Light on the Rock Blogs

You might be surprised.

Two special trees in the Garden of Eden are mentioned in Genesis 2-3.  This is a very special blog that I hope will get you thinking about which tree is the one you and I are going to on a daily basis. This blog was inspired by some dialogue I’ve had recently by a dear brother in Oregon who is opening my mind to a deeper walk in the spirit than ever before. 

Adam could eat of all the trees of the garden except one – the Tree of Knowledge.  That tree was a tree that provided both good knowledge and bad knowledge, so it’s more commonly called “the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  It wasn’t all bad. It also had some good knowledge.  People often miss that.  But it was forbidden fruit.  And make no mistake about it: it was the tree of knowledge. I must give a whole sermon on this sometime this year!  This tree was beautiful to behold (not like so many children’s books depictions of a gnarled up dried up monstrosity).  The fruit seemed attractive to Eve but what was most attractive about it was all this “wisdom” you would have after eating of its forbidden fruit (read Genesis 3:6). 

There was another tree in the center of the Garden of Delights (what “Eden” means). Man and woman could eat of this tree anytime they wished.   It was called the Tree of Life.  Yah himself said that if mankind would eat of it, shudder – as sinners – they could live forever (see Genesis 3:22-23 and Gen 2:8-9).  So the “Life” part of this tree was about living forever, eternal life. There is the false teaching that we can live forever being tortured by a God who calls himself the God of love.  No, we either die because of our sins or we live forever if we take of the Tree of Life. 

Which tree would you have eaten of – first? Which one is most fascinating and compelling to you?

But before we get into the exciting two trees, a few points sometimes missed by casual readers of Genesis 1-3:

** Animals and trees were created by God’s command, out of the ground, by His word (Genesis 1:24-25; 2:9).  But mankind was hand-created by God personally, from the dust of the ground and mankind was the only creation into which God blew His breath of life and man became a living soul or being (Genesis 2:7). 

**Adam was created outside the Garden and then invited into God’s presence.  That’s the way it is.  Yehovah wants us near to Him and HE brings us to that position.  (Genesis 2:15)

**The instructions about the two trees were given originally only to the man Adam.  Eve had not been created yet!  A lot of people miss this point and may explain why Eve was deceived by the Serpent and Adam was not. Adam was to be the teacher and leader and so he told Eve what God had said. Read Genesis 2 and the timing becomes clear.
Genesis 2:15-19

“Then Yehovah Elohim (the LORD God) took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And Yehovah Elohim  commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

18 And YHVH Elohim said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

**When the Serpent beguiled Eve, Adam was with her (Genesis 3:6). People think of Adam being elsewhere.  Not true.  But he said nothing, even though he had been put into the garden to tend and KEEP (guard) it.  That’s right, the word “keep” in Genesis 2:15 also means to guard and protect.  But when Adam saw and heard Satan questioning his Creator, Adam – who was not deceived – said and did nothing. Then they both ate of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge and came immediately under God’s death penalty.  (Genesis 3:6; 1 Timothy 2:13-14). 

** This in turn resulted in Adam and Eve being ejected from the Garden – lest they eat of the Tree of Life under sin, and live forever (Genesis 3:22).  It had been there all along for the taking, but they hadn’t availed themselves of it.  Hmm, do we?

Now back to you and me.  What tree fascinates us more:  The Tree of Knowledge or the Tree of Life?  And how are they different?  It’s life and death at stake.

Click on “continue reading” to understand the 2 trees – especially the Tree of Life a bit clearer than ever.

Reacting to recent horrible news

Five officers were shot dead in Dallas recently.  There were more wounded, at least one critically.  It’s getting to be a real mess out there, isn’t it?  We can have several reactions to what we see going on.  But before I get into that, I pray and hope you will take time to compassionately remember the wives of these brave men who were senselessly gunned down because someone claimed cops were out there trying to kill people of color.  Also remember the moms, children and grandchildren of these brave men.  These police had nothing to do with the admittedly horrifying killings of recent days.  In fact they were out there protecting the very people who were protesting against them. 

We are indeed in the beginning of the “perilous times” of “the last days” (1 Timothy 3:1-3).

It is going to get much worse, until it can be said that there have never been worse times than what we will be experiencing at the very end of the end times.

Now to reactions I’ve heard and felt from a few others:

**”I have no reaction. No feeling. You’re not the least bit upset. All this is what’s supposed to happen, you think.”

This would be a very disappointing response.  We should be people filled with the compassion of Christ and we should always have some feeling for things – especially when innocent people are gunned down.  But there will be some who will attend church who think nothing of all these recent events and aren’t the least bit interested or concerned.   

I believe that is a pathetic response.  Is that the way Yeshua would respond or want us to respond?  I assure you – no.  In fact the prophet Ezekiel tells us in Ezekiel 9 that Yah commands his angels or servants to put a special marking on those “who sigh and cry” for the abominations they see happening in the land.  You want to be among those who sigh and cry.

** I’m depressed.  Things are getting really bad and I can’t take it anymore.”

This is more understandable, but this fear can also be taken to God and ask Him for the strength and peace to get through the coming years before Yeshua returns as our King of kings.  It’s going to get a lot, lot worse than this. But in Christ, we can face and do all things even as we present Him with our concerns (Philippians 4:6-7, 13).  We learn to cast all our cares upon Him. He can carry our burdens and give us peace.

