Last week I nearly posted the first video and commentary embedded below to FB, addressing how disinformation about the weather is being used to advance the globalist agenda, but felt impressed to wait till this past Monday instead. I had no idea that the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 would be happening in New York Monday – Wednesday (Sept 18-20), and their discussions on climate would be in the news this week – as seen in the second and third videos below.
As mentioned in the commentary under the first video, I pray everyone will understand that denouncing the current climate charge as a con does not mean that we’re anti-environment/pro-pollution. Of course we should all be looking for LEGITIMATE ways to reduce and remove toxic and polluting substances from the environment (even if the globalist’s deceptive, alarmist claims aren’t true). Anyone who knows me knows I’m all for THAT. But the more you learn about their agenda – the obvious solutions they ignore while instead favoring unreasonable ones that will do untold damage to our nation and to countless spheres of life – you discover THIS (their agenda) is not THAT. (As always, please let me know if you cannot see the embedded post or videos below.)
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I posted these next 2 videos to FB on Sept. 21, but their reach was ridiculously suppressed. The embed feature is also not working properly for that post, so I’ve uploaded the videos to vimeo to embed here.
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This last SHORT clip is just to show the involvement of the Pope – representing the involvement of world religion as Billy Crone stated. Many would contend (with compelling evidence) that he, even more so, represents the emerging universal one-world religion.
There have been numerous stories covered lately by Laura Ingraham and the 700 Club/CBN that sound the prophetic alarm for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. This first one is about the rise of hostility toward and persecution of Biblical Christianity in Europe that threatens to spread here in greater measure. Though this story does not mention it, these kinds of things are already happening in Canada as well (and I imagine other nations not mentioned). I clarify Biblical Christianity, those holding to the Truth of God’s Word, because there is a rapidly growing counterfeit Christianity that is an integral part of the one world universal religion of the antichrist system. I’ve embedded my posts to FB about this and the next story with commentary below. Please let me know if the embedded posts are not visible.
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The next story reveals the plans in the works for global id, citing only some of the dangerous implications without even taking into consideration the full extent of where we know all this is going from Scripture:
If you want first-hand, eye-witness reports of how the necessary plans and components for the one world government, one world currency, one world religion, and more prophesied in the book of Revelation (of the antichrist kingdom) are escalating to their ultimate soon fulfillment, Carl Teichrib is one to watch. Author of “Game of Gods” (entirely DIFFERENT from “Return of the Gods” by Jonathan Cahn that I recommended a few days ago on FB), Carl has had unique inside access to globalist events and gives the rest of us a sobering glimpse behind the curtain at what’s being planned for us in the coming “new world order” (NWO).
There’s way too much information with profound implications to try to unpack in one post from his recent trip to the Parliament of the World’s Religions event in Chicago last week. But I’ll share a few important highlights (or perhaps, more accurately, “lowlights”):
– “…one development stuck out, and I wouldn’t have recognized it unless I had attended other Parliaments and interfaith events: It was a very telling change in the language. Let me explain: Evangelical Christians are not well liked within the interfaith movement because of our stance on the exclusive truth claim of Jesus Christ – that He is the “way, truth and the life,” and that the only way to the Father is through Him (John 14:6). With interfaithism being pluralistic, however, this doesn’t fly. Never mind that their fundamentally inclusive claim is a form of exclusiveness; you must fit in their box to be viewed as authentic. So this is how the language towards those outside of the box has shifted. In the past you were called a “fundamentalist,” then an “exclusivist,” and at the 2018 Parliament you were labeled a “supremacist.” This year’s Parliament shuffled the label again: Evangelicalism, especially American evangelicalism, was equated with authoritarianism. I heard it every day. That’s a remarkable shift, and one with potential ramifications.”
– Attendees were told “That we need to recognize the global community as the new norm (it’s the end of the old world order, we were told, and now we’re birthing a new world order), and that evangelical Christians are America’s great authoritarian problem.”
– Certain sessions “focused on the global challenge of authoritarianism and hate. …the most dangerous expressions of hate and intolerance today – with the potential for authoritarian developments – so we were told, is emerging from American evangelicalism/conservatives and the “Christian Right” (no definitions were given – it’s just an accepted argument).”
– While attending “a couple of workshops on democracy and human rights, … we found out how the interfaith community needs to fight populism and conservative voices, that we need to somehow put safeguards in place to stop the flow of hate speech (never defined, but certainly implied) and to curb misinformation – Twitter is evil, everything mainstream except Fox is good, and AM talk radio has done damage to democracy. Yes, there was a strong sense of “othering” – … So… that’s where the narrative is going…”
– “part of our group – including yours truly – observed Matthew Fox’s “Cosmic Mass,” which was about an hour-and-a-half in length. Essentially, it’s a large pagan ceremony venerating the Earth and the cosmic Christ, with a circle dance and readings, along with communion and a revision of the Lord’s prayer.”
Translation 1 – Biblical Christianity, conservatism, and populism are seen as the enemies of the coming NWO (antichrist kingdom of Revelation) Translation 2 – Universalism, the “Universal Christ”/”Cosmic Christ”, “progressivism”, and Globalism are central to the NWO. Translation 3 – The Bible is true and the book of Revelation is soon to be fulfilled Carl’s full posts: (I’m including links to Carl’s FB reports, and also embedding each post for those who don’t have FB. These embedded posts mysteriously disappeared within the first day of this being posted. We stayed up late that night replacing them with images of his posts, but then the embedded posts mysteriously reappeared the following evening, so I’ve removed the images so you’re not seeing each post twice. But if you can’t see the embedded posts and don’t have FB (to view the links), please let me know and I will put the images of each post back in instead. The video Carl shared on August 17 is only available to view at his link. In addition, I believe this post (and my account in general) has been severely shadow banned on FB. And we’ve received notifications of relentless attempts of someone trying to hack into this site since this was posted on FB and here. We would appreciate your spiritual warfare against every form of attack as we try to share the truth. Please pray in agreement with II Thessalonians 3:1-3 that God’s Word/Truth is able to spread rapidly to all without hindrance and for all sharing it to be divinely protected from those with evil intent.) link to August 14th report (pictures available at the link)
Furthermore, brethren, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as [it has done] with you,And that we may be delivered from perverse (improper, unrighteous) and wicked (actively malicious) men, for not everybody has faith and is held by it.Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].II Thessalonians 3:1-3 AMPC
Since the world is focused on this right now – the CHURCH needs to be prepared with ANSWERS based on Biblical Truth. So here’s some thoughts on UFOs, UAPs, and aliens … and those who are trying to teach us how to contact them.
