10 things Christians can learn from Biblical / Jewish Holidays

In each of the three Jewish High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) - there are gems hidden by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Beyond a yearly calendar of holy convocations, the Levitical Feasts (Lev. 23) as a whole point the reader to a deeper understanding of the God of Israel.

Year after year, as we celebrate God's provision for and preservation of the Jewish people, we are reminded that the same God who promised never to forsake Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37) has also promised us forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Here is a list of a few things Christians can learn from the High Holy Days:

1. God has a special plan for the Jewish people

God is not finished with Israel and the Jewish people! On the contrary, He continues to have a special plan for His chosen people. The Jewish calendar found in Leviticus 23 and partially repeated throughout the rest of the Tenach (Old Testament) shows us that God gave the Jewish people "holy convocations" to make us "a light to the Nations" (Lev 23:1-3, Deut 7:6-11, 1 King 8:53, 59-61, Isaiah 42:6).

2. God is a God of covenant relationships

From the early chapters of Genesis through the rest of Scriptures, God has always been a God of relationships - with mankind in general and with the Jewish people in particular. It began with the Edenic (Gen 2:15-17) and Adamic (Gen 3:14-19) Covenants made with mankind. The Mosaic Covenant, made with the children of Israel, contains the 613 mitzvot (commandments), including the celebration of the Feasts of Israel for all generations. God expressed His deep desire for relationship by teaching Israel how to relate to Him through many ways, including the Fall Feasts as a yearly reminder to bring Jewish people back to focusing on Him. The series of covenants culminates with the New Covenant made with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34), which is fulfilled in Messiah.

3. A better understanding of the Jewish people

Genesis 12:1-3 tells us about the Covenant God made with Abraham. In verse 3, God said: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." As Bible-believing Christians who love Israel, blessing the Jewish people is part of what we do. There is no greater blessing than giving Jewish people the gift that never stops giving, which is the Good News (Romans 10:1-5, 11:11). The High Holy Days and their contemporary observance give us a wonderful link to the Jewish community, through which we can share the message of Messiah. As we study the feasts of Leviticus 23, we learn more about the Jewish people and as a result, we are able to deliver our message in a bold yet sensitive way.

4. The redemptive career of the Messiah

Not only will we understand the Jewish people better by knowing the Feasts of Israel, but we will also deepen our understanding of the Jewish Messiah, as each of the Feasts points to a specific event in the redemptive career of Yeshua our Redeemer. In a sense, God's grand plan is revealed through the Feasts. Many believers agree that each of the Levitical holy convocations has been or will be fulfilled by a specific event, in a specific order, in the prophetic career of the Messiah. As the Spring Festivals were all fulfilled by the First Coming of the Messiah, so the Fall Feasts will be fulfilled by His Second Coming. Incidentally, the order of the feasts on the Jewish calendar might give us a great insight into the sequence of events of the Last Days.

Messiah's Second Coming

Rosh Hashanah (New Year) - Trumpet Blast heralding End Times

Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) - The Great Tribulation

Sukkot (Feast of Booths or Tabernacles) - The Thousand-Year Messianic Kingdom

5. Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashanah means the "head of the year." It is also known as the Feast of Trumpets, and is the first of three Fall Feasts. The theme of Rosh Hashanah is regathering and repentance in preparation for the other two feasts: Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, the most holy day of the Jewish calendar) and Sukkot (the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles).

With Rosh Hashanah we prepare our hearts for the beautiful season of the High Holy Days (Lev. 23: 23-25, Num. 29:1-6, Ps. 81:3-4, Ezra 3:1-6, Neh. 8:1-12). Jewish people all over the world blow the shofar (ram's horn). Prophetically, Rosh Hashanah will be fulfilled by the ultimate regathering of the Rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:50-58). It is important to note that the rapture does not have to take place on the day of Rosh Hashanah to fulfill it; the Bible is clear that we don't know the day or the hour (Matt. 24:42-44, 25:13).

6. Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur is the most solemn of the High Holy Days. It is a fast and a day of affliction (Lev. 16, 23:26-32). As described in Leviticus 16, Yom Kippur was a day for all Israel's sins to be atoned for by the yearly sacrifices performed by the High Priest. First, he would atone for himself by providing both a sin and a burnt offering (Lev. 16:3). After offering sacrifices to the Lord for himself and the other priests, he would be ready to make an offering for the atonement of all Israel (Lev 16:5-7). Two male goats were used. One goat was slaughtered and the other goat, which was known as azazel or the "scapegoat," was escorted into the wilderness, and tradition tells us that it was pushed off a cliff to its certain death, taking with it all the sins of Israel to be remembered no more. Yeshua became our azazel 2,000 years ago (Rom. 5:8, 8:3).

