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)

Now What?

December 21 has come and gone without even a hiccup. I am still looking for some photos or videos of those poor individuals who spent a small fortune building bunkers or flying half way around the world to some remote mountain in order to be spared the carnage. On one hand it is a little surprising that the... oh what shall we call them... globalists, elitists, power brokers... you know the people that think that they have a right to rule and that the rest of us are just "useless eaters" and should be eliminated... I'm surprised that they did not try to take advantage of all of the hype and stage something that would work to suit their ends. Perhaps they did and it has not yet manifested... perhaps God's people prayed enough that He extend an additional mercy. We may not know until His kingdom is established.

One thing that we can't discount is that this event may have been inspired by the enemy to cause fear, cause death and to become desensitized to any prophetic writings. I am praying right now for a good word to speak the next time I talk to someone about the gospel and prophecy. I expect that I will now run into many more people that will scoff even more at the prophetic warnings in scripture because of the false alarm of the Mayan calendar.

We do know that the trouble is not over. In fact, the Word says that when the world declares "peace and safety" that is when destruction comes upon them... if we are still here when those things are being announced, I too will want to check eBay for a "bunker sale"

There will be many trials ahead... we are headed into a time in history unlike any other. I've seen and read quite a bit regarding the horrors of WWII so it is a little hard to imagine things being worse yet our Lord has said so. We must be ready.... and I don't mean bunkers and remote mountain escapes. Make your heart ready. Prepare your spirit now to be lead by Yahweh so that when He says, "Speak" you speak and when He says, "run" you run.

It seems the next "big thing" to expect will be an attack on Israel. There is some debate whether the next attack will be the Psalm 83 war, the Ezekiel 38 war or whether it is one in the same. This author tends to believe they are separate events. If this is true then the next battle will be won by Israel's military. I pray that Israel has learned it's lesson about being prideful after military victories. It was their pride after the miraculous 6-Day war that almost cost them a defeat in 1972. I pray this time they give God the glory before they even launch their first tank. In any case God does give them the victory. If this battle is indeed the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38, then Yahweh's victory will be spectacular to the point that the world will be forced to acknowledge Him or willingly choose to rebel.

Pray for Israel, pray for insight, pray for the strength to walk unencumbered. This will enable us to walk with a purpose and not be taken off-course by the next ancient hieroglyph-inscribed rock from South America. 

Be Peculiar This Christmas

As we move closer to the return of Yeshua and the start of His everlasting kingdom, it seems natural that many of us are questioning what is real and important. If we knew that we would be kneeling in front of the judgment seat of Christ tomorrow, how concerned would we be about renovating our houses, our retirement fund or celebrating Christmas? It is this last one I want to focus on. Assuming most of the people reading this are believers, I won't go through all the details about the pagan origins of what we now call Christmas... that information is all to easy to get. For the few that have not studied it, here are the highlights:

1) The early church did not celebrate Christmas. It was not until the church age of Pergamos (in which the church married the world) that Christmas became a church honoured holy day.

2) December 25th was originally a pagan sun-worship day... the winter solstice. Many pagan gods were supposedly born on this day and subsequently had festivals attributed to them, but the Roman festival of Saturnalia seems to have been the most popular at the time that the Roman church created Christmas and "discovered" that the date of Christ's birth was... surprise, December 25th.

3) Some of the elements of the pagan solstice festivals included ivy, holly, mistletoe and were rife with immorality, revelry, drinking and gluttony... sounds like the average company Christmas party doesn't it?

4) The familiar Christmas image of Mary and baby Jesus really has its roots in the common theme of pagan goddess and child such as Isis and Horace or more notably the Babylonian pair of Semiramis and her "Messiah" like son, Tammuz

5) The Yule log tradition comes from the worship of the Scandanavian fertility god Jule who was honoured in a twelve day ceremony in which a log was kept burning and daily sacrifices were made.

It's probably not necessary to mention the very anti-Christian roots and meanings behind Santa Claus. It seems most bible-believing Christians are uncomfortable with this pagan elf anyway so enough said.

The question I want to raise is this. Does Christmas's clear pagan origins mean that we should not celebrate it? After all... no Christian I know openly honours Jule or Tammuz, so what is all the fuss? The point is this... I believe that the Father cares VERY much about the origin of things when they are used in the worship of Him. He was extremely explicit to the Israelites to not conform to any of the ways of her Caananite neighbours even to the point of being commanded to not wear clothing of mixed fabric. There are so many Old Testament verses about avoiding paganism that you couldn't swing a curly-toed toy-making elf without hitting one. What about the new Testament? Some would argue that our newfound liberty in Christ affords us the right do whatever isn't clearly against scripture and to let no man judge us in holy days.

