A LOOK AT GOATS AND HOW NOT TO BE ONE

The legendary late-night television host Johnny Carson, who will never be replaced, no matter how many comedians try, had this joke one night. He said "There was this billy goat at a movie studio who found and ate a can of film. When a nanny asked him how he liked it, he said, "It was all right but I liked the book better." 

Goats are pretty interesting animals. I was speaking just very recently, to a friend, who could not wait to get a small farm in the Midwest so she can get pet goats and raise them for show.  I have seen amazing goats of many kinds over a lifetime, including being the owner of one as a boy. We kept the goats at my grandmother's house because we were not allowed animals where we lived, but quickly had to get rid of it as it kept butting me and chasing me out of the pen, each time I tried to play with or feed the thing. 

I have seen the mountain goats of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and

watched in amazement that they can stand on the steep mountain side, without slipping and falling. It is believed that there are 15 types of goats (according to Farmcradle.com) and they range from Alpine and Angora to Pygora, Pygmy and Yemenite (the latter gives us the great Shofar as found in the Bible). 

There are even some great goat sayings. For instance: ...so and so football team got "beat like a tied up goat" or "he goat this other guy's goat this time"! We even have a type of facial chin hair call a "goatee". But what does the Bible say about goats? Actually quite a lot. 

The Old Testament's best reference to goats is the Scapegoat. The Scapegoat was the vehicle, designed by God, unto which the sins of the Jewish people were cast by the Attending Levite Priest that year, as an atonement, and then sent  away out into the desert. It is from the Law of God given to Moses for the Israelites of the Pre-Christ era (CLICK HERE).

This is a foreshadow of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who paid the FULL satisfactory to God, price for sin, on the Cross of Calvary. He did this once and for all. Therefore there is not a need anymore, for scapegoats or any other of "sacrifice". All people need to do now, is to seek the forgiveness of the Lord, accept His finished work on the Cross and be saved. 

Because there is no need anymore for ANY other type of Sacrifice, the Bible tells us that "neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He (Jesus)e entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh (Hebrews 9:12-13). For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:4).

In all of this talk of goats above, and the Spiritual significance of goats in the Bible, there is one very critical and deadly serious mention of goats, which people - friends and family of yours and mine - should be wary of and actually correct immediately. We do this by getting right with God in Christ, through Salvation. 

ACTION:  Read the following verse, then search your heart to make 100% sure, that neither us or anyone we know, will be classified as a GOAT on the Great and potentially Terrible Day of the Lord - Judgment Day:
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left". Matthew 25:31).

DO YOUR PLANS LINE UP WITH THOSE OF THE LORD?

In 1786, the great Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote a poem called "To A Mouse". Now most of us would do never do such a thing. However, this poem gave us one of the greatest quotes in literary history.  When translated from the original Burns wrote, the best line from his poem is "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry". The word "awry" there, means - off the track, amiss or just plain wrong.

The Bible warns us about plans and many of us can attest to the some of our own plans not turning out the way we, well, planned them! Every human being who ever lived has seen his or her plans fall apart, from time to time. We make mistakes. We are human. It is never a good idea for a Christian to go off under our own power, and then make plans to do this or that, especially in ministry. First of all, the ministry we are blessed to be called by the Lord to work in - is His! We do nothing on our own and did not get here in our own strength. We ride on the promise of the Lord to never leave us or forsake us. He has given us His love, blessing and Grace when He saved us and the rest is as the great radio talk show host says "talent on LOAN from God".

Plans to make plans can go awry when we are not right with God. Jesus told the parable in Luke Chapter 12 of the rich man, who apparently made NO plan for his eternal soul. This is a warning for those who think they have all the time in the world to get things right with God, seek His forgiveness and be saved. There is no time. No one knows the time and the hour of our departure from this life, which is loaned to us. Here is the parable:
 “The land of a rich man was very productive.  And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’  But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night [i]your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ (Luke 12:16b-20)

Sadly, too many people live like this "fool" today in our constant pursuit of pleasure, leisure and entertainment. This goes for the millions who pack churches today for their one hour per week of "spiritual vaccination" and then go back to their own plans and notions. 

