The Faith, Hope, and Love...

Let the Bible Speak for God: God Pleads His Case in the Wilderness...

2010-02-14T17:32:00.007-06:00

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
-Exodus 5:1

And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear!
-Exodus 7:16

17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
–Exodus 13:17-18

3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’
–Exodus 14:3

Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
-Exodus 16:10

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!
-Numbers 14:2

13 So the LORD’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.
–Numbers 32:13

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord GOD. –Ezekiel 20:35-36

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the LORD…
-Hosea 2:14-16

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
–Mark 1:4

He said: “I am‘ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:“ Make straight the way of the LORD,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
–John 1:23

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…
-John 3:14

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
-2 Corinthians 5:1-11

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“ Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘ They shall not enter My rest.’”

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“ Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
–Hebrews 3

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“ So I swore in My wrath,
‘ They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.’’
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“ Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
–Hebrews 4

Israel's Response to Haiti Earthquake...

2010-01-19T20:34:00.008-06:00

O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Ransom Captive Israel...

2009-12-06T20:07:00.006-06:00

Lyrics:

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sanai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Breast Cancer Screening and Healthcare Reform...

2009-11-18T07:25:00.002-06:00

A U.S. government task force, the USPSTF, makes a new recommendation: baseline mammograms do not need to occur until women are 50 years old.

Hum... "a U.S. government task force" makes this recommendation?

Ha! Welcome to socialized medicine! You can expect more of the same: dramatic new recommendations that will challenge known standards... and significantly reduce costs.

If you think you and your family will still get the same level of healthcare under the auspices of healthcare reform, you are dead wrong! It's all about the bottomline. Not to mention, I have never known the government to do anything better than the private sector.

And you believed lawmakers when they told you there would be no "death panels" under healthcare reform... a.k.a. "socialized medicine". When your medical care becomes expensive in your old age, you will be cheaper dead than alive!

So tell me, when the government takes its own recommendation to begin mammograms at 50 years vs. 40 years, what are you going to do about it? Huh? Punch the big, bad government in the eye?

Ami Ortiz Case Solved... Ami Forgives - God Bless You, Ami!

2009-11-07T20:19:00.002-06:00

Word of Encouragement...

2009-10-31T15:40:00.002-05:00

6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.
9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” -Ezekiel 8:6-18

1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.” -Ezekiel 9:1-11

20 “...[B]y their fruits you will know them.” -Jesus, Matthew 7:20

19 “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control…” -Paul, Galatians 5:19-23

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” -John 14:23-24

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice iniquity!’” -Jesus, Matthew 7:21-23

41 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice iniquity, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth . . . . 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” -Jesus, Matthew 13:41-42, 47-50

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? -1 Peter 4:17

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. -Revelation 3:19

17 "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. 18 For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal.” -Job 5:17-18

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke… -Proverbs 3:11

5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons . . . . 10 …but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. -Hebrews 12:5-8, 10-11

12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. -James 1:12

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus . . . . 9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. -Philippians 1:3-6, 9-11

5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:5-11

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. -1 John 1:6-7

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. -1 John 2:3-6

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. -1 John 2:15-16

Mighty is the Power of the Cross...

2009-09-28T20:51:00.003-05:00

Atonement for Our Sins Is Forever Complete...

2009-09-27T14:04:00.005-05:00

Why were Isaiah's sins forgiven when an angel touched Isaiah's lips with a coal from the altar in heaven?

- - - - - - - - - -

9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it. – Exodus 25:9

40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. – Exodus 25:40

10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon [the altar's] horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.” – Exodus 30:10

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.” –Isaiah 6:1-6

19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For the Anointed One has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. – Hebrews 9:19-26

1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus [the Anointed One] once for all.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. – Hebrews 10:1-18

20 [The Anointed One] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. – 1 Peter 1:20

8 For He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them…” – Isaiah 63:8-9a

20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. – Exodus 23:20-21

7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. – Psalm 2:7-12

In the Light... All I Want Is To Be In The Light...

2009-09-14T22:21:00.004-05:00

I keep trying to find a life

On my own, apart from You

I am the king of excuses

I've got one for every selfish thing I do

What's going on inside of me?

I despise my own behavior

This only serves to confirm my suspicions

That I'm still a man in need of a Savior

(chorus)

I wanna be in the Light

As You are in the Light

I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens

Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation

Cause all I want is to be in the Light

All I want is to be in the Light

The disease of self runs through my blood

It's a cancer fatal to my soul

Every attempt on my behalf has failed

To bring this sickness under control

Tell me, what's going on inside of me?

I despise my own behavior

This only serves to confirm my suspicions

That I'm still a man in need of a Savior

(repeat chorus)

Honesty becomes me

[There's nothing left to lose]

The secrets that did run me

[In Your presence are defused]

Pride has no position

[And riches have no worth]

The fame that once did cover me

[Has been sentenced to this Earth]

Has been sentenced to this Earth

Tell me, what's going on inside of me?

I despise my own behavior

This only serves to confirm my suspicions

That I'm still a man in need of a Savior

(repeat chorus 2x)

[There's no other place that I want to be]

[No other place that I can see]

[A place to be that's just right]

[Someday I'm gonna be in the Light]

[You are in the Light]

[That's where I need to be]

[That's right where I need to be]

by DC Talk

Hatred by Religion... 9/11

2009-09-11T20:54:00.026-05:00

Let Us Never Forget What Religious Hatred Does... And The Threat Is Still Real!

For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.
-Ecclesiastes 9:12

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth . . . . He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
-1 John 1:5-6, 2:9-11

Walk in the light and in love: this is the Truth given to the world by the one and only True God, YHWH. God's truth gives no room to hate others! Hatred of sins and wickedness, yes, but hatred of people, no!

God told us not to judge others. He told His people not to avenge Him or ourselves. We are not to execute vengeance for His name's sake... or ours. He is perfectly capable of defending His name and reputation. THIS is one of the more important differences between the true God and the false god of Islam. YHWH defends Himself! He demands that we step out of His way. He takes care of His enemies. He takes care of our enemies! Obviously, the false god of Islam is non-existent... completely unable to defend himself. Instead, angry, mislead men do this false god's bidding for him, and the result is death and carnage at the hands of those who are spiritually blind... who walk in darkness and hatred.

YHWH will judge righteously and execute justice perfectly... vengeance belongs to Him, not to us. Yes, criminal acts should be dealt with appropriately on this side of eternity as the government of this world was established by God and rests upon His shoulders, but it is God who is the final and eternal Judge and Jury... and "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Is this why the Jewish people have a very long history of being peaceful, non-violent people?

Sadly, the Catholic Church - which holds to bad theology (that's mixed with paganism) and false doctrine - historically and morally failed as miserably as Islam does today. Hence, in many parts of the world today, and even in America, Christianity has been dubbed as "a judgmental and hateful religion". I pray those of us who truly love the LORD and obey Him are walking in His light every day and in love toward everyone. There is no reason or excuse for unloving, angry, hateful thoughts and behavior when our hearts are filled with His light and we understand that He is our righteous defender... and His own best defense.

Since Jesus (Yehoshua, Yeshua) commanded His followers to walk in love and in peace, I pray that Elohim (אֱלוֹהִים) - the God of Israel - has mercy upon Muslims and saves them from the darkness and [eternal] death in which they walk. I pray Elohim draws them unto Himself - that He converts their hearts and minds and cleanses their sins through the precious redeeming blood of Yehoshua - via the power and inspiration of His Holy Spirit. In the name of Yehoshua, Amen.

May the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD - "Elohim" who IS: אהיה אשר אהיה (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) 'I AM THAT I AM', יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua, a.k.a. 'Jesus') 'YHVH is salvation, YHVH is a saving cry' [veiled in flesh], and רוח הקודש (Ruach HaKodesh) 'Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit' - be invited to eternally comfort and bless all those whose loved ones were suddenly and cruelly taken eight years ago today by a false and hate-filled religion.
-Deborah

A Lesson Learned...

2009-08-30T15:03:00.004-05:00

I have learned a powerful lesson this weekend. I thank the LORD! Bless His holy Name!

As so many of you know, I have been hoping and praying that God would bring me to a godly man who will be my husband. I have told the LORD repeatedly that I needed someone to share life with… to count on when “the going gets tough.” I envied women who had husbands who could say to them, “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this. I’m here for you… I won’t ever let you down.”

Even so, my best friend, who always encourages me in the LORD, would tell me to allow God to be my husband. I would always retort, “That’s fine, but I need a husband who is with me in this life… in this world. I need a husband who will tell me ‘It’s going to be okay… we’ll get through this. I’m here for you… I won’t ever let you down.’” Bless her heart, and forgive mine… oh ye of little faith!

I heard my friend’s heart for me… I finally understood what she was saying. So about a year ago, I started telling the LORD that I wanted to relinquish my desire to marry… that I wanted His will and purpose to be executed in my life without further resistance from me – ‘not my will but Yours be done’. I asked Him to be my husband… the one who will stick with me through thick and thin. I had no idea how I would know if my prayer had been answered.

Well… yesterday, a husband of another dear friend of mine lost his job. They don’t have this month’s mortgage payment. Their future is very uncertain. A lovely home is on the line. Her faith is shaken. In this job market, her husband cannot say to her with certainty, “It’s going to be okay… we’ll get through this. I’m here for you… I won’t ever let you down.” Both of them have to turn to the LORD to see them through this trying hour.

Within a moment’s conversation, I quickly realized that my friend depends upon her husband to maintain her lifestyle… to provide the roof over her head… but her husband has limited capabilities to provide, especially when he no longer has a job and there’s not a prospective job on the horizon.

I realized, lo and behold, that it has been me all along who has a husband with limitless resources. I depend ONLY upon the Creator of the universe. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He doesn’t depend on a good economy. He doesn’t depend on an ethical boss/management. He doesn’t depend on another ‘man’ to ensure/insure his emotional and financial well-being. No, my husband is the LORD, who provides me with hundreds of reassurances in His Word… notably, the Psalms.

I am praying for my friend and her husband. Within my limited resources, I will be part of the answer to prayer… I will give what I can to ensure they do not lose their home. I know the LORD will bring them through this fire not smelling of smoke! They will be fine!

But this lesson has been for me! It has taught me that I do not need a man by my side to tell me “It’s going to be okay… we’ll get through this together.” The LORD, the Creator of the universe, reassures me on a daily basis that it’s going to be okay.

“I waited for the LORD; and He inclined His ear and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust of the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” – King David, Psalm 40:1-4

Psalm 20

2009-07-20T05:34:00.000-05:00

1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. 9 Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call. -Psalm 20

The LORD Knows How To Delivery the Godly Out Of Temptations...

2009-06-22T19:47:00.008-05:00

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

-2 Peter 2:4-22

I'm Nobody!

2009-05-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

I ’M nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
-Emily Dickinson

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...

2009-05-10T10:18:00.004-05:00

Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Ezekiel 47
1Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Revelation 22
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

King James Version

Some keep the Sabbath...

2009-05-09T18:24:00.003-05:00

SOME keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.

Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.

God preaches,—a noted clergyman,—
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I ’m going all along!
-Emily Dickinson

*******
Who has not found the heaven below
Will fail of it above.
God’s residence is next to mine,
His furniture is love.
-Emily Dickinson

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins...

2009-05-04T07:14:00.004-05:00

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:7-14

Besides Him, There is No Other Savior...

2009-05-03T15:03:00.005-05:00

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”
-Psalm 102:25-28

6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
-Malachi 3:6

8 [Yeshua (YHVH Saves/Salvation) the Messiah]
is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
-Hebrews 13:8

10 “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the LORD, “that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
-Isaiah 43:10-13

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Yeshua said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
-John 8:57-58

Messiah Revealed in the Passover... the Feast of Unleavened Bread...

2009-04-10T11:59:00.018-05:00

...For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - 1 Corinthians 5:7c-8

Happy Passover!

I want to share the wonderful meaning of Passover... the very special day that the Lamb of God died for the world so that all who look upon Him receive eternal life with God.

As Moses led the people of Israel through the first Passover, so too, the Messiah – the One greater than Moses and of whom Moses foretold – has led Israel and the nations through the second and final Passover. The original Passover was an act of God's mercy for Israel when He executed judgment upon an idol worshipping, hard-hearted Pharaoh and Egypt, who obviously did not believe it was necessary to place the blood of an unblemished lamb on the doorpost of their homes (abodes) as Moses had instructed.

God demonstrated His unchanging ways and methods when He showed mercy for Israel the first time they were passed over by the angel of death during a time of judgment.

Through the Prophets, God foretold of a Lamb, who He was sending, so we would be able to fulfill the requirement of placing the blood of an unblemished lamb on our doorposts, which allows Him to pass over us during judgment. In the great and final Passover, the requirement to place the blood of an unblemished lamb upon the doorpost of one's abode is made possible by the unblemished, sinless Lamb of God, Jesus the Anointed One.

For those who behold and believe in the crucified and resurrected Lamb of God, for those who place His blood upon the doorpost of their hearts and minds, where their essence/spirit abides, God will "pass over" them in the hour of judgment... the angel of death will not be permitted to enter in at the hour of their physical, earthly deaths to take their spirits to the Pit forever. No, the angel of death cannot enter in, for by their obedience in turning from their unbelief to believe in the Lamb of God and the necessity of placing His blood upon their hearts and minds, they will be passed over during God's judgment and given the promised eternal Sabbath - an unending life of rest - with God.

Happy Passover!

19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

- Exodus 12:19-27

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the LORD,”’as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
- John 1:19-29

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

- John 6:32-40

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

-Isaiah 53

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." - John 15:5-6

"Children, have you any food?"

2009-03-26T20:45:00.002-05:00

13 So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’”

17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.
- Exodus 16:13-18

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
- Matthew 6:8

19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
-Matthew 14:19-21

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish...
- John 21:5-13

Contend for the Faith...

2009-03-22T13:22:00.006-05:00

Contend for the Faith
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain [persons] have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly [persons], who turn the grace of our God into lewdness[1], and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

[1] lewd
adj. lewd·er, lewd·est
1. Preoccupied with sex and sexual desire; lustful.
2. Obscene; indecent.

Old and New Apostates
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
– Jude 3-25

When the Son of Man Returns, Will He Find Faith On the Earth?

2009-03-21T21:02:00.014-05:00

The prospect of the LORD returning today or at any time during or after the tribulation provokes no fear in me whatsoever. Across my friends, who are godly Saints in the LORD on all counts, I find a mixed bag of preferences concerning the rapture doctrines.

My preference is that Yeshua (Jesus) returns for us before the tribulation and that as many as possible and be found worthy of escape from it all!

My concern, however, is that Yeshua will return later than expected and that as many as possible be found having the utmost trust and faith in the LORD and are worthy to escape those things coming upon the unbelieving and rebellious ones.

Scripture and historical writings (letters and commentaries, esp. Irenaeus (AD 120-202), disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John, and Hippolytus (AD 170-236), disciple of Irenaeus) can be used to support any one of the rapture doctrines; therefore, I refuse to plant myself in a rapture doctrine because of the concern I have for engendering or teaching error.

If we are going to argue over Scriptures and their meaning in an effort to keep each other out of error, let’s start with the things which are plain and simple to understand, but ignored and contorted every day; such as, divorce and remarriage, reconciliation and forgiveness between the brethren, daily repentance and crucifying the flesh, etc.

Regardless of one’s preference, we are called to be found worthy of escape, vigilant and sober, at peace with one another, without spot and blameless, and encouraging one another in the hope of Yeshua’s very soon return. We are to stand still in the LORD in faith… with complete peace and trust… to ‘stay-the-course’ of our faith in Him during difficult times, no matter how pressing. Can we call anyone a heretic who holds to these encouragements rather than to one man’s doctrine about the rapture over another man’s?

