Paint by Numbers

Paint by number kits were fun as a kid. They give one the sense of being artistic when really, one doesn't have to have much talent at all. One only needs to be able to count. Like most kids, one time I impulsively dug into the paint by number kit I just got as a birthday present. I wanted so badly to see this finished masterpiece that "I" created that I did not pay close attention to the numbers on the paint board. I remember thinking, well this little spot here was green so the area right next to it has to be light brown. By the time I was finished, the image that was supposed to depict a lion sitting in some tall grass looked more like a toasted marshmallow.

I had done two things wrong. First, I had not paid careful attention to the clear instructions provided and secondly I had put my own interpretation upon the image in progress. You can see where I'm going with this now. How many of us do this with scripture?

To use the paint by number analogy again, when it comes to bible study, we are all given a fresh "paint board" with clearly marked numbers (chapter and verse) as well as paints and a paint brush. Few of us start in the same place but our goal is most often the same and by the time we stand before our Maker, we should all have a complete painting that looks the same right? Why then doesn't it seem that way now?

I wonder if many of us make the same mistakes I did with the lion painting. Are we perhaps a bit to quick to try to finish the picture in our minds that we put the numbers (verses) together incorrectly and begin to paint a distorted picture? Take 12 bible students and ask them what is meant by John 2:10 ~ [And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”] (NKJV) ~ and you will probably get 5-10 different interpretations. Does this passage condone drinking wine? Does it mean that new believers tend to fizzle out and fall into melancholy? Does it point to the perfection of Christ? Does it say something completely different than any of these?

The point is, depending on how we interpret that verse will tend to cause us to thread it together with a different set of verses to support a doctrinal stance that either we want to believe or simply develops because of the order in which we study scripture. I've found this many times in my own study. As I read and re-read the Word of God, more and more pictures begin to emerge but not always clearly. When I read in Zechariah 12 about the nations coming against Jerusalem, I remember that it says something similar in Revelation 16 and in Zechariah 14 and so the three begin to form a picture of the last days, but wait! Did I forget about Psalm 79:1? Does that verse even apply here? If I believe it does then the overall picture I am painting will look different from someone else's.

Even as you read this, many are already forming arguments in their minds. Some might be saying, "Of course Psalm 79:1 doesn't fit there and you forgot about Joel 3:12" That is the message I'm trying to share. The way that we each thread and various truths in scripture together, combined with the interpretations we adopt along the way can heavily influence the picture we end up with. Who am I to say that my painting of a toasted marshmallow lion is the correct one and certainly has to be better than your painting of a hedge hog in a basket. After all I've been painting for decades so I must have the right vision.

Sounds silly doesn't it? Why then do so many of us argue over the correct interpretation of scripture with such determination? There is an extremely high likelihood that each one of us will need correction when we stand before Yeshua. Why don't we share and discuss our understanding of scripture with each other with that judgement seat in mind? If we can do this, then much strife and stress will be avoided and perhaps the rebuke we face at the judgement seat of Christ might be lessened.

Shalom

The Power of the Power of the Holy Spirit

It struck me earlier today just how important the power of the Holy Spirit it is. Sure we all say that we need empowerment by the Spirit to walk the Christian walk but I saw it in a new way today when I was thinking about Yeshua's early years.

He of course lived a sinless life, increasing in wisdom, stature and in  favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). That would be enough to be a real threat to the enemy right? After all Yeshua was so versed in the scriptures that He was able to engage the temple priests in conversation. Certainly that had the devil running for the hills. Well we find no evidence in scripture that the enemy bothered at all with Him. It seems that other than inspiring Herod to try to kill the infant Yeshua, he left the maker of the Universe completely unmolested... that is... until His baptism.

When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Messiah like a dove, EVERYTHING changed... and the enemy knew it! That is why he then went on the offensive, trying to temp Yeshua to sinning. (His utter gall in trying this is the stuff of another post).

I wonder then, for those that are striving to live a holy life (a good thing to do I might add) and train our minds to stay in the Word (also very necessary)... are we missing something critical?

To talk about what exactly the baptism of the Holy Spirit means might cause more division than anything so I won't try. Suffice it to say that this writer is pretty much in the centre of the spectrum when it comes to gifts of the Spirit and other manifestations. This particular post is not so much about a definition of Spirit empowerment but it's importance in the effectiveness of the believer.

It is when a believer is flowing in the power of the Spirit that he/she can do what Yeshua did and have a real effect for the kingdom of God. And it also means, that is when the enemy will be afraid enough of what is happening through that believer that he will pour on the attacks and diversions.

That should be bit of a red  flag in itself. If everything is going smoothly in our lives it may just be because we are no threat to the enemy. Not always of course but if that is the case, perhaps it's time for a self examination. If however you are operating in the Spirit (with the miracles to prove it) and enjoying a peace and joy from within while trials and temptations surround you, then congratulations, you are living the life of Christ.

Shalom

the Mount of Ebal

In Deuteronomy, Moses put half of the people of Israel on one mountain slope (the mount of Gerizim) and half on the mount of Ebal and then proceeded to spell out to the people what God expected of them. Moses told them that if they obeyed the commands of God, there would be many blessings but if they did not, there would be many curses. We know what happened to the children of Israel but I believe that curse/blessing message holds true for our nation as well... and there are quite a number of parallels.