How then shall we avoid the descent into eternal judgment, even if we think we are saved? The book of James tell us explicitly that we "ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." (James 4:15). This should be the second phrase out of our mouths each time we make a pronouncement, plan or decision.

In the Old Testament, the grandson of the great Abraham - Jacob - was one of the biggest schemers for most of his life. This is, until he wrestled with God and the Lord changed his name to Israel. Jacob robbed his brother Esau of his birthright and had to flee to his future even bigger schemer, father in law Laban, to save his life. After many years, Jacob and his now two wives, were heading out and he heard that Esau wanted to meet him. Jacob immediately began planning on how to save his family and flocks and entire wealth, actually, because he was, a planner.

The great writer C.H. Mackintosh wrote a great commentary on this incident and the lesson we should learn from it, about doing things in our own strength. It is presented here without comment, as it is written. It is just so good, it should be our creed going forward: 
"Jacob's first thought was always a plan, and in this we have a true picture of the poor human heart. True, he turns to God, after he makes his plan, and cries to Him for deliverance; but no sooner does he cease praying than he resumes the planning. Now, praying and planning will never do together. If I plan, I am leaning more or less on my plan; but when I pray, I should lean exclusively upon God. 
Hence, the two things are perfectly incompatible; they virtually destroy each other. When my eye is filled with my own management of things, I am not prepared to see God acting for me; and, in that case, prayer is not the utterance of my need, but the mere superstitious performance of something which I think ought to be done, or it may be, asking God to sanctify my plans. This will never do. It is not asking God to sanctify and bless my means, but it is asking Him to do it all Himself".

A VERSE AND A THOUGHT: PSALM 24:3 - "GOING 'UP...THEN WHAT?"

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His Holy Place? (Psalm 24:3)

THOUGHT:

It could not be clearer. When we talk about approaching God – there is the image and reality of going UP. It is not only this verse but what is coming in the future, during the 1000 Year Reign of Jesus Christ. The King of Kings will be sitting on the Throne in a brand new Temple in Jerusalem after the Tribulation and all enemies of Christ are removed and sent down to Hades. During those 1000 years, we know from Zechariah 14:16 that EVERYONE is supposed to go up to Jerusalem annually, for the Feast of the Tabernacles. This is in early Fall when legend has it that Jesus was actually born in the stable in Bethlehem. Jerusalem and the Lord’s Temple are on a Hill. We travel up to it.

Only the Saved, the Redeemed – Christians, and Jews who were saved during the Tribulation will be going up to visit the King annually. At this time (and this is confirmed in the very next verse) only followers and disciples are allowed to go UP to His Throne. Zechariah 14:21 says there will no longer be a Canaanite in that day, meaning this - no one who does not believe in Yahweh will be around alive on the earth. 

Secondly, when a person gets up to the Holy Hill or Mountain of the Lord, what would then occur? Let the Bible be our guide. Isaiah was pulled up into the very Throne Room of God in Heaven, in Isaiah Chapter 6:1-7. Let us read what happens when the old prophet realized where he was. We read in Isaiah 6:5 “then I said: '“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Who can stand in front of the Holiest of Holies – the very Throne of God? NOBODY! History tells us Isaiah fell down all messed up. Revelation 4:10-11 tells us that the 24 Elders threw their Crowns at the Feet of the Lord and “the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created."

You know we constantly hear people who have no idea about the nature and attributes of God say “when we get to heaven we are going to ask God ‘this or that’”. Friends, we are not doing any such thing. Study the Scriptures and you will discover we will react just like Isaiah did in chapter 6!

ACTION POINT:

The Bible talks about going UP to where the Lord lives and the opposite – those who reject the Lord, they go DOWN to the pit. From our viewpoint now, knowing the High and Lofty position of the Abode of the Almighty, do you think we are worthy at all to be allowed into such a place? Why are we even allowed to approach the Throne of God and how can show respect and reverence, even now? How do we maintain this incredible relationship?

