MaryLu's Friday Musings and News

 Greetings Saints of the Most High!  

 

I pray this post finds you healthy and safe. I know so many people are struggling financially and possibly losing their homes and businesses. I pray for them all the time, and every time I do , the Lord reminds me that He promises to provide for those people who Seek First Him and His Kingdom. 

 

 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:33-34

 

I must admit to being under a bit of spiritual attack lately. I'm anxious to write When Angels Battle, but I'm having a great deal of trouble starting it. Over the years, I've struggled with Insomnia, and lately it has gotten much worse. Then, there's just life's general business that creeps in with things I need to take care of, lists to accomplish, and precious grandchildren to watch. 

This Writing business takes quite a bit out of us authors. Not only do we have the actual writing, but there's many other responsibilities that seem to steal much of my time. Thinks like writing monthly newsletters, weekly blog posts, social media time, and answering many emails and comments. I've been praying about what the Lord wishes me to do about all of this, and I believe He wants me to focus mainly on writing my next book. So, I'm going to cut back on newsletters and blog posts for now. I made a deal with the Lord to only post here on Cross and Cutlass when He gives me something to say. In addition, I'm not going to be sending out any newsletters for awhile. My priorities for this time are God, family, and writing this novel. So, if you'd like to be notified when I DO post, just follow this blog by email (Input field on the right column) and it will send any post I make to your email. 

However, I do have a few things to mention that indicate to me just how short our time is. You've probably heard about them, but it truly is astounding to me how fast things are moving. I believe with all my heart that we are on the brink of the Tribulation, which means the Lord is on the brink of coming for His Bride. (Those who trust in Him, love Him, and follow Him)

 

Covid Pass. 

We are now seeing what I and many other watchers have predicted, and that's what they are calling a Covid Pass, which is a digital pass indicating you have been vaccinated for Covid and/or recently tested. This pass allows you access to various public venues. 

 

The saddest thing about this is it appears Israel is taking the lead on this. I can't seem to find the main articles on this, but here's one that comes up. Of course the MSM will applaud this, but they are also hiding how many Israelis have become ill or died from the VAX.

Israel's Green pass 

 

I'm just adding this now! Someone just sent this to me. Listen to this.. it's only 4 minutes!  Medical Tyranny in Israel

 

New Yorkers must pass Covid-19 passport to enter

The EU will introduce Digital Green Pass legislation this month that requires all citizens to show proof of vaccination

Military may make Covid Vaccines mandatory 

 

As those of us who are awake know, the vax is a precursor to the Mark of the Beast. You will not lose your salvation for taking it now, but you might possibly lose your life. Please watch this very good interview with a doctor.

 

This one is good too. Moderna declares Covid Vaccine to be an Operating System.

The other thing that caught my eye recently is the uptick in UFO sightings. Of course we know these aren't aliens from other planets, but rather inter-dimensional beings.. such as fallen angels and nephilim.  I've written posts on this before so if this is new to you and sounds nuts, it is in the Bible.  I believe this is going to be a huge part of a GREAT end times deception that will fool many many people. These beings will appear in massive "spaceships" and tell mankind that there is no God and they are the ones who "seeded" our planet and put us here, and they've been watching us for thousands of years. They will explain away the rapture as them taking those of us whose minds were too caught up in archaic ways up to their ships or FEMA camps for reprogramming. Many Godly people have had dreams of UFOs arriving just as we are being raptured. Anyway, here's some interesting articles. The fact we are seeing so much disclosure on this now makes me also realize how short our time is. 

Mothership surrounded by UFO fleet caught on video

American Airlines close encounter 

UFO sightings are increasing and the Government is NOT trying to hide it

One more thing. Notice how many large earthquakes have struck the planet lately? Hmm. Jesus warned us that many earthquakes would strike in many places and that they would get stronger and stronger before He came. 

Check out this live Earthquake Map

If you want to know what's going on but don't want to read countless articles or spend hours searching the internet, try going to Rapture Ready News each day. They give titles and brief descriptions of some of the more important issues as they relate to end times.

I pray God's greatest blessing on each and every one of you!  Witness to the lost, pray hard, stay close to Jesus, do His will, and keep looking up! Can't wait to meet you all in Heaven!

 

Is Persecution Coming to the Church in America and Would that be a Bad thing?

 

Some of you may have heard of the recent "Equality" Act passed by Congress last week. You can look it up for yourself here and read the text, but I'll summarize it briefly for you below. 

 

This is the stated purpose of the Act

To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and for other purposes.

