♥ The Winter of My Years ♥

¶ Leaving behind the wonders of a most splendid Thanksgiving Day Feast in which we dined with Kindred Kind, not only on a spread beyond compare, but also on the wondrous testimonies of what only God could Fetch out of the Deep. Be all of that behind us now, it is with fond adieu that I must leave the present to the past and press on into the 324th Winter of my Life here on earth for that City Not Made by the Hands of Man. And though the weather has not yet turned wild and woolly, only a fool would think there ain’t no rough stuff up ahead, for out before me lie the throes of winter, and one thing I have never seen in over eighty years of life – is a predictable season.  I have never in my life lived through a season that did not have a trial or two in which trouble never feared to rear its ugly head. And Ain’t that so, for the Scriptures do declare, “Some days, as opposed to others², certainly do seem to have enough trouble of their own.” (Matthew 6:34, ¹wcv)

¶ There is, however, a WONDERFUL PROPHECY of Things to Come in these here Last Days that will not only not fail us, but should encourage us greatly; for this PROPHECY is, if the Truth is to be told, coming into view. Although WONDEROUS and ENCOURAGING PROPHESIES are bestrewn like luscious fruit upon the Tree of Life, the Word of God, this very powerful PROPHECY is at sixes and sevens with many of the popular expositeers of today. For just as the sun and the moon rise daily, this PROPHECY, like the sun and the moon, is on the horizon. Found in the ancient Book of Daniel, this PROPHECY is of “A STONE cut out of a Mountain, The Mountain of God; a STONE not cut by the hands of any man, and the Dawning of a Great and Wonderous Day.” (Daniel, chapter 8, Daniel 2:45)

¶ And, even though that Most Wonderful Time of the Year is nearly upon us, when we celebrate the Birth of this STONE cut out of the Mountain of God, still, we are, both literally and spiritually speaking, in more ways than one, in the throes of winter. We are not merely in the throes of the final Season of the Year; we are, undisputibly, in the throes of the End of the Age, the Winter of this Dispensation, and though it is that Wonderful Time of the Year, there is, without a doubt, some rough stuff up ahead, for the Scriptures also tell us, in the Book of Daniel, Chapter Eight, Verse Twenty Three, that “In the End of Days, when the kingdoms and empires of the earth are filled to overflowing with evil transgressors, ANOTHER KING, one of fierce countenance, a skillful deceiver of men, and an accomplished master of darkness shall APPEAR.”   (Daniel 8:23, ¹wcv&²)

You see, we have two PROPHESIES converging upon the inhabitants of the earth in rapid succession.

¶ This other king will indeed be mighty, for a few seasons, (truly, he will seem to be the most magnificent creature that ever walked the earth since Jesus Christ, possessing powers far beyond anything human. To this other king, the genius of man will be but child’s play, while the most astonishing of Artificial Intelligence will be nothing more to him than an ancient contraption², nothing more than a mousetrap, in contrast to his supernatural powers) with which,“… in a most bewitching fashion, as a angel of light², through peace and prosperity, with lying signs and wonders, he shall deceive and destroy many who call themselves the People of God.” (Daniel 8:24,25 ¹wcv&²)  

¶ To achieve² his great designs, “…he will, by Supernatural Policy, cause witchcraft… (not only open sorcery, and visible witchcraft, which the world has come to love, but also with a CRAFT more akin to a Devil Disguised as an Angel of Light²), ….he will overwhelm the earth, deceiving multitudes who call themselves “God’s People”. It is by this CRAFT, which God will allow (for a Time, Times, and Half a Time²) to prosper greatly in his hand, that he will fiercely labor to make himself like² God, (I might add, ‘seem like God’) deceiving multitudes, until the Dawning of that Great and Wonderous Day comes, when he does, with unmitigated gall, stand up against the PRINCE of princes, the King of Kings² – and is GROUND TO DUST by the STONE CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD, the Prince of Peace Himself².” (Daniel 8:25, ¹wcv&²)  Unfortunately, this other king, this counterfeit, this diabolical chameleon, takes a great majority of the Souls of Mankind with him down into the abyss from which he came, which is why the Apostle Matthew clearly warns those who Proclaim the Lord; “Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to eternal Life, Unfortunately, there are but FEW that FIND IT.” Matthew goes on to say, “BEWARE of the COUNTERFEIT², for it is indeed, enticing to the flesh², BEWARE of FALSE PROPHETS, for they are everywhere, and BEWARE of the HIRELINGS of the HARLOT², for they are in the greatest of abundance these days, and they do, with the finest of threads, in the most convincing of apparel, DRESS UP LIKE SHEEP! Matthew warns us; BEWARE, for they are all RAVENOUS WOLVES.” (Daniel 7:25, Matthew 7:13,14)  Because of UNBELIEF, these are Scriptural WARNINGS very FEW take to heart, these days!