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DEEP SEA PRAYING, SESSION 1

JONAH COMES ALIVE

Anyone who has grown up in the "Christian" western hemisphere will recognize the Story of Jonah and the big fish (not a whale). We all know about Jonah's disobedience as he ran in the opposite direction which God told him to go. We have a tendency to do that at times. Jonah is not the only rebel without a cause, who was ever created. However the most anyone can tell you about Jonah is he ran from God, ended up in the big Fish for three days and then was spit on the beach to go preach Repentance to the hated Ninevites, which he did.

However if this all we know, our spiritual growth is stunted. The actual bio of Jonah along with the amazing prayer of Jonah Chapter 2 are very important in understanding this important man of God. Yes, regardless of his ways, Jonah was a man of God who not only preached as he was supposed to, but spent the rest of his years in discipleship and training of the people in the Nineveh area. He died in that area of what is now Iraq and specifically, Mosul. His tomb became known over a year ago, when amazingly the rampaging hordes of the religion of the sons of Ismael, destroyed it for entire world to see. What they did not realize is that this act confirmed the life and ministry of the prophet whose existence was questioned by non-believers.

Here, we begin an examination of the prayer which this prophet of God, who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel and was a prophet to the pagan king Jereboam II (786-746 BC). This is an amazing prayer which should shows up in Jonah 2, should be very important to Christians. Christ Himself mentioned Jonah in Matthew 12:40 "for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

We begin a closer look at the Prayer of Jonah, thus:
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord,  and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice....(Jonah 2:1-2)

This prayer is the first time we see the prophet actually operating in accordance with his calling as a man of God. Unfortunately it took the act of being thrown into the drink and being disciplined by God into the depths of the stomach of a large specially prepared sea creature to bring this element of worship out of the man. Sometimes we never know how much we need the Lord until we have gone under and stuck inside something closing in on us.

Jonah said "I called out of my distress to the Lord". As we go further into this incredible prayer, we see why the prophet was in distress in the first place....and it was as a result of his own actions. The good thing about the realization that 1. we are in super trouble and 2. we have the Supreme Ruler of the Universe on whom we can call AND this same Almighty God actually ANSWERS when we, His children, call out, cry out, petition in panic to Him and Him alone!

Now comes the stunner in verse 2 "I cried out for help from the depth of Sheol". No one goes to Sheol unless one has passed from this life unto death. Sheol is the abode of the dead and departed, which we now see, Jonah was. He drowned after being thrown off the ship that was bound for Tarshish (Chapter 1). This is more than interesting news. We have a man who has died crying out for help from the place of the dead, where, well nothing is alive! Yet the Lord heard Jonah's appeal!

NEXT: Jonah's Eyes Open

Graphic Credit: Christian Clip Art

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAYER AND THE WORD:JANUARY 1-31, 2015 THEME: "ABIDE"

DAY TWO:

VERSE: 

Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." (Matthew 26:38)

PRAYER:

Father God, oh Most Sovereign and Holy One of Israel,  thank You for the privilege of being a servant of the Savior Who asked that just as the disciples were asked to “stay and watch”, I pledge my all to do the same. Father You said that ALL Scripture was given for instruction and reproof and I take that exhortation from Jesus to “stay” as my orders to remain, abide and even rest in Him until death, whether that death is natural or through persecution.  Lord, we know that Your Word is rich and deep in meaning, in its many uses here, and other places where You called us to ABIDE in THEE, as it was in John 15:4 and elsewhere.

So Father, we stand on this statute. We adopt the sorrow and pain of the Suffering Savior, Whose saints – our brethren – are in chains and persecuted worldwide for His Sake. We adopt the sadness and the severity of the state of  mankind, who is lost beyond imagination, yet refuses to be found by the Hound of Heaven, Who seeks to redeem men’s souls. We ally ourselves with those who watch and are alert to the destruction of the family, the devastation of the home, the dying nature of our churches, the diluting of the hard-won and Blood-bought Gospel of Truth and Salvation and we are ever watchful of the pride which bring the dangers of falling. 

Lord,  please listen and strengthen at this perilous hour and may we never let our collective guards down, thereby giving the enemy an opening where we are marginalized and Your Name is pushed to the side.  Father, may we ALWAYS be tuned in, via Your Holy Spirit to the Word of the Revelation, through Thy Word, and by being connected moment by moment to Thee in Holiness and Truth, that we will be alert to the wiles and wickedness of this age, through Christ our Soon Coming King, amen. 

