It's interesting. When I teach "HLPAA: The Standard of Living for These Last Days", I sometimes share Revelation 9:20,21, which says - "20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." And today, what stands out in my thoughts is verse 21 - how that in addition to all that verse 20 speaks of, the people ALSO did not repent of their murders, sorceries, fornication or thefts.
Now, we know that chapter 9 takes place AFTER the Rapture, and so, often, when I speak of verse 21, I bring to an audience's attention - Florida storms. Florida storms are interesting, and if Northerners are not careful, they can find themselves wasting time - - well - - "loosing time" because they choose to pull over as a cautionary measure, during Florida's intense storms. They have no idea that 2 minutes down the road the sun is shining, streets are dry, and children are playing while Daddy works in the garden. You can waste 15 to 30 minutes sitting there to wait out the storm - - when in just 2 minutes, you can push through, and again enjoy dry roads and bright sunshine!!! But here's what I really want to bring forth:
The closer we get to the Rapture we experience the onset of, and sprinklings of storms to come. We are experiencing - for instance - the thievery of children being taken - snatched from their families on streets around the world. The closer we get to the storm (the Tribulation period) the heart of mankind is growing more callous and cold. People's desires, appetites and habits are dark, bloodthirsty, heinous, and entrenched in filth. They learn from childhood how to embrace the idea of being "half man and half wolf". No kidding. I heard a child - no older than 10 years old - speak of how she felt her shift taking place from being a girl to being part wolf and part girl. Well, what did you think was taking place when young students prepared their "Harry Potter" book reports?
I recent discovered, while reading an online news report, the tragic ending of multiple families' lives by 1 individual - a 23 year old young man by the name of Levi King. "Levi was one of seven children. Early on, he showed signs of serious antisocial behavior: setting fires and killing animals. And drug use in his home was rampant. His father introduced him to hard liquor and marijuana. By his teens, Levi King had moved onto meth and heroin." And it was said about his home, "You'd have to see it to believe it."
When Investigators visited Levi's family home they found an environment that was overwhelmingly filled with "...poverty and despair". Investigators said "...until we went up there and actually walked around in it, you just could not get a feel for it. It was-- truly frightening. ... The first thing you notice was just filth. ...The insulation was just black and melted. ... There was one wall that just had this massive display of ceremonial knives and swords. ... There was lots of guns and knives and -- you know, regardless of whether they had food or not there, they had money for ammunition."
Levi had been described as being "...bipolar at least since adolescence". And "... at varying times, he had — other diagnosis for depression, for bipolar ... with some amount of psychosis." It was also said that Levi had a "schizophrenia diagnosis." Erin Moriarty, a "48 Hours" correspondent and host of the true-crime podcast, "My Life of Crime." First published on March 5, 2016 / 10:11 PM EST
Ohhh the destruction drugs and alcohol bring into the lives of children, teens, men and women. They can take a highly intelligent child, teen or adult and forever change the life journey that God had in mind for them. We cannot afford to pay the price that some relationships afford us.
Mica Miller, the now deceased wife of Pastor John-Paul Miller is said to have committed suicide. She was found dead on April 27, 2024. Mica was on the praise team at Solid Rock church where her husband was Pastor. The investigation is ongoing into the strange, ungodly occurrences alleged to have taken place within their marriage. Only the Lord knows what actually took place. But what Pastor John-Paul has admitted to is posting a topless photo of his wife on the internet. One of the strange accusations John-Paul is being investigated for is prostituting his wife. And while innocent until proven guilty, this accusation is one of many Mica alleged to have occurred when writing to her attorney, just days after her husband's internet admission. "Mica had contacted police several times in the lead-up to her suicide to level allegations against her husband — including that he had 'groomed' her when she was a teen before they got married in 2017." Mica stated that she was abused “Emotionally, sexually, spiritually, financially, and physically...." John-Paul's ex-wife alleged that he was "addicted to prostitution". These alleged acts of fornication and adultery appear to have brought Mica to a low, unyielding place. It appears that she tried sharing her story with others to seek help and garner support.
