Light on the Rock Blogs

WHO exactly was crucified at the stake or cross in Golgotha?  Sure, everyone knows it was Jesus (or Yeshua) of Nazareth.  Does the sign placed over his head reveal much more than we realize at first glance?  WHO really was this Jesus (Yeshua) of Nazareth?

I think you’re about to be amazed at what actually was going on as revealed -- for those with eyes to see – by the sign that was posted over his bleeding head. In this short article you’ll see just how dramatic that sign was; perhaps much more than you’ve realized before. I’ve mentioned this in various sermons over the years, but it’s worth repeating here!

Something about the wording Pilate placed on the sign really upset the chief priests. What was it? Let’s read what we’re told:

John 19:19-22 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

“JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS”.

Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

On the surface, it appears the chief priests were just upset by the notion that Pilate labeled Yeshua as their king. But you’ll see it goes a lot deeper than that. Note that the sign’s words were written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The Hebrew verbiage is most fascinating. John 19:20 says “Hebrew” in the original text, though some “modern” translations say – wrongly – Aramaic. They even footnote that the Greek original says “in Hebrew” but some translations still insist on saying “Aramaic.” Wrong. It was Hebrew.

In Hebrew, the sign would have read, “Yeshua, Ha’Netzeret V’melech HaYehudim.”

So what’s so upsetting with that?

To dig deeper and learn more about this fascinating sign, please be sure to click on “Continue reading”. You won’t be disappointed!

This blog is really an addendum to a recent sermon in July 2019 I gave on the spirit in man, which is from God and goes back to God upon our death (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  I recommend you hear/read those 2 recent sermons.    

So many believe Enoch and Elijah were taken by God to heaven. Can that be true?

Yeshua (Jesus) said “NO ONE has ascended to heaven except the Son of Man from heaven” (himself ) – John 3:13. But many believe that active conscious beings are up there, and certainly Enoch and Elijah should be there, many say. But is that true.

If Elijah has ascended to heaven and is in heaven, or if Enoch went to heaven, then are we saying that Yeshua didn’t tell the truth? That can’t be! There must be a better explanation.

Let’s cover Elijah first. And remember again, Yeshua said NO ONE has ascended into heaven – and in context, I believe Yeshua had to be referring to the 3^rd heaven where God lives. No man has ascended bodily to Paradise in the 3^rd heaven, though we’ll see that Paul says he himself was taken there in a vision so real he could not discern if real or not. You can read his account in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 and beyond.

My point is that Paul calls where God is – the “3^rd heaven”, where “Paradise” is. Yeshua said NO ONE has gone up bodily here, so Paul’s experience must have been a very realistic vision.

Saying “third heaven” tells us there are 2 other heavens. (I know many believe in 7 heavens, but scripture speaks of three.) The “third heaven” is God’s dwelling place.   Christ is seated at God’s right hand “in the heavens” (Heb 8:1), which is God’s dwelling place (Deut 26:15).

Scripture describes various “heavens”. There is a “heaven” in scriptures where birds fly and where clouds form. That “heaven” is what we call the sky that we can easily see. It’s what is called “inner space” (vs. “outer space”). The birds of heaven fly here (Job 35:11; Jeremiah 16:4). This is the FIRST heaven.

Then there’s a heaven where the moon, sun and stars are. Gen 26:4; Isa 13:10 – outer space. David speaks of “your heavens...” where the moon, and stars are (Psalm 8:3).   This “outer space” heaven is the 2^nd heaven. And again the 3^rd heaven is where God’s throne is.

So what happened to Elijah? It seems that a lot of people like to say he was taken to God’s 3^rd heaven in a fiery chariot. I just Googled Elijah and chariot – and so much of the artwork is of Elijah being taken up in a chariot of fire! Children’s Bible stories often show him in a chariot of fire. Is that what scripture says though?

He was talking with Elisha, his successor in ministry, and suddenly a “chariot of fire” came at them, separating them, and then Elijah was picked up in a tornado or whirlwind “into heaven”. It was NOT a fiery chariot that took him up. The chariot was a sudden and scary way to separate the two so Elijah could be isolated and Elijah could be picked up by the tornado. We have many accounts over the years of people being picked up by tornadoes and dropped somewhere else, by the way. Yes, some live to tell the story. So let’s see what scripture actually says.

2 Kings 2:11   “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

He was NOT caught up by a chariot of fire driven by angels. It says a whirlwind caught him up. Which of the 3 heavens do whirlwinds operate in? The First heaven – where clouds are, where birds fly. 

Click on “Continue reading” to finish the account of Elijah and then Enoch, and whether they are in heaven or not.

I was at a Barnes & Noble bookstore recently and was surprised how many magazines are devoted to “body art” – or tattoos specifically.  I paged through a few of the magazines and some of the models were covered from the top of their heads to their feet with tattoos.

And when you go to the beach or a beachside resort, what do we see? Men, women and even teens with tattoos. You’ve probably seen some people tattooed from head to toe!

What does YHVH say about tattoos?  What does God’s holy word say about it?  Would Yeshua ever have had a tattoo?  Or does having a tattoo break God’s law?    

It has become a worldwide craze. What was once the realm of navy sailors, gangs or certain ethnic groups or tribal custom, is now being practiced by a wide swath of humanity. Now even teens and young adults everywhere seem to have tattoos. Some are of pretty butterflies. Others, from a distance, appear more like a bad bruise on one’s leg or arm! I’ve been in locker rooms where men have tattoos even on very private parts. I hear the same is true for women. And of course once a tattoo is done, it’s very difficult and painful to try to un-tattoo. I’ve heard it can be done, but how painful it must be. 

I’m writing on this not because it’s the most important thing to talk about. It isn’t. But it IS important enough that GOD talks about it. Did you realize that? Anything HE says IS important just so we know His mind on a topic. And I am concerned because I have seen even more and more believers starting to get tattoos. 

What does our Father in heaven say to his children on this topic? 

First of all, we’re told in the beautiful passage in 1 Peter 3:3-4, directed more at wives, but there’s a principle there for us all: that our adorning should NOT be focused on outward adorning but inward. We should not be focused on things the world focuses on to get attention and to look beautiful to humanity such as having impossibly white teeth, or where we bought our dress or suit, or how much we paid for our shoes, or the gold rings we wear.

What is FAR more important to our God is that we have a beautiful HEART and an inward spirit that is gentle and quiet. That’s gorgeous to God. Remember when Samuel was to anoint the next king of Israel, YHVH says – “Samuel, don’t judge by what you see, by one’s outward appearance, or one’s height or physique, but look at the man’s HEART, like I do. That’s what I look for!” (I paraphrased it quite a bit--1 Samuel 16:7). Be sure to heed Christ’s words – “…For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15) 

We are to come out of this Babylon, this world, and represent the values of God instead. Our Creator is not against beauty, or wearing jewelry or having nice clothes, but that should not be our FOCUS. There are lots and lots of examples of the people of God having and wearing jewelry, for example, but God is looking at our hearts. 

But is that your focus? Are you overly concerned about how you look? Where’s God’s focus? And where God Most High has made clear statements, we would be eager to listen to him.  

Is God really concerned about how pretty or striking your tattoo is? Of whether you are a B or a DD cup? Or whether you are 5 ft. tall or 6 ft. tall? Or if you’re “ripped” and your abs show lots of muscle? There is SO much emphasis on outward beauty that people are even becoming suicidal over it sometimes if they feel they don’t measure up. 

Believe it or not, your Maker does say something about tattoos. 

Click on “Continue reading” to the right of this page, to find out what our Abba, our dear heavenly Daddy, who is also Almighty God, has to say to His children. 