Here are the types of behaviours that would bring a curse upon the people:

• Making a carved or molded image
• Treating one's parents with contempt
• Moving a neighbour's landmark
• Making the blind to wander off the road
• Perverting justice due to the stranger, fatherless and widow
• Committing incest
• Committing bestiality
• Attacking one's neighbour in secret
• Taking bribes
• Not confirming the words of the law

Our nation is guilty of all of these.

We as a nation have created many idols, from cars to computers there are a number of things that have far too much importance in some people's lives. Respect for parents has all but disappeared. Cheating others out of property is on the increase. Cruelty to the less fortunate is horrifically bad. Corruption of justice is rampant... and so on.

Here are the specific curses for committing those things mentioned above:

• Food shall become more difficult to obtain
• Families will produce fewer children and livestock will become less productive
• Military defeat
• Confusion
• Disease
• Drought and Floods
• Loss of personal property

This sounds very much like the nation's current situation and deservedly so. Fortunately blessings in all the same categories are available if we will simply turn from following our own way to following the way of Elohim. If we follow Him with all of our heart, mind and strength then there will be blessings on our tables, in our families, and in our country.

Which mountain are you on?

As in the Days of Noah

I wonder how long it took society to degenerate into the mess that Noah had to live in. Was it a slow progressive slide for the 10 generations before him or was there a sudden change? I tend to think there was a slow start to it but progressed exponentially. We see this pattern in nature especially with the climate change we have been going through. This seems to have also been the case with the climate of men's hearts as well. When my grandfather was alive, he respected his parents, he went to church every Sunday, his school upheld the values of his home, he stayed at home until marrying and stayed married to his wife until death separated them.

My father respected his parents, went to church every Sunday, his school upheld the values of his home, he stayed at home until joining the army, then got married and stayed married to his wife until death separated them.

I could probably go back a hundred generations and repeat that same description with only minor alterations. Please don't write and explain to me that there were no elementary schools in Medieval times... I got that... just stay with me here :)

Sure there were some societal changes during those 30 years. Two world wars, The Great Depression, the beginning of the entertainment culture, the popularity of psychology and "new" thought. These were (in part) the source of the undercurrent that would create change that would not come to full fruition for another 75 years.

Fast forward two generations and to the exponential change we are now seeing.

A child now is trained to disrespect his parent (notice the singular) by school, government and media, (which is his new god). He goes to soccer on Sundays, will eventually move in with his girlfriend, only to have a child then leave for another woman (or man) within a few years.

We aren't in the same world most of us grew up in. Everything has changed. The world seems to be racing towards disaster. Evil and violence has filled the hearts of men and it is only going to be a short while before the day of the Lord comes. Are we ready for the flood? Can we continue to do what we have been called to do even though we are surrounded by continual and increasing evil?

I pray so.

Blessings.

The Promise Land Debacle:

 Where did they go wrong and what can we learn from it as an example?

While there are many lessons that can be learned from this tragic ending to a glorious opportunity for God's people before the land of Canaan, I have yet another to share. The Hebrews were delivered from Egyptian slavery and saw with their own eyes the many miracles of God's handiwork throughout their deliverance. In the wilderness journey they experienced the provisions of God right on up to the promise ot the land with milk and honey. But something went wrong and the Spirit speaks to my heart about more food for thought on this key event in the ancient Hebrew people. 

Moses had all the creditability and faith he needed to lay hold of the promise that God laid before them from the beginning to enter into the land of milk and honey in Deut 1:20-21. However, the people interjected and thought it best to send spies to search out the land and determine which way to go. Moses took this appeal to God and God gave guidance to Moses. 

At this point, it is particularly challenging for any of us as leaders to demand an approach based on faith only ( God said it ....let's take it) versus the people demand for more facts (let's see what the reality or numbers add up to ...logically speaking). Moses yielded to the peoples approach. What if he hadn't? Would he be seen as an over ruling dictator who declares my way or the highway!! 

The spies go in and search the land challenging the substance of God's promise to deliver. In Numbers 13:1-2 the Lord gives instruction to Moses how best to address the desire of the people to search the Land. God does not force anything and even if we the people do something different than God has directed, God will still offer sound advice for aiding you in your decision making process. Clearly Moses perhaps did not take the stand to support the faith principle by giving in to the people but still he's only human. God isn't angry....yet!! 

Now here is where the plot thickens, to make the long story short we know that the spies report was 10 voted against going in because there were giants in the land and 2 spies voted(joshua & Caleb)  that we will take the Land by faith....saying the Lord has delivered us this far surely we will be protected and blessed! What did the people do? They choose information based on facts (current conditions) and rejected the faith principle declared by Joshua & Caleb. They went with majority rule and such is the first truly published act of democracy at work in it's ancient history. And it demonstrates it's potential to be in opposition to what God wanted to do for his people. In this case, God is ready to deliver on His Promise at last.  

