My friend, a woman in her early fifties, checked out a church and was telling me about it. The people were so very gracious and likeable, but there was one thing she spoke of that really bothered her, and me too. She noticed the women, certain ones, over-speaking their husbands in conversations. What I mean by “over-speaking” is that when their husband started to speak the wife would but in to take over the conversation, and in a way that seemed acceptable to the husband. She also was disturbed in her spirit to see the pastor of this church occasionally speaking at the pulpit. His wife and another woman preached more than he did, seeming appropriate to honor women as well as men for what they have to say.

As I was listening to her talk about this church (like so many other churches in America), something kept coming to me: “New Vine!”

I waited on more information from the Holy Spirit: It’s a ‘new’ Christianity that has formed here in America where God’s Word doesn’t mean what it says; it doesn’t mean what it ‘used’ to mean. There’s been a different spirit at work to deceive and misinterpret the Word of God so that it keeps Christians pleasing to everyone, except God. These young believers with families of their own – are afraid of being persecuted and rejected in society. They are looking for the way to ‘fit in’ and still hold to their belief in Jesus Christ. It won’t happen, says the Lord! We can’t walk the fence of having the best of both sides. That “fence of compromise” will eventually shake and we will have to decide which side we fall on.

I believe this is what God meant by speaking through Amos His Prophet about our day, the last days:

“’Behold, days are coming’ declares the Lord God, ‘when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.’” Amos 8:11-12

The old ancient path of God’s Word meaning EXACTLY what it says – does not ‘fit in’ with today’s progression of all religions taking people to heaven; not one above the other; all religions uniting to tolerate each other’s lifestyles and to not stand against anyone’s lifestyle (of what God hates). Believers in Jesus Christ must compromise the Word of God in order to escape the ‘persecution of progressives’ for obeying God in exactly what He says in His Word. This New Vine Christianity is not of the OLD VINE. This New Vine has different branches and different fruit than the OLD VINE.

God does not change. His Word does not change. The Holy Spirit’s interpretation of God’s Word never changes. We are the ones that go along with the change in culture and society, and try to make the Word of God support our changes.

Christians (so they call themselves) are not taking God’s Word literally and personally as His people once did in America. We have repeated Israel’s mistakes:

“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? Says the LORD, through Jeremiah His prophet. Jeremiah 5:30-31

“No prophecy from God was ever brought about through human initiative, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My Name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.’” Jeremiah 14:14

New Vine! New Branches! New Fruit! JUDGMENT!

Jesus said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” Matthew 12:33

Jesus Himself said that every branch ‘in Him’ that bears NO good fruit will be cut off, while every branch that does bear good fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:2) I would rather be (painfully) pruned than forever cut off!

Jesus tells His followers:  “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.  I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 14:4-5

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will remain – so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.  This is My command to you: Love one another.” John 15:15-17

Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” Luke 17:1

Far too many church pastors are “stumbling blocks.” Far too many parents are “stumbling blocks” for children. Far too many husbands are “stumbling blocks” for their wives, and wives to their husbands – like Eve was to Adam in the Garden.

“Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1

“For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; who say to the prophets, ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right. Speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions.  Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’” Isaiah 30:9-11

“For they are a nation lacking in counsel, and there is no understanding in them. Would that they were wise, that they understood, that they would discern their future!” Deuteronomy 32:28-29

“For such as these are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Romans 16:18

“Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness (the son of destruction) is revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3

“For the time will come when men will NOT tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

This is how this New Vine has been able to spread like crab-grass, a fast-growing weed, all the land of America to where we are having great unrest and destruction taking place.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

“They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is NO peace.” Jeremiah 6:14

Through God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, He says: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will NOT be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32)

Why did our Lord Jesus say this? What does He send His Spirit to do for us that if we reject Him – we are forever lost and separated from God?

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.” John 16:13

TRUTH comes from God’s Spirit! Being prepared for judgment so that we do not stand in the JUDGMENT along with the wicked – is the work in us done by God’s Holy Spirit. Understanding fully what is ahead for the Lord’s disciples, the timing of things promised – is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

If we refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit – we will be deceived – believing every wind of false teaching and false prophecy. This is the working of the devil for a counterfeit vine to replace the TRUE VINE: Jesus Christ and His leadership in our lives.

Hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches! Repent! Return to our First Love! Be still and know that HE IS GOD! Purify ourselves with the cleansing of the Word of God – obeying exactly what it says and means. Pray without ceasing and with the whole armor of God (all power and authority in Christ). And, do not be caught unaware of the devil’s schemes, falling into his traps. Be wiser than our enemies, with the holy wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Ready your families. Jesus is coming sooner than we think!

I’m thankful for our founding fathers and the Constitution they formed with so much foresight and wisdom in it, understanding the future conflicts that would come, and with God’s help – designing it so that our freedoms, especially our religious freedoms, would be protected and not able to be controlled or threatened by the government.

Religious expression (peaceful not hostile expression) is not to be kept out of public life. The Constitution being designed to protect person…al God-given rights, and keeping government from having the right to control our “freedom of conscience and faith in God.”

Thank You Father God for those men and their families that sacrificed and risked their lives to start a new life here of liberty and the pursuit of happiness – everyone’s God-given right. Thank You Father God for our law enforcerment and military who protect us and especially I want to thank You Father God for a new president who will honor this and protect it for all Americans. Thank You Father God for a new president that honors the “traditional” family as God designed the family. Thank You Father God for our family of 21; five faithful marriages; 11 precious grandchildren growing up with faith in Jesus Christ as they follow after their faithful parents, blessed and highly favored of God.

I’m so VERY thankful for the bright future that our God has prepared for those who love HIM! Tidings of COMFORT and JOY to all God’s people! For, all good things come from our Father God who has graciously shown us how much HE LOVES US! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God our Father! What a Savior; the only hope for this world! What a friend we have in Jesus Christ who laid down His life for us all! Even for His enemies! Amazing!

I thank God for the peace HE will bring to the world, because ‘His’ peace this world knows nothing about and neither can this world give us peace and rest. Thank YOU FATHER in Heaven for all YOUR blessings, but I thank YOU mostly for giving me the faith to believe in Jesus Christ my Savior and KING! Jesus is coming again, and there is no stopping Him from finishing the WORD OF GOD for mankind. GLORY to GOD on HIGH! We Your children PRAISE YOU!

Abraham and Lot.

“With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying ‘Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. When Lot hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.” Genesis 19:15-16

What stands out to me are two things: Lot hesitated, and the LORD was merciful to them.

Sodom was their home and home is hard to leave (especially for a woman), no matter how bad it is.

God in heaven saw how bad it was in Sodom where Lot and his family lived. I wonder how much contact Abraham had with his nephew Lot, and how often Lot had talked to his uncle about the evil in Sodom. Somehow I don’t think that Abraham was ignorant of Lot’s adversities living there because of how the LORD (one of the 3 men) came first to Abraham’s place and how the LORD stayed with Abraham while He sent His two angels (two men) on to Sodom to do what they came down to do. I love that about our LORD; that He cares about the families of His faithful servants; He watches out for those the children they love and pray for. The LORD showed Abraham honor by staying with Abraham in conversation about it, and reassuring Abraham that his nephew and family would be taken out before the city was destroyed by fire.

It is stated that Lot was righteous, not because he was a perfect man without sin, but because of who he trusted in and obeyed: the God of Abraham. “Abraham obeyed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” We are called “the righteous of God” when we trust in God’s Son – Jesus Christ for what He did on the cross for us with His own body and blood, and keep our hearts right with Him in what He instructs us to do, both when we sin against each other, and in doing what He gives us to do for Him. When we sin against each other – first we need to acknowledge it and confess it to God, and then make restitution with whom we have sinned against.

My sin only affects people, not God. God can not be influenced or changed by our wicked ways and thoughts. (Job 35:5-8) Father God watches how His children treat each other. He’s delighted and honored when we love one another and have a genuine interest in the welfare of others. He’s grieved and even angered when we don’t. His painful discipline shows up then, and it comes in all sorts of ways to make us more like His Son Jesus. This is for our good future when our Father painfully disciplines us.

