Light on the Rock Blogs

Are you ready for soon-coming real persecution? 

The righteous will suffer persecution. That was prophesied over and over.  Though we have a great Father, He does not spare all of us having to go through very rough times.

2 Timothy 3:12-13 promises that those who live godly IN Christ WILL suffer persecution – and it’s going to get worse and worse.  Christ said to rejoice when we’re persecuted for righteousness’ sake, placing us among those who were persecuted and martyred before us.  Paul said he went through much persecution – but in the end “the Lord delivered me”.  But even Paul ended up being beheaded.

A great start for a blog, eh?  Well, take heart.  This life is not what it’s all about.   Paul knew that.  He looked to the prize of the high calling he was offered.  And please remind ME of all of that when I am the one being persecuted.  But in the end, we win when our Leader Jesus Christ – Yeshua the Messiah – returns to take over control of the world. 

With recent events or terrorism in Paris, I thought this was appropriate to talk about. First let’s discuss it generally:  those who are not Muslim are going to be attacked over and over again – and those Muslims will in turn reap revenge strikes from the Western “Christian” world. So you and I are in the bigger target zone simply because we are not Muslim. God can deliver you from those attacks if you stay close to Him.  

But are you ready for more specific persecution that is already happening in Syria and Iraq and many other countries like Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, parts of Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa?

Here’s what I mean, but even here, it’s still aimed at the broader group of believers:

** We’re seeing our own countries setting up laws that require true believers in God’s word to do things against their beliefs – or suffer severe penalties including jail time.  Here are but a few of many examples:

--- Catholic groups are being forced to offer contraceptives against their beliefs

---College students are insisting on speech that only fits into the far left liberal framework.  Someone who speaks up FOR Israel is called anti-Palestinian and a bigot.  Jews and Christians are being spit on and mocked, or given bad grades by liberal professors.

---Already, the Bible is not allowed to be seen or shown in several college campuses.  Thanks to the Freedom from Religion Foundation.  This is also happening more and more in the various branches of our military.

---Bakers are being forced to bake cakes with wording on the frosting that goes against their beliefs.  If you speak your beliefs about one man/one woman marriage, you are accused of “hate speech” against the ever more vocal gay community.

Ironically, the far left can say and do what they please against conservative Christians – and get away with it. Somehow hateful speech against those who believe in the Bible is not “hate speech” -- but just saying you are for traditional marriage does get you labeled and marked as a hateful person!  Go figure!

At some point, every nation’s government will come under the coming world-ruling “Beast” system, spoken of by the books of Revelation and Daniel in particular.  The Bill of Rights of the United States’ constitution will be a thing of the past under the Beast system.  You will not be able to express your true beliefs without being severely persecuted, jailed, beheaded or killed.  That’s the word of scripture as I’ll quote shortly.  Everyone will be required to worship, to work, to speak in accordance to the wishes of the Beast system – or pay a severe penalty including death. That is coming.  The foundation of that system was laid down long ago and we’re seeing the “superstructure” of this system now rising. 

There’s a lot of discussion as to what the “Beast” is, what the “Mark of the Best” is, or what the number 666 means.  Whatever it is, someday it will be clear.  Some want to dogmatically preach their beliefs on these things – and that’s up to them.  We’ll have to see what it pans out to be.

But there is very clear warning to us from scripture: 

The whole world will accept that mark of the best and will worship the image of the Beast power of the end time…whatever all that means.  When it becomes clear, you and I cannot, must not, be part of that.  Those in the Creator’s Book of Life include those who will NOT take on the mark or worship the image of the Beast.  If, out of fear, you accept and surrender to the Beast system, you will incur the Creator’s wrath and not be in the book of Life. 

At baptism, you and I professed that we would carry our cross, follow our Savior, and drink of his cup – and whatever He has in store for us.  Some of you are putting too much stock and faith into a “place of safety”. I pray and hope there is such a place where we can be assured of divine protection.  But don’t forget, scripture is CLEAR that many believers are going to be beheaded and die in the coming martyrdom and persecution.  Christ warned not to seek to save our life as our first priority – or we would lose it (“He who seeks to save his life shall lose it…”  -- Luke 17:33)

If the very son of God was allowed such a painful death, if John the Baptist was beheaded, if James was killed with the sword, and Paul was beheaded, and many apostles were crucified or executed – what makes anyone think they won’t have to be tested as well?  I know, I know about the scriptures to the Philadelphians of Revelation 3, and being spared from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.  What seems clear to me is that those who focus on establishing a strong, obedient and holy relationship with God have the better shot at being spared some or most of the coming trials.  But we must be willing to carry our cross and be crucified with Christ as well – and to be faithful to him to the very end.

NOW is the time to be affirming your faith in the living God. NOW is the time to be making your relationship with your Heavenly Father be ROCK solid. NOW is the time to be spending more time in fasting, prayer, seeking after Him than ever before. HE is not lost, that we must seek him – but WE have gone astray and must return to him and seek him.  Those who seek him diligently shall find him.  He is pleased when we diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6), 

For the promised scriptures about the coming persecution, the Beast system,  the coming martyrdom and what we must do, click on “Continue reading” to the right.

Mark 13:35

For many years, many have been taught – as many scriptures were quoted to support this notion – that we are to “watch” so that we’re not caught off guard by the coming of our King.  Our King  and Lord says to watch, as he is coming as a thief in the night – unexpectedly.  So many have assumed this meant we must watch the news by the hour – especially events in the Middle East – and to know what’s going on “out there”, and be up on all the ins and outs of world politics.  Certainly Yeshua (Jesus) himself said “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…” – and other events – that those in Jerusalem will have to flee without hesitation (Luke 21:20-24).  So yes, there is some degree of watching the news that is included in the “watch ye therefore” commands. 

But is watching the news -- world events -- the main meaning behind the many verses reminding us to “watch”?  Let me ask you this:  even if we spent every waking minute watching the news, do any of us really believe that we’re discovering what’s really happening behind closed doors, or – is the news in fact being manipulated much of the time so we hear what “newsmakers” want us to hear? 

Some of you believe you’re “watching” and staying abreast of world events by watching Fox News, or OneAmerica Network, CNN, or Drudge, or listening to Rush Limbaugh, or Jones or listening to endless radio talk shows.  I contend that is NOT the main intent of the admonition to “watch”. 

I submit to you that many dark and deep discussions are going on that never get reported! So even if you and I were to spend our lives “watching the news”, we will miss the most important and most secretive BIG news going on.  

So what did Yeshua (Jesus) mean when he told us to WATCH? 

