Lord, help me to see beyond what I can do, and see all that You can do. To walk in the impossible I must keep my eyes on You. To do this I need to walk as though what I seek – I have found, think that what I asked for – is already mine, and know that all the doors that look closed – will be opened for me. When I take my eyes off You and put them on my problems I will feel hopeless; remembering that my words aren’t as powerful as what You say. Your Word will result in the right changes and “end” You want for Your children.
The Death of Frank Dietz
Frank Dietz passed on to be with the Lord Monday January 11, 2021. For the past 3 years he tended to his invalid wife 24/7 learning to cook, clean, do laundry as well as take her on walks and working with her to get better. But Anneli is not any better, and their two daughters have a huge job trying to care for her and rushing to get Frank’s legal matters in order, which Frank had put off. His focus was on His work from the Lord – as most of us understood.
Frank’s death was a surprise. This fast spreading cancer was quickly destroying his organs, and from the start of him going in to find out why he was feeling bad and all, till the time he died it was only a few months.
Frank was loved and highly admired and honored all over the world. Operation Mobilization is putting together a Zoom acknowledgement from friends of Frank’s life. Amy, his older daughter has been trying to care for her mother, but she’s overwhelmed. Please pray. Also, his younger daughter, Liisa, has started a “go-fund-me” for their costs in taking care of their mother, Frank’s beloved wife Anneli. If you want to give – here is the link:
Fundraiser by Liisa Bishop : Frank and Anneli Dietz- Memorial and OnGoing Care (gofundme.com)
We’re praising God that Frank is out of his suffering. Glory to God! Can’t wait to be joined with him in GLORY!
Are the Mainstream Churches Relevant Today?
My wife and I have not attended a traditional church for years. Why? Some think we are not walking with God. Some ask, how can you stay in fellowship without being in a church around other believers? Some think we have gone out on a tangent and have missed the way. Some might think that there was a church problem in our past and that is why. I have been asked, “You have gifts that the body needs, why don’t you use these gifts?” I ask them, where are God’s gifts in me ONLY allowed to be used?! And, “who is in control of these gifts from God?”
The truth is, we do not fit into the so-called “traditional mainstream church” as it has become. I have never given up on the Body of Christ, just the traditional organized mainstream church. The church of today is not relevant to what I see or what I am going through, and this is why I believe the traditional church attendance is down. I have been asked why not try and change it? I do not have the time, desire or strength to do this.
What I do firmly believes is that the traditional church of American is not prepared for what is coming. They believe that God will not allow them to go through extreme suffering. Why would they think like this? Is there some place in the Bible that says that Christians will not suffer? Could it be that they think they have not done anything worthy of suffering, or just because they belong to Jesus that He will not allow them to suffer. Jesus said they if they hated Him they will hate His disciples too. Ask those believers all over the world who are suffering now; those who have died, or have had the loss of wife, husband, children and parents, the loss of everything they had saved and worked for their whole life. They suffer for their love and stand for Jesus, because they will not compromise, not deny the Lord or His Word to them.
What I have found – is if you want a relationship with Jesus it will NOT come by attending meetings. It will not come by listening to someone tell you what they learned in the Word of God. It will not come by trying to live a good life. All of my “saved” life I have had a quiet time in the Bible; about one hour every morning. Lately, one hour has not been enough. I even long for the wee hour morning now and cannot wait until 2 or 3 AM so that I can spend time with the Spirit in the Word, and in prayer. I do not regret that I am losing sleep either, as I still go to work from 7 AM to 6 PM. I am not saying this to show how “spiritual” I am. I am only saying that if people want to ‘truly’ know Him it requires time and passion.
Certainly, for the most part, traditional church leaders teach God’s Word, but there is a difference when you have the indwelling Holy Spirit talking to you from His Word each morning, rather than someone telling you about His Word. The question is: Do you want to ‘know’ Jesus or just have someone teach you about Jesus?
1 Timothy 4 says, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith.” Why? The Lord says, “These people do not know Me or My word. They think their life is made right with Me by rules and regulations, but My faithful people will know the truth. My children’s hope is in Me, the Savior of all people. So don’t let anyone think less of you because you are different, but be an example to everyone in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
America’s Future
Hang on to your hats kids! We’re going to see the worst of this so-called ‘elected’ party in full-gore-power! Trump certainly made mouthy mistakes, but his supporters have clearly had enough of politics as usual as they showed up in droves to the Capitol the other day.
