1 Chronicles 10 13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
Do you interpret omens?
Have you read tea leaves?
Have you visited a psychic?
Have you used Tarot cards?
Have you used a seer stone?
Have you used a Ouija board?
Have you had your palm read?
Do you identify with your sign?
Have you used a magic 8 ball?
Have you practiced divination?
Do you look at your horoscope?
Have you tried to talk to the dead?
Do you look at your astrology chart?
Do you consult the farmers almanac?
Do you seek power through crystals?
Do you consult someone or something other than the Lord Yeshua?
Let’s shut em down friends! Stop playing the harlot. Repent and slam shut ever window and portal to any other source of guidance. You have but one Lord, Yeshua who is exalted over the highest place is all creation! He is the Preeminent One!
Ever since our government determined to put a large wedge between church and state, they have continually become more demonic and depraved. Always remember that the word “secular” is a nice word (euphemism) for “atheist.”
Friends, every time you push God out, something else will come rushing in. It won’t be something good or lasting. It will be deceptive, cunning, wicked and destructive.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12; 16:25.
In 1962 our federal government decided to take prayer out of schools. In 1968 our federal government decided that teaching creationism in public schools was advancing religion. In 1970 our federal government decided it would support abortion. This is just 3 factors. I am sure we can name many other ways our government has chosen the slippery slope. The statistics tell the rest of the story.
Psalm 33 (ESV)
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
Let’s be more specific these days. We can see very clearly that when a nation rejects God the people suffer. The people choose carnal pleasure and abandon the principles of family and marriage. The foundation of civilization is the family. When the family, as God defined it is destroyed, the nation will eventually be destroyed.
Listen to the prophetic word of Hosea regarding the destruction of a nation who forgets and turns away from God.
Hosea 4 (ESV)
Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; 2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4 Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. 5 You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. 8 They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. 9 And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. 12 My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore. 13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery. 14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
Let’s humble ourselves and turn back to the God of the Bible.
Forgive us Lord. We have learned what happens when we forsake You. We repent of our foolish ways and turn back to you. We invite the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel, Yehovah, the Great I AM to be present and powerful and exalted in our nation and over our nation in Yeshua’s mighty name!
Some believers have the deep insight to see that the blessing of Jacob on the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh did not evaporate in the diaspora of the northern tribes of Israel. These blessings actually went out and manifested in the future nations of the earth. We shouldn’t be so short sighted to think that Yehovah forgot about these blessings or that they were canceled because of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Remember,
2 Timothy 2 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
Genesis 41: 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Ephraim, meaning doubly fruitful, will become-
Genesis 48: 9 … “Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
This blessing manifested as Great Britain. For we know that Great Britain had become the largest empire in history, being “the empire of which the sun never sets.”
Then, for Manasseh, which means “you have made me forget my father’s house.” We have become the nation who has forgotten who we are has manifested in the United States of America. We indeed have become a great nation. We, indeed, have also forgotten who we are in the spiritual prophetic sense of our identity.
So, we like to pride ourselves for becoming a great nation, yet we need to humble ourselves and realize it was not by our own ingenuity but by the sovereign blessing and purposes of Yehovah through Jacob for this time in history.
Its time to remember WHO we are and WHOSE we are.
The United States of America is the Manasseh Blessing. That is who we are.
Answer: First of all, the Sabbath begins on sundown and goes 24 hours to the next sundown, Friday night to Saturday night. This comes from Genesis 1:5 and Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 16:29-30 and Exodus 20:10-11. When you stream all of these verses together into a consistent thought, it comes to light.
I used to “ignore” the 4th commandment like most other Christians. Then, later in life my heart began to change regarding this issue as well as other things I formerly believed. I “wanted/desired” to recognize the weekly Sabbath and make that day special and different from the rest. It has been a challenge but also a blessing. It requires some discipline and self control for sure. I also have started following the clean foods of Torah. There are health benefits, but there are also obedience benefits.
As I have matured in my faith over the years I have come to believe Acts 15:29 is an entry level list of suggestions for gentile believers to abstain from but in no way is intended to be the end of the discussion. What about the 10 Commandments? Most Christians believe they are in force yet not all of them are not listed in Acts 15. Where does this reasoning come from that we can pick and choose? Also, we reflect on Yeshua’s words in Matthew 5 that He did not come to abolish the law. So, as followers of Yeshua we should not limit or restrict ourselves in any way from enjoying the benefits and blessings of observing more of Torah. Oh, did I say “benefits and blessings?” Yes I did.