In my last blog I wrote about helping a wandering brother or sister back to the bedrock of Truth, who is of course, Yeshua the Son of God.  I hope you will read that one. This one follows up on it in a way. 

When was the last time you read the short letter to Philemon? It’s a masterful and gentle—and yet a very strong teaching from Paul to a church leader named Philemon. Back in Paul’s day, it was not uncommon to have male and female slaves – yes, people you bought and sold and who lived and worked in your house. And yes, even in the household of God this was going on. This letter revolves around a runaway slave of one of the leaders in Colossae – yes, same as the group to whom “Colossians” was written.

Remember that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many of the Israelites, and no doubt the Israelite and Jewish kings – including David and all the rest – also had slaves. Slavery is not my topic today. My topic is how Paul handled a runaway slave and the slave’s “owner” and how it ties in, in a way, to my last blog about helping someone wandering from the truth – but doing it with grace, gentle firmness and love.

And this book of Philemon was a clear signal to early Christians that we were to start to view one another as all children of God, whether we were slave or free -- and where possible, to start to change the social assumptions that everyone had back then.

Please open up in your own New Testament to the “book” of Philemon – very short – and follow along with me. It’s the letter just before the book of Hebrews.

Paul opens by calling Philemon a “fellow laborer” – a term that often could mean a fellow minister or helper in the work Paul was doing. So we can’t be sure Philemon was an ordained minister, though tradition says he was. No doubt he was a man of some standing in the congregation. Apphia was probably Philemon’s wife.

Paul mentions “and to the assembly (church) in your house” (verse 2). Perhaps this alludes to “a house church” where other believers came to worship and meet in Philemon’s house.

Paul begins by commending Philemon for being such a reliable and dependable leader and fellow-believer in Colossae. He speaks of Philemon’s love and faith in verses 4-7 and calls him a “brother”.

Now the short summarized story for the rest of his letter is this:

** Onesimus, though a slave of Philemon, had run away

** Prior to running away, he may not have been a very good servant or slave

** Runaways were often treated harshly when found

** Somehow and some way after he ran away – by God’s calling no doubt – Onesimus and Paul had met up in Rome.

** God uses Paul to bring Onesimus to conversion and into the body of Christ.

** Paul determines to send Onesimus back to Philemon in Colossae, but writes a letter so that Philemon just might start to view Onesimus in a different light. Philemon means “affectionate”. Onesimus means “profitable” or “useful”. Notice how the theme of being useful and profitable to Paul and one another is woven through this letter. It’s a masterpiece. Onesimus is mentioned in Colossians 4:9 as a “faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”

Click on “Continue reading” to finish learning about Paul’s masterful use of his authority as an apostle – and yet his desire to help, as a brother. It’s masterful. We have much to learn from this short letter. Yes, me too!

James 5:19-20    “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

KJV says “If any of you ERR from the truth…”   The Greek there for “err” really does strongly imply “wanders” from the truth; a gradual movement away from God’s truth – and from Christ himself, since HE is the truth and the Way.

Do you practice this passage? Do you actively seek to turn people back to the truth when you see them wandering from it? How does one do that? Should you do that? Why should we bother?

A common expression is this:  “This is a free country. We are all entitled to our own opinion.”  And with that, we wander off ourselves, away from someone who is being led into error.  It is, we reason, none of our business.

But when we see someone wandering off the right path – shouldn’t we have more of an “I am my brother’s keeper” mentality?  God says we should.  I’m NOT talking about yanking someone out of their doldrums and loudly proclaiming their sin to them.  I AM talking about caring enough for a brother or sister to bring your loving concern to their attention, gently. 

Peter, Jude and Paul all speak about people straying. Paul says some stray due to overly seeking money (1 Timothy 6:10). Others stray from the faith by giving heed to “new truth” and idle babblings (1 Tim. 6:21).  In Paul’s day, there were brethren causing problems because they taught “the resurrection” is already past (2 Tim. 2:18). Peter warned that any of us could fall from our “own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Peter 3:17). 

How many people could be alive today if more of us acted and gently intervened in the lives of our spiritual family? Or if you had carefully talked with someone who was starting to drink too much?  I’ve talked to younger brothers in the faith about alcohol and other issues, and they listened and changed.

So we don't use a sledgehammer approach but a gentle and careful approach that is preceded by prayer for help and guidance. 

Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted also.

Click on “Continue reading” here to finish this instructive piece.

On June 16, 2019, the USA has a special day to honor Fathers.  Mothers’ Day is in May.  I don’t know if a lot of other countries do Father’s Day, though many do the same date we have for Mother’s Day.  In America, the origin of these days has no connection to ancient pagan days.  Grown children wanted to honor their Father and, earlier, the mothers – and Congress eventually passed those days.

Since the 5^th commandment is to honor father and mother, (Exodus 20:12) it is fitting and appropriate to have this special day.  Since God the Father is the ultimate Father, there are several scriptures that compare our honoring a human father with honoring him.  I may do a fresh sermon on that later today. 

My father died in 1984 when I was only 31 yrs old, and my Mom died in 1993 when I was 40.  I wish like anything I could be with them and honor them on these days and I miss them so. So many times, some people don’t realize what a gem they have in their father and mother until … until they are gone. Don’t let that be your regret, if you have a living father and mother.  Be spending time with them now. Honoring them on a certain day each year will mean more if they know you honor them and spend time with them in person or on the phone all throughout the year.  

Exodus 20:12   “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you”.

Let’s notice a couple things:

** It’s the transition command between the commands on how to love God and how to love man.

** God is also our Father.

 ** It does not say, HONOR your parents IF they are worthy of your honor in your opinion.  It doesn’t say that.  It just says to honor them for being your dad and mom. Our God gives no qualifiers.  They qualify for honor simply by being your parents.  I know in most situations, honor has to be earned. But in this case, God gave no qualifying standards.  I realize that some few fathers may even be dangerous to be around, so perhaps you can’t be there with some fathers, but at least from a safe distance still honor the man. He’s your Father! 

Fathers, on the other hand, let’s do our very best to BE worthy of our children’s love and honor.  But “kids” – even if your dad lacks some virtues, our fathers are to be respected and honored. 

There are many scriptures about honoring mom and dad.

** If someone curses, strikes or hits their father or mother, God said that child shall “surely be put to death”.  That’s how seriously God considers such disrespect (Exodus 21:15, 17). Yeshua (Jesus) repeated that in Matthew 15:4-6.

Respect for parents is commanded (Leviticus 19:3), so much so that we are all to rise in the presence of the elderly and old people (Lev. 19:32).  Do we always do that?  That’s part of God’s instructions.  Let’s start doing it.  Solomon did for his mom Bathsheba – 1 Kings 2:19.

Instead of honoring dads, we see more and more commercials, movies and TV shows that mock “the old man” and portray him as stupid, ignorant, know-nothings. Don’t laugh along with such disrespect.  Don’t participate in disrespectful comments and stories about dads. Just don’t. 

** Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20).   And, at the same time, Fathers are told not to discourage or exasperate their children (Col 3:21). 

So are YOU going to honor your Dad on Father’s Day?  And really – honor him on every day? We believers certainly should.

There are certain minimal things – at least – that all children of any age should do for their father:  Click on “Continue reading” to finish reading the rest of this blog and to see what we can learn from John the Baptist and what God says about fathers. 

It is often said that Peter was the Rock upon which the church was built, and it comes from Matthew 16:18. Here, Yeshua (Jesus) had just asked the disciples who people were saying he was. They replied in various ways, and then Yeshua asked Peter, the son (bar) of Jonah, and his reply was so inspired.

