The End (Which Does Not End)

There is a saying, "Where there is life, there is hope." It seems obvious that once something has died, it's gone, as in over and done with, a done deal. There is only One who can revive the dead!John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

The Lord has chosen to birth sons from among the dead. (Romans 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.) That which was once dead has been born again. "Marvel not that I say to you that you must be born again."(John 3:7) "To as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the sons of God."(John 1:12) "It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."(Ephesians 2:8-10) This is one gift that is nonrefundable! "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable."(Romans 11:29) How do we know if we have "passed from death unto life"?(1 John 3:14) We know because we love our brothers in Christ!

There is only One who can give life. The life He gives, nothing and no one can take away, and it is through faith that we relate to Him, by trust that we know Him and Who He Is and what He gives. What He gives us is eternal, imperishable, incorruptible, and powerful without fail. In trusting Him, He is securing, for us, the end of the story, now, while we yet breath.

There is only one thing that truly ends for us, and that is all endings, death itself. That which has been reborn, in Him, can no longer die. They arrive at their rest (which starts with belief!) to await the grand reunion and the wedding feast! This is actual life, and never death, where once was sorrow, but now is joy and rejoicing forever more!

The Real Messiah: It's Time!

Adonai has given us many great and precious promises. Not only does He provide for us and educate us in our obstinancy, He has also promised us a deliverer. What, exactly, is it that we must be delivered from? A common sense answer would be, from anyone that should rule over us but Adonai! That is the Jewish definition of the Messiah, but that is only a superficial and limited job description. If that were all there was to it, then Messiah would be no better than His father David. A normal human king would simply live out his lifespan and Israel would be left to her own devices once again. Israel, without Messiah, is the zombie nation of Ezekiel 37, dry bones without the breath of the Spirit to animate them.

Torah teaches us what righteousness looks like, but cannot impart it to us, for none can keep even the first two of the commandments! It is a genetic fault handed down from Adam. (Tehillim 51:5)Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)"Surely, I was brought forth in avon; and in chet did immi conceive me [i.e., I was a sinner from conception]."  (Yeshayah 59:2-4)Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) ^" But your avonot (iniquities) have separated you and Eloheichem, and your chattot (sins) have concealed His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled and polluted with dahm, and your fingers with avon (iniquity); your lips have spoken sheker, your leshon (tongue) hath muttered avlah (perverseness, wickedness, iniquity, lashon hora). None calleth [unto Hashem] b’tzedek (in righteousness), nor any pleadeth b’emunah (in faithfulness, in truth); they trust in tohu(nothingness) and speak shav (vanity); they conceive amal (trouble), and give birth to aven (wickedness)." Only those who turn from pride and sin can follow Messiah. (Yeshayah 66:2) Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) " For all those things hath Mine hand made, and so came they all into being, saith Hashem; but to this man will I look, even to him that is oni and of a contrite ruach, and trembleth at My Devar.

"Messiah is the Arm of the Lord, Himself, the righteousness of G-d Almighty!" (Yeshayah 59:15-17) Only Adonai's own righteousness can deliver! That is why David ben Jesse called his decendant both Son and Lord! (Tehillim 2) WHO is He? (Yeshayah 9:6) Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) " For unto us a yeled is born, unto us ben is given; and the misrah (dominion) shall be upon his shoulder; and Shmo shall be called Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d), Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace)." (Michoh 5:2) Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) " But thou, Beit-lechem Ephratah, though thou be little among the Alphei Yehudah (Thousands of Yehudah), yet out of thee shall He [Moshiach] come forth unto Me [Hashem] that is to be Moshel Yisroel; whose goings forth (i.e. origins) have been mikedem, (from everlasting; see Chabakuk 1:12), mimei olam (from the days of eternity)." Proverbs 30:4 "Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!"

The Holy One, in the form of a Son of man, could only be begotten by the Spirit, could only be born of a virgin. He is the seed of the woman of Genesis 3:15. (Yirmeyah 31:22) Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) "For Hashem barah chadashah (Hashem hath created a new thing) on ha’aretz; A nekevah (woman, female, i.e., Israel) shall encircle [seek out] a gever (man, male, i.e., G-d)." (Yeshayah 7:14)Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) "Therefore Hashem Himself shall give you an ot (sign); Hinei, HaAlmah (the unmarried young virgin) shall conceive, and bear Ben, and shall call Shmo Immanu El (G-d is with us)"

Why does He come? What is His mission? First, He came to die. He had to start from the bottom to reclaim what was His. He is the Firstborn of the Father, who did not withhold Him from the world (Exactly as Isaac was not withheld by Abraham, as a picture of what was to be.) He is the Passover Lamb, whose visible blood keeps judgement from being visited upon us. His is the blood price of our perfection. The woman's Seed was to suffer (Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 53). The angel told Daniel "And after threescore and two heptads, yikaret (will be cut off) Moshiach [Yeshayah 53:8], but not for himself [Yeshayah 53:4-6,8];"(Daniel 9:26)

He came to conquer corruption and take back what was lost to the adversary, namely His inheritance. Death itself has been overwhelmed! He has come to bring about the ressurection from the dead! He comes to finish what He started! Israel shall truly live again,  in the Firstborn!

