"I know you've seen darkness;
I know you've seen evil.
I know you've seen judgment;
I know you've seen hatred.
Reach out to Me.
Ask Me for My peace.
Look to Me
and I will give you light.
I will touch you with My love.
I will break the darkness.
I will share what I see with you.
I will give you hope.
The world is dark
and darkness is growing,
but I will give you a hope
that sees beyond the darkness.
The night will last a little longer,
longer than you feel you can endure,
but My hope will sustain you
until I bring the dawn.
The Day is coming!"
*****
Art: "Seeing Hope"
"Why are many of My people
looking to Israel as if it is the
center of the book of Revelation?
Why are many marginalizing the Cross
and setting aside My command
to carry the cross?
The end times will be
like the days before
the fall of Jerusalem:
As I was in the world,
so My disciples will be
a stumbling stone to the world
because they follow Me
and obey My command to love.
As the nations rage against each other
My disciples will be accused of treason
because they obey My law of love.
They will be put out of the synagogue
—they will be put out of churches—
because they do not follow
the zealotry of those
who put nation and place
above Me and My commands.
Do not be led astray from My commands
by false teachers and false prophets.
Those who marginalize Me
with their interpretation of Revelation
and urge My people to forsake their cross
are false teachers and false prophets.
Do not follow them!
Hold onto Me and My commands!"
*****
Art: "The Center of the End Times"
Lord, this is so hard to watch. Your people are so devoted to "standing with Israel" that they've set Your Son and His teachings aside. "Israel" comes first for them instead of being known by Your agape love.
I don't know what to say. I know this is like what Paul said in 2nd Corinthians that there is a veil when people read the Old Covenant— I know that doesn't mean merely reading it, but rather giving it precedence above Christ.
*sigh*
Passions are rising because of Netanyahu's speech now. I'm grieved and Your Spirit in me is groaning.
I've complained to You at times because the paintings You give me to paint and the words You give me to write are not the kinds of things that I think are going to "persuade" Christian Zionists. Instead it seems the paintings and words just offend them and they become more hardened. Which of course isn't what I want, and I don't believe it's what You want either.
I think Jeremiah felt grief in the same way— "Why do You give me these things to say, Lord, if they won't listen?"
I know some will be helped, and I can't discount them. But it seems like throughout Scripture one of the purposes of Your word was to witness to those who will not listen. What You spoke was a testimony and a stumbling block... and still is.
I don't like that, Lord.
But I trust You, and somehow I realize that it's how we sinful humans are. Our pride rises up. As one friend says, "The same sun that melts wax also hardens clay."
God, I feel only a fraction of what You do... Your grief, but also the mystery of Your joy and the smile You have even now because You see and know the outcome of all these grievous things. What looked like defeat for You in dying on the Cross was just the birth pains for resurrection.
Strengthen Your witnesses, Lord, in Your love for everyone— for the innocents in Palestine and Muslims around the world who don't know any better, but especially strengthen us in Your love for Zionists and Christian Zionists. Give us Your heart for them. Help us to pray and hear You for when to speak, when to share, and when to be silent and let it go. Use what we do in You to plant seeds that will speak to people and unharden hearts in Your perfect timing.
Help us to choose to forgive them, bless them, love them, be patient with them, and more... just like You loved us while we were Your enemies. We've all rejected You. We all need Your grace and the healing of Your love. Help us witness of Your love to them more than anything else, in Jesus' name.
Amen, so be it all according to Your will.
*****
Art:
"In God's Temple"
"Are you willing to be called
a 'false prophet' for My sake?
Will you declare My word
and speak My heart
even if others call you this?
Are you willing to be called
rebellious, a deceiver, a divider,
and an apostate for My sake?
Will you testify as I command
even if you are labeled this way?
Are you willing to be shunned,
spoken against, warned about,
and denounced for My sake?
Will you obey My Spirit
even if you are treated this way?
I am calling you
to declare My word,
to speak My heart,
to testify as I command,
and to obey My Spirit.
I have promised that
I will never leave you
and I will never forsake you.
My prophets have always
been treated this way:
The world has always hated them,
mistreated them and denounced them;
and I have always been with them,
I have always suffered with them
and I have always sustained them.
I am with you.
As you carry My heart,
I will carry you."
*****
Art: "Rejected Again"
"When My people declare
another 'way' to earn My blessings
aren't they setting aside
My Son's sacrifice,
the offense of the Cross,
and proclaiming that He is not The Way?
When My people declare
that the way to gain My favor
comes through devotion
to the circumcision,
aren't they declaring that My Son's
flesh and blood are not enough?
When My people declare
that My blessings come
through the circumcision
aren't they declaring that My Son
is not the Seed of Abraham
who is the fulfillment of My promises?
When My people declare
that My will is for them
to 'stand with Israel'
before they apply and follow
My Son's teachings and commands
aren't they preaching lawlessness?
When My people declare another way,
another flesh and another law,
is this not rebellion in My temple?
Is this not denying My Son in the flesh?
Is this not the great apostasy?
Is this not the spirit of antichrist?"
*****
Art: "These Are Your Gods"
"My people have fallen
for another lover!
My people have given
their hearts to 'Israel'
and have become
his disciples.
They have left My teachings
and sit at the feet of a new master.
His word is gospel to them,
while My word is negotiable
and can be re-interpreted
to conform to the will of 'Israel.'
Woe! They have replaced
the Cross with the Star of David!
Woe! They have embraced rebellion
and the ways of Barabbas!
Who can see clearly
with such veiled hearts and eyes?
I am sending My prophets
to call My rebellious people
back to My commands,
for the world knows them now
as disciples of 'Israel'
instead of by My agape love.
But just as Jeremiah was rebuked
for prophesying against Jerusalem,
so many of My rebellious people
will condemn My prophets."
*****
Art: "Kingdom Before King"
Look at them!
They are evil!
They are inhuman!
They are monsters!
Don't tell me
that my ancestors
did similar things—
they had good reasons;
Or they didn't
represent the "true"
But these ones,
they are evil
Don't tell me
that not all of them
are like that;
These are the real ones
Don't interrupt
or inconvenience
my broad brush strokes
and my demonizing
Don't confront me
with living people
who don't fit into
my generalizations
Listen to me—
not to any of them
Believe what I say
Not what any of them say
I tell you who they are
They don't know who they are
I know the truth about them
They don't know the truth
Don't bother talking to them
Don't bother getting to know them
They will only deceive you
They will only corrupt you
Listen to me
Define them as I say
Don't waste your time
with any of them
— Iron-Seared Conscience
*****
Art: "The Judger"