I have to admit that with the way our culture in America seems to be headed – we need to be prepared for more and more hostility and opposition to our faith in Jesus Christ. And, unlike Lot, we should not hesitate when given an instruction from the LORD. And, unlike Lot’s wife who preferred to stay in Sodom her home and was left behind turned into a pillar of salt, we better be quick to obey the LORD.

We are to be pillars in society as we stand strong representing God’s way of life that blesses everyone. We are to be like salt in the land preserving the good and the true; being tasteful about the way we present the Gospel to people. We can become too salty, being overly emotional so that we scare people away, or overly passionate so that we can’t relate with people.

Continuing on in my quiet time with Abraham’s journey I saw a correlation with Lot in Sodom and the Lord’s people in America – where homosexuality is pushing forward with our lawmakers giving in to their demands, which in turn results with the increasing propaganda that ‘biblical’ Christianity is evil and destructive to a “progressive” society and must be stopped as well as shamed and punished.

America is guilty before God of abortion, and because we have not stopped the progression of this evil industry – the progression of evil has continued with homosexuality making more and more demands. What’s next on the list of the “progressive movement?” Can a society/nation take the outcome/results? I believe it can’t!

How does a city or nation come to the place where the LORD says: “The outcry against this is so great and their sin so grievous that I will do down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached Me.” Genesis 18:20

The result of man’s uncontrolled sin nature causes a great outcry up to God from those who have been harmed and terrorized by it.

There were 3 men that came from heaven: one was the LORD and the two with Him were His angels of destruction. The LORD remained with Abraham as He sent His two angels on to Sodom because the LORD considered Abraham in His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. The LORD said to His two angels before sending them on, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:17) The LORD knows when His servants need to have a truthful conversation with Him. God does nothing that will affect a whole city or nation or world, without telling His servants first; for our God wants the warning to go out to all His children, even though most will cast it off with unbelief, as some of Lot’s family did.

After Lot brought the two visitors (angels of the LORD) into his home, the biblical record says that all the men of the city, young and old, surrounded his house and demanded Lot to give over his visitors so that they could have sex with them. (Genesis 19:4-5) Now it doesn’t take much thought to understand that the reason God was destroying these cities was because of open homosexuality which God calls “sexually immorality,” in Leviticus 18, and that the LORD states in the last book of His Word (Revelation 22): “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the City of God. OUTSIDE are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (vs. 14-15 – these are the very words of JESUS CHRIST – KING ETERNAL)

Our King says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward (those who are faithful to Him) is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (vs. 12-13)

There are people today who call themselves Christians that believe homosexuality and transgendering is not evil or a sin. They have believed the lie of Satan who convinces people that evil is good and good is evil so that they become self-deceived refusing the truth that would set them free. Jesus said, “The truth shall set you free.” “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life.” “No one comes to the Father except by Me.”

If God calls having sexual relations with the same sex, sexually immoral, then it is! God has a lot more to say about what sexual immorality is in Levitcus chapter 18. God did not create you to be one sex, just to have you think that a mistake was made in how you were formed in your mother’s womb. That thinking comes from who raises you and controls what you learn.

Conception and the womb have been tampered with by evil men and women and this has brought harm and destruction to not only marriage and the family (as God designed) but to the individual who practices falsehood of any kind. They may not get it now how they are being harmed and deceived, but in the end they will – when it’s too late.

What really spoke to me in the Word was what Lot said to the men of Sodom (to the demand of homosexuals): “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

The compromise of Lot’s faith in God – was seen in that he first calls them “friends,” and then second of all, offers them his virgin daughters instead of the two men (angels of the LORD). Had Lot become friends with these men? God says that a friend of the world is an enemy of His, and that the Spirit He puts in us wants us to be His own. (James 4:4-5)

Where is Lot’s courage of faith in God to stand up to these evil men and make ‘no deal’ and refusing to compromise in any way? Where is his priority to protect his daughters and their virginity – trusting in God to help him? Why was he more afraid of these homosexuals than he was of facing God in the end? I believe the answer is why these Sodomites didn’t fear Lot’s God. Here we have the reason for why Christianity in America is not taken seriously either. The Church has compromised in too many ways, working to be friendly to the world instead of faithful to God.