For me, my heart’s cry is “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand (now is the day of salvation). Make your hearts ready and keep them conditioned for Yeshua’s return, or for your pending physical death, whichever comes first. Repent from sin and sinful lifestyles! We must turn our hearts toward God, continually repent from sin that we trip into (that so easily besets us), and do all we can and must do to avoid willful sin! We must overcome the Accuser of the Brethren by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, and love not our [worldly] lives even unto death (Rev. 12:11)!

In each of His addresses to the seven Churches in John’s vision, Yeshua said it is the over-comers who will receive their rewards. The use of the word “over-comers” is definitely indicative of struggle. No matter how light or pressing the struggle, we struggle to die daily in overcoming our fleshly desires, Satan, who is the spirit of this world, and his plots against us via principalities and powers, the rulers of darkness of the age (the era), and wicked spirits in heavenly places (spiritual realm).

God’s people MUST understand and teach the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE! We must take our eyes off this world, our VERY temporary abode! We must stop teaching, expecting, and demanding comfort in this world (now, that is heresy)! Instead, let us encourage one another to live peaceful and godly lives and to keep our eyes on Yeshua, the Author and Finisher of our faith, because we may be required to look up to heaven in full expectation of seeing Yeshua waiting to receive us as we’re being martyred!

The disciples and apostles took great care to communicate the very imminent return of our LORD and spoke often of the condition of our lives and hearts… “peaceful, without spot or blemish.” We should not do any less! No doubt, we should all be ready to assemble tonight at the trumpet’s call and/or be ready to stand firm in the LORD during tremendous trial and tribulation!

This we all know and can agree upon: Messiah has not yet returned, but His return is imminent! Let us cease from arguing over exactly WHEN the Messiah is returning – pre, mid, or post tribulation. We need to be more concerned about living peaceful lives without spot or blemish… today. Each “today” turns into a tomorrow. As long as we are ready for His coming today, we will be ready when He returns! We absolutely need to encourage one another in our hope of the Messiah’s return. There’s no doubt, however, that He can return at any moment (Mark 13:32-37) or He can linger a bit longer (Matthew 24:48-51). For sure, He will come in an hour we think not!

When Yeshua returns, will He find faith on the earth (Luke 18:18)? Is your heart given completely to God? Will you be found worthy of escape, whatever form escape will take?

Watch, Be Aware of the Times, and Pray that You May Escape

2009-01-26T05:48:00.004-06:00

Recently, my very large financial institution issued a new debit card to me – without explanation and without my request! Because my new debit card got mailed to my branch bank and my branch bank did not contact me, I was totally unaware that I had a new debit card and that my existing debit card now had been set to automatically deactivate 30 days after the mailing of my new debit card. It was only when I got online to pay bills one morning that I discovered my existing debit card had been deactivated. When I called my bank via the toll free number, they told me that a new debit card had been issued and I should have followed instructions to activate the new card. After looking into the matter and finding that my new card had been mailed to my branch bank, not my home, they instructed me to pick up my new debit card as soon as possible.

So I headed off to my branch bank. Since my new debit card had a new number, I was infuriated because I now had to take the time to contact the companies that automatically debit my account and update them with my new card number. I asked my "banker" to reorder a debit card and give me back my old number so I would not be inconvenienced. They proceeded to tell me that my old card and number had to be deactivated because it lacked the new "security chip." There was nothing they could do or wanted to do to rectify the situation for a longtime customer, who had just politely threatened to take her banking business elsewhere. All this happened in October… so as I researched other banks, I found that many were unstable and becoming insolvent. My financial institution remained relatively sound by comparison; I opted to stay with one of the few "financially sound" institutions.

For me, however, the REALization that access to my money could be 'turned off' at the whim of my financial institution was truly a "wake-up call!" And, oddly enough, I am one of the few people on earth who need to be reminded of the pending Mark of the Beast. Regardless of my hopes for an early rapture, a rapture occurring sooner than later, I am resolved in being vigilant in my watchfulness of the signs that proceed His coming – the famines, earthquakes, wars, pestilences, deceptions, false teachers and prophets, persecution and hatred toward the Saints – as my LORD and Messiah forewarned me to do. They fact that the LORD told us that some would finally give up on His coming and begin to partake in drunkenness and begin to beat others (physically, emotionally, spiritually?), tells me that the rapture may not occur as soon as we think it should… as we will witness, and have witnessed, the beginning of sorrows: The homes of believers blown or washed away by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike. The homes of believers burned up in the large and multiple wild fires in California. The homes of believers steeped in 3 – 6 feet of water then mud in the mid-west last summer. Thousands of believers losing their jobs in the U.S. and all over the world. The empty bellies of believers in Africa and Asia for the lack of rice and other grains. The believers in 3rd world countries who are sick and dying from the precipitous rise of diseases born from unsanitary conditions. The physical torture and killing of believers in Africa and Asia by corrupt, ungodly governments or Muslim guerillas who commit them to genocide, ethnic and religious cleansing, because they bear the name of our LORD.

Remember, the LORD told us to store our treasuries in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy. Remember, this life is but a vapor, whether we live 10 years or whether we live 95 years, this life is a vapor compared to the timeline of eternity. Our home, our ultimate reality, is in heaven… with our LORD Yeshua and heavenly Abba. We need not sell our inheritance for a bowl of porridge as did Esau; in other words, we need not sell our eternal hope and inheritance to gain a temporal reprieve in this world. Now, more than ever, we need to encourage one another in the LORD, in the reality of our inheritance, in the hope of soon seeing our Messiah and heavenly Abba. Mind-over-matter techniques will not deliver anyone from the reality of these birth pains… all of creation is in travail. We need to be so prepared, so ready in our minds and spirits, that we react as Stephen reacted when he was being stoned to death… we need to be able to look beyond the circumstances that may strip us of our worldly goods and beyond our persecutors who can kill the body… and see Yeshua, see the reality of our inheritance with Yeshua:

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." – Revelation 2:7

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." – Revelation 2:11

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." – Revelation 2:17

"…He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
' He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel'—
as I also have received from My Father..." – Revelation 2:26-27

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." – Revelation 3:5

"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." – Revelation 3:12

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." – Revelation 3:21

We need not tell each other that there will be peace when there is no peace. We need not encourage each other to turn a deaf ear toward brethren who are finding themselves caught in the rain that comes upon the just and the unjust. We need not get caught up in false doctrines that lie in telling people of worldly wealth that God desires to bestow upon His children. You see, in God's economy, we should careless for this world and the things of this world… we are to conduct ourselves as heirs of His kingdom, which is not of this world. In so doing, we introduce and bring others into His glorious kingdom through our testimony.

Above all, we are to retain our love for one another – love is the tell-tale sign of a true believer. Lawlessness is going to abound during this 'beginning of sorrows' coming upon the world, resulting in the love of many waxing cold. Many will be offended… they will betray and hate one another. Be aware of your love or waning love, dear ones… do all you can do to remain in love. As times become more difficult for all upon the earth, as our rights as are increasingly trampled because we bear the name of YHVH and our Messiah Yeshua and as our senses are offended for the lack of justice, we must fight the urge to feel contempt toward others. Should any of us recognize contempt and hatred is trying to set up within our hearts, we must immediately cry out to the LORD and ask Him to create in us a right spirit and a clean heart, full of love and compassion! If we say we love God but hate our brother, we would be lying. God is love.

Now, some who we believe to be our brethren will choose the world and will revel with the world as did happen in the days of Noah… either out of ignorance, because they will not be watching as we've been told to watch, out of rebellion, or out of idolatry. What has light to do with darkness? As we are told, we are to have nothing to do with such people. However, I caution you: although these so-called brethren may betray us, let us not be found to be the betrayers. Should you be offended by these so-called brethren or by professing unbelievers, remember, "Vengeance is Mine!" saith the LORD. If you believe that they are truly believers, and you do not rebuke them gently, then their blood will be required at your hand. But if you rebuke them gently… tell them of their waywardness with a most humble approach... and they listen, you will save yourself and the righteous man or woman from sinning. If they refuse to listen, you will have saved yourself and need to remember that their end will be determined by God. (Ezekiel 3:18-21) Quietly remove yourself from their presence and be on your way, walking in the path of righteousness for His Name's sake.

Brothers and Sisters, I don't care what stance you take on the timing of the rapture, the fact is that the Mark of the Beast can be implemented, or be very, very near implementation, before the rapture… so you need to be watchful, be aware, and be ready to stand firm for the LORD. I bring it to your attention for this passage:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. – Revelation 20:4

RFID chips are already being placed in passports - this we know as a fact! The U.S. government is very close to issuing a national ID card with an RFID chip containing all personal information known to them among the various government agencies. The implementation of the national ID card was supposed to have begun in August 2008. Should we be told this year, in 2009, or next year that we must have this ID card to access our money and to buy goods and services, will you accept?

I suppose I could have reverted to writing checks versus using my debit card. Perhaps I will. I think I will throw away my debit card with the new "security chip." But the mere thought of having to write and mail checks to pay my bills aggravates me further. You see, I am already very spoiled by the convenience of being able to pay my bills online, within 5 to 10 minutes, without having to go to the post office. I suppose I need to open a savings account at another bank instead of depositing all my money in savings and checking accounts in the same financial institution; but it is so easy to transfer money from my checking to my savings. Agh… although the inconvenience pains me, I will do so this week.

All this being said to lead up to these questions: What if I, and a couple of other believers, had been some of a few thousand selected and forced to accept debit cards with this new security chip or there would be NO way to access our paychecks that had just been automatically deposited? No checks, no cash withdraws, no account-to-account transfers, no wires transfers. What if I called you and told you that I only had $30 cash and I'd soon be out gas? Okay, so we get me and two other believers through the next two weeks. But then, when we try to switch the direct deposit of the next paycheck to other banks, we are told that all new bank accounts require the use of these debit cards with these new security chips. I mean what if the banks and the government agencies are basically telling us, "You cannot buy, sell, or trade unless you accept this new card." Would you encourage us to accept the card because it's not a "mark?" Would you encourage us to accept the card, because despite the varied doctrines surrounding the timing of the rapture, you're quite sure that believers will be out'a here before governments and financial institutions cut us off from our money… our ability to buy, sell, or trade?

Now, fortunately, access to my money was temporarily cut off until I accepted the new card with the new security chip, and the situation not as dire as I describe above since I could have opted to access my money with checks and cash withdraws – I think. (Actually, I did have to do a cash withdrawal the other day and I WAS asked for my debit card by the teller… so maybe I wouldn't have been able to make a cash withdrawal had I not activated the new debit card. I'm sure I could have written a check… yes?) Quite honestly, the minute the government or financial institutions tell me that I cannot access my money by any means unless I accept a new "card"… that basically I cannot "buy, sell, or trade" without the card, I'm folding my hands and with every ounce of God-given strength in me and will politely tell them, "In God I trust. Keep my money, for God will keep me."

Shalom aleichem!

* * * *

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved." – Yeshua, Matthew 24:4-13

36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." – Yeshua, Matthew 24:36-44

34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." – Yeshua, Luke 21:34-36

Emunah...

2009-01-11T19:27:00.004-06:00

"Emunah" is a Hebrew term in which the concept got lost within the Hellenized church - "emunah" was stripped of its meaning by the Greek pursuit to mentally transcend the term "belief", a.k.a, "faith." A person in the Hellenized church says, "I have faith... I believe in God." Yet the fruit thereof is nearly non-existent or non-existent altogether - their "faith" is nothing more than a mental transcendence of the idea, not a living out of the idea. The concept of faith in Hebrew, which is "emunah," is FAR more than a mental exercise. Emunah is a working, living, and active trust in God - emunah demonstrates one's trust and belief in God by everything one DOES, not says or thinks. To act contrary to God's Word is to lack "emunah." Emunah is "FAITHFULNESS," it is outright TRUST in God and the exercise and portrayal of God's attributes in one's own life - emunah in a Believer's life is the ACT of portraying God's faithfulness and lovingkindness.

As I read and prepared for yesterday's Torah study, Parshah Vayechi, the Ruach HaKodesh ministered this truth to me. After the Ruach HaKodesh ministered the true meaning of faith, of emunah, He asked me to read Hebrews 11... interjecting my new understanding of emunah wherever I read the word "faith." Oh, my... a new and tremendous understanding was revealed. "Without 'emunah' it is impossible to please God." Now, I understood that Abraham did more than just "believe" - Abraham did more than mentally acknowledge God. Oh, yes, Abraham acted on, worked out, adhered to, and relied upon God's Word and promises. Yeah... now read Hebrews 11 and interject "emunah" wherever you see the word "faith."

Woo hoo... wowsa!

What I've always understood as, "Without 'the mental acknowledgement of God' it is impossible to please God..." came to life and now read as, "Without 'faithfulness, trust, adherence, and reliance upon God and the exercise and portrayal of God's own attributes in our life' it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11:6a).

What I've always read and understood as, "If we 'lack the ability to mentally believe God,' He remains faithful 'to those of us who struggle to believe or who are doubleminded'; He cannot deny Himself" came to life and now read as, "If we 'are not faithful, do not trust, do not adhere, do not rely upon God and do not exercise and portray His attributes,' He remains faithful - 'He faithfully demonstrates His attributes'; He cannot deny 'demonstrating His own attributes'."

Actually, the passage directly proceeding 2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we deny Him, He also will deny us." (That statement should provoke a healthy and fearful respect of God, no matter how men's theology have carved out various doctrines.) Therefore, 2 Timothy 2:13 should have never been construed as "If we act as if we don't believe in Him, He will continue to believe for us or be faithful to us." No, rather, "If [people] act as if [they] don't believe in Him and [they] do not demonstrate His attributes, He will continue to be faithful in the demonstration of His attributes (righteousness, justice, and lovingkindness); He cannot deny the demonstration of His own attributes."

The trustworthy saying Shaul is quoting basically explains that if we crucify our own flesh (beliefs, desires, egos) on Yeshua's cross, we will also live with Yeshua. It goes on to explain that if we endure, if we run the race and finish the race well, we will also reign with Yeshua. Both concepts (crucifying our flesh and enduring until the end) require acting out, portraying, and exercising our trust, adherence, and reliance upon God, His Son, and His Word - His commandments, precepts, and promises - during our earthly lifetime!

11 This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.

12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.

(The faithful, trustworthy saying above demonstrates the meaning of EMUNAH, and the immediate passage below speaks of the lack of emunah...)

If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.

(Shaul goes on to tell Timothy that the faithful (or trustworthy) saying sums it up when it states, "if people lack emunah (faithfulness), God cannot lack emunah (faithfulness) since He cannot deny His own attributes/characteristics.")

13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
- Shaul, 2 Timothy 2:11-13

Now, since we understand that Greek thought (Hellenization) in practice and in essence stripped the Hebrew of its meaning, even within the first century congregation of Believers, we see that Yaakov (James), the brother of Yeshua, sought to revive the meaning true of 'faith'... the Hebrew meaning and understanding of "emunah": 14 "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." - (Yaakov) James 2:14-17

It is surely God's grace (unmerited favor) that has provided salvation for all, not the works of our flesh, but is is (1) TESHUVAH (a daily turning from sin - seeking to recognize and acknowledge sinful behavoir and the thoughts in which it began - and returning to God (Luke 9:23)), and (2) EMUNAH that demonstrate a true circumcision of heart.

Yeshua described teshuvah when He said if we want to follow Him, we must deny ourself, and take up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Emunah demonstrates that we have entered into the new covenant (the Brit Chadasha - Jeremiah 31:31-34) with YHVH and are heirs according the terms of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:11-28, 10:1-20, John 3:1-16, Galatians 4:4-7, Romans 3:19-31).

Emunah is being, is acting, as sons and daughters of God, who desire to emulate their Father, thus truly BEING heirs to Yeshua's inheritance. Hence, Yochanan (John) the Baptist told the Pharisees, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance..." (Matthew 3:8). In one sentence, Yochanan the Baptist summed up teshuvah and emunah.