** Thrilled. “I can’t wait for more of this to happen, because then we know we’re right there, real close to Christ’s return.  Bring it on!” 

            I actually find this reaction alarming.  Very alarming.  And yet it’s not all that uncommon.  I find some people seem to find excitement and joy in seeing all the woes being sent upon the earth – and they justify their excitement by saying it’s based on feeling this shows we’re getting really close to Christ return. 

            Fair enough perhaps, but be careful with this reaction. 

“Woe to those who desire the Day of the Lord…” – Amos 5:18.  In context it does give that warning to those who are not seeking God, to be fair, but still, I don’t see that Yah wants us to be excited to see people suffer or die, as billions will, leading up to the return of Christ.  We want Him to come but are not at all happy about the suffering that will occur first. I know that’s obvious to most of you.   

I also take you back once more to Ezekiel 9:3-7 and marking those who “sigh and cry” for the abominations going on in the land. I realize in context it’s specifically for those in Jerusalem, but the concept surely applies beyond that.

Click on “Continue reading” to see the response we are supposed to have, according to Scripture, as we see events speeding up to the climax of the return of Christ – whether in 3-5 years or 15-20 years more, we know we are getting awfully close.

Have you ever prayed those words after a severe trial that ends “badly” as far as human vision goes?  We’ve been agonizing with dear friends lately who demonstrated stellar faith in God during a very problematic pregnancy that “didn’t end well” as most might say.  The baby, beautifully named Mercy, who had some severe issues, was born by C-section a few days and then was held dearly in her parents’ arms and lovingly by her sisters and brother, only to die 2-3 hours later. 

Hundreds of spiritual family around the world prayed for that family and their precious child. But in the end, though Mercy graced them with her presence for 2-3 hours, she’s fallen asleep awaiting the Master’s call in the resurrection to come.  We know she will be healed. She will be made whole and will be in a better and perfect place.  And tears of joy will replace tears of anguish and pain at that time.  

The story I’ve told you was shared around the world for a couple months by the very open parents.  It’s not a unique story in some ways, though each story is like our fingerprints – very unique to us. I say it’s not a unique story because there are millions and millions of parents around the world who have had their children taken from them. Some from brutal ISIS. Some from merciless cancers and other diseases.   It’s a world of pain.

In all of this, we know we have a living God who could have healed Mercy.  But he didn’t.  So we cry out “Why Lord, why?” 

Some of the answers to the question “Why?” -- are in my recent sermons about “The Testing of our Faith, parts 1-2” and in other sermons on this site about why God allows so much suffering.  So I won’t go through all those points now. 

Click on “Continue reading” to the right to read my response to “But why, O Lord… why?”

By now you’ve all read and heard that England has voted to exit the European Union (EU).  I say “England” because though the name “Brexit” is about the “British exiting”, reality it was the English people who voted to leave. The Scots and northern Irish – which also make up the United Kingdom or Britain – voted to stay in.  In fact, now the Scottish movement to leave the United Kingdom has taken on new life once more, as they would like to leave the UK and rejoin with the EU!

What does all this have to do with Prophecy?  Does this signal the end of the end times, as some speakers seem to be saying?  This blog will be a good quick catch-up review for you if you haven’t been following it- and then I will launch into my own thoughts on prophecy. 

First of all, the Brits have so far just voted to exit. It doesn’t mean they’re out of the EU right now today. As I understand it, it can take two more years to negotiate all the terms and fully exit in fact.  Stock markets around the globe tumbled in panic- - since stock markets hate uncertainty and the unknown, but several, including the London market, rebounded substantially within the same day. The British pound sterling dropped to its lowest level in 31 years. The US Dollar gained strength amidst all this volatility. Gold prices soared as well, as people hedged their bets and invested in the precious metal. A stronger dollar will make foreign trips more affordable for Americans, but will make American manufactured goods more expensive abroad.  That could hurt us. 

But I also was amazed that the dollar got stronger under all this.  Our dollar is based on a house of cards and a continuously running government printing press of dollar bills. And our national debt is sky high – around 18 TRILLION dollars, isn’t it? 

Genesis 18

We all know what God says about sexual acts of any kind outside of male-female marriage. They’re all ungodly. That includes adultery between heterosexuals, bestiality, or sexual activity between same-sex partners, fornication – any sexual activity before marriage, and a host of other sexual sins. 

The marriage bed of a man and woman are undefiled before God (Hebrews 13:4) and HE will judge fornicators and adulterers.  He doesn’t need our help in “judging” sexual sinners. And I dare say that if we were all being 100% honest, an awful lot of us reading this would have to admit that at some point in our lives some of us have been fornicators and even adulterers in the past – and certainly so if you include the standards set by our King of what constitutes adultery.

So with that in mind, it’s amazing how many believing zealots go on a tirade against the sexual horrors we see going on today.  But again don’t forget – the adulterer is as sinful in God’s eyes as the other sexual sinners. 

In the light of all of this, here’s the question I have:  if you had lived in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, and you learn that Almighty God is about to obliterate Sodom and four other cities nearby from the face of the earth for their many sins, would you have smiled and muttered “It’s about time!” – Or would you have fervently interceded for God to have mercy on them?  Be deeply honest to yourself about this.

