Archive for July, 2020

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Running From Emotions… Christine McDonald

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Christine "Clarity" McDonald with tags , , on July 31, 2020 by paulthepoke

I wasn’t sure what to do. The only person who I knew would show up for me without a doubt was a drug dealer. Not because he cared about me, but because he liked the money I brought in.

I called him and we made small talk. A couple of hours later, there he was with a change of clothes, and, like any good drug dealer, he brought me a pipe and some crack. A motivator. He knew, as I did, that if I took that hit I’d be making money really soon to keep the crash at bay. He said he had some folks in his car, so he couldn’t offer me a ride, but he congratulated me on the baby, said she was real cute, and said he’d see me in a couple of days.

I continued to hold her for a bit. She clutched my finger. She seemed so peaceful.

My mind was racing. The more she stayed on my chest, the harder it would be for me to do what I needed to do. I couldn’t be a mother to her. I had no idea where to even begin. I had nowhere to go and no one to call.

I had to be strong. Many have said my choice was selfish. I, however, feel I made the best choice I could with the information I had at the time. I could give her the best by letting someone else in a better place care for this little life so she’d have hope for a future. Hope. Something that was so foreign to me.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I went into the bathroom in my hospital room and put on the clothes. I was careful as always when positioning myself in front of the mirror not to look myself in the eye. Then I brushed my teeth and put my hair in a rubber band. I found in the hospital room. I reentered the bathroom, shut the door, and got high. I exhaled and opened the bathroom door. I stood over the bassinet of that little life. I touched her hand again, and she gripped it. I bent over her and kissed her forehead and told her I loved her, but I was
too broken to be a part of her life.

I returned to the bathroom, closing the door behind me in shame, and got high again. I had to leave. My heart couldn’t take the pain.

I stepped out of the bathroom, looked at the little baby, and cried some more. I kissed her forehead one last time and wished her the best of life. Then I walked out of the hospital room, down the hallway to the elevator. I hadn’t even been released yet. That wasn’t supposed to happen until the following day.

There was a desk in the ER, and I knew that if you needed a ride, they’d take you for free. I requested a ride to the Avenue. I was dropped off in the heart of the hood. I had just abandoned my little girl, and now I was running to escape my emotions.

To be continued…

Contact Information:
Christine C. McDonald
636-487-8986
Christine.CryPurple@gmail.com

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://crypurplemovie.com/

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Suffering For God’s Glory… Rodna Epley

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , on July 29, 2020 by paulthepoke

All suffering is meant for God’s glory. Whether we caused the suffering, someone else did, or it’s no one’s fault, suffering is suffering and it’s always meant for God’s glory to SOON be revealed. Suffering is not meant to be held onto for life. It’s meant for God’s glory to be released and revealed on earth in the realms in which He has assigned us to operate in and live in, which means the suffering ends and the promise of God is revealed and manifested in THIS life.

The longest time-frame from the examples that we have in the Bible that Jesus waited to turn a suffering into glory was four days when He purposely waited to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Most of the sufferings He encountered were transformed into glory within a few moments of encountering them, e.g., turning water to wine, opening blind eyes, straightened a crooked back, healing leprosy, walking on water, causing a paralyzed man to walk, raising the dead, etc.

If anyone has been sick or hurting for a long time, it’s okay, there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). The people in the Bible whom Jesus encountered were usually sick and hurting for a long time until He encountered them. But once He encountered them they were almost instantly well or the problem was almost instantly flipped.

Think of the time when someone was trying to accuse Jesus of not paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus had Peter go catch a fish out of the water. The first fish he caught had a coin in its mouth that was enough to pay taxes for both Jesus and Peter. So the time it took Peter to catch the first fish was how long it took the suffering to turn to glory.

So it doesn’t matter how long we’ve suffered. We only need revelation of the Word of God from the Holy Spirit that we are healed, or He has supplied all of our needs, etc. Then when we act on the instructions given to us by the Holy Spirit or we speak the anointed words the Holy Spirit gives us to say, our miracle manifests or our need is supplied in the natural. Remain in the Word and let His Word remain in you and your Father will give you the revelation so that you can act on it. Don’t worry, it will come. When it comes, you will know.

