Life

Revival!? or repentance…

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I hear of many churches and Christians talking about revival. Prayer meetings are called just to pray for revival. And yet I rarely hear anyone calling for repentance.

But what is there to repent of?

Most churches and Christians will have an “unpublished” list of sins that one should repent of. Have you ever compared your church’s list to what God calls important. Take a look at Proverbs 6:16-19 and Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Even more importantly, take a look at your church and country. Should we, or even can we, repent on behalf of our churches and country? Look at Daniel 9:4-19, realizing that Daniel himself isn’t guilty of the sins he is listing. We have much to repent of – our churches throw out God’s law and our nation rejoices when laws are made that are against God’s ways.

So, what to repent of? Going against God’s law. I realize that talking of God’s law is taboo in many Christian circles, and even where it isn’t taboo, it is misunderstood. God’s laws aren’t things that He capriciously laid upon us, but it is His revelation of Himself to us (read the Exodus story which culminates in Him giving us His law and John 1). Also, realize two important facts: first, the law was never given as a means of salvation; and second, nowhere anywhere in the “New Testament” does Yeshua or any disciple say anything negative against anyone keeping God’s law.

His law is Him loving us. As such, whenever the opportunity arises to keep His law, don’t look at it as something that “has to be done,” but rather as an act of worship and to give love back to our God who wants us to have good lives.

So why does Paul seem to call the law an ‘instrument of death’ (and other such negative comments)? Consider the following. Shortly after the law was given, many people died when they disobeyed. For those who disobeyed, the law became the ‘instrument of death.’ Then, after Yeshua died and rose again, God poured out the Holy Spirit, and many thousands came to belief. To those who repented the spirit gives life!

God’s law is good – He is His law! But remember, one doesn’t obey because one has to, but out of love for God. Obeying His law doesn’t give salvation, nor does obeying His law make us better in His eyes. Anything and everything we are in God’s eyes is due to what Yeshua has done for us. It starts with repenting – turning from our own ideas as to what is righteousness, and simply listening to God. This is the beginnings of being holy.

  • Yosef

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Verses:

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB): 16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB):  This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Daniel 9 (KJV): 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

The National Church of Ostriches

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Does the church care about anything anymore?

The culture said, “we don’t like being told that there is absolutes” and they took down all public displays of the “10 Commandments.” Some churches shouted, but only for a short time.

The culture said, “we don’t want your religion” and they took down all public nativity scenes, crosses, and any other “Christian” symbol that could be found. Some churches shouted, but only for a short time.

The culture said, “we don’t want to hear your fanaticism and backwards thinking” and they ridiculed and shouted down any public figure who stood for their beliefs, such as then vice-president Pence. Few churches said anything.

The culture said, “we have to be safe” and they told everyone to stay away from one another, report one another, and tried to close the churches. A couple churches shouted, but for how long?

The culture says that the terms “male” and “female” are irrelevant, and the churches don’t know what to do.

Other cultures told Christians, “you aren’t worth anything” and they drove Christians from their homes, abducted their children, and burned their churches. Few churches said anything, and their voices are being drowned out by internal squabbling. (see Love Your Neighbor)

Women in our culture choose to kill their babies and the culture says, “it’s their right.” And the churches quibble over which ‘crisis pregnancy center’ they agree with and can support instead of helping.

The church has hid its head in the sand and made itself irrelevant. This started some time ago, and we keep burying our head deeper in each passing year. Why? People, especially the youth, are leaving the churches. Why?

What would have been different if churches (and the people) displayed the “10 commandments” in their buildings and homes? (see Truth! Does it exist anymore?)

What would be different if churches proclaimed Jesus (Yeshua) during the time when they celebrate his birth? We seem to be so afraid of offending someone that only the bravest churches or people put out anything that points to Jesus.

How would the culture look if preachers stood up and preached love and repentence? But do we even know what love means? What repentance means or even why it’s needed? Or what if integrity was preached? – if anyone knows what that means anymore.

What could have been different if, instead of simply continuing online as if nothing was happening, the churches called for prayer meetings and taught trust in God and kindness to our fellow humans, when the Covid virus pandemic started?