Would you have ever prayed for Sodom? Do you know anyone who did pray for Sodom?

I think this could be a very timely topic in light of what’s happened in my adopted hometown of Orlando recently at the Pulse nightclub.

Click on “Continue reading” to ponder the possibility of interceding for Sodom – whether ancient Sodom or modern Sodom.  Why on earth would the people of God want to do that? Read on.  It might make you think.

(A lesson from Job’s friends)

If it’s in the Bible, is it necessarily a statement from God?  Or should we be extra careful to first find out WHO is speaking and where their inspiration is coming from? Could we be simply reading a quote from someone who may or may not be speaking under divine inspiration?

In other words, is everything we read in the Bible something God says is right?

I ask this question because so often people will quote this or that verse without context – and sometimes the source of the words is not a source we really want. Those words may be in the Bible to make certain points – but the words themselves may not be God speaking. God is writing it. God is giving it to us in his book, but not every sentence is God speaking.

A clear example of this is when the Serpent says to Eve “You will NOT surely die if you eat of the fruit of that tree” (Genesis 3:4-5).   But that is a direct contradiction of what Elohim the Almighty had said to Adam:  “for in the day you eat of it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17).  OK, we all know that statement from Satan the Serpent is not inspired of God and yet it is in the Bible.  Yahweh has it there to show us to be on guard against statements from Satan that come from seemingly harmless sources. 

OK, that example in Genesis is easy to discern.

Remember one time Yeshua even said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan, for you are an offense to me…” (Matthew 16:23).  Peter had just said that Yeshua would not have to die (verses 21-22). Yeshua understood that was a temptation from Satan and so addressed the source of that thought directly – and yet it had been voiced from a top disciple!  So we have to be on guard to realize who is speaking and what is being said.

Let’s step this up a notch now.   How many people quote all kinds of verses from the book of Job without giving much thought about who is the one speaking.  Remember what God himself said to Job’s friends:

Job 42:7-8 “And so it was, after YHVH had spoken these words to Job, that YHVH said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.  8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."

So God directly dismisses the words of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  Interestingly God does not disparage the words of the youngest friend Elihu. 

Click on “Continue reading” to see how a shadowy figure who appeared to Eliphaz was his inspiration!  And it wasn’t God.

Yeshua taught us to pray “Our FATHER in heaven…”.   Does that mean we should limit our prayers to just God the Father? Is it alright to pray to Yeshua (or Jesus) as well?  While we’re at it, let’s ask: how about praying to the spirits of the deceased?  So many pray to Mary, or the apostles, or to a dead pope.  Is that OK? 

Most of the sabbath-keeping COG (Church of God) groups I know pray almost exclusively to God the Father.  Ditto for many Hebraic Roots groups and Messianics – though more of them do also pray to Yeshua.  So the prayers almost always start with “Father in heaven” or “Dear God…”.  My impression is that many of these groups do not, or would not be comfortable addressing their prayers to Jesus or Yeshua. On the other hand, my impression is that most Protestants pray to Jesus most of the time, or so it seems to me – but they also pray to God the Father.  Most prayers in Protestant groups would begin with “Lord…” or “Lord Jesus” or they may say “God” or “Father” as well. Catholics seem to pray often to Mary, who died almost 2000 years ago—and of course they pray to “God” or “Lord” as well. 

So what is right and wrong in this picture? What is “allowed” by scripture, which should be our guiding light in all matters scriptural? 

Click on “Continue reading” to get the scriptural answers.

Understanding God’s will in our livesDoes God’s will for us ever change?  Can He definitely be showing it’s HIS will to be someplace, or do something, or live somewhere – and then change that on us some years later?  Some people say “no – God changes not.  He’s the same today, yesterday and forever” – another way of saying the “God who is, and was and is to come”.  I get that.

But does our great Creator ever change his will for each of us in our daily lives? 

Click on “Continue reading” for the answer.  It might give you a lot to think about.

John 13:34-35

Yeshua gave his disciples – including all of us – a “new” commandment.  Many of you know it.  But what made it “new”? 

The answer has everything to do with the Passover season.

John 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

OK, so what’s so new about that?  A very similar commandment is given in Leviticus, and in fact part of that verse is what Yeshua summarized as the “second greatest commandment.”  (The first and greatest came from Deuteronomy 6:4 – to love Yahweh with all our heart, soul and strength”.  And here is where Yeshua got the 2^nd greatest commandment, and on these 2 commands hang the entire Law and Prophets! See Mark 12:28-31. 

Here is the 2^nd greatest command, worded similarly to John 13:34.

Leviticus 19:18

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am YHVH”.

Later on, Yah tells Israel they are not to have any difference in justice and service between Gentiles and Israelites; all are to be treated the same.  Imagine if we would really practice this.

Leviticus 19:34

“The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am YHVH your God”.

Then throughout the book of John’s gospel, and even in John’s epistle, the command to love one another is repeated over and over – sometimes with other points added to it. 

Back to my question:  since Lev 19:18 says we are to love one another as ourselves – what made Yeshua’s statement “a new commandment”? 

Click on “Continue reading” to find out what made our Savior’s statement new. 