I believe “every generation” means every generation whether you are a natural branch or a grafted in branch (Romans 11:17).
Exodus 31:13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.
Also, according to John 17:22-23, Ephesians 2:11-22 and 1 Peter 2:9 we are supposed to be one people in the Lord whether Jew or Gentile. The more we all begin to follow Torah, the more we will begin to be one people, a holy nation to the Lord.
We have learned that the Torah provides a guideline for God’s chosen to live noticeably separate and different from the other people of the world. We are supposed to be ambassadors of the kingdom of God, right? It is intended to be a blessing, not a curse (Deuteronomy 28). It is not a list of hoops to jump through in order to be saved. It is intended to keep us from demonic corruption, affliction and seduction. It also is intended to make us distinct and separate from the world system.
If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
For Jesus Christ Has Set Us Free! – Serious things satan does not want you to know.
First written on my Facebook page in 2014.
Satan does not want you to know this – expect to be distracted or disrupted from reading this. Expect a stirring in your soul.
Our ignorance (lack of being informed and properly instructed) of the spiritual battles we are in places us in a position of tolerating them and suffering with them unnecessarily. We cannot operate in what we don’t know!! If we are born in bondage and everyone around us is in bondage, what else are we to expect to know until someone breaks through the wall of unbelief. So, until then, we often turn to medications, psychology, self-help and other “bandaids” to try to lessen the symptoms of our bondage. We try to accomplish freedom or mitigate lingering bondage with our own gadgets, medications and our own strength. They only have a limited effect on your symptoms, but it is the best thing the world can offer. Then we have to deal with dependency on them and all the gamut of side effects. It becomes a rigged “patch job” that gets us by. Though we may have been told that Yeshua can set us free, for some reason we choose to wallow in the mud of misery and struggles. We must be rationalizing it by thinking, Well, its been 2000 years so Yeshua must be diminishing in power like a battery that is running out of power.
Then, we have been conditioned and patterned by our past life experience to reach for a pill every time we have an ache or a pain. When we are tired we reach for a cup of coffee or a Red Bull. When sick, we call the doctor and go to the hospital. When we are broke and out of money we look for another job. When we need a break from stress we crack open a beer or pour ourselves a glass of wine. While some of this is not necessarily a bad thing, and may have logical and practical solution, it establishes a pattern of priority. Praying to Yeshua, becomes a last resort when we have exhausted everything else. We need to change our patterns and habits so that we go to Yeshua first, for everything and every need in our lives. He is rich, powerful and able to grant us everything we need and His heart jumps and a smile comes to His face when we come to Him first. Some of us have lost our “first love” or maybe never had it in the first place.
What satan and his demons don’t want you to know is that when we receive salvation through Yeshua Jesus Christ and His blood atonement, EVERY curse and spiritual bondage are legally broken in the spiritual realm. That is the KEY to all the freedom of healing and deliverance from ALL the lingering effects of spiritual bondage.
For example, the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus head was symbolic of the fact that each of us has a thorny band around our head. It was the result of the fall of man, that we would work and toil with thorns and thistles and the sweat of our brow (Gen. 3:18-19). We see that Yeshua took this to the cross and broke the curse with His blood. It also tells us that if we trust fully in Him, we no longer have to strive in our own strength under the curse.
Galatians 3 (ESV)
12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Let us also see that the thorny band was around the head, that because of the curse, our minds have become worldly and dim. We can see that we are often tormented in our thoughts and psyche. Resulting from this we think depraved thoughts, have psychological disfunction and disorders, are filled with negativity, depression and despair. Sometimes we cannot see the light of day or have a rational positive thought. Various forms of mental illness are epidemic in our day, explained away with suggestions of chemical imbalances and genetic traits. While there are some practical things we need to take responsibility for like changing our thoughts, guarding our minds, eating healthy diets, renewing our minds by reading the Bible daily, there is the case of demonic bondage taking residence in our minds. Jesus took all of this to the cross. The bondage is legally broken. Our own thorny crown can be taken off and thrown to the wind. It becomes our responsibility to command our authority and freedom in Christ, shake it off and walk in newness of life.