Over the past few months, in my own practice of teshuva, I have been asking YHVH to compel me, to strengthen me, in portraying Him, His attributes, to others in my everyday world - to those whom I work with and my family and friends - rather than acting sinfully, thereby, dishonoring Him. My greatest desire is to turn to the LORD with all of my heart and that He guide me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. Little did I know, I was already exercising emunah before I came to any knowledge of the Hebraic word and concept.

Let the Bible Speak for God: Lawlessnes Will Abound...

2008-10-29T05:34:00.012-05:00

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." - Jesus, John 14:6

3 Now as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. - Jesus, Matthew 24:3-13

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. - Jesus, Matthew 10:16-22

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. - Jesus, 10:28-33

Mixing Business With Brazil...

2008-09-28T21:10:00.082-05:00

1st Day's Sunrise in Macae, Brazil

Evening Sets over Macae's Broadwalk

Early morning, before the Sun shows up

Early Morning Sunshine on the South Atlantic

The Southeast Side of Macae

But my trip wasn't all sunrises and sunsets ... Divisional Office in Brazil

We head out to the drillship late Friday morning
Bob tells me about Macae's port, which is a little over 100 years old. I enjoyed the scenery and the ride - a little reminiscent of my Coast Guard days.

A what? A personnel basket hoisted high overhead by a crane is the only way onboard.

My first ride in a personnel basket, but no worries... always looking for an adventure!

We take a tour

Behind the Bridge of the ship lies the control room... six thrusters dynamically position the ship during drilling operations - the ultimate in station-keeping - making it capable of drilling in over 7,000 feet of water.

A steady hand. Deep in the hull - the engine room - Bob and Elton walk past the ship's original engine as I shoot. I love this shot - the shutter holds itself wideopen to capture the natural lighting, which is of course very dark. The camera captures the seeminly whispy human images in front of it. How ghostly... how I held my hands so steady is beyond belief!

By the look on Elton's face, they must be discussing business. We enjoy lunchtime in the ship's galley - very good food!

The real reason we're there... Elton shows the Materials Coordinator how to use the new SAP system that's now onboard all of our fleet

We head back to shore

I get in the last shot of the drillship

Chow!

* * *

But then the weekend... what's a girl to do? Saturday afternoon, we were invited to join Israel's friends and family for food and fun.

Our very gracious hosts, Israel, our Brazilian colleague, and Helena, his lovely wife. Helena is an EXCELLENT cook! Wish you could have been there.

Removed from the rain and wind pounding down on Houston, we can't help but enjoy our hosts and their company.

But we kept a close eye on Hurricane Ike all day... how could we not?

Man, I was one white "gringa" among the dark skinned Brazilian beauties!

* * *

We leave Macae a few days later and head for Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, in my estimation, tops as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I will believe so until I see otherwise.

The cable car to and from the top of Sugar Loaf

Corcovado in the backgroud... a picture shot from Sugar Loaf. (007 fans know the infamous landmark, Sugar Loaf, from "Moonraker")

* * *

Shots of Rio from Sugar Loaf (below)

One of the last shots of the day... Copacabana Beach lies behind me

* * *

Thank you, LORD, for being so kind and gracious to me - You continue to give me the desires of my heart. Bless Your Holy Name!

Hurricane Ike: My Family and Friends Are Safe

2008-09-14T10:22:00.011-05:00

Hurricane Ike

(Photo by NASA)

I can't believe the biggest Hurricane to hit Houston in over one hundred years hit while I was away from home.

Galveston, Texas after devestating hurricane that killed more than 8,000 in 1900

(ABC News)

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, business had me in Brazil. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to take care of my own home and my kitty, Beauregard.

My friend, Lynette, and her husband, Bob, were so very gracious... Lynette packed up and picked up Beauregard before Ike hit to take him into their home. Thankfully, Beauregard did not have to ride out the storm alone nor did he have to endure being in an apartment without ventilation in the wake of the Ike. Many thanks, Lynette and Bob!

Furthermore, I was not there to ensure there was not any water entrusion in my home. My friend, Tom, however, went out of his way to run by my apartment to survey for damage - none to report - thank you so much, Tom! Hugs and kisses!

My grandbabies and daughter-in-law were safe in northern Texas, near the Oklahoma boarder. My son was in Houston but stayed at his friend's home to ride out Ike. Please, pray for my son and his family, though. They have certainly lost the new vehicle they bought last March to Ike's storm surge, winds, and rain along the Louisiana coast. Last week, the car broke-down somewhere along Hwy 82, about 20 to 25 miles east of Port Arthur, Texas, when Josh was driving to Cameron, Louisiana, to catch the crewboat going out to the offshore drilling rig on which he works. Josh did not have enough money to get his car towed and fixed until he got paid this past Friday. But obviously, Hurricane Ike altered Josh's plans to get the car to a garage to get it fixed. Please pray for them... pray God will give them wisdom and bless them beyond their expectations! They are very young and inexperienced... and now, they have to deal with an insurance claim in trying to recoup the loss. Josh and Collette really need two cars since Josh drives 8 to 12 hours round trip every two weeks to work and Collette has two babies to raise by herself while Josh is offshore for two weeks of every month.

The only fortunate thing about being in Brazil right now is that I am sitting in an air conditioned hotel room that has a beautiful veiw of the Atlantic ocean.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers for my family and friends... thank you!!!! From all reports, my loved-ones are safe. Even though Josh and Collette lost their new vehicle, they are safe and sound... and that's all that counts! Thank you, LORD God, for your lovingkindness!

Sharing the Laugh I Got From These...

2008-08-20T04:49:00.012-05:00

Without Leaven

2008-04-26T22:34:00.006-05:00

Sunset today designated the end of Pesach (Passover)... the last day of seven in which all leaven has been removed from the home, and anywhere else it is usually found, and unleavened bread has been eaten in place of the leavened (Exodus 13:6-10).

Why such an emphasis on eating unleavened bread and removing leaven from the home? First, it reminds the Jewish people that their ancestors had to leave Egypt in hast in the act of being delivered, which allowed no time for bread to rise. Secondly, leaven depicts sinfulness and the pride that puffs us up.
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As the disciples of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), we see a deeper and prophetic meaning in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. The Exodus served to show us that the Messiah (HaMashiach), like Moshe (Moses), would one day deliver those who believe in Him from the bondage of sin forever (just as Moshe delivered Israel from Egypt forever (Exodus 14:31). The Exodus depicted the future spiritual deliverance through the Messiah from the Pharaoh's of our lives (whatever form that may take), and from sin and spiritual death.

We are delivered from the bondage of sin and spiritual death when we believe only the LORD is able to provide the power to save us from our enemy (Satan, sin, and men) and defeat the enemy on our behalf. Our only salvation is by and through the LORD. Our salvation never has and never will come via our abilities, nor does it come through the hands of men. No, our salvation is of the LORD. Salvation is at the LORD's right hand... at His powerful and saving hand: Yeshua (Psalm 108:6, Mark 16:19, Hebrews 1:3, 10:12, 12:2).

Without believing in the redemptive work of Yeshua, people remain slaves to sin... slaves to Pharaoh in their own personal Egypt.

"Yeshua" = "God's Salvation" or "Salvation is of God" in Hebrew.
.
Praise God! Praise God from whom our salvation, Yeshua, came to deliver from sin (leaven) the first time and who will come again to deliver us (Israel and the righteous Gentiles) from the hand of our enemies!

Blessed Israel... Recepient of the Promise... What Is Going On?

2008-04-24T21:50:00.010-05:00

Months ago, the Israeli government raided my dearest friend's home as well as their neighbor's homes.

Why?

I'll tell you why... to confiscate their gas masks. All gas masks were taken from Israeli citizens and from those identified as pro-Israel - those who are absolutely supportive of Israel as a nation.

All gas masks were confiscated from my friends and their children in lieu of a promise to replace them... which has not yet happened.

In addition to the situation with the gas masks, I received an email a couple of months ago regarding the confiscation of guns from Israeli citizens living in "settlements".

Why would the Israeli government confiscate guns and gas masks from its citizens - from those who love Israel and who have sent and lost loved ones for the sake of Israel's existence? Why?

What is the Israeli government thinking?

...The ONLY thing I can attribute this type of egregious line-of-thinking and action to is the fact that God is allowing "men" to expend themselves on all known [self-sufficient] measures in trying to defend themselves and the existence of the Nation of Israel.

Once "men" are at the end of themselves, God will show up. God will follow through. It is God who will follow through on the execution of His promises! Israel, the decedents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will indeed inherit the promises! Blessed be His holy Name forever!

Ami Ortiz Better Than His Enemy....His Father Speaks of His Healing and Forgiveness

2008-04-14T20:46:00.006-05:00

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." - Joseph, Genesis 50:20

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Paul, Romans 8:28

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." - Yeshua, Matthew 5:43-44

Never Forget: Stop The Murder of Jews! Who's Pointing Guns at Jews Now?

2008-04-12T10:59:00.035-05:00

..."You have become a traitor, that is what you have become," fumed the man. "Now you are no longer a Jew."
.
"No longer a Jew. How can I no longer be a Jew? I was born a Jew; I will die a Jew. The only difference in me now from last week is that I have become a whole Jew. I have come to know the Jewish Messiah who died for my sins."...
.
..."I cannot understand," Karl said bitterly, "how after all you have suffered at the hands of Christians, you could do this thing."
.
"You see," Zvi replied, "I have not joined the ones who hate and persecute us, no matter what name they choose to call themselves. I have read the New Testament through many times, and I find nothing there that tells anyone to do what they have done to Jews. Jesus only speaks of loving and helping, never hating and killing. He sat right across that valley, on the Mount of Olives, and wept for our people."
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"I can tell you this, Karl. I am a Jew. Before, I was a Jew with an empty life. Today I am a Jew who has found peace. And who did this for me -- Hitler, Caesar, Pharaoh, the Crusaders, some pope? No! It was One who came to this earth as a Jew -- a Jew who was put to death on a Roman cross; a Jew who, for many years, was followed by believers who were altogether Jewish people. Of course, Gentiles began to believe too. But this did not change how He felt toward Jews or what He, himself, was. What men have done against us and against His own Word cannot be laid at His feet -- He would not have it so.
.
"My friend, Karl, I cannot help how you feel toward me -- I only wish that I could cause you to feel differently. I will only say this. When we were in the army together, I was reading the Tenach; and I found some words that meant a great deal to me then, as they do now. David said, 'When my father and mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.' I believe this also applies if a friend forsakes you. If I no longer have your friendship, I believe God will do this for me. But I will tell you this, Karl, no matter how you feel about me, or what you believe, I will never cease being a friend to you."
.
Karl stood for a moment and looked at Zvi. He started to speak but found he could not -- tears were flowing from his eyes. "Zvi," he managed to say finally, "I ask you to forgive me. I have misunderstood. Our friendship should not be affected by what you believe. I will be a friend to you, too, for as long as I live."
.
Over the years that have passed since that meeting on that street in Jerusalem, these two have kept their pledge.
.
Excerpts from, ZVI: The Miraculous Story of Triumph Over The Holocaust, by Elwood McQuaid
.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recently, an Israeli Messianic Jewish teenager, Ami Ortiz, was severely injured when a dirty bomb, disguised in a Purim gift basket delivered to his home, exploded in his face. The Jerusalem Post article (see link to JP article in "Human Life is Precious to God" post below) could not definitively attribute the crime to Muslim terrorists but was forced to say that the basket could have been sent by radical Jews as well. Either way, the crime is condemnable!
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In the excerpts from the book, ZVI: The Miraculous Story of Triumph Over The Holocaust, by Elwood McQuaid, it is obvious that misunderstanding, tension, and hatred, has been manifested for a very long time, and especially since the Holocaust, in the relationships between Jews who have accepted their Jewish Messiah and Jews who have not.
.
Today, the misunderstanding between these Jewish sects and a refusal to seek understanding by most perpetuates the tension and hatred... to the point of engendering murderous thoughts. It remains to be seen in the outcome of the Ami Ortiz investigation if murderous thoughts have become a murderous act.
.
So, who is pointing guns at Jews now? Is it known enemies of the Jewish people, who today comprise those who fundamentally adhere to Islam, or will it prove to be brothers of Messianic Jews? The situation and misunderstanding between these Jewsish sects, those who have accepted the Jewish Messiah and those who have not, sounds so familiar... Cain and Abel comes to mind and much for the same reason: who brings the better offering to God? One brings an offering of his own doing, the works of his own hands, while the other brings an offering he, himself, cannot possibly provide through his own works, but through the sacrificial blood that stands in as a substitution for his own.
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No matter who commited this crime, the Ortiz family forgives the perpetrators, Muslims or Jews, and is praying for their enemy. The Ortiz's love for their Jewish brethren remains fully intact while their Jewish brethren remain under investigation.
.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is compassionate, kind, and faithful - He is answering the hundreds of thousand of prayers that have gone up to Him for Ami ... Ami is recovering rapidly despite the nearly fatal injuries. On Monday of last week, I received an email from my dearest friend who lives in Israel conveying the latest news concerning Ami:
.
"A week and a half ago, a 15 year-old Israeli boy was injured by a bomb hidden in a gift basket for Purim (Mish loach Menot). The father is a congregational leader in Ariel, who was the likely target. At first the police weren’t sure who it was from because the congregation has had outreaches to the Moslem community as well as their own community. There is great concern that it was from extremists within the Jewish community. The investigation is ongoing and the Body of Messiah is praying that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice. We are all praying for Ami, the teenager who was injured. He has gone through multiple surgeries and has an infection. We are praising the Lord that his eye surgery went well and there is hope that his eyesight will be fine. There is concern that he will have permanent hearing loss. He still has shrapnel in his lungs. One major concern is that there is a large bolt that the doctors feel they might have to remove. He has burns as well and will have to have reconstructive surgery. We are praying for him emotionally and spiritually because he is reliving the incident over and over. We are praying that this will be turned around for good since God’s Word says that He will do this for those who love Him. It has brought Messianic Jews into the Media with some recognition that they are still Jews even if they are calling them part of a cult. That is something since in the past they have not been considered Jews any more. The older children are part of the military and the family is viewed as model citizens. They have had visits from the ultra religious community who have come to condemn the attack. The mayor of Ariel has been to visit the family. The police recently took up a collection for the family. So the community is gathering around them at this moment. We pray for the Lord to move in the hearts of the people."
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Baruch HaShem! Blessed be His holy Name forever!
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Prayers that the perpetrators will be brought to justice prevail; even so, the Ortiz family remains resolute on forgiving the perpetrators regardless of the penalties they will have to pay by the loss of their freedom in prison.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.

6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

7 Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah

8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.”

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.

11 Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him.

13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.

15 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me.

19 God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God.

20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You. - Psalm 55

Human Life is Precious to God!

2008-03-23T12:03:00.011-05:00

Jerusalem Post Article

Mar 20, 2008 17:40 Updated Mar 20, 2008 23:32
Son of Ariel pastor injured in blast
By REBECCA ANNA STOIL

The 16-year-old son of a prominent Christian pastor, David Ortiz, was seriously wounded in Ariel on Thursday by a powerful explosion in his home.

The youth was alone at the time and suffered shrapnel injures and burns to his neck and chest.
The bomb, which was apparently in a Purim gift basket, also caused extensive damage to the family's apartment.

Judea and Samaria Police spokesman Ch.-Supt. Dani Poleg said police had not ruled out any motive - including that radical Jews or Muslims may have targeted the family....(cont.)