Most Christians have had encounters with the Holy Spirit where we’ve experience miracles in our lives, but they are usually hit or miss and we don’t really know how to encounter Him again. Knowing that Jesus went to be with the Father and that we are seated in heavenly places in Him, in Christ, right now in the place where He is that He prepared for us changes this hit or miss into a permanent residence. It changes a believer into a disciple. It changes only sometimes having joy and peace to always having it. It locks us down in Him and fastens us in permanently. It changes not knowing what to do to completely trusting that our heavenly Father will show us and guide us because He loves us in the very same way He loves Jesus, and He proves it by backing up our words and works which manifest in the natural because the two became one like hydrogen and oxygen (two gases) make a physical property: water. When what the Holy Spirit speaks and what we speak are done together for any situation, it manifests in the natural.

The Perfect One is the Father and the Father was Jesus’ destination. He’s our destination too and it’s now. We are seated in Christ who is in the Father now, not someday after we die, and Christ is in us now and the Father is in Christ now. We are One with them now. Christ is in us and we are in Christ—full circle back to the Father. From this perspective everything in our lives change and transform.

Blessings to everyone. May the perfect peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. May all your suffering turn to glory in this life. It pleases our Father in heaven for suffering to end and His glory to be revealed. It is His will.

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Tisha B`Av, 9th of Av, 5780/2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on July 27, 2020 by paulthepoke

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem is looking forward to the rebuilding of the third Temple. In recent years, the Temple Institute has chosen the 9th of Av as day to look to a brighter future. The following comments and video link are from http://www.templeinstitute.org/

Disease and despair are darkening our world. Fear and hatred and rage and anger, loss and loneliness have become the keywords of 2020. Tisha B’av, (the 9th of Av) the day of the destruction of the Holy Temple, but also the day that the rebuilding of the Holy Temple begins, is a reminder that even in our deepest, darkest despair, a better world beckons. Hope and joy and peace and unity are not just words, but a path to a brighter tomorrow. Together we can build a better future!

http://www.templeinstitute.org/

The 9th of Av is a day of mourning in Israel. Tragedy came about because of the account of Numbers 13-14. This event occurred immediately after God had delivered Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The short story is the Lord told Moses to send a group of spies to go scout the Promised Land. The spies came back and proclaimed the Jews could not take the land because of the inhabitants of the land were too big and too strong. The people rebelled against Moses. The people stated they would rather go back to Egypt. The nation, except Caleb and Joshua, did not believe God would give them the Promised Land.

Photo: Reddit.com

We know the events occurred during the grape harvest per the text. In Israel, grapes are harvested in late summer.

Numbers 13:20 “…and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

This event is said to have occurred on the 9th of Av. God pronounced judgment on the nation at that time.

Tisha b’Av: Av is a Hebrew month. To a Jew, this is a date, the 9th of Av. It is the 11th month of the civil calendar or the 5th month of the religious calendar. It usually occurs during July or August on the Gregorian calendar.

This year, the 9th of Av begins at sunset on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Per God, a day runs from sunset to sunset as stated during the creation week in Genesis.  Av is not named in the Bible.

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This date is said to be a reminder of nation Israel’s lack of faith in God.

Here is a list of Jewish history on the 9th of Av.

  1. 586 BC, the first Temple was destroyed.
  2. 70 AD, the second Temple was destroyed.
  3. 135 AD, Betar fell. It was the last fortress to hold out against the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt.
  4. 136 AD, one year after the fall of Betar, the Temple area was plowed.
  5. 1290 AD, Jews were expelled from England.
  6. 1492 AD, King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B’Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil.
  7. 1914 AD, World War I began the downward slide to the Holocaust.
  8. 2005 AD, Israel turns over the Gaza Strip.

References for dates courtesy of: http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.chabad.org, https://www.templeinstitute.org

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Choose Kindness… Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Paul Beverly with tags , , , , on July 26, 2020 by paulthepoke

In a world full of hate, I choose love & kindness. Those who are kind will be rewarded. They will gain love & respect, which is equal to riches to me.

Ephesians 4:12. Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 11:17. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

Have a week of kindness my friends!!!

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Gabriel: Character of the Antichrist, Part 2

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on July 26, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:25b…and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency”.

The angel Gabriel completes his communication to the prophet Daniel. Gabriel finishes his description of the character of the antichrist.

…and he will magnify himself in his heart… His ego will be out of control. Pride will be on display. Confidence will not be lacking and he will be capable of great things, just ask him. He also takes after his leader Satan. God reminds Satan of his attitude and thoughts in Isaiah.