Is Rapture a Jewish Theology?

The rapture started with the Jews! Well, maybe not the actual word, but the principle. The doctrine is the same!

All of the teachings that I encountered until just a few years ago were unabashedly pretribulation rapture. It's only recently that the opposing viewpoint of posttrib has started to predominate. Now, it might just be that posttrib is a replacement for "replacement" theology, which started within the Catholic Church and teaches that christians have replaced Israel in God's prophesies and affections. Replacement theology said that we are living in the millennium, because the church dominated and man was getting better. The Catholic Church's main body of teaching did not include any rapture or tribulation teaching at all. Two world wars (and Israel's rebirth as a nation) kinda popped that little bubble.  Now posttrib says we are here for the duration and are arrogant to hope for anything better, that we will not be exempted (identifying themselves as Israel still?) This view feeds off of anger and sets christians against the world and their brethren that teach pretrib.

My first observation would be that anger is a poor starting point for clear reasoning and Spirit controlled theology. "The wrath of man does not work the works of God." (James 1:20) "In your anger, do not sin." (Eph. 4:26) Angry people confuse persecution with the wrath of God (much more to be afraid of there). Anger is setting oneself "against the world", instead of letting the world expose it's hatred and sin against us, and by extension, against Him who sent us.

The vetting of any doctrine is the process by which it is approved as correct. The source of that approval needs to be God, and the scriptures are our source, the proving ground, as we already know that they are His Word. (Isaiah 46:9-10) " Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Ecclesiastes 3:15)^"That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been and God requires an account of what is past." Those who knew Him before us(The Jews) have told us, from the beginning, of His battle plan. The whole of His Word is a prophetic covenant! We can learn about the rapture from the Tanakh (Old Testament). Only God can tell us the future.

God's people are never a part of the war and calamity that He sends to punish sinners. He does not punish us, He sanctifies us. Christians are called to suffer and die for Him as a testimony to unbelievers(and He is WORTHY!), but He has already taken the burden of our chastisement upon Himself. (Isaiah 53) When the cup of the iniquity of the nations is full, and the days of His patience have ended, when He stirs Himself to answer the cries of His people, first He separates His people "out from among them", the wicked.

Biblical stories are not just historical, they are prophetic. Joseph was a type of Christ, sheltered in the house of the King, with his gentile bride (whose sons were numbered among the tribes of Israel, the church) during the seven years of famine(tribulation). Methuselah was the patience of God, Noah the House of Israel, and Enoch, the church of God, taken from this world before the deluge (trib) which destroyed the known world. Daniel (the church) was conspicuously absent, when his friends (Israel) are cast into the fiery furnace(trib), for not bowing to the image (beast). Lot, living in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, is the church forcibly removed before the fire of brimstone (trib) rains down. The ancient jewish wedding  practices are richly symbolic of the planned agenda of the Father. The Song of Solomon is a story of the Great Shepard King and His bride. When the gentile girl disappears, the daughters of Jerusalem look for her, but she is made strong like chariots, like an army with banners. The whole Song of Solomon is a poetic depiction of Messiah, the church, and Israel. In
Judges, the sons of the tribe of Benjamin come out of hiding, to kidnap wives from the festivities, 
before the grape harvest. (Judges 20)

The feasts of the Lord, the moed (divine appointments), each foretell an event in the plan of redemption. As the church, we know that the Passover was about the death of Jesus on the cross, the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. (On the very day of the feast!) The next feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where Christ is in the grave. Leaven is allegorical for sin. Immediately after (another same day coincidence!) comes the feast of First Fruits, when happens the resurrection of the Messiah! We all know that the church was born on Pentecost, the very feast inaugurated to commemorate (before the fact) it's birth!

These feasts are part of the harvest schedule of the nation of Israel, celebrating the harvests of the fruits of the earth. The festivals coincide with the barley (spring feasts), wheat (summer feast), and grape (end of summer/fall) types of harvests.  God calls Israel His vineyard and they are His last
harvest on the schedule. They are represented by the last three feasts, which are still unfulfilled! The fall feasts consist of the feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the feast of Tabernacles, in that  order. The fall feasts are for the end of days, meaning the rapture, after which comes the conversion of the remnant of Israel en masse, and then the millennium!