Romans 12 (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Jesus effectively broke the curse. It becomes our faith filled responsibility to believe it, claim it, stand in it and walk it out. Suppose you bought a house on an auction block sight unseen. You went to the house and there were people living there. You showed them the deed that you are the legal owner and gave them an eviction notice.
Nobody, especially demons want to be evicted from their comfortable habitat
Later, you went back after the time and the people were still there. They are illegal tenants that refuse to leave. They don’t want to leave as they have been there for years and it has been their home. So you have to call the sheriff to have them forcefully evicted. This is what we are talking about in spiritual terms. Jesus purchased us with His blood, but the former demonic tenants do not want to leave. You have to force them out and keep them out.
Yes, you will have demonic opposition trying to keep you down and hold you back! Yes, it requires effort on our part! To refuse this amazing gift of freedom would be like your father saying, “I just bought you a new car. Will you to drive down to the dealership and pick it up.” Would you hesitate or refuse to go pick up the new car? Hardly not! Not to shame anyone for not knowing what to do, but it is sad that we don’t take full advantage of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus bought it and we so got it! Now that we know these things, lets jump into action!
2 Corinthians 10 (ESV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Wow! We have to truly realize that though we cannot see Him, Jesus is ever present and with us. He is actually in a greater place to help us in our time of need because He is operating, not from a body of flesh on the earth, but from heaven.
Luke 9 (ESV) And He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
Luke 10 (ESV)
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
John 14 (ESV)
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do
; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
13 Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Do we actually, REALLY believe this? Granted, there are some things we may ask for that Jesus does not give us. There are reasons for this that we must explore more deeply. One of them, of course, is to draw our faith to action. If He gave us everything we asked for we would become a bunch of spoiled rotten, couch potato do nothings! Sometimes we “have not because we ask not” or because we “wait not” and go do it ourselves in our timing and strength. No wonder there is so much failure. Despite what may seem like unanswered prayer, we stand in our full weight of faith that Jesus hears us and is acting on our prayer requests and will be in our BEST INTEREST, from His point of view. We learn to trust that He knows what is best for us at any point in our lives. He does expect us to keep our eyes and focus on Him as our Source for all things, just as sunlight is the physical source for all life on earth, yet we engage in faith partnership with action and responsibility for most practical things in life. Just as the Israelites had to gather manna every day, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”
Matthew 11 (ESV)
4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:
5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”So again, I emphasize, satan does not want you to know that his legal hold on you is broken. He wants to keep you down so that it seems like the blood of Jesus is powerless and of no effect. He wants the world to see Christians still in chains of bondage so they will look elsewhere and turn to something else for relief. Satan wants to render you powerless and of no effect in the greater spiritual battle in the world. If he can keep you in ignorance of this fact, he will keep you down, then he can try to take your spouse and children. He can take your job. He can ravage your heath. He can keep you addicted to drugs and alcohol. He can keep you in poverty. He can steal you blind.
John 8 (ESV)
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the Son remains forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you.
38 I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
The next thing Christians are not taught, is that satan does not just tuck tail and walk away when you get saved. Though he has lost, he will fight you and struggle with you to hold on to his former claim on your soul. He hopes that because you thought it would be easy, you will just give up the battle. Because of this fact, generational curses may also have to be specifically renounced, brought under the blood and shaken off. Bondages of addiction and sin need to be specifically confessed and released to Jesus. The more specific you are, the more focused and strategic you are, the bolder you are, the less demons will be able to maintain their stronghold over you.
You must be “activated” and “stimulated” with the truth from the Word of God, employing specific scripture passages just like Jesus did in the wilderness temptation. You will continue to use legal terms, “it is written,” and promises of God to “resist the devil.” Eventually you will begin to get the taste of freedom and want it all the more! As you continue to stand in faith, and command the authority of Christ in your life with all of the promises of God, the demons that have tormented you all your life will be forced to flee. You can and will be free, in Jesus name!! Mohammed’s name won’t work. Confucius can’t do it! Buddha is powerless to help you. Only Jesus Christ can set you free!
Finally, but very importantly, satan does not want you to know that you don’t have to do all of this in your own strength. Satan does not want you to know about the supernatural power that will manifest in your life when you press in on the Lord seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is a greater, secondary impartation that takes place after you have been saved. This is another reason many believers stay in bondage and sin. This is why so many churches are dry and dead; there is no life in them. They are void of POWER. They don’t seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Actually, there are church leaders and denominations that don’t want you to know this either. They see you as easier to control and manage if you are not set free through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Things can get messy in their little tidy controlled world. Its time to break out of the shackles of oppression and man’s religion! Oh, that’s going to upset some folks!
