Light on the Rock Blogs

(This article is an updated version of one I wrote a year ago).

Let me get right to the point. Over the many years in the Church of God and its subsequent branches, I was taught – and I even taught – this about unleavened bread:

**  Leavening pictures sin like malice and wickedness (1 Cor. 5:6-8) as well as false doctrine (Matthew 16:6-12) and so that is why we put it out. (True, but leavening can also picture God’s kingdom that spreads! Matthew 13:33).

**  Then when talking about eating UNLEAVENED bread, it is believed that this pictures our new life committed to obedience and being free from sin.

All that can be true. But it’s not complete. It’s dangerously incomplete, in fact. 

When you deleavened your home, and men – I hope you helped a lot and led the family in this – you threw OUT and disposed of all leavened breads, crackers, cookies, etc. because there was no way to salvage any of it. We couldn’t pick the leaven out of the bread. We could only throw it out – and then we all had to REPLACE it all with brand new unleavened bread that you either made at home or bought matzah from an outside store.

What did the leavened bread you threw out picture? 

The right answer:  It pictures our old carnal selves, not just sin itself, but how we had sin in our lives and were sinners. Leavened bread pictures US. Yes, Christ died for our sins and our Father in heaven forgave us. But then we still stumble in sin, perhaps even daily, even during the days of Unleavened bread. Sinning is no longer our way of life, but we still stumble in sin, as even Paul says in Rom.7:15-20. Please read it carefully.

So we remind ourselves that we must continually be putting out, not just sins, but our sinful old self. We must be totally surrendering to God in every facet of our lives so we can call Jesus our Lord. So the leavening we throw out pictures – US. Not just sin generally, but “US”.  And this is why Paul would say in Galatians 2:20 that he is crucified with Christ. Paul wanted his old self tied down and killed – with Christ.

When you were throwing out your leavened products, did you realize all that leavening pictured – YOU? Your old self; what Paul calls “the old man”? It pictured you giving up the old ways of unrighteousness.

After throwing out the old sinful way pictured by leaven, we go out and buy or bake fresh UNLEAVENED bread that had never been in our homes before. It was brand new. It had no connection to the discarded leavened products. It’s a new product that NEVER had any leavening in it. That’s key.

Sin is defined as breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4), for failing to do the good things we should have done (James 4:17), going against our conscience, doing things “not of faith” (Romans 14:23). All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). We repent of what we ARE – a sinner, as the tax collector did (Luke 18:12-14).

So the Unleavened Bread does not and cannot picture US because there’s still sin in our lives we need to repent of, daily. True unleavened bread has never had any leaven in it. It doesn’t even picture us as we try to keep sin out of our lives because as Paul admits in Romans 7, we all still stumble in sin. UNLEAVENED bread has to picture something more, and someone far greater than you and me. 

Unleavened Bread pictures the One, and the only One, who DID keep sin totally out of his life. HE is the Unleavened Bread of God. HE is the manna, the bread of heaven, from God (John 6:48-51 please read it). He and he alone. This is why Yeshua said, “this is MY body, broken for you.” (Matthew 26:26). The unleavened bread of Passover AND during the days of unleavened bread picture HIS body, HIS life; not mine, not yours.

So far, are you with me? Leavened bread pictures us who still stumble in sin. Each year, we remind ourselves that there are still vestiges of sinful habits and ways of thinking we have to cast out as we cleanse the temple of God, which is our body (1 Cor. 3:16-17).

The unleavened bread pictures Yeshua. Surely it has to, for that’s what Yeshua said – “This is MY body…,” and what Paul echoes in 1 Cor. 11:23-25. It pictures us taking in Christ’s life. The old sinful self – pictured by leavened bread – we threw out. We eat of it, in remembrance of HIM. We focus on Christ now in the new covenant more than on coming out of Egypt. And we don’t focus on ourselves trying to get sin out of our lives by ourselves.

Let me say again: we don’t try to take the leavening out of already leavened products. We can’t. We throw them out. They are not able to be unleavened. They must be replaced. 

In the same way, we must die to this world and its way. We must be crucified with Christ. We cannot – we cannot ourselves make ourselves righteous enough to be acceptable to the “be ye therefore perfect/complete” standard Yeshua/Jesus laid out for us (Matthew 5:48).

We have to eat the unleavened bread that pictures the NEW life, the new bread of our Messiah Jesus Christ. We put out malice and wickedness, remember, and take on sincerity and truth. WHO is the Truth? It is Yeshua/Jesus!

1 Corinthians 5:6-8  “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore throw out the old leaven, that you may be a NEW lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and TRUTH”.

Corinthians – truly are unleavened? Each chapter is about another one of their corporate sins, one after the other. The only way they were unleavened was through Christ, sacrificed for them and who is sincerity and TRUTH. You cannot take leaven out of an already leavened product. Our old self is leavened. We can’t perfect it. It has to be thrown out and we have to accept the NEW UNLEAVENED, SINLESS life of Christ. And HE, by his one offering, we are told in Hebrews 10:14 – “has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

So the Unleavened Bread does not picture our perfection by us taking each little and big sin out of our lives – but pictures us accepting the forever sinless perfection of Christ’s life now to replace our old life.

In 2 Cor. 5:17 that Paul tells us that in Christ we are A NEW CREATION – like the new unleavened bread you bake or buy that had never existed before in your life. We cannot make ourselves a new creation. The Creator of our NEW CREATION is – guess who? Is GOD through Christ, just like the original creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Paul goes on after saying all of this is made possible by God. “Now all things are of God.” God’s perfection and righteousness is credited to us as his gift (Romans 5:17; as we accept the justification that is by faith – Romans 5:1)

2 Corinthians 5:21  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that WE might become the righteousness of GOD in Him.”

And so now we can come boldly before the throne of God’s favor or grace. HOW? Is it because we have become so good now, though we still stumble in sin? No! We come boldly through the blood and pierced flesh of our Savior (Hebrews 10:19). God will remember our sins no more (Heb. 10:17)

Hebrews 10:19-23 – “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Don’t misunderstand me. Now once we have partaken of our Savior we must, of course, fight sin viciously and keep ourselves from intentional sin, willful sin, which is seen very seriously by our God.

Hebrews 10:26-27   “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries”.

As we focus on Christ, we become more and more in his image (2 Cor. 3:17-18). We copy Him, follow him (1 Cor. 11:1) and we let HIS mind become ours. Christ himself is now our new life – Colossians 3:1-4.

So the UNLEAVENED BREAD we eat does NOT picture US primarily. It is NOT about our lives that are now free from the penalty of sin, but we still sometimes sin (leaven) as Paul says in Romans 7:15-17. Though you may not consume any leavened products during the week of unleavened bread , I doubt any of us can claim to have not sinned at all during those seven days. Apostle Paul, as you know in Romans 7, still admitted to stumbles of sin that he hated.

Paul even goes on to make a differentiation between his old carnal sinful fleshly self – and the new creation Paul. In fact Paul says in Romans 7:16-20 that NOW when he sinned, it was not really himself sinning. It wasn’t the new Paul—no,  it was “Sin that dwells in me” that was doing the sinning.

Romans 7:15-17  “but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

Paul differentiates between the old carnal self that we still have – alongside the new creation of God in Christ, that we now have as well. These 2 fight each other and fight they must. But the UNLEAVENED bread is Yeshua, our Messiah. Each day we eat of it, we are asking God to let Christ BE our new life, and that we follow his guidance and look more and more like HIM.

Our entire life before Christ had been leavened, in other words. We can’t keep any of it. It all has to go – just like your bread, cookies, and crackers. Once a life is leavened, you cannot deleaven it, any more than you can deleaven already leavened bread. A leavened LIFE – which is really what all this pictures – has to be cast out and rejected just like we do leavened bread.

Even GOD has to start with a new creation in us. A once-leavened life cannot be deleavened. It has to be replaced. It is replaced by the life of Christ alive in each of us. So I need a new life pictured by new bread that is unleavened: Yeshua himself.

But my new self is NOT me, trying to qualify for God’s kingdom in my efforts to overcome and defeat sin. In fact, remember that the days of Unleavened Bread come BEFORE the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Imagine claiming you could have any victory over sin without the holy spirit! My old me failed. So did yours. We need something – or Someone – PERFECT, without ANY sin at any time, ever (Hebrews 4:15).

Are you seeing the difference? It’s ALL about Yeshua. ALL about him and how he perfectly obeyed his Father, and our Father.

I eat unleavened bread to remind me that I have to take in Jesus Christ my Savior day after day. We become what we eat. In this season, let’s FEAST on our Messiah. I don’t eat matzah to remind me I no longer sin – because you and I still do. I eat matzah during Passover week – and figuratively the rest of my life – because I need HIM living in me from now on. 

When our Savior handed out the pieces of matzah to the disciples, he does NOT say “Eat this, as this pictures the new you trying your best to ‘make it’ and to finally be good enough to be allowed into the kingdom.” No!           

Yeshua said, “Eat this bread, for this is MY LIFE broken for you. Drink of my cup, for this is MY BLOOD of the new covenant” that he SHED for us (Matt. 26:26-29). Life is in the blood. It’s all about him. “Do this in remembrance of ME,” He said several times (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24-25).

I know you know that, but I still keep hearing and reading an emphasis on the unleavened matzah picturing each of US successfully fighting sin. But even just ONE sin makes us a sinner, right? Even one lustful or overly angry thought makes you and me a sinner, right?

Yes, we have to fight sin. Yes, we have to be Christian soldiers fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12). Yes, we have to put on the whole armor of God. All of that is in context that we must “be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might” (Eph 6:10).

Unleavened bread does not picture us defeating sin. It’s much more perfect than that. Unleavened bread pictures CHRIST living in me and crushing sin and being my new life. Father sees HIS life, HIS righteousness covering me. As you eat unleavened bread, don’t leave Christ out of your thoughts: you’re picturing HIM.

As you eat unleavened bread, think of it as you pursuing the Messiah, seeking to be with him, learning what it means to abide in him. As you eat unleavened bread, invite him to BE the new you, PERFECTLY at one with Him, prepared to be His Bride. Invite him to cleanse the temple of your body of anything unpleasing to Father. Dwell in him. Invite him and Father to dwell in you.

And this is why you and I must eat unleavened bread each and all 7 days of the Feast. We simply cannot live perfectly enough without it being HIM and HIS righteousness all the time, 7 days a week living as our new life.

To him be all the glory and praise. Amen.

*** ***

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Reposted April 2024 from Thursday, March 2, 2023

Almost nobody to whom I ask this question – “who really ultimately was responsible for killing Jesus?” – almost no one ever gets it completely right. Do you think you would get it right? You might be surprised. For almost everyone, it’s not who anyone thinks. Be ready to be surprised. This is not a trick question. But it’s amazing how few people get it right. If you think I’m going to say we all killed Christ by our sins – please read on, because the full answer is much, much deeper and more meaningful even than that.

(Remember you can just control-click on the scriptures in our blogs and the whole passage will pop up).

Many say the Jews did.  Certainly they’re right.  They did. Paul and others attest to that (see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15).  Many say the Romans did. They’re right too – for it was the Roman government that had him nailed to the cross and who thrust the spear into His side. Still others say – and I’ve said in the past too – that we ALL killed Yeshua of Nazareth. Peter seems to say this to his sorrowful Pentecost audience (Acts 2:36-37), and later to a group in Acts 3:12-17, see especially verse 15.  How did we ALL kill the Christ?  By our sins, which required his atoning death. But there’s more. MUCH more. We haven’t hit on the full answer yet. Please look up those verses and read them in your own Bible or by control-clicking on to the scripture in this blog.

But all of those answers miss the biggest answer of all! As I’ve said, all the answers traditionally given are also correct, but there’s one more who really killed the Christ. 

WHAT was the Messiah? One answer is what John the Baptizer said: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Later, the apostle Paul referred to Christ as “our Passover Lamb” (1 Cor. 5:7), so the Passover and days of Unleavened Bread of Exodus 12 pointed to, prophesied about, the REAL Lamb, the One all those little Passover lambs were pointing to – the Lamb of God. Of course you remember that in Exodus 12, God told Israel they could present a lamb or a goat kid that had no blemish or defect (Exodus 12:5).

Who was responsible in Exodus 12 to select a lamb without blemish and to have a lamb ready on Passover and to kill that lamb for their family in that original Passover service? It was the FATHER of the household who presented the selected lamb (Exodus 12:3) and who killed the family’s Passover lamb in Exodus 12. This was happening among all the Israelites (Exodus 12:6-7). Exodus 12:3 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.”

So when we read that Yeshua/Jesus was called “the Lamb of GOD”, what was John referring to? Well, we know Jesus was crucified on Passover day, to die in our stead. He was blameless and without sin.

GOD the Father had pre-selected the Word, who became flesh and became the SON of God (John 1:14) to be His Lamb. In fact, Jesus was as good as already slain from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-20). So ALL the Passover lambs of Exodus 12 and afterwards, all pointed to the future fulfillment of Messiah, the Lamb of God.

God the Father had to present a lamb for His household just as the fathers had to present one lamb or kid goat per household, remember? (Exodus 12:1-3).  The Lamb being offered had to be enough for the household. ALL who wish to be part of the Household of God will partake of Father’s lamb, in Father’s house.  On Passover day, the Israelite heads of households took their chosen lamb and killed it, spilling its blood, and establishing a blood covenant between them and God. Hyssop branches were used to splatter the blood of the lamb on the lintel and door posts of each home. When God saw the blood, this protected the household from the Destroyer – but it was really God Himself who was making the decision who lived and who died. Yehovah Himself inspected and passed over each house – where we get the word “Passover” from, when He saw the blood.

Exodus 12:23
“For YHVH (the LORD) will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when HE sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD (YHVH) will PASS OVER the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.”

So who really and ultimately had to kill the Lamb of God? Who alone truly could do it? Yeshua gives another clue during his final Passover.  He is quoting from Zechariah 13:7.

Matthew 26:31
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Who is the “I” in “I will strike the Shepherd?”  WHO is going to strike the Shepherd? Remember that Yeshua was the Word who was God and WITH God (John 1:1-2).  So let’s see what the original source – Zech 13:7 – says, and notice how God calls that Shepherd “the Man who is my COMPANION”.  If you take the time to read it, it is YHVH who is speaking. Yeshua is quoted in Matthew 26:31 as saying “I will strike the Shepherd” – but He is quoting GOD speaking in Zechariah 13:7. So GOD will strike the Shepherd. Who is the Shepherd? Jesus himself says HE is the good shepherd (John 10:11); the Shepherd who was struck by God.