Here are the verses that speak of rapture before wrath in the old testament!(Please forgive me if I have left any out!) :


1.(Isaiah 26:1-3) "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."


2.(Isaiah 26:17-21)" Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain,
 and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

3.( Isaiah 56:9-57:2) " All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His 
watchmen (christians?) are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.  He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."


4.(Zephaniah 2:1-3)"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, 
which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."

5. (Joel 2:1-2) Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain:(Rapture trumpet) let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (tribulation) (Joel 2:15-16)Blow the 
trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: (Israel's repentance) Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet(Church and Messiah).

6.( Psalm 27:5) "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock


7. (Micah 7:1-4)Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, or a first-ripe fig which I crave. The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net. Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together. The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur.


8. (Song of Solomon 2:10-14) “My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. ‘For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. ‘The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice
of the turtledove has been heard in our land. ‘The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!' "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret place of the steep pathway, let me see your form, let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely.”

9. Malachi 3:17-18  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

 10. Jeremiah 4:5-6  Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, “Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.’ “Lift up a 
standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, For I am bringing evil from the north, and great destruction.

11.  Psalm 108:5-9 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

12. Hosea 9:7-8The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have come. Let Israel recognize it! The prophet is a fool, and the inspired man is insane, because of the magnitude of your guilt and hostility. Ephraim’s watchman is with my God. The prophet encounters a fowler’s snare on all his ways. Hostility is in the house of his God!


13. Jeremiah 8:18 My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick.
19 Listen—the cry of my dear people from a far away land, “Is the Lord no longer in Zion,
her King not within her?” Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? 20  Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.  22  Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?

Isaiah 62:8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm,

“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies;

Nor will [g]foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”

9 But those who garner it will eat it and praise the Lord;

And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.

10 Go through, go through the gates,

Clear the way [h]for the people;

Build up, build up the highway,

Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth,

Say to the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes;

Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”

12 And they will call them, “The holy people,

The redeemed of the Lord”; And you will be called, “Sought out, a city not forsaken.”

And for the genetic nation of Israel in the last days! (Hosea 6:11)" Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people." (Hosea 6:1-2) "Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight."

There is a scheduled fulfillment of all of the prophesies at the exact moment God has determined for them. Daniel 9:26-27 speaks of the seventy weeks of years appointed to the Jewish people to finish iniquity and anoint the most holy, the Messiah, as King! Dispensations of time have been given by the Lord to accomplish all of His will and for all of His works to be completed! Those last seven years, after the cutting off of the Messiah, have yet to be fullfilled. Those last seven years are the harvest time appointed to the NATION of Israel, the time of Jacob's trouble, where the Messiah shall "turn again the captivity of my people Israel" from sin to the true face of their Lord, the One who shall deliver them. Those last seven years that the book of Revelations describes are the seven spoken of in Daniel 9. Yeshua will reign, in person, in peace and prosperity, from Zion (yes, Jerusalem, as the Bible says).

We should be careful and reverent to study His word, before we presume to make up our minds about how we think things should be:

(2 Peter 3:2-13) " That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
³ Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts

⁴ And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
⁵ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
⁶ Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
⁷ But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
⁸ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

(Matthew 24:48-51) "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

⁴⁹ And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
⁵⁰ The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
⁵¹ And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Are You a Warrior?

There are soldiers, and then there are warriors. A soldier has a job to do. He is paid by people he does not even know, to perform violence on a third party for the purpose of a political objective. A soldier must be fit to engage in physical confrontation. Anger is encouraged so as to divert him from matters of conscience. It is all very cold and calculating, because truth is not the objective.

A warrior, on the other hand, has an individualized calling. They are called one by one, and qualified, for their calling, in a way unique to each of them. The warrior takes up a part in a conflict because of the overwhelming pressure, the irrefusable conviction, of love. This mission of devotion is not easily shaken or distracted from it's goal.

First and foremost, a warrior's titanic struggle is within himself. He must come to know his Commander and Chief intimately, to know the sound of His voice. He must bring his own nature into submission to the Divine prerogative. God will supply all the resources necessary to achieve this endeavor . "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." Strength, even strength of will, does not avail here. Physical weakness is actually a bonus, because it takes away from the temptation to act from personal power. The Lord of  hosts is not limited, in His ability to act, by the fragility, of His warrior. Victory coming from weakness demonstrates the Lord's sovereignty.  We can indulge ourselves to only use positive traits and attributes in the battle!

A warrior's calling is to share the truth! No intimidation is required, for He, the Truth, is His own best defense! In the battle of ideas, the Foundation of our existence is at stake! Sharing is caring! "No other foundation can any man lay, than that which is laid: The Man, Jesus Christ!"