Imagine going to your Passover service where there is a foot washing – and imagine with me for a second that you’ve all been paired up with the person you’ll be washing feet with.  And … imagine now… to your surprise, you’ve been paired up with the infamous Judas Iscariot, who sold and betrayed the son of God.  You have to wash his feet. 

How are you feeling right now? Will you lovingly and humbly wash Judas’ feet?  If not, why not? 

At his last Passover until the kingdom of God, Yeshua (Jesus) washed even Judas’ feet.  I’ve actually heard ministers deny this. But why? It’s so clear in Scripture that He did! And what does that mean to us today?  It’s definitely worth thinking about and learning from.

We get so focused on who’s “in” or who’s “out” of our particular fellowship and who we think has no business in there, that we forget this point.  Judas was the Greek form of his name. His Hebrew name was Yehudah or we would say Judah in English.  Judas represented how the Word came to His own tribe, Judah – “He came to His own, and His own did not receive him” (John 1:11).  They couldn’t have, because they didn’t recognize him or know who He was.  Several scriptures make that clear, so don’t be too hard on the Jews for rejecting him. You might be interested in my sermon (May 16, 2015) about why Jews find it so hard to accept Yeshua as the promised Messiah. There are reasons – and it will help you be more understanding of them.  

http://www.lightontherock.org/index.php/message/why-jews-reject-yeshua-jesus

Anyway, did you realize the Son of God washed his betrayer’s feet?  Let’s pick it up in the only gospel account that details the foot washing – John 13.  Surely the Son of God would have “picked up” the spirit of Satan working in Judas before the foot washing and afterwards.

John 13:2-4

“And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself”

– And then the details are given about the foot washing ordinance.

Right after washing all twelve disciples’ feet, the next thing Yeshua had on his mind was the presence of His betrayer (verses 18-19, 21-22).  He even quotes directly from Psalm 41:9 – stating that He was fulfilling the topic of Psalm 41.

Psalms 41:9

“Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,

Who ate my bread,

Has lifted up his heel against me.”

Of course we know Yeshua handed a piece of Passover bread to Judas to identify him as the betrayer to a select few of the apostles.  Peter had asked John to ask Christ who would betray him.   

Note something else too:  the other disciples used the term “Lord” when asking Yeshua if they were going to be the betrayer (Matthew 26:22).  “Lord, is it I?”  But when Judas asked, he went with the lesser term “rabbi” (Teacher)—verse 25:  “Then Judas, who was betraying him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”  He said to him, “You have said it.”  

Click on “Continue reading” to learn what happens next and how all this applies to us.

Its significance to Passover, Wavesheaf and the resurrection

As you all know, I’m pro-life. So are our God and Father and our Savior.  Yeshua came that we might have LIFE.  There’s a culture of death in much of the world today, and that is not of God.  This sermon is designed for THOUGHT – whether you keep Passover in March as some are doing, or in April, as most will do this year (2016).  Your decision is between you and your Maker and the most important thing of all is that we know we have a Savior who died on Passover day – and then had an empty tomb by the “first of the weeks” as it should be, and it was also the first of the week (what society calls Sunday, unfortunately).

I’ve noticed billboards here in FL that are targeted at young pregnant moms-to-be by having a picture of a fetus and the billboard that kindly says: “by day 18 I have a beating heart”.  SO this new life in the mom’s womb is a new life with its own heartbeat by day 18.

That got me thinking.  Could this day 18 have any significance to the Passover death and then the resurrection of our Savior?  As I drove along the interstate, I started counting the days when Christ died and was resurrected and it was astonishing. I think it’s worth repeating to you.

I’ve written a blog before about how the holydays seem to coincide with the development of a pregnancy, a new life, if you will.  As we come to Passover season, I hope this gives some pause for thought.  I admit I’m not sure if there is a strong correlation, but I couldn’t help but wonder when I saw the bill board.  Let me know what you think! Or am I all wet in this blog? 

Day 14 of the Hebrew first month Abib (or Aviv) is Passover day.  ON this day, at 3 pm, the Lamb of God -- Yeshua – shed his life blood for you and me.  He was buried at the end of that day. He was put into the tomb (or “heart of the earth”) at the very end of Passover day as the sun was setting.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were rushing to have the burial/entombment done before the sun set and before the holyday of Passover week would begin. The Preparation Day for the “HIGH day”, an “annual sabbath” or holyday (not the regular weekly sabbath) was about to start (John 19:31, 42). 

Remember Hebrew days begin at sundown.  

Yeshua himself said that the one proof or sign that he was whom he said he was: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”  (Matthew 12:40).

Click on “Continue Reading” to discover how the thought-provoking billboard in Florida has a connection or similarity with Christ’s resurrection! 

Luke 22:19

Passover will be here soon.  In my last blog I wrote about “What are you focusing on as we come to Passover and the self-examination prior to it.” I hope you’ve read that.  Today let’s kick it up a notch. I consider this blog one of the most important ones I’ve written.

I want to bring to the forefront a concept that seems to be lost on some.  It seems at Passover – uh, among those who keep it – that there’s a strong focus and recounting on how it pictured Israel coming out of Egypt. I’ve done that too and will continue to with some changes that make all the difference!   And indeed in the book of Exodus Israel is commanded to review what happened in Egypt at each year’s Passover season.