Isaiah 14:13-14 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

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…and he will destroy many while they are at ease. People will be at quietness and prosperity. Then he will strike. This is consistent with Scripture in the New Testament as written by the Apostle Paul.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

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He will even oppose the Prince of princes… Now this is a bad career move. It is never a good idea to oppose Jesus Himself. But, this is the kind of ego he possesses. The antichrist will take his stand and present himself against Christ.

..but he will be broken without human agency”. The Hebrew says the antichrist will be shabar or broken. Shabar is defined as: to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked, or be crushed (figuratively). The phrase without human agency is an interesting one. It literally means “with nothingness of hand” in the Hebrew. He will be get what he deserves but not at the hand of a human being, which includes Jesus. Per the passages above, the antichrist is not sentenced to death by the Prince of princes.

This seems a bit confusing on the surface, until…

Revelation 19:20. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

No death for you…but, an eternal living hell.

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Daniel 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

Gabriel is confirming that Daniel’s vision is legitimately from God. The vision of the evenings and the mornings is in reference to Daniel 8:14.

Daniel 8:14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

This vision is “true” or emeth in the Hebrew. It is faithful and firm, Amen!

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“You’re released” Christine McDonald

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Christine "Clarity" McDonald with tags , , on July 24, 2020 by paulthepoke

At last, the phone rang. The guard answered. “It’s for you,” she said. It was the judge.

“You’re released,” he said. “The baby is drug free. You’ll be unshackled right away. Someone from the county will bring you the clothes you were wearing when you were brought in.”

I hung up the phone.

The guard said, “I’ll get your clothes back to you as quickly as I can.”

“Really? You think they’re going to fit?”

She laughed. “Well, maybe not. But we’re not social workers here. We detain the arrested. Surely you can call someone.” She paused. “You need anything?”

“A soda with caffeine would be wonderful,” I said.

She brought me that, said “Congratulations,” and left.

The guard arrived with my clothes and the 96–cent check I had on my books. The clothes didn’t fit. Meanwhile, the woman handling the birth certificate had entered the room. She said, “Surely you want to call her something other than Baby Girl McDonald.”

I picked up the little girl and said, “Jasmine, because she smells so sweet.” I laid her on my chest, listening to her breath, feeling her heartbeat. “Jasmine Nicole.” I signed the birth certificate.

The nurse said I’d be released from the hospital the following day. That would give me another day of rest and a little extra time to figure out what I was going to do.

I held the baby and cried, telling her how I had grown attached to her little kicks in my tummy and would miss her. I explained to her that I was too much of a mess to care for her. My experiences with service providers had been rather jaded. It seemed from my past experiences that there was simply no help for people like me. I did not know how to live, I did not see hope for help, and I could not risk messing up her life; mine was so useless, so dark, so tainted. Desperate to ensure that my brokenness would not damage her little life, I would leave her in the hospital. I told the sweet, warm little girl that they would find someone much better to be her parent, and that I would never forget her. My tears flowed freely.

To be continued…

Contact Information:
Christine C. McDonald
636-487-8986
Christine.CryPurple@gmail.com

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://crypurplemovie.com/

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Every Nation, Every Tribe, Every Tongue… Mickey Sutliff

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Culture, Mickey Sutliff with tags , , , , , , on July 23, 2020 by paulthepoke

22 years ago, nearly half my life ago, I had been a Christian for 15 years, discipled to know and love God’s Word as the foundation for following & loving our LORD, as well as being the basis for shaping my view of the world… to see the world as the LORD sees it, not necessarily as I or my culture chooses. In the process, I grew a passion for theology & apologetics and to make sure I understood what I believed and why I believed it. I had a strong commitment to the local Body of Christ and valued its importance to my daily walk. I would characterize myself at that time as mainstream Evangelical, conservative socially and politically and one that did not think much about diversity in the Body of Christ.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

I supported foreign missions and its role in spreading the gospel per Acts 1:8 but would not say I had much passion for what it meant for the Body of Christ to reflect people from “every nation, every tribe, every tongue” that Revelation 5 & 7 reveal before the Throne of God. 

Revelation 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…

22 years ago, the LORD revealed His plan for me and my family… that we would be a multicultural family, as our two biracial daughters came into our lives at 7 months of age. I began the pursuit of leading my daughters/family well, which included incorporating African American heritage into our home. I began my pursuit for how to raise my girls to love God and who He made them to be. As I moved through this process, this became less of a “racial” discussion per se, but more importantly a biblical & theological one in my mind.

