Tag: conspiracy theories

Categories
Politics and Society today

Winding down 2022

As this year draws to a close, what do I think of the worldwide events over the past twelves months and where we seem to be going next? I don’t really know. I’m winding down 2022. How about you?

I was hoping Jesus would have returned. 

Someone asked me today, “Do you think there is going to be World War III?” Now, soon, ever?

I replied, “I don’t know — but it looks like we will burn up ourselves, somehow, sometime.”


I forgot to ask the other person’s thoughts. Why? I suppose because it really doesn’t matter what we think. I long ago learned: to offer an opinion is fruitless and even pointless. I attempt to put that into practice as a lifestyle (albeit with some lapses). What is better than opinion? The Truth that sets us free: Jesus!

As we close the curtains on 2022, we are on the brink of nuclear war and worldwide famine. Violence is on the streets across this nation and most others it seems, people are poorer than a year ago or ten, and disease (real or manufactured) is a constant threat. How can we live “as normal”?

I focus on Jesus, not the storm

There are facts and there are conspiracy theories. I recall hearing a flip comment about psychosis many years ago that went something like this: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!”

Conspiracy theories do seem to surround us. But just because there is a claim of conspiracy doesn’t mean there isn’t an actual threat, does it? I ask because there are two sides to every story, and this seems to include whether or not to lock down, whether or not to wear a mask, and whether to or not to take the vaccine. 

Whether the topic is the pandemic, global warming, war, or cancel culture, the war in the West is not so much between the Ukraine and Russia as it is between conservative values and wokism. Our culture, values, freedom of speech seems to be debated or simply cancelled based largely (in the UK at least) on the basis of a document called The Equalities Act, 2010 which deliberately or inadvertently has fostered a despising of anything white, male and/or middle class: past, present and future. Everyone is equal except those who are in the majority.

When will Jesus return?

Romans chapter 1 focuses upon the erosion of society when GOD is forgotten. Certainly in the West, we are now reaping what we have been sowing for a long time: A world without GOD.

Jesus says in Matthew 24 that he will return before total calamity, which is also destined to take place.  Our children are being targeted in various ways, to be brainwashed into thinking against Judea-Christian values through indoctrination of extremes of one kind or another; our humanity is being tempted toward a uniting with Artificial Intelligence… I for one hope things don’t deteriorate much more. 

But eventually, things will deteriorate even more. The Restrainer: the Holy Spirit, will be lifted, will be removed from the earth one day. And at that time, I hope I am no longer here. Jesus left after his resurrection to allow the Comforter — Holy Spirit — to come (John 14). So, I seems as the Holy Spirit leaves, Jesus will return. In between, we hope — we even expect that Jesus will come for His bride and we will be extracted to Heaven. Meanwhile, as we experience our society implode through its own self-centred expression, as people’s thinking becomes confused and nonsensical, I pray for revelation and release from the Enemy — now.

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

Categories
Reflections and Poetry

Believers, let not our minds get lazy: a reflection

“Age before beauty”

I have been recognising that I am slowing down a bit. I’m not as vigorous as I used to be. That includes me physically and mentally as well. I’m realising I’m having to work to keep myself alert.

There’s nothing wrong with my health or my age. I just don’t have the quickness of movement I used to have, and perhaps even my thinking is slowing down. This is not a bad thing because it is inspiring me to write to you, believers… to “let not our minds get lazy!”

I’m sure the slowness and stiffness in my body has to do with getting older…. Although I’m thinner than I used to be and within the boundaries of ideal weight, and although according to medical science I’m healthy, I am aging; so physically, I’m less flexible and less quick than I was a few years ago. I exercise most days to try to keep age at bay.

As for my mind though, I don’t think the reduction of vitality is age (or at least not entirely), but rather, I think my mind will be as fit and healthy as I choose it to be, based upon the choices I make every day. Just as what I eat and what I do keeps me physically healthy (or not!), so too what I feed my mind and how I use it will determine significantly how dexterous my thinking remains.