I have said it before, and I will say it again, “Truly being Born Again of the Spirit of God is far more than the Great Deception of American Christendom’s  Dress To the Nines Sunday Go To Meetin’ Sabbath Day Duty Cutie Pie Charade, or any of the other of her Whoop D’ Doo Religious Variety Shows programmed with the DEAD SOLOMENITY of HAVING DONE YOUR DUTY, or, on the other hand, GETTIN’ PUMPED UP FOR THE WEEK by the FEIGNED MATURITY OF SOME HIRELING’S PHILISOPHY WITH A RELIGIOUS BENT, or by the FLESHLY EXCITEMENT OF WILDFIRE, as opposed to “Intimately Knowing Jesus Christ and His great Love, that we may be FILLED with ALL the GOODNESS of the SPIRIT of GOD, which OVERSHOOTS and OUTSHINES, by light years², the INTELLECT of the RELIGIOUS NATURAL MAN.” …who LOVES TO SATISFY HIMSELF in the SELFRIGHTEOUS Congregations of the Harlot. (Ephesians 3:19)

If we truly belong to the Lord, we will KNOW that we are living in one of the most exciting and fascinating times the ages have to offer, for just as the sun and the moon rise daily, HIS RETURN is truly on the horizon.

¶ Nonetheless, just like Nebuchadnezzar, back in the day, when shown in a dream, given to him by the Lord, a stately and magnificent IMAGE of what, in Nebuchadnessar’s abounding arrogance, I’m sure he thought was an IMAGE of himself, so are the many Nebuchadnezzars of today, who, in their great illusions of granduer, see themselves, either as rulers of THIS and THAT, or as God’s great gift to mankind, having however, not an inkling, that they, in all their arrogance, are about to be GROUND TO DUST (Luke 20:18, Isaiah 8:14)

¶ This IMAGE, described by Daniel, did, for sure, create a splendid appearance in the imagination of Nebuchadnezzar, whose mind, which was shackled by narcissistic pride to worldly domination and carnal magnificence, did surely, back in the day, think that the Lord was honoring him (not unlike the many deranged and demented tyrants of this dark and present evil world of heathenistic sorcery, today, or, on the other side of the coin, the religious hirelings of the harlot), “whose heads are made of fine gold (the mind of Midas), whose breasts and arms are silver (the heart of Judas), who, from their bellies to their thighs are burnished brass (brass balls, their arrogance), whose legs are iron (myrmidons, mercenarys & thugs), and whose feet are nothing more than part iron and part clay (unstable on land and unable to “Walk On Water”)… all of the above being nothing less than the ANTICHRIST himself, and all of the other little Nebuchadnezzar’s of the Here & Now. (Daniel, Chapter Two)

However, to Daniel the Prophet and the Interpreter of Nebuchadnessar’s Dream, this IMAGE represented fierce and devouring wild beasts; monarchs that rule over nothing more than godless empires of idolatry, tyranny, and persecution; all of which, at the Dawning of that Great and Wonderous Day, shall be GROUND TO DUST by the STONE Cut Out of the Mountain of God (Daniel.2:35). Then, like the deep chaff of a dust-ridden, late summer threshing floor, they will be blown away by the Four Strong Winds of Heaven never to be seen again. As for the STONE, Who will strike down this magnificent IMAGE,  “…IT shall become a GREAT MOUNTAIN and fill the earth…HE SHALL RULE in righteousness and Power, and HIS GLORY shall fill the earth. (Daniel 8:35)  And it shall come to pass in the DAWNING OF THAT GREAT AND WONDEROUS DAY, that this Mountain (the Kingdom of God) shall be fixed far above the mountains of this earth, high above her hills. All the nations of the earth shall say, “Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to learn His ways and walk in His paths, for it is HE ALONE THAT DOES JUDGE THE NATIONS”. “Let us beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks to study war no more.” “Yes, come, let us go UP and walk in the Light of the Lord”. (Isaiah 2:2,3,4, ¹wcv&²) 