THERE IS COMING A DAY.....(as the old Gospel song says)

Some Church Signs say it all!

A whole lot of Christians have been feeling like second or third class citizens in the greatest country in the world - America, founded as it is, on Christian principles. It does not matter if the country was founded, constitutionally, as a Christian country or not. The fact remains that the Foundations of America had its roots in the Gospel, Evangelism and the Bible. The country did not gain independence with just a war, but it was the great preachers and the Great Awakenings of the time which fired a new birth of Freedom.

The great George Whitfield, the British spirit-filled Methodist, who preached the Doctrines of Grace and Freedom in Christ up and down the Thirteen Colonies, leading thousands and thousands to Salvation and the famous Jonathan Edwards, were the catalysts. The numerous churches that benefited from these men's crusades and open air preaching, brought the message to villages and towns and even cities. This was actually the Christian fuel which energized the colonists and THEIR own preachers - the men who would later become known as the "Black Robe Regiment" (BRR). The BRR were the preachers of the American Revolution, who influenced their congregations (most of whom were in the rag-tag Continental Army) and their families into thinking that this cause of Freedom was in accordance with God's Will. Indeed, the British Red Coat Army was virulently anti-Christian in function and had no compunction about burning down a church or three if they got in their way during this American War of Independence.

There is a whole lot more about the rich Christian history and background of the American Experience from which we can learn. There are so many viewpoints on the US Constitution and its interpretation. However what matters most to us even more,  is not just the historical aspect of the Great American Christian Experience but what God says. 

Here is where the seeds of the movement to separate God from His people began in this country - with Paine and one of his fans, Jefferson. In fact, Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, in response to the lack of protection on the Connecticut Constitution for religious liberty, which was used to promote the idea of "Separation of Church and State", which is now accepted. 

Just like the created right to an abortion, the notion that Thomas Jefferson was promoting the "separation of Church and State" is an overreach derived from a poorly constructed sentence, exclusively extracted from his reply to the Danbury Baptists: "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." What that letter implicitly implies is the government would not create a state religion as existed at the time in England, from whence the Baptists came. What the secularist, atheists and their sort used was the last portion of the sentence "building a wall of separation of Church and State".

Now there has been an extremely troubling mindset for decades, if not the last two centuries, which may have overflowed from one of the founding fathers himself. That man was Thomas Paine, the "conscience" of the American Revolution and drive for the freedom which created the greatest country which ever existed - the USA. After the War was over and the new Republic was in full swing, under President George Washington, the British-born Paine went over to France to fully indulge in his lifestyle - Atheism! His work "The Age of Reason" (1794) set Europe ablaze in furthering their rejection of the Gospel and Christianity and became popular with deists in the US like Thomas Jefferson, Ethan Allen and Benjamin Franklin - all heroes of the War of Independence. Jefferson and Franklin were not averse to religion in public life as they saw it as necessary for the public good. However, while the elites loved the atheists and his venom against Scripture and Jesus Christ (just as they do today), there was a backlash against Paine. He was called a "demi-human arch beast", "a loathsome reptile" and "an object of disgust, of abhorrence, of absolute loathing to every decent man except the President of the United States (Jefferson)". (Source: Wikipedia).

Charles Darwin took Thomas Paine's Age of Reason to heart and those in the evolution theory movement took his atheism to the extreme. Darwin's immediate family was so stunned that they created a story around this death that he died a Christian. Those in the secular humanist and atheist movement also took Jefferson's seemingly innocuous words to the extreme and are attempting to shut down any mention of Jesus in public life; the Bible and its moral/spiritual truths. It is always the case when a leadership movement in any sphere, conducts himself in an unworthy manner. His descendants and followers take it to the extreme of evil. Such was the case with King Solomon whose 1000 plus wives and concubines were mainly pagan and idol worshippers. Solomon's sons saw how he lived and worshipped the devil more than their father did, resulting in the Kingdom of Israel splitting into two with ten of the twelve tribes eventually being wiped off the earth, by the Assyrians in the 8th century BC.

