still waiting... what a surprise!

 

i was never much into all the personality tests like myers-briggs and such- until i was introduced a few years ago to the enneagram. it's a little too true, and scary accurate. i'm a 5w6, and that means i don't much like surprises, unless it's during a period when surprises could be expected to occur, such as a holiday or birthday. i'm such a 5 that i don't let the computer put my solitaire cards up automatically, so that i can put the suits up in the "right" order myself. there's a chance i have a problem.

(bunny trail: i have just now- at this moment- realized i've never told nik that, and i can already hear him laughing in the future if he reads this. nik, stop it!!)

 

so i guess you can tell what 2020 has done to my mental constitution.

 

back when we were upset over being separated for easter, our naïve little selves were thinking fondly of gathering instead for summer vacation or the fourth of july, or labor day… or halloween… or thanksgiving… and now christmas.  nik and i moved from a quaran-dating relationship to a quarangagement one, to a quaran-wedding-planning one (which is a total blast; i highly recommend that whole experience as a character development activity). on top of a stupid germ playing cat's cradle with every relationship in the world, we checked facebook with growing trepidation not knowing what new potential disaster was wreaking havoc with what country or state. in a cruel twist of irony, the year that americans re-learned just how important teachers and nurses are was the year that national teacher's week  and national nurse's week were basically overlooked by the nation, because the nation was locked up at home and not looking at anyone else, just in case covid19 was spread by vision. murder hornets, hurricanes, a continent on fire, whatever the heck was happening in the sahara, tigers and kings and carol-didn’t-do-it, not to mention the most abnormal presidential election in our history as a country. the good news is that all politicians still lie, so at least we can hold on to that.

 

but we've been waiting for so long to return to "normal" that our past normal is basically gone. nobody is going to think about a hug or handshake the same way again. even if everyone were vaccinated tomorrow, this cure the world has been awaiting can't undo what the virus has done. there is no social strata unmarked by covid, not a single hour of media output that doesn't include it, no family or business or organization that hasn't had to adapt.

 

i heard this song (again) this holiday season on one of my christmas music cds in my car. i hit repeat twice because each time the words hit a little deeper. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF952rzG3Yk

  

[on the high probability that the link doesn't work.... go to youtube and listen to "how many kings" by downhere].

seriously- just listen to the words and then actually consider them.

most jews around 3 bc would sniff their noses at our "problems" and rant about theirs. they didn't even get elections! or netflix! or vaccines! or toilet paper! well, actually, they could really empathize with some of us on that. oh- and lying politicians.

they waited.

for centuries.

they waited so long, a lot of them had actually forgotten what it was they were supposed to be waiting for.

they were waiting for a King. a Savior. the Anointed One.

 

and then He came. but it was so out of the blue that absolutely nobody would have known about it for decades without heavenly messengers bursting into the physical realm to scare the pants off some shepherds and declare the news themselves.

a King? just born… now? lying in a what now?!?

yup. a manger. a feed box. probs has cows nudging Him with their big noses. that's the One you've been hearing about for 400 years- ha ha! you thought He'd never come, didn't you? surprise!!

(bunny trail: when did pants become a "thing"?)

 

i don't fully get why non-religious people celebrate christmas at all. there's no conceivable reason that is grounded in anything solid. i also don't get why non-christians celebrate christmas. who cares about a baby born 2000 years ago? the only reason we celebrate is because this baby was special. this baby was a King, a Savior, the Anointed One. completely, utterly unexpected- but still predicted by prophets ages beforehand. tiny, dependent, unspectacular- but still with unimaginable destiny.

this little One would spend the next 33 years or so surprising everyone He came in contact with. there was not a single part of daily life He couldn't affect, not many conversation topics He would avoid, no social circle He wouldn't join if invited.

 

on this side of history, we make light of the christmas story, and think how silly that whole generation was for not recognizing Jesus for who He was. back then? back then, every year was a potential 2020, with droughts, famines, wind storms, poverty, diseases galore and not a single cure for anything, and of course, lying politicians who also murdered people on a fairly regular basis. their newsfeeds weren't any more encouraging than ours.

 

maybe we should do what the shepherds did, and just marvel.

imagine heaven- go ahead.  the lights, the beauty, the brightness, the angels, the joy, the absolute perfection of everything in sight.

now imagine voluntarily walking right back out of the pearly gates and trading that perfection for… 2020, covid and all. yeah… nopety nope nope.