**********************
Shameful and sad! It appears Ami Ortiz, the 16-year old boy is going to recover, Baruch HaShem! Blessed be HIS HOLY NAME! L'Chaim, Ami!!!!!!!!!!! Ami, meaning "My people" in Hebrew... Yes, L'Chaim, Ami Ortiz... and to God's chosen people, Chaim! My prayer: "Dear HaShem, my heavenly Abba, if this heinous crime was perpetrated by Your own people, please forgive them, convict their hearts, and bring them to true repentance! If perpetrated by enemies of those who love You, we rest in knowing Your vengeance is highly adequate... vengeance belongs to You, HaShem, and it is truly a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God! Beshem Yeshua HaMashiach. Amen."

"And they overcame [hasatan] because of the blood of the Lamb (Yeshua, "God's Salvation") and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their [earthly] life even when faced with death." -Revelation 12:11

I pray this heinous crime was not perpetrated by God's chosen - the very covenant people that Zionist Christians love and support - who are called by God to uphold the sanctity of human LIFE! David Ortiz, the boy's father and a Jewish believer in Yeshua, takes the truth of the One and True GOD to the Palestinian people, not to the Jews... David shares the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with Ishmael and Esau's descendants, who now believe and serve a moon god. It is terrible that this happened, period(!), but more understandable if perpetrated by radical muslims, who require the life of those who they consider infidels. Islam is truly the enemy of all Zionists, whether Jew or Christian.

-Deborah

The Word of Our God Shall Stand For Ever...

2008-02-06T05:19:00.000-06:00

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8)
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See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

(Deuteronomy 12:32)
.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law,

or the prophets:

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass,

one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,

till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break

one of these least commandments,

and shall teach men so,

he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:

but whosoever shall do and teach them,

the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 5:17-19)

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

(Matthew 22:36-40)

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid:

yea, we establish the law.

(Romans 3:31)

No Tricks Up My Sleeve...

2008-01-24T23:58:00.000-06:00

"And another sidenote for those who have been involved in my anti-missionary discussion: Coincidentally, the Canadian head of 'Jews for Judaism' gave a speech at my synagogue the other day so I know all of the typical missionary tricks." - BK

-------
(NOTE: I can't speak for the others who are my brothers and sisters through Yeshua, I can only speak for myself, here, but I will refer to the community on my side of these debates in trying to get my point across. )

BK, why do we debate these issues? These debates serve purely as an intellectual exercise for you, do they not? If so, why get offended and/or caught up in name-calling and hurling accusations? If all of these debates and discussions have been in the order of intellectual enlightenment, then why bother getting caught up emotionally and communicating your disgust for others who hold to a different takeaway or understanding of the shared knowledge? You have assumed all, or some, of us are intent on “missionazing” you.

I initially approached you in defense of a lovely Messianic Jewish woman whom you had criticized in a not-so-nice manner; it was not my intention to “missionize” you. As we know, Karin is perfectly capable of standing up for herself (and regardless of her husband’s beliefs, he surely stood up to protect her heart) – she is smart and strong by all means – but I’ve always been one to defend others when I see them being mistreated or dealt with harshly, I was being true to character… no hidden agenda, no tricks. So, please, remember I did not come to you in a dishonest fashion with the intent of “missionazing” you. However, in all honesty BK, based on what I know and believe, I inherently/ intrinsically/ naturally have a concern for your eternal disposition! However, why should the revelation of my unspoken concern (to this point) bother you if you're sure about what you believe?

What is the purpose of these debates and discussions? Why are you so offended by Christians outside of the history we had no control over? Why be concerned about non-Jews “sinning” because you think we believe in errant, pagan theology? According to Orthodox Judaism, we will all get a chance to correct our misguided and errant beliefs after death, Jews and non-Jews alike, right? Why bash Messianic Jews, Karaite Jews, Reform Jews, and atheistic Jews when they will get the chance to ascend from Gehinnom after an adequate period of introspection and remorse? Why bash Christians and Messianics for their beliefs? According to your community’s belief about the after-life, even Adolph Hilter and Eichmann get a second chance if they are truly remorseful during their 12-months in Gehinnom, right? Why are you so worried about Christians stealing the souls of Jews? Apparently, their souls will be restored after they have felt the pain of their wrong-doing and are truly remorseful… then they will ascend from Gehinnom, right?

Wait a minute… is there a possibility that their heretical Jewish souls and our pagan Gentile souls might not make it out of Gehinnom or that the essence of our lives will be snuffed out all together according to your belief regarding the after-life? If your answer is “yes” to either of those questions, then you have treated me most egregiously! I thought there was a higher purpose to our debates other than intellectual enlightenment. I thought you cared about my eternal disposition! If you believe I may be forever stuck in Gehinnom in an unending, deep state of remorse, void of any sense of joy, or my life’s essence will forever cease and you have not been proselytizing, then you have failed in your calling to be a “light to [this] Gentile!” If you’re not proselytizing in any way, shape, or form… you continue to fail at every opportunity to ensure I understand the truth of the Torah and Oral Torah, and you could cost me my life, and at the least, any sense of eternal joy (Ezekiel 3:18-21).

If the above is an adequate rendering of your belief, how awful of you to not have it in your heart to see me convert to Judaism while there’s still hope! You see, I really don’t know what you believe, but how can I fix what I don’t know unless you teach me about the Torah, right? Most sincerely, I don’t ever foresee denying Yeshua, but you don’t know what may or may not happen, right?

BK, again, my intent is not to “missionize” you. My intent is to learn more about the Hebraic/Jewish roots of my faith and the Hebrew language in an effort to correctly understand my Jewish Messiah in the context of His Judaism, His Tanakh, and His culture. I don’t mind that we disagree about the translation of pivotal Scriptures; I am learning, none-the-less. You do need to understand, though, that I have an inherent concern for your eternal disposition based on what I believe. (I wish you had the same concern for me.) Do I pray for you based on what I believe? Yes, but have I ever expressed my belief and concern for you, "missionazing" you, in any of our debates absent of you asking me what I believe about the after-life and how my belief applies to you? No, I have not. I have only answered your questions regarding such.

Do you want to know why I have not explicitly stated my belief without being prompted by your questions?

(1) Yeshua said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:44-45)

(2) I haven’t said anything because I know you’ve been inundated with the knowledge of Yeshua and our belief that He was G-d, veiled in flesh, the Messiah – the rescuer and redeemer of our souls. He was the formless G-d who draped Himself with flesh, not a mortal man that He should lie.

Yet, you choose not to believe Yeshua is who He claimed to be – and you have every right to choose not to believe Him!

I’ve never gotten upset with you for teaching me about your perspective and beliefs regarding the Scriptures we both adhere to, even though our interpretations are different regarding the Messiah. I may argue passionately, but I'll not purposefully insult you. (I did inadvertently insult you the other day, but I didn't know it was going to insult you! I wasn't trying to use a derogatory term... now, I know better.)

You think I'm a pagan and a heretic because I do not rely on the Oral Torah, although, a lot of it is beautiful and meaningful to me, but not where it flies in the face of G-d's written Torah or the rest of the Tanakh. The only thing that bothers me in your posts or comments is when you make erroneous or derogatory blanket-statements about Christians or Messianic Jews, such as "...I know all of the typical missionary 'tricks.'" Is that really necessary when we’ve all entered these debates based on wanting to teach each other and learn from each other - its an intellectual exercise that has enlightened the lot of us. Like Karin used to tell us, “As iron sharpen iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17.) (G-d bless you, Karin!)

But really, in summary, shouldn’t I expect you to be proselytizing me if you care about my end? The thought of you intrinsically proselytizing me during these debates doesn't bother me in the least. I wish you would flip that notion around and apply it to me and others so we can enjoy our debates. Besides, if someone explicitly tells you that you're in error based on their heart-felt beliefs, you should be honored that he/she cared enough about you to want to inform you. You shouldn't feel "tricked." I felt honored when you shared the Noahide Laws with me when we first started debating, even though I believe it takes much more than living in accordance with the Noahide Laws to stand rightly before G-d.

You haven't offended me, by the way, I just wanted you to know that I don't have any tricks up my sleeve!

The Historicity of Yeshua

2008-01-22T23:01:00.000-06:00

The Fate of Christians at the Hands of Romans

(see Polycarp)

Dear BK,

"And we're off...!" This isn't where I intended to start, but I don't blame you for forcing the issue! Had you given me any more time to research, I might have come away with an honorary degree in Judeo-Christian History. :-) (It's good you forced me to the table.)

In reading through some of the persons you presented below, it is worth quickly noting that Philo-Judææus [sic], though a Hellenized Jew, helped Christians apply the understanding of the Greek word "logos" as found in the book of John chapter 1, and that Pliny [the] Younger officially complained about his Christian subjects and asked the Emperor Trajan of Rome how he should deal with them.

It occurs to me that in my readings of my favorite poet, Emily Dickinson, she never mentions the U.S. President who was in term during the height of her writing years, Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 - March 4, 1857), nor did she mention Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 - April 15, 1865), the most famous and controversial U.S. President of his time who held office and was assassinated while she was still writing; even so, she makes no mention of him. Nor did another favorite author of mine, Edgar Allen Poe, mention famous U.S. Presidents, James Madison and John Quincy Adams, who served during his lifetime. Nor did Harvard historian William Leonard Langer mention Emily Dickison in any of his historical research and publications. Therefore, it is safe to assume that not all of the men you mention had their attention rivited upon Israel - not upon its politics nor upon its religious debates.

I also noticed when reading through the profiles of the men you presented below (not all of which were historians, by the way, but authors (of fiction in some cases), poets, and philosophers) that none of them mentioned the great Rabbis who lived just before or during their own lifetimes. Nor did any of them mention Israel or the Great Sanhedrin. Perhaps you can produce as many non-Jewish contemporary sources as proof that these Rabbis and the Sanhedrin actually existed. Here's a list to start. Please add you own Rabbis if you come across non-Jewish sources regarding any who lived between 100 BC and 100-150 AD.

1. Sanhedrin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrin

2. Shammai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shammai

3. Hillel the Elder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elder

4. Rabbi Eleazer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleazer_ben_Shammua

5. Rabbi Gamaliel I http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamaliel

6. Rabbi Akiva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi_Akiva

-------

You presented the following:

"The following historians all lived around the supposed time of JC, or a century later and not on of them makes a mention of him at all." - BK

**1. Philo-Judææus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo

2. Seneca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Elder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger

3. Pliny [the] Elder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder

4. Arrian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrian

5. Petronius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronius

6. Dion Pruseus - no Wikipedia reference

7. Paterculus - no Wikipedia reference

**8. Suetonius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suetonius

9. Juvenal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenal

10. Martial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial

11. Persius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persius

12. Plutarch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutarch

**13. Pliny [the] Younger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Younger

**14. Tacitus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacitus

15. Justus of Tiberius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justus_of_Tiberius

16. Apollonius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonius

17. Quintilian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintilian

18. Lucanus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Annaeus_Lucanus

19. Epictetus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus

20. Hermogones Silius Italicus - no Wikipedia reference

21. Statius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statius

22. Ptolemy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy

23. Appian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appian

24. Phlegon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlegon

25. Phæædrus - no Wikipedia reference

26. Valerius Maximus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerius_Maximus

**27. Lucian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucian

28. Pausanias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pausanias

29. Florus Lucius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florus

30. Quintius Curtius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintius_Curtius

31. Aulus Gellius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Gellius

32. Dio Chrysostom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dio_Chrysostom

33. Columella http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columella

34. Valerius Flaccus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Valerius_Flaccus

35. Damis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damis

36. Favorinus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favorinus

37. Lysias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysias

38. Pomponius Mela http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomponius_Mela

39. Appion of Alexandria - no Wikipedia reference

40. Theon of Smyrna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theon_of_Smyrna

**References made to Christians or Christ in writings

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Suetonius
Suetonius was a secretary and historian to Hadrian, Emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 AD. Regarding Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) and the Riot of Rome in 49 AD, Suetonius wrote: As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [Christ], he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome.

Interestingly, Acts 18:2 relates that Paul met Aquila and his wife Priscilla just after they left Italy because Claudius had expelled them. Later, Suetonius wrote about the great fire of Rome in 64 AD: Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.

Mara Bar-Serapion, a stoic philosopher from Syria, wrote this letter to his son from prison sometime after 70 AD: What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from their executing their wise king? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: The Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise king die for good; he lived on in the teaching which he had given.

This letter refers to Jesus as being the "wise king." The writer is obviously not a Christian because he places Jesus on an equal level with Socrates and Pythagoras. Without bias in his reference to Jesus and the church, this letter is a valuable historical reference regarding the historicity of Jesus.

Lucian of Samosata was a 2nd century Greek philosopher.

This preserved text is obviously satirical, but it's a powerful "extra-biblical source":

The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day -- the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account... You see, these misguided creatures started with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property.

This piece is unflattering at best, but it absolutely supports the person of Jesus Christ ("the crucified sage") and the survival of the Christian Church into the second century. (http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/suetonius.htm)

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Pliny the Younger

Pliny the YoungerPliny the Younger (c. 62 - c.113 AD) was the Roman Governor of Bithynia (present-day northwestern Turkey). Around 111 or 112 AD, he wrote the following letter to Emperor Trajan of Rome asking for advice on how to deal with Christians.

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It is a rule, Sir, which I inviolably observe, to refer myself to you in all my doubts; for who is more capable of guiding my uncertainty or informing my ignorance? Having never been present at any trials of the Christians, I am unacquainted with the method and limits to be observed either in examining or punishing them. Whether any difference is to be allowed between the youngest and the adult; whether repentance admits to a pardon, or if a man has been once a Christian it avails him nothing to recant; whether the mere profession of Christianity, albeit without crimes, or only the crimes associated therewith are punishable -- in all these points I am greatly doubtful.

In the meanwhile, the method I have observed towards those who have denounced to me as Christians is this: I interrogated them whether they were Christians; if they confessed it I repeated the question twice again, adding the threat of capital punishment; if they still persevered, I ordered them to be executed. For whatever the nature of their creed might be, I could at least feel not doubt that contumacy and inflexible obstinacy deserved chastisement. There were others also possessed with the same infatuation, but being citizens of Rome, I directed them to be carried thither.

These accusations spread (as is usually the case) from the mere fact of the matter being investigated and several forms of the mischief came to light. A placard was put up, without any signature, accusing a large number of persons by name. Those who denied they were, or had ever been, Christians, who repeated after me an invocation to the gods, and offered adoration, with wine and frankincense, to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for that purpose, together with those of the gods, and who finally cursed Christ -- none of which acts, it is into performing -- these I thought it proper to discharge. Others who were named by that informer at first confessed themselves Christians, and then denied it; true, they had been of that persuasion but they had quitted it, some three years, others many years, and a few as much as twenty-five years ago. They all worshipped your statue and the images of the gods, and cursed Christ.

They affirmed, however, the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food -- but food of an ordinary and innocent kind. Even this practice, however, they had abandoned after the publication of my edict, by which, according to your orders, I had forbidden political associations. I judged it so much the more necessary to extract the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female slaves, who were styled deaconesses: but I could discover nothing more than depraved and excessive superstition.

I therefore adjourned the proceedings, and betook myself at once to your counsel. For the matter seemed to me well worth referring to you, especially considering the numbers endangered. Persons of all ranks and ages, and of both sexes are, and will be, involved in the prosecution. For this contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has spread through the villages and rural districts; it seems possible, however, to check and cure it.

