Articles
Are You Ready? Are Your People Ready? The Net is Encircling Us
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
September 2012
written for Wisconsin Christian Newspaper
Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
Psalms 31:4 KJV
We are heading into the pit, drawn in by a net. Not the end of the world surely. There is much to come when Messiah puts His feet down on the Mount of Olives! But oh, the terrible realities of the judgment that has been held back and held back and held back, yet must come. Those who see the Whole Word as valid in both physical and spiritual sense, understand that Messiah will reign on this earth for a thousand years. We do know that despite His Presence in Jerusalem, there will yet be those who resist honoring Him in His ways and will experience drought as a result.
And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Zechariah 14:17 KJV
It has been sobering and potentially liberating to read and see the pattern from that first exodus being repeated as we move toward that final exodus. He allowed a mixed multitude to enter the wilderness…and there He met them face to face and brought judgment. Not all who entered the wilderness as Israel were able to enter His rest or His Land.
Once again, we see that He will allow a mixed multitude to enter in to the modern version of that wilderness, not because all are spiritually where we should be, but because He is gracious and gives every person every opportunity to yield to Him. His Word tells us that His wrath is NOT for those who honor Him but reserved for those who resist Him. But we will stand by and see what happens.
[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Ezekiel 20:33-38 KJV
We who are alive in this age will yet see the meaning of letting the righteous be more righteous, the filthy more filthy, and the set apart, more set apart. (Rev. 22:11) Is the valley of the shadow of death just a soothing poetic picture for you….or a reality? Will we remain prayerfully confident and faithful when all hell is breaking loose around us or is prayer just something we do but don’t really expect that it accomplishes anything?
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Hab. 3: 17-18 KJV
The America we have known is in its final throes. We see it in many ways as last month’s editorial observed. There are hordes of people who no longer seem to have any concern about much of anything, except the latest fashion or media presentation. Their senses and minds have been dulled in multiple ways. Our resources are slipping away under pressure of weather, financial and political manipulations. Most do not realize that there has been intention behind this as the nations of the world are being prepared to enter in to the new world order. Many nations have already endured this plundering. The net has been cast and is being drawn closed.
We have to get past the point of lamenting what no longer exists, get real, and get strong in Messiah while there is yet time. The Terrible “D’s” threaten to engulf us and turn us away from Him.
Just as we are told in Scripture, there are many who are living in Delusions. The ability to reason and think logically for many is either lost or was never taught in the first place. Pressures and things done in and to the environment around us are making people ill, forgetful, distracted and sometimes more aggressive or violent. That ‘frog in the kettle’ inspirational speakers warned of years ago is boiled to death and as predicted, many never even kicked in resistance.
Discouraged people are struggling and making unwise choices under pressure. “Well, I was desperate and did even though I did know it was not something our Father would approve of.”
“Well, I think we’ve already lost that battle so we might as well just move on to the next battle ground and resign ourselves to ” (fill in the blank whether it is gay and lesbian agendas or abortion or…)
“Well, I am sure the Father will understand when I take the mark because I have to feed my children! Surely He will forgive me for that!”
THIS is what the evil one and those who have a vision of recreating all the earth to meet their pleasure have in mind! Push people to the point of Despair and beyond where they will not remember their authority and place in Messiah! Where they think that their physical life is the final reality, forgetting all they ever knew about eternity and spiritual reality in the heat of war and scarcity.
Here is where we find out whether our faith is real or just fantasy, just a fabric of relationships with people that we enjoy every week, just platitudes that comfort us in trying times or deep and grounded in intimate relationship with our Messiah, the Living One!
The net is cast. Though we do not see that the final judgments are pending quite yet, we do see intermediate judgment falling. And just as the people who waited and waited and waited for Messiah until He came as our Passover Lamb saw those spring feasts fulfilled within a matter of weeks, so too, do we think that after all our waiting, the events leading to His return will also follow in rapid succession.
The foolish virgins will be running around looking for the oil that is no longer available, missing the time of Messiah’s return! (Mathew 25) Many things indicate that time is near or already set.
Are we to have to find the way to graciously respond to the desperate…I’m sorry! There are disciplines and practices that you have needed to grow strong in Messiah BEFORE the flood of mighty waters came. There is no way that I can give you what you need right now. It can’t be gained immediately through conversation alone, or by any sum of money.
Are we to have to find the way to graciously respond to those who we can see are walking in total delusion? Under such circumstances and in such a time as this, we maintain our hope that our gracious Father who is slow to anger may yet find a way to pierce the hearts of those who have so far rejected Him. Are we to learn what it is like to see His wrath fall while He protects those He does know intimately who have honored His Name and guarded His commands? There is no room for glee or gloating over anything, but more grief at those who simply would not hear. And over those who remained under the teaching of the false shepherds who have fattened themselves at the expense of their flock. And oh, the grief we feel over those shepherds who really DID know better but go along with the system because they love the praises of men more than the praises of our Mighty Elohim. (John 12:43)
Those who have been given much will also have much expected of them. No room for smugness. Those who have not become acquainted with the real Messiah and His ways will be in for all hell breaking loose on the earth, and if they still do not repent and return to Him, an eternity of separation from Him.
Those who cry and sigh over the rebellion and evil in the world and who honor His Name and guard His commands will find respite in Messiah. They will receive the desirable “Mark” while others will receive the mark of the beast, however exactly it is that plays out. (Eze. 9:4)
Recently I have understood that the “net” is made up of people under authority who carry out their instructions, but some of those people do not agree and will provide “holes” for escape. Our dependence and yielding to Messiah Yeshua will alone guide us!
Several weeks after I understood this, I finally came to the evening I began to search out the Biblical usage of the concept of a net. In the verse about people who are crying and sighing over abominations in the earth who will receive the GOOD mark, I saw a connection with nets.
My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylonto the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
Eze 12:13
And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
Eze 17:20
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
Eze 19:8
Nets were a method of clearing the land of inhabitants for ancient Persia per Vine’s and TWOT. Their use was to gather the people of a conquered land in order to remove them. This does seem very much the picture I understand of what is happening to America at this time. I believe I will need to write an additional study on “nets” but for now, may we all continue to lean more and more fully into the arms of our soon coming King.
Our dependence and yielding to Messiah Yeshua will alone guide us!
May you and yours find all blessing and confidence in our Messiah Yeshua! If you would like to talk further about these things, please contact us!
Are_You_Ready__Net_is_Encircling_Website_Sept_2012.pdf