 

Basically, this is what the Act will do

 

Schools and churches will become public accommodations and be forced to accept government mandates on sexual orientation, which means someone could be fined, imprisoned, or lose their job for using the wrong pronoun, not hiring an LGBTQ person because of their sexual orientation, or speaking the truth from the Bible.  Christian ministries will be forced to hire LGBTQ people.

 

Boys will be allowed in girls’ sports AND locker rooms, men in women’s shelters, and men in women’s prisons. Schools will be encouraged or mandated to instruct first, second, and third graders that they can choose to be a boy or a girl, or neither, or both. 

Doctors and nurses will be forced to preform Transition operations and therapies regardless of their personal beliefs.

The Government could deny accreditation to Christian schools and universities

MaryLu here: Eventually, this will make the Bible and all Christian books outlawed. Already Amazon is pulling books that go against Transgenders. As an author, I see the writing on the wall that someday in the near future, many Christian books will be taken off of Amazon and other websites. 

This "Equality" Act needs to pass the Senate now before it becomes law and it quite possibly will fail there (Please pray!)  But I foresee that America is not far from passing something like this in the near future. 

Why am I telling you this? One, for you to pray! and Two, I believe persecution is coming to American Christians like we've never experienced before. The church in America has become fat and lazy. We have enjoyed our freedoms and conferences and potlucks for too long without really having to suffer at all. 

Like many of you, I'm hoping for the Rapture to come soon!  I still believe very much that it could be this year!  But will we see some persecution beforehand? Please do not discount that. Christians in other countries have been persecuted for many years now. 

Over 300 Christian girls were recently kidnapped in Nigeria by militants. 

A pastor in Canada is currently imprisoned for speaking out against the Covid restrictions. 

But this is mild compared to the hundreds and maybe thousands of Christians currently imprisoned or in labor camps in the Middle East, Africa, China and North Korea. I've even heard that some are being crucified. Yes, crucified.

Why do we think we will escape this? And yet, I have to wonder, would it be a bad thing?  I recently learned this from Pastor J.D. Farag in his weekly Bible Prophecy Update. Before the current Communist Chinese Regime took over China there were roughly 1 million Christians in China. Now, years after the communists have taken over and have been eradicating churches and Christians, guess how many Christians there are now? I would have said very few. But there are an estimated 100 Million in China now!  

Persecution always always creates converts. Always. You would think the opposite, wouldn't you? Here are my thoughts on the reasons.

Persecution gets rid of false, hypocritical or lukewarm Christians who turn people away from the Lord.  When trouble hits, these are the first people to leave the church.

Persecution increases the faith of true Christians and produces more signs and miraculous wonders of God that normally wouldn't be needed or seen. This, of course, draws in more people. 

The lost world is looking for something real, something to believe and cling to. When they see the love and faith of people who are being intensely persecuted, they can't help but be drawn in. 

So, I ask you. When persecution hits, how will you react? When they come for your Bibles or come to throw you in prison. When your livelihood is taken away and you have no food or water, when they threaten to take your kids away, what will you do?

I'm not trying to scare anyone and I certainly hope we are gone before things get this bad, but you need to think about it now and make up your mind what you will do. How much do you believe in Jesus? How much do you love Him? How strong is your faith? 

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were about to be tossed into the fiery furnace if they didn't worship the statue, did they cower and obey? 

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

When Paul and Silas had been beaten and tossed in prison, uncertain of their future, were they begging for their lives or were they singing praises to Jesus? So much so that people in the prison, including the jailer got saved!

When Stephen was being stoned to death, did he retract his belief in Jesus and give into their demands, or did he ask the Lord to forgive them of their sins?

When Paul knew that if he went to Jerusalem he would be put in chains and taken to Rome where he would die, did he run the other way? 

The only way you're going to be able to face persecution is IF

• You know the Word of God
• You love Jesus more than you love this world
• You believe in eternity and that nothing they do to you here can compare with the glory you will receive forever. 

So, set your mind on these things. Pray against evil, but be prepared for whatever is coming. Remember, nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the eternity God has prepared for those who love Him. Nothing! And the Lord will not allow you to suffer more than you can handle. In addition, we must all remember Romans 8:28

 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

 

Direct words from the Lord for His Bride!