The Hebrews may have still been murmuring, and tired and many may have been doubtful of the God that brought them out of Egypt and done so much in the wilderness to bring them to the entry gate of his promise. Despite their behavior God was ready to bless them. Their discontent did not keep them out of the Promised Land. What kept them out was their unbelief in God's promise to deliver His Promise! The Spirit tells me that is an affront to very God we are called to serve and this is where an angry God steps in and declare they shall not enter into it. Scripture reveals they tried to enter the Land after God’s decree was issued and failed miserably!! It is written "As ye have spoken in my ear (the Lord) so shall it be unto you." See Numbers CH 14. Basically they got what they choose to believe.  

To magnify this spiritual wisdom and insight and apply it to our journey to the Kingdom to Come we can learn from this debacle. I believe, because of our democratic society, it has much to offer for securing our faithfulness in these turbulent times and for believers  at large. Democracy, as good as it is when compared to other forms of governance still has it's limits for application in the House of the Lord. We cannot control what the majority rule may be in church or outside of it. But we better be steadfast and unmovable in having faith in God's Promised land for us. 

There are many challenging "issues" affecting the church community in our generation and it is particularly impacting our way of living! But let us remember God promise to the Church for a Kingdom to Come and Christ is it’s King and Judge. Let’s not confuse ourselves. It is not the American dream of home ownership worthy though the goal may be for human comfort and financial stability. The greater foundation and the greater house built is built on Christ words and hope.  

In closing, with all we are made to see, God's promise of a New Jerusalem is about to be delivered at last and Christ is looking for his Joshua & Caleb's. God's promises to us as a body of believers is just as real for us as it was to them and so are it’s “giants”. The Hebrews made the mistake of looking back at the blessings they had received and missed having them. 

Are those who are Christians doing the same and looking back at what was lost? Unfortunately a majority of them do seem to be looking back. They want the good ole days. Why is that , for is it because they have failed to consider by faith the Promise of God's deliverance. 

It seems paradoxical that our intellect and our democracy, good as it has been to us, could get in the way of the power of faith and cost us to lose sight of the high calling and it’s reward for our hope in Christ and looking for his appearing. 

To the Joshua's and Caleb's who hold up the faith principle God will yet reward you as he did so for them. For they  went in the Promised Land at last and received the promised. If they so can you.....but you must keep the faith and remember the Promise!! And it is written in Hebrew 4:9-11 “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that entered into his rest, he also will ceased from his own works as God did from his. Let us therefore labor to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”  The deeper issue is having the faith to still believe in the promise when so many don’t.  Only to have to wait  another generation  before you get the promise fulfilled in victory. How many of us would have waited like Joshua & Caleb that long and under the stress of being in the wilderness with those who did not have the faith? Let's be honest, it is easy to see the faith of these men but can you live the faith like they had to in the midst of unbelief and suffering in the same "wilderness" through no fault of their own.  

Most of us are responding to a conclusion but not really understanding the endurance test of their faith. There is so much more to be brought out in this event than a victory lap because most of us today would fail to believe just like the Hebrews did back then given the same obstacles. How do you convince your followers against the fear of being a grasshopper in the midst of giants? We are not doing a very good job in our generation of change! Where is your love for those who live in fear and doubt in the same camp? Joshua and Caleb greatest faith is staying with the people and securing them in their faith that God still is on the throne. God needed them to bring up the next generation of believers in faith in order to take the promise. But Joshua and Caleb had to give up going into the land of Canaan until then and still love them despite the predicament they were in. 

Joshua & Caleb choose not to abandon ship due to their awesome faith but used it to build up the faith of next generation. That is what the apostle Paul calls enduring faith and that is the foreknowledge and power of God at work among men needed to protect us and promote His purposes before the earth!!

In the today’s perilous times in which we live there appears to be many christians ready to go with majority rule, when in fact, God may not be blessing us in that direction? Clearly, with the Jews return as a nation in May 1948, God may indeed preparing the New Jerusalem which is spoken of in the Book of Revelations. But first there is the rebirthing of the old Jerusalem physically and literally before us which scripture prophesies. The city is full of strife and under constant attack from many sides especially politically. Despite this, christians should be seeing those “giants” about to be put down because of the promise of a new hope and victory which is to be led by Jesus Christ. 

Let the Church not make the same mistake Israel made and fail to believe in the return of Christ for our deliverance and Israel’s. Despite the changing world system and the majority rule and a christianity that as Apostle Paul says in 2 Thess 2:3 “Let know man decieve you for the day of Christ shall not come except there come a falling away first and then the man of sin shall be revealed...etc”. Certainly in our generation we are seeing unprecedented doubt and a disregard for sound biblical beliefs in our own wilderness. But remember God’s promise to he that overcomes! It’s very personal, God will not be saving a denomination but individuals who have a love for Him. 

The debacle in the promised land ought to be an example to us to encourage our faith and know the promise that God can deliver in His time for the Church. it is no doubt that the closer our deliverance the more difficult it may seem to believe. What should be obvious to us obviously is not to many and such is the deception of the adversary to God who primary objective is to create doubt. Trust in the living word of God with faith. Hebrews 11:1 reads "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen". We must see the promises to receive the reward for our faith against all odds...Stand in faith. 

In Christ Love

Gregory A Booker,

Minister of the Prophetic Word

Do Not Interpretations Belong to God?