Many of you know that the end of Isaiah 52 and all of Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the crucifixion and sacrifice of Yeshua of Nazareth.  (Remember I use the name His mama called Him – the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “salvation”.)

Let’s see who did the striking and sacrificing here. Isaiah 53 explains John 3:16 – that GOD so loved the world that HE gave his one and only Son. Why? So that those who believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. God the Father saw that by sacrificing His only Son for a time, that in his love he’d be opening the door to potentially millions or even billions more sons and daughters (2 Cor. 6:18). And Jesus was perfectly OK with that too (John 10:17-18).

Isaiah 53:4,6
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him STRICKEN, SMITTEN BY GOD, and afflicted….
6 All we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And Yehovah (the Lord) has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:10-11
10 “Yet it PLEASED YHVH (the Lord) to bruise Him;
HE has put Him to grief.
When YOU make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of Yehovah (the Lord) shall prosper in His hand. 
11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many; For He shall bear their iniquities.”

Did you catch that?  HE – YHVH – has put Him to grief.  WHY would God put His own innocent Son to death?  I know, I know; it’s easier to blame the Jews or the Romans.  But that misses the point of the entire Passover!  Isaiah 53:10 says GOD made His soul an offering for sin in His love for all of us!

So really the One who killed Christ was the Head of the Father’s House – Yehovah Most High, God our Father, for all those in His House who would accept this blood. The blood that covers and cleanses us from ALL our sins, no matter how bad they were. The blood of the Lamb of God, whom FATHER slew for His household, protects us from the Destroyer, saves us from the penalty of death that we earned, and covers us by His grace. Yeshua becomes the Covering for His people, for His Bride.

Still not convinced? Then what does John 3:16 say?  GOD gave His only begotten son as His LAMB for all and any who believe in the whole WORLD.  The Head of the House had to be the one to slay HIS own lamb at Passover. Perhaps this will make John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-11 mean more now. 
What an incredible HEAD of the household of God that we have.  He offered His OWN innocent Son for all of us who will accept Him as our Savior. Paul certainly understood this in Romans 8.

Romans 8:31-34
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 HE WHO DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON, BUT DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

John 1:11-13

“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

What an incredible duo. Father and Son. Yeshua adds another fold to this incredible story.  Father offers His innocent Son in order to save all who would repent and accept Him. The Son – Yeshua - -ALSO offers HIMSELF willingly and agrees to step up to Father’s Plan.  This just gets more and more amazing. Show me another religion whose God offers HIMSELF for His people!

Of course that too was pictured by Abraham offering up his grown son Isaac until God stopped it at the last minute (Genesis 22). Isaac was big and old enough to refuse it, but he obviously agreed to be sacrificed, just as Jesus did. And Isaac carried the wood, picturing the stake/cross of Christ.

John 10:17-18
"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."  

Yeshua, can I speak to you on behalf of all who are reading this: “Well done, our Master, well done. You’re simply amazing. We are not worthy of your grace and love but you offer it anyway. Thank you, our Beloved, thank you, and yes, we accept you and your covering blood again this year. You’ve washed us in your blood, you’ve wiped away our sins, and you’ve washed our feet of any of the dust/sins we’ve picked up in the last 12 months. And yes, Master, we are slowly learning to forgive and love one another as you have loved and forgiven.  You have set such an awesome example for all of us to follow. You’re amazing, holy Brother -- our Lord and Master, our Friend, our Savior, our King, our Husband-to-be, our JOY, our Love – and yes, our God. Thank you. We sure love you.”

“And Father, all of us fathers wish we could be a father like you. You are so kind, so patient, so loving, so giving, so forgiving – over and over. Thank you for that. Thank you for offering up your eternal Companion the Word so that ultimately in your plan, he becomes the Firstborn among many brethren. But what an example you are and please help me and all of us fathers be a better father.  Help all of us fathers to more perfectly turn our hearts to our children and please, please Father, turn our children’s hearts to us also, back to their fathers, and especially to you, as the ultimate Father. Please. Please teach us how, please make us all one, as you and Yeshua are one. We love you so much, holy Father. In Jesus/Yeshua’s holy name, Amen.”

We all know in America that a full solar eclipse is due April 8, 2024. It will cross from Eagle Pass, Texas heading northwest through Dallas, Cleveland, Erie, Burlington VT – and through Maine. The full eclipse will last almost four minutes, longer than most eclipses. If you are planning to watch it, if you’re in the path, be sure to use true eclipse glasses, not just sunglasses.

As an aside, the darkness at Jesus’ crucifixion was not, and could not have been, an eclipse, as that darkness was very thick and lasted for three hours. It had to be something other than an eclipse, which usually lasts 2-3 minutes.

An eclipse happens when the sun, moon and earth align and the moon blocks the sun. During a full eclipse, it makes it seem twilight, or even darker for those few minutes. At full eclipse, you may be able to see the sun’s corona and flares. Some solar changes are expected and may also affect us here on earth.

Is this April 8 eclipse of any importance? This one has a lot going on: longer than usual, comes with the Devil Comet and the planets align.

There are many eclipses, but the next full solar eclipse over America won’t come until 2044. But since 2017 on the other hand, counting April 8’s eclipse, there will have been now THREE full solar eclipses that will have crossed America in the past seven years. Seven is God’s number of perfect completion.

Why do I write about this April 8 eclipse happening over America?

Because I have always taught that “Israel” in the Middle East is really just the end-time nation of Judah of the Bible, plus Levi (for the Levites and priests) and others mixed in. But we believe the MAIN and TRUE end-time “Israel” is UK and USA, as Ephraim of the Bible. Jacob – whose changed name was Israel – actually put HIS name (Israel) on to the sons of Joseph, especially Ephraim (Gen 48:16). The name “Israel,” in other words, was not put on to Judah, but on Ephraim, Joseph’s stronger younger son (USA today).

When the 12 tribes split into 2 separate nations during the reign of David’s grandson Rehoboam, the northern 10 tribes became known as the House of Israel – headed by Ephraim, the extra-blessed son of Joseph. The Southern tribes then became the House of Judah.

So there are numerous prophecies in the books of the prophets about “Israel” and even about Ephraim. I believe these apply more to UK and USA.

So when God sends significant things to America in these last days, He’s trying to get our attention, as He did before. And of course Jerusalem and Judah in the Middle East are also extremely crucial to keep watching.

There are many links to this total eclipse. Here’s one that’s interesting. https://www.sapphirethroneministries.com/post/alef-tav-eclipses-the-ring-of-fire

When you place the three eclipses over America from Aug 2017 to April 8, 2024, their paths show up as the ancient Hebrew letter Alef and the letter Tav – the equivalent of the Greek Alpha and Omega, which refer to God. Study the links to understand better. Could God be trying to get America’s attention. Alef and Tav the beginning letter and last letter – the beginning and the end?

The last letter Tav looks like a slanted cross.

Yeshua/Jesus is the prince of Peace. The 2017 eclipse started in Salem (peace) Oregon and end up at Salem, South Carolina in the far southeast. But it crossed SEVEN towns named Salem. Is the Prince of Peace trying to get our attention? We won’t panic. But maybe God is trying to get our attention.

Pray we be accounted worth to escape the terrifying end times (Luke 21:36).

The eclipse coming on April 8 will cross seven towns named Nineveh, where God sent a warning through Jonah and they repented. Could this just be coincidence? Maybe. That April 8 eclipse also apparently follows the track exactly of the New Madrid fault line, where in winter of 1811-12 they had three very large earthquakes – including an earthquake of 8.4. Today, such an earthquake in that location would be devastating.

If strange and mysterious events occur with this eclipse, perhaps it’s more than just a routine eclipse. If not, just keep your eyes open. There is a strange comet that may be visible during the full eclipse and it’s called the Devil Comet, of all things. Its official name – Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. Maybe learn more about it. https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/devil-comet-april/

Plus the planets all align at about the same time as the eclipse. To me, there just seem to be too many “coincidences” lining up with this eclipse to make all of it just be a matter of chance. Is God warning us?

Here’s another link by a friend Linda Watson. I don’t concur with everything she says, but she makes some interesting points. So be alert and watch.

https://youtu.be/alRkm0TjZn4

 I remember a sermon in church from when I was maybe 15-16 years old. That’s going back 55 years or more. Some sermons just stick in your memory forever and this was one of them.

The preacher asked us all – “If I could give you your choice, which would you pick? A solid gold bar weighing 1 kilo (2.4 pounds) – or a serious trial God will put you through. Which would you pick?”

The gold bar of course would have been worth many thousands of dollars when the price of gold was already very high for just an ounce of gold. The price today for just one ounce of gold is $2,233. Imagine what a 1 kilo bar of pure gold would cost! That would be about $77,000 for a .999% pure gold bar. Maybe I should go out and buy a truck load, right? In my dreams.

So you’re being offered a $77,000 gold bar – OR you could have – from God - a serious trial He has hand-selected for you, just you -- like a terrible bone cancer or pancreatic cancer or multiple sclerosis that goes on and on and on – which would you pick? The pure gold bar you can keep – or God’s trial He would give you?

If you would pick the gold bar, you made a terrible decision. But this should show us the real VALUE of going through a serious trial from God, with God’s help – a value that would last forever.

1 Peter 1:6-9

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various TRIALS,

7 that the genuineness of your FAITH, being much more precious than GOLD that perishes, though it is TESTED by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love.

Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9 receiving the end of your faith—The SALVATION of your souls.”

Listen to my recent sermon on “When God doesn’t heal the faithful” for much more on this. God has wonderful reasons for letting us suffer. God’s own Son was PERFECTED by the things which He suffered. Suffering does that. Should it be any different for us?

Hebrews 2:10

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation PERFECT through SUFFERINGS.”

Even in Hebrews 11 we read of our spiritual forefathers who were chased out of their homes, had to live in caves, or like Isaiah – were SAWN in two! God certainly wants his people perfected and refined and tested – and suffering builds all those for us.

It’s the same for us. We must have our faith tested and perfected and strengthened. It puts qualities in us for God’s use for eternity.

1 Peter 5:10

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, AFTER you have suffered a while, PERFECT, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

James 1:2-4

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

So there are definite and strong reasons for the sufferings, for pain, illness and tests and trials we each are going through – all of it worth far, far more than a gold bar that perishes.

I think most of us know that it would be terribly hard to choose being bedridden for year after year in pain and suffering – or paralysis – over the chance to be given a gold bar. And yet, look at what apostle Peter told us. As we read this, think about the trials you’ve had, or know others have, and maybe this can put those trials into perspective. Also, be sure to hear my recent audio sermon “When God doesn’t always heal the faithful.”

Many of you understand that we are to avoid taking the Passover in an unworthy manner, or “unworthily” as KJV says (1 Cor. 11:27-29) but are to first examine ourselves.

What does that mean?  Over the years I’ve actually known people who decided not to take the Passover at all because they decided they weren’t worthy enough.  This is what is motivating this blog. 

What does it mean to take the Passover “worthily” or “unworthily”?  If we take it in an unworthy manner, which is apparently very serious – as we will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (v. 27).  But on the other hand, if we don't take Passover at all, we’re still guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, right?  For if God Most High does not see the blood  of the Lamb of God  - His Son -- covering us, do our sins get passed-over (where we get the term Passover from) – Exodus 12:12-13?  Remember? “When I see the blood, I will pass over…”

So let’s read it and understand it.

1 Corinthians 11:25-30

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so LET him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the [Lord's] body.”

Click on “Continue reading” to learn more about taking the Passover in a worthy manner.

One of the greatest examples of humility that we find in the Gospels – and in the entire Bible, other than in the life of Jesus – is seen in the story of the centurion who implored Jesus to heal his servant. Both Matthew and Luke record this story (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10), and the additional details each one gives paint a picture of a leader of men who was remarkably humble – and more.

Humility

The centurion’s humility is certainly one of the most memorable aspects of the story. As the ranking officer in his unit, he was an important soldier who gave orders to many men.  Yet  this same centurion willingly humbled himself in his request to Christ, declaring “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof … I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you” (Luke 7:6–7). This attitude is all the more remarkable as we know that most Romans looked down on the Jewish people, considering them to be a relatively uncivilized nation. 

The story also shows the humility of Jesus in his willingness to go to the sick rather than having them be brought to him, but the centurion’s humility is what is highlighted. For a Roman officer to humble himself to the degree he did before one of the people he was charged to rule over was almost startling.

Strength

But humility is clearly not the only trait this centurion displayed.  As commander of at least 80 men (see our post “Ten Centurions,” here) he said that “I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:9).    Centurions were often battle-hardened individuals who were not chosen for weakness of any kind – rather their strength was often deeply respected by the men they led.  This is an important fact because it shows that the biblical quality of humility so clearly demonstrated by this man is not in any way an expression of weakness. The centurion’s humility was all the more noticeable because of his strength.

Compassion

There is also another quality of this soldier that we should not overlook, and that is his compassion. Clearly, he was concerned for his servant’s welfare, but the sick man was  apparently not an indispensable or key person in his household. Luke tells us, in fact, that the sick man for whom the centurion asked Christ’s help was not an important servant, but simply a lowly slave (doulos). This centurion was obviously concerned for even the least members of his household staff.  

Faith

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the story of the humble centurion, however, is the man’s faith.  On hearing the centurion’s request that Jesus simply command that his servant be made well, Jesus responded “Let it be done just as you believed it would” (Matthew 8:13) and Luke adds the further detail that “Jesus … was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel’” (Luke 7:9).  As a result of the soldier’s great faith, his servant was healed at that exact moment (Matthew 8:13). 

The level of detail given in both Matthew and Luke’s accounts of this healing shows how important the story is from a New Testament perspective. While the Gospels could simply have recorded that Jesus healed the servant of a Gentile centurion, they stress that the soldier was a man of strength and compassion and of outstanding humility and faith. These are fitting goals for every soldier of Christ.

Someone told someone near and dear to me that he obviously didn’t have the faith to be healed, as he has been suffering with severe neck and back plus nerve pain for many years. The “logic” went like this: “If you had real faith, you’d be healed.  The fact you’re not healed is proof you don’t have faith – or enough faith.” 

Hmm.  What would you say to that?  Haven’t many of us thought that about ourselves or others at some point in our lives?  After all, James 5:14-16 says we should be anointed and prayed over by the elders when we’re sick and the prayer of faith will heal the sick and if sins had been committed, they will be forgiven.  Then we’re admonished to pray for one another so that we may be healed.  We know there are people being healed, but it does seem like there are far more people who seek healing who aren’t being healed.  Are the ones not being healed simply obvious cases of people without faith, or without enough faith? 

