1. PEACE BEYOND UNDERSTANDING

By Ron McGatlin

UNDERSTANDING

As a boy I experienced the troubled feelings of a nation at all-out war. Though there have been many wars since, World War ll was the last full-out war our nation has experienced. WW2 was a war that affected every person of our nation. As nation after nation fell to the Axis forces, we were not at all sure that we could win the war. Every day for several years I felt the pressure and concern of the terrible war. Even though I heard no bombs or shelling and saw no bloody ground battles in person, every waking moment the war was on my mind like a frightening cloud hanging over everything that went on. There were lots of evidence of the war visible most every day as war planes often were seen flying in formation overhead and trains carried flat cars loaded with tanks and jeeps and other tools of war. Fighter planes often zoomed about overhead training pilots for fighting with enemy planes in what was called dog fights.

Many of my friends’ dads, older brothers, and uncles went off to fight, and a lot of them did not come home. My uncle Bill flew hundreds of bombing raids in Europe. My uncle Allen fought in the infantry. Almost every family had someone overseas in the war. Everything was in short supply, and everyone gathered scrap metal and other things to recycle to be used to make tools of war. Mommas went to work in factories making war supplies or working at the many jobs left vacant by men who had gone to war.

We may not have known who would win the war, but the grownups and us bigger kids all knew we would fight to the death rather than loose the freedom, peace, and security for our families and future generations. It was unthinkable to be under the tyranny of Hitler and the other Axis powers. We had to try to stop the evil forces taking over the world and try to set the nations free that were already in the grip of the severe bondage of tyranny. Literally millions of ordinary people were being either slaughtered or treated like animals.

Before the war most families consisted of a homemaking mom, a hard working dad, and several children who could play in the neighborhood or walk to the store or barbershop alone without fear. Although it was not perfect, it was indeed a life worth fighting to protect.

It was clear in that war who the enemy was and what had to be done. In America, our entire nation rallied to the war effort. I remember clearly the Sunday attack on Pearl Harbor, the day we officially joined the war. On the day after most of our great naval fleet had been destroyed at Pearl Harbor, lines formed at recruiting offices all over the land as young men rushed to get involved in the fight to protect their families and the American way of life and peace.

This nation and others of the Allied forces proved unconquerable and eventually soundly defeated the Axis forces and set all the captives free that were still alive.

These great nations of people that would not be defeated back then are now being lost to a worldwide war that they did not even realize was going on.

We now sit in the midst of a war that is being lost by default because the people did not even show up to fight. Even today many still do not know that we are very near the point of losing all that our grandparents so valiantly fought for and protected.

Honestly, most of it is already lost. The war that we never saw began in the higher learning institutions of our nations and then filtered down through the different levels of our educational systems. The institutions of higher learning that had been founded on biblical foundations of God and His ways left their foundations for secular humanism principles. The people who would teach and lead in every facet of developing and training the minds of the masses of people were indoctrinated with a godless, antichrist, man-centric, intellectual way of thinking and living. The people were subversively trained to devalue or ignore God and His way of life and to trust in the knowledge of the minds of men instead of God and His eternal truth.

The people who would make movies and write books and other print and broadcast media were trained in the false system of godless reasoning. The people who produce entertainment and news programs for television and movies and all forms of media were trained by the false godless educational and “entertainment” systems. These have had and continue to have a very powerful effect on the minds of the people of the nations. They have been the tools to erode our lives and destroy our nations.

Even the religious systems became tolerant of the secular godless mentality and then eventually became highly infiltrated with the humanistic philosophical thinking of the masses that were trained in the godless antichrist intellectual ways of thinking. Without the influence of spiritually powerful training of God flowing through the educational systems of the nations, there was nothing to stop or hinder the godless antichrist systems from causing rapid and vile deterioration of the once strong nations.

As a direct result of this blatant failure of educational, religious, and cultural systems to train the people in the ways of God, today every form of demonic evil life of violence, immorality, and forms of witchcraft or sorcery are being openly trained into the minds of the people from childhood.

Drugs and alcohol have wasted multitudes of lives. Families and homes lost their strength to raise strong children to replenish the population. Abortion and other damaging practices have killed more potentially productive people than World War ll.

What previous generations had seen as good and valuable to build a strong and prosperous nation have now become seen as bad and oppressive. What was known in the past to be bad and harmful to the people is now seen as fun and acceptable.

Other peoples of other beliefs in other gods are in the process of replacing the dwindling once dominant family-oriented strong American people. Immigrants are arriving regularly by the tens of thousands that will not assimilate into the existing culture but will establish their own different culture and other gods in the land.

The war that was not seen will soon be visible even to the spiritually blind. However, the minds of the people now are so trained in godless violent and immoral life patterns that instead of resisting the takeover of the nations, many are embracing the opposition and becoming a part of the destruction of the once God-centric nations that sought to put down tyranny and lifted up godly moral quality life of peace and opportunity for all people.