Three times in Lev 23 (vv. 27, 29, 32) Jewish people are told to "humble our souls." The prophetic fulfillment of Yom Kippur will come with the Great Tribulation - also known as "the time of Jacob's trouble" - which is a specific description of the affliction of Israel during the Great Tribulation (Zech 13:9, 12:10, Luke 13:35).

7. Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles

Sukkot means "booths" in Hebrew (Lev 23:33-44, Ex. 23:14-17, Num. 29:12-38, 1 Kg 8:2, I Kings 12:25-33, Neh. 8:13-18). In biblical days as well as in modern days, Jewish people build temporary dwellings or "booths" and eat (sometimes sleep) in them for a week during Sukkot. We do it to remember and celebrate God's provision and dwelling with the children of Israel in the wilderness wanderings. Based on Leviticus 23:40, Rabbinic laws were developed regarding what is known today as the "four species." Each year, families must obtain their own lulav or "sprout" and etrog or "one that shines" (terms not found in the Bible) for the celebration. All four species are held and are waved in four directions - up, down and to the sides - symbolizing that God is everywhere.

The prophetic significance of Sukkot should not be overlooked. The Rabbis taught that one day God would pour His Holy Spirit on Israel (Joel 2:28). In John 7:37-39, during the seventh day of Sukkot, Yeshua the Messiah relates the outpouring of water to Himself and the water of eternal life that He gives. His Jewish audience would have made the connection immediately. Furthermore, Yeshua, who is God in the flesh dwelling with us, will be the ultimate fulfillment of Tabernacles, when we all dwell with Him in His futureMillennial Kingdom (Zech 14:16-19). Peter, at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36), mistakenly thought Yeshua had brought in the Kingdom, and he wanted to build three booths; one each for Messiah, Moses, and Elijah.

8. God's promises are irrevocable

With each of these festivals comes a future fulfillment of a promise from God to those who have put their trust in the death and resurrection of Messiah for the forgiveness of their sins. God's promises to Israel are irrevocable (Jeremiah 31:35-37, Romans 9:1-5, 11:26-29) and our God never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Only if God's promises to Israel are irrevocable can the promises to those who follow Messiah also be unchanged. If God has changed His mind about Israel, then our personal relationship with Him (also based on a covenantal promise) stands on nothing!

9. God's plan of redemption is not an afterthought.

From the very first Messianic prophecy found in Genesis 3:15, the Creator of the universe introduced the idea of a Redeemer for mankind. The picture progressively painted through the Jewish Scriptures is one of a Jewish man from the tribe of Judah, the line of David, both God and man, born in Bethlehem of a virgin (Genesis 3:15, 49:10, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, Micah 5:2), to name just a few. Obviously, only Yeshua of Nazareth fulfills the description perfectly. Images of our Redeemer are also found in all the Levitical Feasts from Passover to Tabernacles, from His death to the Millennial Kingdom. God's love for us is so great that He planned all along to provide a way for us to be reconciled to Him (John 3:16).

10. A better understanding of God's Word

As most people read the Bible - which is the story of mankind in general and Israel in particular - it is as if we were watching an old movie in black and white, with some details but not all. Yet if we read the Bible from a Jewish perspective, understanding the authors' point of view, the audiences and the geographical/historical context, then we understand so much more. The movie instantly turns to color, and details we never knew existed pop up on the screen.

The Levitical calendar is not only a reminder of God's holy convocations for the children of Israel, but it also renders a vivid picture of God's love, grace, and provision for the Jewish people and the rest of mankind. It helps us to better understand not only the Jewish people, but the God of the Jewish people, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... our God, and His Word.

SENT TO ME BY MY FRIEND GARY!!!! THANK YOU GARY FOR THIS WONDERFUL WRITING!!!! L'SHANA TOVA!!! Brandy

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF FAREWELL TOUR

Words cannot describe how thankful we are that we are about to go see the live, farewell tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, starring Topol. This movie has made such an enormous impact on my life, along with many, many other books & movies about Israel. If you live in Southern California or the Portland, Oregon area, and you are interested in also attending, check out:

http://www.fiddlerontour.com/

The last trip we took to Israel we visited something called "The Time Elevator". It was an amazing movie / 3-D like production with Topol as the host. He now lives in Jerusalem, Israel we found out! This movie is about the entire history of Israel, from creation until now. It's a definite "must see" while in the City of the Great King.

SHALOM!