There are several Greek words used that are all translated into our one English word “watch”.  For example, sometimes the word refers to one of the four Roman “watches”– or time periods – in the night (Jews had 3 “watches” in a night) – Mark 13:35.  Other times it meant to stay awake. The Greek word agrupneo, according to Vine’s, referred to someone wide awake and focused intently on something – as in Mark 13:33—“take heed, watch (agrupneo) and pray…”  Be focused intently on the imminence of our Lord’s return.  In Ephesians 6:18 the same word is actually translated “stay alert” in some versions.   The KJV says “watching therefore with all perseverance”. 

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
“With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert (agrupneo) in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

So we’re seeing the focus of that Greek word is telling us not to get distracted – but to keep a focus on active prayer and praying, “stay alert in this with all perseverance…” 

So how are we doing so far?  Surely we can admit we can pray more in a focused way.

There’s so much more about Greek words translated “watch”.  Click on Continue Reading to the right to learn about the MAIN word used and what it teaches us.

Halloween is normally seen as a harmless night of letting kids of all ages dress up as ghouls, monsters, demons and even as terrorists or victims of chain saw massacres. Of course some children and adults dress up as kings or queens or the key players in “Frozen” – or whatever – but mostly we see the most ungodly and horrendous costumes possible. And in the last two weeks leading up to Halloween, what movies are showing? Only the most gruesome, sadistic, gory, bloody, demonic and hair-raising scary movies ever made.

Should you and I - believers in Yeshua (Jesus) -- watch that kind of ungodly trash? Should you and I participate or get involved with Halloween in any way? I know many of you who come to this site already have nothing to do with Halloween. My blog is aimed at believers who still do dress up for Halloween and think it’s just a load of harmless fun.

Frankly, my most despised evening of the year, every year, is Halloween night. God’s spirit in me can feel the increased activity on this evening of the spirit of this world and of the fallen cherub who leads this age. He is now known as Satan (Adversary).

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them.

I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

17 Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."

18 'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters’, says the Lord Almighty."

Halloween is Oct 31. Much of the rest of the world may be more familiar with the next day’s events – November 1^st --known as All Souls Day or All Saints Day. So the night before “all saints” day -- is All Hallow’s evening – eventually shortened to Halloween. Pope Gregory III made November 1 a day to honor all saints and martyrs. But then why would the Pope incorporate and include so many of the pagan details from the Celtic “Samhain” day?

Instead of condemning and throwing out the pagan celebration, the Roman church adopted much of it. They decided to legitimize it by putting a new label on things – just as they did for Christmas and Easter.

I have a full-length 41 minute sermon on this website from October 15, 2007 – “Halloween and God’s Children” that explains all this in detail. It might be a good review for anyone wanting more. Just find the Search bar feature on the top left side of the home page – type in “Halloween” – and that sermon will pop up.

Either way, it’s not a biblical day to be kept and in fact, our heavenly Father tells us to have nothing to do with the pagan customs of the world around us. Read that for yourself in Deuteronomy 12:29-32. We are to come OUT of this world’s ways (Revelation 18:4) and have nothing to do with celebrations rooted in paganism and demonism.

I just read an article asking if Christians can participate in Halloween. Their answer: “Yes and no.” In other words, the author said, if our children don’t dress up as monsters or demons or the like, and if we just make it a harmless and fun costume party where we hand out candy – what’s wrong with that, he reasons. HE says Christians should have confidence that it is OK if we do a little Halloween without demons and goblins.

Well, Yeshua taught as one having authority. He didn’t give weasel answers. When it comes to Halloween, neither will I mince words about believers getting involved: No! Clearly, no. Don’t participate. Don’t get involved in it. Don’t get near it. Don’t watch the ungodly movies. Don’t buy the monster outfits. Don’t go trick-or-treating.

Can you see Christ watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Can you envision Messiah dressed up with a hatchet through his bleeding skull? Or can you really in your heart “see” him condoning Halloween by dressing more harmlessly while he dishes out treats to the revelers coming to his door? NO WAY! We are to follow HIM and HIS example. He obviously would have nothing to do with Halloween.

If you explain things to your children calmly but firmly – and show them Deut 12:29-32 and the other scriptures in this blog and in my Oct 2007 sermon, most children will agree to have nothing to do with it. Explain to them how we want to be pleasing to our Creator and to obey what He says. Explain how we don't dabble - - not even a little bit – into demonism and witchcraft or anything that smacks of those evils.

Don’t be a part of it in any way. We can’t choose a little Halloween – just a little – and think this is pleasing to Yah. It isn’t. Satan’s attitudes and spirit fills the air on this night.

1 Corinthians 10:21

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.”

Many church groups and websites have dedicated much time and research to prove the pagan and dark origins of this Satan-inspired holiday. I suggest you poke around on search engines on the internet and read up on this subject for yourself, as well as checking out my sermon in October 2007.

You can even read up from a secular source – the History Channel -- to learn more about the history of Halloween. Check this out:

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

So what do WE do on Halloween night?

At our home, we either leave home entirely – or most of the time we just stay home, lock the doors, turn out the lights and don’t answer the door. We do not buy any treats and we certainly never give out treats. We do not participate in Halloween’s evil decorations of witches and goblins and everything scary and evil. We do not. Believers in the Messiah should not participate in Halloween. Surely we don’t need a long hour long explanation of the roots and history of this evil day. Surely it’s obvious on its face that this is the very polar opposite to what God would have his children be involved in.

God and his Way are associated with LIGHT. WE are children of light. Christ came as the Light of the world. The first thing we see that Yahweh brought to a dark planet was light. Remember Genesis 1:1-4? How darkness was over the planet – but then God commanded, “Let there be LIGHT” – and there was light. Nobody associates Halloween with light and righteousness.   Do you remember what the first verses in Scripture tell us? “…and God divided the light from the darkness” (verse 4).  

God has always made a separation between light and darkness, between his children and the children of the Adversary. In fact we are called “Children of light”. We are to “COME OUT of her, my people” – Revelation 18:4. That language there is very suggestive of coming out of spiritual adultery with the ways of the world.

We CANNOT serve God and demons. We want to walk in the light of God’s word and follow Yeshua’s (Jesus) perfect example. We will not give any time or glory to the Devil. We will not participate even for just a little bit of Halloween – which is associated with so much darkness and gory death. Let’s conclude with some scriptures about recognizing we are part of the light – not the darkness that so characterizes Halloween.

Matthew 5:14

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

John 1:3-5

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. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Colossians 1:12-14

“….giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 13:12

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Ephesians 5:8-13

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.”