 

that's what Jesus did.

 

the King Who spent eternity in glory left His throne behind, to be confined to a place in time and space, entering a limited dimension- for us.

the Lord Who created galaxies with angels singing in the background, crafted a perfect planet for us humans stepped into His own creation now marred by sin- for us.

the God Who adapts reality with a word let Himself be mocked, scorned, abused, beaten, harassed, tortured, and murdered- for us. He poured out His very lifeblood for the sake of the very same ones who spilled it.

 

no other religion or philosophy even has a category for that kind of event. why?

because it makes zero sense. it's more than a surprise, it's insanity! the extent to which God went, in order to let us back into His holy presence is mind-blowing. every other faith (or non-faith) has a code, a ruler, a list of minimum expectations, that its followers have to know, follow, do, measure up to, in order to enter paradise (or its equivalent).  there are no surprises (at least, not here on earth) because the people know the extent to which they have to go.  

 

our God - the One True God- walked that entire distance for us. His path goes the whole way from heaven straight through to satan's front door. the way to God had been given to the jews so that they could take that message to the world. instead they hoarded it, hid it, forgot it, and finally rejected it. Jesus came to clear the way again. His arrival on the scene sent shock waves through the ancient world. why? because they were thinking the same words of the song, just different.  no real King would step down from a throne for humans. no real Lord would abandon the heavens for us. no "greats" would consider taking a human body.

no real God would pour out His heart to romance a world that is torn all apart.

no real God could do that for…. me… could He?

would a heavenly Father send His Son to this sinful world, knowing that His earthly life would end on a cross, after hours of incredible physical, emotional, and spiritual torture and agony? how could a Deity undo the horrific mess of sin that truly was pandemic- affecting every part of the natural world.

 

this One did.

 

because that's what it took to bridge the infinite gulf between sinners and God. and God was the only One who could go that far.

that's why non-religious people still celebrate christmas on some level. because inside they are asking the same questions as the ancients, not knowing that the answers are all, "yes." we celebrate because we know that "yes"- we know that God has done what no other god could do, that He went farther than a sinful human could go, and that even if everyone else has gotten tired of waiting and hoping, that's okay.  the waiting is over! the Savior is already here!

that's why all christians now are the heralds of truth- we declare that the Messiah ("Anointed One") has come "once to bear the sins of many, and that He will come a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him" (Heb 9:28).

 

so yes, christians are waiting… again…

but this time we wait knowing the end of this story- we don't have to worry about surprises there (but before that, probs a lot of them)! the timing will be a surprise, but not the ultimate outcome. so we wait eagerly this time- expectantly, hopefully, joyfully. whatever plagues and pandemics and politicians happen between now and then, we celebrate with the angels the One we've been waiting for. 

 

merry christmas, everybody :) 

1 am theology (when my trump card trumps Trump's)

i'd like to go on record here and say that i do not consider myself an authority on anything at all.

maybe at work, i can answer questions and explain bilirubin and IV fluids and labs and feeding schedules to parents, but even there i am surrounded by decades of nursing experience that far exceeds my own.

so i take this seriously- at least as seriously as i can- especially because of the timing on a few of these conversations i've had. 

the most recent one was last night, as a nurse that i respect and love and look up to for many reasons, just asked my opinion on this YouTube video.  it was a curiosity question, and i highly doubt she thought i would make it all the way through this 1 hour, 2 minute and 13 second recorded conversation. she was a trigger for the "2 am theology" post some months back, too.  i need to watch out for her ;)

she would freak if she knew that i was listening to it again right now.

my soul is laughing right now.  mostly funnily, but also dear-me-i-hope-not-ly.  i will admit that things about it have nagged at me WAY more than they should have.  i say this here, because i'm now proofreading and i feel SO MUCH BETTER now that i've typed this all out once, made it through to the second, better half of this post and am now at peace with this mess.  if i've piqued your curiosity enough, keep reading.  if you can't hear the name Donald Trump without crying or puking, skip to the " *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^" down a ways ;)

i'm even embarrassed to say which YouTube video this is- that's how weird this is.

but i'm going to- for a few reasons.

