The Water and Wood Works!!!!!

 Bloggers, everyday it seems that after been given another opportunity and privilege to wake up and breathe again the air on this side of Eternity, it never fails that some preacher like tele-evangelist or You Tube preacher is crying about the hardships that they are undergoing either as they are growing or going under for the last time. And I see this type of thing happening in my younger immediate family as well but not because they are Christian evangelist trying to build an empire or sinking under the weight of such cost, but in their everyday struggles just trying to stay above water where they can breathe and pay the bills and afford the cost of living. I am 75 years old now and I have been through many nightmarish human experiences in my lifetime, that were meant to kill me. But for some reason I just kept moving forward regardless the pain or suffering and misery. Afterall, I was given the privilege to wake up whether I wanted to or not, and I had no choice but to eat my breakfast and get back to breaking rocks in the hot sun or cold winter days and wait for a better day, or death, which ever came first. But as I have said many times before, I did not break down and cry under such pressure. Even when I was not walking with God I never cried or bawled like a baby and said either to myself or my friends, I can't take this anymore. And even as a Christian I don't cry unless I am anointed by God, however, that crying is due to my gladness that He allows me to feel Him at least from time to time. But in my times of hardship which seems is always... I am not asking no one for help because I just keep moving forward until the misery is over. Besides, I knew what I was getting myself into when I came into my young teenage years and decided to make my bed wherever I laid down to sleep. And so, I know how Politics in Church and City and State and Federal Government in the United States works and therefore, I understand how business is conducted here. Church Leaders should also know and be acquainted with the consequences of their positions or their callings before stepping into this God given calling or endeavor. So, when things don't go your way, don't fold over and start to cry like a baby in front of the people or congregation and plead for help or explain about how people in general are attacking your purpose and presenting difficult obstacles in front of you whether through various legal wranglings brought on by them or other Christian haters at Government levels. Just do your time and do what you were qualified to do by God and pray to God Himself to help you navigate successfully through the storms just like Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul did. There is no need to go before the congregation and start bawling and say I just can't take this anymore. Did you ever see any hardcore criminal do such a thing under threat of death or being killed. Have you ever seen any disciple of the early Christian Church break down like a baby fearing this or that and say please don't kill me. Even Julius Ceasar didn't cry before he was assassinated by those who hated him in secret. And have you ever heard of any famous American General like George S. Patton cry when the odds of him winning in war were against him. No! Why? Because that is the nature of our calling. Further, we answered that calling, and even though we were taken through hellacious training to be qualified for our mission like in the Valley of Shadow of Death and the Wilderness, we feared no evil because God is with us. How many young people who were Christians, or are Christians now, who showed great promise of doing great work for God just up and die before their time and went peacefully; disappointed maybe, but they died without throwing tantrums or making public spectacles of themselves. Life is not a cake walk or walk in the park on a sunny spring morning and it was never meant to be that way. Life is a battlefield and there will always be casualties. So, for the leaders, that means that the part of our soup which is not appetizing nor looks good is for us to eat whether we like it or not and therefore, there is no need for the crying and pleading for help in front of those that we are called to lead. Can you picture Moses crying in front of all those Israelites in the Wilderness who have been following him into a Promise Land which they have never seen, and him telling them half ways through their journey, I just can't take this burden no more and then breaks out crying acting like he has totally lost control out there. And then plead with those people and say, you guys please pray for me! But half of those people with him out there want to kill him on the spot because the journey through the desert has been worse to them then the comfort times in their slavery in Egypt. They were saying out loud to Moses, 'Moses, we never had it so good in Egypt, now you have brought us out here into the desert to die and you want us to pray for you!' But the truth is that Moses never broke down in front of the people. He stepped away from them and got on his knees and prayed to God for help. And God sent him help when he needed it the most. Our God Christ Jesus will never make life easy on us, but He will always make provisions for us no matter what the circumstances that we find ourselves in may call for. Hence, that is why Moses got a wood staff from God to be with him always. And when he needed it the most..., by faith in his God, Moses parted the Red Sea with that Wood Stick that he carried in his hand. Now that is power! Now, did you see the picture about the Wood and the Water symbology here. I have seen the movie of Moses over and over, but this symbol of the wood and water just went past me without even giving it a second thought in earlier times. But I have learned since the year 2008 that these spiritual symbols of wood and water are supernaturally powerful. Why are they powerful, Ruben? Well, these symbols are not the only isolated symbols in the Bible, but these carry spiritual weight when you see them for how God meant them to be understood by us. When I saw Moses part the Red Sea by waving that wooded staff over it, and by when he struck the Rock and potable water gushed out of it, I saw that as a great sign of power. But what was it about the wood and water, Ruben? Well, Wood symbolizes life, creation, strength, and sacrifice. It is also a form of divine judgement and purification, as it is seen in Noah and the Ark, which was constructed of wood. Wood also represents humanities frailties and the enduring presence of God, as shown in the Altar of sacrifice. Water signifies purity, life, and spiritual renewal. It is also the indicator of the presence of God and His cleansing power which is often linked to baptism and the life giving of God's Word. Water also represents the eternal life offered through faith