We’re coming up to Passover soon and as we take of the unleavened bread and red wine we are reminded “by His stripes we are healed”.  But quite a few aren’t being healed. Too many even die, without being healed.  I’ve experienced significant healings in my own life, as well as times when I saw no change in the conditioned for which I prayed. 

I think the challenge comes when we make black-and-white dogmatic conclusions from a verse here or there.  It does seem to say that according to our faith, may it be done unto you. It does say that some in Nazareth were not healed because of their unbelief.  So where does that leave us when someone who is a man or woman or child of great faith – is not healed, after repeated requests and lots of prayers going up in their behalf?  

It breaks my heart especially to watch people suffering who apparently did nothing themselves to “bring on” a particular disease or condition.  Maybe it’s a baby or young boy suffering from ongoing issues.  I watched a show about a young boy whose skin, from the time of birth onwards, constantly blistered and looked like he was a constant burn victim. 

On the other hand, I prayed for a man and his wife at one of the recent Feasts of God. The man had had a stroke, was weak, spoke haltingly and often lost his train of thought.  His wife suffered from serious back pain.  Both of them were healed instantly that day. The man’s stroke symptoms disappeared immediately, his mental clarity returned, his voice was strong and clear – all within minutes of our prayer.   And then I found out his wife was healed of all her pain instantly as well.  Instantly.  That was very, very encouraging and inspiring and the glory goes completely to YHVH our Healer. 

So that was very encouraging, but we also had prayed for 5 others at that same time – but they were not healed instantly. Some of them still await healing.  Did those 5 lack faith necessarily?  Were they less righteous?  You know what?  It’s easy for the unhealed folks to assume that and get discouraged.  It’s also easy for onlookers to assume all that.  But is that necessarily the case? 

Let’s go back to a few basics about faith:

YHVH God does promise healing to those who look to him in faith and ask for his healing. God is the one with the power to heal. Exodus 15:26 says “…I am YHVH who heals you.”  And Psalm 103:3 says YHVH is the one “…who heals ALL your diseases.”  It is not the minister who heals. Our heavenly Abba may give the gift of healing to certain ones, but it is always God who heals.  When I pray for people I often even end the prayer by saying something like, “Father, I have no power to heal. We ask you to send the command to heal.  We ask Yeshua (Jesus) to place HIS hands on this person, rebuke the illness and bring healing and restoration and wholeness back to this person, from head to toe. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.”  

So God claims to be the Healer, and so He is. But then why are so many people of faith, who ask for healing, who are prayed over – why are so many not being healed? Is it necessarily a lack of faith on their part, or on the minister’s part?  In some cases, it could be! Even Yeshua himself could not heal like he wanted to in Nazareth, and he marveled at their unbelief” (Mark 6:4-6).  Another time he told his own disciples they could not cast out certain demons “due to your unbelief” (Mark 17:19-21). 

So obviously lack of faith can and does play a part.  But then should we always jump to that conclusion when we see no healing going on?  Could there be more?

God does promise healing, though He does not promise WHEN. But I caution also: do not assume in your heart that you have to wait a long time.  It is in the resurrection when this corruptible flesh will put on incorruption.  WE have to remain faithful whether we are healed now, or in a few weeks, or have to wait until the resurrection.  In any case, true faith keeps looking to Abba and to our Yeshua for healing in their time and in their way, no matter what is going on inside of us.  Here are a few examples:

• ALL the faithful patriarchs, all the holy men and holy women of God DIED without having received God’s promises yet!  ALL of them.  Read the last 10 verses or so of Hebrews 11 and see how men and women of God were sawn in two, tortured, afflicted – and how they all died not having received the promises (Hebrews 11:35-40).
  
  Many of the early fathers of faith died with unhealed physical issues.  Isaac was blind.  David could not keep warm (1 Kings 1:1) and then he died at a relatively young age of 70, compared to today’s life expectancies.  David’s sick baby also died, in spite of David fasting, repenting and praying for a week (2 Samuel 12:14-23).

• The Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that God refused to remove and heal, because it was in his weakness caused by that “thorn” that God’s power was evident.  Could it be that your faith, confidence in God and faithfulness in your trial could be the very blessing God is using to inspire others from the way you handle your pain and trial?  Read 2 Cor. 12:7-10.  Neither is there any statement that Paul somehow miraculously never felt the pain or suffered the consequences of the beatings, stonings and many things he went through for Christ.

• Elisha, who was used by God to heal and even resurrect so many, himself died of an illness from which he was not healed!  2 Kings 13:14.
  
  Timothy, a great evangelist, had “often infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23).  Why didn’t Paul just heal him?  Because GOD decided not yet.  Remember, it wasn’t Paul, Peter or anyone else who healed. It was God or his Son Yeshua the Messiah who heals. 

So any of you who would be so quick to injure someone’s faith and heart by telling them they must not have enough faith and that is why they remain unhealed – would you have said that to the Apostle Paul, or to Elisha or to Isaac or to King David?  So don’t say that to your brother or sister either!  Who are we to judge our brother or sister in Christ? 

Faith is the evidence of things NOT SEEN (yet) (Hebrews 11:1).  Our faith is measured the most by when we don’t yet see what we hope for. It’s easy to proclaim your faith when everything you asked for materializes instantly.  But it requires true solid faith to remain undoubting when we don’t yet see any changes after the prayers.  Otherwise, if we already see it, why would we need faith? For example:  if we have faith in the life and resurrection and righteousness of God which is by FAITH – as scripture says over and over – we may not yet always see that righteousness evident in our own lives all the time – yet.  If we pray and someone is not healed, FAITH must remain strong, even when we do not YET see the healing or any change going on.  Our faith must remain strong even if in fact, our condition and pain worsens!  For our faith is based on what we don’t see, not on what we see.  Our faith is based on GOD, on Jesus Christ (Yeshua), who WILL do everything God has promised.  But in their way, in their time.  Please take the time to read, on your knees as you pray about it, 2 Cor. 4:7-12. 

True faith is evidenced especially when God doesn’t move according to our hoped-for timetable or plan.

Paul was such a great example of this. In prison chains, with bleeding stripes on his back, what do we see Paul and Silas doing?  Praising God in song and prayer (Acts 16:22-26). The other prisoners heard it and received strength.  Paul says he was beaten, he was shipwrecked, he was stoned – and in all of this, never gave up faith or hope (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).  Isn’t that the model for us, for anyone who is looking to our wonderful God even as He allows us to go through pain and suffering for HIS purposes? 

WHY would a loving God allow us to go through pain and suffering day after day?  And I’m including emotional and mental pain as well in this.  Maybe you’re estranged from one or two in your own family. The pain from that is unbearable, and it’s a real pain.  Maybe you have abusive “friends” who denounce your faith in God.  Or maybe you have real physical pain that is just unbearable.

I do have a sermon on this website on this specific point:  WHY does YHVH allow so much suffering?  Look for it on this website in June 2013. 

 It is through suffering that we grow, that we become perfected, that we grow in wisdom.  So many scriptures say so.  Even Christ learned obedience and was perfected by that which he suffered (Hebrews 5:7-9).  Can we expect anything less?   As we receive comfort and answers in our suffering, we are supposed to use that experience to comfort others (2 Cor. 1:3-5).  And that becomes another one of the reasons for suffering:  so we can comfort others with the comfort we received from the God of all comfort. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

So as the suffering continues, it is normal and natural to, at times, just want to give up and walk away from our dear Father and Savior, but then we pause, listen to Yeshua’s heart in us – and instead, lift up our eyes and cry out “We TRUST you, Abba Father. WE TRUST you, and we love you even in all of this.  We know You know what you’re doing, even when WE don’t understand all the reasons why you won’t take away my pain and illness and suffering, when you have the power to do so.”  And then we go turn on an inspirational hymn or two and sing our praises to Him, even in our own emotional prison and even as we feel our own bleeding stripes, as Paul and Silas did in that jail so long ago. 

Start thanking God for having already healed you, even if you do not yet see the immediate healing.  Please read that again.  I have a whole sermon on thanking God before we see his answers.  Please hear it. (March 5, 2014—“Praising YHVH before we see His answers”.)  I believe it was a very inspired message. Daniel’s three friends knew God could deliver them from the fire, but then they said those words that still ring through the ages, “BUT IF HE DOES NOT, we still will not bow down to that idol” (see Daniel 3:16-18).  But since we know God sees the end from the beginning, and because he is already working behind the scenes, and because we know he definitely will heal all diseases at least by and in the resurrection – start thanking him now. Don't wait.

I also recommend you hear the three sermons given in 2004 on “Faith”, available on this website.

As we learn all the lessons from this life, we come to the point of growth where – even IN our pain – we praise Him, we thank him IN the pain (1 Thess 5:18 – IN all things”) and even FOR the pain and trials we’re going through (“FOR all things” - Ephesians 5:20), knowing He’s working His perfect work in us. 

I titled this blog: Do you have the faith to be healed?  I hope you understand.  Your healing can be instantly, or in the resurrection.  But it is coming.  Stay in faith. Stay faithful. HE is faithful to do all that he has promised. And please don’t tell someone who is struggling in their pain that they aren’t being healed because they lack faith.  That’s for God to say, if it applies.  Otherwise, our job is to encourage, love, support and pray for them. 

All scriptures are NKJV unless noted otherwise. 

Whose belief or action was said to be so strong that it was accounted to him for righteousness? If you instinctively answered, “Abraham, of course” (Genesis 15:6), you’d be correct -- but not complete. 

That statement was also made of a strong young leader in Israel of Moses’ day who stood up for the right, took decisive action, and stopped a plague continuing from God. 

Psalms 106:28-31 

“They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, 

And ate sacrifices made to the dead. 

Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, 

And the plague broke out among them. 

30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, 

And the plague was stopped. 

31 And that was accounted to him for righteousness 

To all generations forevermore.” 

One of the priests at the coming third temple we believe will be built in Jerusalem in our lifetime, will be a descendant of Phinehas, due to the action of Phinehas that really moved God. When Phinehas acted, God was in the middle of exacting a plague in which 24,000 Israelites died. Phinehas’ action stopped the plague and saved thousands of more lives. 

In times of crisis in the Church – the Body of Christ today – do we have a modern-day Phinehas willing to stand up, take action and speak up for what’s right? I pray we do. YOU and I may be called upon to be a Phinehas at some point, maybe sooner than you think. Let’s read the story in Numbers 25. 

In the Exodus wilderness wanderings, Israel had been seduced into religious sex by Moabite and Midianite women. Israel started worshiping their pagan gods and committing harlotry with the foreign women. God was furious. Many of those involved were hanged. This takes us through the first five verses of Numbers 25. Now verse 6. What a Simeonite leader did was so “in-your-face” that even Moses seemed stunned. But here’s where our hero Phinehas gets involved. 

Numbers 25:6:15 

“And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 

7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 

9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. 

10 Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'" 

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father's house in Midian.” 

Phinehas “was zealous for his God” and stood up against a LEADER of a tribe who was leading in a sin. Verse 11 quotes GOD himself saying Phinehas’ action may have stopped God from wiping out most of Israel in God’s zeal. 

The sin wasn’t just adultery – but was rebellion against God’s laws, against Moses as their leader, and that rebel – Zimri by name – was intent on doing what he felt he wanted to do. 

Numbers 25:6 says he did this in the sight of all the brethren. This was a taunt, an “In your face’ moment. He basically dared the brethren. “Nobody can stop me from doing what I want to do” – as he blatantly paraded the Midianite woman for all to see – right into his tent. 

Phinehas didn’t worry if what he was about to do was polite or not. He didn’t ask for any permission to go into the man’s private tent or “knocked on the door” first.] No, he grabbed a javelin and thrust it through both their bodies right in the midst of their act of sexual sin. 

A bit extreme? GOD didn’t think so. God commended him. I think it’s very possible that most of Israel would have been killed by God had Phinehas not stepped in. As it was – 24,000 died from God’s plague. 

YOU may be called upon to take decisive action and lead the way back to God in various times and places. 

Critical point: to be an effective Phinehas, know your God really well. Know his Word, His scriptures. Be studying and meditating on them night and day. Pray for courage and decisiveness – but also pray for wisdom so you do the right thing at the right time in the right way. Know when to do it boldly in front of everybody – and when to do it privately with just the one or two involved. But either way, don’t just sit back and do nothing. And remember there was a plague going on when Phinehas stood up. Twenty-four thousand had already died. He had no time to waste in that case. 

There are crises happening in the world and in the church right now. If you see a problem in the church, speak up. Do something. Say something. Talk to the ministers. Talk to others who need to hear you speak up. Voice your concerns. Take action. Realize you yourself may not have all the facts straight, so be sure of your facts before your Phinehas moment. But the couple’s actions in Numbers 25 were for all to see, done in the “sight of all the congregation.” 

If someone is openly causing division and slandering other pastors or sowing discord in your church body, speak up. It’s not a time to quietly sit back and do nothing. Remember that the name “Devil” means “Slanderer”. A slanderer has literally become a “devil” himself. Paul said “there must be no divisions among you” – 1 Cor. 1:10-11. Tell the divider – no, he’s not welcome to speak to your group. And be willing to tell him he needs to repent and seek God’s mercy. Be a Phinehas to him. 

If there’s drunkenness at church parties, speak up. If there’s womanizing going on or even just inappropriate comments, looks and flirting, speak up. In many cases you should speak privately first. Not every situation is a “grab your javelin and do a Phinehas” occasion. SO wisdom is also required. 

Older ladies, if there’s rampant immodesty (1 Tim. 2:9-10) at church services or anywhere our church ladies are, speak up. You older women, first set the right example – then speak and teach the younger women as Titus 2:3-5 clearly says. We all have a role to play in our church services and among the brethren, but that’s for another day, another topic. But today I’m talking about taking decisive action when it’s called for. 

Titus 2:3-5 

“the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed”. 

I believe our church members are much too placid in times when leadership and action are required. 

Take a few minutes to ponder if you would have done what Phinehas did – if you could be transported in a time machine to that moment in time. Ponder further to consider times coming in the future when we might have to stand up for what’s right and speak up, or say something. I’ll write a blog or have a sermon before long, with God’s help and blessing, on when we should stand up and speak up – and when we it might be best to remain quiet. Too many of God’s people, though, are real good at the “remain quiet” kind of inaction – and never seem to be a real Phinehas. 

How about being willing to be a Phinehas when the circumstances and time are right? Be a zealous man or woman of action when the time warrants it. Be a Phinehas. 