 

I listen often to a pastor on You Tube, Pastor Patrick Winfrey. He is an evangelist with a mission to the Philippines where he runs an orphanage. His videos are long and he often comes on late at night, hoping to draw in the lost and hopeless so they can hear the Gospel.  He has a prophetic ministry wherein he often gets words from God. He tends to ramble and often breaks out in worship songs. LOL But I love that about him. There are many people who get "words" from the Lord on You tube, so I'm very very careful about who I listen to. I check everything with Scripture and also look for fruit in a person. I've been listening to Pastor Winfrey for at least a year now and I can vouch for him. I only say all of that because earlier this week, he came on and gave the following Words from the Lord. They came in short sentences as you'll see, but I believe this are coming directly from Jesus to you, His Beloved Bride. I hope they bless you as much as they did me!

 

• The battle is not yours for I, the Lord, will fight for you
• Be at total peace. I have you in the palm of My hand
• I will be your banner
• I will deliver you through the storm
• Just keep thanking and praising me!
• The battle is already won
• It is over. The storm shall cease. I have rebuked it
• The Storm is bigger than you can imagine
• I have stilled the waters along the path on which I am leading you
• I will shake the evil foundations of the world
• This will be world wide shaking
  
• Warn the lost
• I am about to shake the whole world with a mighty shaking
• Be ready now!
• I am about to move on the wicked of this world with fear and trembling
• But you, my child, be at peace!
• I am with you
• Look up!
• The devil is a liar
• You shall be raised up to glory with me!
• I am opening a door for you and the name of the door is Honest

 

I looked up the word "Honest" in the Bible and it only appears in the Old Testament but it is the Hebrew word ṣeḏeq, which essentially means righteous judgment, which is what the rapture is. 

 

I don't want to read anything into God's own Words, but it seems to be like He is coming to get us soon and He is going to then judge the world. In the meantime, we are not to be afraid and we are to warn the lost! 

 

Have a Great Weekend!

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Warfare and the End Times

I don't know about you, but lately, probably in the past few months, I have felt an ever-increasing sense of darkness and evil all around me.  I have mentioned it to a few friends and most of them have said they have felt it too. What is this dark force? I believe it is the Antichrist and the coming One World Beast System. I believe this dark shadow that will overtake the world is soon upon us. 

 

I'm not a person who gets depressed.  I never have been. That's why it's been so odd lately to feel a dark sense of sorrow and hopelessness come over me. At times it has been almost debilitating. Part of it, I'm sure, is that I keep aware of what's going on in the world, so I know about a lot of the evil things that are occurring.  Yet, I've been a watchwoman for years and have never felt the darkness this thick. 

 

The biggest attacks come at night when I lay my head on my pillow, when I'm tired and can't even think straight. Then I can almost feel the dark spirit come over me, taunting me with my deepest fears... the loss of a loved one, an accident, illness. a lost family member going to hell.. etc.. My heart squeezes and my pulse races and I do my best to fight it off. But I learned long ago the incredible power in the name of Jesus in those situations. One word, one command to leave in that name, coming from a committed Christian and the enemy cannot stay. 

 

Anyway, on the off chance you are feeling attacked these days as well, I want to give a few pointers I've learned over the years. 

 

1. The Armor of God 

 

You're probably familiar with the pieces of armor Paul lists in Ephesians 6. You've probably heard sermons on them. You might have even been told that when you get up in the morning, you need to mentally put these things on

 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

But, honestly, that's not true. These pieces of armor should ALWAYS be on you. You shouldn't have to mentally, spiritually, or mock-physically put them on. If you are a committed, obedient follower of Jesus who loves the Lord and has a relationship with Him and if you are growing in your walk with Him, you should already be fully armored with truth, righteousness, the Gospel, Faith, Hope, Salvation, and the Word of God. 

2. Pray without ceasing!

Right after Paul lists the armor, he says this.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

 

Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thess 5:17
 

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

Prayer changes things. Prayer knits you and the Lord together in a close relationship. You want to fight off the enemy. Pray always! Have a running conversation with God.

3. Walk in the Light

 

I like to picture Christians as having a circle of light around them, like a bubble of light that can only be seen in the Spirit realm. My husband saw this when he first got saved. Christians encased in light. We stay in the light by living a life of love and obedience to God. If we decide to be disobedient and purposely sin, we step out of the light. When we step out of the light, we expose ourselves to the enemy's attacks. 

 

4. Read the Bible. 

 

Don't just read. Study it. Learn it. Look up words that connect to each other throughout the entire book. Study the original languages. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal things to you. Read it each day. Don't substitute devotions or an online sermon for reading it yourself. Jesus used the Scripture to combat Satan when Satan tempted Him in the Wilderness. He could not have done that without knowing the Scripture. If God needed to do that, why do you think you don't? 