in Christ Jesus. When we take these two symbols together, they reflect the multifaceted spiritual power in the Bible that paints stories of Creation, Sacrifice, and God's Divine Presence that remains with those who continued in obedience to Him through thick and thin, regardless the circumstances. There is so much more to the meanings of these two symbols I know. And Covenant and Endurance, and Transformation are other meanings to them. Just think, Jesus calls Himself the giver of "Living waters" meaning God the Holy Spirit who satisfies and empowers. And there are the divine judgement meanings as well which mean that Noah's Ark was meant to deliver and "Save" only him and his family through the great waters of the Flood that destroyed the rebellious disobedient first creation. Then there was the Red Sea situation that was also a form of Judgement to test those who said that had faith in God but didn't. And there was the Ark of the Covenant crossing at the Jordon River while it was in its flood state... that the Israelites had to cross over also into the Promise Land. Oh! There is so much more. Water cleanses and is a type of Jesus and His forgiving and merciful nature even when we have been rebellious ourselves. And Wood is a type of Sin, and it is also a sustainer of life and great helper when you need to be rescued from the depths of raging waters in deep and wide rivers or seas. And wood is the symbol of Fire and Sacrifice, and that fire which purifies and then transforms us into what God expects us to be for Him. I know because I have firsthand experience with these two symbols and with others, but these two mean a lot to me personally because they are types of Judgement and Deliverance. The wood then means the Grace and Mercies of God also upon which He was crucified. And the water can also mean the consequences and condemnation for disobedience to God and for failing Him intentionally. So, before I close let me show you again what I mean by all this that I have said in this Blog so far. And this is to illustrate to the reader that I am not here to put on a show intended for popularity or recognition. My goal is to teach and educate the young Christian about their journey going forward in their Christian Walk. And further please understand that I have encountered so many hardships in my life, but I never got so depressed that I wanted to become a recluse or commit suicide. I did ask God in a dream once to let me die, but He picked me up out of the bed that I was in and told me that it wasn't my time to die and for me to get up and leave and keep doing what I was doing before. He didn't embrace me warmly, nor did He kiss me gently on my cheek and tell me that He loved me, nor cheered me on my journey because my name was already written in the Book of Life. He just looked at me as I got up and walked away and that was it. Nonetheless, I have to say that God speaks to me about His love that he has for me through dreams and symbols and circumstances in dreams and in real life. For example, just last month I had this dream and all I heard in this dream was a man's Voice speak to me in English, and he said this to me, "The Water and Wood Works" and that was all. And here is this dream of Wood and Water symbols and how it applied to me in this time period of my rebellious life as a Christian not long ago. Watch! As the dream opens, I see myself caught in the middle of a wide raging muddy river with some wood line on both sides of it in daytime, and the dream is in black and white. And as I look on, I see that I am being swept away in the middle of this river by the strong rapids and, but I am swimming hard but struggling to get to the banks because the water is moving super-fast. Note, this is a reoccurring dream that I was having over a period of several years. And as I am being dragged by this insane muddy river, I hear a thunderous sound of a water falling ahead of me. So, I try harder to reach a bank, but I can't. And as usual I am thrown over the water fall that has no bottom to it. And all I see is me falling helplessly and being thrown over forcefully downward without screaming or calling out for help. It was just me and my troubles and that crazy waterfall and no one out there to help me or see me in my troubles. And this is how this reoccurring dream always ended. Until one night I dreamed that I was caught again in the same river and same setting and heading closer to that same waterfall. And again, it was the same reaction on my part..., and as usual I was just resigned to whatever the outcome. But then, this time I saw a log about my size floating next to me and so I grabbed it and began swimming hard to the bank on my right and this time I reached land. And then I walked up the slope and into the woods and never turned back to look at that muddy raging river again. And the log stayed there on the edge of the waters. But note, by this time I was realizing consciously in my waking moments that I needed to change my evil ways. So, that is why the dead log appeared. This ends this powerful dream. And I confess I have more dreams of these two symbols a lot. And of course, I continue to see all kinds of Biblical symbols of things that God used to instruct us in the Bible, but I never paid them any mind until God brought them to my attention in my dreams. To be honest, there are millions of lessons to be learned about how God talks to us humans and tries to get our attention so that we will not get hurt or killed by our own stubborn hard headedness and bad evil habits. That is why I said, don't get ahead of what God wants for you or take on too much without consulting Him first about what you are intending to do for yourself or others or for God. It's okay to cry, but if you are a Warrior and a Leader, leave that kind of drama in a closet in your house and not in front of those you have been called to lead. So Let Us Sleep On That for now until next time. May God give Japan increased wisdom going forward and may the Japanese Leaders give their own people encouragement for a better life then where they are now. There shouldn't be room for homelessness or for people working themselves overtime for nickels and dimes or copping out from life due to poor treatment by the Merchants. There should be no room for excessive...  moral decay in a people used to so much tidiness and cleanliness because we all know that kind of environment weakens a culture, and especially in War. Japan is a beautiful Country, and I wish them well. But before I leave, remember that the Stick or Wood that I am referring too here, and in the Bible, must be a "Dead-Stick!" Thanks again. With love to all Japanese people.                                                        Respectfully,                                                                                                                                              Ruben N. Gutierrez