MY PERSONAL PANDEMIC POINT OF VIEW

    This all gets weirder by the day. It's hard... fighting through depression. I meditate, read and have the Bible read to me every day. But I don't know, maybe you're better at it than me, but it's really starting to get to me.
    The isolation is staggering. Nothing is normal, right? I know everyone's experiencing the same thing, but I'm starting to talk to my shadow and notice that it's following me. Oddly enough, I'm beginning to enjoy its company these days. I keep hoping that it might just talk back and carry on a conversation with me. This "being alone" thing through all this is like some sort of cruel form of punishment. You have to really like and be into yourself to actually enjoy it. Know what I mean? Up until now I loved being alone at times. Me time, you know... space, where no one intruded in my little slice of the life pie, but after 8 weeks... I'm like, "Hey, anybody want to share some pie? I'll grab some Cool Whip or real whipped cream!"
    I really want to believe there is going to be a lot of good come from this, but I'm beginning to have my doubts. I hate all the new lingo like "THE NEW NORM". What does that even mean? People talk about it like they have this deep sort of psychic understanding. Is this the zombie apocalypse? Or the sequel to Will Smith's, I AM LEGEND?
    And the mask thing is really starting to bug me. Is this a set up to the Jihad and the worldwide take over of radical Islam? Or is this a Lone Ranger episode and the Kemosabe's going to pull up in his Humvee named HairTrigger and stop the bad guys from hoarding all the paper products? Wait, did I just say something politically incorrect? For the first four weeks of this thing no one in my Whole Foods gave a rip. No masks, no gloves. Now it's signs everywhere and some of the people working there act offended if you're not complying. Hypocrites... give me a break. And what is this crazy stuff I'm seeing on the roads? People driving alone in their cars with a mask on? Who the hell thinks that's sane? What? Is the radio going to spit on you? Come on people... GET REAL!
    And this whole "can't go to church or synagogue" or whatever it is you attend has just gone off the edge. Let's get real and talk about God and creation, if you're smart enough to be into that sort of thing. God made us for interaction not isolation. To tell people they can't fellowship together for the sake of the greater good is just pure BS! It goes against every principle and the rules of love! Not one of us are on this planet because we willed ourselves into being. Maybe some tree hugger tinfoil hat types perhaps, but for the most part it took intimacy and interaction with another human to create life. And I'll just talk about Jesus right now... He came and died so that all of us who actually realize how messed up we are without Him can have... WAIT FOR IT... RELATING-SHIP WITH GOD! That's based solely in intimacy! Fellowship is personal, live, human to human interaction, it's not sitting somewhere watching a TV or smartphone screen and acting like it's the same thing. NOPE, it's not. 
    Ok, in the first few weeks as we were navigating the mirky waters of the COVID-19 it might have been a good idea... but enough already. This is boarding on socialism or communism. Big Brother, mind control. If they get you to comply without any resistance, they've lured you into a trap. History is full of such stories. And again, like the masks, we're being wooed into the NEW NORM! I watched my little church service online yesterday... and God bless all of them, but it was just not connecting. So what is the point and why do we keep letting them tell us this is the way it has to be?
    I don't know about you but one of the things I know about myself is I'm a touchy feely guy. I grew up in a family that kissed each other. Call it weird but we love each other. Hugging is not the "norm", it's necessity. My dad is almost 94 years old and to this day when I greet him or say goodnight or goodbye I kiss him... square on the lips. I was built for interaction, for intimacy and touch. I sat at the park the other day where I go and walk and I watched families and couples interact. They were holding hands and being intimate with each other. I found myself becoming envious, even downright emotional. Then I became a little mad. I've not been in relationship out of choice for the last five years and, for the most part, wanted nothing to do with it ever again. But this COVID thing has kicked the reality of not having it and all that it brings along with the realization of just how empty life is without it into high gear. I went from sensory deprivation to sensory revelation in a matter of 8 weeks.
    Now, I didn't say all that because I'm suddenly on the hunt, I'm not. But when you come to the point where you don't even know what touch is like anymore, you know you're in a bad place. When the Hallmark channel suddenly makes sense and you find tears running down your cheeks at the stupidest stories, you know it's gotten bad. I mean people substituted rubbing elbows for handshakes for God sakes. What's next, classes on tree hugging as an alternative? 
    Look, desperation is never a justification for jumping from the flame into the fire, but for me, the epiphany has been quite startling to say the least. I wonder what the birthrate will be between November and February next year? All these hospitals that are doing such bad business because the virus isn't really paying off like they hoped will be bursting at the seems in the maternity wards come winter.
    It really is disturbing to me because I realize that the freedom we have, or had, is the way God created us to be. And when those things are removed, it creates a tremendous emptiness and void... and when that's not replenished, the outcome is never positive.
    The more they seek to isolate us with their projections of doom and dread, fear and despair, the greater control we allow them to have. When they see they can get away with it and that we comply without resistance, power slowly drains from the brains that God gave us which are created like His... to function in wisdom and discernment. Just something to think about.