1 Thessalonians 5:5

“You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”

I hope this year, that you and your family will have nothing to with the darkened celebration of a very dark and evil night – Halloween.

Again, for more details, look up my sermon in October 2007.

Or are those days over?

We read over and over in the Bible – both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament – how men, women and even children experienced God.  By “experiencing God” I mean more than just praying to him or studying his word, though we can certainly experience Yahweh that way too. I mean we have those moments when we stand back and think – “WHAT in the world just happened?”  I’m talking about having visions and dreams, strong urges and thoughts, dramatic miracles and manifestations of the Almighty in various forms and means – to you, and to me.

We read of people even after Christ’s resurrection and ascension – still experiencing angels, directions from the Holy Spirit, having visions, seeing even Christ himself at times.  They could heal, could speak in tongues, raise the dead and have guidance on prophecies. 

I will give a sermon on this topic for this weekend and will give you all the scriptures and information in that sermon.  But I want you to start thinking about it now:  Are those days over?  Do you ever know that you know that you’ve just heard from God himself?  Do you ever get strong thoughts or messages that you know you didn’t originate?  Are you witnessing powerful instant healings from time to time?  Or are those days over? 

I contend those days are not over.  

There ARE people today who have met and talked to angels, sometimes without knowing that “person” was an angel.  There are people who have had visions – but are reluctant to ever say anything because they will be considered a bit odd probably. 

We know a lady who told us years ago that she was home alone with her daughter when a man came into the house, obviously intent on mischief.  I believe she said he had a big knife and ordered her to the bedroom.  Of course she was praying fervently.  Soon after stepping into the bedroom, the man looked above and behind her and started shouting “OK, OK, I’m leaving. Don't hurt me…” – and ran out the door.  The lady looked behind her and saw nothing, saw no one.  I believe the bad man was shown a big brawny strong angel standing behind the lady. 

I’ve had my own experiences.  I’d love to hear yours. 

For more, click on “Continue reading”.

A teaching that is rapidly spreading

Have you heard of “mother God”?  

A friend out west wrote me that he had recently attended a meeting where a nationally known speaker was promoting the concept that God is both Father and Mother to all of us.  A simple Google search reveals that many are teaching this and have taught this for quite some time.  Have you heard of this?

There’s a trend to remove any “sexist” references in the Bible. So “Father” becomes “Parent”.  Brother becomes sibling.  “Son” turns into “child”.  Part of this is reflecting the emphasis that really started in this present world  – but on a much larger scale.  We’re seeing schools and even stores removing “sexist” labels like male and female, boy and girl, etc.  We’re being told now there is no such thing as a toy for boys or toys for girls.  Remember God created humankind as male and female and HE said that was very good! 

I didn’t mind when we were compelled to say “Flight attendant” instead of stewardess, because more and more men were doing this job.  And it made sense to say “firefighter” instead of “fireman”, as more and more women were joining the work force in all professions.

But now these same forces have come into the body of Christ and they want to impose their same gender-free language to the Supreme Being – whom we all call our heavenly “Father”. 

These religious feminists and their friends want us to feel free to pray to our “Mother God” or “God the Mother”.  Have you heard about this?  This has been fairly common in the more liberal church groups, but now we’re seeing it preached even in the conservative evangelical groups, sabbath keeping groups and even the Hebrew Roots movement! 

In fact, Yeshua said to never call a human being your spiritual “father” as a title (I mean in the religious sense; not in the family arena).  So why do Catholics call their priests “Father”?  Why is their top leader called Holy Father, a title reserved for Almighty God?  The world calls him “Pope” which simply means “Father”.  It’s clearer in Spanish and Italian, where he’s called “Papa Francisco” (Pope Francis).  Here’s what Yeshua said:

Matthew 23:8-9, quoting Christ:

“But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.”

So two points:

• Don’t refer to priests and ministers as “Father”.  In fact, why can’t we just call ministers by their first name, since we’re all family together – brothers and sisters of God’s family, and we’re all children of our Father in heaven.  Peter and Paul and James and John were all simply known by their first names. Are ministers and priests today better than they?  No need to say “Mr.” this or that – just first names.

• This would have been a golden opportunity for Yeshua to say “Father or Mother” here , but he did not.  The word he used was purely “father”  (it would have been “Abba” in Aramaic, but in Greek it was “Patera”.)  In the New Testament, Yeshua chose to say “Father”, especially in reference to the Almighty, over 400 times!  That same word is used also for Abraham their ancestral father, but mostly it’s used in reference to God. 
• Does it matter if we start referring to God as our Mother as well? 
• Is that new teaching true?
• What does Scripture actually tell us? What did the Son of God teach us about this?
• We read of “him” – not “her” EVERY time we read about God. God is NOT male, nor female. But El Shaddai – God Almighty – always describes himself in masculine terms, as “Father” or in terms like “him” or “he”.   
• We NEVER – not once – read of God being described as “Mother” or “her”. God is always in male terms – like king, ruler, Shepherd, Husband.  Though we find him described in non-gender terms like Rock, fortress, shield, Banner, Light, etc. – we never find feminine terms or pronouns to describe God directly.  Sometimes he is “LIKE” this or that, but never directly called anything in feminine terms.
• NOWHERE does the Holy Word of God call Yahweh our “mother”.  Nowhere. He is – especially in the New Testament – called our “Father” – over and over – Matthew 6:9; 23:9;  Galatians 1:1;  Ephesians 5:20.   There is no precedent in the Bible for calling God “Mother”.  And likewise Jesus is called our Husband – never our Wife.  He is our King, never our Queen. Never. Ever.  And don’t get sucked into that heresy of calling God “Mother God” or something similar.  That is simply going against what Scripture teaches!  I don’t care who is teaching that heresy. If it’s heresy – resist it.  Reject it. 
• Our King (not Queen) and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ – came to reveal Yahweh as his FATHER – and our Father. This was a powerful new teaching. Though there are some Old Testament scriptures that mention God as “Father’, those scriptures were seen more as an analogy, and not as a real fact. Yeshua came telling us to pray to “our Father in heaven…”  (Matthew 6:9)  He told Mary Magdalene at the resurrection to tell the disciples he was going “to my God and your God, to my FATHER and YOUR Father” (John 20:17).    These are the words of Christ, our SAVIOR, directly. 

Why did Yeshua say to call no earthly man your spiritual father?  Because it is so important that we understand Yahweh El Shaddai, the Eternal Almighty God, is our FATHER, and not our mother or uncle or aunt or any such thing. That title of “Father” is so vitally important to be kept pure and safe from dilution or change by the change-mongers. 