If taken in context, those New Testament scriptures (1 Cor 8:4-13; 1 Cor 10:14, 18-21; Rom 14:1-13) speak of our liberty in terms of continuing with Old Testament (Yehovah ordained) holy days and feasts, many of which were pictures of Christ and have now been fulfilled. In other words, there is no longer a need for us to go up to Jerusalem three times a year to sacrifice but if you really wanted to... well we couldn't anyway so the point is moot. What Christian liberty does not allow is to absorb pagan idol worship into our worship of Christ. Mixing practices like this is an offence to Yahweh. I used to love Christmas as much as anyone but as it became more and more commercialized, stressful, expensive and hollow I started to question it. It became really hard to picture being in the new kingdom and seeing nativity scenes everywhere or drinking eggnog as a way of celebrating the birth of our Saviour. This led to a study of it's roots and a fresh perspective of what the bible has to say about it.

I hope you do the same. I don't think that celebrating Christmas will send a person to hell but I do think that if you really truly want to honour the gift of Christ, you will do it everyday thorough obedience and real heart worship and not by following the fish downstream in a tainted commercialized stressful 3-week construct that originally honoured a sun-god and his mother. We are called to be a peculiar people. What a better way to show your peculiarity?

Blessings.

UN Resolution and the Gog/Magog War

Well this one seems to have snuck in under the radar.

When the PA's bid for recognition by the UN died out months ago, I figured they would eventually try again but that we'd hear about it before hand, like we did months ago but just like so many political decisions being made today, they seem to pass without the general public's knowledge or consent. Isn't it ironic that the very same organization that helped create the modern state of Israel now becomes the vehicle for the greatest threat to its survival?

Recognizing the PA seems in this case also recognizing the Palestinian-friendly map of the region in which Jerusalem is in PA territory and Israel becomes essentially indefensible. This decision by the UN changes nothing on the ground as Benjamin Netanyahu said but it certainly will embolden the terrorist state. It may very well be just the push that Israel's enemies need to launch an attack, in order to take back the territory lost in the 1967 war. This could be the groundwork for the Gog/Magog war mentioned in Ezekiel.

Could we have stopped this? Probably not but it does not matter whether this particular gambit could have been prevented. The fact is that Israel will be surrounded by her enemies because it was prophesied and that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will step in and save them in such miraculous fashion (major earthquake with a little dash of pestilence, friendly-fire, hail, torrential rain, and let's not forget fire and brimestone) that the nation of Israel will need to create a "department of grave digging" and spend the following seven months burying bodies. Alongside that, they will have collected enough weapons to burn in place of wood for seven years. Okay... that one escapes me a bit. How exactly does one use a spent RPG to bake bread? I'm obviously missing something. I wonder if some new type of weapons will be used.

What do we do? Only what we've been told in the scripture. Pray for the peace of Israel. Also give financially or materially, if we can, to build bomb shelters and support those on the ground already to counsel our Jewish brothers and sisters that are no doubt feeling a lot of stress right now. It may very well be that after this event, the 144, 000 Jewish men come on the scene (after having seen the power of God save them) and start evangelizing the rest of Israel (and I hope the world). This may also be the time that antichrist barters his peace treaty with Israel, only to break it 3.5 years later.

A Prayer from Canada

Father in heaven

These are dark times. The U.S. is more divided than it has been in nearly 150 years. Your people Israel are facing a greater threat than they have in decades, the earth is groaning and people are desperate. Send out a spirit of truth and trust... a spirit of repentance and reconciliation, a spirit of power and peace. Help believers in the U.S. to know that You are in control... that sometimes the storm has to break up the ship they are on in order for them to make it to shore. Help those that call themselves by Your name to not let the waves around them, cause them to lash out at their brothers and sisters. Help them to see that when things look impossible, that the only place they can turn is to the God of the impossible. Ready their hearts for what is ahead. May eyes be open and hearts be receptive. Help them to shed anything that is not of You in their lives and start on a new path that You direct. Draw Your children to You.