How would it look if we spent time teaching people to respect one another, and to help one another instead of arguing over whether or not “the woman is to be subservient to the man” or simply teaching “homosexuality is bad?”

How would it look to those outside Christianity if we made our concern for our foreign brothers and sisters evident, instead of turning away because their faith doesn’t match ours?

What would be different if we taught our youth about the preciousness of life?

All of this can be “cured” simply by a return to the Word of God.

If churches would simply read the gospels to the congregations, week after week, instead of preaching their own words, what would happen?

We’d learn that the opposite of ‘freedom’ is chaos, and God gave us the 10 statements (10 commandments) out of love for us so that our lives, individually and collectively, would be better.

We’d learn that no one is perfect, and that to judge and condemn others because of their short comings is simple hypocrisy. We’d see that we are all in the same need for a champion and scape-goat – one sent by God. The messiah Yeshua (Jesus). (see Greater love has no one…)

We’d learn that to live a life with integrity is possible, and that it has a positive effect on both our own lives and the culture around us. Even when the culture is bad.

We’d learn that to repent is to show our love for God, and our desire to live as He intended. And we’d discover peace among ourselves.

We’d discover that we weren’t meant to go through this life alone, but with others. And that each person has their own unique contribution and is equally valuable as I.

We’d learn what it means to be a man or a woman, and that there is nothing wrong with masculinity or femininity, and they both stand on equal footing before God and in this world.

We’d realize that we have brothers and sisters in faith all over this world, even when their faith, and even their Bible, looks a bit different than ours. They are family as we all have the same Father and King.

We’d realize just how precious life is and can be.

All of this can be learned and taken into our lives as we read how Yeshua (Jesus) lived and followed God the Father.

The churches could become relevant again.

The youth would become interested again.

What can we do now?

Each of us can encourage our leaders to return to the Word of God. Read the gospels. Read the Torah (1st 5 books of the Bible – Genesis through Deuteronomy). Simply read! and discuss what’s written!

I cringe when I listen to church services and realize that most preachers read perhaps 1 to 5 verses, if even that much, from the Bible. And rarely from the gospels.

I thank God that there are exceptions – and if you are one of those exceptions, pray for the others!

Let’s come away from all of the dry theology and sermons and simply live as God intended. As Yeshua (Jesus) showed us!

To finish off, I’m going to quote a garden flag I have seen that is the perfect answer to all the hate and racism that is rolling over this country.

Thank you Jesus for Everyone and Everything!

  • Yosef

Censorship

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The USA used to be a country where free speech reigned. Seemingly, not any more. Now big corporations can censor even the President. (Sorry – this is a relatively long post).

Okay, now that I’ve got your attention, let’s look at what’s happening – at the root of the issue. The issue is people being blocked from saying what they want when they want.

But was this ever the case? Not really. Every culture has its rules about what can and can not be talked about. Even in the ‘olden days’ of the USA, if you talked openly about murdering a child you’d encounter a lot of difficulty. Some level of censorship has always been around and is actually good for society.

But who sets the rules as to what is good for society and what is not? We now live in a society where special interest groups (they started and are promulgating ‘political correctness’) and big corporations can decide on what is truth and what is not. Both are forms of censorship.

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others have started banning persons from using their platforms if the person is, in their opinion, promoting falsehood. Right now its all about ‘making sure people know the truth about Covid-19 vaccines.’ But will it stop there? Is it really about truth?

That sounds like a good cause, doesn’t it? But who is deciding what is ‘true’ and what is ‘not true’? Apparently the corporations have taken it upon themselves to do so. Unknown people in their organizations are being allowed to tell millions of people what they can and can not think! And what are they being told to think? Whatever the corporations want them to think.

I wonder if it is even allowed to discuss whether or not the AstraZeneca jab is good for people over 65? Why? Some countries allow it and some don’t, both sides citing ‘science’. And yet, when Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram decide that the jab is okay, they can suddenly start censoring anyone that disagrees with them.

Here is a quote from Twitter’s Help Center (help.twitter.com/en/rule – general guidelines and policies) as to what grounds can be used to ban a person.