I believe there are a lot of misconceptions on what the Son of God – Yeshua, or in English we say Jesus – was really like, what he would say, or how he would react in some circumstances. This blog may surprise you. I posted it first a few years ago, but as we will be looking into prophecies, the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ and upcoming world events – it’s critical we drop misconceptions and come to really know our Lord and Master completely. Apostle Paul said that was his main goal: “That I may know him and the power of HIS resurrection” (Philippians 3:9).  

Yeshua could be amazingly tough, direct, even rough – as well as the oft depicted “sweet Jesus” by many in religion. Let’s come to know the complete, true, living Messiah. He’s not the weak-looking, long-haired depiction we are always shown. 

Some of the most often cited scriptures in the entire Bible are His words about being our perfect, caring Shepherd. And that His Father so loved all of us that he sent his one and only son – Yeshua – to die for us so that any who believe in him would be saved, and not perish. You know many more verses about him being the Way, the truth and the life. He was the perfect son of God. He is our Lord. He’s great, he’s love, he’s terrific, he’s kind and he’s forgiving. ALL of that is absolutely true.  

But how often does your pastor ever preach these other verses that are also words spoken by the son of God? Paul and Peter and others certainly did. Paul spoke of the “severity of God” (Romans 11:22), as well as his goodness. God is love. But God is also just. Sometimes his justice frankly can be severe, especially at people who don’t believe, won’t budge or won’t obey. Faith, true belief, and obedience go hand in hand. 

Paul didn’t mince his words. In talking to the Romans – and you can go back and get the entire context about the Olive tree analogy – look what Apostle Paul says: 

Romans 11:21-22 – “For if God did not spare the natural branches [the Jews], He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness AND severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” 

Ministers love the gentle verses about forgiveness, patience, grace, and God’s patience and so on. And so do I. I love to preach of God’s grace and his imputed righteousness we receive by faith, as so many scriptures teach. But I also want to be sure to give you, what Paul calls “the WHOLE counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). So this blog – which could develop into an even more exhaustive sermon on the topic – will do just that: talk about other words of Yeshua that are just as true and pertinent as the ones which are most often quoted.  

Brace yourself. You may be surprised these words came from Yeshua. But remember: he is a loving king and Savior to those who seek Him and submit to him as Lord of lords, king of kings. But to those who carelessly believe they don’t need to change, don’t need to overcome, don't need to be prepared and ready for his coming, and don’t need to seek him with all their might – they WILL be in for a big surprise. So here we go; remember these are Yeshua’s OWN words! Check them out!

Luke 12:45-48 -- “But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” 

Have I made my point? “Jesus said that?”  I can hear people thinking that already. Yes, he did. Yeshua spoke of beating ineffective servants with stripes? Yes. This should help you understand that our king is not just a “baby Jesus” or always a “sweet Jesus”. If we don’t obey him or prepare for him, his coming will be a very sharp wake-up call for us – including many who call themselves his followers, as you shall see. 

It’s NOT enough to claim he is your “Lord” or “Master”. Our actions and way of life have to prove our words. Listen to your Lord on this. Remember HE is speaking here:           

Matthew 7:21-23   "NOT everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 MANY will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, you who practice lawlessness!' 

Notice these are people who claim to be believers. They claim to have had power to even cast out demons in Christ’s name and perform miracles, perhaps healings, in his name – and yet they hear him shout at them -- “GET OUT of my sight! I never knew you!” They apparently were not people who were seeking and doing God’s will in their lives (v. 21). When I read that passage, it drives me to deep repentance!  

I hope these verses are making you and me realize being a believer in Christ is very serious business! The “goodness and severity of God” – remember that? It’s for real. 

If we have sins and after repentance, remain in a lifestyle of sin as a way of life – well, let’s let Yeshua say it. After healing the blind man who was now worshiping his Healer…

 John 9:40-41 “Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.” 

Ouch! When we sin when we know better, that’s far more serious than sin done in ignorance. I preach to myself. I believe many of us know better when we’re doing wrong. It’s gotta stop – for if we see what we’re doing and do it anyway, “your sin remains.” Not my words. HIS words. I hope some of you are waking up from a false sense of security in the soft preaching of some. Don’t harbor sins. Don’t cuddle up to temptations. It’s time to wipe them out of your life. After repentance, prove your repentance with real changes happening in your life. 

Do you know Yeshua - speaking directly to Peter – called him “Satan” – because he was repeating a thought Satan had put into Peter’s head, that Christ would not have to die! Yes, Christ is really talking to the source of Peter’s words that time. Read it for yourself: 

Mark 8:32-33 -- “He spoke this word [of his impending death] openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He [Yeshua] had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked PETER, saying, "Get behind Me, SATAN! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 

One time a Gentile woman pleaded to him to heal her daughter. Gentiles were often called “dogs” by Jews. I’m sure Yeshua had a reason for saying what he said, and the way he said it, and to whom he said it, but it’s still shocking. Read it in Matthew 15:21-28. It wasn’t a gentle response. And yet her story is still told, as she didn’t take offense. I’ll quote part of it:

Matthew 15:25-28 “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” 

How about this one? Someone’s dad had just died. The man wanted to be a follower of Yeshua and asked if he could first bury his dad. Here are Yeshua’s tough words: 

Matthew 8:21-22   Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." 

In the messages to the 7 churches of Revelation 2-3 we find once more some very tough talk from Yeshua to especially five of the seven churches. Study Revelation 2 and 3 on your own and you’ll see what I mean. Remember we are told to hear and heed the words to each of the seven churches. We all like to think we are Philadelphian, but quit being so easy on yourself. He calls Sardis spiritually dead in Revelation 3. Laodicea – he says if they don’t repent, he’ll vomit them out! And so on. He’s very, very tough on most of the churches. What would he say about your congregation?  

Are you ready for more? 

Matthew 10:32-33 -- "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” 

Titus 1:16 says we can be denying our Savior by our actions. Read it for yourself.   So, are you hearing THESE verses where you attend church? Pastors, we should be preaching the entire Bible, and not just the soft and easy parts. 

We all like to think Jesus came to send peace on earth. Surely that was mentioned at his birth – “peace on earth” – but it’s going to take a while to get to that point. 

Luke 12:49-53 -- “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." 

If you want to understand “send fire on the earth” – just read the book of Revelation again. Have you ever met an angry lamb? Believe it or not, the Lamb of God (Jesus) can be fearsome to meet. In Revelation 6, men are hiding in caves and behind rocks in total terror of the Lamb. When the Messiah returns will be a very scary time to face the angry Lamb if you’re not one of his. 

Revelation 6:14-17 – “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" 

And I haven’t even begun to talk about what he said to the religious leaders of his day – especially in Matthew 23. He called them sons of snakes and whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones. And you know who “THE snake” is, right? Or how about when he overturned the cheating money changers’ tables and drove them out with a whip from the temple area? (John 2:13-17 – worth re-reading!).  

My intentions are several with this blog:

• Come to know the real and total Jesus of the Bible. Yes, he certainly was kind, and gentle – but he also could be, at times, very, very tough.
• Take your high calling very seriously. You and I will be called to account to how well we have used our calling and the opportunities and gifts given us.
• Put your whole energy into preparing for his calling. Be a good servant, helping others, carrying their burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

** ***

If this blog or sermons on this site have helped you, don’t keep us a secret. Let others know about this free and Bible-based website. And do give us suggestions for topics you would like me to address. This is also your website. We’re here to serve YOU, even as we serve first and foremost our great Father and our Saviour. The Son of God.

Who is “Messiah”? Are you sure you know for sure? Did you realize the Bible speaks of MANY messiahs? Many messiahs but only 1 who is “THE Messiah” to come. How can there be many Messiahs? What does the word from Hebrew even mean? 

There’s often a debate - especially involving Jews – if Jesus/Yeshua is the long awaited Messiah mentioned in scripture, especially by the prophet Daniel. Many Jews have long waited for the coming of their messiah and expect him soon. This is one reason why there’s been a lot of talk – much more than usual – for construction of the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem. 

We Christians see in our view of Messiah not just a ruler, but our Savior. The one who takes sin upon himself and becomes our Redeemer and Savior – and not just king. But for Jews, the predominant view was that the true messiah would not have died but would have set up the kingdom with Israel at its center. 

So let’s look into this very word “messiah.” 

Let me get right to the main points: 
The Hebrew word “Mashiach” is where we get the English word “Messiah.” It means anointed one. The equivalent from the Greek language is “Christos” – where we get “Christ,” also meaning “anointed one.” 

So “Christ” and “Messiah” mean the same thing: anointed one. I find Messianics and Hebrew Roots brethren prefer “Messiah” and regular Christians prefer “Christ,” but both mean the same. I use both since I’m addressing everyone. 

The Septuagint (LXX) Greek version of the Tanakh (or “Old Testament”) invariably used the Greek form “Christos” in their verses about an anointed one. So it became natural for the New Testament writers to also choose that designation – Christ – over Messiah. So in the New Testament, we don’t much of “Messiah” except in John 1:41 and 4:25 - but we read of “Christ” – and both mean Anointed One. Messiah does not mean “moral one” – as many anointed priests and kings were anything but moral. But “Messiah” does point to someone who was called to be set apart for holy use by God, though no man was ever perfect except THE Messiah. 

• We have come to identify this term “Messiah” with Jesus Christ – meaning “Savior Anointed one,” so sometimes we read of “the Christ” – the anointed one. Of course you know that “Christ” was not his name or surname. It seems people feel compelled to avoid saying just “Jesus,” his NAME, which in Hebrew is Yeshua. The name Jesus is used many, many times by itself in New Testament scripture. And 56 times it comes with the descriptor “Christ” – as “Jesus Christ” or “Jesus THE Christ” – Jesus or Yeshua, the Anointed one. 
• But in its first usages, did you realize the word “Messiah” applied to a lot more people than just the Savior. In fact, the idea that the Messiah was also our Savior did not really fully develop until the new covenant times. That concept is not as clear in the Tanakh, or Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called “the Old Testament” by Christians. 
• So Messiah means “anointed one.” But if Yeshua is the Messiah, who anointed Him? King David was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel, but when and where do we read of Jesus being anointed with oil? We don’t. So how is he “the anointed one,” the Messiah, the Christ? 

GOD anointed Him, but not with oil, but with what OIL REPRESENTED. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit from HIM, from God the Father. The Holy Spirit is the power, presence, DNA from either God the Father OR Jesus Christ. So it was the Holy Spirit from God the Father that anointed Jesus the Messiah at his water baptism by John. So Jesus/Yeshua was baptized/immersed both in water and by God’s Holy Spirit, all at the same time. 

Acts 10:38 (after speaking of the beginning of his ministry, Peter says this: 
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” 

Acts 4:27-28 also clearly says GOD anointed Yeshua. 

• In John 4, to the woman at the well in Samaria, Yeshua identified himself for the first time ever as the coming promised Messiah. Look to whom he chose to reveal himself: a disgraced Samaritan woman, married and divorced four times, now living with someone (the 5th), and so disgraced that she went for water at the hottest time of the day so other women wouldn’t be there. The story is in John 4. When she mentioned the coming Messiah, Yeshua basically told her that HE was THE promised Messiah (John 4:25-26). 

John 4:25-26
The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." 

In the Scriptures, there were MANY genuine Messiahs – meaning “anointed ones” who were “A messiah” – but only ONE who was to be “THE Messiah.” All priests were anointed ones (Leviticus 4:3; 8:12; Psalm 105:15). Kings also were anointed ones (1 Samuel 24:7-11; 2 Samuel 23). This made Kings and Priests “messiahs” – anointed ones. It’s the same word. 

Someone anointed with oil by a prophet was considered a very special set-apart person chosen by God himself. This is the very reason David, when fleeing from King Saul, could not strike or kill Saul when given the opportunity. He said he could not strike the LORD’s anointed (1 Samuel 16:6; 24:6-10; 26:9-11, 16, 23). 

When an Amalekite came to David after Saul’s death, claiming to have been the one who killed Saul, David had them executed! It would be well worth your time to read the account in 2 Samuel 1:13-21. 3 

Who else was anointed with oil? God told Elijah to anoint ELISHA to be the prophet to replace Elijah (1 Kings 19:15-16). Many do not commonly realize this. So prophets were also anointed ones, “Messiahs” in the meaning of “anointed one.” 

Jesus Christ was whom all these priests, kings and even prophets depicted. HE was indeed THE Prophet and Royal Priest of God Most High. I’ve been talking about Isaiah 53 recently. We’ll read Daniel 9 soon. If Yeshua was not the promised Messiah, who else fulfilled all those prophecies by the dozens, like HE did? 

• One more point: Messiahs, anointed ones, included especially Israelite kings and priests, but not just Israelites and Jews. 

God himself referred to one special Gentile king, CYRUS, as HIS OWN anointed (see Isaiah 45), over 100 years before Cyrus was born. God calls him His own Anointed one! Or we can say, God’s own Messiah. In Isaiah 45:1, the word for “anointed” in Hebrew is “mashiach” or Messiah. 

Isaiah 45:1-4 
"Thus says YHVH to His anointed [“messiah’], 
To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — 
To subdue nations before him
And loose the armor of kings, 
To open before him the double doors, 
So that the gates will not be shut: 
2 'I will go before you 
And make the crooked places straight; 
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze 
And cut the bars of iron. 
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness 
And hidden riches of secret places, 
That you may know that I, YHVH, 
Who call you by your name, 
Am the God of Israel. 
4 For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, 
I have even called you by your name; 
I have named you, though you have not known Me.” 

God called this messiah – by name – over one hundred years before he was even born. The great living God had purposed this Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and the second temple, and that is exactly what happened. Here are more amazing words from God: 

Isaiah 44:28
“Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure, 
Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," 
And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid."' 

And this may be a surprise: being a messiah or an anointed one does not mean you are righteous or moral, as Cyrus worshipped pagan gods like Marduk. It just means you have been set apart for special designated purpose, like being a king or priest. 4 

But the majority of kings and priests ended up NOT being righteous. So kings and priests were “messiahs” (anointed ones) but NOT Saviors. 

Let’s end with a few scriptures about anointed one Jesus of Nazareth, or by his Jewish name Yeshua. I explain it this way: yes, there are many who were called “messiahs” in the Bible, but only one who will ever be THE Messiah, and that one is our Savior. 

The CLEAREST scripture that pointed to THE MESSIAH specifically is in Daniel 9 in the famous 70 weeks prophecy. It’s also in this prophecy where the TIE IN TO SIN AND FORGIVENESS is clearly shown – showing the connection THE Messiah was to have with saving his people. Daniel 9:24-27 was fulfilled in Yeshua. 

Daniel 9:24-27 NASB 

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. 25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 

26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 

27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." 