Whether Trump said or didn’t say what he said, that he is being accused of starting all that came down at the Capitol (which of course was greatly exaggerated by the left’s medias) nothing would change the way the liberal media plan to report it.
We all still support every policy Trump signed, and his genuine support for “law and order,” for our “military to be the best,” and for our veterans to be cared for, and for our law officers to be free to do their jobs and not be disrespected like they have by liberal politicians, and of course Trump’s genuine support of our Constitutional freedoms that we will slowly see taken away and replaced by a growing government of self-serving politicians who want nothing to do with God, the Bible, Christianity and Conservative thought, removing it from all of society and American culture (like they’ve already started to do) which, whether you want to believe or not, is what Trump was wanting to prevent, and why Trump was hated so much. Oh, they say other things about why they hated him, but it’s all a mask.
Again, Trump is not a perfect man, many faults, like ALL OF US. But we, who voted him into office for his constitutional beliefs and patriotism (which have been twisted by the media) we will always see him as a president that pushed through “a wicked political coup” working night and day against him – like no other president has had to endure, a president taking NO salary – like no other president ever did, and all the while being ‘falsely’ accused of one thing after another without any truth and proof that would be grounds in court for removing him from office while in office. Or, they would have!
Without stop for 4 years plus, is why the people who voted him into office are clearly fed up and why they showed up in droves to the Capitol to protest election corruption and fraud, as well as all that had been exposed about the 4 year democrat coup, that we all are still waiting for these criminals to receive the same justice we all would receive.
No doubt, there is a civil war taking place – for a good reason. If you really think that the lies, deception, chaos and warring is all going away because the democrats won everything, like I said….. Hang on! Or, keep dancing!
As for us, we’re ‘preparing’ as the Lord has been telling us to – for years now. We won’t stop being the Lord’s witnesses with what HE’s given us to do or say in His Name, no matter how it might offend people, or cost us. We report to the Lord, not to anyone else. What is there to fear from man, or what man will do to America?
We know from the Word of God what will come upon the earth as the DAY OF LORD approaches, and how the world’s governments will unite against anything “GOD.” What is coming in these next years is all the beginning of America’s ‘progressive’ end of our nation’s ‘independence’ as a nation UNDER God (this godless administration bringing America under the control of the UN), the end of our ‘God-given’ rights (we will get our rights from the government-god) and as we’ve seen at work already – the end of our government working in ways it was never intended to work as designed by God with our godly founders.
Say what you will. But we’ve said all WE could. Now, we’re going to watch the sad results, pray for people to come to the Lord while His door is still open, and prepare for the worst of times, as our Lord told us to. YET, keeping in mind as the Lord’s own people that “our future is as BRIGHT as the promises of God!
WORDS
Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
In his essay called “Politics and the English Language,” George Orwell shared a crucial insight about the decline of language: “A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.”
Mike Bauman says, “Sloppy language makes sloppy thought possible.” In Orwell’s “1984,” the masses are fed redefining slogans like “War Is Peace,” “Freedom Is Slavery,” and “Ignorance Is Strength.” We are in a cultural war and in this battle it is often on the use of words. How do we define and redefine words? Language is very important and like Proverbs says: “The tongue has the power of life and death.”
I want to write about some of the fallacies that are out there influencing us whether we know it or not. These fallacies have to do with how we use words and how we frame our arguments.
The ‘opinion makers’ of this world (those who use words to make a living) are framing their arguments in such a way that they are moving society down a slippery slope. We are told in the Word: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23 KJV)
Also, the Word says: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
In this New Year of 2021, there are two resolutions that the Lord has laid upon my heart:
First, the need to get the Gospel out to all mankind. What the above verses are telling me is the need to see the heart of man changed and only the Gospel can do that. Wealth, government legislation, education, better standard of living, or like we say here in USA, pursuing the American dream (whatever that is), will not change the heart of man. Only the Gospel can do that and we, the church, have a tremendous obligation to do just that by using His Holy Spirit with gifts and abilities invested in us.