If a post promotes “The safety or efficacy of treatments or preventative measures that are not approved by health authorities…” it can be removed and the author banned.

Sounds good, but suddenly all those that hold to natural medicines and herbs could be found in violation of Twitter’s policies!

I can take just about any one of their ‘policies’ and easily extend it into broader areas such as I did in the above example. It shows that the issue isn’t actually about truth, but about the power of being able to tell millions what to think.

Why do I bring all this up? Well, besides the fact that it is a frightening precedent, it won’t stop at silencing unpopular political figures or people with concerns about the vaccine.

History has proved over and over that such movements grow unless there is an uprising of the people (Uh-oh – I used the word ‘uprising’! Am I now in danger of inciting violence?) Look at the political correctness issue. It started with just one issue, but as it became successful, political correctness started dictating what people can and can not say or do in just about every situation in life.

Truth is not the issue behind the censorship!

Why am I concerned? Because religious freedom is falling. Political correctness has already started battering at what Christians can and can not say, and soon they will be banned from social media sites if they hold to traditional values. Don’t believe me? The beginnings are already happening. Look to our learning institutions. Traditional moral values and belief in God are becoming unwanted and targeted. Look at the many law suits against various learning institutions that are currently in progress!

Soon it will be that to even name ‘Jesus’ will be considered a crime. I know this sounds extreme, but it is the logical progression of the various movements currently sweeping this country.

If, after reading this, you are thinking that such won’t happen, or that companies have the right to decide who and what to ban, or that it needs to be done because lives are at stake, then you are missing the point completely.

It will happen. Just read some recent history to see how the political correctness movement started and then progressed. The same type of thing will happen (and has already started) with this censorship.

Companies do and don’t have the right to block people based on the person’s beliefs. That is a legal battle going on in this country right now. One example is the recent case determining whether or not a small bakery has the right to refuse to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

Lives are at stake? True, but the core issue is who decides what is truth and what is not. Do we want big companies deciding for us?

If the issue were anything but political, and it is political, there are better ways to ensure that ‘truth’ is available to all and easy to find. The IEEE organization (the group that sets communication standards that all phones and computers use) recently ran an article about how one could make a change to the operation of the internet that would make it far easier to verify the truth of an article.

But the issue isn’t truth.

Letting people decide for themselves is not wanted. Groups, corporations, and governments want power over people. It’s always been that way.

I fear for religious freedom in this country! Such forces as the special interest groups and large corporations have been battling against Christianity for several decades now, and this current trend of censorship will start battling Christianity very soon, if it hasn’t already.

Wake up! Most people in this country don’t know what it means, or what it is like, to live in a country where speech is monitored closely. I hope we don’t go that far, but we’re certainly on the road there. Inevitably, this censorship moves into religion. Why?

The apostle Paul tells us that there are spiritual forces at work, and the battle we see is only a reflection of a spiritual truth. One of those truths is that Yeshua (Jesus) is returning to judge the living and the dead. Will he find you following and obeying his word?

A spillover from the spiritual battle of people coming to know Yeshua and the subsequent freedom and peace that brings, is the battle to suppress all things Biblical.

Let your voice be heard! Pray for your country! Respect one another!

Shalom, – Yosef

Are you a Democrat or a Republican?

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Voting is over for the 2020 election here in the USA, but the results aren’t yet final. Though I think everyone should exercise their privilege of being able to vote, this post is not actually about the election!

On voting day I was listening in to part of a 24 hour prayer meeting, called for people to pray for the election. At one point, one person started praying that people would repent for things this nation has done, but the moderator (gently) stopped him told people to keep the prayers on the topic of getting their candidate elected.

Yet what does God want?

Interestingly, people on both sides seem to think that God wants their particular candidate to be the next president of the USA. Yet no one seems to care about the state of this country from God’s perspective!

So what does this country stand for?

– Abortion: our international polices even require nations accepting help from us to offer abortion services! We push abortion on our own people and the nation! And our legislators applaud themselves when laws are passed that make abortion easier and more prevalent in this nation.

– Immorality: our entertainment industry thrives on sex; not wholesome sex, but sex outside God’s boundaries, making it seem normal to have sex between friends and with other married people.,

– Godlessness: Our nation (via entertainment and educational industries) is actively and forcefully promoting a Godless world view.