It is against this backdrop which we find ourselves in the 21st Century. It is against the backdrop we get signs like the one above, where Christians and students of the Word of God - the Bible - know what is eventually coming down the pike. In a sense, this church sign pictured above is absolutely correct. 


In the next post, we will examine what the Rapture is, is not and why this sign addresses a truth which many would rather sweep under the carpet. 

A LIFE WELL LIVED, Part 3 - UNDERSTANDING, DISCERNMENT

Wisdom is the best friend you will ever have in this life- Godly wisdom, that is.  Every decision, choice and more, comes out of process where at least some measure of wisdom has been applied to the decision. It all goes back to your Perception (as we saw in Part 2). Your perception is your worldview, and hopefully - for your own sake - it is a Biblical worldview. Now Wisdom is the outflow of that worldview. Therefore, again - for your own sake - it is preferably the Wisdom that comes from God!

A perfect example is a man who just became the head of a favored organization and was set to undertake one of the most amazing projects in History. All he had to do was follow his beloved late father's plans and execute. Being a very young man (he called himself a child), he needed guidance and in 1 Kings 3:5, God Himself appeared to Solomon in a vision and offered to give him ANYTHING he asked for! Here is the rest of how that conversation with God went: "7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9).

Two things from this prayer of Solomon, who is now the head of millions of God's people in Israel will guide us to a place where we ourselves can have the very SAME mind of Wisdom God gave to him. We would be wise to follow this same prescription for attaining true wisdom, the kind which made Solomon the wisest man in the world for a time. We condemn his lifestyle after he fell prey to sexual immorality and idolatry, but this is because of his own human foolishness. He did the same thing Adam did - walk away from the Wisdom of God and let his passivity take him down.

Verse 9 of 1 Kings here, has two very important criteria  (in bold red) for the kind of wisdom we need for the "Good Life":

1. An Understanding Heart -the words God uses in the Scriptures here for  is "Shama and Leb" They go together in this Hebraic context because the "Leb" or the "Heart" is the conscience, the inspiration. the imagination, the skill, the intelligence, the mind, the spirit and heart you need to do anything! 

The accompanying adjective - "Shama" - tells you how to use the heart effectively. God said in this word, pregnant with meaning, we are to have understanding in the sense of obedient, listening, truly listening, hearing, truly hearing, really obeying, witnessing, taking heed, processing, taking really good notes, comprehending and more!!

It is obvious here that, in our lives, we would be a lot smarter and function with clarity and power, if we listen more than we speak! A truly wise man is an understanding man whose conscience and spirit are focused on comprehending a situation before acting on it

2.Discern - the king wanted an "understanding heart" that he might be able to "DISCERN" and thus, make the right decision. We are to seek the same. The word God uses here in Hebrew is "BIN" -(pronounced 'bean'). This word, like EVERY word God uses, is FULL of all kinds of meaning from acting with care and caution to learning the full scope of a situation. Then you interpret the evidence correctly because you have an understanding heart full of "Bin", so you can observe, ponder, explain (to someone else if you have to), be prudent, clever and more to be just the smartest person in the room!

God, in His Magnificent Grace and Love, has given us the three simplest forms or elements we need to walk as the wise in this evil world - if only we would pay attention to Him! We do not need the systems devised by the corrupt minds of men and women, who are flooding the airwaves, bookstores and culture with their ungodly imaginations to follow and still think we will have a fully engaged life. Following those people will lead to despair, depression, confusion and one day - destruction.

Following the beautifully simple recipes of the Lord will lead to peace, love, joy, contentment and eventually eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

WATCH GOD IN ACTION - THEN PRAISE HIM FOREVER

How beautiful and glorious is the Lord! How bountiful is His Goodness to us!
How beautiful are the Feet of Him Who brings good news. The Apostle John said the following when he came face to Face with the King of Kings - the Lord Jesus as He was 1900 years ago...and how He still is right now! Think about it, my friends! The Commander in Chief of the Universe (the real one); the Creator of Life; the Counselor - Mighty Counselor - the Glorious One....This is what He is really like:
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters....(Revelation 1:12-15 ESV)

Are you ready to meet this Jesus? This is He Who sits on the Throne of Heaven NOW!
He is NOT in the manger He was born in ONCE on September 30, almost 2000 years ago.
He is NOT hanging on a Cross as He ONCE was.
He is NOT some socialist utopian.
He is NOT some inspirational teacher.
He is NOT some wishy washy pop psychologist.