Habakkuk 3:12-13 
12 You marched through the land in indignation; |
ou trampled the nations in anger. 
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, 
For salvation with Your Anointed (Messiah) 
You struck the head from the house of the wicked, 
By laying bare from foundation to neck.” 

There’s another prophecy in Daniel 2:34-39, 44-45 you should carefully read. THIs shows Someone is coming who will topple all world governments and set up His kingdom on this earth and rule the earth. A Stone strikes the image depicted here and the stone “became a great mountain that filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:35). 

More can be found in Daniel’s prophecies (Daniel 2:21-27) about THE Messiah saving His saints, his holy ones, in the last days and giving dominion and rulership to them. When scripture speaks of “God’s anointed” – this is speaking of THE Messiah, God’s anointed, anointed by God himself, as Yeshua was. God Most High is with this Anointed one in a singularly unique way. We worship him. He was seen by many hundreds after his death, as God had resurrected Him and He still lives today, just waiting for the command to return to save Israel. His resurrection was so convincing that thousands of believers were willing to die for him, for they either SAW him directly after his resurrection or the evidence was so powerfully demonstrated to them. They also saw that the prophecies of the virgin conceiving and their Son being a descendant of King David, were all fulfilled in him (Isa. 9:6-7; 11:10-11). The prophecies of the peaceful kingdom (Isa 11:6-9) will be fulfilled at his second coming – which is close. 

Habakkuk 3:13 – Holman – “You come out to save Your people, to save Your anointed. You crush the leader of the house of the wicked and strip him from foot to neck.” 

I pray any of you Jews reading this, just pray to the One you call “Hashem” – the Name. Ask him to reveal to you who The Messiah was, or is, or will be. I recommend you read the New Testament on your own. You’ll see that this anointed one by God, THE Messiah, was a Jew, born in Bethlehem, raised and preached in Galilee of the nations and gentiles and was crucified. Then over 500 saw him elevated to heaven after his resurrection. All the apostles were Jews. ALL of the early believers were Jews. Many priests and orthodox Jews (Pharisees) joined with them in worshiping this Yeshua Messiah – Jesus the Christ. Don’t MISS your Messiah! 

My Jewish brothers, we long for you to see this Messiah and see how He can transform your life. He LIVES. He’s coming again. Give Him a chance to show you who He is. 

In Judaism there’s an acronym -- YESHU – that unfortunately means “May his name and memory be obliterated.” The holy man Yeshua has been so maligned in Judaism that it will take a miracle to remove centuries of bile against him and for many to open their hearts to Him. His full name as the mashiach (Messiah) was Yeshua, meaning “Savior, salvation.” And yes, He came once already to die for us all - -and is coming again. This Messiah Yeshua is coming again to finally rule all the nations from Jerusalem. Amen. Zech 14:16-18. Isaiah 60:6-9; 66:18-23. 

NO one should want the full beautiful Jewish name Yeshua to ever be blotted out. It’s by that precious and powerful name that we’re saved from our sins and through Him and his perfect life, we can stand righteous before God. He clothes us with HIS righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). This same Yeshua is coming back to fight for Israel as you can read in Zechariah 14. HE is “the LORD” who is coming to fight as a man does in the day of battle (Zech 14:3-4). Yes, Yeshua is the Word of the Old Testament and is also YHWH. Don’t miss your Messiah! 

Yeshua fulfilled all the prophecies of Messiah regarding the first coming. All the prophecies not yet fulfilled, of a worldwide kingdom, will be fulfilled when he comes again. Amen. If Yeshua is not the promised Messiah, then who is? Don’t miss him! 

Honor him. Love him. Worship him. HE is THE Messiah – the Anointed One of God. He said he will return in glory with all the angels and all the nations will be gathered before him (Matthew 25:31-32). THIS is the ruling Messiah to whom all nations will eventually come to Jerusalem to worship Him, the LORD, as Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-4 so clearly say to us. 

Praise the Holy Name of the One we worship and of his glorious Anointed One. 

In this blog or article, I just want to post some scriptures of God’s word to Israel, promising to bring them back to their own land He gave to their forefathers. They’re in a tough time right now. But I believe God is with them still, especially if you Israelis will turn to your Maker with all your heart and being. Read 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. I am heartened to have watched many short videos of IDF Israeli soldiers praying and praising God before each battle. As long as they and we put our true GOD first, all will be well. Turn, Israel, turn.

Another VERY exciting thing about you our brothers in Israel:

More and more of you are discovering that “forbidden chapter,” Isaiah 53 – about the Suffering Servant – who gave his life for you. Yes, though it’s never read to you, YOU can read it yourself in your own Tanakh, your Hebrew Scriptures. Don’t let anyone keep a single word of God’s word from you! In fact, I’ll record a video soon where I read it in two translations.

Many in Israel are finding Yeshua and realize the Messiah came as one of you – and he’s coming again. And God promises that He is bringing every Israeli back to the land HE promised them, no matter where they are in the world. Enjoy God’s word on this, from the New King James Version.

Whether you’re Jew or Gentile, I recommend you read these verses of God’s promises of returning Israelis to the land He gave their forefathers.

Jeremiah 23:7-8

"Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,' 8 but, 'As the Lord (YHVH) lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil."

Ezekiel 34:11-13

11 'For thus says the Lord GOD: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.”

Jeremiah 31:16-17

Thus says YHVH:
"Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says YHVH,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.”

Deuteronomy 30:2-6

“If you return to YHVH your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you were driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.

Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Isaiah 43:5-6

“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth —"

Isaiah 56:6 NIV

“The Sovereign Lord declares — he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
"I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."

Ezekiel 39:27-29

“When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord God."

Jeremiah 32:37-39

“Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.”

Isaiah 27:13

“So it shall be in that day:
The great trumpet will be blown;
they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria,
And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,
And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

Certainly in the past 70 years, hundreds of thousands of Israelis, even millions, have been airlifted to Israel – from Russia, Argentina, Egypt, Yemen, India, Iraq, Morocco, South Africa, Germany, Ukraine, France, the United States and really from all over the world. They went HOME. Praise God. Today we see the nation state of Israel, ancient Judea, thriving and blossoming though surrounded by hostile neighbors and outnumbered 50 to 1 or even greater. Many Arab and Muslim states call for the elimination of Jews and Israel and shout “Death to Israel, death to America.” God is bigger than all that.

God be with you, Israel. God IS with you, and so are so many of us.

Please read your “forbidden chapter” – Isaiah 53 – and discover your Yeshua. Please feel free to copy this to any others you wish, without edits.

Philip W. Shields

www.Lightontherock.org  

You may believe you can pray to Jesus, but DO you? Have you listened to a recent sermon I gave on praying to Jesus? SO many of us have been taught that Christ’s teaching “when you pray, say ‘Our Father in heaven…” – to be an absolute that we can only pray to our Father. I urge you to study my short sermon on it, because scripturally we must not sideline Jesus as we pray.

Here's the link: https://lightontherock.org/index.php/sermons/message/is-praying-to-jesus-ok   Is Praying to Jesus OK? 41 minutes.

And many of you would probably agree also that you see nothing wrong with prayers to Jesus – but my question is: DO you ever pray to your Savior?

I address especially seventh day sabbath-keeping groups. Most Protestant groups already pray a lot to “the Lord,” to Jesus. On this issue, I have to agree with them, that not only can we pray to Jesus but we should pray often to him.

Don’t misunderstand me. My prayers almost always start by addressing God Most High as my dear Father, my Abba. This way I am acknowledging I am His son, a part of his family and that he looks after us in intricate and intimate detail as a loving Father. So I start by praying to God my Father, but within that prayer I usually include a section of praying directly to the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, who is also God, who is my Savior and to whom I am betrothed (2 Cor. 11:2). How can I not include talking to the One I will marry, God willing? Surely our prayers must include speaking to Yeshua, the Messiah, though most of you use the name “Jesus.” Be sure you hear my audio sermon explaining why we must be talking to Jesus and not sideline him. Then add this blog for more details.

WHY do I feel compelled to say more? Because as my wife Carole said to me: “For too many people, Jesus is just a concept, a doctrine, and not a real person, a real being we need to know well, and talk often to, and to love praising, as the one we’re going to marry!”

She’s so right. Jesus must be totally REAL to us as never before. That won’t happen if we’re not talking with him every day.

So DO you pray to Jesus as well as the Father? I urge you to study my sermon so you start doing it. DON’T sideline your Master!

Many of us were taught NOT to pray to Jesus. That is so strange. One minister called it “strange fire” as in Leviticus 10. So we can’t talk to the One we’re betrothed to marry? Really? (See 2 Cor. 11:2). We’re allowed only to talk to the father of our betrothed? What kind of a betrothal is that?

Who did the prophets and forefathers in the Old Covenant pray to? The evidence is that they prayed to God Most High AND to the Word of God, who was also God. See my sermon.

            ** Abraham was certainly talking to/praying to the One who became Jesus, as he saw him, ate with him and physically interacted with him (Genesis 18). So Abraham prayed to Jesus, but we can't?

            ** Moses pleaded with God – who showed Moses his glorified back – to please not eradicate Israel after the gold calf sin. (Exodus 34:1-9). So Moses many, many times prayed to Jesus but we can’t? He and God – the Word – spoke face to face as a man does to his friend – but we can’t talk to Jesus?

** David and the prophets all prayed to Jesus – the YHVH who appeared or spoke to them. David called “The LORD is my Shepherd.”

Are there any New Covenant scriptures that show the apostles and others praying to Jesus directly? I have several examples in my sermon, that indeed they did! ONE of several was the prayer of Stephen the deacon just as he was dying “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). If praying to Jesus is wrong, this verse should not be in the Bible. So Stephen was not wrong.

So now let’s add a few more.

My friend and a fellow minister reminded me of John 5:23 that we must honor the SON even as we honor our Father. This was a great comment from him and I wish I had included it in my sermon, but then again, I have many things that make the point in my sermon too. Let me start a few verses before:

John 5:19-23

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Yeshua/Jesus must become so much more REAL to us. We HONOR him by speaking OFTEN to him throughout the day. I urge you to study the sermon also on “Constant Contact.”

ALL of Paul’s epistles, my friend added, “Begin with a salutation from the Father AND the Son.”

Let’s take Philippians for example. Notice how many times Jesus is mentioned in just two verses:

Philippians 1:1-2 “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

So many of my friends just say “God” a lot, or “Father” a lot – but rarely do I hear them speak glowingly and lovingly about Jesus, as someone they know intimately. I’m urging you all to grow in this.

My friend also pointed out Rev 15 and how we know this chapter as “the Song of Moses” that is being sung. But scripture actually says it’s also “the SONG of the LAMB.” Yes, Yeshua has a SONG for his Father. How lovely is that? How inspiring!

Revelation 15:1-3

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, AND the song of the Lamb, saying:

"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!

Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”

The Song of the Lamb. Jesus has a SONG for his Father. But notice his prominence. And certainly we surely know that God our Father has elevated Jesus to having a name higher than any other name under heaven except the Father himself.

Also read Revelation 5 and how the angels certainly praise and pray to the Lamb! Somehow they can pray to Jesus but his very betrothed can't? Notice the bowls of incense they present are YOUR PRAYERS – “the prayers of the saints”! Being presented to Yeshua/Jesus.

Revelation 5:8

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: [clearly directed at Jesus the Lamb]

"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;

For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth."

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

"Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

AND to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”

We should be thanking our betrothed – Jesus -- directly every single day for being our Savior. For dying for us, for living for us, for being the new creation in us what we are supposed to be. Indeed, everyone extended honor and glory as they exclaimed, “worthy is the Lamb!”

Make this your PRACTICE. Make talking with Jesus more than just a doctrine but an intimate relationship.

Please, all of you, as we pray to Father, let’s pause and always include a prayer of worship, praise, gratitude and amazement for and to our wonderful Yeshua, our Savior Jesus, Son of God, worthy of all honor and praise.

Do everything you can to grow in your relationship with Jesus, even as you start your prayers to our Abba, our wonderful heavenly Father. Relationship. It’s all about having a real relationship with a real Being inside of us and who is leading us. Amen.

The evening of 31^st of October each year is one of my most hated evenings. In 2023, it’s this coming Tuesday night, Oct 31, 2023. Halloween. A night that clearly openly celebrates fear, darkness, evil, Satan, ghosts, goblins, violence, blood. Clearly something not for the children of God, right?

Obviously not, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that even some of you who come to this site will participate in it one way or another, maybe low-keying it. Even a well known televangelist was recently saying “Halloween’s not all that bad. In fact it could be a time we could witness to others”. NOPE.

I have a full-length detailed SERMON about Halloween and why it is SO wrong for any professing Christian or believer to participate in it, in any way. And I mean not letting even your children be involved either, even if they dress in less evil outfits like maybe as a prince, princess, fireman, or something harmless. If it’s for Halloween, they’re still getting involved. And so are you. Don’t do it!

Someone near us has gone all-out to participate in this dark night.

Here's the full sermon on it and how and why our God warns us not to be involved in it at all, in ANY way. Just be aware it’s always 31^st of October.

https://lightontherock.org/images/Should_Christians_participate_in_Halloween.pdf

If you’re not 100% clear in your mind why we should not be involved, then check out the sermon.

** If you’ve heard the arguments against participating in Halloween, but are still unconvinced, study my detailed sermon.

** If you’re going to hand out treats at your door, hear my sermon.

** If you’re going to let your children get all dressed up in non-gory safe costumes (and sure, it’s fun for them) and just be mildly involved somehow, hear the sermon.

** If you feel I’m going overboard and I should “lighten up” and let kids have a little fun, study my sermon. Please.

Ephesians 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Study and focus on these kinds of thoughts and activities. Are any of these what you’d find in Halloween?

Philippians 4:8 -- “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Let’s come out of this world, children of God. I imagine that on this subject, 95% of you reading this, already no longer participate in it. Thank God! The rest of you – study that sermon.

https://lightontherock.org/images/Should_Christians_participate_in_Halloween.pdf

When I first wrote this in 2012 with 2,901 readers, the militant arm of the Islamic Brotherhood was Hamas and they were shooting rockets all over Israel at that time. Well, Oct 7, 2023 – on the 8^th Day High day of God’s calendar, almost on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war of 1973, Hamas is at it again: they’ve shot thousands of rockets, killed over 700 Israelis as of this writing, and taken scores of people captive, including Israeli soldiers. Israel, is once again, at war, defending the land GOD gave to Israel. We need to be concerned and praying.

