Love Letters to the Lord - Letter 3

Dear Lord,

In the Garden of Eden, when You created mankind, You made us keepers of the Garden. That word keeper is the same Hebrew word translated as protector and watchman. This position of "keeper" was to cover the whole of Your creation, as You gave us dominion over them when You asked Adam to name them. This dominion was Your Kingdom authority to watch over the earth and all of it's inhabitants. It must have grieved You greatly when he gave it all away in that moment that he sinned their in that Garden of Your creation.

I am so glad that You made a Way for us to regain that position of authority when You gave us Jesus. When He died upon the cross and rose from the dead, He took back from Satan the keys of authority that You had given to Adam in the Garden. 

Jesus, when He taught His disciples to pray in what we call the Lord's Prayer, taught them to call forth Your Kingdom to be here on earth. Then on the day of Pentecost, You gave them the power they needed to wield Your authority once more here on earth. But we, the church in this day, are so lacking in Your authority.  We need to learn these lessons that the first disciples learned.

Lord, teach us to pray with Your authority.  Fill us to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit, so that we can take our place of dominion over Your creation.

I thank You that I have recently learned that the word translated in th Bible as "church" is the Greek word ekklesia. It does not mean what so long I have thought it meant ... it really means a seat- or place - of government. You meant for us - Your body -  to govern, or take dominion over, Your creation. And this we do with our prayers. We are the watchmen on the wall that the prophet Ezekiel called for in Isreal so long ago. A modern day prophet like Ezekiel, Dutch Sheets, has lifted up this "call to arms" to the church in this hour. And we are here, as Esther of old, "for such a time as this." Let us pray with her, "if I perish, I perish." But let us stand in the gap for this nation, America, and ALL of Your creation.

Lord, You gave a word in service last Sunday that I know You meant for a wider audience than just our congregation,  so I will share it here,

As we were singing I could hear the Lord saying, you want to see my kingdom come. You want to see the walls break down. But you are my kingdom. You are my presence here on Earth, and you're holding on to the walls you stay within them like they protect you, but I protect you. You have to break out of this place, you have to walk forth, and share my kingdom in this world. You are my presence and my kingdom cannot go out unless you go out, you go out, take my glory with you everywhere you go, present my word to others. Everywhere you go and heaven will come down, but it will not come unless you break out and walk out in faith.

Lord, thank You for this calling You have placed on Your body. May we be faithful to walk out in it!

Your daughter,

Leigh

Satan is Out to Destroy America …

Take a Look at What He Has Planned

We all know that the abortion issue has long been a threat to our unborn children. But recent state abortion laws that have been passed go further than Roe vs. Wade ever thought of going. For now, they are espousing the murder of those who have survived an abortion procedure.
In fact, President Trump recently tweeted; 

"Senate Democrats just voted against legislation to prevent the killing of newborn infant children. The Democratic position on abortion is now so extreme that they don't mind executing babies AFTER birth. This vote will be remembered as one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress. If there is one thing we should all agree on, it's protecting the lives of innocent babies." (Charisma Magazine, 12:00 PM EST, 2/27/19, This is Satan's Next Step for America.)

Also, every person that has already announced their candidacy for President in the 2020 election has supported legislation that makes it legal to murder children that have survived an abortion procedure. This includes Senators Cory Booker of NJ, Kirstan Gilibrand of NY, Kamala D. Harris of CA, Amy Klobluchar of MN, Elizabeth Warren of MA, and Bernie Sanders of VT.

As shocking as this is, it is just the beginning. Once this has been widely accepted, America will be allowing the murder of all children (… by medically sanctioned prescription for reasons such as proof of hardship, threat or inconvenience.) Literally, if they have a negative impact on our chosen lifestyle we will be able to choose to have them eliminated.quickly and easily. This shocks and grieves me, so much more so it grieves our God!

And this is just the beginning. NO people group is safe – Children, The Elderly, Christians (or any religious affiliation which offends), etc, from being eliminated if they become a threat to the lifestyle of their families or their government officials.

Do you think that Hitler and Nazi Germany was the first attempt at Holocaust? Think again. The book of Esther in the Old Testament of the Bible tells about the plans of one man (Haman) to have all of the Jewish people eliminated throughout the Persian Empire. It also tells of the heroic acts of Mordecai and his niece, Queen Esther, to stop this mass execution, which succeeded.