The Christian walk is a daily battle between the flesh and the spirit and like any battle, it is full of sneak attacks, covert operations and constantly evolving tactics. In order to win the daily battles (as we know the war has already been won) we have to expect the unexpected and be on the lookout for anything that looks, sounds or even "smells" different.

What I'm talking about are church fads... trends that invade the body of Christ and if left unchecked could draw people away from a relevant walk with our Saviour. The bible refers to these as "winds of doctrines" (Eph 4:14) If we look back, we can see some winds that have taken hold of believers at some level. The contemporary service, the move to rename churches and make them "cooler", the "Purpose-Driven Church" fad and so on have all had their day. Actually the "cool" church fad seems to be still going strong. As a graphic designer, I continually run across churches that want a new logo to communicate how "modern" they are and how it should avoid traditional images such as crosses, doves etc. 

It is a another fad however, that has me concerned and that is the "dream interpretation" fad. Over the last decade or so there has been a concerted effort to evangelize and to experience Christian growth through the interpretation of dreams. You can find scores of sites, books and even ministries that deal in little else but what dreaming of a freshly baked loaf of bread means... (which apparently varies from "interpreter" to "interpreter"). Before you get your back up, I am all for any genuine move of the Spirit of Yahweh and I am looking forward to the time when, as it states in Joel 2:28-29;

   "And it shall come to pass afterward

      That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

      Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

      Your old men shall dream dreams,

      Your young men shall see visions.

      And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

      I will pour out My Spirit in those days."

If this recent interest in dreams and interpretations is in fact the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy, then I praise the Father for His work, however what I see happening lately does not seem to match up with any recorded occurrence in the Word of God regarding dreams and interpretations. According to the prophecy above it seems clear that the dreams and visions being granted will be for the purposes of evangelizing the world, which does not seem to be the result in the current phenomena. 

In the Bible, almost all instances where dreams were given by Yahweh had these common elements:

1) The dream was clearly not a "normal" dream. It was often unsettling, even scary to the dreamer but definitely left a strong impression.

2) There is no account whereby a man or woman of God was called to interpret a dream for another believer... only to unbelievers.
3) The dream always glorified Yahweh as Sovereign.

When an occurrence of a dream doesn't fit that model, I would encourage caution. Dream interpretation has been in wide use in the occult and the new age movement for ages and for good reason. It frankly is very appealing... to wake up knowing whether to take that promotion or whether uncle Joe will be coming for Thanksgiving is a real stress reliever. Unfortunately that desire is the same spirit that has been at work since the tower of Babel, the desire to replace a quiet submission to the Word and will of God and somehow take the reigns up ourselves. It is dangerously close to the whole psychic phenomena and simply attaching a "Christian" name to it does not change it's intention and source. Seriously, the flesh does not want to wait for the Father to work out a situation to His liking when it can simply call up "brother Dave" and get an immediate "fortune" and then walk it out ourselves. This is what the pagans do and it concerns me.

If you have had a dream that you strongly suspect is from the Father, ask Him for the interpretation. As the famous dreamer Joseph said, "Do not interpretations belong to God?" If the dream was a message to you and yours from heaven, then the biblical model suggests that the meaning will be given to you from heaven. Once received, if the interpretation does not glorify Yahweh and seems somehow to go against Scripture then it should be discarded. There were instances in the Old Testament (Ezekiel and Jeremiah) where false prophets were deceiving the people with false dreams. Believers know that any tool Yahweh uses, will be counterfeited by the enemy, so be on guard.

As the times ahead become more uncertain, the pull to get instant guidance will also increase. However, we have a more sure Word that the Holy Spirit will help us into all truth but it will require a child-like faith that does not need to know all of the fine details (another common theme with the modern interpretation fad).

Update...

I had stopped writing this blog to wait for the following day. During my devotional the next morning I ran across several passages that seemed to really speak to this issue and the possible spirit that drives this phenomenon.

Ezekiel 13:2-3 - “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’” Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets,who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel 13:6-9 - They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.” he Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.” Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD. “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies;

Ezekiel 13:17 - “Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their ownheart;

And then finally, another verse that was brought to my attention.

1 Thess 5:21-22 - Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

In closing, I am not against genuine moves of the Holy Spirit. I am a believer in divine dreams and again, I look forward to an immense outpouring of the Spirit in which the people of Yahweh will dream, see visions and prophecy and turn many to Him but this current trend does not seem to be 100% a move of the Father. Be cautious and seek a deeper understanding. 

Blessings

Where is MacGyver Now?