This Babylonish confusion – IS worming its way into the body of Christ, into the believers’ meeting halls. 

So the questions:

God is neither male nor female.  He is God. But as we shall see, Yahweh is ALWAYS called by masculine names and titles and pronouns (he, him).  Always. 

There are some imagery and “pictures” of God in scripture that show him as a gentle nursing mom, or as concerned for his family as a mother bear is – and so on – but these are exactly that: imagery. Pictures. They’re saying God can be “LIKE” this or that, but NOWHERE is God called our Mother, in scripture. More on this as we go along.

Having said that, I myself have reminded my listeners for several years now that when God created mankind, He created them male and female and both Adam and Eve were created to be like God, to be in His image. I’ve believed for a long time that we understand Elohim’s nature and what He’s like when we understand man and woman. Some of his nature and characteristics he predominantly gave to men and some of his nature he predominantly gave to women.  I’ve believed and taught this for a long time.  See the scripture below. I can go this far with the concept of God’s nature. 

But does that mean we have to believe our God is both our Father and Mother?

Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, "Let Us make man (meaning mankind) in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Click on “Continue reading” to see the rest of this explanation.

The world has been shown some horrific pictures lately of a three year old child’s body being washed ashore after the child and his mother died, trying to escape the brutal reign of terror of Muslim ISIS terrorists.  There have been many others who have died trying to escape to a better land, a safer place. So now we see hundreds of thousands - - even millions – of mostly Muslim refugees trying to save their lives.  No doubt, many hundreds of thousands of them are genuine asylum seekers.  Please understand – I get that. 

I’m all for helping those who need protection and help from those brutal ISIS folks.  There are countless believers in Christ who are also being burned alive, crucified, tortured, raped and sold into slavery – and many are being beheaded. We need to be doing all we can to help those people.  And I do.

But something is troubling me about so many of the pictures I’m seeing of the majority of asylum seekers:  I see picture after picture of what is mostly young Muslim men! Sure, I see some women and children and old men and old women as well, but there’s an alarming percentage of what look like healthy young men in their prime.

ISIS told us weeks ago that we were about to see a huge wave of Muslim migrants coming into Europe and eventually to America.  Something is suspicious about this.  I can’t help but believe that more than a few of those coming in are trained Muslim jihadists intent on violence. 

And what are we doing?  Western nations are opening the doors wide.  I believe we are feeding, welcoming, and assisting many who will become thorns in our side and who will carry out violent terrorist acts. 

So I hope you will call your elected representatives and senators this coming week and tell them that we MUST have a rigorous “vetting” and pre-screening of anyone we bring into this country. And also tell them we need to bring more of the fleeing Christians from Syria and Iraq – and not just Muslims.  Please also tell them that it’s time that we tell foreigners who wish to come to our land that they must assimilate. They must learn English, live peacefully by our laws, and not demand their Sharia laws in our country!

I saw one report that says some refugees in Europe who were given large bags of food from the Red Cross refused the food and assistance. Why?  Because the food bags had a red cross emblazoned on the bags. This offended the Muslims who want nothing to do with emblems of Christianity. 

Anyway, those poor folks – especially the women and children -- who are coming as true refugees – so be it.  Let’s do it. Let’s help them. But we must be doing this with care, caution and with our eyes wide open.

Otherwise, we might be letting in a lot of young militarily trained men sent by ISIS to embed themselves in the hordes of true refugees -- to pursue Jihad in our lands. 

May Yahweh be merciful to us. 

One other thing: our national leadership and our high courts have been going down a track that goes directly against God’s word on so many issues.  This cannot bode well for our nation. As I write this, the Torah portion readings that happen each week is worth noting.  In the Torah portion this week, what is being read in Jewish synagogues around the world? It’s the part in Deuteronomy 31 and then 32, where Moses stands before Israel and challenges them to choose obedience and to obey God’s law – and to choose life. Then he warns them (and us) that wrong decisions on their part will be the equivalent to choosing death. Read it for yourself. How timely is all that, considering what we’re seeing in our land? 

The recent High Court rulings, the unbelievable Iran agreement to let them have nukes over time, the aggressive LGBT alliances now persecuting those who want to live by God’s word – all combine (and more) to not bode well for this nation.

Combine that with the 2^nd year in a row of eerie blood red moons on Yahweh’s high holydays – and we may be in for a tough few years ahead of us. 

What can you do?  Seek a closer walk with our God and Savior as never before.  This is the most important action any of us can take. HE is our Rock, our Hiding Place, our place of safety and our Peace – no matter what we will see happening all around us.  

Yes, even if they believe differently than you

Just yesterday ISIS put out graphic videos – which I couldn’t watch – of their captives being burned alive. Some are Christians, some just simply don’t believe like the ISIS butchers believe.  This is prophesied to get worse and worse until it can be said that we’re in the worst of times the world has ever seen.  Ever.  We’re not there yet.  But even now, children and young women are being sold into slavery and the sex trade because they aren’t Muslims.  Some are being crucified, tortured brutally, burned alive, beheaded and are having to give up everything they’ve known and owned - because they call on the name of Christ.

Our one true God tells us that He marks and takes note of those who “cry and sigh” for the abominations in the land (Ezekiel 9).  Are you even aware of the extent of the monstrous horrors happening to Christians and minorities in Iraq and Syria – as well as in Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and other Muslim countries in particular?  Are you bringing these atrocities up to the great Throne of Grace and asking Abba in Heaven to watch over his people, to protect them as much as possible

Some of you won’t pray for those “Christians” because they don’t believe just like you do.  Please don’t react that way.  Christ himself said, “He who is not with me is against me…” (Matthew 12:30). Another time he rebuked his disciples for rebuking people who were preaching in Christ’s name but who were not among his bona fide disciples.   Yeshua’s response: “He is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9:40).  Oh, that more of us would have our Master’s attitude. 

Instead we seem to want to constantly divide and split up those who follow Yeshua the Messiah – or as most know him - Jesus Christ.
 

Mark 9:38-41

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."

But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 

40 For he who is not against us is on our side.  41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Are you ready to listen to our Master and do what He says?  Click on “Continue reading” to the right to find out. 

Each day brings us a day closer to seeing our Redeemer coming in the clouds and gathering his elect.  But we know before that brilliant time happens, there will be many dark days beforehand.  What’s coming ahead - in the next few MONTHS – in our country and around the world as a consequence of legal (or illegal) decisions by courts and our leaders? 

