Rachel Stephens out of Las Vegas (for the skeptics among my tribe, yes there are solid believers even in Vegas) is someone I have been following for a few months now.
I first heard of her through my mother who mentioned Rachel’s YouTube material, an apologetics/biblical studies channel under the ministry name Crack Your Bible, when we were talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic Text.
While we may not agree on everything, Rachel’s approach is hard-hitting and detailed with the text of Scripture. And she will challenge you to dig, dig, dig into the canon.
Recently, she posted a lucid piece on Facebook, on the topic of ψευδαδελφοι (false brothers: Galatians 2:4-5). And while I could have posted my own thoughts, hers are better, and so I asked her for permission to repost, which she gave. I will also provide a link before the original post on FB for your reading. Read on:
Hey Fam!
Have you ever had to deal with false brothers in the church? You know those fake friends who turn on a dime and let their true colors show when they don’t get what they want? I know this is one of Paul’s complaints throughout scripture – the injuries from false brothers!
Paul talks about all the garbage he’s had to put up with in ministry, check out 2 Corinthians 11, verse 26 in particular:
“24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
Just today I dealt with a false brother in Christ!
False brothers are everywhere. Creeps pretending to be part of the #CrackYourBible Fam just so that they can benefit themselves and try to get an endorsement.
Beware of people that are quick to flatter!
When I didn’t immediately follow this person, they deleted their endorsement, unfollowed and then asked me why I wasn’t following them.
“For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.” – Psalm 5:9
For my family’s privacy, I don’t even follow any of them on social media, let alone strangers with a fake name, & a random profile pic that isn’t of them.
Luckily this person showed their true colors within minutes of me liking their original post, but work on not being too trusting of people, especially at church.
Two days ago, I read an article about how 93% of convicted mol esters described themselves as “religious.” https://religionnews.com/2014/01/09/startling-statistics/
Fellowship ≠ no vetting. Trust is earned, even in God’s family.
Be on guard! Don’t be quick to trust, especially people who seem over eager to interact with you, and especially your kids. This includes church leadership! There are too many predator pastors claiming to be “Christian” and who are supposedly “vigilant” in defending the faith when they’re really just “vigilant” about getting into your pants.
Be especially weary of individuals online who have super religious screen names. In my experience, the more religious the screen name, the more secret sin the person is trying to hide, especially if the screen name contains the words “Christian” or “Jesus.” That immediately sets off red flags in my head.
Stay safe, Fam!
“Trust is earned, even in God’s family.”
That one line is worth the price of admission.
For more of this material, give this woman a follow on her social media, and especially the YouTube channel.
Just be warned, any religious mindsets you have will be challenged. She does use the language of the culture in order to address her generation.
That scripture where Jesus curses the fig tree is the weirdest, right? And I say this as someone who increasingly finds much of scripture mysterious. (it’s Mark 11 and Matthew 21)
A couple of years ago I heard Chris Gore say that the meaning of that goes all way back to the garden of eden – that Jesus was cursing self – righteousness, man’s attempt to cover himself with fig leaves.
It resonated in my spirit. I knew it was true. But I mostly got weird looks when I tried to tell people.
So I was really blessed me to recently hear Kevin Zadai say the same thing – that Jesus told him (I’m paraphrasing), Kevin, I hate religion. And I hated the fig tree because it was man’s solution to sin, his own works, and that that’s religion and it’ll NEVER produce fruit.
He’s the only way, y’all. He doesn’t show us the way, he IS the way. We can have no righteousness apart from him. He himself IS our righteousness and he gave us himself.
When I get something in my craw, I usually write about it, and that is where much of the stuff comes from for which many of my audience cheers.
I doubt this post will do that. In fact, quite the opposite.
So, the Curse of Jotham, what is that? From where does it come? What is its outflow? How do we fix it and break it? And what does coming in the opposite spirit look like?
What is the Curse?
The Curse of Jotham is the Sixth of Seven major curses in the biblical book of Judges, paralleling the Redemptive Gift of Ruler/Judge/Deliverer, whose text comes from Judges 9. Jotham, the son of Gideon, spoke the parable that surrounded his curse in response to Abimelech’s actions towards their 70 brothers, and consequently the actions of the city of Shechem in their condonation of Abimelech’s actions of murder.
The text of Judges 9 reads as follows:
Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family, “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
And his mother’s relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that G-d may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the fig tree,‘You come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the vine,‘You come and reign over us.’ But the vine said to them,‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers G-d and men and go hold sway over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees,‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
“Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved—for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, and you have risen up against my father’s house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative—if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.
Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And G-d sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.
And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech,‘Increase your army, and come out.’ ”
When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying,“Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as your hand finds to do.”
So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!” And Zebul said to him, “You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men.” Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said,‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.” And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem.
On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith. Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.
Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home.
Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Judges 9 ESV
The Marker That One Is Under the Curse of Jotham
How do you tell someone is under the Curse of Jotham? Simply, there is a continual, chronic pattern of division or betrayal from within. What usually leads to the initial betrayal is a multi-step process.
some sort of violation of covenant/agreement that occurs between parties (In this case the violation of agreement between Gideon and the citizens of Shechem, who tacitly agreed to the mass murder of the 70 men by Abimelech (Judges 9:1-5)).
Someone recognizes the covenant violation and calls for the consequences of the violation to manifest, usually in an if/then format (In this case, Jotham (Judges 9:7-20)).
The”evil spirit” comes and foments circumstances that leads to the betrayal (more on the identity of this spirit later (Judges 9:22-23)).
Betrayal easily leads to a pattern of more betrayal and death of a friendship, business, church, institution, city, etc.
This curse either consumes EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH, or someone with the testicular or ovarian fortitude to point it out “mans up” or “womans up”, and begins to stems the tide, stands in the gap, repents for the covenant breaking and betrayal, incites the rest of the mesmerized parties to action.
Be reminded that demons are not usually the main issue. The issue is sin; someone did something somewhere to someone else. Once the behavior is fixed, repented of, and transformed, the demons have no ground on which to stand and must therefore leave. But, once the spirit of Step 3 takes hold, it takes:
Someone who is willing to point out the problem
A fierce intentionality on the part of THE GROUP who hears of the exposure of the curse to respond and NOT JUSTrepent of and renounce the curse, BUT ALSO begin the 100,000-step process of walking in the opposite spirit to the “evil spirit” that comes.
Who Or What Serves as the Entry Point For the Curse?
A person/group/piece of land/institution with the Gift of Ruling is the context that leads the explosion that causes this curse to manifest.
What Is the Evil Spirit?
A spirit of partiality to our given ideology that sees those who hold to opposing ideologies’ as wicked and reprobate, and, while we are willing to call out their actions as wrong, when those of our ideology engage in the same actions, we turn a blind eye.
We call that, in other arenas, a Mesmerizing Spirit.
τὸ σκάνδαλον: The Stumbling Block
Now for the offensive part
Washington D.C. has the gift of Ruling, and we have fed into the evil spirit Mesmerizing Spirit as both Republicans and Democrats see only what they want to see.
The same attitude that says “expand the powers for our party” but “curb the powers for the other party”, is the spirit that fuels and justifies all sorts of betrayals.
Some Examples of Jotham’s Curse in the United States
Calling a political party “the party of murder” for one crime, while justifying other types of murder in our own party.
Taking offense at the comments “made against a sitting U.S. President” while being perfectly fine with comments of the same spirit made against another former U.S. President of the opposing party.
Making exceptions for one group of politicians/legislators with whose philosophy you agree, while castigating/castrating/shaming those in the opposing party when they engage in the same actions.
A stubborn refusal to call sin out in our own camp when it happens. When one president from the opposing party is a known fornicator and predator, we say “impeach him”, but when the president who comes from our party is in office and guilty of the same actions, we say “we elected a president, not a pastor.”
These attitudes will lead to justified betrayal in any arena, and these actions are to blame for the uncivil dialogue and debate in which we currently find ourselves.
Is it possible the reason some of us are news-obsessed is because the MS and the Covenant-breaking mentality have taken hold in us?
This spirit of partiality also pollutes the “Prophetic movement” in our nation. When partial Exhorters tell us how godless one party is but won’t call out the sin in the camp of the party they support, then something is deadly wrong.
What is the Opposite Spirit?
Fostering trust among those against whom we have sown betrayal and with whom we have broken covenant.
Repenting of the covenants we have broken and being willing to sacrifice ourselves and our comfort to see others liberated.
Instead of coaching G-d on what to expose, asking Him to shine his light on and expose whatever He wants expose. Even if that means He first exposes stuff that we are engaged in.
Resisting the temptation to coach G-d on what evil He is supposed to see, or what sequence He is supposed to use with us and in exposing evil.