As I pursued the LORD, it became clear to me, to effectively lead my girls to value who God had purposed them to be (from the foundation of the world) in a country that has a history of devaluing African Americans, I had to hold those values for myself. Neither my upbringing or my first 15 years in Christ gave me much of a foundation but what I came to understand more clearly was there was more bias, ignorance and false understanding than I would readily admit 22 years ago. By the LORD’s grace, He brought us into community with African American brothers and sisters in Christ, where we were able to engage in meaningful, honest and at times very difficult and uncomfortable discussions. What followed required humble, honest self-evaluation… which led to repentance of heart issues and attitudes that came to light. The wonderfully good news of the Gospel is forgiveness & transformation Jesus Christ offers, but it does not come apart from repentance, and this is how sanctification is also worked in our heart as we continue to turn to the gospel throughout our life.

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Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Filled, July 2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Egypt/Nile River, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , on July 22, 2020 by paulthepoke

In less than a month, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been filled. Now that the dam has been filled, the politicians in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt have reached a “major common understanding”. A lot of drama over nothing…

It took the good Lord less than 1 month to fill up the reservoir. The experts said it could take up to 5 to 15 years.

Isaiah 19:5-7 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0463941519

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Water Rising Behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, July 2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Egypt/Nile River, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on July 20, 2020 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 19:5-7 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.

Three prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah) in the Bible make the claim the Nile River is going to run dry at some point in the future.

Photo: National Geographic

July 2020: Water is beginning to rise behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The source of water for the GERD is the Blue Nile.

There are conflicting reports from the region if Ethiopia has begun filling the reservoir behind the dam.

Currently, water rights talks between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt have broken down. To date, no agreement has been reached. Ethiopia has openly discussed the idea of beginning to fill the dam without reaching an agreement.

The following tweet is from Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The following satellite photos were taken between June 27th and July 12, 2020 by Maxar Satellite Technology.

The government of Sudan reports water levels in the Blue Nile had dropped by 90 million cubic meters per day.

“The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources reiterates its firm rejection of any unilateral action taken by any party, especially following the continued efforts of the African Union and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to reach a consensus among the three countries on this outstanding issue, which could be resolved through strong political will,” Sudan Government statement.

https://atalayar.com/en/content/grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-threatens-relations-between-egypt-ethiopia-and-sudan

Egypt is obviously not happy about the GERD. Egypt depends completely on the Nile River for its water.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi remains in close contact with his Defense Council regarding the matter. Egypt is also moving military equipment to the Libyan border.

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There are multiple places in the Bible that says the Nile River will dry. Isaiah is not the only place. See what Zechariah and Ezekiel have to say.

Zechariah’s comments are interesting. The prophet states God will strike the waves in the sea to bring this about.

Zechariah 10:11b …And He will strike the waves in the sea, so that all the depths of the Nile will dry up…

Ezekiel 30:12 And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the LORD; I have spoken.

https://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Bride-Redeemed-Paul-Lehr/dp/1521758875/

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Gabriel: Character of the Antichrist, Part 1

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , on July 19, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:23-25a “In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people. And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence…

The angel Gabriel continues his revelation to the prophet Daniel. Gabriel is about to describe the character of the antichrist.

This king will be insolent and skilled in intrigue. Other adjectives in the original Hebrew could describe him as strong, mighty, and fierce. He will understand and be able to teach and communicate riddles, difficult questions, parables, enigmatic and perplexing sayings or questions. (Hebrew definitions provided by Strong’s Concordance)

His power will be mighty, but not by his own power… His strength and power will be exceedingly great. It will be given to him. Revelation 13 tells us from where the man draws his power. Satan is the source of his power.

Revelation 13:2b,4 And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

…and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will… The Hebrew grammar states he (the antichrist) is the source and cause of destruction. He will destroy physical property to the point of ruination. He corrupts morally and is perverted. The destruction would appear to be beyond one’s power and difficult to do. The level of destruction will be extraordinary and difficult to comprehend. In a bizarre twist, his destruction will result in prosperity. In our vernacular, he will do whatever the hell he wants.

…he will destroy mighty men and the holy people… The Hebrew word for mighty is `atsuwm. Per Strong’s, it means: mighty, vast, numerous, countless, and strong (in number). Lots of people are going to perish at the antichrist’s hands. God’s people will also suffer at his hands. 

Revelation 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them…

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And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence… He will demonstrate shrewdness or sekel in the original Hebrew. Sekel can be defined as: cunning or crafty in a bad sense. The antichrist is going to be one slick-talking, smooth liar. And he is going to be able to sell.

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