Look at our own country – the USA – or if you’re in another country, I’m sure you can see the “signs” in your country too:

***5 unelected black-robed jurists decided to redefine marriage (we DO appreciate the four who spoke out against it).  The five said “marriage” now includes people of same sex, going against God’s clear Bible teaching on this and millennia of experience.  What will be the consequences – intended or unintended – to this massage, illicit ruling?  I’ll discuss that briefly.

***Our president and his team have just handed the go-ahead for Iran – ancient Persia of Biblical times – to build a nuclear bomb.  What on earth were they thinking?  Their leaders incite large crowds to chant “Death to America”.  This regime has not been known to be truthful or trustworthy on its promises… and we negotiate with them on a nuclear bomb?  Just amazing.  This could cause the Sunni Muslim countries all around to seek their own bomb as well (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, etc.). This dangerous world just got a whole lot more dangerous. And now we find out that Iran is its own inspector in one of its most secretive bases.  What?

*** One of the more subtle but powerful things happening is that our president and his administration and elected leaders of our cities and states are often deciding to IGNORE certain laws they don’t like, or to not enforce the laws of the land.  SO – we are seeing the quality of life crash (people urinating in the streets of NY City, for example), we’re seeing 30,000 or more convicted felons being released back into the streets (especially if they had non-violent crimes on their record like selling heroin on the streets), and – all this emboldens the other side to push their agenda.  I really believe when our president refused to enforce DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), that the homosexual forces were emboldened by their ally in the White House.  This was the same president who instantly bathed the White House – the People’s House! – in LGBT colors upon hearing the Supreme Court’s decision. 

***Our Identification (I.D.) papers – passports, driver’s licenses, etc. are being produced today in such a way as to help keep track of you.  You may be surprised what’s in all of this. I’ll speak more of it in the sermon.  It’s mind-boggling. 

***The stock market is beginning to tank again with issues involving China right now. MANY predicted this.  This is, after all, the 7^th year since the last drop – and could it be that we truly are in the 7^th year of release again, the “Shemita year” that began with the Feast of Trumpets 2014 and ends this year in just a few weeks?  There have been many who have spoken on this and maybe I’ll add my voice to theirs, but many went before me.  

***I think we are also setting the stage for all and any of us to be easily tracked – by our Facebook, smart phones, the many apps we have on the “smart phones”  that follow you wherever you go.  Someday we will realize these “smart” phones were a dumb and dangerous thing for many of us. Mark my word. Because of our social networking, it will be an easy thing to round up anyone associated with you and me. 

***Congress has passed, and the president has signed, some very serious martial law orders for certain circumstances.  I think probably less than 2% of our population has any idea what the president and his forces have been empowered to do if “the situation warrants it.”  Say good bye to your constitutional freedoms if or when that time comes.  I’ll say more about that when I give the sermon on this blog’s topic.

What are some of the unforeseen and unintended consequences of all this?  What are some of the consequences of the ruling redefining marriage?  And why are so many of God’s people, perhaps even YOU – why are so many remaining silent, doing nothing, saying nothing about the trends we see going on?  Silence is often interpreted as going along with the topic at hand, or at least not being all that concerned about it.  This emboldens evil doers and ultra-liberals who want to foist their agenda on us all.  Can God’s children really be silent in the face of the slide going on?  I realize these were prophesied to happen, but there are still things expected of God’s children, as we shall see.

Click on “Continue reading” to the right, to find out. 

Don’t be the frog in the heating pot of water

Wow, what can I say?  I just hope everyone who believes in our Messiah coming soon and looks for that day – can look past the horrible news of the last few days and months and look to our Redemption appearing in the clouds above us.

You all know the story of the frog in the pot of water that is gradually heating up.  Because the water doesn’t immediately start boiling, the frog gets used to the ever warmer water – until it finally is boiled alive. Sometimes I feel too many Christians are like that frog.  Prophetic world events are clearly heating up but I don’t see/hear many believers talking about it much. A few minutes on their Facebook pages show they’re much more interested in a thousand other things rather than on the return of the King of kings. 

Look at some of what’s been happening:

• Our president refuses to follow strategies that would protect the nation. Instead he and his surrogates decide to empower ancient Persia with 100 billion dollars and an open path to their own nuclear bomb, plus the ballistic missile means to deliver them.  So much for supporting our real ally Israel – and for that matter, the Arab states who also oppose the agreement we made with Iran.  Remember, Iran is not Arab, though they are Shia Muslim.  There will be a race for more Mid-East states to own their own Bomb as well. Our President has just put the world into a much more dangerous situation.
  
  
• Five black-robed lawyers decide that marriage can include same-sex couples, when the Almighty made them male and female in the beginning and very clearly disapproves of what we see going on today.  Yeshua told us that the last days would be as the days of Lot and Noah.
   
  
• The descendants of Edom and Ishmael – traditional enemies of their relative Israel – continue to cause and spread unprecedented terror and horror throughout the Middle East.  We will see more and more of that same kind of terrorism right here in our country in the coming months and years.  
   
• Anyone professing belief in Yeshua (Jesus) in the Muslim middle-east stands a high risk of being imprisoned (and abandoned by our President), beheaded, crucified, burned, tortured, sold into slavery, raped and killed.  Many continue to profess their belief in Yeshua - anyway.  Even if they believe differently than I do doctrinally, I salute them and pray for their strength and courage. Would you and I profess Him on pain of our own death?  
  
  
• We’re seeing God, the Bible and the 10 commandments being kicked out of the public eye, out of the government, out of the schools and out of the military – while we give Korans and prayer mats to Muslims in our jails. We are no longer “one nation under God”.  Surely Yahweh will not continue to bless a nation that insults Him, his Word, and his law. 
  
  
• We’ve lost the “pride of your power” as we try to “lead from the rear”.  Whaaat?  Nations are no longer afraid to thumb their noses at us. The world has become much more dangerous under our present leadership.

Click at the bottom right -- “Continue reading” – to learn a few more of the things we see happening as we come to end time leading to Christ’s return. How close are we? What should we be doing? 

Would you invite someone to your home at all hours of the day or even overnight – whom you knew would repeatedly use God’s name in vain, spew profanity, slip out frequent “F” bombs and other filthy speech, even while repeatedly lying and openly committing fornication or adultery?  Would you invite people into your home who would routinely parade themselves in the nude and be committing vile acts of depravity, when measured by God’s word? 