    Anyway... that's the way it is in my brain, May 12th, 2020!

Steven Bliss
© 5/12/2020

TO DIE IS TO LIVE

    We live in the most ego-centric, self-interested, self-absorbed "ME" society the Earth has ever had the unfortunate displeasure of having to put up with.
    All the deserts on the face of the Earth were at one time fertile Crescents, but through time and erosion the eventuality of their destruction was predetermined. Humanity, in particular our society and its culture are so obsessed with the concept of self that it's willing to, at any and all cost, destroy whatever stands in the way of its personal fulfillment and gratification. We're even willing to kill babies in the womb to the tune of millions just to remove what we consider an intrusion into our peace and happiness. How much more depraved and destructive does it get? We are willing to kill our own kind, the continuation of who we are as human beings just because we don't want the inconvenience.
    History has never been kind to the story of humanity. Though there have been moments in time when people have come together for short periods, but for the most part, it's been a bloodbath going back to the creation of man. Survival of the fittest. If anything stands in your way kill it or make sure it never has power over you whatsoever. Whether it's dictators, emperors, premiers, kings, queens or regimes, history has continuously revealed and proven that the hearts of men and women everywhere are much darker than anyone wants to believe.
    Are we any different now? I don't think so. And perhaps because there's more of us today, it just may be worse. Oh sure, we live in what appears to be a higher level of sophistication and consciousness in many ways, but much of the world is as barbaric and twisted as it ever has been.
    That brings me to my point and why the title of this article. Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its way ends in death." That's a strong and ominous statement because it applies to every single one of us, from the least of us to the greatest. More startling are Jeremiah's words, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9 Is there a remedy? What is the anti-virus to this obviously harsh and bitter truth? Can we be healed? How do we even know if we're going the right way? How do we know what we determine as best for us is, actually best? Without sounding crusty and steeped in cliche, Let me break it down as simply as I can. We have to die to ourself so that we can live life to its fullest.
    Jesus said it this way, "I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies [meaning it goes into the ground and dies in order to begin the process of transformation] it stays a mere grain [it lies on the ground without accomplishing its purpose]. But if it dies it will multiply and produce a magnificent harvest. Therefore, the one who loves their life loses it, but the one who hates their life in this world will keep it safe right on into eternal life!" John 12:24‭-‬25
    Die? Is He actually talking about dying... as in going into the ground and never coming back, dying? Yes, in a way He is. He's talking about a mentality, a perspective that goes against the grain of human thought. To overcome ourselves and our self centeredness we must be willing to give up the idea of our agenda for the agenda of the One who knows not only knows what we were created for, but what's the best way for us to get there and accomplish that purpose with great success. Making sense is human, trusting God isn't. It takes faith and the willingness to lay everything down to have His perspective be the one we function in. But how?
    Humility! It's the rain that softens the hard ground of our lives that prevents the seed from going down deep so it can die and then live. But not just produce life in us but a harvest. Humility says to God "it's not my way that matters, but Yours, not my will, but Yours, not my agenda, it's Yours." Humility fills the clouds of Heaven for God to water our seed.
    I'm not talking to only Christians or the church here necessarily, though they're welcome to tag along, I'm talking to those who are stuck. Those who have a heart and desire to see change in their lives, who either don't know God or perhaps hate anything religious yet want to know who God is and if there is purpose for their lives. Those who have a longing for answers. To those who desperately want a connection to God, something that not only has meaning, but lasts. They are sick of this world, sick of doing things their way and never getting anywhere. Those who have lost hope and desperately want to find a better way. If you're reading this and it hits you and you're worn out with no place to go, then you have found the way to hope. Today is your day. 
    There is no coincidence you are reading this and experiencing the thoughts you are having in your mind right now. God loves you... that's right, right where you are and just as you are. All He is asking you to do is surrender. To give up control and die to yourself. To give your life to Him right here, right now. He wants you to know His only Son Jesus who was willing to die for you and take your sins and carry them Himself, paying the price so you don't, and just like that seed going into the ground, He rose up alive so that you could know God personally and have life, not just here and now, but forever. If home is what you're looking for then ask the One who created you and knows the way back, lead you.