But where is our FOCUS in 2016?  Where should it be today?  On Egypt, the death of the firstborn, and coming out of Egypt?  Or is there more, much more now that we have that they didn’t have back then?  You won't hear this message in many circles today – sadly.

Let’s remember that all of what happened in the book of Exodus pointed to Someone and something!  The Passover Lamb pictured Someone.  The blood of the Passover lamb pictured Someone’s blood.  So did the death of the firstborn. The lintel and doorpost of the Israelite homes also depicted something.  And so did the Exodus and crossing the Red Sea.

We’re in the New Covenant now.  When we conduct a Passover nowadays, should the thrust of our conversation and the bulk of the time we spend in our sermons and our sermonettes all be on the Old Testament story of coming out of Egypt – or is there something and Someone far grander now?  Where should our TIME and our mental focus be spent today? 

Here’s what I’m getting at…. Please click on “Continue reading” to get the whole story of where our thrust should be today and to be sure your focus is right.

Passover will be here before we know it. Prior to Passover, we are told in 2 Cor. 13:5 to examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith.  This verse and teaching has led to much depression, frankly – as so many look inwardly at themselves, and then see all kinds of no-growth, or sin that still exists in their lives and then they feel so unworthy of taking the Passover.  And we know what it says in 1 Corinthians 11 – that we must beware lest we take the Passover unworthily or in an unworthy manner. 

So I have a question for us all this season, this year:  as you examine yourself, where do you focus? On yourself, or elsewhere? Is the examination intended to depress – or refocus our attention and focus?  So let’s read the context and the verse after 2 Cor. 13:5 and I think we’ll feel and see a different energy from this passage. I pray many of you will find encouragement and inspiration from this blog to see a positive outcome of growth and fruit at the end of all this.

But first, let me remind you that 1 Corinthians 11:27 – that says we must take the Passover in a worthy manner – also says this in the next verse:

1 Corinthians 11:27-28

“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.”  

The thrust is – TAKE the Passover. But examine yourself first.  But as you examine yourself, you’re looking to Christ and realize HE is your salvation.  You don’t examine yourself and then decide NOT to take the Passover. That’s NOT the thrust of scripture. But of course neither are we to come to Passover all nonchalant and without a lot of forethought. 

He goes on to say in verses 29-32 that even if we are judged by the Lord, it’s for our good, it’s for chastening, “that we may not be condemned with the world.”  You see the point of all this?  It’s to get us to wake up but also to understand GOD has made a commitment to us to see us through to the end. He who began a good work in you will FINISH that work –Philippians 1:6.  No one will be lost from the Master’s hand.  Remember Christ is called the “Finisher” of our faith, not just the author or beginner of it (Hebrews 12:2). 

So what’s the key to having the right mindset for Passover?  ON what are you focusing?  Where is your focus?  Click on “Continue reading” to see the key. 

This blog may surprise, maybe even dismay, some of you. For others, you’ve known this for years. But it’s a topic I’ve never heard preached in church services or on TV or on the radio. Maybe I’ve just missed them all. It’s this title – that though Yeshua (Jesus) is the Son of God, and therefore is God – scripture clearly also tells us that Yeshua HAS a God, like you and I have a God.

Have you thought of that a lot before? Nowhere in scripture are we told that the One we call “God the Father”, or “God Most High” – has a God. He is God. He is IT. Yeshua called his Father (and our Father) – “The only true God” (John 17:2-3), whatever you want to make of that. Maybe we’ll cover that another time.

But having said that, John 1:1-3 and many other verses clearly tell us that in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God -- and was God. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). So we know the “Word” refers to Jesus Christ, or Yeshua (his Hebrew name). Yeshua, the King of Kings is also referred to as the Word of God in Revelation 19:13. As GOD in the flesh, He allowed people like the healed blind man of John 9 to worship him. Angels, shepherds and magi all worshiped him also, even as a baby or small child.

John 1:1-4

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”.
John 1:14

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

OK, are you with me so far? Yeshua (Jesus) is, was and always will be – God, as His father is God. In fact he sometimes said he and his father are one.

Nowhere are we told that God the Father – or God Most High – has a God. HE is it! There is no other. In praying to His heavenly Father, here’s something Yeshua said at Passover:

John 17:3

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”.

SO God the Father does not have any God. HE IS God.

But did you know Jesus has a God?

Click on “Continue reading” to see the clear verses that show Yeshua HAS a God!

Yeshua certainly acknowledges God the Father as HIS GOD, while He was a man of flesh here on the earth:

Mark 15:34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

But what about after his resurrection? Would He still refer to God the Father as His God?

John 20:17

Jesus said to her (Mary Magdalene), "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

You see the doctrine that God the Father and Yeshua are co-equal parts of the godhead, is not borne out in scripture. Yeshua always taught that his Father was greater than he. (Clearly stated in John 14:28.)   He always referred to himself as the One whom the Father had sent, and he made it clear in numerous passages that the one being sent is not as great as the one sending!