What isn’t good for me

I have learned too much tv or internet is not good for me. It deadens my acuity. I’ve written about that before: I can choose to watch a movie or read a book; I can choose to surf the net or not! But also, what I watch will either stimulate or deter my mental clarity and agility. This is the nub of what I want to write about today…

Proverbs 22: 24-25 says,

“Make no friendship with an angry man,

And with a furious man do not go,

Lest you learn his ways

And set a snare for your soul.”

On the surface, this proverb speaks of associations and friendships, but it can also mean influences. Today, we can influence people in the millions without ever meeting them, simply through what we post on the internet.

So too, can we be influenced by people though we never meet them in person. We don’t know the character of such people, we don’t know their personality. We only know what we see from our screens. And yet, many of these people act as pastors in our lives, or philosophers, or are our source of news and information. 

If a person is raging — either in temper or accusation — he or she is angry, unsettled or in slang, “mad”. And why do we call it mad? Because ‘emotion is hot, and reason is not’.

Irrespective of how a person portrays himself or herself on social media or the in news media, they may — and probably do — have an agenda behind their postings. If the person is angry, is it righteous anger driving them, or self-righteous anger?

Anger: righteousness or self-righteousness

Righteousness can only come from GOD. When Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, he was very angry. But out of that anger, he said clearly and simply,

“… It is written, ‘My house is a ‘house of prayer’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Luke 19:46)

If we follow writers or speakers who are angry at government or science or the rich-and-powerful, why are we following them? What they say may be accurate, but what is their attraction and what is their effect upon us: on our minds, on our relationship with GOD and sharing the Gospel, and with our brothers and sisters with whom we may not agree?

The litmus test is simple

If, from what we are digesting, we are not growing closer to GOD and to loving Him and others more, then what we are digesting is not of GOD.

Making healthy choices

How much non-spiritual food do you want to digest?  A little bit of chocolate is not unhealthy physically, but how much proportion of chocolate do you put in your daily diet? Likewise, a little bit of news can be interesting and can even inform for our prayers. But how much “bad news” is healthy to digest or even desirable?

(Insightful aside: This morning I thought about how I tend to nibble snacks and sweets whilst I’m watching the news. I just realised: I think I’m doing it as a comfort… and actually it is to comfort myself from what I’m watching! Therefore, what I’m watching must not be making a positive impact upon me.)

Spiritually speaking, for my mind, as Paul suggests in Philippians 4:8, I will aim primarily to choose, “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.”

These are righteous choices, these are healthy choices, these are wise choices to make.

Be aware

I write Preparing the Bride because, as a watchman, my call is to observe and notify. What I observe is that a whole lot of people in the body of Christ are getting seriously distracted, and sometimes even disturbed by evil plots and conspiracies of the powerful elite. 

If this time spent upon such matters is not growing us toward Yeshua our Saviour, then it is time badly spent.

If these powerful elite are evil, are we praying for their souls? If they are of the devil, why are we giving them time? 

“Resist the devil and he will flee” James writes. But I don’t observe the people I’m observing as resisting, but rather they seem to be dwelling upon the evil, sharing it — which is gossip — and being antagonised by or even fascinated with it. To my mind, this is a big red flag!

Evil exists, but I don’t choose to hang around it

Someone may respond to my provoking this subject by saying, “But we must pray against it.” Yes, and we must also pray for our leaders.

The devil is fascinating, the devil is deceptive, the devil will do anything to entice us away from Jesus. 

How close are we to our Saviour and how far from the devil in these days? How ready and prepared are we as the Bride? At the end of these days, that is all that matters.

Bless the reader and know my heart is simply, to love Yehovah GOD, the Creator of the universe, and to encourage us all to do the same.

Shalom, Shalom.

Categories
Reflections and Poetry

Believer, let not your mind get lazy: a self reflection

Believers, let us not allow our minds to get lazy

I have been recognising that I am slowing down a bit. I’m not as vigorous as I used to be. That includes both my physicality and my mentally as well. Spiritually, I praise GOD because I seem to continue to grow!

There’s nothing wrong with my health or my age. I just don’t have the quickness of movement I used to have, and perhaps even my thinking is slowing down.