In today’s blog, I can’t resist pointing out what might simply be a coincidence – or maybe not. There are many examples of “plays on words” in Scripture. To the Arab, the word “Hamas” is taken to mean someone acting bravely in the cause of Allah. In Arabic it means “zeal” and it’s an acronym in Arabic for “Islamic Armed Movement”. ‘

However, in Hebrew, there might also be an interesting play on words. In Hebrew the word “Hamas” means “violence.”  It can also be spelled “chamac” but the “ch” is like an “h” and the c at the end is like an “s”. Is it possible that we were warned thousands of years ago in Scripture that Hamas would become a violent thorn in Jacob’s (Israel’s) side? That word in Hebrew – Hamas- - is used at least 60 times, and sometimes in direct correlation to Israel. Let’s examine a few.

Joel 3:19-21

19 "Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom [Esau’s descendants] a desolate wilderness,

Because of violence [Hebrew: hamas] against the people of Judah,

For they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;

For YHVH dwells in Zion."

Edom – or Esau – always felt that his twin brother Jacob had stolen what was rightfully his. He made sure his children were firmly indoctrinated from their early childhood to hate their uncle Jacob, renamed Israel. The descendants of Esau included the Amalekites, the most hateful of Israel among Esau’s descendants. I suspect the Palestinians are from the ancient line of Amalek. This hatred for Israel is as intense as ever among the descendants of Israel’s brother Esau/Edom.

Today we find his descendants in much of the Arab and Muslim populations of the middle east. It is ironic that Palestinians and Jews are really from the same overall family. Both are children of Abraham and Isaac. Esau and Jacob were brothers. Palestinians and many Arabs are really brothers or cousins to the Jew. But the bad blood between these brothers has been roiling for millennia.

And it doesn’t help that the Hebrew or Jewish word for “darkness” or “nighttime” is “erev” – which can sound very much like “Arab” when it is spoken, though it doesn’t mean “Arab”.

Next, you simply must read the one-chapter book of Obadiah. It starts out as a prophecy, a vision, concerning Esau/Edom (Obadiah 1:1). We jump ahead to verse 10, but be sure to read all of it:

Obadiah 1:10

10 "For violence (hamas) against your brother Jacob [Israel],

Shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

Yehovah does not like it when brothers don’t support or love each other. He hates it when a brother stands back and lets things happen without doing anything to stop it. When we read the first chapter of Obadiah, it is clear that some calamities are going to hit Israel very, very hard and the Jews’ Arab brothers are going to do nothing to stop the cataclysm. For their inaction, Yehovah will strike them very, very hard.

If any of my readers are Jews or Arab, please my brothers: in our Messiah we can come out of the ways of this world. Those of us led by the Holy Spirit can become friends, be brothers and sisters in Messiah, be heirs of the promises given to Abraham through Christ – whether you are Jew or Arab. But first, we each have to come to Him and surrender our lives to Him. Only then can we be one. John 17:20-23 tells us how we become one: IN and THROUGH our Savior, who also happens to be our Creator. Jesus – Yeshua – was the God-being who spoke the words “Let there be light” and HE was the one who created man out of the dust and then built a woman from Adam’s side.

Right now as I write this October 7, 2023 AND as well on Nov 16, 2012, Hamas is firing thousands of rockets indiscriminately into Israel. These are not aimed at military targets, nor are they precision strikes but much improved from before. The rockets could kill Jew or Arab, the aged woman or a baby, man or woman. Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense has kept most of the rockets from landing. It’s like firing a bullet to stop a bullet that has already been fired at you. It is amazing technology but not foolproof. The rockets are landing even around Tel Aviv at this point.

Israel is about the size of New Jersey. Imagine if thousands of rockets every day were being fired from Mexico and hitting Dallas or around Dallas. How would we react? So Israel is striking hundreds of military targets in Gaza, many of which are around population centers, so innocent civilians are also being killed. It’s a terrible scene all around. We must be fervently praying “thy kingdom come” as never before. Let’s also pray for Jerusalem and for Israel. I also pray that our God Most High, our Father, will be merciful on all people -- Arab, Palestinian or Jew-- especially when people turn and come to Him in repentant surrender of their lives.

The Word Study Dictionary of the Old Testament has this to say about Strong’s word # 2555 – Hamas:

“A masculine noun meaning violence, wrong. It implies cruelty, damage, and injustice…..In relation to physical violence, cruelty is implied (Judges 9:24). When coupled with the term instrument or weapon, it becomes an attributive noun describing weapons or instruments of violence (Psalms 58:2 (or verse 3 in Jewish scriptures). When it describes a person, it can mean an oppressor or a violent man (Proverbs 3:31).”

I suggest you read the one chapter of the book of Obadiah, which is a prophecy against the descendants of Edom. Edom was another name for Esau. I suspect many of the Palestinians are descendants of Edom and even Amalek, Esau’s/Edom’s grandson from a concubine.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the return of our King Jesus!

(Introductory comment from P Shields: I have been very pleased with the hard work of all the pastors in Kenya. George Owato is the appointed coordinator there. The work he and Francis and others have put into serving the brethren there and helping plan for the coming Feast of Tabernacles is so appreciated. I asked him to write a blog on fulfilling our calling to be Servant Leaders like Christ is, as we prepare for the Kingdom of God. And really, we practice for God’s kingdom by being servant leaders now in this life. So here’s George.)

We know Jesus by so many dozens of titles. But how did he get so many titles? I mean titles like, King of kings, Lord of lords, Master, Teacher, Rabbi, High Priest, Savior, mighty prophet, chief apostle, Chief Shepherd and many more like Lion of Judah, our Rock and our High Tower. However, He lived a humble life and He did not go about broadcasting who He was by always using these titles. Have you ever asked yourself why? Because He was a servant leader. He lived, led and taught His disciples many things – Becoming servant leaders being one of them! Let’s focus on what he said about servant leadership.

Jesus was born to be a King but look at what he taught His disciples:

Mark 10:42-45 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall NOT be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus was appointed by God Most High to be the King of Kings but he never acted like one lording it over others, though we call him “Lord”. Isaiah 9:7 says ““For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…….of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7).

His mother Mary was told her son would be “called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33).

Jesus clarified when that would happen.

Matthew 25:31 – ““When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” And yet we don’t see him acting in the way so many leaders today act: lording it over others.

MANY people aspire to be leaders at home, in their communities, in companies, in governmental and non-governmental organizations and, even in the Church BUT very FEW really seek to become leaders like Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Son of the Living God, “Who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself of nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11).

Are we beginning to see what kind of leadership God wants for Jesus’ followers to have? May God Most High birth in us the desire to become Servant Leaders like Jesus, for His glory! Becoming Servant Leaders like Jesus MEANS we must totally surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and embrace His Servant Leadership model. Frankly we need the same mind that was in Christ Jesus for us to become servant Leaders like he was.

“Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Our attitude needs to be the same as that of Christ Jesus – humbling ourselves and taking on a servant’s nature (Philippians 2:5-9). Read those verses again. It is this mind and attitude of Jesus that will transform us to become servant leaders like Jesus – “who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

This mind of Jesus- the SERVANT Mindset will enable us fulfill these scriptures: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, in humility consider others better than ourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

This will be possible only if we have the same mindset Jesus has.

Probably very few of us really think that others are better than ourselves. Or think about others’ needs even above our own. So realize that even as we are training to be leaders, it comes by practicing Servant Leadership all the time and everywhere.

Even when Jesus returns, we will find him serving.

Luke 12:37 “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that He will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.”

We know Christ laid down his life for us when he died on the cross. But do we also think of him laying down his life in daily acts of loving service and helping others? True service is giving up of our time and our life in a daily way, not just in death. For example, after preaching to the multitudes, our model Leader was moved with compassion and so he served them. He prepared a feast for them, as it was late in the day and they were famished and I’m sure Jesus was tired too. But he served their needs ahead of his, anyway. Even on the cross, his thoughts were on being sure his mother would be well provided for by John – though he was racked with pain.

This mind of Christ is a mind filled with and motivated by love- the agape kind of love God has, that will make us also be willing and ready to lay down our lives for others, any others like Christ did, not just our fellow believers. He died for us while we were still sinners. He died for all the world who would accept him. Are we willing to even serve and die for people who are not being so kind to us? Jesus did. He died while we were yet sinners.

But again, laying down our lives is not limited to literally dying, but also in daily acts of service, giving up our time and our lives for others now. Being a true Servant Leader means we’re putting other’s needs ahead of our own. We help - - even when it is so inconvenient to help. This starts at home. Many are willing to go all out for others, but not for our own spouse or family sometimes.

So in becoming Servant Leaders like Jesus we must have his kind of humility. That’s where it starts. We must humble ourselves just as Christ humbled Himself. There’s so much in scripture about humility.

Here are some examples to ponder: when you do a godly act of kind service, do you have to let others know? Our Messiah actually often told people he had just healed to be quiet about it, and not tell everyone (Matthew 8:1-4). But we tend to let others know of what a good person we are and all about our good deeds. When we do that, we are forfeiting our rewards from God! (Matthew 6:1-5). So Servant Leadership starts with our Lord’s humble mindset in whatever capacity we find ourselves – as dad, a mom, boss, pastor, teacher or coach, older brother or sister.

“…humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:33). God will raise up the humble eventually, just as Jesus was elevated and honored tremendously after he humbled himself, as we can read in Philippians 2:8-9

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23). “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12). “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…all of you clothe yourself with humility toward one another…..Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1Peter 5:5-6.

So before God elevates any of us, He has to see that we will be wonderful leaders, serving those he’s given us to work with – just like our King would.

Remember it was the very son of GOD who got up and did the job of the lowliest servant or slave: He washed all the others’ feet, including Judas’ feet, at the last Passover. Do we ever feel too important to do lowly work? Can we help quietly weed a widow’s garden if she needs help? When we feel like having more coffee or getting seconds after dinner, do we ask someone else to get it, or do we get up and get it ourselves and even ask the others if they want anything while we’re up? Men, are we willing to help with the housework, cleaning and tidying up – or is that the wife’s job?

Yes, the wife was to be the man’s “helper” or “help-meet”; “ezer” in Hebrew. But did you know that the Hebrew word there is exactly the same word used for our Creator who is also our “ezer”- our helper? Eliezer means “GOD is my help”! So men, husbands –we can be the ones helping our wives as well. Let’s become known as a wonderful helper, a leader who serves anyone and everyone.

We should be servant leaders at work, in church, with our families, everywhere! At church we help set up and take down the chairs. We might serve as ushers or singing in the choir or helping with the P.A. system. Those who serve in those capacities spend countless hours serving the rest of us. We really don’t need to be “serving” in the more prominent positions like preaching or giving Bible studies. God is checking our hearts and minds and examining our thoughts as we do everything we do. Those he sees are real servant leaders now will be the ones he will trust with high positions later. When we’re faithful in little, God knows we’ll be faithful in much.

When we finally have the humble mind and heart of our own Leader Jesus Christ, we won’t even think about or focus on being promoted or lifted up and exalted. It will come, in God’s good time, when and how He determines. Our real concern for now is not trying to be “in charge” – but in trying to serve the best way possible. We’ll be more concerned with the well-being of those we are serving, and not having to demonstrate we’re “in charge”. God can’t and won’t lift us up to be leaders in the Kingdom until we first learn to humble ourselves and be helpers and servants in every way we can – without putting on a big show and letting everyone know about our serving or how we are “in charge” here. We don’t need to be in the pictures of serving that are being shown everyone.

So humility is KEY to becoming Servant Leaders like Jesus. We must be humble, we must clothe ourselves with humility. “For this is what the high and lofty One says – he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

God, who lives in unbelievable splendor – wants to come live in us too, but only if we are lowly in spirit and humble. He really is not comfortable with prideful people.

“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

“…the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22:26).

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Let’s be humble. Let’s have the mind of Jesus as we find ways to serve – ideally behind the scenes, unnoticed by mankind, but every thought and action is seen by God.

In conclusion, it takes humility and the mind of Jesus – the servant leadership mindset/attitude to become Servant Leaders like Jesus. And it’s something we’re doing all the time. Every day.

God willing, we’ll be able to share more ideas in future on this whole topic of being a Servant Leader like Jesus, wherever we are and wherever we go.

Many of you who have been students of God’s word for many years know that our Savior, Jesus the Christ, taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:5-6). He said to find a private room – and there open our hearts to our heavenly Abba, our father in heaven. Prayer, especially when it can be heard and seen by others, can sometimes become a show otherwise. Or we can become self-conscious.

We also have numerous examples of Yeshua himself rising early and praying in private. Sometimes he would go up a hill in the magnificent creation and there commune with the Almighty (Matthew 14:23). Even in his most agonizing hours in Gethsemane, he moved some distance from his disciples while he went to pray alone (Matthew 26:36-39). Peter prayed in private on a housetop! (Acts 10:14).

Even in times of spectacular healings, though there are many examples of healings taking place in public, there are also examples of the man of God preferring to be private as he prays for the dead or sick person. Elisha closed the door behind him before praying for the lad whom God resurrected (2 Kings 4:33). Peter, when doing the same with Dorcas (also called Tabitha), also put everyone out and then knelt and prayed (Acts 9:40).

So I begin this blog about group prayer by being sure you, my readers, know that I understand that most of our praying time should be in private. I love to pray outside in the beautiful gardens and park-like yard our Father has given us. Other times, I beseech God Most High beside my bed as I speak to – and listen to – dear Abba.

But there’s power when many of God’s people come together in special times of beseeching Him. Scripture is clear on this also. Especially in times of deep trial and pain that affect the whole group.

I know many in the organizations I have been a part of who never come together to pray as a group for someone’s healing or for our dear Abba’s intervention in times of serious trial (with the exception of opening and closing prayer at church services or asking the blessing over the meal). They cling to those verses about praying in private and not to be seen – and so they would never be seen praying in a group, with a group. And yet scripture is clear: there are times we could be experiencing great blessings that come from group prayer… coming together as one body, and together beseeching our dear Abba and our Messiah.

For example in Acts 12, we can read of how Herod – during the days of Unleavened Bread – arrested two top apostles, James and Peter, with the intent of gaining popularity with the majority Jews who hated the apostles, by executing them. Look what’s said:

Acts 12:1-5   “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

As we’ll find out shortly, in this case, constant prayer wasn’t just offered individually in everyone’s own private room in their own homes. Oh no. The believers came together in someone’s home and prayed together for hours and hours. Verse 12 says “MANY were gathered together praying.” Many! In Mary’s house, the mother of Mark. Read all of Acts 12 yourself. My question: would you and I have been there with them?

