Greetings everyone, I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! As we approach the Christmas Season, and as persecution is cranked up on many and many are perplexed by the behavior of loved ones, the Lord spoke to me to teach about spiritual blindness and how to spot those who are not walking in His ways. On this episode of the Innocence Redeemed podcast, I will be explaining the difference between those who have a spiritual blindness and deafness due to their unbelief in comparison to those of us who are true believers, realize our need for Jesus Christ as our savior and our acceptance of ALL of His testimony, prophecies and teachings and as a result we have the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit is our discernment and guidance. I also explain that for some Christians, it is not a choice to believe one part of the testimony of Jesus and not the other and that doing such is of a lukewarm nature which the Lord despises -not my words, HIS Words.
I explain why the unbelieving cannot understand what is happening around them and cannot discern the season or the times we now live in, even when it’s smacking them in the face. It is because they do not have the Spirit of Christ, nor His love within their hearts and that this is the reason for their foul behavior and un-mercy toward others, no matter how insane the times get and why they can’t understand even when you try to tell them or show them the truth. They would not listen to Jesus and hated Him so as it is written, we too will experience this from the unbelieving and Christians who choose indifference. I explain why many still choose to believe the lies. A dividing line is being drawn. This podcast will lay it all out as to why.
Verses as they pertain to this podcast:
Hosea 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me.
Since you priests refuse to know me,
I refuse to recognize you as my priests.
Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,
I will forget to bless your children.
7 The more priests there are,
the more they sin against me.
They have exchanged the glory of God
for the shame of idols.
8 “When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.
So the priests are glad when the people sin!
9 ‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’
So now I will punish both priests and people
for their wicked deeds.
1 John 2:17-19 (NLT)
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
Luke 12:51-53 (NKJV)
51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Revelation 3:15-19 (NKJV)
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Matthew 6:22-23 (NKJV)
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is a]good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Matthew 9:10-13 (NKJV)
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
1 John 1:8-10 (NKJV)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 (NKJV)
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Peter 3: 3-9 (NKJV)
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 (NLT)
Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
2 Peter 3: 10-13 (NKJV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV)
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
Brother Ray, this is timely. Thank you immensely. Many need to hear this right now. My family hurled insults, curses, threats and mockery at me for over a week. It was sickening. They took a break today following yesterday’s Thanksgiving holiday. But it will start up again for Christmas, to be sure. It’s because I have cut off communication with them. I worship the Lord Jesus; they worship a vaccination and fear culture. They have no idea what they’re doing. It’s a 20 to 1 thing, and I’m the 1 in the ratio.
This is not about health and safety; it’s even less about love. For some of us, it’s best to lay low and let others run the course, like a fever, until they dissipate in their madness and then begin looking to try to make sense of it. When they calm down, maybe they’ll see the grave error(s) of their ways. Maybe not. Relationship with the Lord is personal. It’s not my job to work with these people any longer unless they seriously turn a corner. I’ve found new community, new friends, and I’m independent of my family both physically and financially. I still love them, and I am actively forgiving them, and I am casting aside bitterness as it crops up. This has been anything but easy, but then, I welcome the practice because the tests are only getting harder.
The bitterness part is rough and not to be underestimated. My prayer is that my family and the many others like them will be convicted in their hearts. In this dark season at present, I surely do not need their immediate presence in my life, therefore, I will not allow them in. As for gatherings, no, I will not be tested, and I will not show papers like a dog. Jesus is a healer. Jesus didn’t force anyone to do anything and didn’t need “the science.” Scripture otherwise reminds us to be hygienic and to take care of our temples!
So, for now, my family field lies fallow. I have one brother who shows a glimmer of hope; our communication is tenuous. We’ll see about it. Otherwise I have my son, and he’s fully with me. The rest of them are off on Planet V, trying to make it comfy upon their arrival, but increasingly finding that the “roach motel” they’re encountering doesn’t resemble at all the glossy brochure.
I agree Brother. All you can do is get out of the way and take a hands-off approach. When the veneer begins to peel off the ‘roach motel’ it is my hope they will begin to see. I am not suggesting that we not pray for them. Only simply that this is why they cannot see. They have bought into the lies of the enemy. The Lord said He shows them earthly things and they believe not so how then can He show them heavenly things (John 3:12)? So right, if they are on planet V, how can they possibly believe anything else? We should always pray for the lost as that is what the Lord desires of us, my concern however is that as we drift further into this season we’re in, time could be running out for many. Not something I would play with. Conviction is definitely needed and fast. Thank you Brother for your comment. =)
Tom, I’m sorry you are experiencing such harshness from family – I know it cuts deep. The way I see it is those who are going along with the agenda are being ruled by fear and are no longer acting or thinking rationally. They are blowing in the wind and don’t know where to turn. They don’t realize that God is the only refuge there is. All we can do pray for them and hand them over to God. We experience some of the rejection that Jesus Himself experienced and as Paul said (I think), we share in His suffering -and He knows exactly what we are suffering. I take comfort in knowing that one day, please God, I will see Jesus face to face in His Kingdom where there will be no more tears or sadness – only joy and peace.
Thank you, Audrey, for your insightful and very comforting comment. Indeed, this is a time of tears and sadness. Also a time when there’s still mercy. Therefore, I continue to communicate tenuously with one particular brother of mine in the family who shows glimmers of hope. And of course I have not cut off my 80-plus year old parents who’re mostly baffled and caught in the crossfire, and far too tired to fight at their age. But the rest of the players? Well for them, coming from me, silence is the best possible mercy I can extend.
In the U.S., we have an old adage about not throwing water on a grease fire, the implication being that it’s far better to smother that fire or at least not feed it or spread it in order to make it worse. And then otherwise, I’m told to forgive. I’m also actively working on neutralizing the bitterness, even while my phone continues to blow up each day with noxious rude texts and wicked e-mails. But I’m not blocking them. Why? Military strategy (yes, this is war) has to do with staying one step ahead of those who wish you harm, a.k.a., the enemy.
In this season it’s about management and damage control with people who’ve shown clear evidence of losing their ever loving minds. May the Lord get ahold of them and shake them and turn them to His good. That would be true mercy. As for me, I will keep my own household.
Jesus bless you, Audrey, for being a vital and comforting part of this great community here! Many hugs from Tom. 🙂
Thank you Ray for great podcast. Indeed, we are in a season of much heartache, grief and loss. It’s so sad to see people so afraid and many are in a constant state of anxiety and fear. But we, as believers in Jesus, are having an entirely different experience. We are not afraid and have peace and joy and the light of God in our lives. The contrast is stark. All we can do is pray for the lost and show kindness wherever and whenever we can. Only God can lift the scales from their eyes but first, they must humble themselves and acknowledge their need for God. Many are unwilling to humble themselves at this moment but perhaps in time, they may.
Amen. Thank you, Audrey and I agree. They absolutely must humble themselves for if they refuse to they will go into that ‘unconventional refining’ I have mentioned before that the Lord told me would occur. He is being merciful by giving them time to see the error in their ways. The biggest problem is the lack of belief among many that God won’t do what He says because many churches can not or will not talk about it for fear of offending their congregation but suffice to say it is all about to get very real and I really hope and pray folks begin to get it.
Thank you Audrey for your very timely and pertinent comment!