The book of Exodus, also in the Old Testament, tells of a Pharoah who tried to have baby boys murdered as their mothers delivered them. He feared that the Israelites were too numerous to control if they decided to rebel against his authority. But the midwives of that period feared and reverenced the Lord God, so they saved these baby boys' lives and lied to Pharoah when he called them out for their disobedience to his demands. But Pharoah then ordered his soldiers to murder them.

The Old Testament isn't the only place where a leader killed a people they were afraid of. In the book of Matthew, in the New Testament of the Bible, King Herod ordered the execution of all boys who were between the ages of birth and two years old. We all know this story well: Herod was afraid of the "New King of the Jews" that had recently been born … he was afraid of Jesus destroying his lifestyle as he wasn't even a Jew, but Ceasar had appointed him king over them. But now there was a new King on the scene. One who was a true Jew and met all of the prophetic qualifications. But here again, God protected His own, in this case His very own Son. For He sent Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus to Egypt until after Herod was dead. (Matthew 2:1-15)

With these long-ago examples of mass execution of the people who were a threat to the establishment, who are we to think we are safe?

God is angry at His church, for they have not followed His Commandments. Now I am not talking about the 633 that the Jewish Rabbis' acknowledge, the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah), or even the 10 Commandments. No, Jesus gave us a much more condensed set of Laws to live by:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.Mark 12:28-34, NIV

Where this passage is quoted in the book of Matthew, Jesus also says: All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:40, NIV. For if God is loved above all else, we know how to treat ourselves and our fellow man. Loving God thusly makes us able to love our neighbors as ourselves. Without this all-encompassing love for our Lord, we cannot love others as we should for we know not how to love ourselves properly. God's Children need to find that all-encompassing love for God once more. 

We also need to find a place of fearful reverence for our God and heed His voice when it calls us to "stand in the gap." As God spoke to Ezekiel about the nation of Israel, God is saying to His church:
"I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel 22:30-31, NIV.

So many of us have forgotten how to stand up for what we believe! We have let our faith become watered down for convenience sake. For somebody might become offended if they know what we believe. By doing so, I believe that today's church has become the modern day church of Laodicea to whom God said:

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so

you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:14-22, NIV
We, like Laodicea, have become lukewarm Christians. We have become complacent in our walk of faith. God is calling us to repentance so that He can once again come and "sit at meat" with us. He longs to be intimate with His church as He was in days long past.

Did you know that in ancient Middle Eastern Cultures sharing a meal is considered to be an act of intimacy? Sharing a meal in Jesus' day and age was a communal thing. Everyone lounged around a low table and ate from the same dish using their hands. They used pieces of bread to scoop up their meals … there were no individual plates, no eating utensils. Each family had knives to cut up their foods, but this was done before it was brought to the table. This is one reason that God commanded unclean persons were to live outside the camp in the Old Testament. He knew they could not even eat with their loved ones without exposing them to their uncleanness. But Jesus longs to share a meal with His repentant church.

The church of America has largely become people of unclean hearts and lips. And God is seeking our repentance. He longs for us to stand in the gaps and repair the breaches of the walls of our faith. He desires clean and contrite hearts as David of old spoke of in Psalm 51. This will make us ready to stand in the gap as He intended us to do.

~*~

I know that not many of you know that I used to be a very active political activist on those things I felt were important. In college, I protested in front of the Capital building in Sacramento CA on several occasions. Also 31 years ago this month I protested with Operation Rescue in front of an abortion clinic in Chico, CA. 

This Right to Life protest ended with many of us, myself included, being arrested, tried and convicted of preventing access to a business. Our protest in March of 1988 was in front of the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Chico, CA. This was the only abortion clinic in Butte County, CA where my family resided at that time. 

While my (now ex-) husband had asked me not to be arrested during the protest, I could not honor his request. For this death mill was right in MY backyard. I had to Stand In the Gap for those unborn children of my neighbors. Our pastor at that time was with me at that protest for life. As we drove from the rally to the clinic, I told him of Luther's request and asked him what he would do. He told me that his wife would not have placed him in that position but if she, had he would have to follow the Lord's leading in that moment ... even if it meant going to jail. So I followed my convictions ... if God asked me today to do it again, I most definitely would.