Secondly, we must learn to frame our arguments wisely. Ideas have consequences and some of the ideas that are being bandied about will have a dastardly affect upon us and our children and grandchildren. One of these deadly ideas that is being brought forth is that ‘matter is all that exists.’ In this idea there is no spiritual realm. This is why, when the tragedy that struck Newtown, CT, when 26 people were gunned down and 20 of them children from the ages of 5-10, most of our ‘opinion makers’ had no answers let alone solutions.
We need to understand and be able to explain it wisely that in this modern age – God is still on the throne and He is sovereign over the nations and human history. “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” (Psalms 22:27-28)
To do this we need to learn to think biblically and understand the fallacies that are circulating in our media, entertainment, government, family, market place and yes, even the church.
Warfare!
I had a dream last night, actually more of a nightmare. I was in a home for a prayer meeting. The pastor who was leading it – cut off prayer too early in my opinion. I felt disappointed, but I did not say anything. Later when we all went outside, a little boy walked over to the neighbor’s horse corral to pet the horse. The horse reared up and went unusually crazy, running around the corral then jumping the fence to get at the boy. We who saw this were stunned, and starting screaming at the horse. Then, out of nowhere, came a big mountain lion that finished off the boy who had been stomped on the ground by the horse. Screaming from the parents and the others was all I heard as I just stood in shock watching it all. Then these words came: “This is what happens when My people don’t pray.”
I woke up, and couldn’t go back to sleep; it was 2:00 a.m. I laid in bed praying for my children, but it wasn’t the focused prayer God was after – so I got up at 2:30 to go pray the way God is after from His Church today.
What kind of prayer did the prayer group stop short of? WARFARE! Using God’s Word against the plans/schemes/works/weapons of the devil and his cohorts. Jesus did and the devil fled.
I started to meditate on what the horse and cat represented in my dream. The horse: that which you have trusted or felt safe around – but can’t be trusted any longer. (Not at all referring to God and His Word.) The big cat: that we’re living in a time when out of nowhere comes a vicious attack. Then the pastor; what does he represent? A man that God has put in charge of leading others, and yet, not really leading as a leader should. He was not being led by the Holy Spirit for warfare prayer because he cut short the needed prayer just as it was starting to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said that His Spirit would tell us of the things to come, lead us in how to see and treat the times we live in, instruct us in what we need to be doing in various practical ways, and Who would remind the Lord’s people of what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples ‘by example’ about hardship, persecution, enduring the evil day, standing on God’s promises – as they/we finish the work of God in their/our appointed time on earth. Jesus did, and He’s given us all we need to do the same.
Jesus warned about the APOSTASY of His churches due to them being afraid of persecution (so they do what they’re told by the ungodly) and afraid of hardships (so they depend on worldly systems), instead of confidently prepared and ready to overcome the flesh, the world and the devil. “Greater is HE who is within me, than he who is in the world!”
At the end of each of the Lord’s letters to His churches, He ends each with this instruction: “HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO THE CHURCHES!” (Revelation 2 and 3)
I would assume, and from the dream the Lord gave me, that we need to be trained for the real battle and get in the fight as we should, taking up our God-given positions of warfare against the unseen principalities of power over our loved ones, our communities and over our government.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the FULL armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against national rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this world’s darkness (Satan and his demons), and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (That which is “not seen,” but is there just the same, which we need to understand how to fight and defeat. Lives depend on it.)
“Therefore, take up the FULL ARMOR of God, so that when (not if) the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything YOU SHOULD DO, TO STAND (without any shrinking back). Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the READINESS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. In addition, to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one. And with the helmet of Christ’s salvation and the SWORD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, which IS THE WORD OF GOD, PRAY; pray in the Spirit at all times, and with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, STAY ALERT with all PERSEVERANCE as you continue to pray, and praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10-18
Help me Lord to be faithful to what You have shown me.
Truth – the BELT of our Armor
Truth is the belt of our spiritual armor, according to God and His Word. Therefore, truth holds matters of life in its place, and without truth our lives fall apart. This is so true today as so many life’s issues are falling apart. Example: truth about a family unit where a man and woman marry and have children together. The lie: today anything can be called a family, and the result is that the ‘true’ family unit as God designed it, is being destroyed. When the true family unit is destroyed, then we lose the next generation. So it is very important to know the truth, because our next generation will be affected, and have to pay the consequences for our rejection of truth.