Psalm 68 (ESV) 34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from His sanctuary; the God of Israel—He is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
Acts 1 (ESV)
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “you heard from me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 19 (ESV)
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland
country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said,“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Ephesians 1 (ESV)
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His powertoward us who believe, according to the working of His great might
20 that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above
every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
You now know the truth that can make you free!
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world and fills us with His power!
Question: Why are some Christians starting to do Jewish holidays?
Answer:First of all, they really aren’t “Jewish” holidays.
Jews simply do what the Bible tells them to do. Faithful Jews have been doing these things for centuries. They are Bible festivals or feasts called “appointed times” with the Lord. Yehovah promises to bless His people for their obedience. It is like having a divine appointment with Yehovah to receive His blessings.
Basically, Yehovah (the God YHVH who reveals Himself in the Bible) instructs His people to observe three times a year- Spring-Passover, Summer-Pentecost and Fall-Tabernacles (See Leviticus 23). In recent years some Christians are beginning to recognize they have been following “church tradition” instead of the Bible and and so they want to start following the Bible.
Some take a knee-jerk reaction to this waving the red flag of legalism or thinking someone might be converting to Judaism. This is actually not the case at all. The New Testament does not promote division between Jew and Gentile. In fact, it teaches exactly the opposite. Paul calls it, becoming “one new man.”
Ephesians 2 (ESV)
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Paul clearly saw the household of God would include both Jews and gentiles. Retrospectively, we can gain further clarity to what Yeshua spoke early in His ministry. Here we can clearly see that Yeshua intended for His followers to be obedient to the Law of Moses.
Matthew 5 (ESV)
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Some interpret “all is accomplished” (v.18) to refer to “it is finished” spoken on the cross (John 19:30). This is very shortsighted and aligns with replacement theology. Others believe “all is accomplished” to imply the fulfillment of the coming kingdom (Luke 22:18).
The caution I will share with you is what has taken place in most modern Western churches. Most follow a doctrine of grace to the exclusion of any works (Ephesians 2:8-10). They hold this doctrine to be central throughout their Christian life which tends to excuse them from doing any good works following their salvation. Consequently, many are stunted in their spiritual growth and maturity through the continuous rehearsal of salvation doctrine.
In closing, let us please, re-read what Matthew captured in the teachings of Yeshua:
Matthew 5: 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The eight lamp “Hanukkia” is used during this winter festival.
Question: Should a Christian celebrate Hanukkah? Why don’t Christian’s celebrate it? What significance is there for believers in Jesus?
Answer: Yes, though most Western Christians have never been taught to celebrate it, I believe Christians should celebrate Hanukkah. Here is why-
Holidays are designed to help us remember important historical events. These events helped to shape who we are as people. If we forget them, over time, we will forget who we are.Christians don’t “remember” Hanukkah because this historic event took place before Jesus was born and the accounts surrounding Hanukkah are not in our Bibles. The five books of Maccabees, primarily the first two were not included in the Hebrew Bible because the official list of books had already been formalized.
Most Western Christians have been taught replacement theology which promotes division and separation from the Jews and all of the biblical feasts which is unfortunate. The Christian church has been severed from its roots or removed from its foundation since the time of Constantine in 325 AD.
Hanukkah is significant for Christians because Yeshua (Jesus) also recognized the festival. Hanukkah is also known as the “Feast of Lights” or the “Feast of Dedication.” We see this in John 10:22. Hanukkah is a historical remembrance of the struggle between the Greeks and the Jews that took place in the time span between Malachi and the birth of Yeshua around 160-165 BC. It reminds us that with the favor of God, we can overcome the oppression of the world and its (man made) humanist ideologies. It is a message of hope and promise for the people of God who are not afraid of revolution and that God is with us in revolutionary conquest when we are fighting for His cause. It reminds us that God is with us during dark troubling times, even during the Diaspora (scattering of the people of Israel).
