesus so advises,

According to what Mark, in his Gospel divulges. ²

Apart from The Mind of Christ, well developed within,

Don’t think we can believe like God does, and make Him grin.

 

In The Lord’s Prayer, have you ever noticed, spiritually,

Where this key phrase, ‘Thy Will be done’, is placed, physically??

It precedes all petitions about our needs and desires!

Regarding His Will, that’s the priority He desires! ³

 

But in your prayers, and those you have heard,

Including those that were ‘based on His Word’,

Prayers you and others believed in Heaven were accepted,

To what extent was this priority therein reflected?

 

Saving our soul, by maturing His Mind in us, is smart.

Subjugating our petitions to His Will, from the start,

Fuels prayers in which all of Heaven delights.

Let’s practice these pivotal prayer insights.

 

I’d bet folks who ask me, for them to pray,

Might not be pleased, if to them, I would say,

‘I’ll pray, but I prioritize His Will over mine or yours.’

Perhaps they might not call me with their

…prayer request encores. ;o)

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¹ Hijacked by prioritizing our own selfish petitions. By developing The Mind of Christ within us, we learn to discern and how to apply effectively The Lord’s promises to the righteous.

² See: Mark 11:22, especially in these Bible versions: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT), Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA), and the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB). Why do you think other versions of The Bible mis-interpreted this verses? Compare Psalm 8:5 in the YLT and AMP versions with other Bible versions and be astounded at the literal Truth in this verse. Let’s study to show ourselves approved…

³ See: Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2. Admittedly, it may take some time for me to learn to lead my prayer petitions with, ‘Let Your Will be done, Lord’.

Pivotal Prayer Perspectives (Poem, Part 2)

See the Pivotal Prayer Perspectives series here

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

Our prayer life is the life-blood of the Christian walk,

The life-line to Him with Whom we’re to always talk. ¹

He facilitates prayer with access to His Mind and Will.

Then He places us on His life-long, heart-mind …testing treadmill. ²

 

Yes, access to The Mind of Christ is our right.

As born-again sons of God, it’s our birthright.

But much more than ‘access’, The Lord greatly desires,

His Mind be developed in us, as He requires.

 

Perhaps you’ve heard folks thanking Him …’for saving their soul.’

I’ve heard that as a boy, and hear it now when I’m old.

Yet a pivotal insight that Hebrews provided,

Is that from our spirit, the soul can be divided! ³

 

Both Paul and James accent this division,

As they highlight and draw our attention,

To our crucial role in our soul’s salvation.

No soul is saved when for sins we’re forgiven.

 

Paul admonishes us, once saved, to renew our mind.

The object of renewal, James would later define:

The Lord’s implanted Word, The Mind of Christ is revealed,

And is then developed within us through ‘daily Word meals’. ⁴

 

Shirking responsibility for saving our soul,

Indicates His Mind within us will not become whole.

How do you think, by this, our prayer life could be affected?

And potentially by devils’ viruses, be infected?

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¹ Advice Jesus gives in Luke 18:1. See: Two Prayer Challenges (Poem) to understand how to achieve this goal.

² In Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 17:10 and Revelation 2:23, Jesus (pre- and post-incarnate) affirms and thrice confirms, ‘I am The Lord Who tests/searches minds and hearts, to give to each one according to what is in these hidden parts.’ (paraphrased)

³ See: Hebrews 4:12

⁴ See: Romans 12:2 and James 1:21. Our mind is a key part of our soul (mind, will, emotions, intellect, imagination). Though our spirit and soul may mirror each other, and are both eternal parts of our tripartite (trinity) being, because they can be divided, they are indeed separate, otherwise The Lord would not have inspired the writer of Hebrews to write the above verse. See also: Tale of Two Saviors.

Pivotal Prayer Perspectives (Poem, Part 1)

See the Pivotal Prayer Perspectives series here

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

To your prayers, do you perceive Heaven saying, ‘AMEN!’,

Or maybe silence, or worse yet, grunts every now and then??

With some prayers, are you sometimes convicted,

That with The Lord’s Will, they may be conflicted??

 

What if you could know The Lord’s Will perfectly,

And discern Heaven’s response with clarity?

What impact(s) might that have on your prayer life?

To pray more fervently, would you be enticed?

 

Some folks might say, ‘By faith, I know already,’

Because my prayer life is strong and steady.’

Others might say, ‘I just pray and move on,

And then just wait until His answers dawn.’

 

Still some might say, ‘In The Spirit I only pray,

Thus, by faith, from His perfect Will, I do not stray.’

Since Paul wrote believers have ‘The Mind of Christ’, ¹

Shouldn’t there be some clarity in our prayer life?

 

Indeed! At least that’s what I thought, that is until…

The Lord revealed insights about …His Mind and Will.

They caused me to stop, repent and ponder,

About some of my …prayer life blunders!

 

Assess your recent prayers and those you have heard,

And see if you agree with what in me He stirred. ²

Then reflect on the likely expectations,

Of folks who sought your help in their petitions.

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¹ See: 1 Corinthians 2:16

² Discussed in Parts 2 and 3, respectively