I have shared these stories not to engage in gossip about the lives of others but to give you small picture frames of the "sprinklings of rain" that are occurring before the Major Storms to come, because, indeed, it will get worse upon the earth. Ephesians 5:11 tells us, "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." When you read or view stories such as these, Revelation 9:21 should immediately come to mind. I have shared within this brief writing an example of "murders", "sorceries" (and Pharmakeia), "fornication", and "theft". But I want to revisit the issue of "theft" with respect to the stealing of persons. For some reason, I have noticed a higher degree of posts of "Missing Children and Teens" on social media. I am questioning whether there is an increase in the snatching of these little ones in recent weeks. Of course, since social media's AI likes to pick up on our conversations and then share more of the same with us, it could very well be that I am receiving more notices from FB Friends because of my own posting.
Last week, during our Monday Prayer Walk (and many of you missed it... Get connected, You!) our stated prayer focus was to cover "Kidnappings, Sex Trafficking, Borders, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Special Needs Abuse, and Community Safety". Laminations 2:19 tells us to "“Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”
My God!!! Oh, that our hearts would burn with desire to see that every child is safe, in the homes of godly men and women. I remember in the mid to late 90's placing floats in the St Petersburg, Florida Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. parades. During one of those years, I met with the leader of a national missing children's organization, to request photos of children who were missing, for placement on our float that year. My heart was to bring focus to missing children and garner more support for organizations that assist in finding them and bringing them home safely. Matthew 18:10 says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." The children that I featured on our float that year, understood our focus and between performances (singing), they made known to the massive audience of parade attendees our heart to bring the children safely home. Well, naturally, we could fit a limited number of faces of the children missing, on both sides of that float. But our prayers, then, and our prayers now ought to be for children like Leah Sharibu, a Nigerian girl who was kidnapped at age 16 by the terrorist group - Boko Haram (on February 19, 2018), and the millions of others who seem a world away from us - just because we do not currently know them by name or relationship. But many are missing who live just around the block or in a city near you. Some have been forced into prostitution. Others, are likely dead, and their body parts sold on the Black Market. Matthew 18:6 tells us "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
The very thought of such trauma is stinging and we often want to push these thoughts far from us, and live in our world - - in our safe, beautiful, compact, world.
But our hearts ought to be knit together with their families, friends and communities. Our hearts should be broken about the children whose innocence in childhood were cut short because they were raped and passed around to others for further traumatization. We should travail for children growing up in drug infested, and crime ridden homes and communities - understanding that these same abused children could - as adults - turn off the highway, and turn our family's lives upside down through pain and devastation. We should position ourselves in agreement with Psalm 82:3, 4, which says to "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
You and I ought to give time and attention - and even financial support - to children's organizations and ministries that reach and serve young people. You may not be able or suited to work directly with children and teens, but your partnership with these entities help to turn a child in the right direction. You can help with your finances and your strong connected corporate prayers to minister to the needs of children and youth.
Next week - on Monday, June 17, 2024 - I feel led to revisit the same issues that we covered 1 week ago. You are invited to join us by conference call that evening at 7PM EST. Dial 267-807-9597 and use Access Code: 164900 to enter the call.
Jesus LOVES the Little and Great Big Children... All the Children of the World... Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White... They're ALL Precious in His Sight. Jesus LOVES the Little Children - - Jesus LOVES the Great Big Children - - Jesus LOVES ALL OF THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD.
I don't know about you but I am seeing more and more, reports of teens and children who are missing. Can you imagine?! You know the sound, the cry and facial expressions of your children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren... your students, and little neighbors. And to have to imagine for hours, days, months and years the agony that that child experiences if taken, is too much to bear. Let's you and I cut off those possibilities. And if somehow it still happens - let's have seed already in the ground - prayers that are already in the heavenlies for our little ones and others - that reach the heart of God. Today, I weep. "And Father, thank you for Psalm 56:8, that reminds me that 'You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.'" NLT: New Living Translation.
Join us at 7PM (EST), next Monday won't you? For the children...
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN
If you have never heard this simple little children's chorus here are a few versions of it.
Here's a traditional version of the actual song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg6W76q6a2E
Here's a contemporary version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV-UnsZCXHo
Now this version is in a lower key, and also shares hand motions for children to use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFtLkqs3T1k
Interestingly enough, I found the history of this song. And how neat to discover, that the author, according to Discipleship Ministries was "A pastor, gospel songwriter, and sleight-of-hand magician, Clarence Herbert Woolston (1856–1927) claimed that he had “addressed many more than 1,000,000 children” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1927, p. 4). This statement provides a clue to his hymnic legacy." https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-jesus-loves-the-little-children