What is God Doing?
There is no doubt that this has been a year of great turmoil and one that seems to invite fear, anxiety, and a mixture of despair regarding the future. We have had a pandemic that has caused lockdowns, as well as destruction coming from storms, not just here in the States, but in other parts of the world as well, and at the writing of this letter I’m not sure about the outcome of our presidential elections that have been held.
For those of us who know the Lord, it is important to have a grasp of what God is doing. The one thing that is coming to me over and over when I pray about it is that God is in the process of preparing the Church, the Bride of Christ, to meet her Groom – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Peter said: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
The Apostle Paul said, regarding the church, the Bride of Christ: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27
Jesus Christ said: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’” John 5:19
Why is it important to know what our heavenly Father is doing – so that we can work along with Him? What the Lord has been speaking to my wife and I is that He is getting us ready (part of the Bride of Christ) to meet the Groom. He is wanting to remove the “spots” and “wrinkles.”
In my November 12th letter I mentioned how the Lord led me to pray for my wife’s healing ‘little by little.’ I could not understand why He would lead me that way, but then going to the verse that mentioned ‘little by little,’ I saw what the Lord was doing. “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Exodus 23:30) We know that this is speaking about the Children of Israel going into the Promise Land and defeating the seven nations that were there. However, this also became a Rhema-word for Anneli and I that in the healing He too wanted to drive out things in our life that would be characterized by what Paul called “spots” and “wrinkles.”
The Psalmist said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
The Lord began to work in our hearts, and we put down what He showed us:
- Solution to self-pity: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:21
- Solution to negativity because we have the tendency to be more negative than positive: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
- Solution to stubbornness: (First noting that both my wife and I have been, and still are stubborn people, but in some ways, to do what needs to be done does take a certain amount of stubbornness, but often what is a strength can also be a weakness) “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord greater delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22) Obedience is what God desires.
God told Israel, and I believe He is also telling the Bride of Christ: “Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” (Amos 4:12) We need to prepare!
Insecurity
Praying this morning, it came to me how we will try to relieve our insecurity (not really aware of it) with what we do (our work or our ministry or for doctors and prescriptions for our physical health), what we have (material, income or family) and what we know (head-knowledge). We all have insecurity until we meet the Lord who is our TRUE security. Sadly, we replace TRUE security with things which are a ‘false’ security. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ (in truth and spirit) will overcome every insecurity we’ve had since birth.
When the Spirit of God is poured in me – the Kingdom of God starts to live in me. God pours His Holy Spirit in me when I trust in His Son’s sacrifice for me on the Cross. Then it’s God’s Word to me, about who He is that will never change, His love for me and what He thinks of me, and what His will and purpose is for me – that I need to understand more than anything else in this life.
When I am ‘secure’ in Christ Jesus, then everything else in my life I see as I should see (my work, my ministry, my health, my stuff, my finances, my goals, my health, my family and worldly knowledge). I see the earthly and temporal things from a different perspective: God’s.
I see my work or ministry as something I do that brings God glory because I will stand before Him one day and given an account of it all. I see my material possessions as things, some I need and my family needs, and most I/we don’t need. I see my income with God in mind, thankful for that provision, and eager to offer Him part of it to use. I see my husband/wife and children differently too. I learn from God how I am to treat them and serve them and how to raise up my children for His love and purpose. I see my health as a result of my spiritual awareness. I come to realize that what I’ve learned so far (in school or wherever) is secondary to the truth and wisdom that comes from the Creator of all things, and who is my everlasting Father and whose Kingdom will come, as it is in Heaven.
People are looking for security, love, peace and joy in life. The only One that can supply these internal and eternal blessings, and that can qualify all the things we do/we have/we know – is being rooted and established in Jesus Christ, with His kingdom life within me.
When I know the Lord God (know Him truthfully, intimately and heartfully) and know what He promises me, from daily reading His Word, will be fulfilled in this earthly life, in death and eternal life with Him. I am genuinely secure “IN HIM,” and in Him alone. I might even have the privilege of others asking me what it is that I have, and they don’t.