It cost that business a day's revenue. When we were sentenced, the judge initially fined us each $500, then said that it would be given to the clinic to replace funds lost by our protest blocking access to their place of business. Each of us, in turn, advised the judge that we refused to pay that fine. So, in turn, we were each sentenced to three days in jail.

Since that time, I know that my going to jail on this occasion was God's plan. For when we were put into the population we were asked why we were there. When I answered that I had been arrested for protesting in front of an abortion clinic to save the lives of unborn children it gave me the opportunity to share Jesus with about 20 women who were in there with me. We prayed with several of them to receive Jesus and shared the Bible with them throughout our three-day sentence.

~*~

Did you know that not taking a stand for Truth ... with God, but sitting complacently by and letting things just take their course, IS standing with Satan and what he has planned for our nation in the days, months and years ahead? He is out to anhilate the church and destroy this country in the process. How can we who have chosen to serve the Lord of Creation, Christ's Church, sit idly by and allow it to happen?

Now I am not saying to go out and do just anything to be arrested. I am saying is to take a stand WITH God. Especially in this turbulent time within our government. Make your voice heard and see how God will grow your faith and your scope of ministry! 

Trust Him and He will call you into arenas, political and familial you may never have dreamed of going into. Just remember He will never you there all alone, for He will never leave you nor forsake you. He also will never lead you there unprepared ... Always Remember, God May or May Not Call the Qualified, but He ALWAYS Qualifies the Called!

Though I am no longer physically able to take my protests to the streets, I AM willing and able to stand on my soapbox here in these pages and spout my religious and political views to all you happen herein. I pray that the number of views her will steadily increase. So please share these posts and share it often with your family and friends and on Facebook, too.

The Journey Home - The Chronicle of my Reunion Weekend

Part Three - Sunday

Sunday morning dawned sunny and fair in the valley. This was great news after the threats of a storm all day Saturday. So I dressed quickly, loaded the car and headed off to the Pancake Breakfast, with one minor detour to fill up with gas before heading to the Adin Community Hall and breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Harper.

As I loaded the car, Mr. Harper was also loading their van. They had planned to rough-it in the van to save a little money, but the cold breezes made it feel nearly icy last night. Luckily they were able to get a room at the Bieber Motel as there had been a last minute cancellation. Greetings made and our breakfast plans confirmed, I head to get that much-needed fuel.

Adin Community Park and Hall

At breakfast, the food was lovely, as were the Harpers. The rest of the class were as communicative as always. So, having made plans to attend the church where I grew up, I ate, browsed the pictures on the walls and left to find a place to write before church started. That place became the outdoor dining room at the Oney’s Frosty, where I had eaten lunch the day before. This was perfect as they weren’t open for business yet and was deserted.

At 9:30 am, I put the computer away and pulled the car around the block to the side street of the Adin Community Bible Church before Sunday school started. After parking, I entered the church and sat in the last pew … many were the times I had spent here growing up and again when I came home to have Jeremy. Every Sunday and Wednesday for more than six years, combined.

As I sat in the empty sanctuary awaiting service, Pastor Ryan walked in to pick up something for the Sunday school class that was about to start. He invited me to join the class, which I did. Growing up, the adults had their Sunday school class in the sanctuary, but with time comes change.

This welcome into their Sunday school class was a world apart from what I had received at either the dinner or the breakfast I had attended just down the street about half a mile. I KNEW I was loved and wanted here! There were eight of us in that classroom, and I knew about half of them from my youth; they were Mrs. Cauldwell - my youngest brother’s third grade teacher, Rene Leventon Torres - a girl in my middle brother’s class who married one of their classmates and Karen Wolter Babcock - sister of one of my classmates who graduated three years ahead of us. But even those that I hadn’t known previously were just as welcoming as those I did.

This was a great weekend to visit the Adin church, they had a couple visiting that had a traveling music ministry. After the lesson, pastor reminded the class that there was a baptism and potluck celebration after the visiting ministry team sang and he invited me to join them. I finally felt that I belonged somewhere in this valley!

The visitors sang many of the old hymns, even a few I had never heard before. They were a lovely, older couple with lots of tales to share, which they mingled with their songs. I think they said they had been together since courting in Bible college sometime back in the ‘70’s.