It is painful, and the cost might be some people view you way differently than they are used to seeing you.
With credits to Tim and Chelsea Clark for the pic.
WARNING: Esoteric and potentially weird and experimental post ahead, in the eyes of some. Not sure where I land, or where many of y’all will land with this.
As many of y’all know, my wife and I have been tracking with Sapphire Leadership Group for some time, and one of our strengths as a couple is in working with land, and noting certain land dynamics.
I am the kind of person that will often reflect the attitude of the land I am on. For better or worse.
So, I was busy writing on my friend’s walls, doing some maintenance after a long day, praying, working, and I came upon something in a pic belonging to a friend of mine. And I barely have words for this, so don’t take this as hard-and-fast; it is just a possible theory for what I am seeing.
I was looking at the above picture, and saw a portal in Tim and Chelsea’s closet here, where Tim was laying with his dogs, and the caption for the photo reads “I’m just gonna go spend some alone time in the closet. Five minutes later…”
So, there was an anointing of rest in the closet, according to Chelsea, and I looked again, and I saw something. A structure….a portal.
And I know about Time Portals, Fragrance Portals, Sound Portals, and Earth Gates, but not this kind of portal, and it occurred to me, the portal that creates rest.
A portal that reflects the Seventh Day, paralleling the gift of Mercy.
And then it hit me.
The principle for the Seventh Head of Leviathan (Essence). The concept of rest and being, and following the account of the seventh day, we see the following physical dynamic, which could have a spiritual equivalent in Genesis 2.
“When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the L-RD G-d had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist/a spring/streams (depending on your translation/manuscript/rendering) was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—”
Genesis 2:5–6 ESV
Walk with me through this one.
Man did not have to do anything to water the surface of the ground. Rather, the L-rd provided whatever the source of water was that watered the surface of the ground. It was all done by the L-rd. In a Teacher plot of land (the Garden of the L-rd, eastward in Eden), the L-rd walked and provided the thing needed.
So, this mist/spring/streams represents something that just is. The water’s beingness, is what provides the means of irrigation. Man can rest after doing the work assigned to him, which is a picture of what is happening to Tim in the above picture. It just bubbles up, as a boil from a spring or a gusher.
In essence, ethereal as it might seem, I think we are dealing with a Mist Portal/Essence Portal/Rest Portal/Spring Portal/Streams Portal.
And what I saw was something bubbling up, providing something that Tim did NOT have to strive for, or build,or make, or do. All he had to do was receive. And his dogs were knocked out with him.
Oriented like so.
Bubbling crude, Black gold, Texas Tea….
So, just some Mercy-esque thoughts.
Mercies, be reminded and encouraged. There are times to fight and do the struggling work, granted. There is a season and a time for the filial (sonship) work of building. But be at peace in your essence and being knowing that you do not have to work like a dog to earn Dad’s mercinate conffectiompassion.
It is not yours to fight for, any more than Jephthah had to sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering in order to win the favor from G-d that he already had. He already had G-d’s heart and emotions and the victory in hand.
Sometimes, there is no formula for getting something done. Sometimes, you just have to led Father speak into you and just be with you.
Sometimes, you just need….
To be….
Essence
Mist
Being
The Mist Portal seems to provide the treasure or treasures of rest, wholeness, affirmation of essence, and/or affirmation of being.
The teaching album touted here is worth every penny, for those of you who have been damaged or controlled by the Fivefold Ministry (most of which is fakery).
Arthur writes:
THE APOSTOLIC PARADOX
One of the hardest things to process in life is when the things God has designed are destructive.
Marriage was designed by God, but when marriage goes bad, it sure can eviscerate a life.
God designed parenting. But there sure can be a lot of destruction that comes from parents gone bad.
And God developed the institution of apostles but these days there is such a trail of pain from some of the current expression of the apostolic office.
If you have been chewed up and spit out in the name of God by the apostolic, you may wish to explore a bigger perspective in the album “High Impact Christians.”
There is a reason why some apostles have become so horribly toxic.
And there is a strategy for going forward for those who have experienced the pain of apostles claiming divine authority for destruction.
I de believe that there is a righteous apostolic office.
But I think the Body of Christ would do well to examine the parameter I laid out in this teaching, so as to minimize the abuse of the office.
It is hard to recover from abuse done in the name of God.
Here is a download link to the teaching. It is also available as an album, from the CD section of the store.
This is what gives me pause about the lion’s share of Big Medical.