Let’s read it.

Matthew 16:16-20

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ (Anointed One, the Messiah), the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

So on the basis of verse 18, many have taught and believed that Peter is the Rock upon which the church of God has been built. But is that so? Last time we looked into the “gates of hades (hell) shall not prevail against it”. Remember that? And how gates don’t attack? This time, let’s look at whether or not Peter was the rock undergirding the church.  

A little background is in order. Peter’s original name was Simon or – in Hebrew – Simeon, son of Jonah”. Yeshua actually renamed him Cephas, an Aramaic name which means “stone”, a pebble, or a small rock is what it refers to. When this was translated to Greek, Cephas becomes the Greek equivalent – “Petros”, where get the anglicized (English) name “Peter”. 

See Strong’s #4074 –for Petros/Peter -- “A piece of a rock, a detached stone or boulder. It always means a stone, never a rock… it is a large stone, a piece or fragment of a rock such as a man might throw” 

Folks, you don’t build a church or a fellowship on a fragment of rock. No, you need a “petra’- a massive rock.  

“Petra” – 4073 – A MASS of rock, a projecting rock, cliff.

Now please keep these distinctions clearly in your mind. 

But again, the name Yeshua actually gave Peter was originally an Aramaic name -- Cephas (stone). So his original name was Simon, changed by Yeshua to Cephas or Petros – so that’s where we get “Simon Peter”. Let’s read it. 

John 1:40-42

“One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). 

Click on “Continue reading” for the rest of this fascinating topic. 

One of the frequently quoted phrases about the resilience and toughness of God’s church – or even earthly church organizations – is that even if Satan’s forces attack them, “the gates of hell won’t prevail against the church.”  We’ll survive and weather Satan’s attacks – is the way it is often explained. It’s often put in the context of coming under Satan’s assaults against God’s ekklesia, the church.

That explanation comes from Matthew 16:18. Let’s read it. The word “hell” in our English KJV Bibles is from the Greek word “hades”, meaning the grave, death.

Matthew 16:18 –

“And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros, meaning ‘stone’), and on this Rock (Petra = large Rock or Cliff) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

But that is often misunderstood. Let’s review it. The English word for “hell” is translated from 3 Greek words: 

--- Gehenna – hell fire that burns up unrepentant wicked people until they are ashes (as in Malachi 4:3) under the soles of the righteous. See also Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:27; 23:15; James 3:6

--- Tartaro – in a netherworld “dungeon” reserved for fallen angels. Used only in 2 Peter 2:4.

--- Hades (or sheol in Hebrew) – meaning death and the grave (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27, 31; 1 Cor. 15:55; Revelation 20:13-14). 

Just about all of the verses that are translated “hell” in the Old Testament all come from the one Hebrew word “sheol” – the grave – the Hebrew equivalent of “hades” in the Greek.

So the Greek word in Matthew 16:18 is “hades’ – death, the grave.

Now here’s Yeshua’s (Jesus’) statement again:

Matthew 16:18 –

“And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros, meaning ‘stone’), and on this Rock (Petra = large Rock or Cliff) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

So there would be a “church” – or assembly, a group of people meeting – and the gates of the grave won’t prevail against it. Keep in mind that a true “church” in the Biblical sense is not the building, but the people. It’s the assembly, the congregation of those called out for a special purpose. In Greek it is “ekklesia”. The ekklesia (or church) is the group of congregants.

You see, we don’t “GO to church” because that means you’re focusing on the building. No, we ARE the church. And Yeshua says where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, He’ll be there (Matthew 18:20). I guess we could say, “I’m going to fellowship services, or worship services” – but we don’t go to “church”.

So a lot of times I use the Greek term “Ekklesia”. Some don’t even like the English word “church” because of its pagan roots to “circ” or “kirk” – referring to a circle, pointing to ancient pagan sun worship. Even today, in England and even in America, you can find churches or church buildings called Kirk, especially among Presbyterian groups.

“Kirk” is an old northern English or Scottish word for church. Do you see the tie to ‘circ” or circle? In Leeds, Yorkshire England, for example, there is “Kirkstall Abbey”. Anyway, so that’s why I prefer to use terms like “assembly” or “congregation” or the Greek word “ekklesia” instead of saying “church” all the time.

But what does it mean that “the gates of hell – the grave—won’t prevail against the ekklesia”?

Click on “Continue reading” for the remainder of this intriguing blog.

One of my favorite titles for our Savior and for our God is “Yehovah (or YHVH if you prefer), OUR righteousness.”  In Hebrew it is “YHVH Tsidkenu”.  

Jeremiah 23:5-6
"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord,
"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (YHVH Tsidkenu)

Many read right over this title. Or so many don’t believe it. God – OUR righteousness? But it’s so full of meaning. I’ve spoken and written several times on this important topic: that in the end, it won’t be your goodness or measure of how well YOU did through your life, as it is God seeing you covered with the robes of God’s own righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10 says, “For HE has clothed me with the garments of salvation, HE has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

Now combine that with the title in Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16 – “YHVH (the LORD) OUR Righteousness” and we begin to see what the robe of righteousness and garments of salvation is all about!

Do you remember the story of the wedding feast in Matthew 22? A king (God the Father) put on a wedding for his Son (Yeshua/Jesus). In those days, wealthy hosts wanted their guests to be properly dressed for the occasion – no ripped jeans in these weddings – so they provided the robes and garments. Everyone felt honored to wear the latest high couture. But one man slipped in thinking he felt more comfortable in his own faded blue jeans and T-shirt and must have rejected the garments provided for the occasion.

The king came in, saw him improperly dressed, and threw him out (Matthew 22:11-12). The man’s own garments were as filthy rags by comparison.

But did you get the point? The King – picturing God the Father – provided the robes, their covering. No one had to buy these garments or work for them. But someone trying to come in his own clothes, his own goodness, was rejected.

Neither you nor I will be at THE Wedding Supper of the Lamb of God and His Bride –IF we’re dressed in anything but the righteousness of God. We need HIS garments of salvation, his robes of righteousness, as Isaiah puts it.

When the prodigal son returned home repentantly, the Father says in Luke 15:22 – “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the BEST robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.” Again, it was provided for him upon his repentance. Please click on “continue reading” to finish the rest of this thought-provoking blog.

You will find this link below to be an interesting read, which was sent to me by a fellow minister and friend in Washington state. 

https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/32245-pope-francis-calls-for-end-of-sovereignty-and-establishment-of-global-government?vsmaid=4572&vcid=13158

In here, we find Pope Francis calling for an END to national sovereignty and establishing a global government instead. He says one world governing power is necessary to properly tackle global problems like climate change and the mass migration of entire ethnic groups (like the border crisis the USA is facing right now on the southern border).

His significant voice is just one more being added to the many others calling for one world government. Though many thought President Trump would be leading us toward that same goal, so far he has not. But the Pope claimed planetary problems are only exacerbated “by an excessive demand for sovereignty on the part of States.”

My comment is this: I’ve been to the Vatican many times. As you get close, the first thing you see is that the entire city-country is surrounded by high and massively thick WALLS! Sure, they have several gates of entry. But even in the USA, we have over 300 legal ports of entry, but no proper southern wall, except for some few miles of low walls or fencing. Anyone on our southern border can just walk across in many, many places. It’s open – even for terrorists, let alone those hoping to just walk into our country without the proper protocols.

So before the Pope starts to preach at other countries, maybe he should look at his own city-state. Maybe start by declaring all Muslims (or anyone who wants to) moving to Europe are free and welcome to come to the Vatican to live and they’ll be amply provided for by the papacy. But I doubt you’ll see that happen.