You wouldn’t, you say.  But I suggest that you and I too may be inviting such people into our homes more often than we realize.  “How?”, you ask. Well, start thinking.  But let’s start with this verse in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:4b – “…and God divided the light from the darkness…”

God made a separation between light and dark.  He draws a line in the sand between the holy and the profane. He doesn’t want His children messing with filth, with the unholy, with things dirty. And let’s be frank: at various times in our lives, we all have done that.  I certainly have, and have had a ton of stuff to repent of.  Yahweh calls us to come out of Babylon and not be part of this world’s ways.  We are to love the people of the world -- as Yahweh himself does and sent His only Son to die for all everyone in the world.  We love the people but not their ways.  Remember, “God so LOVED the world…” John 3:16.

God put the light on one side and darkness on the other.  Gen 1:4b – he divided the light from the darkness.  We need to quit reading the Bible just physically – but more spiritually.  Don’t think of that just in terms of physical light and darkness at creation, but think of it spiritually, a guiding rule that directs the way we think and live and breathe and move.  Divide the light from the darkness.

Are you separating the light from darkness too?  Am I?  Children should be like their father, and walk and act and live like Him.  Where in our lives are we trying to mix light and darkness and pretend we are truly children of the light? Where?  If the living God divided the light from darkness, what right do we have to ever try to reunite light and darkness, good and bad, holy and profane? 

You can’t overcome darkness with more darkness. No, as children of the light, we have to bring in our Abba’s light.  With enough light, the room becomes bright with no darkness at all. God’s children should never try to reunite what Elohim has divided.  He divided the light from the darkness.  Think of this spiritually.

Click on “continue reading” to the bottom right area – to see how we may be casually inviting darkness into our lives and evil concepts and darkened people into our homes.

Especially with our insecure borders and now the homegrown threat of radicalized jihadists right here in our midst, a quick word to the wise: there’s apparently a lot of chatter out there about “something” that could happen at one or more of the various 4th of July celebrations.
Yeshua (Jesus) our Lord set the example. He removed himself from crowds and from dangerous circumstances until it was time to be crucified. Scriptures in a moment.
We should do the same. Warnings are everywhere this year if you watch the news at all. Though I hope we individually and the nation as a whole will not let terrorists win – neither should we be stupid. This is not the time to be purposely exposing yourself or your children to large crowds where Satan-led extremists can’t wait to cause a big headline.
You may say that we have nothing to fear since we have God’s protection. And yes, we do have that protection. But we are also told to follow Christ’s example. We are beginning to enter the time of the end of the end times – and it’s going to get very, very dangerous.
Though we must never be afraid to declare who we are, we must not put ourselves into dangerous crowds that are just an open invitation to the crazies out there who think their moon god wants them to kill people who don’t think like they do. So yes, speak up. Admit openly you are a follower of Yeshua. Speak up against abortion, and for protecting the life of unborn humans. And let's not hesitate to proclaim that we are all for maintaining the God-given definition of true marriage: one man, one woman. Silence will be seen as being complicit or in agreement with the “other side”.
So we must be bold – but not stupid. And I do believe true believers must be willing to speak out, as you’ll see in Yeshua’s examples in a minute, but at the same time to remove ourselves from dangerous situations, or avoid them altogether.
There is a coming persecution and martyrdom of the righteous. Yet we must speak up and not be afraid or ashamed to be identified as a true believer – though you’ll be labeled a nut, or outdated in your opinions and beliefs, and perhaps even be a labeled as a dangerous hate-monger who should be punished! Those days are coming. And some of us will have to go through some very trying and dangerous times. But having said that, let’s not go into dangerous situations with crowds of people – when we’re being warned that the danger threat is high right now.
Click on “Continue reading” to see what Yeshua and others did when faced with dangerous situations (before his crucifixion).

Facebook (FB) can be a blessing or a huge time user/waster, or if used wisely – can be an excellent way to stay connected.  But one thing that fascinates me is how one can begin to measure their worth by how many “likes” they get with their posts and pictures. I’ve even read various ones complaining about how few likes and comments they get and wonder if they have any real friends who actually ever look at their site.  I for one only go on FB maybe once a twice a week and I can’t possibly keep up with all the people on there. Nor do I expect them all to keep up with me.

My point is:  our lives are becoming more and more measured by how many “likes” we get on FB.  

If our heavenly Father, God Most High would comment on your FB, how many “likes” would He give you and me?  Have you ever thought of that?

And what does our Father “like” anyway? We know he loves humanity so much that he sacrificed the Word as His Passover Lamb to be slain in our stead, for all our sins, that we would not be judged or penalized for our sins.  But have you thought about how you can “love” something or someone, but not LIKE it (or him/her) very much? 

Love should be stable.  We love our children whether they are good or bad. God sends rain on the just and the unjust. And we love our puppy even when she leaves her land mines or calling tags here and there. But we don’t like her chewing up the furniture or my favorite still-new shoes.  Or they were still-new looking.

So God can love us but not “like” certain things we do.  He doesn’t like it when we love the ways of the world, for example (1 John 2:15-17). 

So what does Abba, our dear heavenly Daddy who also happens to be God Most High, really “like”?   Click on “Continue reading” to read a few of the scores of possible texts that tell us clearly what He likes – and doesn’t like.

Acts 12:1-2 – but did they pray for James as a group?

Many of you who have been students of Yahweh’s word for many years know that our Savior, Yeshua our Messiah, taught us to pray in private. 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.

Matthew 6:5-6
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

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. 

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.  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. 

Click on “Continue reading” to the right – to read about powerful answers to prayer when Yahweh’s children come together as one and pray with all their hearts, minds and souls—as one body.  I especially urge those of you who haven’t experienced group praying to be sure to finish reading this blog.

I just watched a series of videos of our young American soldiers coming home – surprising their moms, who didn’t know they were there.  I’ve seen a few of those, and they always make me cry.  Thank God for moms.  Thank God for you women.  Thank God for wives.  The videos I just mentioned make it so clear how deeply moms feel for their children, especially when they’ve been in harm’s way for so long.  Happy Mother’s Day, moms.  

I lost my mom in 1993 and how I miss her. She was way too young, only 65, and I was way too young (only 40) to not have my mom in my life. I lost my dad when I was 30 and lost our first son when I was 29. You never know how long you will have close family, so love them all now, even if you think you see flaws in your mom. We’re all fractured people, and you may never know all the situations your mom had to work through in life. If you see your mom in bad light for some reason – forgive. Love. Honor her – anyway. If you adore your mom – be sure to tell her often. 

So I always delight to see people of all ages loving and respecting their mom. My wife’s wonderful mom was 90 when she died last year (2020), and her dad died suddenly at age 95 before that. Of course I always called them Mom and Dad too. I felt a special closeness to her mom when some years ago, I opened up and said, “I don’t have my own mom anymore, and haven’t for a long time. I’ve been calling you ‘mom’ – but could I really see you as my Mom?”   She hugged me and said “of course”.  