Medically-incestuous research, I like to call it.
For the anti-vaxxers, quit with the dumb memes and toe-deep logic.
Collins writes with some neck-deep gravitas here. Please slow your roll and develop your logic and argumentation such that it matches your passion.
For those in the traditional medical community who see one way of doing things and acting as though any branch of science is settled, you might want to reconsider.
Behaving as though “settled science” exists, and behaving as if we should be controlled by governments into putting stuff into us is NOT the way we go about making America the way she was designed: liberated.
Further, “settled science” is a good way to provoke the L-rd to send Feynman, Rutherford, and Einstien.
“Settled science” is the purview of the Pharisees, and when G-d does a new thing, those who have settled their neat little paradigms will be in for a rude awakening.
#rejectamedicalreligiousspirit
With those elements out of the way, the following is what it will take for us to consider even looking at supporting the option of vaccines. But be warned, mandating vaccines is one way to start a revolt.
Oh and I don’t recall which thread it was in now, but to clarify what I meant about anti-science: Any person, news outlet or doctor who says vaccines are completely safe are anti-science in my view because it is not good science to deem something safe that has ever been studied long-term for safety or for their synergistic effects.
There may be a few studies suggesting single shot efficacy, I’ll give you that, but most were paid for by the industry, so those unfortunately discredit themselves due to the conflicts of interest.
As a preamble, it’s wise to remember that efficacy and safety are not the same thing.
For example, nuclear bombs may be effective in eradicating some terrorist cells. But nuclear bombs are not safe. Too many casualties of war and life-long impairments, including death of those who were never a threat to begin with.
There are so many safer, more humane ways to strengthen the immune system without vaccines. (But they don’t get airtime by Pharma since their business model only makes money from disease or disease management, not from healthy people.)
Anyways, back to your question, here are a few answers for starters (I came up with most of these myself and asked a few friends who have studied more than I have what they would add and included their answers too)—because we don’t even know what we don’t know yet.
Findings from any of the following would naturally lead to more inquiries.
First, before anything else, remove the legal immunity from the vaccine manufacturers—so the pharmaceutical companies are once again subject to liability for injuries and deaths. There is no incentive for Pharma to make them safer since there is no liability. Your and my tax dollars should not pay for negligence by corporations. (No liability, no deal.)
* Several independent meta analyses (gold standard reviews) by independent scientists, researchers and doctors from diverse training (allopathic, naturopathic and more) who are not funded in any form by pharmaceutical interests. (Medical pluralism is a strength, not a weakness.)
* Vaccine inserts say it has not been studied for carcinogenic or mutagenic properties or ability to impair fertility (so that’s a good place to look.)
* Independent studies comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. (Hasn’t been done.)
* Several generational studies examining the lifetime health and generational health of those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated. (Hasn’t ever been done.)
* Independent studies investigating the multiple interacting factors, both short- and long-term synergistic effects of the current vaccine schedule in large samples. (Also never been done.)
* Research exploring the effects of bioaccumulation over time and its impact on neurological functions.
* This is a big one: Genetic research studying susceptibility to vaccine injuries so we have better data to “do no harm.” (MTHFR gene mutation for example are highly susceptible to adverse effects.)
* Go beyond the surface for autism and vaccine links and look into the genetics specifically of different populations. Especially when studies already show that African American children and the Somali populations in the U.S. and abroad have higher rates of autism. The CDC already does their Community Report on autism every 4 years or so, but they need to continue to do research on why it is, not only reporting what is.
* Environmental studies — how do different environments shape susceptibility to adverse effects.
* Research showing no correlation to autoimmune diseases. (There are SO many linked possible side effects that need to be explored with intensity.)
* Safe adjuvants (for all vaccines) and safe cell substrates (for live virus vaccines). Both of which would need to undergo individual testing using the gold standard double blind randomized saline placebo. And the testing would need to be carried on long term at least 10-15 years before marketing the vaccine so any late effects (especially cancer, diabetes and other autoimmune illnesses ) could be studied.
* Testing every vaccine for safe amounts of adjuvant for different patient weights, (applying the same standards other drugs are subject to.)
* Studies that show repeatedly that an IgG inoculation (blood born) increases an IgA (gut born immunity) response safely. (Because science can rarely prove…the results or findings merely suggest.)
I look forward to your reply. No rush.
This. This is a proper anti-vax response. And “Amen”!
Anne Hamilton has a penned a profuse number exceptionally well-thought-out posts on Facebook.