I find it interesting that:
– these entities can only be contacted through occult practices that Yahweh, the Creator, Most High God, has forbidden ~ not to spoil our fun, or limit our knowledge, but because he knows they open the door to fallen angels/demons and their deceptions,
– thus far they have only been interdimensional in their appearances and disappearances, rather than intergalactic (never being observed as entering our atmosphere from space or returning into space),
– their messaging has been consistently antichrist,
– at least 30 yrs of research has revealed that they can be rebuked in the Name of Jesus and that repeat abduction/torture experiences can be stopped through repentance of sin (including occult practices) and spiritual warfare/demonic deliverance in Jesus’ Name.
I don’t doubt that someone could participate in the esoteric/occult practices some are advising, and that this would produce experiences, encounters, and contact with entities that seem to confirm their reality – in the same way that anyone who turns to witchcraft or occult ritual magic will also receive confirmation that it’s very real. The question is not whether the entities and powers are real – the question is what is their SOURCE. We know through God’s Word and Spirit, and through the experiences of many of our Christian brothers and sisters who have been delivered from the occult (and those who have helped them through that process), that the source is satan, not God ~ that these are not “aliens”, but demons masquerading as such. I believe we would be wise to prayerfully consider how these world events may end up being part of the great end-times deception of II Thessalonians 2, Revelation, etc. (see also The Spirit of a Magician and Supernatural Power, The Spirit of a Magician and Apostasy – part 1)
Unfortunately, many Christians have never been taught about the supernatural realm on either side (either good or evil) to equip us to be able to discern the difference. This has left many vulnerable to turning to and accepting the counterfeit sources of information and power when they encounter them, and abandoning the True Source. Yes, people will no doubt have supernatural experiences while engaging in occult practices that will seem to confirm that the message of the occult is true. But they will also open the door to demonic deception and oppression that they will not be able to be set free from apart from Jesus, and (without repentance and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior) will tragically be turned away from the real Jesus in the end for practicing lawlessness/sin. The True Source of information and power we need can only be found in the God of the Bible (through His Word, Son, and Holy Spirit).
You may already be aware that there’s a significant connection between aliens and New Age teaching. Much, if not all, of their teaching was received through “channeling” or encountering such entities through occult practices – whether these beings presented themselves as “aliens”, “ascended masters”, “angels”, etc.
You may not be aware of the significant connection between the New Age and luciferianism. But when you dig deep enough, you will always find lucifer/satan at the root of these beliefs and practices.
“And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” II Corinthians 11:14
May God guide us all into all Truth and deliver us from every error and evil in Jesus’ Name.
I will include some videos that I hope will be helpful. (This is not a blanket endorsement of these believers’ teachings, some of whom are in theological camps we strongly disagree with in certain areas.)
The first is a documentary from the late Dr. Michael Heiser and is very professionally done. I pray EVERY CHRISTIAN will see this. (1:15:38 long)
The second is an interview with Joseph Jordan, “who has analyzed over 600 UFO abduction cases since 1992 with MUFON and with his own CE4 Research Group”. The interviewer was formerly a famous new age teacher, whom the Lord saved. She’s now trying to help others be delivered out of those deceptions. (1:07:46 long)
The third is an interview with astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross. (27:52 long)
(There is a longer interview with him with more detail here, but they had some minor audio issues)
The last one is an interview with Dr. Brian Huffling. The interviewer here is another lady the Lord snatched out of New Age/New Thought who is trying to help others. Interestingly, this interview mentions all 3 of the previous interviewees above – Dr. Michael (Mike) Heiser, Joseph (Joe) Jordan, and Dr. Hugh Ross. (34:05 long)
“And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My Name they will drive out demons…” Mark 16:17
Jesse and I finally watched this documentary last weekend, since it’s now available to rent on Amazon Prime. I know it may be shocking, possibly even frightening, for many to see, but demons are real and many are oppressed and demonized in various ways, and much of the church has not known how to help them.
“Though myriads of people in our society (and the church) have already opened themselves up to demonic influences in certain areas of their lives and need deliverance from demonic oppression and demonization, satan has still most often been able to covertly masquerade under the names of “addictions,” “disorders,” “compulsions,” and sin without being overtly recognized for who he truly is by those who do not believe. But as society plunges further and further into darkness and increasingly gives itself over to satan, his lies, and works, I believe we will also see more and more demonic manifestations, where the supernatural realm of darkness is exposed in such blatant ways that not even unbelievers can ignore it … If our nation continues its popularization of the occult and witchcraft, … it would open the floodgates to this phenomenon in our society (even as Africa and other nations have dealt with on a more widespread basis due to more prevalent pagan and occult practices).
… As Christians we need to understand what’s truly going on. We are called to have the answers for the horrors society is going to unleash through their increased rebellion toward God and we need to know how to help as many people as possible be delivered and set free. This is going to require us to be firmly established in the Word and in the full revelation of who we are in Christ, to remain full of His Spirit, to know how to put on our spiritual armor and operate in the power and authority the Lord has given us in Him, AND to be free from fear no matter what may come.
I know there is a great amount of ignorance about this subject in our nation, even in the body of Christ due to teachings that these kinds of things ceased after the first century … But I suspect that in the next several years many are about to have their theologies wrecked and their paradigms shifted.” (link to this blog post)
The minister who made this documentary is one who had his theology wrecked and his paradigm shifted through encountering the demonic and being ashamed that he didn’t know how to help. And he is not alone. But thankfully he determined not to remain ignorant.
Thank God that through Jesus deliverance from demons is also real and is life changing. And it’s desperately needed if the church is going to fulfill our calling to help our own and the lost – all the more so in the dark times we’re now in and coming into in greater measure as this age comes to its dramatic conclusion.
We recommend everyone watch this, not because we want to endorse this specific minister who made this documentary. Honestly, we didn’t even know of him till we watched this. We only recently became aware of a few of the other ministers featured in this film and have been blessed by some of their messages – but don’t know enough about any of them to give a blanket endorsement. So we’re not trying to endorse any specific person featured in this, but rather only want to confirm the reality of the great need for the body of Christ to understand spiritual warfare in greater measure and to fulfill our calling to help deliver those who are oppressed by demons.
…Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be torn up by the roots. Mt 15:13
Saturday morning we continued the process of tackling a flower bed in our front yard that we’ve paid little attention to in the 3 1/2+ yrs since moving into this house (in spite of being the progeny of Alice Jewell). We had been forced to pay some attention to it over a year ago, since a large tree that had made its home there for decades, long before our arrival, was wreaking havoc with its extensive root system. So the tree had to come down. But as we worked Saturday, Jesse discovered that some of its roots still remained. One particular area where he was digging required a special tool in order to sever the root and get it out of the way to prevent it from hindering the growth of plants we want to keep.