Secured now and eternally in Christ Jesus, I can be content with little or content with much – having an assurance that my Father God is teaching me about His faithfulness with little, and His purpose with much in life. I can truly love my family knowing God’s love and forgiveness for me. I can do my work to the best of my ability with integrity and with a servant’s heart – because God has a purpose for my life, and that which HE starts in me – He will complete in me. I don’t feel the need to talk about myself, about what I know, so as to impress others – because God is the only One I want to please and be approved by. I’m most eager to talk to Him and for Him to talk to me each morning, and throughout the day and night.
When He is pleased with me, He passes His favor on to others so they will approve and prefer me over others when I need it. I have no desire to get drunk or enter into fleshly sins that can be temporarily enjoyed but come with serious regrets.
None of this can take the place of the true security I can have in the Father/Son/Holy Spirit.
We’re seeing more and more things happening (in our own lives and all over our world) that God fully uses to expose man’s false security, false hope, false peace, false joy and all our false ‘gods’ – hoping to draw us to Himself, the only TRUE GOD and FAITHFUL FATHER of us all.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
What does HE SAVE us from? He saves us from eternal damnation for sure because our sins are forgiven, but He also saves us from anything FALSE.
We have the blood of Jesus, His name, His Word and His Spirit – to find the life that is truly LIFE and live it out fully with all His favor and blessings. How much more SECURE is that?!
Ohhhhh what a Savior! Thank You Father God for allowing Your Son to come into this world, unnaturally through a ‘virgin’ birth, and as a helpless baby to experience what we experience; to call and teach a chosen few about the relationship we can have with You Father in prayer and commitment, and then to die in our place as Your Son hung on the Cross with all the guilt of the sin of this world upon Him. Wow!
And HE ISN’T FINISHED YET! The Lamb of God will return as the Lion of God! He will finish all that He has promised He will do in ending all evil and rebellion, and bringing to the world His perfect everlasting peace, love, joy and life everlasting that our Father had originally intended for all those who love Him. Thank You Father!
Answered Prayer
Praying this morning – the thought came – that unless we feed on God’s Word, hiding it in us – how will we know how to pray, and if our prayers are heard by God at all. God has said that He answers prayers that are in line with His will. But, we won’t know what “His Will” is if we are not looking into His Book (the Bible) to understand His Will and Ways since the beginning. God does not change with the times or cultures. We won’t know what we need to know about God and about those who love Him, and even about those that don’t love Him – apart from His written Word to us.
People pray without knowing WHY God answers prayer, or does not answer prayer. God does not meet us, nor reward us, on OUR TERMS. (Job 34:33)
God meets us when we come to Him on HIS TERMS (His words and conditions). Then He’ll answer our prayers, and yet, we might have to wait a while to see our prayers answered. God is doing something IN me, while I wait, that is far more important to Him – than what I asked Him for. He knows me better than I know myself, and for that I am truly thankful!
The intimate relationship He wants to have with me is far more important to Him than earthly temporal things I concern myself with, or the fears I have for people I love.
The horse must go ahead of the cart. I must first learn who my Father God TRULY is, and that starts by daily reading His Holy Bible over and over, getting it in me, so that my thoughts unite to His thoughts, my will unites to His Will. Then I can be sure that my prayers of faith – will be answered “in Jesus’ Name.”
Prayer is about “living before my God day and night,” always mindful of His intimate presence; enjoying conversation with my Father God all the time; having freedom with every thought and desire open with Him; not afraid of His painful discipline when I need it, knowing the good He has planned for me.
“God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty, and firm in His purpose…He does not answer when people cry out because of the arrogance of wickedness. Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it. If people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, He tells them what they have done – that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction. But if they refuse Him, they will suffer for it. But even those who suffer He speaks to them in their affliction. He is wooing them from the jaws of distress to a spacious place of freedom with Him. God is exalted in power! Who is a teacher like Him? Who has ever prescribed His Ways for Him?! Or who can get away with saying to God, ‘YOU HAVE DONE WRONG?’ Remember to extol the works of so gracious a God, which people have known and praised in song. How GREAT is GOD – beyond our understanding! So that everyone HE HAS MADE may know HIS WAYS, He stops people from their labor. Therefore, people revere Him, for He has regard for all the wise in heart!” (Job 36 and 37 in parts)