¶ Now that, my friend, is the LODGE that my heart longs to dwell in for all eternity! That, my friend, is what my house and I will celebrate this coming CHRISTMAS DAY with as many of His KINDRED KIND as we can gather. For, “How AMIABLE is the House of my Lord, Whose LODGE we are on earth! (Psalm 84:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19)  Considering the content of Psalm 84:1 & 1 Corinthians 6:19  …do you not think it dire that we consider the content of 2 Corinthians 6:16 that states, “What agreement can the Temple of God, where God does Lodge in the Heart of man², have with idols?”  I dare say, we best not mix the two, lest, like the IMAGE that Prideful Old Neb thought to be himself, we too are struck down by that STONE CUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD.  Now, AIN’T THAT SO!?!

¶ Nonetheless, between the upcoming celebration of the Birth of our KINSMAN REDEEMER, Who came to earth 2000 years ago, and “…Growing in Wisdom and in Stature”… (Luke 2:52) …did become that very STONE CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD, and the Dawning of that Eternal Spring of the Age to Come…. between the two, lies a very treacherous neck-a-the-woods we must yet navigate on this journey to that City Not Built By The Hands Of Man.

So, as this former Old Chief of Sinners 

Who once feared that he had fallen

Far too far to make it right,

In the Winter of My Years,

Must venture out into the night.

For my heart does ache for those

Who have been driven from the fold

By icy-hearted hirelings

Out into the cold.

For I know what it is like

To be but Ashes in the Wind.

I too know well that icy quell

Of loneliness,

My dear abandoned friends.

 

My Lord, my Lord, my Dear Lord,                          Isaiah 42

In Whom my soul delights

Fill me with Your Spirit

And uphold me with Your Might,

That I might not crush a brother

Or cast a sister down,

Or see myself as some great gift

To mankind come to town.

For out on this Heartworn Highway,

This ruthless Roman Road

The hearts of children languish

And they lose their little souls.

Use this Old Man, my Lord,

To gather neath Your Wings

These Little Hearts, these Souls, and Strays,

Lest it is that they be shattered

By the cold, hard indifference

Of the world, and its

Ruthless Ways.

 

I Know that You are able, Lord,

 

For I’ve seen You cap the mighty mountains,

Tuck the meadows in at night,

I’ve seen You change the scape

Of the forest overnight.

I’ve seen You cape creation,

Drape her with delight

Neath a frozen, silver moon

With duvets, pure and white.

 

I’ve worked her panorama,

Lived up in her heights,

She’s beautiful but deadly

To the man who won’t think twice.

To the man who thinks he’s mighty,

She can, without a word,

Bring him to his knees

Like a wounded little bird.

She will not be waylaid,

She can stop you in your tracks,

Equip you to carry on,

Or snuff your fiery flax.

It’s up to you!

 

Beautiful and Bright,                                      (Psalm 19:8)

Enlightening the eyes,

The Statutes of the Lord are

Clean, and Pure, and Wise.

Yet they are the end

To those who do rescind

The Harbinger of Holiness

That Walks upon the Wind.          {The Harbinger of Holiness, ©Will Callery}

 

THE OUTSHINING by Will Callery / ©William & Cynthia Pub. Co., 2008©, BMI

 

 

Photograph of “The Old Man & The Child” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.  Thank you, H. Jackson Brown, for capturing such a wondrous portrayal of compassion. It does, indeed, “Say It All”.

¹wcv / My Emphasis, My Version  {Always taken from the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic translations, definitions, and connotations}

² / My Insert(s)

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