As I worked to dig under weeds and other unwanted growth, making sure to remove the entire root system, I felt the Lord impressing on me the spiritual parallels of what we were doing and the continual need we all have to tend to the garden of our hearts. Among other things, I was reminded of part of what He put on my heart to emphasize in this year’s birthday blessing about SEEDS, SOILS, and ROOTS.
That night, after praying, the devotional word Jesse opened to was called, “The Root Ax.” It said:
“… I don’t (just) modify your behavior; I transform your character. I don’t chop off your branches; I pull out your roots. It’s the bad roots I’m going after. I have a special root ax; it can cut any root no matter how big or old. … and when it severs roots, they remain severed while new, healthy, godly, roots grow in their place. I love you, and that’s why I’m showing you everything that could hurt you and getting rid of it. …Trust My character while I create yours.”
We knew the Lord was confirming what He’d just been speaking to our hearts earlier that day in a breathtaking way.
He’s not interested in just chopping off problematic growth in our lives at a surface level, leaving the root system behind to continue plaguing us with the same ugly problems over and over again. He wants to dig deep to help us remove those issues by the roots. While the old covenant/law only dealt with outward behavior, Jesus is after the total transformation of our hearts.
My mom didn’t know any of this, so I was further amazed when this morning she sent this picture of two of my nephews holding a root they’d diligently worked together to wrestle out of her yard that’s bigger than they are!
… So maybe the problem is bigger than your ability to tackle alone. Though I believe 1 person + God is enough to overcome any Goliath, not every person is as strong in the Lord as David was at that time in his life. God still wants to meet us where we are. So, if you can’t do it alone, why not get some help from others?
May we all cooperate with the Master Gardener to diligently go after and uproot everything that was not planted by Him in our hearts and lives, allowing Him to transform us into good soil, with noble and good hearts, that will receive and retain the Seed of His Word and persevere to bring forth the 100 fold harvest of righteousness in every area of our lives. (Mt 13:1-23)
“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
The first thing we noticed when we pulled into the parking lot of the theater yesterday was that this film (Sound of Freedom – interview below) was not even listed on the marquee of movies showing… though it IS one of the available films to see. This seemed more than a bit strange. Then, as we waited for the movie to begin, Jesse opened his news app and, in disgust, showed me the first article he saw. It described how most mainstream media outlets are either ignoring this film or deceptively decrying and mocking it as a “Q…” conspiracy flick to be ridiculed and shunned, despite the fact that it’s based on a true story. In doing so they’re adding insult to injury for the millions being victimized and those who care about them.
At the end, a few minutes into the closing credits, Jim Caviezel returned to the screen and told us about the opposition they’ve faced getting this message out – which we’d already seen a glimpse of through these two events just since arriving at the theater. He spoke to the audience about the reality of this living nightmare for millions of children, providing additional heartbreaking and horrific statistics. But he also spoke about the battle those who made this film have been enduring for 5 years in order to bring it to theaters and audiences. He concluded with an impassioned appeal for those of us who’d seen the movie to help overcome the ongoing efforts to minimize its impact (through opposition, suppression, and deceptive derision), by doing our part to help bring the issue and film to light. They are so passionate about everyone being able to hear their message that they’ve provided a “pay it forward” feature on their site so that those who can’t afford tickets can still go see it.
I’m thankful that opening weekend was such a huge success, and pray that won’t change going forward due to the appalling silence or smear campaigns many are waging. As we’ve observed over and over in the past years, while a brave few try to shine the light of truth, propaganda media fights back with censorship and the gaslight of deception. And all I can think is “Me thinks thou dost protest too much.” By opposing this film and its message that EVERY decent person ought to support, regardless of political party, they only make themselves look like they’ve got something to hide and protect. And in fact, this is what Caviezel said in an interview, implying that the strong opposition to the movie is because many of those who are guilty are those in positions of influence and power –
” I lost my agents over this. … I lost my lawyer over this, and now I understand why all these actors didn’t want to do the movie because of this. Listen, you do Schindler’s List fifty years later, you’re a hero. Try doing Schindler’s List when the real Nazis are right there. Understand how that becomes more dangerous?” (history vs. hollywood article)
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, please keep up the ratings momentum and see it in the theater. We go to the theater next to never. But for a cause like this, it’s well worth it. Pay it forward for others if you can. And take advantage of the free tickets if you need. But please see it and spread the word.
(Important 5 minute interview with producer about the movie and opposition against it attached below)
The hit new film "Sound of Freedom" exposes the atrocities of child sex trafficking & tells the true story of a man who devoted his life to stopping it.
How does the media react?
The Guardian despicably calls it a "QAnon-adjacent thriller" & a "paranoid new movie."
For nearly a year, the Lord’s had us listening to testimonies of people radically saved and delivered out of the occult – New Age, witchcraft, satanism, etc. – due to its rapidly growing popularity and, we believe, its prominence in present and soon to come end-time events.
One of the most recent I heard was actually from the 70s, from a man who was very high in rank in witchcraft, due to his family heritage. As we’ve heard over and over in these kinds of testimonies, those who come out of the occult frequently grieve over the stark contrast in the commitment and dedication they observed and experienced among those pursuing demonic spirits, practices, rituals, and powers (even if they didn’t know to identify them as demonic at the time) vs. the commitment and dedication they observed and experienced among professing Christians for pursuing God/Jesus and the things of God’s Kingdom. This man was no exception.
He shared that while still in witchcraft, they had no fear or hatred for those who received Jesus only as their Savior (in lifestyle) – but that those who were both greatly feared and greatly hated were those who had also received Jesus as their Lord and were living by, teaching, and preaching His Lordship. If you’ve ever tried making this critical distinction, you’ve probably felt the ramifications of his profound admission. Yet so many churches are stripping away this truth today and are then boastful and self-congratulatory about how many more crowds want their Jesus.
There is no argument – MANY more will be willing to receive Jesus as their Savior than will ever be willing to also truly receive Him as their Lord. But when we remove the revelation of His Lordship from our soul-winning strategies to try to attract more people to Him, we only end up making false converts – or true converts to a false Jesus. Those in the occult have no fear of or hatred for these converts because the enemy knows they are no threat to him and are actually still part of his territory. And even better in his estimation, they are often now inoculated from believing and receiving the true gospel that also involves turning from sin to follow Jesus as their Lord, because they believe they’re already saved. May the overwhelming love of our Father compel us to do all we can to help rescue this MANY from the horror that awaits at the end of this tragic deception, which Jesus revealed in Mt 7:21-23 and other passages.