So though Father and Son somehow make up ONE GOD, the Father is the greater of the two. Scripture says YHVH is ONE (Deut 6:4) – and the Hebrew word for “one” is “echad”. But that same word is used of Adam and Eve, or man/wife – who also become echad, one flesh, in their union (Genesis 2:24). So in the same way, God the Father and God the Son (Yeshua) can also be echad – one – ONE God. Let me know if you’d like me to expound on that later. Let’s stick to Yeshua having a God for now.

See John 10:28-29 – “Father is greater than all; My Father and I are one.”

Are you ready for more scriptures showing Yeshua has a God?

Ephesians 1:3

“Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…”

Ephesians 1:17

“….that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…”

Revelation 3:12 (Jesus speaking):

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

Paul quotes Psalm 45 in Hebrews 1:8 to refer to Yeshua:

Psalms 45:6-7

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; (referring to Christ!)

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Interesting, isn’t it?

Are you ready for a few more? Some of you will probably wonder how you could have just read over these verses before without soaking in the richness of what’s included here: that Yeshua HAS a God. He’s not just God – but he HAS a God.

Romans 15:6

“…that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort…”

2 Corinthians 11:31

“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.”

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ – and I hope this blog has helped add another layer to the richness of knowing more and more about Yeshua, our Messiah, His majesty the Son of God.

How suddenly our lives can be turned upside down.  We’re aware of the big stuff:  A fatal car accident. A heart attack out of nowhere.  A stroke.  Even suicide.  Our own lives were smashed hard this week with news of a death of a beloved young man in the expanded family.  Someone I knew  - but didn’t really know well, but his untimely death has left me feeling very numb.

Sometimes our lives can be turned around for good – or for disaster – sometimes simply because you, or someone, does something, or says something.  Our words and actions can heal or destroy. I’ve certainly done my share of both. No doubt we all have.

Think of the loved ones you have in your family.  Then broaden it out to your friends and neighbors.  Is there anything  you can say or do to each one that just might turn their day around?  We all know how words can make or break a day—or even a life.

The other day I took the time to tell one of the back-office ladies at our firm how much we all appreciated her behind-the-scenes work. My note was detailed.  She immediately emailed me back stating how touching that was.  My little off-the-cuff note made her day.  It brightened her week.  She had no idea so many of us felt that way, as I had stated.  That note, which took me probably three minutes to write, could have changed her life.

On the other hand, with my lips and tongue I have also wounded fragile hearts at times in my life. I don’t want to do that anymore.  “Let your words be seasoned with grace”, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write.

How many suicides might be averted if someone, anyone, would have taken the time to call and say, “Hey, I was just thinking about you and…” – take it from there.  When you’re down and depressed, to have a loving and friendly unexpected call from someone could save your life. “Wow, someone actually cares.  Someone actually thought of me”.

I really feel too many of us are getting away from the knack of just being there, being a friend. The hand on the shoulder when times are rough. Just listening – face to face.  And telling someone how nice they are, or how something they did or said has changed lives. It’s especially wonderful when we can trace the nice things someone has said or done to their relationship with Christ.

Click on “Continue reading” to learn about a little note I’m so glad I wrote to my dad.

Are you instead “in Christ”?
 

When you talk with people, sooner or later they might mention the church they belong to. And others describe certain ones as being “a church member” or a “parishioner”.  So people say “I’m a church member of …” or “I’m an Anglican” or “I’m a Catholic” and “I belong to the (denomination) church”.   Some denominations even give you membership cards – and in one case I know, you even have to display that membership card to get into the building where they worship.  Of course you have to be a member of that denomination or you’re not getting in.  I find that appalling.

I gave a recent sermon about being a new creation in Christ, based on 2 Cor. 5:17. 

What’s the problem with saying you’re a “church member”? Are some groups focusing too much on church membership in their fellowship, their group, their church? 

Click on “Continue reading” to see a better and more Biblical way.

I suspect many who visit this site have no idea of how many sermons and blogs we have available on this site. Be watching for much, much more new material and updated material we’ll be launching in the next 2-3 months especially. Passover is coming up and so use the helpful materials we do have. Certainly a lot is happening out there and we need to address some prophecy topics also.

Question: would any of you wish to volunteer to help me with research, scriptures, ideas, formulating topics? I could use the help. If you’re willing, I’d give you a topic I’m starting and just ask if you could piece together some thoughts of your own (hopefully led by God’s Spirit) that we could use in a full-fledged blog or sermon. Perhaps we’ll use portions of what you send in. Or – maybe not. I reserve the right as editor to edit, accept or reject submitted work – or use it later. Don’t be offended if I don’t publish yours right away – if ever. You know what? Most of what I myself write, for my own website, gets rejected or postponed. By me!   Seriously.

And I MUST mention how much we appreciate our webmaster and designer Scott Doucet and his wife, who have poured hundreds of hours into this website. Couldn’t do it without them!

But anyway, there’s a lot of material on here. You could be missing the topics and sermons you would love to hear but just didn’t know we had them on this site! Three MAIN ways to search for topics:

• Use the “search by year” feature you’ll find on the home page in that gray bar that says “Filter media by”.   Go to the year option and just go back to 2004, 2005 and so on -- and read the titles of the sermons way back there. Pick one you wish to hear or read, and bingo – you’re there. Some of my favorite sermons were some of the first ones. Spiritual material is timeless. There’s no “use by” date on them, or shelf-life date! By searching by year, you will see topics you may not have even thought of looking into in the first place.