WHAT GOD DESIRES

As I was having "Sacred Space" with my King last Sunday, He spoke to my heart to write in my journal... so I will share with you, dear reader, what I wrote. May this speak to you as it did to me. "You want our hearts. You want all of us - everything, no hold backs. Noting short of complete surrender and abandonment... You are coming soon - You are even at the door! You are asking Your bride if she is willing to let go of anything and everything that is a hindrance and a block from entering into Your presence. Secret, besetting sins, anything that grieves Your Holy Spirit - You want our hearts uncluttered of religious spirits, self-sufficiency, pride, rebellion, fleshly lusts that war against the soul, You desire a bride who is willing to stop "the busy-ness" and sit with You. To recognize we have left You sitting in the secret place alone, waiting for our return. You desire a bride who is in love with You, a bride whose sole focus and attention is on You, Your desires, Your wants, Your needs and Your will. You desire a bride who is willing to loose it all to have You. You desire a bride who cries - "Yet He slay me yet I will trust Him" because You, Jesus are worth it all!!!

Death Makes Heaven Real

Daily routine. Wake up. Devotions. Care for family. Go to work... and then comes an unexpected phone call that someone you love has died. Then, all of a sudden, the world seems to stop and the reality of heaven or hell is in your face. Although this is a reality most of us live with on a daily basis, one that many have dedicated their lives to, in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God's plan for salvation for mankind, it seems like someone throwing cold water in your face when one passes from this life to enter their eternal dwelling place. Last week, my great aunt passed away, my Grandma Alice's sister. Natalia Jean Poletti was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and great aunt. My heart rejoices knowing that she is now in the presence of the Lord, as the Bible teaches "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." (For the believer). The opposite is unthinkable. The pain is for us left behind, in which we desperately need the Lord's comfort. There is a verse in the book of Psalms that says "Precious in the eyes of the Lord are the death of His saints" is a reminder that God looks at the death of His children in a very different way than we do, for us left behind until our arrival.

Reality for me now is, THAT SHE HAS FINISHED HER RACE - AND SHE HAS SEEN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.... YESHUA HAMASHIAC, she actually knows what He looks like! Can you imagine???

I have had to pause this past week and ask myself some serious, self examining questions. DO I LIVE IN THE REALITY THAT THIS LIFE IS TEMPORAL??? That in any minute, I could also pass into the arms of the Lord and be standing before Him, face to face? How different my life would be that if I lived with the CONSTANT revelation that in any second, I could be standing before my King. What in my life would I be ashamed of? Does my heart condemn me? Is there anything I am holding onto that He has asked me to let go of, and I have held onto? Have I "been about my Father's business", or my own? Am I walking with a repentant heart? Do I live my life with the reality that the choices I make are eternal? Death makes heaven real.

I believe God uses all things for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes, and in saying that, death does bring forth new life. The Bible says that He has place eternity in our hearts. At the passing from this life on earth into the Lord's presence for my great aunt, it has called me into the truthful reality that not only is heaven real, so is hell, and it's only a breath away. So how am I living my life to walk out His purposes for me? "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 1st Corinthians 5:10

Praise the Lord for His sacrifice for me, because He died, I may live. "That if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Romans 10:9-11

Death makes heaven real.

Dividing Jerusalem???

This is a very important FLASH TRAFFIC from Joel Rosenberg.  Please read it and prayerfully consider his request at the bottom.  Shalom, Brandy

(Washington, D.C., May 20, 2009) -- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has just finished his visit to Washington. Full analysis on my weblog, including a link to the YouTube clip of me on Glenn Beck's show with a former CIA analyst who says he wouldn't care if Israel ceased to exist. 

That said, there's more troubling news this morning. I'm horrified by credible reports that in his June 4th speech in Cairo, President Obama will say it is time to divide Jerusalem and make the holy city the capital of a Palestinian state. 

No, Mr. President, it is not. 

Jerusalem is and should be the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. Dividing Jerusalem will not make peace. Rather, it would send a message to every Radical Islamic jihadist around the world that Israel is weak, that the Jews won't even defend the sovereignty of their own capital, that there is "blood in the water," and that it is time to strike Israel and wipe her off the map. Dividing Jerusalem would trigger an apocalyptic war in the Middle East the likes of which the region has never seen. 

I am committed to doing everything I possibly can to educate people -- and particularly U.S. and Canadian evangelical Christians -- to the threats facing Israel and the West due to Radical Islam, and to the biblical responsibility we have to show unconditional love and unwavering support to Israel and the Jewish people. We'll use radio, TV, the internet, emails and other media to get the word out. But we can't do it alone. We want and need your help. 