This post responds well to the concept of the Lenten season.
She writes:
Back about forty years ago, someone told me that if I wanted to give up sugar in coffee, I would have to do it forty times before I broke the habit. That turned out to be true. I suffered all the way through 39 cups of unsweetened coffee—only to discover that, on the 40th cup, my desire for sugar had gone.
A couple of years later, I applied the same principle to milk and gave it up too.
Forty, of course, is a number found repeatedly in Scripture. Perhaps most famously in the number of years the Israelties spent in the desert and the number of days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness.
So let me offer a challenge that only Jesus can help you fulfil. Instead of deciding what you’ll “give up” for Lent, ask God to put His finger on a “false refuge” that He’d like you to give up permanently. Ask Him to identify a place of consolation, a subtle stronghold empowered by an idol, and – over the next forty days – ask Him to help you lay siege to it and bring it down.
It might not take that long. But if it does, ask Him for the strength of endurance that Jesus showed in the face of repeated temptation.
Just wow. I add a hearty amen. During this season, consider listening to what Father tells you to PERMANENTLY remove from your life.
So, I was listening to Arthur Burk’s Redemptive Gifts of Individuals, and heard the following, using the Romans 1 “spiral of sin” as a background.
I’m not sure I fully understand what goes on in the mind and the heart and the soul of the teacher: why it is so difficult for them to embrace the truth of who G-d says they are and step into leadership. But I do know that for those that have grown, for those that have changed…the beginning place has always been to engage their emotions in the celebration of who G-d is and what He has done.
I refer to this very simply as the upward and downward spiral that creates brain rot or cures brain rot in an individual. This applies to everybody but it is central to any Teacher who has grown up in a system that has a professional relationship with G-d, not a personal relationship with G-d.
Arthur Burk, The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals, Disc 4: Teacher, Cut 7: Letter To Pergamum, Timestamp: 10:59-11:44
The concept of the Brain versus the Heart is often times preached, and that poorly in the Evangelical Church on the whole. Yesterday, we were taught that the primacy of our identity and relationship with G-d begins in the heart and not the brain. There have been reams written that say we need to have a heart transformation and not just an increase of knowledge or a knowledge download.
Then there is Heidi Baker’s “Too Big <points to head>, Too Small <points to heart>” statement.
I have always had a profound issue with the concept of being forced to choose one or the other.
But in this case, I heard Arthur, in the context of the above, state the following that helps brain and heart fit together.
And once we have allowed a little bit of brain rot in to where we are not thinking as rationally as we used to, the next sin, the sin that we wouldn’t’ve committed yesterday becomes a little more plausible, and we can reason our way to the next sin, which causes more brain rot.
Arthur Burk, The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals, Disc 4: Teacher, Cut 7: Letter To Pergamum, Timestamp: 12:46-12:53
So, where did the downward spiral into this Brain Rot cycle begin? Romans 1 details a destruction of the MIND AND THOUGHT, not the heart. It is the destruction of the rational mind that leads to a rotting relationship with G-d.
So, where does the heart fit in, and how do we recover the brain/mind?
The first step, where we put one foot into the doorway to the downward spiral and a heart that is calloused to shame.
Verse 21.
” For although they knew G-d, they did not honor him as G-d or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Arthur relayed the start of the spiral back to this verse, and this verse pairs the heart and the though/brain together. A fractal of two and a picture of fullness.
The baseline between brain rot and wholeness is being able to recognize G-d’s fingerprints in your life and being able to celebrate them. And when the Teacher becomes purely cerebral and has no EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH G-D, he already has one foot in the downward spiral.
Arthur Burk, The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals, Disc 4: Teacher, Cut 7: Letter To Pergamum, Timestamp: 14:06-14:27
Let me assimilate the above into the following line.
The emotional component of the heart protects and defends the brain from destruction by the kingdom of darkness. Our emotional capacity to see G-d’s fingerprints and celebrate those fingerprints is like a Vitamin booster, a clove of garlic, and echinacea for the brain and thoughts.
Our inability or refusal to see, recognize, and emotionally engage, especially the Teacher, is what leads to the destruction of the brain, mind, the rational processes and thoughts.
They are designed to work in tandem.
It is not one over the other, anymore than it is a gift over all others, or a person over all others. It is a pairing for the turbocharging of fullness.
The purpose of a strong emotional component is a sharp mind, intellect, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. All of our days, instead of picking one over the other, I say pick both.