The word “Lord” occurs around 5,000-7,000 times in the Bible (depending on translation), while the word “Savior” appears around 40 -100 (the lower end for the most literal translations). Let’s do our best to emphasize His Lordship in our own lives and to those we share about Him with as much as He does. Will many more reject and walk away from the reality of Who He is? Unfortunately, yes. But Jesus never watered down Truth to gain, keep, or appease the crowds and neither should we. As Isaiah said in the sermon I shared a few days ago – May we love people enough to tell them the Truth, even if we risk them hating us for it on earth, for the chance that they might eventually receive the Truth and love us in Heaven – rather than failing to tell them the Truth so that they’ll love us on earth, but will ultimately end up hating us from hell.
I’m compelled to say the things we’re not supposed to say. There are many; I will only say a few. I suspect people couldn’t handle them all.
I would be lying to say that I’m not angry. But thankfully anger is no sin; it’s how we respond to it that matters. And I feel the Lord telling me to respond by speaking the truth in love – to do the right thing, even if people make it into the wrong thing. I say these things not only for myself, but for other family, friends, and even strangers who have been through some version of this – some who are also rightfully angry – others who are unaware that they even should be. And I say them for all who have not been through this, but who might if these things aren’t spoken and don’t change. I say them in hopes of preventing those reading this and your loved ones from being next.
I don’t believe my dad had to die this way. Yes, he was battling cancer again, but his cancer markers were dramatically improving. Getting c0v1d at Christmas, in that already fragile state due to chemo, was certainly a heavy blow. But, I don’t believe it had to be a fatal one. Dad, in spite of the serious health battles he’d been through since 2019, had already survived c-d twice without crisis in the past few years with the help of meds we were all told we shouldn’t take or even speak of. But over nearly 3 years, the things that have been most effective for every age and comorbidity, according to what we’ve witnessed, have continued to be fought against and made more and more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. So this time, we were not prescribed what had helped before, but instead were given what the powers that be have now approved and are promoting. If I understand correctly, this was because “they” have an early treatment to offer now, so it’s even more difficult to find doctors who will prescribe and pharmacies who will fill scripts for the alternatives. The pressure is immense.
I’m not going to try to tell you the “officially approved” med we were given is evil. I honestly don’t know all the implications of its use, though some I highly respect in the medical field don’t recommend it. I can only say from our experience that it did help lessen symptoms for several in my family – though the side effects were far more objectionable for me than what we’d been given before. So my goal is not to persuade people to never take it, especially if it’s your only option. But it should never have been our only option. There were multiple factors that made it torturous for dad to take and not a good option for him. Not to mention the fact that potential rebound of symptoms after using it is real, and was likely a factor for dad.
I had listened to and read the research and testimonies of a number of physicians who were succeeding in helping many people in these past years, taken ample notes, and shared them with others. So in spite of this unexpected development of not receiving some of what we would have preferred to take, we were thankful that we were still at least able to request and receive b u d e s o n i d e (steroid) inhalers. We hoped it would make up for not receiving the other meds. Unfortunately, due to his condition, we don’t know how much, if any, dad ever successfully received. (Inhalers are difficult for those who are very sick to use – if you breathe on/into the inhaler once a dose is loaded, the dose is ruined.)
When dad went into the hospital on day 8, based on my notes from interviews with Dr. Richard Bartlett and others, we began advocating for him not to receive certain things that have been harmful, even deadly, to many, and instead to receive nebulized b u d e s o n i d e – 1 mg every 4 hours. Dr. Bartlett has become nationally (possibly internationally) known for this protocol and has used it, even as often as every 2 hours, to help many overcome critical illness – even helping people come off vents. But we were refused. They gave him only .5 mg every 12 hours (only 2 doses) in the ER to placate us. Even from this small amount dad drastically improved. However, once he was moved to CCU, and then to another room where we could be with him (by the grace of God), we had to fight for these treatments again, given his obvious deterioration once they were discontinued.
So I called thehospital advocacy hotline associated with b u d e s o n i d e w o r k s . c o m, and was surprised to actually find Dr. Bartlett’s sister, Laura, on the other end of the call. Laura Bartlett was absolutely amazing. She and her sister, Barb (a nurse), and others from her team, spent many hours on the phone helping us – even over the weekend. Laura made herself available to us day or night. She was a God-send, who fought for us as if we were her own family.
Through her advocacy, knowledge of hospital protocol, and how to overcome objections and obstacles, after several days, we thought we’d finally received approval for dad to receive the nebulized breathing treatments at 1 mg every 6 hours. It was a compromise, but better than nothing. But our joy soon turned to frustration again when we questioned them and learned they were only giving .5 mg every 12 hours, and attempting to supplement with other kinds of inhalers to make up the vast difference (which we later learned should never have been used due to black box warnings about sudden death). One nurse let slip that this was the dose/frequency approved for CHILDREN. Another ICU nurse (and honorary family member) told us it’s what’s used for MAINTENANCE of disease (such as COPD) – not what is needed for acute illness/critical care.
But they kept Dad at this minimal dose/frequency (except when they failed/neglected to bring a treatment) for 5 days, while we worked relentlessly from morning till night every day trying to advocate for more. Finally, an intern (new to dad’s case) approved 1 mg every 6 hours! However, before even a full day of treatments had been given, this long awaited victory was being threatened to be snatched away (I imagine due to pressure), unless we could produce scientific evidence justifying our request. We had already given a list of scientific studies for the effectiveness of these treatments to every doctor involved, but the dose and frequency that have worked best for Dr. Bartlett’s patients has not yet had a scientific study devoted to it. Those familiar with the politics involved and how long this process can take may understand why.
At this point, Laura B. urged me to reach out to her brother, and to our amazement, Dr. Bartlett himself graciously stepped in to join us in the fight. If you know anything about him, you should know that his list of credentials ought to silence any critic. The next day, he spoke to the doctors and they agreed to continue the treatments. However, by that same afternoon (perhaps tired of our advocacy and resentful of being persuaded), they arranged for dad’s transfer to LTACH (Long Term Acute Care Hospital). We were assured the treatments they’d finally agreed to would continue there. But this did not prove true. Once at LTACH the battle began again. Thankfully, with Dr. Bartlett now involved, the treatments were approved again the next day after he spoke with the new doctor. But by this point, dad was already 3 weeks into the battle.