5. Have a close relationship with Jesus. Know the Lord

This comes out of praying and walking in the light and reading the Bible. If you do these things, they you will be in relationship with Jesus. You will know Him, recognize His voice and His leading.

Remember the 7 sons of the Jewish High Priest who tried to cast a demon out of a man? 

 Now there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this.  But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.  Acts 19:14-16

It's not enough to shout out the name of "Jesus". You have to be in relationship with Him! 

6. Be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you each morning and don't do anything that would grieve Him (such as purposeful sin). Listen to Him when He convicts you and repent immediately. The Holy Spirit can be a great friend to you. He can interpret Scripture for you, guide you, teach you, warn you, and nudge you when you need nudging. The Holy Spirit is the power cord that links you to Jesus. Stay plugged in! 

One thing to remember about our enemy is he knows your weaknesses. He knows the things that frighten you. He knows who to get to hurt you. He knows everything about you. He can see how much faith you have and how frightened you are. He sees where there may be holes in your armor. If he can't see an opening, he'll leave you alone and try again later. 

In other words, a committed obedient follower of Jesus who is in a close walk with the Lord, knows the Word of God, and is filled with the Holy Spirit, the enemy cannot touch. If he tries, a response from the Word of God and/or a simple rebuke in the name of Jesus will send him packing.

I've seen this in real life multiple times. One of those times was in Jamaica where demons were manipulating lights on and off in our hotel room and my husband was caught in a horrid nightmare. I simply sat up in bed, figured out what was going on and shouted. "Get out in the name of Jesus!" 

Bam. They left. It works. 

Spiritual Warfare doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. Jesus has already won the battle. We just have to walk in that victory and use the weapons He has given us. I hope this helps you, cause Lord knows, the warfare is getting intense and will continue in these last days before our Lord comes to get us!!

 

P.S. The picture above is how I hope I am seen in the Spirit Realm!  How about you? How do you hope you are seen?

 

What I'm Writing Next and My Friday Musings

 

 Hi Everyone!

 

Thank you to those of you who voted to help me decide what to write next! The options were

 

A Sequel to When Angels Cry

An addition to my Pirate series

A Pirate Time Travel

A new Medieval series

 

And the winner is:  A Sequel to When Angels Cry!

So, that is my plan and I'm currently doing some research (Into the Book of Revelation) and will work on a storyline soon.  I don't plan on making this book long, and I certainly don't want it to be dark and depressing. Let's face it, the Tribulation isn't going to be fun, but my idea is to make this story more about angels and victory and spiritual warfare and the brightness of the Tribulation church. I'm also including a love story, because heck, that's what I do!   

I'm thinking of one of these two titles. 

When Angels Fight

When Angels Battle 

Preference? 

After this sequel, my plan (God willing) is to write the 7th book in my Legacy of the King's Pirates series with a story about Gabriella, the third child of Charlisse and Captain Merrick. Since we have already had Alex's story (The Ransom) and Reena's story (The Reckless), I feel like Gabrielle needs her own story.  

This ALL is dependent on whether we are still here on earth for me to finish either book. The way things are going, I'm honestly not sure. But we must be about our Father's business, so that's what I intend to do.

I hope and pray you all are doing well in all the craziness. I have been praying for those states inundated with snow and ice and some without any power! Then there's the nasty VX which is killing hundreds of people, though they quickly scrub any posts about that from the internet. Then, we have the crazy political agenda which seems to be destroying jobs and freedoms with each passing minute. Not to mention the Great Reset coming up soon, the predicted economic collapse, the food shortages, the continual fear of new outbreaks of Covid, schools not in session, mega pastors falling, small businesses failing, and so much deception, we don't know what to believe.

I'm not trying to depress you. I'm trying to get you to see how close we are to the end. So, cheer up and keep clinging to Jesus! Hopefully, the Bride will not have to experience a great deal of persecution before we leave, but we should expect some. Along those lines I found these articles below interesting. Did you ever think to see something like this a year ago?

 

Pastor in Canada arrested and put in jail for the crime of holding a church service 

John MacArthur's men's conference canceled due to threats coming from CA officials 

Are you a Domestic Terrorist? Beware, the Government is coming for you

 

 I pray God blesses each and everyone of you and that you bask in His glorious loving and peaceful presence!

 

 

 

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 

For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 

Revelation 19:7

Behold, I am coming quickly! 

Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 

Revelation 3:11