But even here in the USA, we have the Democrats’ presidential candidates, including Joe Biden now, claiming that all immigrants and residents – documented (legal) or undocumented (illegally here) – should have access to full health care. I myself, as a citizen, went many years when our children were younger, without ANY health insurance because I could not afford it back then while I was self-employed. In the past 4-5 years, even with “Obamacare”, my wife and I paid about $24,000 a year, for several years, for this “coverage” – including the $6000 co-pay each year for any procedures I would have. It’s called “Affordable Care Act”. But $24,000 a year for the two of us was not “affordable”.

But some want to give away “free” health care to those who walk across illegally – while our own citizens struggle with health insurance payments unless their place of employment covers it. This does have much to do with one world government. So already we have the Pope interfering with what’s happening in some countries. He even said recently that “anyone who builds walls”, (then he paused before continuing, for effect)  --“is not a Christian”.

Pope Francis calls for “international organizations” to develop into governing bodies that would override and supplant national governments’ interests with – instead – what the United Nations would deem appropriate.

And of course, remember that most of the expenses of the UN are met and paid for by – once again – the USA. Not to mention the many problems caused by and done under the auspices of the UN!! Certainly the U.N. has not decreased the number of wars or solved anything noteworthy that I can think of. But the Pope wants them to have MORE power, more authority.

Those who wish to listen to this Pope, I hope, will at least listen to his steadfast abhorrence of abortion. But they selectively listen. He certainly is a liberal on most things.

Click on “Continue reading” to see what scripture says about the calls for one-world government.

You can tell and learn a lot about people by listening to what they talk about, to what excites them, to what they want to tell everyone.  That tells you what is overflowing inside them, what means a lot to them.  And they – and God – can tell a lot about you and me by what we want to share with others as we talk.

Our Savior Yeshua (Jesus) said this and more:

Matthew 12:33-37 --- "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

One would think that especially after sabbath services, we would all be filled with the message we just heard and can’t help but talk about it while we fill our cup of coffee afterwards. You’d think everyone would be talking about something exciting in the message – or, lacking that, that we would be hearing one another discuss spiritual topics, especially on the sabbath.

But Yeshua didn’t differentiate that we speak more spiritually on one day versus other days. He simply teaches that we talk about what fills our hearts.

So again, what do our words tell God and one another about ourselves?

After services, and when we get together, sure – I get this – we have to ask how we all are, ask about the children or any sick relatives. Sure, we have to talk about many other things as well, but sooner or later does our conversation then devolve to the playoffs, or the latest crazy things the Dems or Republicans are doing, or gossip, or NASCAR, or the latest TV shows or movies, or other topics that reveal what really fills our heart?

This blog is simply a gentle wakeup call. We don’t want to be lukewarm Laodiceans. The Son of the living God says their lack of fire and zeal for the things of our God makes him want to puke. Read it for yourselves in Revelation 3. And again, what we are talking about reveals what fills our hearts and minds.

Peter, who prior to the crucifixion had denied his Savior three times, changed after he met his risen Lord. When threatened with beatings and worse – if they continued preaching and talking about the Christ – what did Peter say? It’s our model, frankly.  

Acts 4:20 –“For we are UNABLE to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

And what was Peter’s sermon about on the Day of Pentecost? Read it in Acts 2. It was all about the risen Christ and what that means to all of us. That’s what filled Peter’s heart. That is what should fill OUR hearts.

Click on “Continue reading” to read encouragement to speak up more – day by day, at church services, at home, or with friends about the things of God.

Short but vital blog today. Passover. It’s already come and gone for many of you who observed it in March, in 2019. Most Jews and sabbath-keeping believers still hold to the traditional rabbinic calendar, and for you – the Passover season starts in a few days. For you, the first day of Unleavened bread will be April 20, 2019, with the Passover bread and wine and foot washing ceremony observed before that date.

Have you given much thought to Passover this year? Are you ready to take the bread and the wine? Or did you find Passover suddenly here – and you were unprepared? If that is what has happened, resolve to make changes so it never happens again. It’s our own fault if that happened. But frankly it’s also a reflection on your ministers if that happened. Pastors should have been discussing Passover-type topics for the past few sabbaths.

So here’s my point: If you’re among those keeping it in April, and you realize it has come up so quickly and you feel caught off guard, this blog is for you!

God’s people must NOT, must NOT, let the pivotal event in all human history since Adam and Eve were created to “sneak up” on you, to catch you off guard.

When we get new calendars each year, I make a point to mark up the calendars with the Passover and the holy days of God, as well as our anniversaries or plans we have. Then I do the same in my cell phone calendar and even make a note 2-3 weeks before Passover, to start thinking heavily about God’s love for me and for you.

Click on “Continue reading” for the remainder of this vital topic.

When you pray for or about something where you want and need God to intervene, are you being a bit timid or too “careful” about what you ask for?  I suggest most of us don’t think anywhere big enough when we come to our Father and Yeshua our Beloved Master.

There’s an old, lesser known story in the Scriptures about Elisha and one of the kings which has intrigued me for years. Elisha was old and about to die. Joash, one of the kings of the northern ten tribes of Israel, had come to pay his last respects apparently. Elisha asked King Joash to shoot an arrow out of an east window, and then explained that arrow symbolized victory over Syria at a future battle. Now let’s read what happened.

2 Kings 13:14-19

Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!"

15 And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and some arrows." So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, "Open the east window"; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them."

   [So Elisha had explained what the arrow symbolized.]

18 Then he [Elisha] said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times."

We can’t get into Joash’s head and see what he was thinking. Perhaps he didn’t understand what his action was depicting. Perhaps he lacked faith and wondered how he could crush Syria. We just don’t know. We do know this: instead of vanquishing Syria once and for all, he limited himself to three victories, pictured by the three times he struck the ground.

The point of this blog is simple: when Yehovah opens a door for us, let’s not be timid or small-minded in our thinking. Let’s not limit our true God who knows no limits. We can all fall into that trap at various times of our lives. We are His children, who are part of His HOUSE. My children are bold about claiming what I have, what I offer. So should we be.

Are we limiting the one Living God and what He wants to do in us, through us, with us? Remember even Yeshua could do virtually no mighty work in Nazareth, his home town, because of their unbelief (Mark 6:4-6).  God works through faith, trust and belief. He often holds Himself back if WE don’t believe mightily in His power (see Hebrews 4:2).

When you ask for something from Yehovah – especially when it’s for someone else and your request is being totally selfless – do we ask in a small way?  For example:

• If we’re asking Father to open up a job for an unemployed brother or sister, do we just ask for a job, or do we ask for a fabulous career with wonderful benefits and a great group of people to work with?

• If we’re asking God our Healer to deliver someone from the bonds of illness, are we just asking for that specific condition? Do we ask boldly, or fall back to “whatever your will is”—and keep ourselves from a bold request? Remember when Jesus spoke those words in Gethsemane, He knew the divine purpose and will was that He be the sacrifice for all sin. Why not ask Father to heal anything else that isn’t quite right in that person’s body, to imbue him/her with untiring energy, a bright spirit and powerful health that could bring glory to our Father? Be bold, ask big. Ask our God to make that person WHOLE – from head to toe (Matthew 12:13; 15:31)

I’m sure you can think of many more examples. Don’t limit God. He is limitless.

Click on “Continue reading” to finish with more examples of how we sometimes limit God unnecessarily. If we learn this, it can change the course of our lives!