May those in Israel not put their trust in military might or political process but to You and You alone. We know that You will glorify yourself through the attack that is coming and that the world will know that You ARE Lord. May a cry of faith go up from Eilat to Metula so that many will be saved and that the millions in Israel that do not even believe in You come to know Yeshua Ha'Mashiach and be vessels of Your will.

Give us all a heart and a mind to walk in You in the coming months. May You be pleased to be in our midst and may You glorify Yourself through us.

Thank You for Your hand of protection, provision and empowerment in these dark times. Bless You oh Holy One of Israel.

In the name of Yeshua, Your only begotten son... Amen. 

Now What?

Two years ago, few people would have dreamed that Obama had a chance at a second term. Well it has happened, so now what?

For those still in shock, imagine what the disciples felt the day after the crucifixion. Before anyone thinks I am comparing Obama to our Messiah, I'm most certainly NOT... although many people early in his first term did. He in turn, mocked that sentiment in a speech he gave... but that... is for another blog.

I am saying, to a very small degree, that the disappointment some are feeling today has similarities. In the minds of the disciples, Christ was supposed to conquer the Roman oppressors and set up His earthly kingdom in their time but all their hopes had been dashed. Arrest? Torture?, Death? None of these factored into their plans even though Yeshua told them many times that those things must first take place. Coming to grips with the fact that the things we've seen in the last four years (gutting of the constitution, basic freedoms being eroded, hats being tipped to radical islamists) may continue and even ramp up, can be a depressing thought. 

Like the disciples though, let's not be shortsighted. No one saw what was coming, not even satan. Had he known what was to occur in a couple of days, he would not have influenced the people to crucify Yeshua. God is never limited and He desires to show himself mighty on the behalf of His people who will humble themselves before Him and turn from their sin and pray. Scripture seems to indicate that the world at this point cannot go back to its prosperous and carefree times and no one country can have pre-eminance anymore... it just doesn't play into God's endtime scenario. Times will be tough for many who have become used to privilege and ease (relatively speaking) but we are also one day closer to the resurrection.

Since the fall of man, all of creation has been groaning, waiting expectantly for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8) If we can turn our sight to that day when our Saviour returns and does what Peter and John and the others thought He was going to do 2000 years ago, then we can weather the coming storm a bit better. If we will turn from our sin, humble ourselves and pray, then we can also believe God for supernatural protection and provision. 

This battle is not over yet either. God is a god of the impossible. Votes are still being counted, there could be unseen circumstances that may come into play... things could yet still change. The same hand that brought water out of a rock to give drink to a million people in the desert can do anything for His people.

Pray to Him, seek Him, listen for His voice, look for what He might do. If His will is for the current administration to stay in power, so be it, we have a better promise... a universal kingdom with no death, disease, hunger or pain... a kingdom of peace, joy and righteousness that will last for eternity. Isn't that worth four more years of... well you get my point.

Shalom

Seemingly No Choice

When the Israelites were "locked" onto the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, the choices seemed rather poor; drown in the sea, starve on the beach or die at the hands of Pharoah's army which was now thundering through the narrow canyon towards them. Likewise, many may be thinking that there is no real choice in the upcoming election. One candidate seems pretty bent on continuing to "downgrade" the country, the other (a member of a cult) seems to serve the same special interest groups and ultimately the same one world order agenda. 

What is the believer to do?

He/she could just abstain from voting. I'm sure many will choose that route but perhaps there is a fourth choice... think about the exodus story again.

Contrary to the famous movie line by Yul Brenner, "Moses's God is a poor general", Yahweh knew exactly what He was doing. Our Creator did not look down and say, "oops, there is only one way onto or off of that beach and the chariots are coming... what ever shall I do?". No of course not. He wanted to show the Israelites and us today, that the great El Elyon will not, and cannot be penned in by mountains, oceans or circumstances. He brought His people to that beach to show them that He is the God of the impossible, the God of the unseen choice.

If God's people will humble themselves and pray, perhaps God will once again, do the impossible. "How can that be" you might say. "There is no third candidate and no time..." Humanly speaking you are absolutely right, but then who has ever heard of a wind blowing through an eight mile stretch of sea, creating a water-walled passage allowing people to cross over on dry ground?

The election is only days away. Pray for another choice.

Unholy Birthday

As we walk through our spiritual journeys, we are typically confronted with beliefs and customs we had held that are then revealed as outside of scripture and true biblical faith. Unfortunately so many of these tend to be beliefs and customs that we have held since childhood... and typically those which are embedded in our culture. This blog is not the place to cover them all so I'll skip to the latest I've learned about... birthdays.