One idea: let's build an alliance of one million true friends of Israel -- people who love Israel, are committed to blessing her in real and practical ways, are absolutely opposed to dividing Jerusalem, and will pray faithfully for the peace of Jerusalem and the protection of all the people of the epicenter. 

Currently, we have 100,000 subscribers to our Flash Traffic email updates who are committed to this cause. If each of us recruited just 10 new friends to sign up for Flash Traffic and be part of this alliance, we would be able to communicate new information, new projects, and new prayer requests to them instantly. We would be able to mobilize people for pro-Israel events. We would be able to mobilize people to write to President Obama and their Congressional leaders to stand with Israel, not against her. We would be able to work together to stockpile food, clothing, medical supplies and other aid in Israel ahead of the next war. And we would be able to encourage one another with the knowledge that we are not alone in this important fight. 

Will you join us?

For more on President Obama's plan to divide Jerusalem -- and to read analysis of Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit -- please click here.

Will you help us build a global alliance of 1 million true friends of Israel? Click here to sign up for Flash Traffic.

A.D. Chronicles & Love

I have just finished reading a wonderful series by Bodie & Brock Thoene, called the A.D. Chronicles.  If you can get these books - don't hesitate.  I guarantee you, you will not only be so blessed but you will learn so much about the 1st coming of Jesus Christ and the prophecies He fulfilled.   Not to mention, that you will weep your way through these books, in gratitude for His love and faithfulness and life.  Here is an excerpt from book 8, called "Eighth Shepherd."

"Yeshua (Jesus) teaches this:  Love is kind.  And patient.  It doesn't envy and steal and claim the talents and possessions of another man.  Love keeps it's promises even when it hurts.  Love does not boast or crow when it is victorious in battle.  Love heals the wounded rather than destroys the weak.  Love is not motivated by injured pride to destroy the life and work of another.  Love builds up.  It does not tear down.  Love isn't rude or thoughtless in actions or words.  Love is not ambitious or self-seeking or addicted to flattery.  It does not lie and claim it is somehow serving God.  It keeps no record of wrongs or plots ways to take vengeance.  Love is not easily angered, yet neither is it silent when confronting evil.  It does not accept or delight in the actions of an evil man that hurt the innocent.  Love does not defend a lie or accept the persecution of the innocent for the sake of remaining in control.  Love rejoices in the truth.  It always protects.  Always trusts.  Always encourages.  Always hopes.  Always perseveres.  Yeshua teaches us that love never fails.  God's love heals all wounds."

My first Newspaper Article

Recently, the Lord has opened up the door for me to write a monthly article on Israel in the Baja Christian Newspaper, "Kronos".  This newspaper is distributed from Ensenada to the tip of the Baja, in Cabo San Lucas.  I wrote my first article this week and I am posting it today in English version for you.  Please pray for me as I walk through this door the Lord has given me.  Shalom, Brandy

“Israel, Bible Prophecy, and You.”

Kronos Newspaper, Article #1, March, 2009

By Brandy Cook

Director, Comfort Israel, a division of I.D.T. / A.C.

         Children.  The joy of our hearts.  Our little ones can make us laugh or cry.  They can cause us the greatest contentment and the deepest pain. It is our children that cause us to stop whatever we are doing in an instant.  No matter how busy we are, if our children are in trouble, nothing else matters.  It is our children’s laughter that makes us think that even for just one moment in time, all is okay in the world.  It is our children that cause us to weep uncontrollably, when they choose to walk down the wrong path in life.  And it is our children, who give us the reason to run to them rejoicing, when they come home.  Children. 

         You may be thinking, what do my children have to do with this article about Israel, Bible Prophecy and the Church?  Everything.  For God’s chosen people the Jews are God’s children, as we are who believe.  And the Father’s heart is broken, broken for His people Israel.  As Jesus taught us in the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, so longs the Father’s heart for His firstborn, Israel to come home.  To know their Messiah.  To believe in the One who He sent.   Read Romans 10:1, Romans 11 and Jeremiah 31:31-37.

         “Sing, O heavens!  Be joyful all the earth!  And break out in singing, O mountains!  For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted.  But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.”  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you, see I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before me.”  Isaiah 49:13-16

         God loves Israel.  The Jewish people are not forgotten in the eyes of the Father. Consider the words of Zechariah 2:8 when the Lord says about the Jews, “… for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”   In other words, in the Hebraic interpretation of this verse, you could read it to understand that “He who touches Israel pokes God in the eye.”