Moreover, we can make the suggestion that if the Maccabees revolt had not taken place back in that time, it is possible that Israel would not have survived as a nation. Then, if there was no Israel, it would be difficult to present Messiah to the world. Many prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah would be maligned. The revolt and subsequent Temple re-dedication were essential for the preparation of Messiah to come.
The miraculous sign of God came as a supernatural replenishment of oil for the Menorah that burned for eight days with one flask of oil. Eight is the number associated with “new beginnings.” This is why we see the 9 lamps of the Hanukkia presented during this festival- a center light with eight lamps representing each day the Menorah in the temple remained burning. For distinction, the Menorah itself has 7 lights.
Closing thoughts- Hanukkah gives us the light of hope during the dark seasons of history for the people of God. We can clearly see Yeshua in the celebration if you look for Him. Yeshua is the “Light of the World” who came to save us. There is also strong probability that Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit during Hanukkah giving the Festival of Lights a new and deeper meaning. Yeshua was born nine months later on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, “Sukkot.”
I can’t think of any reason why a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) should turn a blind eye and ignore the Feast of Lights- Hanukkah. We should be seeking every opportunity to teach our children, family, friends and churches the deep meaningful history and the miracles Yehovah performs among His people. It is a happy festival with bright blue and white decor, food and fellowship lasting eight days and offers wonderful devotional elements for Christians.
We are living in the year 2020 or shall we say 20/20 and we are seeing things taking place with crystal clarity. The Lord told me and many others this would be the case. The Lord can and does use strange things like idioms in our own language to get our attention.
In this season, we are learning how important politics is to the climate and conditions of our daily life, and in the case of the US, how politics affects the entire world. Political leadership is crucial because there is a trickle down effect in the spirit realm that spreads far and wide. The leader opens the door in the spirit world to allow either blessings or curses to flow into the land. We’ve learned that in a democratic republic the people, including the uneducated and uninformed, can actually vote for their own blessing or demise by the leadership they choose. It causes me to reflect on how King Saul was the people’s choice (1 Sam 8:19-21). It didn’t go so well. Hindsight tells us that we never should have asked the Lord for an “earthly” king. But, here we are 3000 years later and nothing is new under the sun.
Naturally, the more depraved a nation becomes due to unaddressed social ills, the more likely people will make depraved choices. In time, the depraved will overtake the majority thus voting their own destruction. It doesn’t even require an act of God! Like blind sheep, people will drive themselves over a cliff! The consequences of entitlement mindset will be likened to an animal that finally dies because of an infestation of parasites.
The God of the Bible is more than a personal pocket God. He is the Supreme God of the Universe who also judges the nations of the earth.
Moreover, we are making a detrimental mistake by looking to politics to solve our present crisis and dilemmas. Our nation has deviated so far and so long from our God given identity and purpose that money and political and social engineering cannot fix. The level of depravity has reached its limit. God knows that a people can become so depraved and carnally minded that they are beyond the hope of redemption. This is why nations fall into devastation and destruction.
As we have learned from scripture in Luke chapter 15, verse 16, that we can take an American idiom saying, “living high on the hog” will actually take you there, eating pig slop in a pigpen. Sometimes it is only there where reality hits us square in the nose that we can humble ourselves and cry out to God. The fear of ‘God-sized consequences’ leads to wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).
Our only hope is a massive radical movement of the majority, top down from the highest to the lowest, men, women and children, to humble ourselves, get on our faces and cry out, to confess and repent of our sin, and to dedicate ourselves to permanent lifelong fundamental change and radical sacrificial devotion to God. We need the Spirit of God to manifest this movement. We learn over and over from the Bible that it is when the people cry out of desperation, it arouses the Spirit of God to act. Here are just a few examples-Judges 10:10, 2 Chronicles 7:14; 20:9, Psalm 130, Matthew 15:22.
Physically getting on our knees is a gesture of sincerity and desperation. The more desperate we get, the more we are willing to do things like this. This gets God’s attention because we are more likely to make lasting changes.
Personally, and frankly, I sometimes believe it’s too late. Honestly, most of the time. Our minds and flesh have become too indoctrinated and set on having a love of pleasure rather than a love for God and the things God loves. Thankfully, there are others who pick me up and still hold on to the hope of a great reprieve from certain judgment. Thank you so very much for standing firm and holding on to the hope of a mighty move of God in these last days. Bless you!
Do you attend a church that follows the “law of leasts?” In other words, answering the question:
What is the least I must do to be saved?
