I will attempt in a humble, limited existence, with understanding, to relay what The LORD has laid heavily on my heart.

I will acknowledge the folly of my own expressions and existence resulting in dust and ashes. May it all burn up in my life in the face of the Fire of the Revelations of the darkness of my own heart.

Once the Revelation of our absolute inability in accomplishing anything in our own strength has truly transformed us from death to life, we are thus ready as true Bond Servants, to carry out The LORD’s Mission.

We are so very human, frail with so many limitations, and described in the Bible as the sheep of His pasture.

Look to the sheep and lambs for instruction. Look to the innocence in their sacrifice. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each going their own way, (Isaiah 53:6)

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls, (1 Peter 2:25).

We only know a minuscule degree what we are capable of, but God knows us fully. I have come to understand that if I were put into certain circumstances, I am capable of doing anything.

One may say that they could never murder another person and boast in their strength and keeping ability, then one day find themselves tried, convicted, and in prison for murder.

If not for the Grace and Mercy of God, where would we be?

In all humility, we must put to death boastful judgmental confession, for it is dangerous to put confidence and trust in our flesh. Our heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and our flesh carries out its wishes.

We must be totally anchored in trusting The LORD and His Word, because life is becoming more chaotic and unpredictable.

However, The LORD remains faithful even when we cannot see or understand our circumstances. None of us can predict for certainty what we will face on our journey, but He wants us to be equipped for any and everything that comes our way.

God’s Word instructs, directs, guides including our navigation and radar giving us final authority in the deep. His Word has planned for every scenario in life.

God’s Word also chastens us. The LORD is a good Father and knows our greatest needs. Discipline is not fun at the time, but necessary. It brings peaceable fruit of righteousness who have been trained by it.

I am but a child, but please bear with me in my folly. Yes, I know that I am a woman of unclean lips and dwell in the midst of an unclean people. I pull off the mask, I am real.

I hope that my transparency does not offend you! I am a fool in debasing myself in confronting the boasting of self-seeking, self-appointed leadership, who have NO business planning anything that deals with God’s Sheep.

God is saying that it is high time that He is taking His Sons down a couple notches behind the woodshed.

For regardless of who’s who, or who is planning or boasting in their preeminence, you are fighting and boasting as mere children who are having temper tantrums, playing children’s games of ‘can you top this’ and baking cakes in their easy bake oven!

God is confronting the motives and actions of self-prescribed and self-appointed leadership. For God’s exposure is good for the soul and the flesh to bring to a place of stability to get down to the business of maturity.

You must put to death the deeds of the flesh! (Study 1 Corinthians 1-2.)

Paul understood his role as he took the lowest most humble place and let God make room for his gift. Silence and humility are understated.

Much is learned in humility and brought to preparation in that place of the silence by letting God make known his plan.

Paul called himself the least of all saints, because of how he put to death the saints and persecuted The Church.

He also stated that he was the greatest of all sinners and the least of the apostles. Paul had the epiphany that there was only one who fully obeyed, one who fully believed and one who truly fully finished all that He was commissioned to do who he could totally depend on, who is Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)

The nature of true leadership is service first to Christ and then those entrusted to their care. True Service to Christ are Slaves and Bond Servants to His Body and must be found trustworthy and faithful.

If you must boast, you boast in the things that show weakness. (2 Corinthians 11:30) Do not think of yourself more highly than you should but judge yourself soberly. Nothing good dwells in the flesh.

In the Service of Christ, the more we think we know, the less we know. We must be absolutely and totally dependent on Christ.

I have come to realize I don’t know anything, because in our nothingness, He becomes everything in us.

We are but clay pots. So many times, we try to fill these pots with ourselves, not realizing we have nothing to offer anyone.

It is Christ in us the Hope of Glory. May we always put our hands over our mouths and say we really do not know anything. His Wisdom is high above our limited minds.

In His infinite wisdom, He chooses to show some of His clay pots a portion of His grand plan. Then instead of waiting on God to make room, “we” take that part and run with it, form doctrines, build shrines and set it up as complete truth — not realizing we are only a part, not the start.

What Jesus started; He will bring to completion as we yield to Him and die to ourselves.

If “we” think that God’s Anointing or Gifting means that our ways must be Gods Ways, and everything we do is right, we are already deceived.

The more we mature in The LORD, the more we come to realize our absolute desperate need of Him. The more mature, the more we become transparent and open to our fellow man.

All our suffering and tribulations are for the sake of The Gospel. The more power or influence we are given, the greater the danger of deception.

Power without death to self, brings corruption. Our Cross is our means of execution and to be picked up every day.

“But it seems to me that God has given me and the other apostles the last place. We are like men sentenced to die. We are like a show for the whole world to see, angels and people. We are fools for Christ’s sake. But you think you are very wise in Christ. We are weak, but you think you are strong. You receive honor, but we are hated. Even now we still do not have enough to eat or drink or enough clothes. We are often beaten. We have no homes. We work hard with our own hands for our food. People curse us, but we bless them. They hurt us, and we accept it. They say evil things against us, but we say only kind things to them. Even today, we are treated as though we are the garbage of the world, the dirt of the earth. I am not trying to make you feel ashamed. I am writing this to give you a warning as if you were my own dear children.” 1 Corinthians 4:9-14 ICB.

You may ask, why such a message?

I had a dream that forever changed my way of thinking. I was in a Coliseum, like in Rome. I was looking at the people in the stands, all shouting, laughing, and mocking what was going on in the arena.

I looked down, and there were Christians tied to poles and running around the bottom of the arena from lions. The lions were killing the Christians and eating them, while the crowds cheered and seemed to enjoy the sight.

“And others had trial of cruel mocking’s and scourging’s, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts, and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:36-38 KJV.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:2-3 KJV

The passion of the Roman culture for entertainment was enormous. During the reign of Claudus, 93 days each year were expressly devoted to games and spectacles, and by the end of the second century, the number had risen to 135.

The Roman Coliseum was an arena of butchery. It was in this Coliseum that many of our brothers and sisters were given to the lions and other forms of horrible torture.

The brutalizing effect of the arena on Roman society was hard to comprehend. How could so many people of “culture” fail to condemn this practice?

Christians were unpopular, partly because their rites were widely misunderstood. The communion rite especially.

The Romans thought that their arrogance and impious behavior towards the gods of Rome, must have angered the gods themselves.

Thus, natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires, sent by the gods, were the fault of the Christians. Nero had self-acknowledged Christians arrested.

Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned, for their anti-social tendencies. Their deaths were made farcical.

They were dressed in wild animals’ skins, they were torn into pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into human torches dipped in oil then ignited after dark as torches to light the paths in Rome.

Persecution has a way of stripping off our masks and hypocrisies. For those who truly believe The Gospel of Christ will not compromise it, even unto death.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11 KJV

During the heat of Rome’s persecution, many Christians found sanctuary underground in the Catacombs. Many tunnels and caves were dug out under the city of Rome to house the underground Church.

They worshiped, prayed, taught, lived and died in those caves while persecution raged above. They buried the dead in dug out places in the volcanic porous rock and sealed them in.

I think of the condition of the majority of The Church and all the entertainment we have as a Church.

How entertaining will it be when they start taking us to jail, or killing us for our message?

Will Christianity still be appealing to us then?

The leaders whom God is raising up, must prepared and equip The Church for what is ahead. Some may think this is melodramatic and treating a situation more serious than it really is, but I see a most bitter cup coming. Selah….

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Sherry Edwards Mackey
Please Note: Publications and or prophecy taken from this may be used to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. The articles taken must be used according to it’s entirety with credits. Thank you kindly!

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