    To all of you who know God and feel a deep sense of hopelessness in your life as you realize just how self focused and self absorbed you've been, constantly spinning your wheels, then it's just this simple... surrender, repent and come back.

    There is life after death. Not just the one where breath leaves your body for good, but a real vibrant life right here, right now. It's as simple as this... with God, to die is to live!


Steven Bliss
© 4/20/2020

WHY WORSHIP?

Recently a friend of mine told me that their child had asked the question, "Why are we told to worship God?" To her it seemed almost selfish that God would expect us to worship and praise Him. A very interesting question and perspective from a 9 year old. They ask me if I had any thoughts that might help them in their attempt to give an answer. I rattled it around in my brain for a while. After all I was the director of music at a very large church in Southern California for a long time and have written hundreds of worship songs... of course I can answer that. Right? But as I fumbled through it I realized that I saw things from the perspective of an adult. When I came to God, I was 30 years old. My perspective was that of an adult, not a child. So after throwing out my first response because it was just too lofty, I repositioned myself as a father talking to my young child. So this is what I wrote.

First off, the word worship means, in the simplest of terms, to love and adore someone or something so much that it occupies the majority of our thinking, so much so that they or it becomes a huge part of who we are.

When it comes to God it plays an even greater role because the more we worship Him, the more He becomes the most important thing to us. The greater our minds pull away from the world and all its distractions and we begin to become more like who He is. We slowly begin to resemble Him. And the result of becoming more and more like Him is, an unmovable peace deep within us begins to take shape because we now have peace with Him. And God knows this.

God doesn't need our worship. If you think about it, according to the Bible, God is surrounded by amazing angels and creatures too fantastical to describe who give Him praise and honor and glory constantly. So in reality, the worship of God is not so much for Him as it is for us. Why? Because we live in a fallen world and pride has taken over our minds as a result, the only way to pull away from that mindset and attitude is to re direct our minds focus towards the One who made us. God is holy and by us worshipping Him we bring ourselves into a place of humility before Him, acknowledging that He is and always will be God and that we need Him every second of every day. There's nothing wrong with being our best but when that takes us over and we put all our confidence in ourselves we begin to lose perspective of who we really are and what we were created for, and is to know God personally. So we don't really need more of us or the world and all it offers us, we really need more of God.

This is why there is such a struggle in this life to pull our hearts and minds away from Him. The truth is the one who hates us hates Him because God created us in His image. God has a very real enemy who wants to keep us from being intimate and really close to God because he knows this, that if we believe in God and His son Jesus, and if we give our lives to God and worship Him, then God's enemy [who is our enemy as well] whose name is Lucifer, not only loses the battle with us but he loses everything. Every single soul matters to God.

The Bible says He will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind and heart is focused on Him. That is worship. To love and adore God. To give ourselves to Him and trust Him with all our heart, no matter what may come. To love Him more than we love anything else. What we worship will take over our thinking and affect our thoughts and our actions. The more we love and adore Him the more we want to be like Him. It's not selfish of God, it's wise. It is the love of a Father for His child.

Why does God wants us to worship Him... because He knows it fills us with life.


Steven Bliss
© 4/26/2020

FOR GRANTED: NOT AN OPTION

These very unusual times have forced us all to experience things we're not used to. They're uncomfortable and they seem at times foreboding. Some of us are struggling with different realities in the midst of it. Whether it's a loss of jobs and income or the stark realities of isolation and the effects of not being able to be around those who we are close to or being stuck in the same place without any ability to enjoy the freedom this country offers us, as time moves on the stagnation is depressing, to say the least.