• On the Home page, click on “Messages and Transcript Series”, click on one of general topics listed there and a whole host of sermons under that topic will flip down for your enjoyment and edification.   We do need to update this with sermons from last summer onwards, but there’s still a lot there.

• Use the SEARCH bar

We have blogs on hundreds of topics, so just scroll through the blogs for a few minutes to digest some of the issues we have tackled.

Do you have topics you’d like us to cover? Let me know. I won’t bug you if you write, email or call me. Neither will I ask you for any money. (On the other hand, I sure have appreciated the handful of people who from time to time have donated to help us stay online and to help support 25 orphans and their adoptive pastor-father and adoptive mom in Kenya. I do share financial needs with those 4-5 special souls.)

So don’t be afraid to email or write me or call me with topics you’d like to see us address. Besides that, I’m human too, and appreciate hearing from those of you who occasionally share an encouraging word. I know people from over 50 countries come on this website each month, and we have thousands of “unique persons” who come, and many thousands and thousands of hits each month. We’re tiny – just really a 2 person work (Scott and myself) but we also know we’re impacting some lives here and there. Thank you for coming here and I’m glad we’ve been of some help to some of you. I’d love to hear from some of you around the world. So often when I’ve been tempted to quit working this website, I get an email from someone I’ve never heard of somewhere in the world –and they encourage me to keep going. Maybe its God’s way of telling me that most people will never say a word, but the work we’re doing is doing some good to a soul here and there.

With Passover coming up, start looking for sermons given from Feb-March-April in previous years and see what you find. We’ll have some more material coming soon. We’ll also re-do some of the sermons from 2004 to the present from time to time. I’m also going to TRY to shorten the messages to 45-50 minutes going forward. I realize people’s attention span is not so great anymore.

So thank you for visiting us. If you’re praying for me and our website and our work we do -- - thank you so much. Your prayers make a lot of difference.

Please tell your friends about our website if it has blessed you. And pray for Yahweh – our dear Abba Father in heaven and our Savior Yeshua – to inspire us and lead us. We need all the help he can give us! Thank you for your prayers.

Pray for your country to repent.

I’ve written and spoken on this before and it bears repeating: DON’T be a modern day “Jonah”.   I think unwittingly that many of us can – at least at times—be a Jonah out there.

Sometimes we have such a strong sense that God has had it with this present evil world and is SO ready bring to send back our King of Kings—that we can end up being like Jonah. What’s that mean? It means sometimes I see some believers ready to almost wish for God to just blast this planet in his righteous anger and of course wipe out all unbelievers in the process. Have you ever thought like that, honestly? If so, that’s just like Jonah felt towards Nineveh.

Jonah preached a “warning message” to the ancient wicked Assyrian huge city-state of Nineveh, in modern day Iraq. He assured them that their doom and their last days on earth were imminent due to their monstrous sins. But he really didn’t want -- or expect – such sinful people to repent. Neither did he ever suppose they could. God had spoken, and in 40 days he expected to personally witness a divinely originated destruction of the city perhaps similar to what happened to Sodom and the 5 cities of the plain.

Just as Jonah had specific things to say to Nineveh, you and I know there are very dire prophecies for the last days before Christ’s return.

But is it too late for our people, our nation or even other Gentile nations, to repent? If enough righteous people could be found in the land, might we see Yahweh willing to change the course of prophecy? After all, even for Sodom, had there been but 10 righteous people, Yah said he would spare that wicked city full of every vice imaginable, way beyond what we normally think of Sodom. The story is told in Genesis 18. But please also read Ezekiel 16:48-50 for a more complete list of Sodom’s sins. It went way beyond sodomy. It included pride, idleness, not caring for the poor, haughtiness and committing all kinds of abominations. Sounds just like today, right?

But even with just 10 righteous, Sodom would have been spared. Just ten. I think Abraham – who was petitioning God (even if indirectly) for Sodom – thought Lot and his family would easily add up to the ten people he needed (Lot, his wife, 2 unmarried daughters, three other married daughters and their husbands). And we haven’t even started with any of Lot’s servants and shepherds. In other words, just as God wouldn’t require the entire city of Sodom to repent to spare the city, we wouldn’t need the entire nation to become righteous for God to possibly change the course of HIS own prophecies. God will do what God will do. God had spoken about Nineveh and yet—GOD changed his mind!   We know our great God is a merciful Being who does not delight in the death even of the wicked. So don’t assume He can’t change his mind again. God will do what God will do. And he reserves the right to change what He was going to do when people – righteous or wicked – change, as you shall see.

Jonah chapter 4 tells the story of how in Nineveh’s case, apparently the vast majority, maybe everyone, fasted and turned from their evil way to such a degree that God did in fact change His mind.

As far as I can tell, those people didn’t have God’s instruction or teaching, or any of Yah’s scriptures. And apparently Jonah was in no mood to teach or help these same people whose descendants would come years later and brutally carry off the House of Israel into captivity (the Assyrian conquest of 721-718 BC). So how much changing could these people of Nineveh actually do? But apparently they changed enough, and their heart and intent changed enough, that Yahweh did not wipe them out at that time.