One pet peeve I have to mention: Most of us older people (let’s say those of us over 55) still prefer to hear your voices rather than get your text. We like to see you in person from time to time. We love feeling your hugs and assurance we mean something to you, our kids. Trust me on this. TALK to your mom more often. Sit down and enjoy her conversation. Go for a walk with her. Be there. I’ve often thought that many of the under-55’s would even text GOD – instead of talking with him – if they could! Talk with your mom, folks. Talk. 

Mothers, know your role is so huge in shaping all of humanity and even world history! So many of you nowadays soldier on in “single-parent homes” due to an absent husband, the father of your children – but you keep doing what you have to do to provide for the children in your care. So many of you have to get up and go to work early in the morning, or late into the day, but you do it for the deep love you feel. That’s not going unnoticed, moms. And so many of you are the teachers of things Biblical to your sons and daughters. In the coming final years before Christ returns, you moms can play a strong role of solid faith to your adult children and your grandchildren. I count on it. 

I remember my own mom, as she went through the divorce (I was 12) and we were so poor. We didn’t own a washer/dryer and money was always tight. Poor mom worked hard all day and then had to do the laundry, shopping, cooking – and though we all certainly did try to help, I could see her carrying the load in those years especially. How I miss her. But she never lost her focus on her Lord and Master Jesus Christ. 

I look at my own wife when she’s around our children. She never seems to be thinking of her own needs. Never. Or so it seems to me. She’s always trying to be sure everything is ready and running smoothly for everyone else. She’s constantly trying to please the kids, to please me, to please guests. I know she has her own issues, but you’d never know. And as special as she is to me, I know this would be said by many of you of your moms or your wives out there. God bless you moms and wives out there. 

Timothy of the Bible was raised to love and obey God and know his word due to the faith, example and diligence of his mom and grandma (2 Timothy 1:5), mentioned by name in scripture: Grandma Lois and his mom – Eunice. Yes, you grandmas can have a HUGE impact even on the grandkids! I see it all the time as I watch my wife’s impact on our grandchildren here.  

Women were also made in the image of God and then Elohim gave both the man and the woman dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:27-28). I’ve always personally believed that God divided his qualities equally into the male and into the female. God is neither male or female – but is both, I believe. We call him Father, true. But if both male and female are in his image, I believe women will feel very, very comfortable around our heavenly Father when you women someday meet Him “in person”. 1 John 3:1-3 clearly states, we shall see him as He is sometime. 

Click on “Continue reading” to read what God says about moms and women generally – and to read of some women I feel were great moms in the Bible.

In my last sermon – April 2015—about becoming a forgiving person like Christ – I ended by saying that when God forgives, he adds a blessing to the forgiven person.  I gave a few quick examples but I was out of time and had to hurry. I hope you’ll hear that sermon.  Our Creator God loves restoring relationships and loves making things new.  Today’s blog is about “When God restores”.  I hope you find some little kernels of truth that encourage you.  

Think for just a second: when people restore something, we’re usually trying to get “it” back to its original condition – whether an old dresser, a house, a car.  Sometimes we make it even better than it ever was, but most of the time we think of a “restored” item as “being almost as good as new”. 

When God restores, He doesn’t just restore to the original condition – oh no.  That’s not the way God is.  He makes it better than it ever was!  When He restores a relationship and forgives someone, he blesses the person – as he did Job, and as he promises to do for Israel at the end of Joel 2.  God makes the quality and quantity bigger and better.  For example, the greater our offense was against God, the greater his grace abounds even way beyond the sin.  That’s certainly not the way humans would normally react to serious sins against us.  So for example:

Romans 5:20 KJV

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE abound…”

The Greek words used here are interesting.  The Greek – in terms of grace – uses the term for SUPER-abounded.  There are two totally different words being used here, though in English the same word (abound) is used.  We offend God, and when forgiven and restored, his grace is greater than our sin.  Grace super-abounds.

Click on “Continue reading” – to the right – to read examples of how God’s laws of restoration are for much, much more than just making something the same as it was.  We’ll also discuss briefly what this means in our daily life as well.

The pastor I work with in Kenya recently gave a good sermon on a topic I wish to also cover in a future sermon.  Please be looking for it in the coming weeks.  I WILL have more new sermons in the coming weeks, God willing.  But this blog today is a very, very important topic. 

What would you say is your most important goal in life? 

Another question:  what would make you feel like you’re “really living”? 

Many of us have daily, weekly, yearly and lifetime goals.  Hopefully we’re submitting those goals to “the will of God” and try to submit to his will.  That’s another topic I’m working on:  coming to know God’s will. 

But what’s your biggest, most important goal?  How would you put it into words?  How did Yeshua (Jesus) put it into words? He actually tells us!  Some of what follows comes from the notes of my pastor friend in Kenya – and more importantly, from our Master—Yeshua our Savior.

Click on “Continue reading” – to the right side of this blog, to find out.

As YHVH, God Most High created man and woman, He realized at the outset that we would all sin and earn the death penalty for breaking his laws and his Way of life.  Yahweh is God and is love personified.  That’s what and who He is: love. But the living God also is a fair and just God. The penalty for sin is death by execution, called the “second death”, not the natural death we are all subject to (Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14).  Sin incurs the wrath of God’s sense of righteousness and justice.  So in God’s heart of hearts, there was this balance that had to be achieved: the justice of God and the love and compassion of the Almighty.

God had a choice.

Option 1: He could spare all of us by sending his eternal companion the WORD, who became the Son of God, to live perfectly and then die for us.  As Creator of all things, his one life is worth more than all of humanity combined.  God the Father loved the Word profoundly. The Word became flesh and began to commonly be known as Jesus – or the Hebrew name I use, Yeshua.  
       

John 1:1-3

“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 [the WORD], and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:10-14

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 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.

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.

 “Yeshua” was not an uncommon name.  But what is important is that his name means “Savior”.   Yeshua – the Word of YHVH and YHVH Most High were and are so united in thought and will -- that they act and live as one (John 10:30; John 17:22).  So because God loves all of us – you, me – so profoundly, God could put all our sins on his perfect Son to have his Son be savagely executed for all of us, for all of our sins. This paid the penalty of our sins and the wrath those sins incurred. His sacrifice satisfied the penalty and the wrath (Romans 5:5-10).  

            Lord and Master, how great thou art. Indeed.

That was option 1. 

Click on Continue reading to the right to read Option 2 and what and how God made his decision.

