|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

If you have an opportunity to spread the Good News, any platform, from being a world famous worship leader or teacher to even one or two of your own children who follow you, and you want to be faithful to the truth, there is one message that encapsulates the Gospel: Repentance If repentance isn't the core of your message, then Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message. If Jesus' leadership isn't the core of your message, then your message isn't the Gospel. Any 'Gospel' that has been separated from repentance won't save anyone. Jesus is coming to rule. Humanity's freedom, that many love to talk about, is only found in repentance, because Jesus' rule produces it! 'Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.' Jesus is coming to rule. That requires mankind learning to be ruled by someone other than himself. We repent into Jesus' leadership at the expense of our own. Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was

I usually say "I'm making a spiritual statement, not a political one." At this point I am making both: This is bad politics for Christians. The entire argument is beginning to turn to the 'lunacy of Christians unwilling to objectively consider facts.'. There is a lot of truth to the accusation...on both sides. No one is objectively considering the facts! Christians are supposed to come out of this and love the truth: 2 Thessalonians 2:9 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. The response of 'Christians' thus far is that the other side does the same and that j

The passage from Proverbs 30:5-9 that I quote below is the heart attitude that has victory over the Mark of the Beast. From Genesis to Revelation, God requires his children let him be their daily provider.  Learn this now, while there is time. Great financial shaking is at the door. Strong delusion will lead many currently in the church to compromise because of fear of lack for themselves and their families. Learn gratitude and generosity now by simply telling God you are sorry for not trusting him to provide every day and thankful for what he does provide. This will begin to free your heart! The enemy can't kill what is already dead. If you have already dealt with the money issue in the ways you can today (you can tell by your growing generosity, lack of anxiety over money, and freedom to obey God in the area of money), there is very little foothold for the enemy to get in your heart in the area of money. The mark of the beast is a scheme to financially control the worship of the

John the Baptist 's ministry was one of seeing.  John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. John's ministry work was baptism and repentance that flowed from a call to lead people to see. John wasn't preparing people to be found acceptable by God, only Jesus would be able to do that. John's job was preparing people to see and recognize Jesus while everyone around them was rejecting Him. That is why he called people to repent: John 1:25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” The main part of preparation to see is

Delusion = when anything but the truth become the facts you make your decisions on Simply asserting true things "aren't true" doesn't work. Even if you do it with a condescending scowl, simply ignoring the truth and believing those listening to you are following you because you try to come across as confident is a losing proposition if you are avoiding the truth. Truth will always eventually come out. Jesus is uncovering...bringing to light...the truth. You can tell when people are agreeing with the truth by their willingness to uncover things and stop covering them up. People who love the light come to the light, that their deeds can be clearly seen. People afraid of being exposed avoid the light. One of the main ways they do that is to ridicule the process of bringing things to light.  Truth is unafraid of questions. It will always stand true. False arguments are very fragile. John 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men

There will never be enough signs to make a doubting believer actually believe the truth. I'm not talking about the world. I'm talking about God's people (which includes the grafted-in church). So was Jesus.  Matthew 12:38-45 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." (39) But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (40) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (41) The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (42) The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear

Jeremiah 20:7  O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. 8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily. 9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: “Fear on every side!” “Report,” they say, “and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, “Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him.” 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. Confusion is the accusation from

Everyone who tells the truth gets a cross. Eventually, everyone who gets a cross gets a crown. Jeremiah 20:7 O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. 8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily. 9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: “Fear on every side!” “Report,” they say, “and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, “Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him.” 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not p

Psalm 127:1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. David's Tabernacle was a Tabernacle of desire. David pitched a tent and began worshiping in it because He wanted to be near to God. God legitimized David's unorthodox expression of desire by taking what David started in a tent and building a home for it, called the temple: 1 Chronicles 17:10 “since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the LORD will build you a house. 11 “And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 “He shall build Me a house, and I will e

This is Jesus' personality and action plan for winning the heart of everyone who wants Him: Isaiah 42:1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” 5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners

The passage I quote below is God's view of a person. God sees everyone, including their past, their present and their future. He knew you before you were born. He knows you now and where you have come from. He sees what you will be and what He always pictures for your life. He sees you in eternity. This is His description of someone doing the right thing at the right time: Luke 2:36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Anna was one of the first people to realize Jesus, the Messiah... The hope of her entire nation (and all of humanity!)... Had arrived... She was doing the righ

Many people speculate what the mark of the beast is: biometrics, wearables, chips, etc. (I obviously have an opinion myself) However, almost no one talks about the very clear Biblical answer to the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast isn't really about what you "don't do!" Many people think the only thing that we need to worry about is taking the mark. That is completely wrong. The mark of the beast is about what you DO to get ready. Believers who don't get ready will mostly succumb to the mark. The mark of the beast is one of the main end time challenges, and all of the end time challenges require an advanced response ... Before one is obviously needed. Luke 12:40 NKJV — “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Think Noah's ark. If Noah waited until it started raining to build a boat, he would have drown. All of the end time challenges are the same way. Jesus' kingdom is one of addition, not subtractio