         Some of you may be thinking right now, “I thought the Jewish people were from the Old Testament and didn’t exist anymore.”  Some others reading this may be thinking, “I thought Israel was rejected by God and now I am Israel”.  Yet others of you may be thinking, “What does Israel have to do with me as a Christian?”.  Dear ones, with the love of God I respectfully share with you today, that the Lord is inviting you to take a deeper look into His heart.  I think we would all agree that He wants ALL of our heart.  We call out in prayer consistently crying, “Lord, I am yours, I surrender to you, and I want your will, I want what YOU want.”  In return, I also believe He wants us to have ALL of His heart, and a huge portion of His heart is ISRAEL.  Israel did not cease to exist.  Israel, as a people and a nation, are alive today and a FULFILLMENT OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY.

         We are living in an hour that is experiencing more fulfilled Bible prophecies since Jesus went to the cross.   Just within the past 100 years, more ancient prophecies spoken by God through the prophets of old are coming true IN OUR LIFETIME. 

         The first century church was predominantly Jewish.  Jesus’ disciples were all Jews. Jesus was, is and always will be a Jew.   He was born in Bethlehem, Israel.  He grew up in Nazareth, Israel.  He spend a good part of His ministry in the Galilee area, in Israel.  And he was crucified and ressurection from the dead, in Jerusalem, Israel.  The same Land of Israel that existed thousands of years ago, is still there today.  We have been there several times and I can testify to the fact that EVERY WORD OF THE BIBLE IS TRUE, AND MODERN DAY ISRAEL IS A FULFILLMENT OF ANCIENT BIBLICAL PROPHECY.  And it is God’s heart, that His Bride, the Church, pray for, bless and comfort His firstborn, Israel the children of Abraham, with God’s Biblical love. 

May the 14^th, 1948.    Consider the scripture written by the Jewish prophet Isaiah in chapter 66 verse 8.  It says  “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child.  Who has heard such a thing?  Who has seen such things?  Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?  Or shall a nation be born at once?  For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.  Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord…..”   This incredible promise, this ancient prophecy was fulfilled only 61 short years ago.  IN OUR GENERATION, on May the 14^th, 1948 when Israel was reborn as a nation according to God’s promise, we have witnessed this scripture fulfilled.

Within the last 100 years, (and most since 1948), over 6 million Jews, the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are now living in the ancient Land of Israel.  These people have come “home” from the countries from which they were scattered!   There are still Jews living in other countries that are still in the process of Ezekiel 37 including MEXICO.    God is inviting you to participate with Him in these last days, in bringing the Jewish people back to their Land according to His Word.  Please read Isaiah 43: 1-6 and Isaiah 49: 13-22, focusing on verse 22.  There are over 85 scriptures that refer to God brining His people back to the Land of Israel.  It’s happening now!

Church of the Living God, Messiah Y’shua, Jesus Christ is about to return!  The Word of God tells us that the Jews would be re-gathered again a second time (some in unbelief) to THEIR OWN LAND before Jesus comes back.   This was impossible until this generation, when Israel became a nation again in 1948.  Open your heart and ask the Holy Spirit reveal to you the immensity of this.   The Word tells us God would plant Israel back in their own land before Messiah’s return.  Again, I encourage you to read Ezekiel 37.   You are living in the day and hour of this prophetic chapter!    Make sure your lamps are trimmed!  Be about your Father’s business!  Be ready to preach the Gospel!  Be ready to follow the Lamb wherever He goes!  Desire to want all of Him, including His heart for His children, the people of Israel!

Everything God is doing to wind up history centers around the nation of Israel, God’s prophetic “time clock.”  Nothing can change the Word of God and His plan.  And He desires that ALL of His children, both Jew and Gentile, come home to His heart. 

I hear all the time here amongst my Christian friends here in Vicente Guerrero, “God is so faithful, at times we forget about Him, but He never forgets about us.”  And this is a true saying.  For the Father never, ever forgets about His children.  Both Jew and Gentile alike.

 

 

 

 

 

Father's Love Letter

How would you like it if you went to your mailbox, and received a letter from God?  Can you imagine, a letter written just for you, sent to you by your Heavenly Father?  If this is a desire of you heart, I have good news for you.  The letter probably already is sitting in your home.   It's called The Bible - God's love letter to you.  But like any wonderful gift,  you cannot enjoy it if you don't unwrap it!  However, today I'd like to share with you a condensed version of this letter, one that will melt your heart and cause you to understand just how very much your Abba Father loves you....  go to www.fathersloveletter.com and click "watch".  Tell a friend.

Come on, Jump!