Anyone old enough to remember the television series "MacGuyver", can recall the ingenuity of the main character (well okay... the technical writing staff). In one episode, MacGuyver fixed a leaky radiator (to make a fast get away) with a raw egg. I wanted for so long to try that myself but anytime I had a leaky radiator, fresh eggs just seemed to be oddly out of reach. Why am I mentioning this fun but forgettable show? Because I believe soon that the brand of ingenuity that made the show famous will need to become a part of believer's lives in the near future. I'm not necessarily saying you need to keep a carton of eggs in your car in case you are on the run or know how to build a sun-powered laser from a salad bowl, but I am saying that in the days to come, we may all need to get through each day by using what is available to us, to do what we had never thought possible. This applies to both our physical existence and the spiritual. Seeing what is coming ahead has caused in me a bit of an attitude shift when I look at various people groups. Where I used to have sympathy for the ultra poor and envy for the ultra-rich, I have almost flipped. Don't write me about the evils of envy... I'm exaggerating. There are people all around us who have had to make a life by scrounging, improvising and walking in a sort of forced humility. When things get very tough, they will be able to acclimate better than all others, particularly those who have become used to rinsing their toothbrush in Perrier and sending their personal assistant to shop for a new diamond-studded outfit for "poochie". The Western world is about to face a serious downgrade and we need to shift our focus away from putting on our Sunday suit and going to the church potluck, towards having a good sweatshirt and pair of hiking boots and be prepared to speak the Word of God at every opportunity, knowing that it will most often be opposed, even violently... in which case you might also want your MacGyver bandaids (crazy glue) and your lawyer on speed dial.

Of course, if you believe that the body of Christ is going to get whisked away in the rapture before any unpleasantness starts, then maybe just skip to the end of this blog. I however, grow more and more convinced that we are going to see at least some of the judgements of revelation. Depending on your view of scripture, it could be said that we have already experienced the first five seal judgements. The next is a major (probably global) earthquake and some serious "reorganization" of the heavenlies. If the world economy has not already collapsed and the one-world government has not already begun to crack down on all people, then this event will be the game changer.

I'm not suggesting a specific course of action to anyone. Before you paint me as a camouflage-wearing, automatic-rifle-toting, bunker-building believer, I'm not. I do recommend having a good supply of the basic life necessities on hand though. Even if the worst that you will have to endure is one of those extremely heavy snowfalls that seem to be commonplace now, you should have several days of food, water, and perhaps a roll of duct tape and a Swiss Army knife like our friend MacGyver. I am more so suggesting that you prepare your mind and spirit for a whole paradigm shift and that you seek wisdom from Yahweh to know how to position yourself for your unique role in the end times. You were knit together in your mother's womb at this time in history and it is not by mistake. Get ready to be more useful for the King and more blessed than you have ever been. Get ready to be what you have never been, do what you have never done and experience what you have never experienced.

Blessings.

Have we Become Lost in the Mall?

My wife and I were imagining an earthly equivalent to the relationship Yahweh has with His children and we came upon the idea of a shopping mall. It is as if our Father loaded us up into the family car and drove us to the mall, with money in our pockets. On the way, He reminded us again about the rules. We were to stay together, avoid talking to strangers, go into only "Dad-Approved" stores and be on the lookout for Him to come get us when it was time to go home. He had even given us a written copy of the rules to take with us, a protective suit and a cell phone to call Him if we got into trouble.

That is a very loose analogy of what Yahweh had done when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the kids started to ignore the rules. Tempted by what their eyes saw, many wandered away from their brothers and sisters, into stores of questionable nature. Some took off the protective suit provided by their father to put on the latest sweater showcased under carefully placed spotlights in the store window. Some left their rule books in the food court and almost all, got so caught up in the sights and sounds that they became unconcerned with when their Father would return to take them home.

How often are we like that? Why do we let the world's shallow and deceptive messages draw us away from what is real, fulfilling and eternal? The peace that comes from an intimate walk with the Maker of the Universe cannot be matched by Madison Avenue or Hollywood. A new suit is no replacement for the cloak of zeal or the robe of righteousness. The latest pop song cannot feed our spirit the way a few lines of "Amazing Grace" can. An hour of prayer will do much more for us than an hour of "Dancing with the Stars".

Let us listen to Dad and walk every day remembering that all around us is a fake world designed by the father of lies as a tool to draw us away from all that our loving Father wants to give us. If we keep our focus and keep watching for His return then we will be invited into the splendour behind gates of pearl, with streets of gold, day without night, banquets, spotless robes and eternal love. 

Shalom

Why Does the World Cry Over Spilled Milk?

You've heard it, you've seen it, you've probably done it... spilled some milk. It's a function of gravity... one of the many laws that control the natural universe in which we live. When something is not being held up by anything else... it falls. This law does not change no matter what we believe or how strongly we believe it. We could read a thousand books that tell us that if we just trust in our inner person and visualize the outcome we want then gravity will change in our favour but it won't so we accept this unbreakable law and when we spill milk, break a dish, or when a bird "bombs" our heads we don't get mad at gravity or the universe... well, most of us don't.

Spiritual laws work the same way. They are unbreakable and are always at work. Sin has consequences... not always clear and not always immediate but consequences nonetheless. When a person sins, they are essentially pushing away the protective, supporting hand of God. Spiritual gravity then takes over and they fall. Why is it when many people rebel against God and suffer the consequences of their own choices, they tend to blame God as if He had stepped into their lives and purposely delivered a truck load of pain? If people drop a hammer on their foot and yet don't curse gravity, why do some let their morals drop, reap the consequences and then curse God?

The same holds true for whole nations. In the book of Jeremiah, the people had been warned for decades that their sins would bring judgement if they did not turn. As the time drew near, Jeremiah added specifics. He said, "This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it." (Jer 38:3) but still they did not repent. When the siege of Jerusalem began, the hearts of many of the people began to grow even colder towards God. They claimed in chapter 44 (after they had fled to Egypt against another of God's warnings) that their lives had been better when they worshipped their false gods. Instead of attributing their current suffering to the sin and rebellion in their lives, they attributed it to having stopped those (sinful) practices.