Just like so many of the traditions and festivities that we take for granted, birthdays and the birthday party have a source... a beginning. It and the accoutrements that go with it, all have meaning. Quick question before we get too far... if we learn that those beginnings and original meanings are anti-God, would we be willing to abandon them?

The birthday celebration can trace its origins to pagan worship of the Greek goddess Artemis. In ancient Greece, worshippers would bake a cake, place lit candles on it and set it at the feet of her idol. Even singing "Happy Birthday", blowing out the candles, making a wish, and playing games such as "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" have their source in the pagan customs of warding off evil spirits, fortune-telling and magical powers.

There are two hurdles to adopting the proper response to all of this. The first is believing the facts. Is the birthday celebration really pagan... come on! Well that one is solved simply enough. Look up books such as "The Lore of Birthdays", "World Book Encyclopedia" or Google "historical roots of birthday" etc.

The second hurdle is perhaps the highest and that is coming to grip with the fact that the origins of a practice or belief is important even if we've "changed" the practices meaning in our minds. Imagine... would any of you throw a party where each child salutes their friends with the Nazi salute and says "Heil Hitler" and then eats desserts decorated with swastikas? Why not? Well what if you convinced yourself that the salute was to symbolize strong growth and forward progression of that persons life? What if you changed the phrase "Heil Hitler" to mean, "Be in Good Health" and what if the swastikas mean for you a full life encompassing all four directions... or something like that. Would altering those offensive symbolisms make them any more palatable? Of course not. They are still rooted in the evil slaughter of millions of people in the greatest act of genocide in the last century. Likewise God is not going to overlook the true meaning of birthdays and their pagan meanings just because we choose to alter those meanings. Every time we light birthday candles, we are mirroring the pagan worship of a false goddess.

Sure it will be tough to tell our children that they cannot have any more birthday parties. It may be a little awkward to tell your friends that you don't want a fuss made over your upcoming 40th but isn't it better to offend our family and friends than to offend the One who hold the keys to hell and death?

Shalom

Prince of the Power of the Air

Most of us are familiar with Ephesians 2:2-3, which says "in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

We've often heard that phrase "Prince of the power of the air" used to describe how satan is in control of the airwaves... media and the like. Perhaps a Greek scholar can offer some insight into those few words but that particular definition seems like a convenient conjecture.

That being said, satan does seem to have an almost iron grip on the media and popular culture. Even if the verse in Ephesians had read, "Prince of the power of the worms" it would not take away from the clear reality that satan and Hollywood are bedfellow.

So... my question is... are we giving place to this prince in our homes? Are we in any way conducting ourselves in the lusts of our flesh and mind... behaving like children of wrath?

This post came about as a result of some commercials that kept popping up on my wife's computer as she was trying to catch up on some middle east headline news. All of them were for upcoming movies and all of them had occult themes. 

We know that in the end times... err... I mean NOW, that the enemy will pour it on and draw people's heart away from the living God but how are those of us who are supposed to know better, responding to it? Are we keeping these things out of our home or are we allowing the world's pressure to shift our God inspired morals?

I was at a large inner-city church years ago to watch a public presentation of a move called "Time Changer". In the movie, a bible professor from 1890 travels forward in time to 2002 and gets a first hand taste of our "modern" world. The professor goes to a movie with a local church group but rushes out during the movie to demand that the movie be stopped. He was in a complete panic, leaving many in our audience thinking that perhaps there was a fire. When other characters ask the professor why the movie needed to be stopped, he explains that a character in the movie he was just watching took the Lord's name in vain. Many people in the church group I was in started to laugh... as did I. I then (and I hope all the others who laughed) was hit with heavy conviction over having considered a blasphemous word as such a light offence, not worthy of the reaction the professor showed. That lesson has stuck with me all these years later and I use it as a check to see if my morals are slipping. 

Would this professor, or better yet our Messiah, tell us to "stop the movie" if he were sitting beside us, watching what we watch? Will we have to give answer at the judgment seat to having let the prince of the power of the air into our homes and minds? 

It is time to cut ties with the world. I enjoy entertainment as much as anyone (used to be an avid movie buff) but it is simply getting too hard to find anything the world offers up as entertainment, even family entertainment that does not contain something that is an affront to God. Let us send the prince of the power of the air packing!

Blessings.