This is quite a letter preserved from antiquity. I reproduced a great deal of it here, because it was so powerful for me in its entirety. "Pliny the Younger" speaks of Christianity spreading throughout the Roman Empire and he addresses the procedure for persecuting followers out of this "superstition." Pliny also mentions Christ by name three times as the center of Christianity and describes Christian practices, including the worship of Christ "as to a god." (http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/pliny-the-younger.htm)

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Tacitus
Tacitus, writing about the fire in Rome in A.D. 64. Tacitus (A.D. 55- c.120) was made governor of the province of Asia soon after Pliny’s appointment to Bithynia, and something of his reputation as a historian may be discerned in part of the letter written to him by his friend Pliny:

Thank you for asking me to send you a description of my uncle’s death so that you can leave an accurate account of it for posterity. . . . I know that immortal fame awaits him if his death is recorded by you. (Epistles 6.16)

In his Annals of Imperial Rome written at about the same time as Pliny wrote the above letter, Tacitus describes how the emperor Nero attempted to divert blame from himself to a new and detested religious sect for lighting the fire that destroyed three-quarters of Rome:

But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a deadly superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but also in the City [Rome], where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world meet and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who confessed; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of arson, as of hatred of the human race. (Annals 15.44.2-5)

It appears that Tacitus, like Pliny, despised but perhaps also feared this new movement. He describes the Christians as “a class hated for their abominations . . . a deadly superstition . . . evil . . . hideous . . . shameful.” He accuses them of “hatred of the human race,” which may refer to the Christian refusal to acknowledge Caesar as a god and the Roman state as divine.
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In one sentence from the above passage Tacitus confirms six details mentioned in the New Testament:

1. The public career of Christ occurred in the time of the emperor Tiberius (Lk 3:1).
2. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor when Christ died (Mt 27:2; Mk 15:1; Luke 23:1; Acts 3:13 and 13:28).
3. Christ was executed as a criminal (Lk 23:2).
4. This occurred in Judea (Mk 11:16).
5. The movement did not die with Jesus, but “broke out” again.
6. The movement spread from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 1:4 and 28:14).

This sentence agrees, in a broad sense, with the geographic sweep of Luke-Acts, a two-volume work that begins with Jesus in Judea (Lk 2:4) and ends with Paul in Rome (Acts 28:14). Tacitus confirms both the existence of Christ and the spread of early Christianity. (http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/2768-3.pdf)

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JEWISH SOURCES

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Benediction Twelve.

After the disastrous war with the Romans from A.D. 66 to 70, the Jewish Sanhedrin (or Senate), ceased to exist as a political and administrative body. The emperor Vespasian brought Judea under direct military rule, leaving the Sanhedrin with a purely religious role. Most of the sects and parties within Judaism perished with the war. Two that survived were the Pharisees, representing the mainstream of Jewish religious life, and the Nazarenes, or Christians, who by then were regarded as heretical. In the eighties the Pharisee-dominated Sanhedrin meeting at Jamnia, a town to the east of Jerusalem, formulated the following synagogue prayer:

For the renegades let there be no hope, and may the arrogant kingdom soon be rooted out in our days, and the Nazarenes and the minim perish as in a moment and be blotted out from the book of life and with the righteous may they not be inscribed. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who humblest the arrogant.

References in the Talmud indicate that the “minim” and the “Nazarenes” usually refer to Christians. This bitter prayer clearly attests the existence of Christians in Judea in the post-70 period, and it represents a tragic contrast with the frequently happy relations of Christian Jews with their fellow Jews in the period before the war. From Christian sources we read of Jewish Christian priests (Acts 6:7) and Christian Pharisees (Acts 15:5) and of “many thousands . . . among the Jews . . . who have believed . . . all zealous for the law” (Acts 21:20). Opposition there may have been from Sadducean high priests (Acts 4:1-3) and Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1-3), but the Pharisees appear either to have been neutral, as was Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39), or well-disposed like those who protested at the unjust death of James brother of Jesus (Josephus Antiquities 20.197-203). The grim sentiments of Benediction Twelve reflect the thorough separation of synagogue and church after the end of the war in A.D. 70. (http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/2768-3.pdf)

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The Talmud.

The Talmuds were compiled in Jerusalem and Babylon in the fifth and sixth centuries. Their late dating raises questions as to the authenticity of references to Jesus. Of various possibilities the most likely mention of Jesus is this:

It was taught:

On the day before the Passover they hanged Jesus. A herald went before him for forty days [proclaiming]. “He will be stoned, because he practised magic and enticed Israel to go astray. Let anyone who knows anything in his favour come forward and plead for him.” But nothing was found in his favour, and they hanged him the day before Passover. (b. Sanhedrin 43a)

This rather bitter reference is more likely to have arisen in the centuries after Jesus than closer to his times. We note the apologetic detail that since no one defended him he must have been guilty. Here Jesus is a magician and a deceiver of the nation and for this the Jews executed him. According to the Gospels and Tacitus (Annals 15.44), however, the Romans executed Jesus for treasonably claiming to be “king of the Jews.” Apart from the timing of his death to the Passover season there is little else here that coincides with other information at hand, including the manner of his death by hanging. (http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/2768-3.pdf)

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Josephus.

Josephus, an aristocratic Pharisee, was born in A.D. 37. During the war with the Romans from A.D. 66 to 70, he was captured by the Romans and later was paid a pension by successive emperors for services rendered to the imperial family. Early in the nineties he wrote the Jewish Antiquities. Pharisees were not always bitterly opposed to Christians, as the Jewish historian clearly shows. Before the war, in an interregnum between Roman governors (A.D. 62), the high priest Annas (son of Annas of the Gospels) convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned. Those of the inhabitants of the city who were considered the most fair-minded and who were strict in observance of the law were offended at this. (Antiquities 20.197-203)

Those who were “strict in observance of the law” must refer to Pharisees, which suggests they showed a degree of sympathy to James, brother of Jesus, who was leader of the multitudinous Jerusalem church. The members of that church, Paul had been informed, were “all zealous for the law” (Acts 21:20), which explains why the Pharisees were favorably disposed towards
James. James’s reference to “many thousands” of such Jerusalem believers (Acts 21:20), while possibly an exaggeration, nevertheless confirms the impression given elsewhere of large numbers of people involved in Christianity, and that it was a worldwide movement.

In this extract, the authenticity of which is not in doubt, Josephus confirms two important pieces of information from the New Testament.

1. Jesus was “called Christ” (cf. Acts 2:36).
2. James was his brother (cf. Gal 1:19).

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Josephus indicates no doubt as to the genuine existence in history of either Jesus or James. (http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/2768-3.pdf)

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Josephus (continued)

Flavius Josephus (37 - 100 AD), a Jewish general and member of the priestly aristocracy of the Jews, turned to the side of the Roman Empire in the great Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD. Josephus spent the rest of his life in or around Rome as an advisor and historian to three emperors, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. For centuries, the works of Josephus were more widely read in Europe than any book other than the Bible. They are invaluable sources of eyewitness testimony to the development of Western civilization, including the foundation and growth of Christianity in the 1st Century.

Remarkably, Flavius Josephus mentions New Testament events and people in some of his works. For me, this was some of the most significant evidence against the legend theories that plagued my view of early Christianity. Here are some excerpts I found fascinating:

At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders. 1

After the death of the procurator Festus, when Albinus was about to succeed him, the high-priest Ananius considered it a favorable opportunity to assemble the Sanhedrin. He therefore caused James the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, and several others, to appear before this hastily assembled council, and pronounced upon them the sentence of death by stoning. All the wise men and strict observers of the law who were at Jerusalem expressed their disapprobation of this act...Some even went to Albinus himself, who had departed to Alexandria, to bring this breach of the law under his observation, and to inform him that Ananius had acted illegally in assembling the Sanhedrin without the Roman authority. 2

Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. 3

These three quotes from "Josephus" really speak for themselves! Professor Shlomo Pines, a well known Israeli scholar, discusses the fact of Jesus' historicity and the references to Jesus by Flavius Josephus:

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In fact, as far as probabilities go, no believing Christian could have produced such a neutral text: for him the only significant point about it could have been its attesting the historical evidence of Jesus. But the fact is that until modern times this particular hare (i.e. claiming Jesus is a hoax) was never started. Even the most bitter opponents of Christianity never expressed any doubt as to Jesus having really lived. 4

Notes:

1 Antiquities, Book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3 (translated from 4th century Arabic manuscript). An even more phenomenal Greek version of this text exists, which many scholars declare was "doctored" a bit in a few places. However, this version was quoted as early as 325 AD:
Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

2 Antiquities, Book 20, chapter 9, paragraph 1.

3 Antiquities, Book 18, chapter 5, paragraph 2.

4 Shlomo Pines, An Arabic Version of the Testamonium Flavianum and its Implications, Jerusalem Academic Press, 1971, 69. See also, http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mark_eastman/messiah/sfm_ap2.html#note6b.

(http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/flavius-josephus.htm)

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy, Learns A Lesson...

2008-01-07T12:11:00.000-06:00

A remarkable phone call from a 12-year old boy to Houston radio station, KSBJ FM 89.3.

Here's What "Makes Me So Mad!"...

2008-01-05T20:33:00.000-06:00

My friend, Isaiah, has posted two excellent articles in his blog that in my estimation relate to the failure of modern theology and the doctrines derived therefrom. I'm providing links to Isaiah's articles below since I can't say it any better myself and find no need to try to rephrase words already well spoken - thank you, Isaiah!

Isaiah addresses the issues of "prosperity teaching" and "hating sin." But before linking you to his blog and in keeping with the themes of his two articles, I wanted to share one of my own frustrations with a modern day belief that is has been pervasive within most denominations of Christianity and has now been carried over into evangelical Christian sects.In addition to prosperity teaching and the rising tolerance for sin, there is an insidious but rarely mentioned sin that is increasingly taking place beneath the noses of careless shepherds (pastors) that "makes ME so mad!": sexual immorality. Not necessarily their own sexual immorality, but the sexual immorality within their evangelical congregations.

I can tell you from experience that the vast majority of 30-50'something single men and women sitting in Christian congregations have bought into the lies that tout: God is not so cruel as to require people to marry to have sex, single people can't possibly be expected to go without sex for an undetermined period of time, and people shouldn't be expected to get married without knowing if they're sexually compatible. These lies are further upheld by the erroneous application of "none of us are good, we're all sinners saved by grace" so God readily forgives such indulgences. This is where Isaiah's article, Hating Sin, deals spot-on with that lie!

As a 43-year old single woman, I can tell you that I am unable to attend singles groups in good conscience for the lack of teaching about being chaste and doing all to avoid sexual sin. I don't attend singles groups anymore because of the increasing expectation to engage in a sexual relationship when dating the professing "Christian" men I meet there. Leadership doesn't teach its singles about sexual immorality any longer because they don't want to offend or 'make a row hard to hoe,' so-to-speak. Why, if they did, attendance will drop... and we can't have that now, can we?

By not addressing sin for fear of offending, it sometimes appears that leaders have forgotten that God said, “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 3:20-21.) They have also forgotten that "narrow is the way and few there be that find it" and that God perserves for Himself a remnant who are faithful while the majority of people are left to their vices and their enemies. These types of leaders are more concerned about drawing in the masses for their own personal gain rather than teaching the truth (see Isaiah's article, Ooh, This Just Makes Me So Mad). May God remind them that He has always dealt severely with corrupt or uncaring shepherds and false prophets/teachers.

If God does someday bless me with a godly husband who desires to hold-the-line against sexual sin so as not to sin against God and his own body, I will know God truly blessed me with such a man and brought us together by a miracle. Too many so-called Christian men nowadays are able to enjoy sex without committing to marriage since as many so-called Christian women and/or pornography accommodate their lusts and ungodly fears regarding intimacy and commitment.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves .... unloving .... without self-control .... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Some of you may be thinking "What a prude. What a Polly Anna," but allow me to attest to God's truth: I've walked the path of compromise and I can tell you from experience, "God is not mocked for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption." (Galatians 6:8a.) Too many years spent running from God and living in rebellion yielded nothing but corruption and death in relationships along the way, which left nearly intolerable pain in their wake. The rest of Galatians 6:8b and 9 says, "...But he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." 'Tis the 'truth' I know, I live... and I've lived on both sides of this truth!

There is liberty and joy in loving and obeying God! Even if it mitigates my chance of marrying again, I will no longer compromise and willfully sin against God - I love God more than I love corruption and pain! I am no longer a glutton for self-induced punishment nor for the discipline of God. I know God disciplines those whom He loves, but discipline is DISCIPLINE (been there, done that... I have the t-shirt) so as much as I can help it, I do not want to dissappoint Him and I desire to remain in good standing with my Heavenly Father so as not to incur His discipline.

If you can't relate to what I'm saying and feel like you're getting along just fine in having sex outside of its rightful boundaries of marriage, well... hummm... I'd be very concerned if I were you! God only disciplines those whom He loves, while punishment on Judgment Day awaits those who turned their backs on Him and denied Him the opportunity to love them.

The Frank Family

2008-01-03T05:57:00.000-06:00

Traveling home from an out of town visit last week, my daughter and I stopped to eat dinner. I thought about Mr. and Mrs. Frank and girls when I saw the restaurant's sign and couldn't resist taking the picture.

Looks like the Frank(s) family in Texas had made it home safely.

Just had to share... obviously, the sign put the Jason Frank Family in my thoughts and prayers! :)

Tell George W. Bush...

2008-01-01T10:43:00.000-06:00

..."And We Thought You Were Our Friend", by Ruth and Nadia Matar
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“THERE IS NO LAND OF ISRAEL WITHOUT JERUSALEM AND THERE IS NO JERUSALEM WITHOUT THE LAND OF ISRAEL.THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ARE SOVEREIGN IN THEIR LAND AND THEIR CAPITAL - WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD, SETTLE AND EXPAND.”.

TELL GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR HOMELAND!

Dear Friends of Israel,
We cannot allow the Israeli government to maintain the illusion that it is acting in the interests of the Jewish People. The Olmert government no longer even feels obliged to safeguard the lives and property of its own Jewish citizens.

The population of Sderot and the Western Negev remains under constant missile attack, and the Jews expelled from Gush Katif continue to languish in refugee camps. How does the government respond?

It releases from prison Arab terrorists to continue their ‘War against the Jews’. It arms them and grants them international legitimacy! In addition, the government plans to abandon to the Arab enemy large parts of Biblical Israel, i.e. Judea and Samaria and parts of Jerusalem. Most unbelievably, it persecutes those Jews who try to oppose these policies.

[Continued...]

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Blogger Friends of Israel,

We have only few precious days to respond to this call made by 'Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green).' This call must be answered by January 7, 2008, to make a difference!

This is an awesome initiative by a movement that comprises the Hadassah's and Deborah's of this day and age, who are making an appeal right now to men and women to assist in delivering Israel and the Jewish people from the hand of their enemies, which now includes Bush and, sadly, Olmert.

You can actually do something to speak loudly to George W. Bush during his visit to Israel on January 8th. No matter how small, no matter how crazy it may seem, this is an opportunity to bless Israel and stand behind your belief! Let's pray that George W. Bush will undoubtedly hear God's voice in the 'whisper' of this seemingly insignificant gathering as seen in the eyes of the secular and misled, mis-educated population. Please continue to read "Tell George W. Bush 'And We Thought You Were Our Friend'" above to see how you can speak loud and clear to George W. Bush regarding you stance on Israel and Jerusalem. Please do what you can... great or small!

Genesis 12:3 - God bless you for doing this!

Shalom,

Deborah

The Two Covenants of the Torah, by James Trimm

2007-12-30T15:01:00.000-06:00

The Two Covenants of the Torah
by James Trimm

Many of us have missed an important truth. The New Covenant has been in the Torah all along! And this amazing truth is a major key in understanding the writings of Paul. There are in fact two covenants in the Torah and two Mosaic Covenants. The first Mosaic Covenant was made at Mt. Sinai at Horev.

The Second Mosaic Covenant was made at Mt. Nebo at Mo’av. This was a second covenant which YHWH made with the people of Israel through Moses which was made shortly before the death of Moses and the entry of Israel into the Land. This covenant was made near the end of the Torah:

These are the words of the covenant which YHWH commanded Moshe to make with the children of Yisra’el in the land of Mo’av, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horev. (Deut. 28:69 (29:1)) Note that this Covenant at Mo’av was made besides the Covenant made at Sinai.