I’m sure the quickness and stiffness in my body has to do with getting older…. Although I’m thinner than I used to be and within the boundaries of ideal weight, and although according to medical science I’m healthy, I am aging; so physically, I’m less flexible and less quick than I was a few years ago. I exercise most days to try to keep age at bay.

As for my mind though, I don’t think the reduction of vitality is age (or at least not entirely), but rather, I think my mind will be as fit and healthy as I choose it to be, based upon the choices I make every day. Just as what I eat and what I do keeps me physically healthy (or not!), so too what I feed my mind, and how I use it will determine significantly how dexterous my thinking remains.

What isn’t good for me

I have learned too much tv or internet is not good for me. It deadens my acuity. I’ve written about that before. I can choose to watch a movie or read a book; I can choose to surf the next or not! But also, what I watch will either stimulate or deter my mental clarity and agility. This is the nub of what I want to write about today…

Proverbs 22: 24-25 says,

“Make no friendship with an angry man,

And with a furious man do not go,

Lest you learn his ways

And set a snare for your soul.”

On the surface, this proverb speaks of associations and friendships, but it can also mean influences. Today, we can influence people in the millions without ever meeting them, simply through what we post on the internet.

So too, we can be influenced by people we never meet in person. Do we know the character of the people we watch on YouTube, for example? We don’t know their personality, unless we know them personally. We only know what we see from our screens. And yet, many of these people act as pastors in our lives, or philosophers, or are our source of news and information. 

Gauging the Character of those whom we watch

If a person is raging — either in temper or accusation — he or she is angry, unsettled, or in slang, “mad”. And why do we call it mad? Because ‘emotion is hot, and reason is not’:)

Irrespective of how a person portrays himself or herself on social media or the in news media, they may — and probably do — have an agenda behind their postings. If the person is angry, is it righteous anger driving them, or self-righteous anger?

Anger: righteousness or self-righteousness

Righteousness can only come from GOD. When Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, he was very angry. But out of that anger, he said clearly and simply,

“… It is written, ‘My house is a ‘house of prayer’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Luke 19:46)

If we follow writers or speakers who are angry at government or science or the rich- and-powerful, why are we following them? What they say may be accurate, but what is their attraction and what is their effect upon us: on our minds, on our relationship with GOD and with our sharing of the Gospel, and with our brothers and sisters who may not agree?

The litmus test is simple

If, from what we are digesting, we are not growing closer to GOD and to loving Him and others more, then what we are digesting is not of GOD.

Making healthy choices

How much non-spiritual food do you want to digest?  A little bit of chocolate is not unhealthy physically, but how much proportion of chocolate do you put in your daily diet? Likewise, a little bit of news can be interesting and can even inform for our prayers. But how much “bad news” is healthy to digest or even desirable?

To my mind, as Paul suggests in Philippians 4:8, I will aim primarily to choose, “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.”

These are righteous choices, these are healthy choices, these are wise choices to make.

Be aware

I write Preparing the Bride because, as a watchman, my call is to observe and notify. What I observe is that a whole lot of people in the body of Christ are getting seriously distracted, and sometimes even disturbed by evil plots and conspiracies of the powerful elite. 

If this time spent upon such matters is not growing us toward Yeshua our Saviour, then it is time badly spent.

If these powerful elite are evil, are we praying for their souls? If they are of the devil, why are we giving them time? “Resist the devil and he will flee.” (James 4:&) Often I don’t observe people resisting, but rather dwelling upon the evil, sharing it — which is gossip — and being antagonised by or fascinated with it.

Evil exists, but I don’t choose to hang around it

Someone may respond to my provoking this subject by saying, “But we must pray against it.” Yes, and we must also pray for our leaders.

The devil is fascinating, the devil is deceptive, the devil will do anything to entice us away from Jesus. 

How close are we to our Saviour and how far from the devil in these days? How ready and prepared are we as the Bride? At the end of these days, that is what matters.

Bless the reader and know my heart is simply: to love Yehovah GOD, the Creator of the universe, and to make Him known.

Shalom, Shalom.