I just got back from spending a couple weeks with my dad. While I was there I met and walked with my cousin Paul. Paul's wife, my cousin Carol whom I was very close to since childhood, passed away a year ago at the age of 69. We walked in the cemetery where she is buried. Most of the parks here in St. Louis are closed so the cemetery is big. It was a great time to get out in the fresh air, have conversation and spend time with God. 

As I walked there, the thought began to grow in my mind as I looked at so many graves about the brevity of life. I started thinking about all the things we take for granted and the inconveniences that are, well in many cases really not so inconvenient. I thought about all the people who pass us by everyday, all headed to the same destination.

Each day I began to look at the tombstones and read about some of the people who are there. A few stood out, grabbing my attention. So I thought I'd share one with you that might just inspire you to grab on to what God has given you and appreciate it more than you ever have.

Charles and Margaret Eime were both born over 150 years ago. Like many of us, they were a typical couple who fell in love and spent their lives together. But the Eime's were different in that they experienced a series of tragedies that would stop most of us dead in our tracks. Charles and Margaret lost 7 children, four of which died in infancy while the other three were 1, 2 and 9 over 13 years. To add sorrow to the story, their second child, Laura, died in the same year as their third child who has no name. As I put my hand on their stone, and having lost a child myself, I could feel the reality of their pain and loss, their deep sorrow and grief. As I was feeling the sadness I began to realize the incredible power of their love for each other. That in the midst of such tragedy their love held them together through the most horrendous of times and moved them forward through the years in spite of it all. I can't imagine losing 7 children over the course of 13 years. Margaret and Charles held each one of those children in their arms and then laid them all to rest.

In this time of deep uncertainty and all that faces each one of us, I want to encourage you, take nothing for granted. Cherish every moment. Live like each day is your last. Don't come out of this and go back to life the way it was. Don't long for the past or the good old days. Reset the agenda. Reboot! Realize that as quickly as this happened, it can happen again and probably will. Love hard, love deep. Find God, and if you've already found Him, make Him a priority. Take time to talk to Him, but even more, take time to listen. Don't waste another minute on things that don't matter and make time for those that do. Matthew 6:25-34 is a good reminder.

May Adonai bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine on you and show you His favor; may He lift up His face towards you and give you peace.

Steven Bliss
© 4/18/20

PERFECT PEACE

Take me to a place where the water is still and the air clean. Where the images that penetrate my mind are majestic and awe-inspiring. Take me to a place where my ears hear the sounds of tranquility as they alter the consciousness of my mind and deliver me from all my worries and fear.

Can you see that in your mind? Can you smell that air so crisp and clean? Can you see the regal mountains jutting to the sky as they reflect off of the perfectly still waters of a crystal blue lake in front of you? Where the most beautiful sounds of songbirds fill the air and your mind empties of all it faces. Where fear melts like ice cream in the Sun and everything you worry about and fret over no longer comes to mind as you’re instantly delivered from it all. It’s a dream right? This is a type of peace we all want in this time but is far from our grasp. But there is actually a peace that won’t disappear.

Peace is a commodity that has suddenly evaporated before our very eyes. Every single person, no matter what your financial status, no matter what your race, no matter what your gender is faced with uncertainty that no one on this planet has ever had to face… and it’s everywhere all at once! If you could bottle peace right now and sell it you would become the richest person in the world. There’s no app that can give it to you. No meditation or guru. No amount of money or the accumulation of things. No political power or level of control can give us the one thing everyone wants.

I have a solution, an answer, a definite hope and assurance that won’t vanish like a dream or turn off when your phone goes to sleep or shuts down. There is a key that unlocks that door. That key is faith. That picture I painted above that you want to never fade away or leave you is only found in Jesus. That’s right, Jesus. In the Bible in the book of John he tells about his experiences of walking closely with Jesus for the final 3 years of His life just prior to His crucifixion and shares what he saw and heard Jesus say and do. But of all the wonders that he personally experienced, it was the few simple words that Jesus spoke that would alter his consciousness forever and give him the confidence to go on, no matter what he faced. Before He went to the cross Jesus said this, “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]" John 14:27 AMP These words were powerful enough to give everyone who heard and followed Him the confident assurance that, regardless of what they faced, even death, His peace would be with them and give them the strength to arrive safe on the other side.