And Christianity has been turning a blind eye to all this. Worse, we’ve been actively supporting it! How? By throwing out God’s word. Churches somehow believe that God’s word needs to be ‘made relevant’, which is to say ‘changed’. It’s no wonder that churches are losing their relevancy in the eyes of the younger generations.

Of course, this whole issue feeds upon itself by all the wrong teaching out there. Everyone interprets God’s word in a way that supports their own ideas.

We need to REPENT! We need to repent on behalf of our country and our churches and our selves!

Let us return to simply following Yeshua (Jesus), and get rid of all the theology that so divides! Yeshua prayed to the Father, “Father, make them one.” He did not pray, “make them thousands of different denominations” as it would seem he did when one looks at the state of Christianity in the world.

Being ‘one’ does not mean ‘being the same.’ The apostle Shaul (Paul) writes about how their are different ‘vessels’ (different people with different roles and ideas) and different gifts, but all make up one body.

It is time to quite judging one another (have we forgotten Yeshua‘s words in the sermon on the mount: ‘do not judge lest you be judged’?).

James writes, ‘pure religion is this, to look out for the widows and orphans, and keep oneself unstained by the world.’ How many of us do that? Yah (the LORD) says, “‘I am Yehovah (the LORD) that exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things’ declares Yehovah (the LORD).” (Jer. 9:24).

So, let us repent on behalf of our nation, our churches, and ourselves, and return to Yeshua. Then lets discuss who should be president.

Shalom! – Yosef

Matthew 7

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I wrote this in response to someone’s query but it never got posted.  So here it is…

Matt. 7:21-23 became very important to me many years ago. As I began to recognize what was being said there, I was set on a life long journey of discovery and growing closer to God. There is much more behind Yeshua’s (Jesus’) words here then is initially apparent.

– We’d call the people being spoken to ‘Christians’, as you point out.
– Jesus does not say, “you don’t know me”, but “I never knew you!” This is backwards from most of our thinking.
– The word ‘evildoers’ is a very poor translation. The word there clearly means ‘lawless ones’.

This brings to the forefront some very important questions we should ask ourselves. First, why didn’t Yeshua (Jesus) “know” them when they were apparently “on fire” for God? They seemed to be even putting their faith into action (doing miracles and such). Why does Yeshua (Jesus) call them ‘lawless ones’?

I submit that as we learn to walk in His way (His law), He comes to know us and our hearts. The people Jesus is rebuking did not regard His law as something to be considered. They were making up their own rules and traditions, just as so many denominations do today. It’s interesting to note that of all the things the people listed as things they have done, none are in God’s law as something that He wants us to learn. They are fruits of the Spirit living in us, given to us through the grace of God through Yeshua (Jesus). Yet those people were looking not at God’s will, but at ‘neat fruit’! They thought that they could come to God anyway they wanted to (without obedience).

You point out that we need to be obedient. You are so correct! In the Hebrew language, the word for ‘hear’ is an action word, not just meaning to listen. In Hebrew thought, if you don’t ‘do’ what you heard, then you didn’t listen.

– Yosef

Look out for One Another

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“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)

These are fairly well known words from the apostle Paul.  But what does this look like in reality, especially in the western culture’s motto of ‘me first’?

I’ll illustrate with an example.  My last post mentioned that I had to move.  I was so busy with all the moving that I wasn’t paying much attention to the upcoming “appointed times” of Yehovah (God’s feasts).  I knew they were approaching and looked forward to them, but I forgot some of the preparation, specifically some for the time of Tabernacles (which, according to the Jewish Calendar, is going on this very week).

One of the commands of Yah (short for of Yehovah – the LORD), is that we wave some particular tree branches before Him during this holiday.  One can, in most places, go out and find the required items.  I like to purchase them as a set, called a “lulav” in Judaism.  However, the evening before Tabernacles started I realized I had forgotten.