1) there *could be* nuggets of truth hidden in there.  i have found vague hints, and i've only put a few hours of my life into this

2) i am very much not an expert on anything related to politics.  i would love input (except for a reminder on how much time i've probably wasted on this endeavor - i am fully aware)

3) if you should watch any part of this, just the first few seconds just might make it all worthwhile.  i nearly died laughing at the first image, and the humor has sustained me for many hours already.  please, click on this link if ONLY to see this image:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqwFWD_Htfo

okay good.  now close that tab and delete it from your browser history.

so here are two parts to this post.  the first are questions or concerns i have regarding this, and the overall political landscape that have supposedly come as a "word from God" to this guy Mark Taylor.

the second is what i've been thinking, learning and hearing about concerning what i know beyond doubt is a word from God that came to a guy named Jeremiah.

because i'm hoping like fury you did NOT listen to the whole hour-plus-long thing, i'll summarize.  if you DID listen, and i got it wrong, please let me know…. mostly so i can judge you for listening to it, just like i'm judging myself right now.

basically, this man was told he had an angel assigned to him, to reveal truth.  then he received a "prophecy" that:

1) Donald Trump (i know… i know…) was "anointed" by God,

2) that he would be the next president and would win by a landslide

3) he would restore America to its former greatness and would "return what was stolen" and restore it sevenfold,  the dollar would be stronger than ever, 

4) that the evil people worldwide would "quake and shake" because they'd know they'd been found out, to which the Holy Spirit says, "Ha! no one shall stop what I have started", and finally

5) several other confusing and convoluted things.

he is absolutely sure that this is a word from God because:

1) this prophecy, which came on April 28 2011, is related to both WWII and the Kentucky Derby.  "Gonna Have Another" won 2 out of 3 in 2011.  this is because God decided His people weren't ready, said "Oops-let's just wait a few years" and worked in this horse into the Plan instead.

1b- the horse Secretariat is a symbol of the end-times church. it's winning of the Triple Crown would be the sign for the Church to arise.

in 2015, American Pharoah won the Triple Crown- on D-Day.  that's when God told this man to "re-write" Eisenhower's D-Day speech and address it to the "Lord's Army."

i wish so badly i were kidding.  those few of you who listened to this, that pain you are feeling is also mine.  there is not enough alcohol and Excedrin in this great state of Tennessee to wash it away.  the coffee and pecan roll from Panera is helping, though.

2) because he's done such an excellent job of exposing the corruption in the government. this is him "splitting the kingdom of evil wide open." (my first thought here: yes, everybody is corrupt.  nobody "exposed" his own corruption, because it's so blatantly obvious.  he flaunts it to the world and acts proud of it.)

3) even though religious people accuse Trump of being "mean", well, Jesus called people names, too.  [personal note: this hurt me.  comparing Trump to Jesus hurt me. part of me hopes i'm not dancing on the line of blasphemy by saying anything about Jesus He wouldn't want me to, even if i don't believe it to be true…]

4) every time people attack him, his poll numbers go up and their ratings go down.  this is God saying, "this is a warning shot; do not touch My anointed." which is why, just like Judas Iscariot hung himself, Cruz and Rubio exposed their flaws and had to drop out.  (my first thought: ummm, woah. again… comparing Trump to Jesus.  i want to cry- not sarcastically.  i want to cry. truthfully, my soul is cringing within me.)

5) this prophesying man has been isolated from the entire world for a decade because of a thyroid and hormone imbalance.

oh yeah.  he said that.  you just have to wait to the end for that tidbit.

according to this prophecy, America is NOT under judgement, only its systems (political, financial, immigration, the New World Order, etc).  America is going to see a mass exodus of evil, scheming, liberals and be full instead of Christians, so that God can use this country as a launching place for the end-times harvest of seeds.

and Trump is God's anointed for bringing all this about.  his wall is going to boot out those lousy immigrants and establish the border, which, as the show host suddenly thought of- is because of that Bible verse where God establishes boundaries.  CLEARLY, God wants Trump to build this racist wall and preserve "His country's" border. (my first thought:  Trump is PART OF THAT financial system that is under judgement…

second thought: just no.  so much no. this wall idea needs to die a quick but painful death)

here are a few of my concerns.

1) the Holy Spirit does not say, "Ha!"