There is no peace in the things we see and hear. Everyday it becomes a little bleaker. Things become a little tighter, a little more uncertain. But I want to encourage you with this. If you don’t know Jesus as you are reading this, if you’ve only heard about Him but never really connected the dots with who He really is… that He took your sin and rebellion and nailed it to the cross taking the punishment you deserve and paying the debt you owe to God, then it’s as simple as this… ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Tell Him you surrender and give Him your life. Tell Him that you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Ask Him to fill you with Himself and His peace as well as the courage to overcome your fears.

If you are a believer, and you’re in a place of fear and panic, STOP… realign your heart and mind with the truth. Resist the temptation to let darkness weave its insidious lies in your mind that are contrary to the truth of God. Put these words in your heart. Read them out loud to yourself. Speak them over yourself and your family. Speak out loud,"GOD HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SPIRIT OF FEAR, but of LOVE, POWER and a SOUND MIND! Today, I declare that I will not be anxious for or about anything, but instead I will talk to God about everything and trust Him for all my answers, knowing that His peace, which is nothing like the world and even beyond my comprehension, will guard me, comfort me and keep me safe. I choose right now to focus my mind on the things that are true and what is good; on what is authentic and real, honorable and admirable. I choose to focus on what is pure and holy, merciful and kind. And I will thank God moment by moment for His perfect peace. AMEN!” If you need to say this 20 times a day, DO IT!

I promise you, if you seek God in these very difficult days, in the midst of it all, He will not only hear you and answer you, but He will bring you through in perfect peace.


Steven Bliss
© 4/2/20

TIME OUT!

These are unprecedented times to say the least…

If you listen to the news and the talking heads, you'd be convinced the worst is yet to come and that any ray of hope has left the planet for good. That this plague that is now upon us is the end of all we know and that the word recovery doesn't even exist in the vocabulary of this dire situation. But as bleak as it looks, I want to calm your minds and present a different picture for you to consider.

Nothing happens without there being a greater purpose behind it. Whether it’s good or nefarious, there is always a story behind the story. This time is no different. Though doom and gloom vomit out of those who peddle fear, and hopelessness the feeling of so many right now, I believe we are being given a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to, shall we say, put our houses in order. 

There are no guarantees in this life. None. What you’ve gained can in a moment be taken away, as many of you have seen and are now experiencing. I’ve lost everything several times in my life. The death of my first-born from a heroin overdose, jobs that paid me lots of money and benefits, cancer, my home, savings, hundreds of thousands in investments… yes I’ve lost most of what I’ve ever had. Not to mention the many whom I've loved that have died from horrible diseases, including my precious mother who meant the world to me over these last 8 years. There are no guarantees. We are all going to have those times come to us living in this world. For me, I’ve had to learn to live my life with my hands wide open. To not hold tight to what I think is mine and allow myself to embrace not only the brevity of life and things, and to stop and fully smell the roses blooming right now. To value what’s right in front of me.

Every time something extremely challenging and difficult happens I come to realize that God is wanting me to embrace His perspective about things; though I will say that came neither fast or easy. It took me many years of trials and tribulations as well as a lot of Q&A with God… usually questions on my part and quiet on His. His favorite answer is, "TRUST ME!" as every loss and trial brought me closer to Him. Each one played a part in the eviction of my skewed perspectives, my anger and serious disappointment which kept me chained to a state of mind that only perpetuated my personal slavery to hopelessness. Not that I have now arrived by any means, I mean after all I am human, but I’ve gained valuable insight that, in hindsight and wisdom, is transferable. 

This is a global reality taking place. Not one place has not been touched. Not one person completely safe. I’ve faced death several times in my life, and though I don’t talk about them much, they have left lasting impressions on my soul. By design God has let me taste my own frailty and the brevity of life. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes that "all is vanity!" It's true. We think we own it... but we don't. Later James said it like this, “You don’t even know if you will be alive tomorrow! For all you are is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears.” James 4:14 You know that old saying, "here today, gone tomorrow", well, it's true too. 