The next day a brother stopped by as he and his family where on their way to the synagogue.  He had a spare lulav that he wanted to give me.  He couldn’t stay as they were on their way to synagogue (I can’t get out much, so I wasn’t going), but he took the time and effort to bring me the lulav.  I must admit I don’t remember telling him that I forgot to get mine (not even sure I did).  All I can say is that this was a huge blessing that touched me deeply.  He put my interests before his at that time.

That is what God wants of us, and what Paul meant with the words he penned in Philippians.  It may cost a bit of time.  It may cost us a bit of money.  But when we notice a brother or sister that needs or can use something, and we can fill that need – do so!  I didn’t ‘need’ the lulav but that was an act of love I’ll probably never forget.

So, whether the act be large or small, expensive or free, meaningful or not in your eyes, bless a brother or sister with a ‘random act of kindness‘ to put Paul’s words in today’s lingo.  Not to be seen by others, but by your Father in heaven, and possibly by the recipient of the act.

Shalom,

  • Yosef

 

 

God’s Calendar: Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)

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Well, the Feast of Trumpets (or Feast of Shouting) is over according the Jewish calendar and the next appointed time is quickly approaching.  It is yom Kippur (the day of atonement).  According to the Jewish calendar, the day of Atonement is from this coming Tuesday, Sept. 18th, after sundown, to Wednesday, Sept. 19th, after sundown.

The day of atonement is a very solemn day in the yearly cycle of God’s appointed times.  It is the day where we reflect on the past year and repent of sins that have crept in, both in our personal lives and our corporate lives (our family, our church or synagogue, and our country).  Yes, I said our ‘corporate’ lives.  Much of what God has to say to us is directed at the whole body of believers, not just individuals.  That concept can be seen throughout the scriptures.

God gives us a couple commands for this day.  And actually, those commands are rather forceful in their presentation compared to the commands for the other feasts.  Two of the commands stand out.  One is that the day is to be treated as a very strict sabbath – no work whatsoever.  Second is that we are to ‘afflict ourselves.’  So no work of any kind – a strict sabbath of rest, and ‘afflict’ ourselves.  The only definition for ‘afflict’ in this context is that which has been understood by the Jews for millennia.  And that is to fast.  All those that can should fast.

I’m looking forward to the day.  It is a chance to really look at oneself, and one’s country, honestly.  I like reading through the traditional Jewish prayer (the ‘al Chet’ prayer) for the day as it lists all manner of sin – both physical and thought related – and really gets me to think.  There exists such ‘lists’ also in Christianity (the catechism of Westminster – the 10 commandments section – comes to mind).  If you can, find such a prayer / list / sermon and read through it thoughtfully and prayerfully.

I think that the practice of deeply reflecting once a year is quite important and of great benefit, especially as God set it up for us to follow.  He made us and knows what we need.

So, take a day (or as much as you can – not as much as you are comfortable with, but as much as you can, up to the full 24 hours) and reflect.  And repent.  And pray.  And think about any changes that you need to make in your life, or how you can affect our culture for good.  And remember what Yeshua (Jesus) has done for us!

Shalom,

  • Yosef

 

God’s Calendar and the Feast of Trumpets!

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Did you know that God has a calendar?  Did you know that He is still following it?  It really saddens me, though, that most of Christianity has thrown out His calendar, and in doing so, they miss out on some of the beauty and richness and grace of God and His word.

What is this calendar?  Well, it isn’t a secret.  It is written about quite a bit in both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ testaments.  The calendar is marked by special occasions throughout the year.   They are often called the “Jewish Feasts” but that isn’t what God calls them.  He calls them His “appointed times” (this is the clear meaning of the Hebrew word used in the “old testament” when the ‘feasts’ are referred to.)

I know that many in Christianity will say that the feasts no longer apply as Jesus fulfilled them, but even the “new testament” proves that statement false.  Yeshua (Jesus) himself said,

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass away until all is accomplished.”  Matthew 5:18 (ESV)

“Do this in in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 (ESV) – in context of celebrating the Passover.

There are many more verses showing Yeshua (Jesus) and the apostles (even Paul) celebrating the feasts.  However, this article isn’t about that.  It’s about the next feast in the yearly cycle, the ‘Feast of Trumpets’!