Rashi makes an important comment about the significance of this word “besides”: besides the covenant [Namely,] the curses [which appear] in Lev. (26: 14-39), which were proclaimed at [Mount] Sinai. (Rashi on Deut. 28:69)

Rashi sees that these are two different covenants and that the word besides is intended to distinguish the Covenant at Sinai, characterized by “the curses” with this new Covenant made at Mo’av which is characterized not just by curses (Deut.29:16-29) but by blessings as well. This covenant was centered around repentance (30:2, 8) and its rewards included a promise of a regathering of Israel from among the nations (30:3-4), a circumcised heart (30:2, 6), Israel would be his people and He would be their Elohim (29:13); a promise of land (30:5) and life (30:6, 15, 19).

This Covenant also includes Torah observance: if you shall hearken to the voice of YHWH your Elohim, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Torah; if you turn unto YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul. (Deut. 30:10)

Continued...
NOTE: Not to be confused with Dual Covenant Theology

The Peaceful Majority, by William Haynes/Yoel.Ben-Avraham

2007-12-28T01:43:00.000-06:00

The Peaceful Majority- - - - by Yoel.Ben-Avraham

I used to know a man whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War Two. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.

"Very few people were true Nazis "he said," but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.

"We are told again and again by "experts" and "talking heads" that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace.

Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history.It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard quantifiable fact is that the "peaceful majority" is the "silent majority" and it is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia comprised Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War 2 was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were "peace loving"? History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
- Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
- Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
- Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

As for us who watch it all unfold; we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, I wish to add: I sincerely think that anyone who rejects this as just another political rant, or doubts the seriousness of this issue or just deletes it without paying heed to it, or sending it on, is part of the problem. Lets quit laughing at and forwarding the jokes and cartoons which denigrate and ridicule our leaders in this war against terror. They are trying to protect the interests and well being of the world and it's citizens. Best we support them.

William Haynes
ENGAGE - For a Secure Israel (ESFI)

The Bread Basket... "His Presence" Among Men

2007-12-21T08:35:00.000-06:00

"The Bread Basket"

The sweet, unleavened bread, holy and without sin,

made an offering unto the LORD for the life of the world.

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven,

That a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven:

If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:

And the bread that I will give is my flesh,

Which I will give for the life of the world.

-Yeshua HaMashiach, John 6:50-51

"It is said that bread is the staff of life, and represents man's physical sustenance. This is certainly so, and it is important that G-d's blessing for goodness and bounty be found in the bread which we partake of... for without His munificent blessing, all of man's efforts would neither satisfy nor satiate. Thus we endeavor to fulfill His will throughout every aspect of our endeavors, and in so doing, we earn His favor and blessing... for each area wherein man fulfills the Holy One's will becomes a channel receiving Heavenly blessing.

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This was especially so in the case of the Showbread, and one aspect of its function was indeed to elicit Divine guidance and providence. The sages teach that since these loaves were in essence the vehicle for fulfilling G-d's commandment, and they were used to accomplish His will, special blessing could be found in it, and indeed, the Divine blessing was seen and felt particularly in the context of the Showbread. The Talmud describes that a miracle took place every week: When the priests came to replace the breads with new loaves every Sabbath, they found that those of the previous week remained fresh and hot upon the table, like the moment they were baked. This miracle was seen as a clear confirmation that the Divine Presence indeed rested in this holy place."

(SOURCE: http://www.templeinstitute.org/table_showbread.htm,

an excerpt from the article: The Table of Showbread )

Although Yeshua's birthday was not December 25, according to the Roman Catholic Church's solar calendar, His birth did take place at some point in time. I, and many others, think He was born during Sukkot since He is "Immanuel" and the literal fulfillment of the sign King Ahaz requested of God in Isaiah 7:10-14. Immanuel, the formless God tabernacling among His covenant people with a covering, a veil of flesh.

Bless the LORD, oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy Name!

A special thanks to Babs for sharing the idea of "The Bread Basket".

Preach It, Brother! A Shocking Message...

2007-12-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

(click on picture to watch YouTube video -

wait a minute or two to view)
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Paul David Washer, a man after God's own heart!
2002 Youth Conference

American Christianity may steal your soul!

Via "For Zion's Sake"...

2007-12-17T05:49:00.000-06:00

A Declaration of the Jewish People to the World... (click on picture)

Thank you, BK!

Genesis 17:7-8 and Deuteronomy 34:1-4

God is a covenant keeping God! Woe to them who compromise the Land!

...You Meant Evil Against Me, but God Meant It for Good...

2007-12-15T09:06:00.001-06:00

Article: The Awesome Plot

Parshah: Vayigash Verses: Genesis 44:18-47:27

by Chabad.Org Parshah

Joseph, and his story, is perhaps my favorite in the Bible. I love his story because it demonstrates the working of God's will in our lives... to our good (Genesis 50:20, Jeremiah 29:11-12). His story teaches us to rest in the comfort of knowing what is sometimes meant for evil against us, God means for our good and the good of others. Joseph was unable to understand why he suffered, but in the end, God revealed to Joseph the crucial role his sufferings played in God's plan to exalt him as Pharaoh's right-hand man. In the end, all - Joseph and his brothers - understood God's goodness and His plan to preserve Israel through drought and famine.

So many times, circumstances set us back and are seemingly insurmountable. However, for those of us who fear and love God, He never fails to engineer a good outcome. The 'good' may not be apparent for many, many years, but in His loving-kindness, God finally reveals the 'good' to His glory and our comfort. And when we trust Him during the difficult times, remembering His Word and His character, it provides us a tremendous sense of joy and comfort. When we don't trust Him, we are in anguish. May we always remember that God is faithful, kind, loving, and merciful. In the worst case scenario, a righteous man may fall seven times, but he never fails to get up. Many times, however, God rescues us from circumstances before the seventh fall. Praise His Holy Name!

My mother and I recently went hiking and while sitting atop the mountain looking over the valley below, we could see a road that stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. I looked to my right, where the road lied closest to the mountain. As my eyes followed the road to the north, into the disappearing horizon, I could see the zigs and zags. But where the road lied closest in my field of vision, I couldn't see it in certain places because of the tree line or protruding rock. And how much less of the road would I have seen if I had been standing on that road?

My mom and I had been discussing Joseph and his story earlier in the hike and relating to one another the awesome hand of God that led Joseph through the darkest moments, when Joseph had no idea that God's hand was so steadily upon him. So, now, as I observed the road below, I suddenly understood what God did for Joseph, his brothers, and the entire nation of Israel, He does for all his children. Like the road stretched out below me, my path is seen by God while I can only see the portion of the road within my field of vision. I thought, "LORD, if you can see the beginning to the end, why do I fret during difficult times in life when the road is uphill, rocky, steep, narrow, or dark? You, LORD, can see the path of my life to the horizon and beyond, and in seeing the difficult passages, places, zigs and zags, you also see the easy, smooth, broad, light places on the path that stretches out before me. Why do I worry? Why should I ever fail to trust you, again, when I know you set my feet firmly on rock and in high-places and have a good plan for me along the way and at the end? You will reveal your goodness to me and open my eyes to understand why the road was so difficult at times and I will leap for joy! Truly, LORD, I need to understand and embrace the knowledge that your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path... and that's all I need to know!"

For the nation of Israel, God has a plan for good, and not for harm - Israel has hope and a good future! And since we know God is the same, that He never changes, we can be assured that as His character has been manifested to Israel, it is manifested to each of His [individual] children.

22 And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
23 "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!
25 "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?
26 "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
28 "But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
29 "And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.
30 "For all these things the nations (pagans) of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.
31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

-Yeshua, Luke 12:22-34

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. 4 How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

-David, Psalm 40:1-4

Behold, Thy Salvation Cometh...

2007-12-14T05:54:00.000-06:00

Hamas Children Make a Proclamation Against All Zionist

December 3, 2007

by MEMRI TV

(click on picture to view)

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is worth much more. Here, Hamas presents their children, who are already well steeped in hatered for all Zionist, Jew and Christian alike, for Israel and America. At the end, a pretty little girl says, "We will wipe out all the people of Zion. Not one of them will be left." I would like to call her a "beautiful" little girl, but for me, beauty exudes from within... her parents and her community have already stolen her beauty through her Islamic, Jihadist indoctrination... and their belief in a moon god may steal her life one day along with the precious lives of some Israeli people. O LORD, forbid this!!!!

There's not much time left before Messiah comes - we see the signs everywhere on a global scale. Many, many Scriptures come to mind as I watched this video: 2 Chronicles 20, Isaiah 62, Ezekiel 37, Joel... to name a few. But we know this: the battle is the LORD's. He, Himself, takes up Israel's cause. Let us humble ourselves before Adonai and pray in the advent of Messiah's coming... and wait... be still and wait for and trust in the LORD!
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In the eyes of all the world, I am proud to be named a Zionist and be counted among God's chosen people. I, for one, am standing in the gap and praying for Israel and God's chosen, covenant people, the Jews. I, for one, will advocate for Israel and the Jewish people unto my last breath! We need to continue to educate ourselves regarding these issues and the era in which we are living... this is it... Messiah is coming, He's right around the corner! Pray and wait, wait and pray!
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10 Go out through the gates!
Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;
raise a flag for all the nations to see.
11 The Lord has sent this message to every land:
“Tell the people of Israel,[e]
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”
(Isaiah 62:10-12)
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As you know, I recently heard Avi Lipkin speak and he repeated something that Golda Meir said when asked, "When do you think the violence will come to an end?" To which she replied, "When Palestinian mothers start loving their children more than they hate the Jews."
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Palestinians serve a false god named "allah", and like Molech, apparently allah requires that they sacrifice their children to him. Like Avi said, Islam suffers from a psychosis just like the Nazis did. They think they can defeat the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and wipe away His chosen people from the face of the earth... sorry, Charlie, it ain't gonna happen! Truly, Islam is possessed by Satan... Satan has always sought to destroy God's people via peoples outside the covenant with God. Our comfort lies in knowing our God is the One, True God, who keeps His promises!
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Praise God, He is so good! Aren't you exceedingly glad we serve a good and loving God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who loves LIFE? Yes! Bless His Holy Name forever and ever!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and Ransom Captive Israel

2007-12-11T20:46:00.000-06:00

Lyrics:

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

***

Baruch HaShem! Oh, yes... ransom Your people, Israel! Bless Your people, Israel!

10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” 13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[b] (Isaiah 7:10-14)

6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You. (Psalm 2:6-7)

19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,[b]
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.

20 I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,

21 With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.

24 “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.

26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’

27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.

28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him. (Psalm 89:19-28)

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

Amen v' Amen!

And my favorite song since childhood... The Little Drummer Boy, by Josh Groban

God bless you, Josh... you play your drum well for your King and Messiah!
Another beautiful song by Josh, O Holy Night...

My Jewish and Christian Zionist Friends...

2007-12-11T12:57:00.000-06:00

Avi Lipkin

Recently, I had the privilege of hearing a conservative Jewish man, Avi Lipkin, speak on the realities of Islam, not once, but twice in one week. Avi is a family friend who is known by my brother and mother, but I heard Avi speak for the first time last year and was absolutely riveted by the depth of his knowledge about Islam. His message is powerful and his information current since his Jewish wife of 37 years, Rachel, is from Egypt and listens to the Arabic Islamic broadcasts all day long as required by her career as a journalist in Israel... so Avi is in the "know". (Avi, a native New Yorker, made Aliyah 40 years ago.)

If you have the opportunity to catch Avi Lipkin during his tour of the U.S. and Canada and invite him to your synagogue or church, I guarantee he is worth the effort!

God has blessed me in placing me in Houston, Texas, where there is a group of dedicated Christian Zionist, Hineni Ministries, whose hearts are turned toward God, Israel, and the Jewish people. This group typically meets once a month to hear and support Jewish guest speakers, Israeli and non-Israeli alike. I have had the privilege of sitting in meetings and listening to Ari Abramowitz, International Center for Biblical Zionism, and Avi Lipkin... just to name a couple of the excellent guests our group has hosted.

Warm Wishes for a Happy Chanukah!

2007-12-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

by Wikipedia

(click on above)

A History Lesson

(Thank you, BK!)

Happy, happy Chanukah!

Happy 18th Birthday, My Precious Michaela!

2007-12-01T13:51:00.002-06:00

Sweet baby girl,

I want so much for you to know

how much I love you.

You are so beautiful inside and out!

You have grown into a lovely young woman,

and you are blessed by God in so many ways...

from your uncanny ability to make friends

who stick by you and you by them

through the thick and the thin,

to your musical abilities,

to your tenacious, never-say-quit,

fearless, overcoming attitude,

to your rock-steadiness and ability to

commit without wavering,

to being an awesomely obedient child

and honoring your father and your mother(s)

(as I've always told you, God is going to bless you

with long life on the earth for doing so),

to the trust you place in the LORD...

My sweet baby girl, you are an awesome

young lady and blessed, blessed, blessed!

I know I am critical of you sometimes,

but it's only because I have experienced

so much more of life, and I can often

see that the path you are taking

today may not take you where

you want to be tomorrow.

I know, too, that you are still young,

and you have to experience life for

yourself. But if I can, I just want to

spare you some of the pain I had to

go through on my own path in life.

When the right words don't come with all I

want to say, I can still say this:

I love you tremendously! I would do

anything for you. And I promise I will

try to be more patient and understanding

without always interjecting my words of wisdom

as I let go and allow you to fly on your own.

I pray that you will be patient with me, too,

and understand my concern when I'm just not

able to hold my tongue.

I ask only two things of you:

that you continue to love and

fear the LORD,

and that you continue to tell me

that you love me, too,

because that's all I need from you!

I love you!

Love, Mom

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem!

2007-11-27T04:18:00.000-06:00

22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually. (Psalm 74:22-23)

Amen and amen! May the God of Israel reign!

Thousands Rally in Jerusalem against Annapolis (Haaretz.com)

Stan Goodenough reports day-by-day (Jerusalem Watchman)

Delta lists the Annapolis agenda (Tsofah)

Sheol, The Tribulation, and The Judgment

2007-11-26T05:43:00.000-06:00

Below are the references to Sheol (Hell, Hades, Gehenna, the pit, the lake of fire) and also to the Tribulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheol

5 For the waves of Death compassed me. The floods of Belial assailed me.
6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of Death confronted me. (2 Samuel 22)

5 The shades tremble beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.
6 The nether-world is naked before Him, and Destruction hath no covering. (Job 26)

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!
12 And the harp and the psaltery, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of HaShem, neither have they considered the operation of His hands.
13 Therefore My people are gone into captivity, for want of knowledge; and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude are parched with thirst.
14 Therefore the nether-world hath enlarged her desire, and opened her mouth without measure; and down goeth their glory, and their tumult, and their uproar, and he that rejoiceth among them.
15 And man is bowed down, and man is humbled, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled;
16 But HaShem of hosts is exalted through justice, and G-d the Holy One is sanctified through righteousness. (Isaiah 5)

5 HaShem hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers,
6 That smote the peoples in wrath with an incessant stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.
7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing.
8 Yea, the cypresses rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon: 'Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.'
9 The nether-world from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; the shades are stirred up for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; all the kings of the nations are raised up from their thrones.
10 All they do answer and say unto thee: 'Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?
11 Thy pomp is brought down to the nether-world, and the noise of thy psalteries; the maggot is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.'
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, that didst cast lots over the nations!
13 And thou saidst in thy heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, above the stars of G-d will I exalt my throne, and I will sit upon the mount of meeting, in the uttermost parts of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to the nether-world, to the uttermost parts of the pit. (Isaiah 14)

14 Wherefore hear the word of HaShem, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:
15 Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood have we hid ourselves';
16 Therefore thus saith the L-rd GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with the nether-world shall not stand; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it,
19 As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer terror to understand the message.
20 For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.
21 For HaShem will rise up as in mount Perazim, He will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that He may do His work, strange is His work, and bring to pass His act, strange is His act.
22 Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heard from the L-rd, the GOD of hosts, upon the whole land. (Isaiah 28)

2 Then Jonah prayed unto HaShem his G-d out of the fish's belly.
3 And he said: I called out of mine affliction unto HaShem, and He answered me; out of the belly of the nether-world cried I, and Thou heardest my voice.
4 For Thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, and the flood was round about me; all Thy waves and Thy billows passed over me.
5 And I said: 'I am cast out from before Thine eyes'; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.
6 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the weeds were wrapped about my head.
7 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars closed upon me for ever; yet hast Thou brought up my life from the pit, O HaShem my G-d.
8 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered HaShem; and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thy holy temple.
9 They that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
10 But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving; that which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is of HaShem. (Jonah 2)

8 But HaShem is enthroned for ever; He hath established His throne for judgment.
9 And He will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples with equity. (Psalm 9)

28 Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them not come into Thy righteousness.
29 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.(B) (Psalm 69)

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to HaShem; but He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
10 There is grievous correction for him that forsaketh the way; and he that hateth reproof shall die.
11 The nether-world and Destruction are before HaShem; how much more then the hearts of the children of men! (Proverbs 15)

What did Yeshua say about Sheol?