For some reason, a decision was made that instead of administering the treatments every 6 hours, they would give them every 4 hours during the day, and not at all at night, leaving a 12 hour period overnight with no treatments. I wish now we’d insisted otherwise. After this 12 hour overnight lag, dad ended up in crises both of the following mornings. And with the LTACH dr. living out of town and also working at other facilities, it took between 4-5 hours from the time these crises began for him to finally arrive on site and his orders to be implemented by the staff. By the time he finally arrived the second morning, he told us there was really nothing more they could do.
Dr. Bartlett was graciously on the phone with us prior to and again right after that moment, advising us and helping us sort through and verify what we were being told.
Those of you who know me best (or were receiving our updates/prayer requests) know we were not just fighting this battle in the natural, but were fighting spiritual warfare as well. We were contending with the promises of God, speaking to the mountains, and putting into practice other spiritual principles Jesus taught us in His Word. We were not applying these things as a formula, void of intimate relationship. We were seeking the Lord, with our ear upon His chest, to hear His heart and mind about what was happening. We were surrendered to what He wanted to do, knowing to live is Christ and to die is gain. And up until at least a week earlier, the Lord seemed to be continuing to give us messages of faith and hope that made us believe we would have a different outcome. So that’s the position we continued to contend from.
The evening before dad passed, however, I noticed the words He was giving seemed different. As I held dad’s hand and played worship music over him the last night (while he slept), song after song that played were about death and ultimate resurrection…
Dad was awake to receive a breathing treatment while we were there that night, and his O2 was holding at 90-92 with no supplemental oxygen during the treatment! I told him how good it was to see that, and encouraged him to continue getting better and better. He agreed. In spite of his O2 being at this level, after the treatment, they put him back on a 50% O2 flow, which they’d just started after his crisis that morning… Now I wish we’d urged them to attempt to reduce it back to the 3 liters he’d been at before the crisis instead, giving him a better chance of expelling sufficient CO2.
As we were leaving, I told him I loved him, and though it had been difficult for him to communicate much in the past week and a half, he was able to respond that he loved me too. I’m grateful these were our last words to each other.
When we went to bed that night, rather than assurance of the miracle we’d been contending for, the word Jesse opened to from our devotional book after praying was about “Departures and Arrivals.” We questioned whether through the songs that night and this word, if the Lord was preparing us for dad’s departure. But I wasn’t ready to immediately accept that these messages were definitely from Him and join in agreement with them. I wanted to keep fighting the good fight of faith till I was certain.
But those words did enable me to tell him the next morning, in those last moments as my mom, sister, Jesse, and I surrounded him – while the dr encouraged us to tell him it was OK to leave –
“If you want to keep fighting, we’ll keep fighting for you, Dad. And lots of other people are fighting for you too. This is not too hard for God. But if you want to go on home to Heaven, we’ll understand.”
– and within moments he was gone.
He’d had enough. And I don’t blame him. The past few months had been traumatic, and the past few weeks had been torturous – not just for dad, but for us all. We’ve seen things we can’t unsee, and heard things we can’t unhear – things that will require the Lord’s healing from trauma. But He is able, and already ministering to us about His intention to do so.
As soon as Laura B. heard dad was gone, she was on the phone with us, praying for us, and assuring us that we’d fought valiantly and done all we could. That afternoon, I texted Dr. Bartlett some questions and he immediately called. He listened carefully as I sobbed my way through the conversation, seeking an “autopsy” of the situation – what happened and why – what we could have done differently or better. He was so kind and compassionate, wanting to unburden me and to commend our fervent advocacy for dad. He said we’d gotten more approved than many do – even though it was still less than what we wanted and so late in the illness. He lamented that once people go into the hospital, they’re fighting against the system and things are typically largely out of their control. The counsel he did offer, the regret he did confess, was that he wished we’d been prescribed nebulized b u d e s o n i d e treatments from the beginning of the illness. We weren’t aware of the importance of the nebulizer from the start, thinking an inhaler would be sufficient. But as dad’s situation demonstrated, inhalers aren’t enough for many patients – both in dose/frequency or in their delivery system. Dad couldn’t properly use the inhaler, nor was it enough medicine for him. The nebulized system of delivery (specifically with a mask) and higher dose/frequency would have solved these problems.
I know God is greater than stage 4 cancer; He’s greater than cancer + covid; He’s greater than cancer + covid + the serious medical mistakes and errors (which I haven’t even mentioned) that made dad’s situation even more critical + the unreasonable opposition we faced in the hospital; He’s greater than even death. I know nothing was or is impossible for Him and for those who believe Him, as He said. I don’t know all the answers for why things happened the way they did, in light of these truths, and will continue to work through those questions with Him. But I do know that Dad got the Ephesians 3:20 outcome that we’d been asking for. Heaven is truly the exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask, hope, or imagine outcome, more than any temporary outcome he could have received here.
So I’m OK – yet not OK at the same time. I’m OK knowing my dad is more alive and well than he’s ever been, enjoying perfection with the Lord, where we all long to be. (May it be soon – Maranatha – Come Lord Jesus!) I’m OK knowing he’s in our future, and not just in our past, and that we’ll see and embrace him again. I’m OK knowing God has us in His hands and has promised to work all things, even this, together for our good as we continue to trust and follow Him.
But it’s hard to be OK about the politicized state of our medical system – the “medical Marxism” as some have called it – and the atrocities and unnecessary deaths resulting from it every day. It’s hard to be OK with the injustice of compelling research and indisputable medical outcomes of reputable and even world-renowned physicians being censored and denied – or the ignorance, arrogance, and negligence of many medical professionals that have flourished as a result. I’m not OK with many hcps feeling coerced to kowtow to political and pharmaceutical pressures. I’m not OK with the travesty of those who have bravely spoken unauthorized truths and prescribed unsanctioned, yet effective, treatments that have saved lives, losing their jobs, reputations, and at times even their board certifications. I’m not OK with patients and family members who refuse harmful treatments and advocate for effective, safer ones being treated like troublemakers, imbeciles, and pariahs. I’m not OK with family members continuing to be separated from their loved ones in their crisis and prevented from being present to watch over, advocate, pray for, comfort, help, and support them continually, as they long and need to do. (I am so grateful we only went through one night of that cruelty, but just learned a friend just went through this with her mom, and we just passed the one year anniversary of the loss of another friend’s husband who suffered through that as well.)
I’m not OK that our experience in the hospital was so awful that even my mild-mannered, give everyone the benefit of the doubt, emotional rock of a husband felt like we needed to call the police to intervene because it seemed as if they were TRYING to kill dad through serious mistakes, negligence, and denial of appropriate care. And there’s undoubtedly more …
We’re painfully aware that these injustices aren’t solely limited to c-d protocols and care – since we also had to fight for dad to receive a life-saving surgery 3 years ago in a different hospital.