We live in a rushed frenzied world of bottom lines. We often hear, “so let’s cut to the chase” or “at the end of the day.” We tend to want minimal, need to know information because we are busy and often distracted by so many things competing for our time and attention. The world at large has become a force of its own.
But here is something we should not multi-task, nor can we delegate to another. We need to understand Yeshua’s words here very clearly.
We enter the teaching discourse of Yeshua often called the “Sermon on the Mount.” Here, Yeshua is not speaking in parables, but straight and direct to His listeners-
Matthew 5 (ESV) 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Very clearly, Yeshua draws a distinction between “abolish” and “fulfill.”
For a word study on the Greek word translated as “fulfill,” lets look at the word, “ple-roo” and all its variations not just the simple single word rendering in your Bible. Here, Yeshua makes a clear distinction between the idea of “abolish” and “fulfill” so that we don’t mistake one for the other. Here is a screenshot from blueletterbible.org.
www.blueletterbible.com
Then, Yeshua’s clarification continues-
19 “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
This is where the teaching of Yeshua would confront the “law of leasts.” We can directly interpret this to say, if you want to be least in the kingdom of heaven, just do the bare minimum requirements to be saved. This entry level requirement is here:
Romans 10 (ESV) 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Hallelujah! Confess with your mouth, “Yeshua is Lord” and believe in your heart that He was raised from the dead, you will be saved! This is a simple, bottom line, bare minimum truth. You cannot earn salvation, but it requires a confession from your mouth.
So then, moving on, from the above context in Matthew 5 to the next question that naturally surfaces- “What commandments are Yeshua referring to?” Is He referring to the Beatitudes that He just preached? There are no commands in the Beatitudes. It is a series of blessings for the poor in spirit, those who mourn; the meek, the lovers of righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers and the persecuted. Indirectly, Yeshua is telling us to align ourselves with these principles and we will be blessed.
Now let’s examine another passage in Matthew near the end of Yeshua’s ministry. It is a completely different context relating to the Law. It is clear that Yeshua means we should obey all of the commandments, not just the least of them. Yes, this means all of the Old Testament commandments. An expert in Mosaic Law asks Him a question-
Matthew 22 (ESV) 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Can we, from this discussion, make the interpretation that the entire Law of Moses has been suddenly reduced to two laws? I suppose you might be tempted to do so if you are following the “law of leasts.”
It makes me wonder if one who follows the law of leasts is really saved at all.
Closing thoughts-
-Why nullify the Sabbath Day and select another day of our own choosing to call it the Sabbath, and now in our day ignoring the Sabbath altogether?
-Why nullify and ignore biblically prescribed festival seasons that point to our REDEMPTION in Yeshua?
-Why nullify laws that point us to PURITY and holiness?
-Why nullify laws that teach us how to live in HARMONY with fellow man?
-Why nullify laws that point us to the NEED of Yeshua?
-Why nullify laws that activate our need for confession and REPENTANCE?
-Why nullify laws that the Bible says are GOOD?
-Why nullify laws that IDENTIFY us as the people of YAH in a fallen world?