What a great time of year this is. Passover. “When I see the blood, I will pass over you”.  It’s a time of receiving forgiveness – and of forgiving. 

As we remember what the Christ went through, we also marvel at the love of Abba to forgive all who accept His offer to reconcile Himself to a humanity that had so terribly abused His one and only.  You see, the Father was actually the One who offered His Lamb to pay for our sins.  Sure, the Jewish religious leaders demanded Yeshua be crucified.  And Gentile Romans made sure it happened in a most horrible way. But in the end, it was all of us – all of us who have ever sinned – who caused His death. That’s me, that’s you, that’s all of us.

In this season as we come near to Passover, it’s a time to ponder deeply on the topic of forgiveness.  On BEING forgiven, and … perhaps even more difficult, forgiving and releasing and being RECONCILED to all and any who have hurt us.  But not just claiming to have forgiven  -- but knowing so, from your heart. 

Be watching this website for a full NEW sermon soon on “forgiving others as Christ forgave – from the heart.”  And don't forget, Passover is the season that reminds us that He who was hurt the most by you and me, and by all of us humans – was God the Father Himself. And yet HE is the One extending His heart and his hand to you and me to be reconciled with Him.  He gave us His Son – born as a beautiful little baby. But look at how we returned him!  Remember? After his resurrection, Yeshua pointed to the hole in his side and the holes in his hands/wrists (the wrists were considered part of the “hand” back then).  John 20:27.

Our sins caused the indescribably painful death of Yeshua our Messiah (Jesus Christ).  Yes, Peter said in Acts 2:22-23 that we all killed Christ.

So if anyone could justifiably remain angry, bitter and unforgiving – and have a right to feel that way – it might be God himself. But in this season he reminds us: “When I look at you, if I see that you’re covered by the blood of the Lamb of God, I will pass over your sins.”  And He means it; from His heart.

And now Abba wants his children learning to be like him: forgiving even the most “unforgivable” monsters for their sins, actions, crimes and misdeeds, especially when they repent.  Don’t you just love it when people say “What he/she did is simply unforgivable”?  Have you ever done something so heinous that some have said it was “unforgivable”? In fact you did. And I did. We caused an innocent young man to be tortured and killed on the cross by our sins. Your sins.  My sins.  And that young man – while hanging on the cross – asked his Daddy – “Abba, forgive them Father, for they really don’t grasp what they’re doing” (Luke 23:32-34).   And HE said that before there was any repentance going on from those for whom he was asking forgiveness!   And his Abba heard that and agreed – and offered His own son to take upon himself all the wrath that should have gone to you and me for our sins. You see, forgiving the unforgivable is what Abba does so well. And then he reconciles and blesses the one He’s forgiven.  Amen. 

Click on “Continue reading” towards the right of this section to finish this vital blog.

Philemon 1-2

Can you imagine a “church in your house”?   And yet anything else would actually have been unimaginable for the early believers.  

Most religious people who ever “go to church” (not realizing we are the church, the ekklesia, rather than go to church), go to a very elaborate church building or cathedral. The richer denominations have big cathedrals with prominent steeples (a very pagan relic), stained glass windows, rich and expensive marble floors and more.  I’ve been to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and there’s even gold on the ceiling and that basilica is so massive  you could put several typical churches inside it.  St Paul’s in London is patterned after it.  You may think of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the dozens of others that dot the land.

I’m not against worship of God being expensive, as nothing is too expensive if it is truly directed at worshiping the Great God who created all things. Remember he didn’t decry the expensive ointment that was poured on him and certainly the ancient Tabernacle and Temple were quite lavish.  But I will say this, the same Peter who was concerned that Paul be sure to consider the poor in his travels (Gal. 2:10) would be appalled that his name has been put on to lavish and massive buildings with pagan symbols (like the obelisk in the center of the courtyard at St Peter’s).  Can you see the fisherman Peter decked out like the modern-day popes?  I’m not meaning to pick on the Catholic church, but just point to the principle. This applies to just about all the denominations.  And Yeshua himself walked everywhere. He didn’t own expensive chariots.  John the Baptist was dressed roughly, as Yeshua himself implied in Luke 7:24-28, that John was NOT dressed lavishly. 

I’m making a point:  the early believers rarely if ever met in expensive buildings like that unless they visited the still-standing temple in Jerusalem (until 70 CE).  But remember that only priests could actually go inside the temple itself.  Circumcised Jews visited from the square outside or in the courts if they were offering a sacrifice with the priest.  Circumcised Gentiles were allowed only so far where they would come to a short wall with warnings that if they went beyond that point, they would be executed. 

Yeshua never,  ever meant it to be like that. Remember him saying, “My father’s house is supposed to be a place of worship for ALL NATIONS”?  (Mark 11:15-17;  Isaiah 56:6-7 the context was “foreigners”)

Early believers didn’t meet in huge basilicas and cathedrals, which were often built on false promises.  They met in homes of the brethren.  Yeshua himself preached outdoors, or on a hillside, or along the shores of the Sea of Galilee as he addressed them from a boat. Imagine that!  And there was discourse, there was feeding of multitudes, there was a family atmosphere.   My Kenyan brethren meet outdoors as well, rain or shine. Maybe our worship would be more meaningful if we could hear birds singing in the background (but don’t get distracted by bugs!). 

Some of the more established mega-churches like to put down the “home church” idea.  Well, those who do so are denigrating scripture itself.

Philemon 1-2
“To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:”

When you keep Passover this year, what will you be focusing on?  I’ve heard some sermons recently that have inspired this blog. Sometimes I wonder where some are putting their emphasis and focus.

When you hear a Pre-Passover sermon or read an article about it, is the focus on the events of the Old Covenant – or on the events of the New Covenant? 

Here’s my point:  we know the original Passover week in Exodus 12 -13 was all about “when I see the blood” of the sacrificial goat or lamb splashed on the doorpost and lintels, “I will pass over you” and that home’s firstborn sons would be spared.  We know this broke the back of Egypt’s hold on Israel and they let Israel go. We know they left Egypt by night with great jubilation at the end of the 14^th and eve of the 15^th of Abib. 

But as we come to Passover this year, and as we celebrate “the Night to be Much Observed” (the eve of the 15^th of the first Hebrew month), are we going to spend most of our time recounting Israel’s coming out of Egypt – or will we be explaining how all believers are grafted into spiritual Israel (Romans 11) and we all become children of Abraham’s promises through faith in our Savior (Gal. 3:26-28)?  And then show what that means for believers today.

Click on “Continue reading” to the right so you’re sure to focus on the right thing this Passover.