And we also understand that these battles over c-d treatments are not restricted to the one we fought for – since many others have presented scientific studies to advocate for other proven treatments and have been met with the same opposition and refusal.
They’ve just told us the c-d emergency is over, but those of us who have lost loved ones in the past 3 years in these unnecessary ways would contend that as long as anyone is being denied the effective treatments that could save their life – the emergency remains and continues to be one of their own making.
May God continue to help us forgive the unforgivable, but also to receive and respond to His wisdom regarding how to effectively advocate for change.
As has been our experience with most crises, we have been both blessed by and in awe of the kindness and compassion of some – while simultaneously being shocked and grieved by the actions or inaction of others. God forbid we focus solely on the latter.
We can never thank Laura Bartlett, her sister Barb, and their team enough for their help and advocacy for dad once he was in the hospital. I know she is/they are saving lives and helping people navigate nightmarish and hellish ordeals. And I can never thank Dr. Bartlett enough for stepping into the fight with us in the end. I know he can’t do that for everyone. His help in obtaining those last-minute victories meant the world to us. They are definitely part of our honorary family now.
We are also grateful to our pcp for the ways he fought for dad, the doctors who had the humility to listen to Dr. Bartlett and be persuaded to some degree, and for some of the kind nurses and respiratory therapists who helped take care of dad in the ways they were allowed.
At the same time, per Dr. Bartlett’s counsel, I’d prefer to help people never be put in this terrible predicament in the first place. I hope to help spread the word about the effectiveness of receiving nebulized b u d e s o n i d e breathing treatments in the early days of illness in order to avoid hospitalization. Pleaseread the medical journal/research articles about it on their site. Print them off to take with you, or electronically send them to your providers. Listen to the interviews online with Dr. Bartlett and take notes to keep and share. Pray for additional research to be done that will enable the most effective dose and frequency to become standard of care. I’m not suggesting you won’t find yourself still “fighting the system” in some respects, if you choose to pursue this. But at least you’ll have a better chance of finding doctors/pharmacies willing to provide this prior to hospitalization vs. afterward. Please have a plan in place ahead of time so that you know where you can get this treatment early on. There’s a list of doctors on their website who are willing to help if yours won’t.
At times I would be tempted to apologize for the length of what I’ve written, but today I will not. After hearing the things that were shared about my dad in others’ tributes the past few weeks, it’s more clear than ever that my attention to detail and thoroughness in study/research, writing, and even prayer, in part, was inherited from him. So I won’t apologize for them today, and instead offer this detailed post in honor of him.
I understand that I’ve brought up some sensitive issues and pray that I’ve done so without causing insurmountable offense. The Lord bless you and keep you. May He guide us all into all truth and bring us into unity – first and foremost with Him, and therefore with each other, in any areas where we disagree.
Please respect that this is my post about our experience with my dad’s death. Our experience, my feelings about it, and what I would like to share to try to help others as a result is not open for argument or debate. Thank you. With love and heartfelt care and prayers for all
ProtocolKills.com OurPatientRights.com – for documents to complete and sign to inform doctors and hospitals of your wishes and of consequences for willfully disregarding patient rights and informed consent. HospitalHostageHelp.com – Laura Bartlett’s hospital advocacy site
(links for the first 3 parts of the Spirit of a Magician series at the end)
“But relative to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and our gathering together to [meet] Him, … Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)… II Thessalonians 2:1-3
UNDERSTANDING THE STAKES
Many Christians are talking about a great revival and harvest before the second coming of Jesus. While we certainly pray for and pursue this, we shouldn’t ignore that Bible prophecy speaks of a great falling away, rather than a great revival, immediately preceding the Lord’s return. And it’s happening all around us. The Greek word translated “apostasy” refers to a defection from, falling away from, or forsaking of Truth. Though apostasy can occur for multiple reasons, the great end times apostasy described in II Thessalonians 2 has a few defining characteristics that are important for us to understand.
The first one we should notice is a connection to “the man of lawlessness” – and that lawlessness seems to be a central theme of this chapter.
Although the error of lawlessness is drastically on the rise, it isn’t a new problem just now appearing in the last days. Paul said the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work at the time he wrote this letter (v.7). While this deception may present itself one way to the world, the enemy knows exactly how to dress it up for church as well. Because of this, the church has tragically battled this error since its beginning. But God has turned that to our advantage – since it was identified and addressed for the first believers in Scripture, and therefore for us as well.
There are numerous warnings about lawlessness in the New Testament. Depending on what translation you use, you might not always see that precise word, but “lawlessness” can accurately convey the idea of several Greek words.
One of the most terrifying warnings comes from the glimpse of judgment day that Jesus gave us:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23 (see v. 13-27)
(The Greek for “practice lawlessness” here is ergazomai anomia, with a present middle or passive deponent participle verb form.)
I can’t imagine anything worse than the horror of this situation. These people believe they’re saved and about to be welcomed into Heaven. They call Jesus Lord! They’ve even operated in power in His Name! Yet Jesus turns them away! Why!? He said they practiced lawlessness instead of doing God’s will. When we contemplate the terror of many who will realize too late that they were deceived about their salvation due to practicing lawlessness, combined with Paul’s warning that lawlessness is at the root of the great end times apostasy – nothing could be more important than understanding what Jesus and Paul are talking about if we want to avoid being among the MANY who will face this never-ending nightmare.
PRACTICING LAWLESSNESS DEFINED
If we follow the principle of Biblical interpretation of letting Scripture define Scripture, we see that the Holy Spirit clearly defined what practicing lawlessness means.
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness [ignoring God’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will].” I John 3:4
The Greek word translated sin is hamartia. The Greek word translated lawlessness is anomia –the condition of one without law, due to ignorance, violation, or contempt.
Here the Holy Spirit (through John) equates the two as one and the same. So while the idea of lawlessness may often evoke images of anarchy – of ruffians prowling the streets committing crimes – this definition is far too limited. The reality is that practicing lawlessness simply refers to practicing ANY kind of sin. This should bring the danger of this deception much closer to home for all.
John goes on to say that those who are truly born of God, who abide in Him, and who can accurately be identified as righteous are those who practice righteousness, not sin. He said we cannot continue to practice sin because we’ve been born of the Seed of God (we are born of His Word and Spirit and our nature now comes from Him). In the same way, he clarified that those who are continuing to practice sin aren’t born of God, and don’t really know Him – they’re still of the devil, and their actions express his nature (I Jn 3:6-10). After attempting to set the record straight with this very simple standard for discernment (reminiscent of Jesus’ good trees bear good fruit / bad trees bear bad fruit standard in Mt 7:15-20, and His spiritual paternity test in Jn 8:31-47), John said – “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified” (v10). The purpose is not for condemnation (at least not presently), but for accurate identification – to prevent the kind of horrific deception seen in Mt 7 about whether we (or others) are truly saved. John urged us not to be deceived about this issue (v.7-8), as did other New Testament authors (Eph 5:5-6 -see 1-20 , Gal 5:19-21, I Cor 5, Heb 10:24-39, II Pt 2, etc)
(For those familiar with a different view of this passage based on KJV, please see the special note at the end.)