Many, many, many millions of people probably would profess they love Jesus Christ (though I use the name his mama called him – Yeshua). You probably also profess you love your Savior, the Son of God. And I think that’s great.

My question is WHY would you say you love God and His son? But perhaps even a deeper question: what does your HEART say is the real reason you are building this relationship with your Master? Are you sure your motivation is what it should be?

I recently recorded a sermon titled “Will YOU be spared going through the coming Great Tribulation?” I hope you’ll all hear it.

Now what’s that got to do with loving God and his son?

It’s this: I point out in the sermon that some of God’s children in the very end time will be protected from going through the Great Tribulation. And I pointed out WHY they will be. Hear the sermon. But it includes points like God knows them and they know and love God. And God knows they’d never deny him, even at the point where they could lose their heads for proclaiming the Christ. Those he doesn’t know so well – they stand a much greater likelihood of having to go through the worst time of trouble the world will have ever seen!

So sometimes I’ve wondered if sometimes, some of us, want to know God and have God know us and love us – are you ready for it? – so we will be spared the Great Tribulation.

It’s fine to do what Christ said – to pray that we be counted worthy to escape all these things coming upon the earth (Luke 21:36) but I also think that we need to constantly be checking our hearts and our motivations.

We should love God – not just to protect our lives from what’s coming – but because we can’t help but love him for everything he has already done for us and the whole world.

Why do we love our God and Saviour? Let me list a few – and I’m sure many of you could list a bunch more. I welcome you to register on our website and plug in to the comments and share some reasons you love your Savior.

--- We love him because he saved us from eternal death and offered us eternal life instead. HOW did he save us from certain death? By offering to die FOR me, in my stead, and to die for you.

Sure, we know God the Father sent his one and only Son to die for us. But don’t forget Yeshua says HE also offered himself and had the right to go through with it – or not go through with it. Just read John 10:17-18, if you don’t believe me.

Folks, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), for forever, not eternal life in hell fire. And Yeshua offered up himself to come die for ME – and yes, for you too. But I like to personalize it like Apostle Paul does in Galatians 2:20 – “who died for ME…” Yes, sure, he died for the whole world that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). But I love him because he saved me. He died for me.

--- I love Yeshua because when so many people give up on those they see as “really bad people” (at least in their eyes), there is still One who says, “Hang on, I died for that chap. I’m not done working with him yet. I died and came back to life so HE can have a future and a life.” I love Him because he has not given up on me, even when or if people I thought were friends or family might give up on me. In fact, Paul says he’s made us “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 4:6) AND that Christ will complete what he started in me (Philippians 1:6).

--- I love my Saviour for the same reason Apostle John said: “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). He loved me before I repented. He “died for the UNGODLY” (Romans 5:6 – and go ahead and read verses 7-11 too!) when there was not anything lovely about us spiritually. He loved me even after I sinned again after my baptism.  

It’s pretty impressive when Someone so perfect, so holy, so righteous wants to help out someone so bad, so dirty – as sinners. As me. As you. Paul was taken back by that too. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die…” (Again Romans 5:6-11).

Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

--- I love my Savior because all true believers are “in him”. We are parts of HIS body. So by loving my Savior, I’m reminded to also be sure I love all of you. We CANNOT claim to love God and hate our brother or sister (1 John 4:20-21).

--- We PROVE our love for our great Savior and God by keeping his commandments (1 John 5:2-3; John 14:15, 21-24; John 15:10-14), especially his commandment to love one another as HE has loved us (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:21; 1 John 3:22-24). We prove our love for him by feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked or poor, serving even the “least” of these his brethren (Matthew 25:34-40).

---I can’t help but love my Beloved Master Yeshua because our Father has offered HIS perfect life, HIS righteousness, as my own, credited or imputed to me! We often speak of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, of forgiveness, of eternal life, and of course even the gift of God’s Son. But how many ever speak of the gift of God’s own perfect righteousness in Christ that is offered to us? I’m giving yet another sermon on that important topic soon. See Romans 5:15-19, especially verse 17. Plus Philippians 3:9-11, 1 Cor. 1:29-30, 2 Cor. 5:20 if you have any doubt about what I’ve just said. So our Messiah’s own life is now ours. He’s offered his life for us and so I also offer him my allegiance, obedience and my love. If Christ is truly dwelling in me, the proof of that is a changing life – to one that looks more and more like His own life. It takes time, but God’s given me that wonderful gift of his own righteousness and I love him for it.

--- I love Jesus Christ, my Salvation, my Redeemer, because he is beyond description. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my HOPE, my LIFE. He is my LION of Judah guarding me. He is my Shepherd, shepherding me into God’s kingdom. He is my DOOR into that wonderful place. He is the Word of God, and so he is the Lamp – the Light – to my feet guiding my life into His perfect Way. He is my Bread of Life, on whom I feed daily. He is my living waters that he shares with me by His spirit. HE is my life now. I don’t want to see my life; I want to see HIS life being lived in me now. I love him because in spite of all my imperfections – that he knows even better than any human knows – HE STILL loves me. Still. He is my Everything.

So I just want to be sure that we love our Savior and our heavenly Father for all the right reasons. Don’t love God out of fear of the great tribulation or something like that. Don’t feel forced to love God out of fear of the consequences if you don’t. Love God and Yeshua for all the RIGHT reasons, and there are so many good reasons to love our God.

Perfect love, in fact, casts out morbid fear (1 John 4:18). And verse 17 says “Herein IS OUR LOVE MADE PERFECT, that we may have BOLDNESS in the Day of Judgment; because as HE is, so are we in this world.”

--- I love Him and want to love him more and more and more – because of who he is. He is my Savior, He is my big brother, He is my King to whom I bend my knees and bow my head daily, and he is my coming Husband whom I hope to be blessed to be able to marry as part of the Bride of Christ. Because of this love, I strive to make as much time as I possibly can every day to be spent with him. Sure, you and I still have other things to do. We still have to work, we still have to sleep and eat and bathe and all of that. But I’m finding that even AS I do those things, on the days when I have my foundation set right, I’m touching base dozens of times with my Beloved on those wonderful days.

Alas, I do still give in too often to my old nature and on those days I may falter in my love and fail him. But my Big Brother, My King comes looking for me, yes – even for me when I’m feeling down and lost for having failed to live to His standards. So he comes to find me, and to find you, and then he carries us upon his shoulders and brings us back home -- to sanity and to his love.

So you see, I love him for that too.

So – I don’t love Yeshua my Beloved out of fear of what’s coming. Because even then, should his will be that you or I suffer intensely for him and then have to give our life for him, then so be it. The Apostle Paul said he HOPED he could suffer more and more for Christ (Philippians 1:29). Paul wanted to know “the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death…” When Paul was first called, Ananias was told to tell him what Yeshua had said: “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16). After the 12 apostles were beaten with rods for preaching Christ – “they departed the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:40-41).

Yeshua tells us “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s own life for his friends” (John 15:13). It would also be an honor then, and great love, to lay down your life or my life, if called to do it, for our chief and best friend, Yeshua, if that becomes his will for any of us. Read how Peter felt about this – 1 Pet. 1:6-9.

So indeed, even as we pray – as we were told to do in Luke 21:36 – that we be counted worthy to escape ALL the horrible things that will hit this planet in the next decade or so, plus the Great Tribulation, let’s not make saving our own skin our focus. Let’s not love him because we’re afraid of the consequences if we don’t. We can love him for more superlative reasons than that.