Where does the name ‘Yeshua’ come from? Don’t most people call him ‘Jesus’? The name Yeshua is a shortened version of the name Yehoshua or Joshua and is the literal Hebrew word for Salvation. Around the time of Jesus’ birth the names ‘Yeshu’ and ‘Yeshua’ were not uncommon. Reading right to left, the Hebrew letters which spell Yeshua are: Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin. According to scholarship Aramaic was used in everyday language, but Hebrew remained the holy language and was used in daily prayer and worship. The two languages were as similar to each other as Italian is to Spanish, and both used the same alphabet. The name Yeshua transliterated into Aramaic became Yeshu, dropping the final “a” and pronouncing it “Yeh-shoo.” The name ‘Jesus’ did not exist at this time, as it was later derived as a transliteration from the Greek IESOUS. In fact, the letter ‘J’ was not added to the English alphabet until the 14th century. Note that around 1600 A.D> Protestant Bible translators started to transcribe עושי in the Old Testament into English as “Jeshua”, but kept transcribing Ιησους in the New Testament into English as “Jesus”, obscuring the connection between the equivalent Greek and Hebrew versions of the same name. The name Jesus is a transliteration of the Greek name Iesous which is a transliteration of the name Yeshua. Translation and transliteration are not the same thing. Translation involves the conversion of a word in one language to a word in another language with equivalent meaning. For example, the English word ‘Cross’ translates into the Latin word ‘Crux’ from which the word ‘Crucified’ is derived. Transliteration involves finding the equivalent letters used in a word from the alphabet of one language into the alphabet of another language. An example is the Greek word βιβλίον is the noun for a paper book or scroll and is transliterated into English as Biblion from which we have derived the word ‘Bible’. All occurrences of Yeshua as a name in the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh are in I Chron. 24:11, II Chron. 31:15, Ezra 2:1, and Nehemiah 7:7 where it is transliterated into English as Jeshua. There are even more instances of the word Yeshua being used which are translated as ‘salvation’. In the Brit Hadasha, or New Testament, the first instance of the name of the Messiah is found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke: In Luke 1:26-39 the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth to bring news to a virgin named Mary. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” In Matthew 21 we read, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV) “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua…because he will save His people from their sins.” (Jewish New Testament) Jesus is a Jew. He is a direct descendant of King David through both his mother’s lineage and his adoptive father Joseph’s lineage. When Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue he read in Hebrew, not Greek or Aramaic. So we know that he was ‘schooled’ in Hebrew, which is almost absurd because we’re talking about God in the flesh, the Living Word, who is the Creator of all things including language.
The name Yeshua is found in letters from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135 AD).
Archeologist Amos Kloner stated that the name Yeshua had been found 71 times in burial caves from the Second Temple period.
The Old Syriac Bible (c. 200 AD) and the Peshitta (which is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition) both use the shortened version Yeshu in equivalent Arabic letters.
The Bible doesn’t give instruction to favor one language or translation over another. We are not commanded to call upon the name of the Lord in Hebrew only. Acts 2:21 says, “But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God knows who calls upon His name, whether they do so in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew or any other language. He is still the same Lord and Savior. Below is a list of how the name Jesus is pronounced in other languages:
Arabic = Issa
Chinese (Catonese) = YeshSou
Chinese (Han) =耶稣 = Ye Su Ay Wo
Dutch = Jezus
French = Jésus
German = Jesus
Hebrew = Yeshua
Hindi = yīśu
Italian = Gesu
Japanese =イエス・キリスト = Iesu kirisuto
Korean = 예수 = Yesu
Portuguese = Jyesus
Russian = Иисус
Spanish = Jesus
In calling Him Yeshua we are restoring to Him His Jewish identity. Yeshua was and is the name He was called when He walked on this Earth. Greek masculine names have a nominative “s” ending. Therefore, the final Greek form became Iesous which in return became the Latin IESVS which was finally translated into English as Jesus. So what we end up with in “English” is a fifth-hand transliteration of the original name Yeshua. Regardless of which name is used, Yeshua (Jesus) hears the prayers of those who pray from their heart and who truly seek Him, He is the same yesterday, today and forever and just like his Father, He has several names and titles. Other names and titles by which Yeshua is known are:
Emmanuel which means ‘God is with us’.
The ‘Christ’ which is derived from the Greek word ‘Christos’ which means ‘Anointed One’ or Messiah, which is Mashiach or Moshiach in Hebrew. So ‘Yeshua Mashiach’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ are one and the same.
‘The Word’, ‘The Living Word’, ‘The Word of Life’
The ‘Son of God’ is used in a Heavenly context.*
The ‘Son of Man’ is used in a Jewish context.*
The ‘Lamb of God’ representing the ultimate, final, perfect sacrifice of Yeshua laying down His life for the sins or the world, that whoever should believe would not perish, but have everlasting life.
The ‘New Man’ , ‘Second Adam’ or ‘Last Adam’. The name ‘Adam’ in Hebrew means man. Yeshua was raised from the dead as a new, immortal, incorruptible man.
The ‘Light of the World’,
The ‘Bread of Life’
The ‘King of the Jews’,
Rabbi or Rabboni, which means teacher.
Savior
The ‘I AM’ , which is the name God attributed to Himself in Exodus 3:14
And the ‘High Priest’
See: ‘Precepts of the Blessed Hope’ by Don Mills ISBN-13: 9781606964149 at www.barnesandnoble.com ‘The Names of God’ by Nathan Stone, ISBN-13: 978-0802458568 at www.amazon.com