Through this we understand that some were already falling prey to the deception that we can be born again (saved), righteous, and “in Christ” (abiding in Him), in spite of continuing to practice sin/lawlessness. So John (like Jesus) gave this spiritual DNA test to help all determine, “Who’s your daddy.” If we discover we don’t like the answer – thank God we learned the truth in time to change!
So the error of lawlessness can be defined as the belief that Christians can practice sin/lawlessness, yet still be saved – that children of God can live in sin without it affecting their salvation, righteousness, or right standing with God “in Christ.”
WHERE DOES THIS ERROR COME FROM?
After speaking about the coming judgment, God’s desire for all to repent, and our need to live godly and holy lives as we wait for That Day, Peter echoed Jesus’ warning that the error of the lawless could cause us to fall and end in destruction. He revealed this error was coming from distortions of Paul’s teachings, as well as other Scriptures.
“He [Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” II Peter 3:16-17 (see II Peter 3)
(The Greek word here is athesmos – one who breaks through the restraint of law and gratifies his lusts.)
This exposes the spirit of a magician’s involvement in this deception. This error is not coming primarily from without, but stealthily from within – through some “magic” with God’s Word (as discussed in previous posts). The Greek word translated distort is strebloō and means “to twist, turn awry, to pervert, of one who wrests or tortures language in a false sense.”
I certainly don’t believe this means all those teaching this error are intentionally trying to deceive. Though some are wolves sent to harm the flock (Acts 20:26-32), others are simply deceived themselves and unaware (as Peter indicates – “ignorant”, not in the sense of stupid, just unaware of truth).
We know Paul is often distinguished as the apostle of grace. As we begin to understand this error and the passages used to promote it, it’s clear that the error of lawlessness comes from a distortion and misrepresentation of true grace. It takes the truth that we are no longer under the law, but grace, to an extreme of error that we are therefore without law or lawless. We can easily see how the spirit of a magician could pull off this grand illusion for multitudes who aren’t rooted and grounded in the whole counsel of God’s Word.
FINDING CLARITY
Thankfully Paul clarified that though he was not under the law (of Moses), neither was he without law or lawless; he said he was bound to or under the law of Christ (I Cor 9:20-21). The change of priesthood resulted in a change of law (Heb 7:12). God’s law went from external stone tablets to being written internally on our hearts. In doing so, it also changed from only applying to external actions to also applying internally at a heart level (Ez 36:26-27, Jer 31:31-33, Heb 8:7-12; 10:14-18). So while Jesus freed us from the many civil and ceremonial Mosaic laws, He actually took God’s eternal moral laws to a higher/deeper standard than before – all the way to our inner life, the thoughts and imaginations of the heart (Mt 5-7, etc). He reconfirmed His moral laws throughout the New Testament, and said that those who reject and deny them reject and deny Him (Eph 4-6, Col 3:1-17, I Thess 4:1-8, Titus 1:16, Jms 4:4, Jude v.4, etc.). And while all He taught us can be boiled down to loving God first, and loving others with His love (Mt 22:34-40, Rom 13:9-10), we can’t throw out His specific blueprints in His Word of what that love looks like and substitute our own – unless we want to be deceived and deceive others (Jn 14:15-26, I Jn 2:3-6; 15-17, I Jn 5:1-5).
Hopefully all will understand that John (In I Jn 3) didn’t mean that a true Christian will never sin, or even that we’d never struggle with a sin and have to walk through a process with the Lord to crucify the flesh in that area in order to overcome (I Cor 9:24-10:14, Gal 5:16-26, Col 3:1-10). Even those who abide in Him as He tells us to (Jn 15) will still be in the process of transformation to become more and more like Him until we leave this earth (Rom 12:1-2, II Cor 3:12-18, I Pt 1:13-19). We must daily depend on His grace to empower us to live as He calls us to, His mercy to forgive us when we fail, and His blood to continually cleanse us as we walk with Him in the Light/Truth (I Jn 1:5-10 ). None of us have any hope of meeting God’s standard of sinless perfection apart from receiving Jesus’ righteousness and holiness as a gift through faith in Him, either before or after we’re born again. But once we’re born again we have a new heart that longs to do God’s will. We have His divine power and His divine nature/character within us to help us live as He calls us to (II Pt 1:1-12). We have the conviction, power, and fruit of His Spirit to help us, His love that constrains and compels us, His grace that teaches and empowers us to say “no” to sin, His spiritual armor and weapons to overcome, and His loving discipline as our Father to correct us when we err, just to name a few (Romans 13:9-14, II Cor 5:14-15; 10:3-6, Gal 5:13-26, Eph 6:10-19, Phil 2:12-16, Titus 2:11-15, Heb 12 ). When He makes a tree good (a new creation), He expects our fruit to be good (Mt 12:33-37, Lk 3:1-18; 13:1-9, Jn 15:1-17, Acts 26:20, Rev 19:7-8). So we cannot continue in (practice) sin – not without hardening our hearts, deafening our ears, and searing our consciences to continue breaking through all His boundaries to a place that’s no longer truly “in Christ” according to His Word (I Jn 2:3-6, II Cor 13:5, I Tim 4:1-2, Heb 3:7-19; 10:24-39, 12:25-29, II Pt 2, Rev 2-3, etc).
So practicing or continuing in sin or lawlessness that Jesus, Paul, John, Peter, and others refer to is a form of acceptance of sin – it’s no longer something we repent of (turn away from), no longer something we hate or grieve over, no longer something we’re committed to cooperating with the power and nature of Christ in us to crucify, change, and overcome (I Cor 5, II Cor 12:20-21, James 4:1-10, Rev 2-3) . Instead, it’s become our norm, our habit, our way of life. Perhaps it’s something we plan for. Perhaps it’s something we delight in and love, or accept and approve of (II Thess 2:12, Rom 1:32). And though few may recognize it – it causes us to serve a different master and lord (Jn 8:31-47, Rom 6, II Pt 2:19).
RESTORING LORDSHIP
Jude gave additional insight about this distortion of grace –
“For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” Jude v4 AMPC
(The Greek word here is aselgeia – often translated licentiousness or lasciviousness.)