The great nations that once so valiantly sustained good life not only for themselves but also improved, assisted, and protected life in much of the less developed world are losing a war they did not even know was going on. We are losing the war for the minds and godly morals of the people of our lands. The strength of the nations are failing because the people are believing lies and are losing the war of righteousness, peace, and joy in the ways of God – the ways of the power of love for God and one another.

PEACE BEYOND UNDERSTANDING

At the same time of the national degradation of the culture and the failing of the church systems to effectively prevent or change the situation, God is revealing His way of truth and power to bring a forever end to the evil works of Satan and all evil forces.

Yes, the absolute failure of even the best of man’s ways without God are now becoming fully evident. At the same time the way of God’s love and power is coming fully into view for those who seek God’s kingdom life.

Even the “greatest generation” that fought and won in the Second World War was lacking in the pure holy love and power of the kingdom of God coming forth on earth. Yes, there was trust in God to deliver our nations, and, yes, there was a godly influence in the history of our nations. And, yes, there was much godly influence in the culture. Yet, the truth is that there was also always mixture of the god of self and man-made religion along with our trust in God to save us and get us to heaven when we died.

The end of the past mixtures is coming to pass.

This thing is actually happening in our world and in our season of existence. We can now face the reality of our personal and world condition. We can now see because the love of God has been made manifest in us opening our spiritual eyes and ears to intimately relate to Father God. The love and wisdom of God empowers us to begin to discern and deal with the mixture in our own lives, our church systems, and every facet of our culture. By experiencing the pure holy all-consuming love of God, we are being cleansed from all deceitful mixture of good and evil in our lives.

The colossal failure of all systems of governance and economic function in our nations is a portion of the burning of Mystery Babylon among us.

The covert attack to undermine our military forces is due in part to a lack of God’s heart in the people to stand strong. In some cases there is even a willingness in the heart of the people to join with the opposition in allowing defunding and ungodly disorder to be imposed on our military. This is opening the door for an enemy to run rampant.

This is all part of the colossal failure of human governance without God that is coming down to make room for the kingdom of God to arise and fill the earth with the true governance of God, Christ Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords in and with His people.

Our peace is in God even in the times of severe adjustments in the world. Our peace does not come from the world.

We are the agents of God to bring the peace of God within us to others in this time of trouble and tribulation of cleansing judgments in the world.

A mighty move of the Spirit of God in and with His people is depositing the peace and great JOY of the Lord in the hearts and lives of His faithful people. The Holy Spirit invasion of the love of God is releasing the JOY of the Lord that strengthens the people.

A mighty fiery wind of God will blow judgment that causes the end of evil mixtures and causes a great JOY in the people of God, even amidst the fiery fall of Babylon – the twisted upside down order of man that is governing most of the world.

A family, tribe, or nation of people seeking the real kingdom of God will prosper and be strengthened. A family, tribe, or nation of people opposing the kingdom of God will be weakened and impoverished.

Seek first the real kingdom of God, and all the things you need and desire in your purified heart will be added to you.

Set your mind on things above and not on things on the earth.

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Love God’s people, and He will give you His kingdom.

Rejoice, and again I say rejoice!

Ron McGatlin
www.OpenHeaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

2. Arise - For the Kingdom Of God Is At Hand

by Tage Mathisen

As I sit in His presence, a deep thankfulness wells up from my heart. This time it is deeper than ever before. His compassion and love has brought me to a place of total surrender. In this place, all else fades and you can sense His unfailing love growing and your heart is being enlarged.

The journey with Him has lead up His mountain, and as we are looking back we see that we have come to a point of no return. Our Father is drawing us up higher in Him, it is like coming into our heavenly inheritance. We are seated with Him in heavenly places. Our true position is in the heavenly and we are learning to live out of that place with Him.

The Kingdom of God is much vaster and more amazing than anything else. It surely is like a mighty river as it flows from His throne. His presence in us is now being awakened to the true reality of His Kingdom. The Kingdom is bringing wholeness. Christ in us, the hope of glory, is by the Holy Spirit our sweet portion. As we come deeper into Him, as He increases, we can decrease. When He is magnified before our eyes and in our hearts, we are able to understand that this was His plan all along, and we welcome it with everything we are.

There is a joining together going on by the Spirit. It coming to fullness, as He has worked on this for a very long time. The Lord does not stress, for Him one day is like thousand years and thousand years as one day. Our part is to let Him be our focal point, the point of life that determines our constant communion with Him, He that gave it all for us as we still were sinners in His eyes. What glorious grace that He imputed to us, as we only deserved judgment. By His blood we are made whole and righteous, and in Him we are standing cleansed and purified.

Again, as we journey with Him up the mountain of His Kingdom, we are changed. The world has nothing in us and the enemy is losing ground. The Lord can see His image in us now. Our food has become to do His will. We have learned that our will or our way is not working for us anymore. The Father is extending His mercy toward us and He is teaching us His ways and how to walk in this newness of Kingdom understanding. It is so wonderful to know Him, to know His stripes, and to know the life of resurrection. There had to be a death before we could really live through Him and for Him. The grain that went into the ground will bring much fruit. It is His reward, it is for the King and His Kingdom.