So this is what I believe. God has put the whole world in time out. He's taking advantage of the circumstances to teach us something. Every single human is being given an opportunity to evaluate their perspectives on time, life, possessions and most importantly, what they believe and where they stand with God. You can kick and fight and piss and moan, but when all is said and done, every soul is going to stand face to face with the living God. Perhaps other things have occupied way too much space in your brain and created an interrupted view or wall to seeing the only One that really matters? Maybe the world and its offerings have become way too sweet in your mouth which has created an addiction to those foods that are loaded with, you know, empty calories? Or even worse, the stress and worries along with all the cares of this life have so weighed you down that the idea of trusting anyone other than yourself and your abilities to get the job done is nonexistent, removing any possibilities of dependence upon God, even if He does love and cares for you far more than you could ever imagine. Whatever that is, whatever it may be, this time out is time for us to put it all things in perspective.

You see, no one can control or fix this. No one can stop it. No one has that magic wand to suddenly make it all go away. But as always, and throughout time, there is only one answer, one remedy, one solution and one hope: God whose name is Yahweh! The God of all creation is giving each of us an opportunity to clean house and get things strait with Him. He is your hope and your answer. He is the way, the truth and the life… no matter what anyone says. The world is dying. Yes, I said it; just like us, it too is dying. Go visit a graveyard. Every one of those tombstones are telling you the same thing. Every soul who has come and gone for thousands of years, if they could, would look you square in the face and tell you, “WAKE UP! DON’T WAIT! EVERYTHING THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT AFTER THIS LIFE IS TRUE!”

It is no coincidence that it’s happening to the entire world at once. Things are changing and the truth is, time is short. Your answers are all found in one place; relationship with God through His Son, Jesus who stood in the gap for you and took the ultimate punishment of death which belongs to you because of sin. There’s no candy coating this. This is a NOW moment for each and every one of us. If you don't know God it's as simple as realizing you are a sinner and can't save yourself. Tell Him that and ask Him to forgive you, to save and deliver you. A single drop of faith is all it takes.

I want to leave you with this thought. In this global time out, take the time to let fear go... no matter what things look like. Turn off the news. Turn off the TV. Stop, look and listen… the flowers are beginning to bloom, take the time to smell them. Seek God while we are in this time with your whole heart! You may not get this time again. Take advantage of it. Repent, reconnect and realign your heart and mind with the source of life Himself, Yahweh and His Son, Jesus. He’s listening. I promise.

© 2020 Steven Bliss

HE WILL...

This is for one and all, to encourage you in these very uncertain times. Though these are God's promises to us all, as individual believers, they are extremely personal. 25 years ago I heard God tell me that Psalm 91 will be the “Psalm of the End”. That I was to memorize, remember and remind myself of it constantly. It is the Passover Psalm that pertains specifically to the LAST EXODUS that will happen at the end when Jesus Himself returns (Jeremiah 16:14-15; 23:5-8 see below). This psalm is deeply intimate between the individual and Yahweh Himself.

I may not be telling you anything you don't already know, but I’m reminding and encouraging each one of you to consider what's being said here. Psalm 91 is a self-talk grocery list for each believer to recount and remind themselves that God's promises, in the most horrific of times, are both YES and AMEN and are enough to sustain each and everyone who trusts Him. As the believer concludes and affirms his confidence in God, Yahweh immediately responds to their love, trust and faith in Him.

“Because you love Me, therefore I will deliver you. I will set you securely on high, because you know My Name. You will call on Me and I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you, and honor you, and with a long life I will satisfy you and let you see My SALVATION (Y'shua).” Psalm 91:14-16

Yes, y'shua-ti is the exact Hebrew word used here and not by accident. Why? Because the end is all about Y'shua, Jesus! His return, His rulership, His glory and His power! You will notice as well there are six "I will's" in these two verses. Six promises directly from the mouth of Yahweh Himself spoken to the heart and mind of the believer because of their faith and trust in Him. The ultimate expression of love between a Father and His child.

The time of Jacob's trouble has arrived. Let faith arise and God’s enemies be scattered. It’s time for the power of God to not just be reminisced about or bantered around as a thing of the past, but to be engaged and applied in each and every moment of our lives from this point on. Y'shua said, “When the Son of man returns, will He find faith in the earth?” I say, "YES LORD, YES!"

© 2020 Steven Bliss

“Therefore behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that it will no more be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers. “Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the Lord, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
Jeremiah 16:14-16

“Behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch (Y'shua), and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: The Lord our righteousness. “Therefore behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that they will no more say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will dwell in their own land.”
Jeremiah 23:5-8