He did not just come here to sacrifice it all for all of us to live in peace and prosperity like the corrupt of this perishing earth. He came to show us how to die to ourselves that we may live like Him. 
He has given us all the Power and Holy Spirit we need. If you are truly born again, you too have it my friend! He has said that no matter how difficult and evil times get for His people in this temporary life, "weeping will last for a night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING (Psalm 30:5)! It does not get any better than this!

Therefore,  I exhort you to watch this video of Angus Buchan (Faith Like Potatoes) preaching in Israel during the Feast of the Tabernacles (around which time, Jesus was really born) and watch what happens when the Power of God actually descends on the crowd listening to the preaching about the Messiah - right there in His Holy Land!!
THEN - WORSHIP HIS HOLY NAME! Amen.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR ...... DAMASCUS?!

It is almost as if they are playing it according to the Script! The Script I am talking about is the Bible...and the so-called "OLD" Testament to be precise! News comes out this week that Syria, where the chemical weapons from Saddam Hussain's Iraq were hid, is allegedly preparing to use some of them against their own people. Whether this is true or not, there are some facts which cannot be denied. The main truth is this - one of the oldest cities in history, Damascus - is on the way out.

We always hear that the "New Testament" is Jesus REVEALED. This is true. What is also true is the "OLD Testament" is the New Testament revealed too! There are MORE and critically precise End Time prophesies in the Old Testament than in the 29 books of the New Testament. What the New part of the Book shows us are the mechanics of these Old Time prophets' messages - from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah back to even Moses....need I go on??!! Add Malachi to that as we have seen this past week in this blog! The Book of Revelation tells us HOW it is going to go down. The Old Testament Prophets tells us to WHOM, WHEN and how bad it is going to get! Jesus Himself confirmed a lot of this. He even confirmed Daniel's exact prophesy (Daniel 12:11) of the "Abomination that brings Desolation" (Read Matthew 24 in its entirety about the last days...which we are now living in).

So back to Syria where many of us see the prophesies of Isaiah 17 coming into plain view, as the armies of the north (Iran, Russia) are also waiting in the shadows to jump into fulfilling prophesy. Read the following passage from Isaiah 17 and then watch these videos...pray and then judge for yourself. By the way, the "Cities of Aroer" described below in verse 2 are in modern day northeastern Jordan! So this is going to be bigger and wider than we can even imagine, once it starts!

An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city
and will become a heap of ruins.
The cities of Aroer are deserted;
they will be for flocks,
which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,
and the kingdom from Damascus;
and the remnant of Syria will be
like the glory of the children of Israel,
declares the LORD of hosts.....(Isaiah 17:1-3 ESV)

ENDTIMES CHRISTIAN REACTION TO YOM KIPPUR

The question is often asked of some of us Disciples of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), as to why we recognize the major High Holy Days of the Jews....when Christians are no longer under the law of Moses, but the Doctrine of Grace. This is an excellent question, since a few of our brethren can go a little in the other extreme and place themselves back under the authority (and therefore,the judgment) of the Torah! I suggest the following article to get a flavor of these important Biblical feasts, and the signs we need to look for and comprehend.

CLICK HERE FOR RECOMMENDED ARTICLE AS TO WHY THE JEWISH FEASTS AND HOLIDAYS ARE IMPORTANT.

Yom Kippur 2012 has added significance. When read against the words of the Apostle John in 1 John 3:5 about the Atonement of the Cross, by Jesus (You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin... 1 John 3:5 ESV), we should recognize the time of the Return of the Messiah is fast approaching. 

On Yom Kippur of 1973, the armies of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel as it prepared for their holiest day - The Day of Atonement. Just briefly, both these nations launched. a first successful strike against Israel and took the Golan Heights and parts of the Sinai desert away. In a few days, Israel had launched a victorious counter-attack which re-took all the lost territory from these two historic foes.