On Wednesday, I had to meet with Bill Sopher for a finance exchange.  I called him on his cell phone and he told me he was at the park in town with his daughter Sarah, because it was her birthday.  I said to Bill, "Bill, you are exactly where you are suppose to be.  That's awesome".  Then he said, "Come to the park, I'll be here for while".  So, Maria and I headed over to the park, and in my mind, I was thinking there would be a birthday party of some sort.  When I arrived, I saw Bill and Sarah (9) by themselves.  He didn't know I had arrived, and I just stood back for about 10 minutes watching them, I couldn't intrude on what I was seeing.  

There is his daughter Sarah (which means princess) sitting on top of the monkey bars with her hair blowing in the wind and her feet dangling.  Then there was Bill, her Abba, standing below her with his arms stretched upward calling to her "Come on, jump!  Jump Sarah, I'll catch you!"  "No, I can't!" she would say, "it's too high!"  "Yes, you can, I'll catch you, come on!"  (As I watched this exchange, I realized that there was NO IMPATIENCE in Bill.... no indication that he was getting frustrated with her at all... their eyes were locked on each others eyes like there was no one else around...)  "Come on, jump, I'll catch you!"  As her legs swung back and forth, I could tell she wanted to jump but kept hesitating, yet had this exuberant smile on her face knowing her daddy was right there)  Again Bill says, "Come on, jump, I'll catch you!" and then she says, "I'm afraid of heights, I'll fall" and then, this is was pierced my heart, Bill says "Sarah, before I'd let you fall, I'd fall and catch you"  My breath was taken away by this as I realized the Lord was speaking to me.  This papa stood there for 10 minutes straight with his arms in the air... never tiring, never loosing patience, never becoming frustrated, but simply smiling and laughing and encouraging his "princess" to jump in to his arms...

Friends.... this pierced my heart.  This is our Abba Father.  This is the heart of God, asking us to trust Him, to jump into His arms, TO TRUST HIM WITH THE OUTCOME if we relinquish our fears and TRUST OUR ABBA TO CATCH US.....are you in a place where God is asking you to "jump"?  To believe?  To trust Him even though you cannot see the outcome?  Is He speaking to you about serving in a capacity you feel you are unequipped for, incapable of?  REMEMBER, IT IS HE THAT DOES THE WILLING AND THE WORKING, WHAT HE IS ASKING OF YOU IS TO SAY "YES, LORD, I TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE"  This simple trust ravishes the heart of God.

I have been listening to a song all week by Justin Rizzo that I have ended up praying over and over again.   It's called "momentary light affliction"  The lyrics go like this:

I set my eyes on what I cannot see, I set my mind on the eternal, (2x)

For You are my great reward,  forever I will be with you (2x)

I know that, this momentary light affliction is working in me, an eternal weight of glory, an eternal weight of glory (4x)

For you are God and You know what You want and you know how you'll get it the fastest way

And you give and take away, but you're the initiator....

For you are God and You know what You want and you know how you'll get it the fastest way

With the least amount of pain, but there will be pain, it's guaranteed...

Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds

The testing of your faith, it develops perseverance

Perseverance is needed to run the race!

Oh, consider it pure joy!  Consider it pure joy!

This is my confidence, (3x) I'm living for another age....

Rance's message at church last night was on the judgement seat of Christ, about what works will be burned up and what will last the test of fire.  Our home is not on this earth.  We are on a pilgrimage, passing through.  And everyday is a new day with Him, another day of opportunity to walk with HIm, talk with HIm, and surrender and submit to His ways, and HE IS ALWAYS GOOD.  Even in pain, trauma, and the worst possible scenarios we can imagine - HE IS FAITHFUL, AND HE IS ALWAYS GOOD.  

"COME ON, JUMP!"

SIT AT HIS FEET THIS WEEKEND, READ THE WORD AND WORSHIP HIM.

TURN OFF THE COMPUTER.  TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.  PUT THE RINGER ON MUTE ON YOUR PHONE AND LET THE ANSWERING MACHINEMACHING PICK IT UP.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR KING, HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH.

Shabbat Shalom

Scriptures on Middle East Conflict

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple (pupil) of His eye..." Zechariah 2:8

"I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.  Thus says the Lord:  I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.  Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,  the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain..." Zechariah 8:2-3

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it..." Zechariah 12:2-3

"In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them.  It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced.  Yes they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn..."  Zechariah 12:8-10

"Behold the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem.....then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.  And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east....Zechariah 14:1 &3-4

"And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul"  Jeremiah 32:41

"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you.  Again, I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, o virgin of Israel!..."  Jeremiah 31:3-4

 

End Times - are you about your Father's business?