We want to be zealous and close to God because he has called us to be close to Him. He loved us before we first loved him. He will do all in his power to be sure He finishes what He has started in us (Philippians 1:6). Malachi 3:16-18 makes it clear that those who love God deeply and love each other deeply are very special to God and he will protect many of those. Be sure to hear my sermon on “Will you Escape the Great Tribulation?” posted now, Feb 2019.  

I love him, I guess, because of SO many reasons. I just can’t help but love him and be in love with my Saviour, my Hero, my King and my Redeemer.

No doubt you have read in 1 Peter 2:9 which says we are a part of a “royal priesthood”.  Why is that? How does that happen?  Which priesthood makes us royal?    

Frankly, I’ve heard a lot about the Aaronic Priesthood and even the Melchizedek priesthood, but I’m not sure I’ve heard others preach HOW you and I become ROYAL Priests – and of which priestly lineage that is! To be a priest, you have to be part of a priestly line. To be a royal, you must be the child of royalty. So how are you and I royal priests?

You and I cannot be a part of the Aaronic Priesthood, because we are not a descendant of Aaron. Only Aaron’s male descendants within the tribe of Levi were allowed to be bona fide priests of Israel. Even if you were a bona fide descendant of Aaron, there is no priesthood currently certified and working in Jerusalem. And Aaronic priests were never “royal” or royalty.

And besides, there’s a far greater and more glorious royal priesthood you are being called to be a part of.

Yeshua was born as a son or descendant of David of the tribe of Judah. Yeshua was a Jew, something a lot of Christians don’t realize. A Jew could not be a part of Aaron’s priestly line. Yeshua was also the son of God Most High and was resurrected to eternal life, and endless life. But those of the tribe of Judah could not be part of the Aaronic Priesthood.

Hebrews 7:14-17 “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

That is why Yeshua challenged the Jewish leaders of his day to explain Psalm 110:1 – how King David would call his descendant “My Lord”. The answer of course is that Yeshua was both a son of David – a man – as well as the Son of God. So on earth, as God-made-flesh (John 1:14), Yeshua was worshipped and never once did he attempt to stop it. Why would he? He was also God, while on earth, or else being worshipped would have been a terrible sin. But it wasn’t a sin to worship him.

He also demonstrated other powers restricted to being part of the Godhead – such as forgiving sin, knowing people’s thoughts and much more. Remember Yeshua was the Word of God, and the “Word was with God and was God” (John 1:1-3), and the Word – who was God -- “became flesh” (John 1:14).

Yeshua is also definitely called our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14, etc.) Hebrews 5:10 says GOD himself called Christ to be High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

So for Yeshua to be called our High Priest, he could not have been so under the Aaronic priesthood. No, there was a higher priesthood prior to Aaron’s priesthood from the tribe of Levi. That higher priesthood was the priesthood of Melchizedek, who was king of Salem (future Jerusalem), which means “King of Peace”. He was also the High Priest of the Most High God. So HE was both: royalty and the High Priest of God Most High. He was a Royal Priest, in other words.

Melchizedek posted no genealogy. He had no mother or father. Hmm, who could that be? The priests of the Aaronic line had to prove their lineage back to Aaron. Melchizedek was frankly one of those visual appearances of the Godhead – as we’ve been discussing in my recent sermons.

Click on “Continue reading” to finish learning which priesthood you are a part of that makes YOU a “royal priest”.

 I’ve been doing a series on how the very personal name “YHVH” applies certainly to God our Father, but also to the Word of God Yeshua, or by his Greek-English name Jesus Christ. 

I mentioned that there are teachings going out that – at least the way I see it – end up diminishing the glory and stature of my Savior Jesus Christ. Now in one way, nothing can diminish what glory and position he is being granted in heaven right now, but among ourselves, yes there are things we say, teach and do definitely diminish him in the eyes of other believers. 

So this blog is about a way to honor God our Father – BY the way we honor His Son.

John 5:19-23   Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Read verse 23 again a couple times. We honor God our Father by honoring His Son, whom he loves and commends.

It was our Father who said, “This is my BELOVED Son, in whom I am WELL pleased” at Yeshua’s baptism and again on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter recalls that time.

2 Peter 1:17-18   “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

This is the same apostle Peter who started his epistle this way in 2 Peter 1:1:

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our GOD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ”

Certainly God the Father is also our Savior, but so is Jesus Christ.

Certainly God the Father is Supreme, but he does everything through His Son, Jesus Christ as I show in the sermon. So let’s honor the SON – and in so doing, we honor the Father also.

We certainly dishonor our God and Savior when we live a life of sin. By our LIVES we either honor or dishonor God. Our LIVES are our greatest sermons. Please read 1 John 2:3-6; 3:7-8, 10. We must not bring the name of Christ or our Father into disrepute by our wrongful actions and behavior. I have in the past and even from time to time - and so have you. We must be people who can see areas of our lives where we’re overcoming old ways. Now, washed by His blood, we move forward in a life of holiness as we place our faith in the righteousness of Christ living HIS life again in us.

Certainly when we take Yeshua’s name in vain and say as an exclamation “JEEZ! Jesus Christ!” – we’re taking his name frivolously. When we dishonor Christ’s name, surely we dishonor His Father also. I personally try to avoid even the substitute words, the euphemisms, for God and Christ. So I avoid words like “Gosh, O my gosh, Jimminy Cricket (letters of JC – Jesus Christ), Jeez” and so on.

And I also believe when we wrongly teach that the name “YHVH” never, ever, ever applies to the Son of God, that also dishonors Him – and therefore dishonors our Father. Some are erroneously teaching lately that in every instance, 100% of the time, that when we read in the Old Testament --“the LORD” (in all caps) -- that this always refers exclusively to God the Father and never to Christ.

That’s not just semantics. It diminishes the role of Yeshua in the eyes and ears of those who are being taught this.

Folks, let me remind you. You can hear my full sermon “Part 3, YHVH does sometimes apply to Yeshua the Word” for a full exposition. Let me just remind you though:

• We’re not marrying our Bridegroom’s Dad. We’re not. We’re marrying Yeshua our Messiah (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:6-9). But someone calling himself “the LORD” also calls himself our Husband. That cannot be God the Father. In several verses he even calls himself the LORD of Hosts. Read Isaiah 54:5 – “For your MAKER is your Husband, the LORD of Hosts is his name”. There’s more on this in my latest sermon on “YHVH – Part 3”.

• And Zechariah 14 says Someone called “the LORD”, and even “the LORD of Hosts”, will come to fight the armies gathered around Jerusalem. HIS feet will land on the Mount of Olives and HE will rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years and people from all over the world will come worship this LORD. That HAS to be Christ, when you compare it to Rev. 19-20.

SO I teach we need to give Yeshua his proper honored place too as He sits in majesty and honor on the right hand of God the Father Most High.

Remember John 5:23 – we either honor and glorify God our Father or we can dishonor God our Father – by how we treat and teach about Yeshua, our Savior.

2 Peter 3:18 – ‘but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.’

Many of you know that Christmas celebrations long pre-date the actual birth of Christ and that much of what is included in Christmas celebrations clearly go back to paganism. I mean things like yule logs, wreaths, Christmas trees, mistletoe customs, partying at winter solstice, and on and on.  Any quick Google search into the pagan roots of Christmas will confirm what I say.

On top of that, there’s no way Messiah was born on Dec 25, in the dead of winter, in the rainy season in Jerusalem-Bethlehem. If the DATE of his birth was so important, why are we not told what the date is? And why do 2 gospel accounts completely ignore the details of his birth? And why is there no mention in the book of Acts or any of the epistles telling us about the great Christmas celebrations of the early church? Because they didn’t have them.

And so I don’t celebrate Christmas, Easter and so on. I DO believe and am SO grateful for the birth of my Savior though. But I do not participate in the pagan history of Christmas!