This Yom Kippur (2012), armed forces of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) are massed along their borders in expectation of another war - this time with a budding rogue nuclear Iran, which reaffirmed this week its intent to eliminate the land of Israel. We all know this is not going to happen to what God has called His own...Jerusalem, the future Capitol of Jesus Christ's Millenial Kingdom!! At last count,  all kinds of western nations have moved into the Straits of Homuz (from America to Britain etc) to protect world commerce and the free flow of oil. The Russians and the Syrians seemed to be aligned with Iran (Gog and Magog). I encourage the Reading of the prophet Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39, about this coming horrible event....where God will prevail, yet again.

As Christians who believe in the full revelation of the FULL COUNSEL of God - the Bible, let us not be so blind as to ignore these events. Too many western christians have their heads in the sand and will be caught unawares when the prophetic events come upon them.  We should know and participate in these Jewish feasts in the way the Jesus and the Apostles did, not to be come Judaizers but because we are grafted into the Family of Abraham, and will be in the Presence of the King of the Jews for Eternity!

So let us learn  from and about, the history of this day, the most recent history and then understand what the Scriptures are saying to us. The main things to take from all of this are the following:

- Thank our most Gracious and Heavenly Father God, for sending His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the Cross and shed His Blood as an ATONEMENT for our sins....that those (we) who repent and put their faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior, are truly saved.

- Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel (Psalm 122)

- Study the Prophets from the Book of Daniel to the latter part of Ezekiel (from Chapters 36 onwards) and then the Book of Zechariah. All the prophets predicted these end times, but these are timely, for such a time as this.

- Pray this day for the salvation of many (Jew and Gentile alike), through repentance and even fasting, as we look forward to His Glorious Appearance. 

THE HEAVENS DECLARE HIS GLORY

....from a personal tour of the Holy Land...THE SEA OF GALILEE!!

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. 

Their line has gone out through all the earth, 

and their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

                                                                                                          

CARLA MCDOUGAL
REFLECTIVE LIFE MINISTRIES

Approaching His destination brings a sigh of relief. Rest is near. The aroma drifting off the Sea of Galilee rejuvenates His soul. Peace and quiet call to Jesus, if even for a moment. His weary body feels the effects of traveling for miles. Looking down at His feet, He notices His swollen ankles. All of a sudden, He sees the source of the sharp pain in his feet. The bulging blisters seem to awaken every nerve in His body. He seeks a solitary spot rest. Finding a place for the night brings relief. Using a rock for a pillow, Jesus is lulled by the sound of the water hitting the shoreline. He begins praying, Father, I need some time alone with you! Time to be refreshed. The throng of people are draining my physical, mental and spiritual life. I am tired and my spirit needs replenishing. Closing his eyes, Jesus experiences a sweet union with His Father.

Jesus awakes the next morning while it's still dark. He craves quiet time with His Father. The Sea of Galilee brings Him comfort. Strolling along the shore memories roll in like ripples from the sea. A smile appears as he recalls meeting His first disciples in this very place. Encouragement overwhelms Him.

The crisp breeze gently blows through His cloak. Jesus scans the scenery and notices the sun barely peeking over the mountains casting a reflection on the water. A picturesque moment to behold.Immediately, He recalls His prayer from the night before. He knows His Father is reminding Him of their time together creating the universe. God begins speaking,

Good Morning my son! I miss you. You will be with me soon sitting at my right hand. You are doing a wonderful job. Keep it up! I can't wait for you to return home. But first you have work to accomplish. Continue to listen to me every minute and I will give you the words to speak. I love you!

With hands raised and tears flowing Jesus quotes Psalm 19:5-6, 

In the heavens He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 

which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, 

and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 

Its rising is from one end of heaven, 

and its circuit to the other end; 

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

A hush comes over the sea. In that moment He experiences a tender touch. An answered prayer. A refreshment without words!

Are you in need of replenishing your walk with the Lord? Are you tired, worn out and weary? Ask God for refreshment. Recognize the times throughout your day He is giving you a touch of encouragement. And remember... The heavens declare the glory of the Lord! 

(photos & message by Carla, Author/Speaker from Magnolia, Texas

Reflective Life Ministries)