Bless the heart and the emotions and protect the brain in order for the spirit to do its finest work.
I almost do not want to post this, but out of respect, affection, concern for truth, and a whole host of other reasons, I will.
I am going to say something that may shock some of y’all, but y’all need to hear it.
Coincidences do exist, and coincidences can happen.
Sometimes the L-rd allows coincidences to happen.
Sometimes He is behind those consequences.
And sometimes He is nowhere to be seen when events coincide.
And as much as we might want to parrot the idea that, “there are no coincidences in the kingdom of G-d” or “there is no word for ‘coincidence’ in Hebrew”, we need to be awakened to the idea that Father will allow coincidences to come into our lives just because He wants to see if we are paying attention. Further, in us, He wants to expose times when we are lazily relying on circumstances to tell us what to do. Dad did not design us to merely read whatever tea leaves may be in front of our faces at the time.
Coincidences do exist. And I am sick of seeing people shipwreck because they used a series of unexplainable events as proof that Path X is the will of G-d.
Sloppy discernment merely assumes that G-d is speaking in everything that could be explained by coincidences, even a series of those.
The enemy can use familiar spirits to rig a series of events in order to get us to believe something, an event, or an end is the will of G-d.
What might actually be happening in a given situation or series of circumstances could be just a coincidence or coincidences.
Or it might be something worse.
I have kept my mouth closed on the subject of coincidences repeatedly.
And now, I need to speak more clearly.
If nothing than for the simple fact that I have, in the past, let others talk me into coincidences-as-really-the-voice-and-the-expressed-will-of-G-d.
Sometimes G-d will speak through something which could otherwise be seen as a coincidence.
And sometimes, we let our discernment get so sloppy that we let coincidences speak where they were not designed to speak.
Questions
My question for you is, “can you tell the difference?”
Do you know when a series of coincidences is just that?
Do you know when that thing that you are enamored with is not the making of G-d?
Are you actively increasing you discernment, or are you letting circumstances and coincidences, which do exist, carry you away.
Conclusion
Sometimes the bird, or the number, or the color, or the woman, or the man overhead is just that.
Sometimes, it is a thing of G-d.
Sometimes it is a thing of your own doing.
And sometimes it is a thing of the enemy.
We cannot afford sloppy discernment.
Sometimes a headache is just a headache.
Sometimes the number 22 is just the number 22.
Sometimes a bird in your yard is a bird in your yard.
And sometimes it isn’t, and there is a bigger picture going on.
Are you are you open to understanding the difference?
Do you know the difference?
And do you have the wisdom to actuate accordingly?
Beyond this album, I would heartily recommend the following counsel.
Do not believe every spirit/circumstance/situation. Rather, out every spirit/situation/circumstance to the test. Feel it out before you swallow it, lest you swallow a camel.
We need more people to inspect fruit rather than just eating everything they are handed. And yes, we need more people who can flow in mishpat, execution, judgment, and justice.
We cannot afford more Needless Casualties of War, just because the stars aligned in a situation…
Or just because something is pleasing to behold; behaves like nourishing food, has vitamins, and minerals, and nutrients; is USDA-approved; and is desirable to make one wise.
Just because it is good does not mean it is G-d.
We are in this mess as humans precisely because the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was GOOD FRUIT. That fruit was “pleasing to the eye and good for food, and desireable to make one wise”. But we need to know when the L-rd is telling us to stay away from something good because there is a higher purpose for Him in us.
The L-rd was willing to give people a temple back, but the temple was not the point.
The Tabernacle as an end in itself was never the point.
He is using the restoration of the temple (Ezekiel 40-42) to remind the Jewish people that He wanted to have a relationship with them.
The relationship was the point.
As the heart and soul of the canon is Deuteronomy 6:5 (love relationship with G-d), understand that He wanted to have a temple not for its own sake, but specifically so that it could be FILLED WITH HIS GLORY.
He still yearns to WALK IN, WITH, AND AMONG HIS PEOPLE. That is what the dative preposition ἐν ususally means.
He cried out in a loud voice on the last a greatest day of the feast (John 7:37-39, and then it says He was not yet glorified.
The purpose of communicating that point, is for us to realize the L-rd was designed to be glorified and walk among us as our Father and we as His children.
This communicates intimate relationship, which has always been the point. Connection is the priority over protocol. Not that protocol is not important, but protocol is a piece and like a bit of seasoning, whereas intimacy and relationship are the main dish.