19 There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day. 20 And at his gate there was [carelessly] dropped down and left a certain utterly destitute man named Lazarus, [reduced to begging alms and] covered with [ulcerated] sores.
21 He [eagerly] desired to be satisfied with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover, the dogs even came and licked his sores.
22 And it occurred that the man [reduced to] begging died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have pity and mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to pass from this [place] to you may not be able, and no one may pass from there to us.
27 And [the man] said, Then, father, I beseech you to send him to my father's house--
28 For I have five brothers--so that he may give [solemn] testimony and warn them, lest they too come into this place of torment.
29 But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear and listen to them.
30 But he answered, No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent (change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins).
31 He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead. (Luke 16:19-31)

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets.
31 Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins to the brim [so [k]that nothing may be wanting to a full measure].
33 You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the [l]penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)?
34 Because of this, take notice: I am sending you prophets and wise men (interpreters and teachers) and scribes (men learned in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets); some of them you will kill, even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue and persecute from town to town,
35 So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous ([m]those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar [of burnt offering].(E)
36 Truly I declare to you, all these [[n]evil, calamitous times] will come upon this generation. [II Chron. 36:15, 16.]
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused!
38 Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (abandoned and left destitute of God's help). [I Kings 9:7; Jer. 22:5.]
39 For I declare to you, you will not see Me again until you say, Blessed (magnified in worship, adored, and exalted) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!(F) (Matthew 23:29-39) 4 I tell you, My friends, do not dread and be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom you should fear: fear Him Who, after killing, has power to hurl into hell (Gehenna); yes, I say to you, fear Him! [Proverbs 15:11] (Luke 12:4-5)

Here are some excerpts from the book of Revelation regarding the Tribulation and the final disposition of the those whose names are not found in the Book of Life. But to better understand the Tribulation, you must read Daniel's prophecy about the end time and then entire book of Revelation. In Revelation 7, the twelve tribes of Israel are named and these are only Jews who have been circumcised in their flesh and in their hearts and who are marked in their foreheads in accordance with Ezekiel 9. But the "vast host" (a.k.a. "great multitude") in Revelation 7 are both righteous Jews and Gentiles.

Revelation 1
1 [THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass [a]in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John, 2 Who has testified to and vouched for all that he saw [[b]in his visions], the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed (happy, [c]to be envied) is the man who reads aloud [in the assemblies] the word of this prophecy; and blessed (happy, [d]to be envied) are those who hear [it read] and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it [heeding them and laying them to heart], for the time [for them to be fulfilled] is near.
4 John to the seven assemblies (congregations) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace ([e]the peace of Christ's kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [[f]the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne,(A)
5 And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who [g]ever loves us and has [h]once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood,(B)
6 And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it).(C)
7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it).(D)
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).(E)
9 I, John, your brother and companion (sharer and participator) with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance [which are] in Jesus Christ, was on the isle called Patmos, [banished] on account of [my witnessing to] the Word of God and the testimony (the proof, the evidence) for Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a [i]war trumpet,
11 Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven [congregations] which are in Asia--to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
12 Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast.(F)
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire.(G)
15 His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.(H)
16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday.(I)
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last,(J)
18 And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).
19 Write therefore the things you see, what they are [and signify] and what is to take place hereafter.
20 As to the hidden meaning (the mystery) of the seven stars which you saw on My right hand and the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the seven angels (messengers) of the seven assemblies (congregations) and the seven lampstands are the seven [congregations].

Revelation 5
1 AND I saw lying on the [a]open hand of Him Who was seated on the throne a scroll (book) written within and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals;(A) 2 And I saw a strong angel announcing in a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll? And [who is entitled and deserves and is morally fit] to break its seals?
3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in the realm of the dead, Hades] was able to open the scroll or to take a [single] look at its contents.
4 And I wept audibly and bitterly because no one was found fit to open the scroll or to inspect it.
5 Then one of the elders [[b]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!(B)
6 And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [[c]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [[d]the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth.(C)
7 He then went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne.
8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [[e]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints).
9 And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation.(D)
10 And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth!(E)
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders [[f]of the heavenly Sanhedrin], and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,(F)
12 Saying in a loud voice, Deserving is the Lamb, Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing!
13 And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honor and the majesty (glory, splendor) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)!(G)
14 Then the four living creatures (beings) said, Amen (so be it)! And the elders [[g]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves and worshiped Him Who lives forever and ever.

Revelation 7
1 AFTER THIS I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth, [a]firmly holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind should blow on the earth or sea or upon any tree.(A) 2 Then I saw a second angel coming up from the east (the rising of the sun) and carrying the seal of the living God. And with a loud voice he called out to the four angels who had been given authority and power to injure earth and sea,
3 Saying, Harm neither the earth nor the sea nor the trees, until we have sealed the bond servants of our God upon their foreheads.(B)
4 And [then] I heard how many were sealed (marked) out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: there were 144,000.
5 Twelve thousand were sealed (marked) out of the tribe of Judah, 12,000 of the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 of the tribe of Gad,
6 Twelve thousand of the tribe of Asher, 12,000 of the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 of the tribe of Manasseh,
7 Twelve thousand of the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 of the tribe of Levi, 12,000 of the tribe of Issachar,
8 Twelve thousand of the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 of the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 of the tribe of Benjamin.
9 After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10 In loud voice they cried, saying, [Our] salvation is due to our God, Who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [to Them we owe our deliverance]!
11 And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders [[b]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures, and they fell prostrate before the throne and worshiped God.
12 Amen! (So be it!) they cried. Blessing and glory and majesty and splendor and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might [be ascribed] to our God to the ages and ages (forever and ever, throughout the eternities of the eternities)! Amen! (So be it!)
13 Then, addressing me, one of the elders [[c]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said, Who are these [people] clothed in the long white robes? And from where have they come?
14 I replied, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (persecution), and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(C)
15 For this reason they are [now] before the [very] throne of God and serve Him day and night in His sanctuary (temple); and He Who is sitting upon the throne will protect and spread His tabernacle over and shelter them with His presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun smite them, nor any [d]scorching heat.(D)
17 For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(E)

Revelation 19
1 AFTER THIS I heard what sounded like a mighty shout of a great crowd in heaven, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! Salvation and glory (splendor and majesty) and power (dominion and authority) [belong] to our God! 2 Because His judgments (His condemnation and punishment, His sentences of doom) are true and sound and just and upright. He has judged (convicted, pronounced sentence, and doomed) the great and notorious harlot (idolatress) who corrupted and demoralized and poisoned the earth with her lewdness and adultery (idolatry). And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand.(A)
3 And again they shouted, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! The smoke of her [burning] shall continue to ascend forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).(B)
4 Then the twenty-four elders [of [a]the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures fell prostrate and worshiped [paying divine honors to] God, Who sits on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!
5 Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, Praise our God, all you servants of His, you who reverence Him, both small and great!(C)
6 After that I heard what sounded like the shout of a vast throng, like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of terrific and mighty peals of thunder, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! For now the Lord our God the Omnipotent (the All-Ruler) reigns!
7 Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself.(D)
8 She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people).
9 Then [the angel] said to me, Write this down: Blessed (happy, [b]to be envied) are those who are summoned (invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me [further], These are the true words (the genuine and exact declarations) of God.
10 Then I fell prostrate at his feet to worship (to pay divine honors) to him, but he [restrained me] and said, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] another servant with you and your brethren who have [accepted and hold] the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God! For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours].
11 After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness).(E)
12 His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand.(F)
13 He is dressed in a robe dyed by [c]dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God.
14 And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent).(G)
16 And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.(H)
17 Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's [d]light, and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds that fly across the sky, Come, gather yourselves together for the great supper of God,(I)
18 That you may feast on the flesh of rulers, the flesh of generals and captains, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all humanity, both free and slave, both small and great!
19 Then I saw the beast and the rulers and leaders of the earth with their troops mustered to go into battle and make war against Him Who is mounted on the horse and against His troops.
20 And the beast was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who in his presence had worked wonders and performed miracles by which he led astray those who had accepted or permitted to be placed upon them the stamp (mark) of the beast and those who paid homage and gave divine honors to his statue. Both of them were hurled alive into the fiery lake that burns and blazes with brimstone.
21 And the rest were killed with the sword that issues from the mouth of Him Who is mounted on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and glutted themselves with their flesh.

Revelation 20
11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 I [also] saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [[b]their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books.
13 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades ([c]the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works].
14 Then death and Hades ([d]the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire. BK,You know I am not your judge, nor am I anyone else's judge. There is only one Judge regarding the final disposition of each man and woman according to His righteousness and justice. Remember, G-d's throne is founded upon righteousness and justice! I do believe all those who have not obeyed G-d will go to an eternal place called Hell (Sheol, Hades, Gehenna)! Yes, G-d Himself will send the disobidient to Sheol for eternal destruction, and that doesn't mean "lights out forever", it means conscience suffering. Dear BK, because I believe Yeshua is the Messiah who is and who was and who is to come, I do believe all that He said concerning His first and second Messianic missions on earth, and I believe all that He said about eternal life - I believe what He had to say about one's eternal life that is either spent worshipping G-d or is spent in Hell (Sheol, Hades, Gehenna) along with Satan and the angels that fell with him (the book of Revelation speaks very vividly about Satan's judgment and the judgment of those whose names are not found in the Book of Life).

That's Right... Salvation is of the Jews

2007-11-24T12:23:00.000-06:00

I Love Weather... I Love Maps...

2007-11-24T10:20:00.000-06:00

Today's featured article on Wikipedia, Surface Weather Analysis...

Big Brother at Work in the Pentagon...

2007-11-22T16:24:00.000-06:00

Wow... truly, Big Brother is at work! (Read "1984" by George Orwell if you don't know who "Big Brother" is.)

Can you believe that my blog merited a visit by the U.S. Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, yesterday? But in quickly reading over the last post, I guess I can understand why - there are lots of "key words" that provoke suspicion. However, in actually reading the post carefully, and in looking beyond suspicious key words, it quickly becomes apparent that I am anything but a threat to the world. Have any of you had a hit from the Pentagon? I know many of you write and speak out against our enemy, the Islamic jihadist.

I DO NOT appreciate that we have lost our privacy - the U.S. government searches our blogs and websites and taps our phones - but I suppose in the effort to fight Islamic terrorism, it's okay with me to hit my blog to ensure Deborah isn't a threat to world peace or U.S. security.

Unfortunately, their efforts are priming the world scene for end times and the coming Tribulation. We will become so accustomed to the intrusive behavior by our governments and financial institutions in the name of "peace" that we will provide them a free pass to do so (like I just did). Those of us who await the arrival of [Messiah] would be caught off-guard and deceived if we were not called to be sober and alert - to know and understand the signs of the end! But the world is one step closer to ushering in the false messiah, the man whom everyone will adore and accept as the "peace maker," the "deliverer"... the "Messiah."

For me, the coming Tribulation means being gloriously rescued by Messiah and being caught up to join Him in the wedding of the Lamb. But for the vast majority of the world, the last three and a half years of the Tribulation means destruction and death - the wrath of God upon those who refused to fear and obey Him.

1 Now concerning(A) the coming of our Lord Jesus [the Messiah] and our(B) being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,[a] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or(C) alarmed, either(D) by a spirit or a(E) spoken word, or(F) a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3(G) Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come,(H) unless the rebellion comes first, and(I) the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed,(J) the son of destruction,[c] 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God,(K) proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For(L) the mystery of lawlessness(M) is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then(N) the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus(O) will kill with(P) the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by(Q) the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan(R) with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for(S) those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore(T) God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe(U) what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned(V) who did not believe the truth but(W) had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple...

1(A) Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you,(B) there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

Signs of the Close of the Age...

3 As he sat on(C) the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him(D) privately, saying, "Tell us,(E) when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your(F) coming and of(G) the close of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered them, (H) "See that no one leads you astray. 5 For(I) many will come in my name, saying, 'I am(J) the [Messiah],' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you(K) are not alarmed, for this(L) must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For(M) nation will rise against nation, and(N) kingdom against kingdom, and there will be(O) famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of(P) the birth pains.

9 "Then(Q) they will deliver you up(R) to tribulation and(S) put you to death, and(T) you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and(U) betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many(V) false prophets will arise(W) and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased,(X) the love of many will grow cold. 13(Y) But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom(Z) will be proclaimed throughout the whole world(AA) as a testimony(AB) to all nations, and(AC) then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation...

15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation(AD) spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in(AE) the holy place ((AF) let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17(AG) Let the one who is on(AH) the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And(AI) alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be(AJ) great tribulation,(AK) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for(AL) the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23(AM) Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For(AN) false christs and(AO) false prophets will arise and(AP) perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See,(AQ) I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, 'Look,(AR) he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27(AS) For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be(AT) the coming of the Son of Man. 28(AU) Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man...

29 "Immediately after(AV) the tribulation of those days(AW) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and(AX) the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then(AY) will appear in heaven(AZ) the sign of the Son of Man, and then(BA) all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and(BB) they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven(BC) with power and great glory. 31 And(BD) he will send out his angels with a loud(BE) trumpet call, and they will(BF) gather(BG) his elect from(BH) the four winds,(BI) from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree...

32 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near,(BJ) at the very gates. 34(BK) Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35(BL) Heaven and earth will pass away, but(BM) my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour...

36 "But concerning that day and hour(BN) no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,(BO) nor the Son,[b](BP) but the Father only. 37(BQ) For as were the days of Noah,(BR) so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38(BS) For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,(BT) marrying and giving in marriage, until(BU) the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away,(BV) so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41(BW) Two women will be grinding(BX) at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore,(BY) stay awake, for you do not know on what day(BZ) your Lord is coming. 43(CA) But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night(CB) the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be(CC) ready, for(CD) the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 "Who then is(CE) the faithful and(CF) wise servant,[c] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46(CG) Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you,(CH) he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master(CI) is delayed,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[d] and eats and drinks with(CJ) drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come(CK) on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place(CL) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:1-51)

The Forgotten People... Never Again, Never Again!

2007-11-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

BREAK THE SILENCE! For those of us who love the Jewish people and Israel, we cannot be part of the silent majority! The forgotten people, six million people, are calling out... calling out... history must NEVER repeat itself!