God’s year begins with Passover in early spring.  Then there are a couple more, then a couple months pause.  The feasts start up again near fall time, with the first in a short series being the ‘feast of trumpets’!  For this feast we are told, among a couple other things, to blow trumpets (or shout)!

Now, considering the fact that Yeshua (Jesus) did something appropriate on each of the earlier feasts (died on Passover; gave the holy spirit on Pentecost; – are two examples), it easily follows that this is the next feast where something should happen.  I wonder, if Paul wasn’t thinking of this when he wrote,

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.”  1 Thessalonians 4:16 (ESV)

The feasts are the markers of God’s calendar, and give God’s timeline for things He has done and is yet to do!

And I must say that I am really looking forward to this coming Sunday night to Monday night (Sept. 9 to 10, 2018), which is the feast of Trumpets!  I get to take the day off work and celebrate!   In Judaism, the day is celebrated as the “Jewish New Year” and, being Jewish, I’ll celebrate that also, but that is just tradition.

I look forward to meeting God at his next ‘appointed time’, the ‘feast of trumpets,’ and hearing the shofar (ram’s horn).  And I look forward to hearing that heavenly shofar calling, announcing the end of all things!

Shalom!   – Yosef

New Article in the ‘Jailhouse’ Miracles Series

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Jail ministry is, along with other ministries, a great way to serve brothers or sisters and share the gospel.  Yes, I said ‘serve brothers or sisters’ as there are many of those who follow Yeshua (Jesus) that make mistakes and end up in jail, and they need visits also.  However, the guest article is not about jail ministry per se, but about the author’s experiences of God while in jail!  He is slowly sharing his many stories about how God showed His love and care even while he was in jail, and that there is nothing that can snatch one out of His hand.

So far, he has shared two stories, but there are more to come.  The stories are a wonderful testimony to both God’s care and that He can use anyone anywhere at anytime.  He is not bound by any man-made boundaries!  Not even the theological boundaries that we so willingly and quickly put up.

I hope the stories challenge any boxes you may have put God in, as well as encouraging you in your faith.  Have a look at them and let the author know what you think of them.   The second story has a sobering message for those in jailhouse ministry or thinking about doing so (and the story isn’t about anything you would expect!)  Here are links to the two stories so far:

Jailhouse Miracles

Jailhouse Miracles 2 – the Bible Study and visiting Pastors

Shalom!

  • Yosef

What’s Your Life Goal?

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What is your life goal?  I realized just recently that somewhere along the line of life, my life goal moved over to this:  I want a comfortable, quiet life where I can learn of God and follow Yeshua.

When did Yeshua (Jesus) ever promise us a comfortable or quiet life when we followed him?  He didn’t.  I strayed away from the greatest commandment,

Hear O Israel!  The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart; with all your soul; and with all your might.

God calls us to give completely of ourselves to Him.  Yeshua (Jesus) told us to ‘take up our cross and follow him.’  That certainly isn’t a description of a comfortable, quiet life.

The effects of not having my goal correct were becoming apparent in many aspects of my life.   Anxiety, stress, and even depression.   And yet I would tell myself that I was trusting God for all things.

What does my life look like when I have one or the other goals first in my life?  When comfort was my life goal, I’d be often thinking about material needs, entertainment, and stress reduction.  When Yeshua is my life goal, then I would be spending much more time doing what the word of God says: “speak of His law when I sit in my house and when I walk on my way and when I lie down and when I rise up” (paraphrase of Deuteronomy 6:7).  We see in the Psalms that King David did this.  Yeshua also tells us to not be anxious about our life (Matthew 6:25-34).  “Anxious” doesn’t have to mean worrying about something, but simply thinking about it and going after something.  Wanting it.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV).

There is nothing wrong with having material things.  But for me, I was thinking of such things more often then God’s word.

What we spend our time thinking about and going after shows us what our life goal is.

So, measure your own life by God’s word and check what your life goal is.  Follow the words that are part of the verse that Jesus (Yeshua) called the ‘greatest commandment’ and transform your life (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  If you’re like me, it is best to start with small steps and increase as you go.  When our goal is correct our lives will be peaceful (which does not mean uneventful).  It is what God promised.  We can trust Him.

  • Yosef