Why did Lot think that by answering his enemies with, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing,” that they would respect him and leave? Instead, the young and old Sodomites yelled, “Get out of our way. This fellow Lot wants to play judge in our city. We’ll treat you worse than them!” (Genesis 19:9)

We are being made to think that homosexuality is harmless and that we need to treat homosexuals and transgender people as normal peaceful people. But, the devil has a secret, and we see what he’s up to and why the LORD came in response to the outcry against homosexuality. This lifestyle is NOT harmless or peaceful, and it is abnormal and unnatural; therefore it is destructive to life and it will end with destruction and never be thought of again. This will be one of our coming King’s great works on the earth when HE returns with His faithful ones.

“The Holy Spirit testifies: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them, says the LORD. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds….Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’” Hebrews 10:16-17

What should we do now, as the Lord’s people? Jesus said, “Be holy as God is holy – speak the truth about Me, and let the love of God be seen in you.”

My husband Mike tells all his children and grandchildren to be “heads not tails.” Do what is right no matter what; don’t follow the crowd but be a leader of righteousness for the Lord.”

What will the LORD do for His people who will not compromise? God will act on behalf of the faithful:

“The men (the LORD’s two angels) inside Lot’s house reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and SHUT THE DOOR. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.” Genesis 19:10-11

These wicked men had never felt the fear of God before this. When the Lord’s people “compromise” the results are that the wicked have no respect and fear of God’s people, as they should have. These men did not fear Lot, but they feared these men who came in the Name of the Lord.

God will act on behalf of His people when they are representing Him truthfully and confidently, without compromise. He tells us over and over in the Bible to not be afraid of our enemies but to face them with the truth and love of God, no matter what they threaten us with. If we entrust ourselves to our Savior – we will live out His promises to us. We need to take courage and persevere with truth and righteousness so that when we have done the will of God we will receive what He has promised. (Hebrews 10:36a)

God was faithful and not because Lot was faithful, but because of God’s word to Abraham, God’s chosen servant! We can trust that God will be right on time to fulfill His Word to us.

“In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay……My righteous one will live by faith. And I take NO pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” Hebrews 10: 36b-38

These two angels of the LORD struck these men with physical blindness because of their spiritual blindness to what they had become and where they were headed with such wickedness.

The LORD told Abraham that He would not destroy the city where Lot lived if 10 righteous remained there, but obviously there weren’t 10 because:

“The two men (angels of the LORD) said to Lot, ‘Do you have anyone else here – sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in this city that belongs to you? Get them out of here, because WE ARE GOING TO DESTROY THIS PLACE. The OUTCRY to the LORD against its people is so great that HE HAS SENT US TO DESTROY IT.’” Genesis 19:12-13

But Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was joking, and they remained there with their wives and children, as the angels led Lot, his wife and two virgin daughters out of town – telling them all “not to look back – or be turned into a pillar of salt,” (Genesis 19:26) which Lot’s wife did in disobedience – and remains a lesson for us all.

“So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had live.” Genesis 19:29

This whole story – remains a lesson for us all here in America!

What is God saying to His people here in America? What does HE require of us? Is it too late to ward off HIS judgment on all the millions of abortions and the ungodly laws made to protect and promote homosexuality with all their demands?

Does God hear an “outcry” that is against all this wickedness rapidly increasing? How loud does it have to get? Has HE come down to deal with it? If so, how? What is God wanting to accomplish with “His own people” in America?

Unlike what the two angels told Lot and his family, we can NOT flee and go somewhere else to start over like he did with his daughters, or like Noah and his family after the flood. Our founding fathers fled and started here with their uncompromising faith in God, and founded this great nation upon His truth and love, righteousness and justice. But there is no place left on earth with open frontier that is not under the control of a government or the rule of a dictator, unless we figure out how to live underneath the seas. So we either get our courage to stand up and do what is right, being faithful to God, or we continue as we have “compromising” more and more as “friends of the world.”

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

God is eager to show His favor and power again on behalf of the united prayers of His faithful people who have repented and turned from their own wicked ways. There are signs that He is all over America!