The Forgotten People, by Ted Pearce

At the end of this video is the prayer of a German pastor, Jobst Bittner, from Tubingen, Germany. Over 70 percent of his congregants are the children or grandchildren of Nazis. Years ago, his congregation heard the LORD calling them to "repent." At first they didn't understand the call to repent, but then the LORD showed them that they needed to repent for the sins of their fathers. Since then, this congregation literally repented for the sins of their fathers and have adamantly prayed for the "life" of the Jewish people and for Israel. Since their repentance and prayers for the Jewish people, they have seen the resignation of their former Chancellor, reasons unknown, and the ushering in of a new one, Angela Merkel, who happens to be a Christian who respects the Jewish people and supports Israel.

On top of many positive overtures Chancellor Merkel has made to the Jewish people, on November 7, 2007, Chancellor Merkel said she felt a moral duty to protect Israel and would stand firm in the face of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its threats to wipe the Jewish state off the map. (The European Jewish Press, http://www.ejpress.org/article/21513)

Here are the words of Pastor Bittner's prayer:

"The Bible says, 'For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. Punishing the childern for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.'

LORD, I hear the cry of six million of your people - men, women, children - murdered, annihlated in the Holocaust and burnt. We confess these atrocities as sin and humble ourselves before you in shame. You have heard our pleas and our repentance has come before your ears.

LORD, I see black smoke. It rises up and spreads out like a veil of darkness over the nations, again. The dark veil is the sin of our silence. Just as we Germans have remained silent, so peoples and the nations are silent once again. Again, your people, Israel, are hated, dispised, and rejected, and yet, we remain silent, even in the church. We are silent concerning the sins of our fathers. We remain silent, and behold, the black smoke is covering us again.

From the land of unmerited grace, we are calling out, 'Nations arise! For Zion's sake, open your mouth! Never again slander, hatered, or death! Israel, we will never forsake you, again! You are our inheritance, our love, the blessings for all the nations!' Listen, receive the word... it will pervade your spirit! No more silence! Never again, never again, never again!"

Below is an article that sums up the world situation far better than I can...

The Peaceful Majority
by William Haynes

I used to know a man whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War Two. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.

"Very few people were true Nazis "he said," but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories."

We are told again and again by "experts" and "talking heads" that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace.

Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history.It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard quantifiable fact is that the "peaceful majority" is the "silent majority" and it is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia comprised Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War 2 was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were "peace loving"? History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:

-Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
-Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
-Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.

As for us who watch it all unfold; we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

Lastly, I wish to add: I sincerely think that anyone who rejects this as just another political rant, or doubts the seriousness of this issue or just deletes it without paying heed to it, or sending it on, is part of the problem. Lets quit laughing at and forwarding the jokes and cartoons which denigrate and ridicule our leaders in this war against terror. They are trying to protect the interests and well being of the world and it's citizens. Best we support them.

mailto:Haynesbill2space@cox.net
via ENGAGE - For a Secure Israel (EFSI) by Yoel.Ben-Avraham on 1/30/07

For Zion's Sake, I Will Not Be Silent!...

Link & Article: Bridges to Healing

2007-11-04T13:30:00.000-06:00

I am leaving the country for a week this evening but when I return next Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m., I must immediately proceed to a 4 hour training session. The training session is the first session in a series regarding the affects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among America's returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. Volunteers will be trained for lay counseling so we can assist U.S. troops in dealing with PTSD and overcoming its adverse effects. This is a national ministry that's associated with Military Ministry and is called "Bridges to Healing." Bridges to Healing is striving to reach out to returning veterans and their families who recognize the affects of PTSD in their lives and are courageous enough to seek assistance in their effort to successfully assimilate back into normal life and society.

In the first orientation meeting I attended with a few members of my church's congregation, I had the privilege to listen to the testimony of the two people in the video clip below, Bruce and Andy, and meet them as well. Bruce and Andy's stories presented in this video clip pale in comparison to their in-person testimonies. However, the video clip is a good introduction to their plight and the phenomenon known as PTSD.

I am currently reading a book that I have a hard time putting down called "ZVI" by Elwood McQuaid. It's a story about a Jewish Holocaust survivor and his journey to the Promised Land after WW II. I just read a passage from the book that led me to think about this new ministry in which I am partaking. These returning veterans need a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11-12 comes to mind as I know it applies to all persons who earnestly seek His face. We know God is consistent and we can trust that Jeremiah 29:11-12 certainly applies to individuals when we sincerely seek His face. As individuals we decide on which side of God's promises we land - He is a kind and merciful God - but His ability to deliver us depends on our heart's attitude toward Him. If our attitude is one of mistrust and unbelief, the healing process is slow and may never be completed.

Regarding this new ministry, Bridges to Healing, I intuitively know that we have to convey to these veterans that they have a hope and a future when they choose to trust the LORD. They have to learn to embrace the LORD, and their hopes for a future, to make their current existence tolerable and even enjoyable, and they must do so in faith.

Below is an excerpt from the book "Zvi" that presents an appropriate objective for the new ministry in which I am about to participate - admonishing them to look ahead. In this excerpt, Henryk is describing his time spent in Germany in 1945 as he awaits emigration to Palestine. He is struggling with the emotional fallout of his recent past of having survived Hitler and the German occupation in Poland and then realizing his family has perished at the hands of Nazi tyranny. He is now among a disheartened group with the same experience...

"Physically and psychologically, it was a constructive time for all six hundred Jewish transients. An optimistic mood was the prevalent theme of life during their stay in Germany. They were constantly admonished to look ahead. For the first time in years, these people had a future. Whatever had befallen them in bygone days, there was assuredly something to anticipate now. Most of them had come out of the war heavily scarred by their experiences, and it took a while for them to progress from abject despair to any form of expectation. But gradually the transformation began to take place. One saw smiles on faces more often. Some who had been secretive and reclusive began to communicate openly with other members of the group." - ZVI, by Elwood McQuaid, page 90.

I don't know the ending to Henryk's story but I do know many like him survived WW II and Nazi tyranny to become successful in society and in family life. I desire to see that kind of courage and tenacity manifest in the returning U.S. troops, especially for those who know God or desire to now lean on the one and only true God in their effort to cope with their experiences.

The two people in the video clip below are on the road to healing, but they will tell you that their healing is still a long way off and is entirely dependent upon God and their desire and ability to recognize Him and His provisions. Bruce and Andy, and many like them, realize God is their Healer! God is faithful to lead all of us down the path to healing, but we determine whether we are healed sooner than later and it's contingent upon our desire to let go and let Him direct our steps. The LORD leads us through the valley of the shadow of death, sets a table before us in the presence of those things that haunt or taunt us, anoints our heads with oil, and causes our blessings to overflow... surely His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives when we allow Him to lead.

"...For I am the LORD, your healer." - Exodus 15:26

God bless you all... I'll be in touch when I return!

Let the Bible Speak for Itself: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father"

2007-10-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’..." - Jesus, Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)

23 Then one said to [Jesus], “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” - Matthew 13:23-30

1 ...[B]rethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonnians 4:1-8 (NKJV)

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
10 ...[find] out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:3-6, 10-11 (NKJV)

Here is what is acceptable to the LORD:

5 [So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you]*: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. - Colossians 3:5-17 (NKJV)

*New Living Translation

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:2

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore
“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:9-21 (NKJV)

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. - James 1:12 (NKJV)

10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 12 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." - Jesus, Revelation 3:10-12 (NKJV)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love." - Jesus, John 15:5-10 (NKJV)

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul,[h] and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” - Mark 12:28-34a (NKJV)

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,”[a] “You shall not covet,”[b] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[c] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. - Romans 13:8-10 (NKJV)

Link: The Messianic Significance of the Feast of Tabernacles

2007-09-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

The Messianic Significance of Sukkot

Sukkot - September 26, 2007 to October 3, 2007

My brother and his beautiful family in their sukkah (tent) at their home

Happy Sukkot!

...........

Article: The Messianic Significance of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement

2007-09-13T05:07:00.000-05:00

The Messianic Significance of

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

and Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah - September 13, 2007

The symbolism in the all the feasts (Leviticus 23), the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) included, clearly demonstrate various aspects of Messiah's purpose and Kingdom. God has been preaching the Gospel from the very beginning, as Jesus told us (Luke 24:27,32,45 and John 5:39), and as Paul told us (Galatians 3:8).

The parallels drawn between the feasts and Messiah's purpose and missions are remarkable. The Scriptures in the Tanakh (Old Testament) do tell us of the Messiah - they tell us precisely who He is: His looks, His personality, His methods, His purpose, and His missions. His first mission on earth was to come as a suffering servant (Isaiah 52-53) to redeem those who accept Him as the perfect sacrifice, once and for all time, for the atonement of their sins and who obey His commandments (John 14:21-24, Revelation 22:14 (KJV)). His second mission is to come as a King (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Daniel 7:13-14, Psalm 2 and 110, Isaiah 9:6-7).

The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is no less than a perfect demonstration (picture or shadow) of the need to sanctify (set apart) ourselves from the world and then be assembled unto rest (Hebrews 4:1-11) upon being called by a trumpet blast.

The Feast of Trumpets occurs 10 days before the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The trumpet blasts that are performed during the Feasts of Trumpets come after sanctification (being set apart). The blasts are the same type of blasts that Moses was told to have the priests perform in calling together an assembly of the people so they could go up to Mount Sinai to receive instruction from the LORD - the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:10-25).

The blasts of the trumpets mean five different things depending on the sound or length of the blast (Numbers 10:1-10). The blasts: (1) called together an assembly of leaders, (2) forewarned the people when they were to set out on the next journey (with two different warning blasts), (3) called together an assembly of the people, (4) served as a warning to Israel's enemies and caused the LORD to remember them so He would save them from their enemies, or (5) called them to remember the LORD in their days of rejoicing, in their appointed Feasts, and at the beginning of each month; the trumpet blasts were performed over their sacrifices and peace offerings to remind them of the LORD their God.

For those who believe in Jesus as our Messiah, the Feast of Trumpets is now the true fulfillment of: (1) a call to remember what God has done by offering His Son as the perfect sacrifice for sin and the peace offering who reconciled us with God forever (Hebrews 10:1-25, Colossians 1:19-20, Romans 5:9-11), (2) a call to remember that He has given us victory over our enemies - Jesus' enemies, our same enemies, are His footstool (Psalm 110:1), (3) a call that will assemble the righteous when being caught up in the clouds with Jesus at His appearing - before His millennial reign and establishment of His Messianic Kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Through the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, God demonstrated the coming of Messiah's Kingdom and the preparations that have to be made in people's hearts and minds to be received into His Kingdom. God has been preaching the Gospel from the beginning - He prepared the hearts and minds of His people, Israel, to receive their Messiah, who would make a new covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:31-40). They would have understood this if God had not veiled the truth for them for a season.

For the time being, their eyes are blind, their ears are shut, and their minds are veiled because of their disobedience and rebellion ((Isaiah 28:12-13, 16, 29:9-10) Romans 9:30-33, 11:7-8 and 2 Corinthians 3:14-18). The good news is that God says He has kept a remnant all along, like the 7,000 who did not bow their knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18, Micah 7:18-20). The remnant have accepted Jesus as Messiah, and better news yet, God will save all of Israel when He removes the veil from their minds and opens their eyes and ears to see and hear Jesus as their Messiah (Romans 11 and Zechariah 12:10-14, 13:1, Isaiah 44:1-8). They will certainly understand the meaning of the Feasts that they have kept when that time comes.

We can see that the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) is symbolic of the calling that will assemble the Saints when being caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air and taken to heaven. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-31) is symbolic of the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). And the nine days that lie between the two may be the time of preparation for the Bride for the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-8). Perhaps the nine days, the Days of Awe, in between represent the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10-14 for God's people, Israel - literally occurring in the time between the in-gathering of the Saints and the final judgment day. The fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10-14 seems most fitting since the Days of Awe are a serious time of introspection for the Jewish people; it is during the Days of Awe that they consider the wrongs done to others and seek to be forgiven and to forgive. Read Zechariah 12:10-14 in light of the Days of Awe - awesome!

Revelation 3:3-5 is just one passage of Scripture that simply demonstrates the fulfillment of Feast of Trumpets, the nine days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, and then the Day of Atonement. The meaning God assigned to each of these as found in Leviticus 23:

(1) The Feast of Trumpets (3:3): Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

(2) The days of preparation for the coming Day of Atonement (3:4): You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy (Revelation 7:14).

(2) The Day of Atonement (3:5): He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Psalm 2:6-7, 10-12).

12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Isaiah 44:6)
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes (Exodus 19:14, Revelation 7:14), so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the [congregations*]. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost (Isaiah 55:1, John 4:13-14).
- Revelation 22:12-17

I pray you have heard the Gospel of Salvation, believe in Jesus, are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13), and your name is now written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

Have a very sweet and blessed New Year! I'shanah tova tikkatevu vetechatemu (Hebrew): May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!

-Deborah

(click on the picture link above to read the entire tradition of Rosh Hashanah. To read, The Christian and Rosh Hashanah, scroll to the bottom of John J. Parson's article)

*Revelation 22:16: The English translation of the Greek word for "congregation" is "church". The Greek word for "congregation" is "ekklesia", which means "a calling out, i.e., a popular meeting place, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): assembly." - Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

I bring this point out to remove the belief that "churches" are only Gentile in nature, and to undermine the negative connotation that the word "church" has in the minds of some precious Jewish people who have been truly slighted, historically and presently, by unbelieving, so-called Christians who are really anit-Semitic, evil-spirited people that cast stones, or worse, from within their "churches". (Believe me, for those who presently perpetuate anti-Semitism, I pray that those kind of Gentiles will truly believe in Messiah, too, so they will love you as He does! For those who were guilty of proliferating anti-Semitism in the past, who are now dead and gone, God is their Judge and it's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God - our God is a consuming fire!). So understand that in Revelation 22, Messiah said, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the congregations. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

-------

.1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:1-5

Hurricane Humberto

2007-09-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Archive data

NOAA Satellite IR - Tropical Atlantic (real-time)

NWS Enhanced Doppler Radar - National Mosaic Loop (real-time)

Hurricane Felix

2007-09-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

Archive data

NOAA Satellite IR - Tropical Atlantic (real-time)

Let the Bible Speak for Itself: Think Not That I Am Come to Destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I Am Not Come to Destroy, but to Fulfill

2007-09-01T10:32:00.001-05:00

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
- Jesus, Matthew 5:17-20

--------------------
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.[a]

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,

“You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”[b]

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,[c] are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[d]
13 “Their talk is foul,
like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[e]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[f]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[g]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”[h]

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[i] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.[j] 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
- Paul, Romans 3

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1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[a]

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”[b]

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?[c] Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”[d] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”[e] 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
- Paul, Romans 4

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'[a] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me."
- Jesus, John 6:44-45

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1 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters.[a] I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. 4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children.[b] God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.[c]

6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,”[d] though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”[e]

10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.[f] 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”[g] 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”[h]

14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”[i]

16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”[j] 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,
“Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.”[k]

26 And,

“Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[l]

27 And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,

“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.

28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.”[m]

29 And Isaiah said the same thing in another place:
“If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.”[n]

30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law[o] instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem[p] that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[q]
- Paul, Romans 9

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1 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[c] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”[d]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[e] 12 Jew and Gentile[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[g]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[h]

16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[i] 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. 18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:

“The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”[j]

19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,

“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”[k]

20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,
“I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”[l]

21 But regarding Israel, God said,
“All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”[m]
- Paul, Romans 10

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1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”[a]

4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”[b]

5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel[c] have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8 As the Scriptures say,

“God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”[d]

9 Likewise, David said,

“Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. 10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”[e]

11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.

13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t[f] spare you either.

22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,[g] so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,

“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,[h] and he will turn Israel[i] away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”[j]

28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share[k] in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?[l] 35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?[m]

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

- Paul, Romans 11