Our whole world is suffering under the hand of our own sin... we cannot blame God. The first four trumpet judgements of the book of Revelation; massive deception, major war, global famine and widespread death are all the work of the hands of men. Many are falling away after "new" doctrines to follow leaders who promise what they want to hear. The whole world seems to be on the brink of war because of greed and selfishness. Food reserves are lower than they have been in a long time, also as a direct result of man's greed and selfishness... and so on. It is after this that God steps in and unleashes HIS judgements on a fallen world that refuses to acknowledge His ways. Whether saved or not, all who read this will be stronger if they come to terms with the fact that we have created this mess ourselves and cannot blame our Creator who yearns to extend mercy and forgiveness if we would only turn and submit to Him. It is now time to see better than ever that the God of heaven is our only salvation... our only hope of making it successfully through a time when the world is falling and is about to break.

Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols.

      And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways (Jer 18:15)

For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks (Psalm 18:27)

Shalom

Trust Not in Man

Psalm 146:3 reads, "Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help."

Around the turn of the 19th century, there was a turn in the thinking of Western people. Previous to this time, people (generally speaking) trusted in themselves, in family and in God. Slowly, through various "thinkers" as Darwin, Dewey (father of the modern school system), Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Freud and many others, people began to question long held beliefs, began to question themselves (usually a good thing in the right context) and question God (never a good thing... just ask Job).

One of the results of this paradigm shift was the birth of a new religion... science. By the mid 30's, science became accepted as the solution to most of our problems, and scientists became the new prophets. Fast forward 80 years and to a great degree, we are still in the same mindset. Despite Chernobyl, Thalidomide, DDT and killer bees (okay that's a weird mix but the choices of scientific blunders are too numerous) we still seem to look to science to ward off the boogeyman. This seems especially true in the arena of interstellar boogeymen. For years scientists have theorized what a large asteroid could do to life on earth and have been trying to come up with solutions... problem is that all of their solutions will need time to implement and that requires discovering these little gremlins before they get too close. Add to that, the fact that there is an awful lot of sky up there to watch and one can see why we shouldn't be looking to NASA or ESA for salvation. We have had at least three near-miss events in the past few months (another coming in February) and one memorable one some time back was not even SEEN until AFTER it has passed by us and was on its way back out into space. Oops... kinda dropped the ball on that one there didn't ya "Einstein?"

Superstorms, volcanoes earthquakes and scores of other natural phenomena are proving that we cannot trust human reason or human "experts" to help us. To their benefit, some scientific bodies are at least showing enough humility to say "we don't know what is going on... this is new" and this I pray helps the rest of us turn from the false god of science to the true Elohim. Where science used to tell us that a worldwide earthquake was impossible because of the mechanics of earthquakes, they are now seeing that simultaneous earthquakes are possible... they even have a name for it now... "earthquake storms". Scientist Gheorghe Marmureanu from the National Institute of Earth Physics in Romania, referring to an increase in large correlational earthquakes, has said, "The quakes are a surprise that cannot be easily explained by current scientific knowledge". I just love it when a scientist has to admit (even unwittingly) that the scriptures are accurate. They are realizing that their sacred hypotheses are not holding up to reality and a new line of thought is needed.

The bible says in Isaiah 24:1, "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants." There are many other verses that speak of a geologic cataclysm that is to come... and NASA can't save us.

A few verses past the verse at the top of this blog, the book of Psalms says, "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them: Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry."

According to the Word of God, there are major earthquakes to come. Meteors will hit the earth. We need to grow in faith in the coming weeks and months. As things become more difficult, the faith we have now, will not carry us. We need now to spend more time in the Word of God, pray more and train our thinking and lifestyle to be in tune with the will of Elohim in order to walk in the peace and joy that will be in short supply as we approach the end. Yahweh is our salvation. He will protect whom He wishes, feed His people when food is in short supply and show the world that He is still in control. He is the only One we can trust and He is the only One we need to trust in.

Blessings.

More on Christmas

The following information was provided verbatim from the bibles for israel group.

http://www.messianicbible.com/

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ”  (Isaiah 9:6)

Shalom and Happy Holidays during this season of remembering Yeshua's birth,
Many Christians around the world have already set up their Christmas trees, bought their presents to give family and friends, and depending on which denomination they are a part of, will be celebrating the prophetic fulfillment of the birth of the Jewish Messiah in Bethlehem this Tuesday.  (Micah 5:2)



The tradition of the Christmas tree arose out
of tree worship that has existed in many
societies throughout history. The use of holly and
mistletoe comes from the Druid ceremonies.

Armenian Apostolic and Eastern Orthodox Christians, unlike Protestants, do not celebrate the birth of Yeshua HaMashiach on December 25th, due to differences between the Armenian, Julian and Gregorian calendars.
The Tanakh (Jewish Scriptures), however, doesn't identify the month in which the Messiah would be born, nor does the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) identify the exact date of His birth.
Scripture does give us an indication of the time of year.
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."  (Luke 2:10-11)



Isaiah 9:6

When was the Messiah Born?