Rance and I just watched a very eye-opening DVD yesterday, called "50 reasons we are living in the end times".  It was excellent.  If you are interested in ordering it,  you can get it for $12.00 at www.lamblion.com

  

If you have a heart to know what is happening during these "days of awe" as my husband and I believe we are living in, and you do not already have reliable news sources pertaining to and coming from the Middle East, we would recommend the following websites.  (Believe me, you are not getting all the truth from CNN!) You may sign up for either daily, weekly, or monthly subscriptions, and they are all free.  Most of us do not have the time to read everything, but just having the headlines available to us is helpful. 

www.bridgesforpeace.com (weekly)

www.tjci.org (weekly) 

www.israelnationalnews.com (daily)

www.ddolan.com (monthly)

On another note, we found it very interesting to watch Sean Hannity on Fox News night before last as he broadcasted a segment on terrorist training camps in the U.S.A. You can watch it here: http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=185279&page=1

  Today, on Arutz Sheva's headlines (Israel National News) , it says "UN inspectors found 209 kgs. of undisclosed low enriched uranium at Natanz. Iran can now make one nuclear bomb, UN officials said.   

Last week, there was a headline from Ynetnews that read : "Russia to start Iran nuclear plant by year end at Iran's Bushehr plant" and the list goes on and on, and we KNOW from the Word of God that all these things must come to pass.  In Ezekiel 38 & 39 we see the war of Gog and Magog, when Russia leads a coalition with Iran to come against Israel.... and the Word tells us that God will destroy those armies.  This morning at our ladies meeting, one of the missionaries shared that she, in her devotion time this week, is in the book of Ezekiel.  And that she has recognized one theme throughout... "THAT THEY MAY KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD".... 

 

Another interesting point to ponder is this, until May the 14th 1948 there was no state of Israel for Gog and the allies to attack!  In the first study Bible ever published by Scofield in the early 1900's (I'm pulling from memory here), there is a note in the original study Bible, for Ezekiel 38 & 39 relating to the fact (I'm paraphrasing) that since there was no state of Israel, how could these from the north attack it, when the Jews were scattered throughout the 4 corners of the earth?  He had to accept this by faith, that THE WORD OF THE LORD IS PROVEN AND TRUE AND ALL THAT WAS PROPHESIED SHALL COME TO PASS.

Friends, the birthpangs have begun.  Just in the last 100 years alone, there are are more signs since the cross,  pointing to the soon return of the Messiah!!!!!  He is EVEN AT THE DOOR - ARE YOU READY????  DOES YOUR HEART CRY MARANATHA LORD JESUS?????????  ARE YOU ABOUT YOUR FATHER'S BUSINESS, WHATEVER IT IS HE HAS CALLED YOU TO????  

Beware of the Stronghold of Cold Love

Beware of the Stronghold of 

Cold Love

By Francis Frangipane

Is your love growing and becoming softer, brighter, more daring and more visible? Or is it becoming more discriminating, more calculating, less vulnerable and less available? This is a very important issue, for your Christianity is only as real as your love. A measurable decrease in your ability to love is evidence that a stronghold of cold love is developing within you. Guard Against Unforgiveness!

"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold" (Matt. 24:12). A major area of spiritual warfare that has come against the church is the sphere of church relationships. Satan knows that a church divided against itself cannot stand. We may enjoy temporary blessings and seasonal breakthroughs, but to win a citywide war, Jesus is raising up a united, citywide church. An earmark of this corporate, overcoming church will be its commitment to love. Yet, because of the increasing iniquity in the end of this age, true Christian love will be severely assaulted. There is no spiritual unity, and hence no lasting victory, without love. Love is a passion for oneness. Bitterness, on the other hand, is characterized by a noticeable lack of love. This cold love is a demonic stronghold. In our generation cold love is becoming increasingly more common. It shuts down the power of prayer and disables the flow of healing and outreach. In fact, where there is persistent and hardened unforgiveness in a person or church, the demonic world (known in Matthew 18:34 as "torturers") has unhindered access. The Scriptures warn that even a little root of bitterness springing up in a person's life can defile many (see Hebrews 12:15). Bitterness is unfulfilled revenge. Another's thoughtlessness or cruelty may have wounded us deeply. It is inevitable that, in a world of increasing harshness and cruelty, we will at some point be hurt. But if we fail to react with love and forgiveness, if we retain in our spirit the debt the offender owes, that offense will rob our hearts of their capacity to love. Imperceptibly, we will become a member of the majority of end-time Christians whose love is growing cold. Bitterness is the most visible symptom of the stronghold of cold love. To deal with cold love, we must repent and forgive the one who hurt us. Painful experiences are allowed by God to teach us how to love our enemies. If we still have unforgiveness toward someone, we have failed this test. Fortunately, it was just a test, not a final exam. We actually need to thank God for the opportunity to grow in divine love. Thank Him that your whole life is not being swallowed up in bitterness and resentment. Millions of souls are swept off into eternal judgment every day without any hope of escaping from embitterment, but you have been given God's answer for your pain. God gives you a way out: love! As we embrace God's love and begin to walk in Christlike forgiveness, we are actually pulling down the stronghold of cold love in our lives. Because of this experience, we will soon possess more of the love of Christ than we had previously. Love Without Commitment Is Not Love