Many are those who have looked upon us and judged and scoffed, as they saw the work of the cross in our lives and thought it foolishness. But God, He has faithfully stood by us, even unto death. His is the Kingdom, power and the glory. We are willingly coming to Him. The bridges are burned and we trust Him in all things. Even when it seems impossible, we know that as He has been there over and over in past times, so He will again make a way. Surely, the broad way leads to destruction and the wages of sin is death, but praise be unto the Lord, for the narrow path leads to life and life more abundant.

As our lives are dead with Him, and we are raised with Him to bring Him glory, we emerge into His purpose for our lives. The angels rejoice as they see that His testimony has become our testimony. All things were created through Him and for Him. We are being made one with the Creator. He is worthy of it all, and as we join in with the elders in heaven and His angels, in praising and worshipping Him that was slain, we are becoming overcomers in this present world. He is longing for this, He paid a high price for us to become free and become His.

Romans 8:20 (NASB): For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Made Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2 (NASB): And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Much love and grace,

Tage and Dana Mathisen
www.1soul1nation.com




3. News Headlines


Miraculous recovery for teen submerged in icy lake for 15 minutes - The impact spreads to others - 2/17/2015
“Every day John made huge improvements.” “In a little over a week, he was taken off the ventilator and he was able to start talking. After just 16 days he walked out of the hospital – totally recovered. But the miracles didn’t stop with John. Jackson, a young boy in the room next to John’s, was paralyzed head to toe, having been hospitalized with the flu and then....


Shocker! MSNBC Breaks With White House on Issue of ISIS - 2/17/2015
Call it what it is, says Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews - a religious war. Oh, and those 21 Egyptians who were beheaded in Libya were killed for being CHRISTIANS, not foreign laborers. News outlets are beginning to take exception to the administration. But, when an organization as far left as MSNBC breaks with the White House, you know there's trouble in paradise.


Netanyahu: ’Sacred Duty’ to Make Israel’s Case - 2/17/2015
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it's his 'sacred duty' to go to Washington, D.C., and speak in Congress to "make the best case for Israel that I can." "I'm going to Washington because [as] the prime minister of Israel it's my obligation to do everything in my power to prevent the conclusion of a bad deal that could threaten the survival of Israel."


Iraqi Christians Facing 'Genocidal Onslaught' by Crucifixion - 2/17/2015
"Iraqi Christians have "little time left." Military ground action is needed, there is no other way to protect the Christians from extinction. Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq will face genocide if the Islamic State (ISIS) is not defeated and removed. Iraq's ancient faith communities are now facing "existential crisis" and "genocidal onslaught."


Boko Haram reign of terror spreading - 2/17/2015
Boko Haram’s reign of terror in Africa is spreading. On February 13, the terrorist group attacked Chad for the first time. Aproximately 3,300 refugees in the village of Ngouboua alone; there are 17,000 in Chad, 157,000 in Niger, 40,000 in Cameroon, and almost 1 million Nigerians displaced in their own country. Christians are one of Boko Haram’s top targets.


Former Congressman Frank Wolf continues his support for Mideast - 2/17/2015
Congressman Wolf, who recently retired after 34 years in Congress, said that Christians and are on the “edge of extinction” due to terrorism, and policy-makers must do more. “If the IS is not defeated and ultimately destroyed, there will be no future for these ancient faith communities who now face a genocidal onslaught in lands they have inhabited since antiquity.”


Hollywood's Preacher Man, DeVon Franklin, Is 'For Real' - 2/17/2015
DeVon Franklin is the filmmaker behind the hits "Karate Kid," "Heaven is for Real" and "Annie." But his passion for bringing these inspiring stories to the big screen comes from the pages of his life. Succeeding against the odds is a familiar script for Franklin. "My father was alcoholic" drinking derailed dad's dreams and Franklin's childhood. "It was very traumatic"


Syrian pastor in battle zone ministers to the last and the least - 2/17/2015
Last week I went to visit a woman of over 80 years of age has been in bed eight months because of a broken hip. She welcomed me with tears in her eyes. “Pastor, there are no doctors around and the medicines I need are very expensive. My children and my grandchildren left the country. My neighbors also left. The weather is so cold. How long will I suffer?


Handwritten Hope - What the Inmates Heard - 2/17/2015
Surrounded by prison walls, the words he’d heard on the radio beckoned for him to ask questions. Sabrang sent the letter to the GFA Radio and waited. - Sukir had lived in prison since the time he was a young man. One day, switching through stations they came across something quite unexpected. GFA Radio reaches into remote corners of South Asia.


News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide - 2/17/2015
Prince Charles expresses alarm about radicalisation in Britain - ‘Assisted Suicide’ and ‘Dignity in Dying’ - Ukraine: Some facts to pray into - Hundreds feared dead after boats sink off Italy - Jordan: War against IS - Global: Banking scandal - Egypt: War against Gaza terrorism - CAR: Reports from the interior - Iraq: Archbishop of Irbil addresses UK peers and MPs. More>


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