203 Main St, Adin CA

Dad's Garage

Our house and garage

After service, I adjourned to the youth building (a large gym with a kitchen and bathrooms downstairs and classrooms upstairs) to change into slacks for traveling later while the ladies put dinner together in the kitchen … really reminded me of home, which I was beginning to miss a bit less by now. And Pastor Ryan got the baptistry ready for today’s candidate, another of the ‘kids’ that rode the same school bus we did; LaDonna Terrill, I don’t know her married name.

As Pastor prepared for the baptism, Mrs. Wolter-Babcock decided she wanted to take the plunge too, so to speak. She had been wrestling with the decision to be baptized for a long time and, with LaDonna already going in, it was just the right impetus she needed to go through with it.  Now it was a double celebration! How the Lord and His Heavenly Hosts rejoiced with us this afternoon.

Before I left the church, I gave Pastor Ryan a set of my books for the church library. I also gave one to his young daughter, which I had signed for her. Such a sweet child who had become a tightly stuck friend throughout the baptism and potluck.

After lunch I left the church and drove through Adin to take some pictures, about half of which I just learned were lost when my phone battery died before they finished uploading ... oh Well.

These are of a deserted ranch on Eagle Lake, CA.

I stopped at the mini-market across from the old planer mill and grabbed some drinks before I was on the road toward Susanville and home. All of the ponds and small lakes were fuller than I had ever seen. Even Eagle Lake’s shores had grown much closer to the highway than I had known. It was a beautiful sight, especially since we had just come through seven years of severe drought. The lovely views only added to the peacefulness that has enveloped me since I undertook this journey.

I began this adventure by questioning why I was going, what I was supposed to learn/teach others on the way, how I was to do this and to whom. Driving home I have come to realize that it was I who needed to learn. I who needed a new perspective on where my ‘home’ is and who were my family … my friends.

As I drove through and spent time in two places I had I had once called home, I found that neither actually were my home, just stop overs on my journey. The first of these places was Rackerby, CA. This was the place I had lived the longest, other than Adin. It was the place I hid from reality for a time so that my mind could start its healing process. I lived there for seven years with a great guy who tried to help me along this healing path. I had planned to be there indefinitely, but God had other ideas. He brought me to a fork in the road, I chose to follow Him.

Another way station in my life was Adin. It was in the house at 203 Main Street where I came to the age of maturity … though I never did ‘grow up.’ I even called Adin and this small valley community my hometown, but it never really was. It was a safe haven that God used to protect me and teach me the first steps I would need to know in order to dance with Him.  And dance I shall!

After this short, but insightful, journey I KNOW that my Home is where God is. So, wherever I am, as long as He is my constant companion and guide, I AM Home. But the location that is my home base, my base of operations, is Carson City, NV, and it shall remain such until He tells me different. So it is from this base that I bid you TTFN.

~*~

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

I will build you up again, and you,

Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.

Again you will take up your timbrels

   and go out to dance with the joyful.

Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria;

the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.

Jeremiah 31:3-5, NIV

A Christian's Priorities

This Poem was taken from Titus 1:6-9. I know that the passage is directing Titus on how to choose Elders and Deacons for his local congregation, but I believe like my Pastor, Bro.  John Wiltse, that ALL Christians are called to be ministers of God's Word to the world. The word minister is another word for servant. As followers of Christ, we are His servants ... His ministers. So I have written this poem to remind us of this important part of our calling to follow Jesus. I hope you enjoy it and take its words to heart.

Sister Leigh

A Christian's Priorities

Unquestioned integrity, we must possess

As Believers in the image of Christ’s Righteousness

Faithful and true to our spouse

No polygamy or adultery does He want in HIS House.

Our Children must be raised in the Christian faith

And not given to lawlessness or fits of disgrace.

Our character must impeachable be

And our household affairs kept orderly

For we are agents of God and His love

And must manage His home as He would above

We must not be aggressive, easily angered or given to drink

These things cloud our minds, we can’t clearly think

We must not be violent, greedy or seek financial gain

Instead should be hospitable, and desire only godly things

Discreet and fair-minded, self-controlled, holy in our living

Defending the Faith, no matter what we’re given

So learn from the past your Christian priority

FOT THIS IS HOW JESUS WOULD HAVE US TO BE!

Leigh

February 17, 2017