He just doesn't.  the idea that God would re-work His entire plan only after realizing His people were just not quite ready is simply not true.  i do not care who you are.  i do not care about your budget or your credentials.  you. can't. stop. God Almighty.  yes, our actions do matter and they do change circumstances, but God is outside time and has everything planned- even your future mistakes.  don't think the Holy Spirit has to think up comebacks like, "Ha!"  (yes, that is a quote from this man quoting the words of his "prophecy"). 

2) this ethnocentric worldview screams of a misguided theology that too many people share.

America is NOT "God's chosen people."  America is NOT the last Christian country.  America is NOT the Promised Land. America is probably NOT about to waltz into its greatest time ever.  those who hope so are, i think, about to be super-duper disappointed.  these "seeds" that this guy speaks of Trump re-harvesting and bringing back to America?- yeah, he's talking directly about money.  MONEY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE END-TIMES HARVEST.  OH MY FLAMING WORD, AND A THOUSAND TIMES NO. 

America has done good things in this world. very great things. 

but God's chosen people are those who have put their faith in him.  we are indeed chosen to continue His work, but not as "America." God doesn't see His people according to our man-made geographical lines, and evidence from worldwide Christ-followers indicates that God is moving and multiplying His people a jillion times faster in almost every other nation than in America.  God's harvest is going to be priceless souls- priceless because their cost is the very life of Jesus Christ, which He paid to break the unbreakable curse and save the un-save-able. 

"Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Son, Who has been made perfect forever." in the world, but not of it, folks. please stop equating America with heaven on earth.

3) the harvest is not necessarily something to look forward to- it is a warning to be continually aware of. it is a call to action, and urgent mission with eternal consequences.  the harvest means the sickle is coming.  the sickle cuts down the wheat.  then the wheat is beaten out- the grain to the storehouse, the chaff to the fire.  the end-times harvest refers to souls- saved ones to Heaven, lost ones to eternal fire and condemnation.  to be thinking about the value of the paper dollar instead of the eternal destiny of millions… well, frankly that disturbs and disgusts me. i can't believe anyone would reduce this all-important command from God to a flippant promise of money coming our way.

4) this guy has been isolated from all of society for a decade.

yes, i am returning to that.

there are valid health conditions, debilitating ones, that require some isolation.  this one?  i seriously think that he needs therapy.  a different kind than what he's getting.  if all this is coming from what he sees from the media, even religious media, and from his own interpretations from the Bible and not from a pastor or church body or a properly medicated body/mind, then i have to question this. 

5) the Devil is the best deceiver ever. in fact, it's one of his most popular nicknames.

this Mark backed up his validity as a prophet by saying God has also revealed to him a specific date of a probable terrorist attack… but i guess didn't feel confident enough to tell us what that day is- only that he's "working with some people" and that God's people need to start praying that God thwarts it. 

this stinks of deception and (i think) pride/self-glory. 

6) the implications of this "prophecy" are contradictory to what i feel God is saying in other ways.

if it is true that God has anointed Trump to be His tool in America, then it seems that God would be telling us to vote for him in November.

HOWEVER:

every Bible verse that has anything to do with politics tell us as Christians what to look for, support and vote for in our leaders (both spiritual and political).  none of those verses suggest that i should support hypocrites or bullies or racists or open liars or those who disrespect [everyone] and cheat on their wives or worship money and show no concern for vulnerable lives and the helpless and poor that this country was founded to welcome and free and comfort.

i don't think my vote should be wrestled away from me in the name of "the lesser of two evils."  regardless of electoral votes and percentages, my vote says something about what i believe to be true.  i don't think Trump is true.  i don't think i can rightly vote for him.  i do not judge anyone who does- at least not as an alternate to Hillary Clinton.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/march-web-only/should-christians-vote-for-lesser-of-two-evils.html?&visit_source=facebook )

i'm so sorry to put you through all of that.

but i really had to vent and throw all that out there, because it really has been on my mind since i first heard it.  it has interrupted sleep and distracted me so much i'll never get anything done until i post this.  typing it out usually helps me process, and posting it not only increases my internet presence but also means that someone out there may be able to offer insight that i lack, give a different perspective and correct me when i am wrong (i hope you feel free to do so- i welcome it and need it).  i didn't even get to mention the part where they talk about Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a cross to "conquer under" and his stopping of Christian persecution… (there weren't Christians back then…)- which not even Google has a response to.