Now we don't know if the execution of James was quick and sudden – without warning, or was there prior imprisonment like Peter’s case? We just don’t know. But I’ve often wondered: IF James had also been imprisoned first, there is no statement that the church made constant intercessory prayer for him. Maybe they had no chance to, for its suddenness. I grant that possibility. But IF he had been imprisoned first, could it be that the brethren could have assumed that God surely would protect James, with or without their prayers? I hope I’m wrong in even wondering about that.

But you know the rest of the story, and how Peter was miraculously delivered after the church kept up their praying around-the-clock for Peter. They gathered together, several together in one place, to pray. You know Mark of the gospels? It was in his mom’s home – Mary the mother of John Mark the gospel writer, assistant to Peter – where they gathered.

I have to wonder: would we be reading the inspiring story of Acts 12 if they had not prayed together, as one body? I don’t know. But it’s an intriguing question, isn’t it? Maybe our Abba would have done exactly the same thing if they had all decided to just pray privately, individually, at home. But the story we have is that God stepped in as they prayed together, as a group!  

If you’re uncomfortable with the notion, stretch a bit. Start small. Sometimes, if not all the time, have one prayer with your spouse perhaps at bedtime or when you both get up. Add a child, if available. Now you have a group of three. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I AM THERE in the midst of them”, Jesus taught (Matthew 18:20).

Certainly there are many examples of the power of brethren coming together to pray as on together.

I know, I know, our Master tells us to go into our “closet” or private area when we pray and that we are to avoid praying in a way where we could be seen by others and therefore have them all feel we are a “man or woman of prayer”. Certainly that’s all true for our daily, personal prayer time. But there are just too many examples of awesome deliverance when God’s people got together to pray together, as one.

My wife and I normally pray by ourselves, apart from one another. But when someone is very ill or needs a miracle or answer from heaven, we will bow and kneel before Yahweh our Healer and together raise that person in prayer to the throne of grace and mercy and petition Abba for him or her.

The early believers were terrific about group prayer. There’s another example in Acts 4:23-32. The apostles had been threatened by the council for preaching in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), so they went to their spiritual brothers and sisters and shared their plight.

Acts 4:23-24   “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…..”

Now keep reading. After their group prayer as one voice and one accord:

Acts 4:31-32 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul….”

Our Almighty God clearly gave his blessing on that assembly praying together. Please ponder that. Be willing to follow their example! Be willing to stretch when you need to, to try things in the Bible that you maybe never have. Like praying in a group once in a while. Now I don’t believe in daily group prayers either. But in times of trial and stress, yes, come together and together beseech God in earnest prayer. Stretch a bit. Do it. Try it. Another stretch for you to try new things might be to raise holy hands in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8).

Another case of group prayer so pleasing to God – of many – is found in 2 Chronicles 20, where King Jehoshaphat of Judah prayed with a large crowd of people for God Most High’s intervention and protection. Jerusalem was surrounded by innumerable enemy soldiers.

2 Chronicles 20:3-4 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek YHVH, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from YHVH; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek YHVH. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of YHVH, before the new court…” and prayed with the group. Notice it clearly was a group.

Verse 13 – “Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before YHVH.”

Can you imagine what it must have been like? Have you ever been a part of something like this? And wow! Did their God ever answer! You can read it for yourself in verses 14-19. And the people all bowed their heads as they worshiped Almighty. The next day YHVH worked a great miracle in their behalf.

The power of the group acting as one, together. Putting differences aside. Loving one another and loving the living God as we pray and trust him – together.

There are more examples. Read Esther 4. When Esther heard of Haman’s plans to ethnic-cleanse the Jews, here’s what this great woman said:

Esther 4:15-17 Then Esther told them to tell Mordecai: “Go gather ALL the Jews present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

They may or may not have come together in one place during those 3 days of fasting, but it is certain they prayed and fasted at least at the same time, for the same purpose. It does say they were to “GATHER” together and fast.   And did God ever hear that praying and fasting? Indeed!   (And by the way, when was the last time we each fasted?) I believe your brethren in southwest Kenya in Isebania fast monthly for prayer needs and requests. May our God bless them and provide answers. 

Why not try praying together as a group for some urgent requests and also for praise and thanksgiving? For those of you who have been doing this already, terrific. For some of you, this may be a new experience. We can all come together decently and in order, and then one after another can take turns leading in prayer as all the others assent in prayer and their “amen”. We can also come together to someone’s home as they did in Acts 12, perhaps some of the time spent in private prayer in the various rooms of the house—and at times come together as a body of one. Hold hands, bow your heads and pray as one soul, as one body led by His One Spirit. You will sense the anointing of God’s spirit as you do this when you do it to seek HIM – and not for any human show. I know this kind of group praying is not commonplace in some circles, but so what!? It’s Biblical. SO do it! 

It’s exciting when you feel the presence of Holy Spirit in your midst. There IS power when many of God’s children come together to pray to Him as one. Many – as one. Together, unitedly, harmoniously, humbly. Experience this powerful way of coming before God: as a group coming to him as one body.

Yes, most of the time – pray in secret, in private, just you and Abba as His Spirit Jesus Christ intercedes with and for you (Romans 8:26-27, 33-34). But be open to the power of the group prayer too!

I’d love to hear from some of you who will stretch and try this. Please share your stories and experiences with me. May our wonderful Abba and His Son bless each of you mightily.

We read the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and perhaps wonder why would someone just bury his talent?  But then I believe many believers are doing the same thing: burying their talent.

A “talent” in the Parable of Matthew 25 was actually a sum of money or possibly a weight, as in “a talent of gold” or “a talent of silver”.  It does not mean what our English word “talent” means.  A talent of either gold or silver would be worth millions today. We can assume the ruler or master who bestowed these “talents” for growth and development was a powerful and wealthy man – picturing Yeshua, the coming King of kings, actually.

In any case, our Master bestowed money – or talents – to various ones. Since our God is the King of the Universe, and owns all things ultimately, everything you and I have been given, or have access to, is ultimately something that came from our Creator. Besides money and abilities (as in the English word “talent”), our very lives, our families, our home, our opportunities, our abilities, and of course receiving the very spirit of God – and much more – are all “talents” we’ve been given. 

Luke 16:10 says “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”  There are many scriptures that say we all will have to stand and give account of what we did with what we’ve been given. We’ve each been given a lot. Each of us will also have to account for a lot then as well.

Frankly at times I fear for times in my life when I wasn’t protecting, developing, investing and growing the opportunities and stewardship I had been given. I hope through Christ in me, I hope I’m doing better now. But that got me thinking:  are we like the one servant who just buried his talent?

There comes a day of reckoning when we each must stand before our Maker and explain what we did with what he gave us.  See Romans 14:10-12 and Hebrews 4:13.

So each of the servants in Matthew 25 gave account.  Those who doubled what they were given were commended and invited to enter the joy of Lord and were given more responsibilities.  But then he came to the final servant who claimed he was afraid to use – and maybe lose – the sum of money he had been given, so he buried it “for safe keeping”.  That man’s talent was given to someone else, because Yeshua makes it clear that those who use and grow what they’ve been given, will be given more.  And those who do not will have what they had been given, taken away.

How’s it looking for you?  Are YOU and I burying the talents, opportunities, gifts of God’s spirit and all the things we have been given?  Or are we putting them to work and growing our opportunities? 

I dare say most of us are doing a mix:  profitably using and growing some of what we’ve been given, and disregarding the rest.

In a recent sermon or teaching, I spoke on the topic of “Are you doing your part in the Body of Christ”.  We each have a part or role to play.  We’re called parts of His body, and therefore also we’re part of each other.  In a human body, if one part is not doing its role, the body can get sick and even die. If one part gets hurt, the rest of the body feels the pain. Other parts come to its aid – to stop the bleeding and pain or to fight germs or anything bad that has entered our body. We are parts of one another. Are you doing your part – or burying your talent? 

But my point is this: every part of the body has a part to play to keep the body “happy” and healthy. Some believers seem to feel their only part is to come to church, sit and listen, participate in the hymn singing, and then go home. Oh – and they’ll pray for those on the prayer list.  All of that is great, but is it enough?  I say we have been given so much, and much will be expected of us. 

One example: the Bible itself. I have many, many Bibles plus many more on my smart phone and more yet on my computer. I have access to Greek and Hebrew lexicons, concordances, word studies plus various translations by the dozen.  In the apostles’ day, one had to be wealthy to be able to afford to have even just one scroll of one book of the Bible!  Many were illiterate back then. But today we can read and we can carry dozens of Bibles and Bible tools in our smart phones. To whom much is given, much will be expected.  Do you even read the Bible every day?  Do you?

How are we using our time, our money or our health?

Paul tells us that one reason we work is to earn money to help the needy (Ephesians 4:28).  Do you do that?  To whom much is given, much will be required.

So I hope you hear the full sermon on doing our part. So many in the Body don’t seem to even know they have a part in the body, or know what their part is. And yet it’s very clearly stated in the scriptures –as you’ll hear in the sermon – that we each have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Developing the Body of Christ is not just the function of ordained ministers. It includes you. Every single one of you.  If you’re not burying your talents, it’s because you’re finding ways to use them. You’ll be using your time better so we get more accomplished. This will mean less TV, less Facebook and less Instagram and more efficient use of our time so we can glorify God in all we do.

If you can read – perhaps you can ask God for the talent to research and study – and then share what you’ve learned with those who preach and write.  Perhaps they won’t accept your first efforts. Don’t get discouraged. If you can write – use it. Write blogs. Ask website hosts if they’d be willing to review your blog and perhaps even use it.  I could use some help for blogs. I still work for a living 50 hours a week and then do this website in my “spare” time. 

I’m seeking to post more and more from other writers. I’ve had 2-3 write 1-2 blogs each, but please – this is your website too, and I want to use more writers. If 12 of you wrote just ONE blog that we can use, that would be one new blog from each of you in a year. Anyone want to take me up on that offer?  I just ask for ONE blog from some of you.  Just ONE. 

Some of you may wish to just submit ideas you think could be interesting blogs or sermons.  Submit them! Let me review them and some of your ideas may soon be on this website.  I’m always looking for sermon ideas too. Send in your thoughts!  Let’s work together on this.  If any of you will take me up on this, I will send you a sheet of “things to keep in mind” about writing for this website.

I’d ESPECIALLY like to hear from those of you outside the USA. And of course, I’d love blogs from those IN the USA as well.  I’d love to have articles, blogs, sermon ideas and more from Kenya, China, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, UK, Israel, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Philippines – from everywhere.  Think how RICH our content, our blogs and our sermons could be if you out there would believe what I’m saying and help be a part of this website, your website!  And then do the same at your local congregation.

So don’t ever tell Christ that you had no opportunity to write. I’m asking for you to write.

Don’t be discouraged if your initial efforts are not accepted. Thomas Edison, after all, had his well-known 10,000 experiments before he could get his electric lightbulb to work. Think of all those failures – but he just saw those as opportunities to learn even more and get it right “the next time”.  So he eventually found the solution. Imagine where we’d all be today if he had given up so soon. So don’t remain discouraged if it takes longer than you thought to develop your talent.

Some of you have been gifted with wonderful singing voices.  Are you using it to glorify God? We’re told “in everything you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Someday I’d like to have these sermons and blogs written in other languages – like German, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Italian and more.  Any ideas? 

Romans 5:5 says God’s love has been poured out on all of us by his spirit. ALL of us have that gift. And guess what?  The greatest of all gifts is love (1 Cor 13 is all about this, and see 1 Cor. 13:13 and 12:31).  We need to invest this love, develop it, grow it, ask for more of it – and let it flow in kindness, in joy, in patience and in all the things that 1 Cor. 13 says about it.

Having God’s love poured out into your heart is such a huge, huge gift.  Don’t bury it.

SO FIND OUT what you’ve been gifted with – what your equivalent of the “talent’ is for you.  You can find out in different ways:

--- ask God to reveal it to you (and he might do that in many different ways).  PRAY for him to open your eyes what is right there in front of you and inside you.

---ask a believer who knows you well what he/she feels are your gifts. Don’t be surprised if you don’t believe them.  I’ve told people “you have such a great gift of …” – but it often fell on deaf ears. Maybe people were trying to act humble. Just say “thank you”, then thank God for showing you through your friend – and then…

---step out in faith and start developing those talents and gifts. To whom much is given, much will be required.

But whatever you do, don’t just let your gift and talent lay idle and please don’t bury them.  USE them! You probably have more than just 1-2-3 talents and gifts.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the words that Yeshua wants to say to you and me when we stand before him?

Matthew 25:21

'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'  

We all know the story of Naaman the Syrian commander who was told to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River and his leprosy would be healed. He finally did that, and was healed indeed. See the story in 2 Kings 5.

But do you know the rest of the story? Don’t assume you know or can guess the encouraging end of the story.

Naaman, upon being healed, offered Elisha a lot of silver and expensive garments, but Elisha declined. But Elisha’s assistant – Gehazi – ran off after Naaman and asked and received expensive garments and a lot of precious silver for himself – enough apparently to buy vineyards, more garments and lots of servants or slaves. Elisha was aware of it, and we start now in scripture reading. But don’t assume you know already how it all ends. I hope this will inspire and encourage you. We pick up at the point where the happily healed Naaman has just left Elisha’s home to go back to Syria.

2 Kings 5:20-27   But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him." 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"

(BUT NOW ELISHA LIES in his covetousness for silver and garments, which were very expensive)

22 And he (Gehazi) said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.'" (No such thing had happened.)

23 So Naaman said, "Please, take two talents." (That’s 150 pounds of silver! Sixty eight kilos! That would be worth over $53,000 in today’s silver, 2023)

And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.

25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, "Where did you go, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant did not go anywhere."  [Another total LIE]

26 Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever." And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

Gehazi had coveted, and had lied and God was not pleased. But leprosy clinging to all his offspring for forever and ever? That’s a very serious and severe punishment. In fact in reading it recently I pleaded with God to be merciful today if there are still any descendants of Gehazi who are leprous because of Gehazi’s sin of so long ago.

It was very shortly after that when I learned of God’s mercy on Gehazi that I somehow had missed before. Maybe you had missed it as well. It was like God was telling me, “ Hey, let me show you something about my mercy that you obviously have missed before.”

I don’t believe there are any children or descendants of Gehazi suffering today because of his sin. But how could that be? That was the curse placed on him. But our God is so merciful, as he was even to Ahab, even to Nineveh, even to king Manasseh and so many others.

In 2 Kings 8, we read this, starting with the widow whom Elisha had been blessed by and he asked God to bless her with a son. She had moved away from Israel for seven years during a famine and now wanted to return and have her land back. Let’s read how Gehazi figures into this:

2 Kings 8:1-6   Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years." 2 So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3 It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land.

4 Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done." 5 Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him.

So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now."