The AMP expounds that they view God’s grace “as an opportunity to do whatever they want.” This highlights the true source of this error, through its similarity to the first law of satanism, “Do as thou wilt.” This is the exact opposite and inversion of Jesus’ example for us of submission to God – “Not my will, but Thine be done.”
We should notice that Jude said those involved in this error disown and deny our Master and Lord Jesus. Peter said the same (II Pt 2). Again, it’s important to remember this is not deception from outside the church, causing people to deny their faith in Jesus. It’s coming from within the church, through distortions of God’s Word. Both Peter and Jude went on to say that these people reject and despise “authority” (II Pt 2:10, Jude v8). This Greek word, kyriotēs, can also be translated LORDSHIP. Those deceived by the error of lawlessness still claim faith in Jesus as their Savior, but these errors cause them to deny and disown Him as Master and Lord – in the sense that they reject His Lordship over their lives. It’s vital to understand that they don’t do so by purposefully denying or renouncing Him as Lord with words. Instead this denial and rejection occurs through their actions/sin (I Thess 4:1-8, Titus 1:16, Jms 4:4, Heb 10:26-39).
Peter said the result of these errors is to malign and defame (to blaspheme) the true Way (II Pt 2:1-2). So these distortions of grace produce a counterfeit form of Christianity that blasphemes and maligns true Christianity (which can happen in several ways). It leads people to believe they can receive Jesus as their Savior without truly receiving Him as their Lord (by living under His Lordship) – that they can be saved, but continue practicing sin. In doing so, it creates “another gospel”, “another spirit”, and “another Jesus” (II Cor 11:1-4), no longer the Jesus, Holy Spirit, and gospel revealed in God’s Word.
Now we can clearly understand the deception Jesus was exposing in the judgment scene of Matthew 7. The many still called Him Lord, but they didn’t really live under His Lordship (doing the will of the Father). Though they operated in power in His Name, they didn’t operate in His character – they practiced lawlessness/sin. They fell prey to this counterfeit form of Christianity.
It is this incomplete gospel that causes the New Testament to seem so confusing and contradictory to many. When we define saving faith as only receiving Jesus as Savior ~ Scriptures that command ongoing repentance from sin and obedience to God’s moral standards sound like they’re polluting grace and faith with law and works (and those speaking these truths end up being labeled legalists, Pharisees, and worse – blaspheming and maligning the true Way). So many today have ended up rejecting much of the New Testament because they can’t reconcile it with the version of the gospel, grace, and Jesus they’ve received.
But when we understand the Biblical truth that saving faith involves receiving Jesus as our Lord as well as Savior, we begin to see consistency instead of contradiction throughout the New Testament. This explains why the NT authors say we must repent of sin and live holy lives – and why the Biblical definition of the Gospel includes repentance from sin, instructions for holy living, and warning of judgment for those who refuse (Lk 3:3-18, Acts 3:19-26; 14:15; 17:30-31; 24:14-25, 26:18-20, Rom 2:1-16, II Cor 6:14-7:1, Col 1:28-29, II Thess 1, Heb 10:26-39, I Pt 1, etc). The New Testament authors are all consistent in these truths.
It is this complete gospel that is the power of God to save us and set us free from every form of bondage to the enemy.
As Jesus revealed – the gospel of lawlessness will not save.
RESTORING TRUTH
Though it’s shocking for many of us to imagine, Paul said God would actually give people over to this deception of lawlessness because they failed to love Truth, and instead delighted in sin. (II Thess 2, Rom 1) So the antidote to this deception is to make sure we love Truth and pursue Truth (not sin) – even truth that is challenging, unpopular, that brings persecution, and that puts us in opposition with the world.
One of the profound moments for us in our journey was when the Lord reminded us that Jesus is full of both Grace AND Truth (Jn 1:17)– and that one to the exclusion of the other is error. Truth without Grace will result in Legalism. But Grace without Truth will result in Lawlessness. There’s a ditch on both sides of the road.
In the first part of this series, I referenced the key Paul gave us to love truth and avoid deception – to hold fast to the teachings that have been passed on to us, referring to the teachings that are now preserved for us in God’s Word. Paul wasn’t talking about the subjective “your truth vs. my truth” we hear so much about today. He was referring to the objective standard of Truth God has given us. So to love Truth, we must love God’s Word; Jesus said God’s Word IS TRUTH. (John 17:17)
In the second part of this series, I mentioned the similar antidote Jesus gave us to His terrifying warning about practicing lawlessness (in Mt 7). The key He gave to avoid falling prey to this deception is to build our lives on His teachings, on the Rock of His Word – not to merely be hearers of it, but to truly be doers, who put it into action (or PRACTICE) (Mt 7:13-27, Jms 1:21-27). Of course, we know from His Word we have no hope of living as He tells us to apart from being born again of His Spirit and continually filled with His Spirit as we abide/remain in intimate relationship with Him (through His Word and Spirit). Only then can we follow the law of Christ under His Lordship and grace.
God forbid that a failure to understand and restore these truths would result in the great end times harvest many are pursuing and the great end times apostasy foretold actually being one and the same event – through making many false converts through a false grace and gospel to a false Jesus. May every counterfeit be exposed in the light of God’s Truth, and may all know the Truth and be truly saved and set free.
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude v17-25
Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said:
“I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 “So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord, “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor], 18 And I will be a Father to you, And you will be My sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty.
7 1Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.II Corinthians 6:14-7:1
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it! 16 Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:15-23
footnote for those w/ different understanding of I John 3 from KJV:
Unfortunately, some who use only the KJV have been led to dangerous misinterpretations of I John 3, due to its insufficient translation of Greek verb forms. These misinterpretations have actually led some Christians to believe the exact opposite of what the passage is truly saying. Though they rightly realize John couldn’t possibly be saying that a Christian cannot sin (v.9, since no one has ever been perfect but Jesus), they mistakenly reason that John must have meant it’s our born again spirit that cannot sin. From this they conclude that our spirits remain perfect and untouched by sin committed in the body, so that even if someone is living in willful sin, their spirit remains sinless and they remain saved as long as they still “believe in Jesus”. This contradicts not only the accurate translation of this passage, but many other NT passages as well. A study of this chapter in the Greek and/or reading it from a translation that accurately captures the Greek (such as the AMP, AMPC, NASB) will dispel confusion and bring clear understanding. I realize some reject this truth, claiming that translators have added words to Scripture that aren’t there (such as “practice” or “continue” in sin). But the reality is they have not added words; they’ve simply properly translated the present active Greek verb tenses that John used.