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”  (Luke 2:8)
Although Christmas is a well-established Christian tradition, Bible scholars know that December 25th is not the true date of Yeshua’s birth.

Winter in Israel is generally too cold at night to be out shepherding flocks, and yet at the time of Yeshua’s birth, the shepherds were in the fields watching over their flocks at night.

This December in Jerusalem, the temperature has been averaging about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, with the temperature dropping below 50 at night.
While the men in our ministry can get away with wearing short sleeve shirts for part of the day, around 4 p.m. as the sun goes down, it becomes quite cold, and they need to put on a warm jacket.


The fact that shepherds were in the field keeping watch over their sheep at
night when Yeshua was born likely indicates that He was not born in the
winter.  Some scholars even suggest the sheep were brought under cover
between November and March.

Another point to consider when trying to determine the time of year that Yeshua (Jesus) was born is the fact that winter in Israel is not a logical time to take a census because of the cold and rain.  Occasionally, it even snows in Jerusalem.  So the fact that Yoseph (Joseph) and Miriam (Mary) had gone to Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) to register for a census is a good indication that they were traveling in a warmer, drier season (Luke 2:1-5).
When they arrived, Jerusalem and Bethlehem were so crowded that no accommodations were available at the inn.  Such crowding would have been more typical during one of the three pilgrimage feasts: Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) or Sukkot (Tabernacles/Booths).  
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”  (Luke 2:6-7)

Likely, Yeshua was born at the end of the harvest, during the Biblical holiday of Sukkot, fulfilling the Scripture that one day the Lord would ‘tabernacle’ will His people.  (Ezekiel 37:27)

“Look!  God’s dwelling is now among the people, and He will dwell with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  (Revelation 21:3)


God first revealed Messiah's birth to nearby shepherds
who were watching over their flocks in the fields at night.
(Luke 2:8-20)


Birthdays and the Culture of the Time

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”  (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

Yeshua was born into a completely Jewish, Hebraic culture where the date of one’s death was remembered and observed rather than the date of one’s birth.  This could explain why we are certain of the date of His death (Passover), but not clear on the date of His birth.  

How, then, did December 25th come to be celebrated as the day of Yeshua’s birth, and what is the origin of the festival of Christmas?  

It was certainly not included in the early celebrations of the Christian church.
The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church.  Irenaeus and Tertullian [early Church fathers] do not show it on their list of feasts.”

Later, when churches in different parts of the world began celebrating the birthday of Yeshua, they had various opinions as to the correct date.  It was not until the latter part of the fourth century that the Roman Church began observing December 25th.
By the fifth century, it was decreed that the birth of Jesus would be forever observed on this date, even though this was the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, one of the names of the sun-god.  
 

Interior of the Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha, which is on the banks
of the Sea of Galilee, at Christmas.

Mithraism—a large, pagan, sun worship cult—fostered the celebration of December 25th as a holiday throughout the Roman and Greek worlds.  

This winter festival was called ‘the nativity’ and ‘the Nativity of the sun’.

This type of cult even reached Israel.  Semiramis, the Queen of Babylon, (also called the Queen of Heaven and Ishtar) contaminated the Israelites’ worship of God with Baal worship (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17).  

She ordered the ancient world to celebrate the birth of her son Tammuz, who was apparently believed to be the sun god reincarnated.

She set December 25th as the date of Baal’s birth on the advice of her astrologers, since the sun is at its farthest point from the earth during the winter solstice.

“The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.  They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger.”  (Jeremiah 7:18)
Over time, the sun god came to be worshiped all over the ancient world on December 25th.  It was a time of orgies, drunkenness, and the sacrificing of infants to the pagan god, Baal.

Because this feast was so popular among the pagan population of Greece and Rome, the date was simply adopted as the time of the birth of Yeshua by the Roman Church.  
 

Although Christmas caroling today brings cheer to many Christians, in
their earliest beginnings, carols really had nothing to do with Christmas.
The melodies were originally written to accompany an ancient dance form
called the circle dance associated with fertility rites and pagan festivities.


Gift-giving, Saturnalia and Violence Against the Jews

Many customs associated with the season–the giving of gifts, house-to-house caroling, and the general rejoicing and festivity derived from this winter festival of Saturnalia–are a remnant of paganism that has remained attached to the Christian Church.  

The Christians who first observed the birth of Jesus on December 25 did not do so thinking that he was born on that day.  Because the pagan winter festival of Saturnalia was celebrated on that date in Rome, they were willing to have this pagan holiday metamorphosed into a Christian one.

Due to the pagan origin of Christmas and the violence and excess associated with it, the Puritans (Christians from the Church of England) banned Christmas altogether.  In Massachusetts, USA, its observance was illegal between 1659 and 1681.

Despite its association with paganism, Christmas was, and still is, celebrated by most Christians.

Rabbis and Orthodox Jewish anti-missionaries often use this information to confirm that Christianity is a pagan religion and that the story of the birth of Yeshua is inspired by the pagan festival celebrating the birth of the sun-god Sol.
According to this logic, the rabbis state that Yeshua couldn't be the Jewish Messiah!
 