So here’s the point of today’s blog: “But what if, in our home, we keep Jesus as the Reason for the Season? What if we sing praises to him, and worship HIM, and not put as much emphasis on the pagan symbols? Would that be alright then with God?”

The answer is – if you understand the truth, the truth will set you free – and the truth is God’s word. So let’s see what God’s word has to say about worshipping HIM in the way that pagans have worshipped their gods.

First of all, remember the gold calf story? What you might not have realized is that Aaron told the Israelites that as they worshipped that gold calf, they really were to do their worship to YHVH, to “the LORD”. Did you realize that? Here it is below. But did God accept that? Or did that not in fact make him even MORE furious that they put HIS Holy, Set-apart, hallowed name on to a golden calf?!!

READ EXODUS 32 FOR YOURSELF and tell me what God thinks!

Exodus 32:5-8 – “So when Aaron saw it [the gold calf], he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to YHVH (the LORD)." 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

7 And YHVH (the LORD) said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"

Now if much of Christmas tradition is rooted in paganism – and then given a Christian re-label, does it matter?

Here’s more of what GOD says:

Click on “Continue reading” to finish the other clear statements from God about how he feels about worshiping him through pagan customs.

Hanukkah is here, beginning at sundown Dec 2^nd, 2018.

What is Hanukkah? Why are more and more Christians, even Sabbath keepers, recognizing and keeping Hanukkah?  Some feel it is merely a Jewish counterbalance to Christmas. Others believe it is a Jewish festivity not mentioned in Scripture. What’s true? Should you and I – believers in Yeshua - -keep Hanukkah?  What did Jesus do about Hanukkah? Yes, we’re actually told in Scripture! 

Read the rest of this blog to learn what Hanukkah is about, what Yeshua did during Hanukkah, whether or not believers can participate in some way and what lessons we can learn from this holiday.

In Scripture, Hanukkah is called “the Feast of Dedication”, since the name “Hanukkah” means “to dedicate”.  It is not one of Yehovah’s holy feasts listed in Leviticus 23, so let’s me make it plain from the start: Hanukkah does not rise to the level of Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It is a national holiday celebrating the Jewish victory over the Greek conquerors and how the Jews cleansed the temple and witnessed the miracle of the lights. This “feast” is also called the Feast of Lights. But it is not a holyday. Only Yehovah can make a day sacred or proclaim a “holy convocation”.

John 10:22-23
“Now it was the Feast of Dedication [Hanukkah] in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus [Yeshua] walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch”.

So Jesus was there. It was while in Jerusalem during Hanukkah that Yeshua proclaimed Himself divine (“I and my father are one” – John 10:30).

Yeshua was in the midst of the festivities, for in the temple mount area there would have been plenty of Hanukkah festivity going on . IF it were wrong to participate in Hanukkah, the temple would be the last place you would want to be during the 8 days of Hanukkah.  So my first observation is that it is OK to participate in Hanukkah and we could learn vital lessons from it.  Neither would it be wrong to choose not to have anything to do with it. It’s not a pagan holiday. But neither is Hanukkah one of the commanded “moedim”, or divinely appointed festivals of our Creator. It is a Jewish celebration and I cheer them on in its celebration.

Daniel 8:22-25 prophesied of the time when Alexander the Great’s generals, who divided up his empire, would conquer the Promised Land and desecrate the temple. Years after Alexander’s death, the area of Judea finally came under Antiochus IV “Epiphanes”.  The time period of 165-163 BC was when the events leading to “Hanukkah” took place.

Antiochus was intent on “Hellenizing” the Jews, or making them accept Greek culture.  Many Jews did so, to curry favor with the rulers.  Some quit circumcising their boys. They started dressing, speaking and acting like Greeks and began to drop their Jewish heritage. This is also part of the lesson of this feast: remaining faithful to Yah’s word. Nation states that resisted the Greek empire’s moves were left out of commerce and deemed “backward”.  If you wanted to be successful, it was tempting to give in to Hellenism.  Many began to practice their faith in secret. Others outwardly in public behaved as Greeks, but in private as Jews. That is – until the Greeks imposed the death penalty for those secretly holding on to their faith.

Antiochus also defiled the temple and altar by sacrificing a pig on their altar. Then he erected a status of Zeus in the very Holy of Holies. Can you imagine the Jews’ consternation over this?  Some believe this was the first “abomination of desolation” prophesied by Daniel in Dan. 11:31-32.  So Jews revolted.  Finally Jews, led by Judah Maccabee, drove out the Greeks in 163 BC and took over Jerusalem and their temple once more. (You may have heard about the Maccabees. This is what all that was about.)

When they went to light the menorah, they discovered they had only enough of the special oil to last one day. It would take eight more days to find or produce more of this oil. This didn’t stop them. They lit the menorah anyway and the little oil they had for one day somehow miraculously burned for the entire 8 days until more oil was ready.

Thus began the eight-day Feast of Dedication to celebrate this miracle, their great deliverance from oppressors and the dedication of the newly cleansed temple. This explains why it is also called the “Feast of Lights,” when celebrants bring their candles or 9-branched candelabras. Why 9 instead of 7 total lights?  

Eight of them recall the eight days they had light even when there should not have been enough oil. The 9th is the "Servant" candle used to light the others. [Many believers see Yeshua as the Servant candle.]. Apparently more and more candles are lit as the feast progresses. Just one the first night, then two on the second, and so on, until all 8 lights plus "the Servant light" are burning in Jewish homes. Jews today also exchange gifts, have big parties, lots of food and special Hanukkah items.

Many Jews probably gloss over the real meaning of the day, much like Americans may refer to Thanksgiving Day as “turkey day”. Some have virtually turned it into a “Jewish Christmas” with their elaborate decorations and Christmas-like gift-giving. I can’t recommend anything that smacks of turning this holiday into a Christmas equivalent. Hanukkah should remind us that God delivers us from those who try to destroy His people or from those who keep us from worshiping Him in spirit and truth.

IF we understand the real history and background to the original Hanukkah, we could ponder: 

• How much would we be willing to give up in our worship and service to Father in heaven?
  
  
• Will we compromise when the end-time prophesied “Beast system” forces a false worship on all believers – or die—as Antiochus Epiphanes did to the Jews of 165 BC?
  
  
• The Maccabees had to cleanse their defiled altar and temple. The Greek soldiers had trashed the temple compounds. WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit today. If we took an honest look at our lives, are they holy, set-apart to YHVH – or are our lives “trashed” by worldliness, pagan traditions and secularism? Perhaps this season reminds us to ask Yeshua to cleanse Father’s temple once more: cleanse our lives, our actions, our minds, our words, our bodies.   
  
  
• The Maccabees resumed proper temple sacrifices. We are living sacrifices (Rom 12:1). Let’s present to our Father the kind of lives that truly represent a holy sacrifice acceptable to Him.
  
  
• Hanukkah is more about the rededication of the temple than it is a remembrance of the victory over the Greeks.  Is it time for us to re-set, to rededicate ourselves to our Master? I think a resounding “YES” to that!
  
  
• In the Hanukkah candelabra, it is the middle light – the “Servant Light” that lights all the others. In the same way we are reminded in scripture that Yeshua is the Light of the world (John 8:12). We are also lights, but we must first receive our light from the Servant light – our Master. 
  
  
• The Maccabees dedicated the newly cleansed temple. In the same way, we should remember to re-dedicate our lives, our spiritual temples, to the One we worship and live more and more so in harmony with that. 