Here’s what’s easy to miss. Sure, the story goes on to show how the widow received her land and lost income back that she would have had from the land.

But here’s what I hadn’t seen before:

GEHAZI is seen here serving in the King’s court. But I thought he was a leper! He surely had been. And it was totally against the law for a leper in Israel or Judah to come anywhere near other people. They had to stay outside the camp and shout “unclean, unclean” as they walked. You can read this strict law in Leviticus 13:45-46 and Numbers 5:1-4.

There is NO WAY, that a leper in Israel or Judah at least, would be serving in their king’s court!

God’s mercy is perhaps being revealed here. God must have forgiven Gehazi and healed him, or we would not be reading what we do in 2 Kings 8. He would not have been serving openly in the king’s court.

And indeed, I’m confident there are no descendants of Gehazi suffering from leprosy today because of God’s mercy. SO many speak of the harsh “God of the Old Testament”. I see instead in this story and so many others, such kindness, gentleness, mercy and a very forgiving God.  

I found this very encouraging that even in my faults and sins, I can count on God’s mercy and forgiveness if I seek him, repent, and turn back to God. So can you. I hope this encourages you, as I know we all still slip up in sin too often. God loves to give his children another chance to live right and be a blessing to others upon forgiving their sin. Praise God our Father and Jesus/Yeshua our Savior/Redeemer for that!

As Paul Harvey used to say on radio, “And that’s the rest of the story.”

On this website I’ve been showing recently that each day we are drawing closer to the days of God’s wrath when He shakes the whole world and brings us to our senses. I’ve been showing the need for each of us to repent, and for the body of believers to repent, and how we must be praying that even the nations repent. It’s obvious as we read the Prophets that YHVH is ticked off in the “last day”.

But in times such as this, even when we know we have to repent, it is comforting to realize Abba still sees us as “the apple of His eye” – in spite of times He does get angry with us and has to discipline us, actually in his love for us. As we come nearer the holyday seasons especially, remember what this means.

Stevie Wonder helped make that statement famous in one of his songs with the words, “You are the sunshine of my life, that’s why I’ll always stay around. You are the apple of my eye, forever you’ll stay in my heart.”

But really the expression “apple of my eye” comes from our English Bibles where it is used several times in Scripture. Moses reminded the Israelites that YHVH selected Israel to be “the apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). Verse 11 goes on to show how the Eternal hovered over Israel like a mother eagle watches over the eaglets in her nest.

The shepherd king David wrote a beautiful prayer of a psalm, Psalm 17:8, wherein he prays:

“Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.”

Zechariah 2:8 is one of my favorites: “For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apples of His eye”.

Our beloved God is saying a time is coming we will have to flee out of spiritual (unspiritual?) Babylon (verses 5-7) but those who are “messing with” His children better beware because He sees it as poking Him right in His eye! YHVH says Israel is the apple of His eye. Today there is a national Israel – and a spiritual Israel, the body of believers.

So even as I have been preaching on our need to pray for repentance and forgiveness, we need to also remember who and what we are in His eyes. I’ve spoken about how there is an identity we form with our Creator: we are His people and He is our God! You are precious to God. When we fall short of His glory, as we often do, we must remember that He does tell us He knows our limitations, is merciful, forgiving and we remain the apple of His eye as we come back to Him.

Why “apple” of the eye? The Hebrew word is ‘ishown – meaning “little man”. Perhaps it is because when you look intimately into someone’s eyes, you see a reflection of yourself, a tiny image of yourself formed on their retina. Yes, Father looks into your eyes – and sees Himself in the reflection on your pupil. He realizes you are being transformed into His perfect image “until Christ is formed in you” as Paul says. He knows we are all of one, in Him, and He has covenanted to watch over you as you protect your eye pupil, the apple of your eye. He sees a little bit of Himself in you, in your eyes – just like you might look at your own children and see a bit of yourself in them.

I had to have a splinter removed from my eyeball once. I wanted to blink so badly as the eye doctor slowly moved his instrument into position – even as he warned me to not change my focus or blink, no matter what happened as he picked off the splinter. Yes, the apple of the eye is very precious, very tender, very sensitive. Our eyelids naturally close when there is perceived danger to  the pupil – the “apple” – of the eye. It is bathed in tears, protected by the eyelid. So we guard our eyes, especially the pupil of our eyes. It is the most vulnerable and a most sensitive part of our face.

So the “apple of the eye” refers to something – someone – cherished, protected, highly valued. Someone we feel very sensitive and tender about. Just think about how precious your eye pupils are.

Our Creator sees you as the apple of His eye. You. Yes, you are so precious to Abba. Remember this especially in the days ahead as you prepare your heart and mind for the coming autumn feasts of the LORD.

Most of you who come to Light on the Rock or other sabbath-keeping church groups, came out of a former church that probably was a Sunday-keeping church. Or maybe they taught that we are all in His rest now, and all days are sabbath rests in Christ. I don’t subscribe to that of course. Some of you came out of Judaism and Jewish synagogues. Or perhaps from Messianic groups and Hebrew Roots groups that focus heavily on the Old Testament and read the Torah every sabbath, as the Jews do. Some of you are former Pentecostals or Lutherans or Catholic. And some of you were born into sabbath keeping groups and that is all you were ever exposed to.

We are told to grow in the grace/favor and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). One of the things we have to learn to do when “getting it right” as far as knowledge goes, is being willing to unlearn what we believed before when clear scripture shows us correct doctrine or teaching. We all have to do this. I continue to learn more about God, Christ, the Bible – and continue to have to discard old ideas that I see now were just plain wrong. For example, perhaps some of us have had to learn that God really does love the people of the world, so much so that he sent his only son to die for us – and all of “them” too. And perhaps some of us had been too tough on the people of the world, for whom Christ died. So we unlearn thinking that taught us that God is always angry with people of the world. Yes, sometimes he IS, that’s for sure, but overall God is not willing that any should perish, so He sent His son to perish for them.

And how are we to know who among those not living totally righteously and obediently are ones God is starting to call and plans to have them in His First Fruits? When Paul first arrived at Corinth, God told him to relax a bit and not fear anything bad will happen to him there. Paul had just been stoned in Lystra and left for dead. He had in other places been attacked, mauled, beaten, scourged and ridiculed. But God’s reason to relax a bit: “For I HAVE many people here.” God was speaking of the ending from the beginning. And indeed, Corinth became a huge and energetic congregation.

Acts 18:9-11 “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I HAVE many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them”.

So we learn to unlearn some things – and replace them with what’s true. But fully unlearning is really hard sometimes. Sometimes you’ll be excited to understand Biblical truth. But other times it will challenge you, like making you wonder how you’ll tell your family that you can’t be part of their big family Christmas festivities anymore. Sometimes it’s our pride that gets in the way. We don’t want to admit we were wrong. Especially if you are a minister and have to tell your congregation now that you see some things very differently now.

Some people hate having to change or unlearn. But as God reveals himself and his word more to each of us, we will all have areas we have to let go of and replace with truth. We’re seeking “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), learning all the scriptures on a topic. And we learn how alive the Bible is. We keep learning deeper and newer information each time we study it.

Be aware that if you were an active Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Catholic, Muslim or whatever you formerly were, that now you’re learning new understanding about our God Most High – God the Father – and his Son Jesus/Yeshua. And you’re learning more about God’s Spirit and how God lets HIS nature and his power, and really Himself, come into us with that extension of him, his Spirit. But it’s not separate from Him. See my Part 1 of “Who – or what – is God’s Holy Spirit?” Even in Revelation 1 we see that Christ is speaking to the seven churches of Rev 2 and 3, and yet it says, “Hear what the Spirit says to the seven churches”. But Revelation 1 clearly identifies “the Spirit” as Christ himself speaking.

Let me also hasten to add that we don’t need to fight over doctrinal differences, especially when it comes to things like prophecy. I like to ride loosely in the saddle when it comes to prophecy. Don’t be so dogmatic on prophecy unless an angel has explained things perfectly to you. I suspect most of us will have to admit how we got some of it so wrong, when we look back one day. And if a doctrinal matter doesn’t affect your salvation, we can each have an opinion on it and see in the end how it ends up when Christ returns. But we don’t divide over such matters. 

For example, I believe we WILL go to heaven, but after we are resurrected, to be married to Christ, then return to rule with Christ on the earth (Revelation 5:10). Others do not believe this. They are against the idea of ever going to heaven ever, for any reason. Heaven is coming down to earth, they say. So I explain, the first 5-6 verses of Revelation 14 and 15 clearly speaks of 144,000 people, called “first fruits” who are “before the throne, before the 4 living creatures” or “on the sea of Glass” – and these are all descriptions of what are only in heaven. I believe we go to heaven to meet Abba, our dear father and to learn our upcoming assignments, be given our new names, and to marry and be part of the marriage supper of the Son of God (Revelation 19). How thrilling that will be! Others find that hard to accept. So be it. What we believe about that doesn’t affect your or my salvation. But be willing to really look into explanations different from yours and be willing to unlearn and be excited about the truth you’re learning. Be a Berean checking things out to prove what is being taught is true. 

Unlearning and what you’re going through is not that different from what the early brethren experienced. Initially ALL of them were Jews who had been taught in their Synagogues about Torah and their Hebrew scriptures. And key: for several decades, all they had as “the word of God’ was what we now call the Old Testament. The Epistles and other books weren’t even written yet for decades!

They called their Hebrew Scriptures either the Miqra or the TANAKH, which stood for Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim – the Law, prophets and writings. For the first few decades, this is ALL the early church of God had as their “Bible”. They didn’t have the gospels, the epistles of Paul or any others, or the book of Acts and Revelation. ALL they had was what we now call the Old Testament.

And within the synagogues, there were the stricter Pharisees, forefathers of today’s Orthodox Jews – and the Sadducees, many of whom were priests. They had doctrinal differences. Pharisees believed in the resurrection and a spirit world but the Sadducees did not, for example. Sadducees were more interested in material things, power and wealth. But they also believed that we are to live by God’s written word, not the oral traditions that Pharisees loved so much. Karaite Jews may be descendants of the Sadducees. Then there were others like the Essenes, who kept mostly to themselves.

But each one, unwittingly perhaps, brought some of their past and false doctrinal beliefs – or what I call “baggage” -- with them to this new body of believers. Some were ex-Pharisees, some were Ex-Priests from the Sadducees. Some were just sabbath keepers but not part of either sect. Not all of them hid behind their former beliefs, but some did.

Acts 6:7 “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Many Pharisees also came to be believers (Acts 15:4).

The biggest and immediate new belief was that the man they knew as Yeshua from Nazareth of the Gentiles was truly the son of God, had died for their sins and was resurrected three days later and had gone back to heaven to be with His Father. For many, even the notion that there was a SON of God, the ONE God, was a big hurdle.

So they had to unlearn so much. They thought God is one being only. They believed the Messiah would be a warrior king as he conquered enemies before setting up his kingdom. But this Messiah, Jesus, had come, died, and left. And the hated Romans still remained. So there was a lot of unlearning to do. Could Messiah come twice? The first time as a suffering servant of Isaiah 53, and then return another time as conquering king of kings? And they had to learn that we’re mostly in the “spirit of the law” and in a brand New Covenant, not just a “Renewed Covenant” of the old. (I have sermons on this. Look up New Covenant).

One really big hurdle for many was that “the Chosen people” of God was now no longer limited to just the Jews or Israelites – but to whomever God called from ALL the nations. No more Jew, no more Gentile, but all one in Messiah.

ALL those who answered the call of God and received HIS Spirit, were the new “chosen”, whether Jew or Gentile. This was tough, very tough, for the Jews of Jesus’ day. But they all had to accept Jesus as their Savior, as the Son of God who died and was raised again for their sins and for their new lives in him. This was not easy to accept after millennia of being told they were the exclusive “chosen” and that all Gentiles were so inferior to them. Many Jews still struggle with this notion. SO much to unlearn. And you also will have areas of your belief to unlearn and replace with what Scripture really says.

Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees but he fought many ex-Pharisees’ understanding when he was in the Body of Christ. We are also told that some PRIESTS had become believers as well in the early days. The arguments over circumcision and whether they had to make Gentiles wear tassels (Tzit-zit) or not – keeping the letter of the Torah – became so heated they sent their leaders to Jerusalem to discuss it. It was a contentious meeting at first.

Acts 15:4-5   “And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who BELIEVED rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, AND to command them to keep the law of Moses."

So these Pharisees who were now part of the body of Christ were discussing TWO issues: circumcision of the Gentiles and keeping the Law of Moses (the Torah). This was a BIG DEAL back then.

One of the hardest things to do is to be willing to UNLEARN what you were once so convinced was solid truth. If all you had was the Old Testament, yes, it would seem clear that every male would have to be circumcised, until some began to realize there were also verses about circumcising the heart. Plus they had their experience with the household of Gentile Cornelius, and how God gave them the Holy Spirit without prior circumcision. To make things worse, Cornelius was a Roman centurion! An occupier. A soldier.

So the early church of believers in Christ was composed of brethren with differing ideas. My point is, we all bring with us what we had learned before and we have to be willing to UNLEARN many things to be in harmony with what the Bible really teaches – AND to be in harmony with one another.

Are you willing to UNLEARN when you’re shown clear scripture of what the Bible actually says? If so, you will start to see more and more of God’s truths from this site and from others too.

With this site you will learn the truth of what happens when you die. Or if God is trying to save the whole world right NOW (if so, He’s losing badly. MY God will never lose!). Was the sabbath day rest done away with? Were the 10 commandments done away with? If so, can I now go lie all I want, bring in an idol and commit all the sex sins I feel like doing? Of course not. It comes down to some groups rejecting the 7^th Day Sabbath and God’s holydays. So they’re willing to discard the 4^th commandment but pretty much everyone will agree the other nine are good to keep. That’s something you have to resolve.

What doctrines and beliefs will you have to unlearn and replace? What areas of baggage are you bringing in to the ekklesia (Greek translated “church” – but meaning “called out ones”. (The Latin version uses c’s – as in ecclesia. I prefer Greek).

The cure for this? Spend as much time in God’s word as you can and read it with an open mind. Scripture is your base, your starting point. Use this website to help you also. www.Lightontherock.org   Use the Search bar to put in just 1-3 key words of what you’re wondering about and chances are high we have a study or sermon on it.

So be willing to check us out, with your open Bible, and prove for yourself if what I teach is true or not. Don’t believe me; believe the Bible. God bless you as you approach HIM with an open mind, willing to unlearn if and when necessary, and leave old baggage aside. I’d love to hear from you too. May our dear Father and Savior bless you. And I hope someday to meet you.