"And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold" (Matt. 24:10-12). Allow me to be perfectly clear: there is no such thing as love without commitment. The measure of one's love is found in the depth of his or her commitment to others. How often we have heard people say, "I loved once, but I was hurt." Or, "I was committed to Christian service, but they used me." When someone withdraws his commitment to a relationship, he is withdrawing his love. It is not one's commitment that grows cold; it is their love. It may not seem like they have become cold---they may still attend church, sing and look "Christian"

---but inside they have become hard and separated from others. They have withdrawn from love. Because their commitment is shallow, they will be easily offended. Jesus said, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come" (Matt. 18:7). In your walk there will be times when even good people have bad days. As long as you live on earth, there will never be a time when "stumbling blocks" cease to be found upon your path. People do not stumble over boulders but over stones---little things. To stumble is to stop walking and fall. Have you stumbled over someone's weakness or sin lately? Have you gotten back up and continued loving as you did before, or has that fall caused you to withdraw somewhat from walking after love? To preserve the quality of love in your heart, you must forgive those who have caused you to stumble. Every time you refuse to forgive or fail to overlook a weakness in another, your heart not only hardens toward them, it hardens toward God. You cannot form a negative opinion of someone (even though you think they may deserve it!) and allow that opinion to crystalize into an attitude; for every time you do, an aspect of your heart will cool toward God. You may still think you are open to God, but the Scriptures are clear: "The one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). You may not like what someone has done, but you do not have an option to stop loving them. Love is your only choice. What do I mean by love? First, I do not merely mean "tough love." I mean gentle, affectionate, sensitive, open, persistent love. God will be tough when He needs to be, and we will be firm when He tells us to be, but beneath our firmness must be an underground river of love waiting to spring into action. By love, I mean a compassion that is empowered by faith and prayer to see God's best come forth in the people I love. When I have love for someone, I have predetermined that I am going to stand with them, regardless of what they are going through. I am committed. We each need people who love us, who are committed to us in spite of our imperfections. The fullness of Christ will not come without Christians standing with each other in love. We are not talking about salvation, but growing in salvation until we care for each other, even as Christ has committed Himself to us. Many people will stumble over little faults and human weaknesses. These minor things are quickly pumped up by the enemy into great big problems. Oh, how frail are the excuses people use to justify withdrawing from others. In reality, these problems, often with a church or pastor, are a smokescreen which masks the person's lack of love. We need to overcome our hang-ups about commitment, for no one will attain the fullness of God's purposes on earth without being committed to imperfect people along the way. "Well, as soon as I find a church that believes as I do, I will be committed." This is a dangerous excuse, because as soon as you decide you do not want to forgive, or God begins to deal with the quality of your love, you will blame your withdrawing on some minor doctrinal difference. The kingdom of God is not based on mere doctrines, it is founded upon relationships---relationships with God and, because of God, with one another. Doctrines only help define those relationships. We are not anti-doctrine, but we are against empty doctrines which seem like virtues but are simply excuses that justify cold love. The Greatest Commandments

An expert in the Law once asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment. His reply was wonderful: " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' " (Mark 12:30-31). Jesus said that the second commandment is like the first. When you love God, your love for others will actually be like your love for God. The more you unconditionally love God, the more you will unconditionally love others. To those whose attitude is, "I am content with just Jesus and me," I say it is wonderful you found Jesus. But you cannot truly have Jesus and simultaneously not do what He says. The outgrowth of love and faith in Christ is love and faith like Christ's, which means we are committed, even as He is, to His people. You see, the kingdom of God is most perfectly revealed in our relationships with one another. We are being perfected into a unit (see John 17). To have the kingdom, we must be committed to one another as individuals and as churches. If Christ accepts us while we are still imperfect, we must also accept one another. The people who possess the kingdom of God in its reality are people who overcome the obstacles of each other's faults. They help each other become what God has called them to be: the living body of Jesus Christ. Remember, the goal of pulling down the stronghold of cold love is to see the oneness of Christ's body revealed. You will be challenged in this, but if you persist, you will discover the height and depth, the length and breadth of Christ's love. You will become a body filled and flooded with God Himself. 

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