So, though we don’t have to keep Hanukkah, and it is NOT a holyday, apparently Yeshua felt it was OK to be amidst the temple festivities during Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication).  So neither do I think it wrong to understand it, or to even observe it and partake in it -- or to even thank YHVH for His providence as our Jewish neighbors observe this happy time in their otherwise often difficult history.

This November 22^nd, Americans will be remembering Thanksgiving Day. For most, it’s a time for family to get together and share some traditional turkey dinner and have games and fun.  Others are getting away from that traditional meaning.  Some have nothing to do with it, as they have ascribed the cornucopia symbol and autumn festivals with ancient paganism.  So if that’s what they believe, then I respect their opinion not to participate in it.  But I believe the history behind the American annual Thanksgiving Day was rooted in fact, in a deep, deep appreciation for God helping the early Americans get through a very rough year.

Whatever the facts about “thanksgiving days” are, I do know this: it’s always a good thing to be thankful. And it’s always a good TIME to be thankful. Especially to our God and our Savior.

I saw a Facebook post that asked something like this:   “what if you lost tomorrow, everything you didn’t express gratitude for in the last 3 days… what would disappear?” I pondered that seriously. Most days I do go for a stroll outside our home and whisper a sincere thank you to my God for my wife, my children, our home, the yard and plants and trees and flowers and butterflies. But my job is tough. I can go weeks without earning a dime, and weeks of good income – but have I thanked God that I can still earn a living, even as tough as it is?

What if everything for which we hadn’t declared recent thankful appreciation for -- just disappeared, what would be left? If you’re honest with yourself, you’d have to probably say an awful lot would disappear. Maybe even your children, wife, dad, mom, home, food, cars, health or even poor health if you’re alive, an income, a bed to sleep in, your pets, beautiful sunsets and marvelous clouds and rainbows – what would be left?

We certainly eat enough. My girth proves that. Have I thanked Him enough times beyond the perfunctory blessing over the meal – which indeed we still do before we eat. We help some orphan children in Kenya and after the Feast of Tabernacles, where some of us had helped pay for a wonderful meal, one of the orphans (Dennis) said this to me via email: “It was so special. There was plenty of meat. My favorite was chicken. I love chicken. And there was beef, and rice, and vegetables, so much to eat. All of us were so happy afterwards.” And here, we take it for granted. In much of the world – so many feel hunger most of the time.

So I remind you all: it’s not one of God’s holydays, but it’s a good day. Take time to truly be thankful, to express gratitude especially on that day in front of all who are there in your home. LEAD in this. In our home, we usually begin the Thanksgiving meal by asking each one to say something they are thankful for. Some are short. Some are funny. Some are very serious. But they’re all sincere and it puts the proper tone on the day.

God says to give thanks IN all things, and FOR all things (Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 5:20) and his peace comes upon us. That’s tough. Sometimes when we’re really hurting in our hearts or bodies, it’s really, really tough. But I find it reminds me that God is present in everything I do and go through. He is in every cell of my body by His spirit if you and I are filled by his holy spirit. He knows my joys – and my deep sorrows. He feels my aches and pains. He knows my joyful heart and my broken heart, which at times feels like it’s shattered into millions of little pieces. And so I can give thanks for -- and in-- the joyful heart and in the shattered heart.

Thanksgiving Day in our home is NOT a day of non-stop football on TV. We may play a little catch with the grandchildren in the backyard while waiting for dinner, but it’s about being with loved ones and remembering the true enduring values. That means our Father and Savior, that means my wife, that means our grandchildren, that means our guests and friends with us.

Nor do I demean the day by calling it “Turkey day”. No, it’s THANKSGIVING day, pe-leez.

Nor do I allow myself or our family to lose sight of the real meaning of the day by spending all day at sales going on. I’m really disappointed that so many big stores have taken to this. It demeans, minimizes and destroys this day in my opinion.  KEEP this day a fun day, a day of thanksgiving, a day for God and family.

So this Thanksgiving Day – do give thanks. And remember the people and blessings you have been given. So much to be thankful for.

Sometimes it sure seems like God is simply not doing anything, or doing enough (in our view), or anything powerful soon enough -- to make things right in our country, in our lives or in the church. Sometimes we’re tempted to shout out in despair, “Where ARE you, God, where are you when I need you?”

In this article I want to show that so often when we think God is doing nothing, he actually is doing a LOT behind the scenes, setting things up in a way for some incredible outcomes that we’ll see later.

Look at this example from the book of Joshua. God had decided that it was time to punish the Canaanites for their evils and to purge them from the land. He didn’t want them trying to negotiate with Joshua as the Gibeonites had done. Notice the wording: 

Joshua 11:18-20   Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle. 20 For it was of YHVH to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as YHVH had commanded Moses.

Sometimes we worry about all the “what if” questions – instead of praying that our God intervene and do what is best in his sight and to give us much more faith to trust him no matter what – no matter how bad, how painful or how difficult things might look for us.

Here’s another example. Samson had a problem with women.

Judges 14:1-5   “Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife."

3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?"

And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well."

4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of YHVH — that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.”

On the surface, it looked terrible for Samson for the judge for that part of Israel at that time to be trying to marry a pagan Philistine woman. And don't ask me to explain beyond what we’re told here: IT WAS OF GOD. God put that into Samson’s mind to desire this pagan woman to start the ball rolling against the Philistines. What was going to transpire was well beyond their marriage. Please read the rest of the chapter.

Now couldn’t God have just ended the heart beats of a few thousand Philistines? Couldn’t He have worked through some other means? Yes – but this is what He chose, for all his own good reasons.

But my point is: something incomprehensible that was going on – was of God. It was HIS doing.

Here’s another one. Solomon had died, and now his young son Rehoboam was being unkind to lesser leaders in the nation of Israel. Again we read in the verse 15 below that Rehoboam’s actions and words were “from GOD”, to – once again – start the ball rolling into the division in Israel eventually forming the kingdom of Judah and the separate 10-tribe kingdom of Israel to the north.

2 Chronicles 10:13-15   Then the king (Rehoboam) answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!" 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD (YHVH) might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”

Here’s another example: You can read the entire book of Esther, and you’ll find that the word “God” or “the LORD” (Yehovah) is nowhere to be found. But don’t deduce from that that our God was not very active. He obviously was very active in the sequence of events to protect the lives of his people of Judah.

This final example I’ll use – and there are SO many we could use – is about a heavenly conference God had with his angels. It’s centered during the time of King Ahab of the kingdom of Israel and King Jehoshaphat, who was king of Judah. Ahab wanted to join forces with Israel’s army to go against a common foe – but the prophet Micaiah was not “cooperating” with what Ahab wanted to do. Here’s what we’re told:

1 Kings 22:18-23 And the king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19 Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of YHVH: I saw YHVH sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And YHVH said, 'Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before YHVH, and said, 'I will persuade him.' 22 YHVH said to him, 'In what way?' So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And YHVH said, 'You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.' 23 Therefore look! YHVH has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and YHVH has declared disaster against you."

So when things don't seem to add up, don’t seem to make sense, perhaps – just maybe – there’s much more going on than meets the eye. Maybe some things are “of God” to set up a chain-reaction of events that end up fulfilling his will. 

We’ve been called to live by faith in Him (Romans 1:16-17), and this is especially true when our Father and Savior SEEM to be doing nothing, or moving too slowly for our preferences.

We just might see another example of “for it was of the Lord…” when we look back. This can be happening in our lives, or in our church, or in our nation or in world events between nations. When things just don’t add up, we think - - trust. Commit your frustration or worries to him and wait and see what He has in mind. Just trust him. Have peace in him.