SO what did Jonah do – and what did he omit doing – that marked his style? These are written down for OUR admonition. Could you and I be doing “a Jonah” right now, today? Beware how we view the people of this world – if your view makes you a “Jonah”.

Please click on “Continue reading” to be sure you’re not a Jonah. Discover the hallmarks of a modern-day Jonah.

Satan kept it out.

There’s one wonderful word about the Son of God – and you, also as a Son or Daughter of God – that Satan would like to purge from your consciousness.  Do you know what that word is?  There are probably lots of words he wants us to never think about, but this one is extra special. 

Don’t you often wonder how our Holy, holy, holy Father can love us after all the times and ways we fall short and outright sin from time to time?  If you’re like me, though I’ve preached often on his grace, mercy and forgiveness and acceptance back upon repentance – it still comes up, doesn’t it, that we simply fall short of his glory. 

When Yeshua (Jesus) was about to start his earthly ministry, he was baptized – immersed -- in the Jordan River by John.  Biblical baptism is by immersion of the whole body – not just having a few droplets of water sprinkled on you.  Anyway, as Yeshua came up out of the water, he heard a voice.  Do you remember what He heard:  “This is my BELOVED son, in whom I am WELL pleased” (Matthew 3:17). 

OK, OK, we can accept Yeshua certainly could be the beloved son because he always perfectly did His Father’s will.  But table that for a second and just remember that was the complete sentence – that he was a beloved son and well pleasing to his heavenly Father.

Right after that he headed to the wilderness to be tested by the Devil (which means “Accuser”).  That’s in Matthew 4. 

After fasting 40 days and nights, Yeshua was famished.  Satan (“Adversary”) comes to him and sneers “IF you are the son of God, command these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:1-3). 

Not only did he try to put doubt into our Master’s mind by starting the question with “if”—but he left something out.  Click on “Continue reading” to discover that missing word and how it relates to you and me and the doubts we sometimes have.

Here’s how!

Steps have been taken in the Roman Catholic Church to make Mother Teresa a saint.  I’m not Catholic, but she IS widely regarded as a wonderful lady who did a lot of good in her work with the poor and orphans.  There are over 10,000 recognized “saints” in the Roman church.  There are patron saints for just about everything – including patron saints for the internet, for travelers, even of patron saint of dysentery.  It almost gets ridiculous.

Now, how would YOU like to be saint?  You might be in for a surprise… so keep reading.  Do you think YOU could ever be a saint?  Don’t laugh. What if I said you already are a saint in God’s eyes?  Really. Maybe your family and friends would never call you “Saint So-and-so”, but maybe you are in God’s eyes. Don’t forget that the Messiah himself said it’s hard even for a true prophet to be honored and respected in his own country and among his or her own family, friends and those who know him or her (Matthew 13:57). 

Let’s start with the traditional way one becomes a recognized saint in the Catholic Church  and then compare that to what Scripture says. You might be amazed. 

In the Roman church, there are protocols and steps required before a man or woman can be recognized as a “saint” – so the idea that an everyday man or woman, maybe that even you or I could be a saint, sounds farfetched to many.  In the Roman church, the process has evolved quite a bit.  In the past, even well-known saint’s lives were sometimes based on legend and folklore.  In 13^th century rural France, when St. Guinefort saved his master’s baby from snakebite, he was made a saint.  St Guinefort was a dog.  Well, they’ve stopped venerating dogs and folk heroes now, I think. 

The process of becoming a saint has become a bit easier in the Roman church, so on May 12, 2013 for example, the Catholic Church recognized another 802 saints.  Eight hundred of them were residents of a city in southern Italy who were killed for refusing to convert to Islam when their town was besieged by the Ottoman Turks in 1480. 

The usual process to sainthood involves several steps. This is just a quick overview.

• Normally one has to wait at least 5 years after the potential saint’s death.  Then that potential saint’s pastor submits a proposal to the bishop.
• Once the person is accepted by the bishop for consideration, he/she is called “a servant of God”.
• Then the Vatican has to determine this “Servant of God’ has lived a life of heroic virtue, at which point that person is labeled “Venerable”.  They define “heroic virtue” as someone who makes a continuous effort to be better than they were before;  they are seen as someone growing in holiness.

• It’s best if at least one miracle can be attributed to the Venerable candidate.  This person’s cause is presented to the Pope who determines if he/she is worthy of being called BLESSED.  This step is also called the Beatification.  We’re almost there….

• If they can find another miracle, this Blessed person’s case comes once more to the Pope for judgment. If the Pope is convinced the evidence is real – the canonization process is started and – if all goes as hoped for – we have another “saint”. 
• In the Roman church, someone – a human – has to nominate you.  But no, God the Father himself chooses you to become one of his saints (John 6:44) and among His firstfruits. 

There’s more – that has to do with the body and the blood of the dead candidate for sainthood.  And normally, the person will have had to live a very morally clean and holy life.  I would be surprised if people who had once been “low lifes” and then changed  -- would be venerated or allowed to be official saints.  

But now - - where in the Bible can these steps – and more – be found?  Where in God’s word do we have the “rules” for sainthood that sound like what I’ve just described?  You won’t be able to find anything like this in scripture. 

Are YOU a saint?  Can you become one?  Click on “continue reading” to the right, to see what Scripture has to say about this.