but i already was mentally writing a post in my head, and this fit too perfectly with it.  and rather than spend a whole post talking about Trump (because seriously, i am not ready to hospitalize myself again) i decided to make one really long post and be done with it. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

recent decisions from this country's current "commander in chief" have already rocked the religious minority, and even led our pastor, and then our LifeGroup leader, to deviate from their teaching plans yesterday.  if you go to my church, you would clearly see just how big a deal that is.   Obama's illegal and insulting and...godless… decree regarding bathrooms and gender identity and his lofty opinion of his authority are alarming. serious reflection, prayer and action from His people (not "Americans", "HIS PEOPLE" within America) are necessary. 

but even more necessary is the message we received yesterday.

these words are from God.  I know this.

they came from another isolated man- one distanced from the world not because of an untreated medical/psychological condition but because of the unmistakable call of God upon his life to go out into the world and call everyone who would listen to repent before the coming judgement. 

his name was Jeremiah.

instead of promising wealth and prosperity immediately in the future, he promised a coming judgement.  he very clearly stated why this punishment was coming, and then he also gave explicit instructions to follow, for anyone who wished to survive the advancing army horde of pagan Babylonians.  it involved surrendering openly, willingly going into captivity and then settling down. 

because they were going to be there for a while.

it was to their benefit that they accept this and make do.  live their lives. become involved in the society they were placed in.  build houses. get jobs.  raise families.  all in the knowledge that the land they were in was not their permanent home and that they should always look ahead to their restoration.

this was not a popular message, not even with the attached promise that is on almost every refrigerator door magnet in the South: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I have sent you into exile." Jeremiah 29: 11-14 ESV.

regarding Trump, and Obama, the parallel seems clear to me, as are the glaring differences  to this Mark guys' "prophecy."  yes, God used "changes" to work His will and His plan may seem to have changed- but humans didn't thwart it.

His people are His, no matter what modern-day nation they dwell in.  American national boundaries have nothing to do with it, and no "i'm gonna build a wall.  a big wall" threat is going to… just no.  forget the wall already!!  please!!!  gaaaaahhhh! 

we are in a type of exile now… yes, even American Christians.  this land is our wilderness, our temporary captivity, makeshift camp.  we'll be gathered, yes, but not to this desert-  to a land flowing with mercy and holiness.

His people are His, no matter what society is doing around us.  we are called to be active in the places He's put us, to be praying for those leading us (guilty… so, so guilty) and to be proclaiming God's truth, even when we are faced with opposition and ridicule- which is a given.

His people are His, no matter what comes our way. it will likely be tribulation and persecution that will bring His people back to HIM (not "America"- GOD!!!), not money.  the Church's most dramatic growth is occurring in the most anti-Jesus atmospheres.  Nebuchadnezzar was not exactly the most humble of emperors, and Babylon is not where we would think of planting a Baptist conference center.  but God knew that this would be the place where His people would "re-find" Him as he refined them. 

the "prophets" who came along and declared that Jeremiah was a liar… didn't fare too well.  they were false.  they spoke just what the rebellious Israelites wanted to hear, and tacked the Lord's name on it.  they willingly deceived the people (though they asked for it, and then got it).

and then they died. 

and not peacefully. 

the Devil used false prophets to lull people into a false sense of security.  those who were unaware, or just plain spiritually lazy, fell for it because someone told them "God told me."

my security is not in the shaky electoral process or any physical thing.

my security is solely in the rock-solid Jesus.  and He's given us hundreds of pages of His written revelations that tell us all we need to know right now. 

His people are His, no matter what.

there is a promise of hope and the best Day IS indeed coming. it's even better and far more glorious than anything this world could dream up.

instead of the twisting and writhing my spirit did (twice, now,) listening to YouTube (don't even think about reading the comments underneath….), i was filled with peace, hearing eternal words of Truth.  God is not worried in the least about who is about to become elected.  He knows and it's already part of His plan.  

Obama may have "a pen and a phone" and a failing grade in human biology and genetics, but God has a throne. 

Trump has YouTube.

i have a Savior.  and free access to Him 24/7- even when the internet is down.

i look forward happily, not towards November, but even farther ahead to the day when all His true people are gathered from the nations, kneeling together around that throne and celebrating our Eternal King, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty, the Always and Forever Alpha and Omega.  when every true prophecy is fulfilled and every last soul harvested.  when our Promised Land isn't a promise anymore but a reality. 

Amen, and come quickly, Jesus!