This mosaic found in the Vatican grottoes under St. Peter's Basilica,
on the ceiling of the tomb of the Julii (Pope Julius I), represents
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) as the sun-god Helios or Sol Invictus
riding in his chariot.  It's dated the 3rd century AD.

Beside the ties to Saturnalia and Mithraism that discredit the celebration of Christmas, violence against the Jews on Christmas understandably blackened the holiday among the Jewish People.
According to David Kertzer, in his book The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican’s Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries,Jewish rabbis of the ghetto in Rome were forced to wear clownish outfits and march through the city streets to the jeers of the crowd, pelted by a variety of projectile objects as part of the Saturnalia carnival (p. 74).

In 1836, the Jewish community of Rome sent a petition to Pope Gregory XVI pleading with him to stop the annual Saturnalia abuse of the Jewish community, to which the Pope responded, “It is not opportune to make any innovation.”

And on December 25, 1881, riots broke out across Poland when Christian leaders incited the Polish masses into an anti-Semitic frenzy.
On this Christmas Day, twelve Jews were brutally murdered in Warsaw, several others injured, and many Jewish women raped.  Also, two million rubles of Jewish property was destroyed.



The Hebrew Scriptures

The Origins of Christmas Customs

The season of Christmas can be a joyous time.  Many Christians set up Christmas trees with beautiful lights, and as long as it brings joy to family and friends while keeping them focused on the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and all the blessings from God, then that’s a blessing.

However, one should know the history of traditions that they keep.

While the custom of decorating a Christmas tree dates back only a few centuries, the principle behind it is ancient.  Pagans had a custom of worshiping trees in the forest (Jeremiah 7:18), or bringing them into their homes and decorating them, and this observance was adopted by the Christian Church.

Furthermore, sacred trees as symbols of the life force were also associated with Canaanite cults.

Cylinder seals dating from the Late Bronze Age often show a worshiper standing in front of a tree.  
 

Bronze Age Megiddo site:  Seals depicting sacred trees have been
found at Megiddo and other archaeological sites in Israel.

Other seals dating from the 8th to the 10th centuries BC, which depict a tree flanked by worshipers, have been found at Lachish, Beth-shemesh, Gibeon, Samaria, and Megiddo archaeological sites in Israel.
A drawing of a sacred tree with lily flowers being eaten by two ibex was discovered on a jar at the religious center of Kuntillet Ajrud.  Gold pendants of the Late Bronze Age from Tell al-Ajjul (near Gaza) and from Ugarit show stylized trees growing out of a formalized goddess, according to ‘The Harper Atlas of the Bible’ (pgs.101-102).

Sexual intercourse under these "holy" trees was thought to transmit the potency and vitality of the goddess.

"They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth trees, where the shade is pleasant.  Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery."  (Hosea 4:13)
 

Lashish archaeological site in Israel

These female deities could well have been the Asherah or Astarte who are often mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures (Tanakh/Old Testament) as the consort of the weather god Baal.

"The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs."  (Judges 3:7)

In at least 10 Bible references, the "green tree" is associated with idolatry and false worship.

"They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree."  (1 Kings 14:23)

The use of holly and mistletoe comes from the Druid ceremonies.  Some historians think that the Druids used mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim.

Kissing under the mistletoe is a synthesis of Druid sacrificial rituals with Saturnalia sexual immorality.

Places of worship with sacred Christmas trees are frequently mentioned in the Bible and the prophet Jeremiah condemned their use:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations...  For the customs of the peoples are worthless;they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.  They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.”  (Jeremiah 10:1-4)
 

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe during
the Christmas holidays has pagan origins.


Christmas Today
“Look! The young maiden (also translated virgin) will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23, see Isaiah 7:14)

In light of these facts, some Messianic Jews and born-again Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas in any form whatsoever, while others continue to celebrate December 25th as Yeshua’s birthday.  

It is important to refrain from condemning those who choose to celebrate Christmas, as well as those who choose not to.

What is truly important during this season, while people are confronted with the birth of the Messiah, is to spread the good news that Yeshua came as the Light of the World, not to condemn the world, but to save it.

"I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  (John 8:12)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)



 
Redeeming the Time

"Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days."  (Ephesians 5:16)
Although the celebration of Christmas has pagan origins, this time can be redeemed by doing special mitzvot (good deeds) to help those who are feeling isolated, lost or alone while others are celebrating with friends and family.  

It’s a fact that this time of the year is the hardest for many people who don’t have family or who are struggling. 
 
We can be a ‘light’ by bringing cheer, comfort, hope and support into the lives of friends, family, neighbors, and those less fortunate than ourselves.

This season is a good time to help single mothers, widows, or anyone who has fallen upon hard times.  

While it is true that many Christians celebrate pagan traditions in ignorance on one day of the year – December 25th, our focus should be celebrating the Messiah’s birth and life everyday of the year because Yeshua was born in prophetic fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures to redeem the world.

It is right to celebrate our Creator and His Scriptures (The Word) and the Messiah (The Word that became flesh).
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6)
 



God is love and so He gives to us His very best. 

We can choose to share the love of God during this festive season by giving of ourselves so that others can also come to know salvation (Yeshua).

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'"  
(Luke 2:10-12)