Mission Imperative!

In all the debates and discussions on the rapture doctrine (a yet unfulfilled teaching, as was the resurrection for the Sadducee's) a distinction, a point of debate came up. There are some that teach that only the spiritual christians will be taken, not the carnal ones. I heard about this in it's refutation, but I think this idea misconstrues a very important and oft repeated teaching of the Lord. The discussion made trivial Christ's whole point in what He was teaching!

The admonition, of Jesus, that I am talking about, is the one where He warns us to "watch and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the son of Man." In another passage with the same theme, He tells us of ten virgins, five of whom were taken, and five who were not. The five who were not, did not have their lamps burning when the bridegroom came. They had already been warned that they were to be "the light of the world." Obviously, they did not take it to heart.

We, the church, are to be the light, the salt, watchmen who give warning, witnesses who make disciples, good servants who invest His Word into our society. We are to "proclaim the feasts of the Lord"(Leviticus 23:4), which are the prophetic announcements of His redemption plan.

The Church lets herself get distracted by mere social concerns, but her calling is to spread the gospel. Her employment is the distinctive mark of her identity. "He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."(Matthew 12:30) "Every tree that does not bear fruit will be cut down and cast onto the fire."(Luke 3:9) So, our directive could not be more clear than this! Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

He Cried for Me

The world around me burns in flames.
Hate said it's me, that I'm to blame!
No holds barred whether force or fear.
I stood my ground, and now I'm here.

Sold by one that I held dear.
That's why I am imprisoned here.
Lies that cut me, to the ground.
Love's betrayal, is the most profound.

There's nothing but the pain inside.
Instead of this, I should of died!
Beneath the sound, of my crying,
feel the rhythm, of the wild wind sighing.

In the roar, of the water, through the trees,
I can hear, HIM, crying for me.
The moaning storm, echoes my agony.
I tell you now, that He cries for me.

A flood of grief, carries me down,
to this bleak cell, underground.
There's Arms around me, that you can't see!
In the pit of hell, He cries with me!

He too, has seen, hell's darkest day!
It came to destroy, the Love, that was in it's way.
The day that Love, mastered this!
So Love could cry with me, in my black abyss.

Anguish and torment fade from memory,
but I'll never forget, Love cried with me.
Evidence of tender sympathy.
His storm of grief, as He cried for me.

His Peace is Now!

Blood flowed from beneath the thorns,
on His precious, benevolent brow.

His peace is now!

He gave it all so He could draw us
to the safety of His arms, somehow.

His peace is now!

His grace encompassed it all!
Even this, with beauty, He did endow!

His peace is now!

He will never waiver from His
strength of purpose, He has avowed!

His peace is now!

To rewrite the meaning of your own
humiliation, let Him show you how!

His peace is now!

Our conquered hearts now conquering,
is what His forgiveness will allow!

His peace is now!

He is our peace, our security,
this Rock to whom we bow!

His peace is now!

I will find the strength to praise Him
one again, I vow!
For I have learned, that the time
to experience His peace, is now!

The Breaking Dawn

Could this be the day,
that I see His face?
The sight of which will,
my sorrows, erase?
Could that be His light,
breaking over the hills?
To redeem us from death,
as He said He will?
My heart is joyful
with anticipation!
for this inheritance,
realized, in the Son.
The call of my heart
will be answered!
HIS hope materialized,
which, had been, deferred!
I will have shed,
shame, like a garment.
Fitted with renewed innocence,
with His consent!
He has me put on
His illustrious glory.
A radiant covering,
His gift to me.
His creation keeps
retelling the same story,
Life reborn from the dead,
What His children will be.
Revelation, of the strength
He supplies here!
Fruits that were formed,
from tests most severe!
Glorious Sonlight,
coming over the trees!
Raises me, like my heart,
unfettered and free!

Suffering's Reward

He endured the cross, despising the shame.
For the joy set before Him, He took my blame.

So, what, exactly, is this, joy of my Lord?
What made it worth it, as His reward?

What is the nature, of what Christ endured?
What is His character, in which we stand secure?

By Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things,
Yet He "learned obedience" through suffering.

We are a part, of this fellowship,
By suffering with Him, He will equip,

Us, with the glory, of His crystalline image,
Of reconciliation, a gulf spanning bridge.

Our soul is stretched larger, when we feel pain.
What we give up for him, we eternally gain.

So is expanded our largess
When we, with grace, injustice address.

This sanctifying process, through which He takes us,
Makes us into what is, like Him, most precious.

We know we've finally got a glimpse of His heart,
When we'll pay any cost, to be of Him, a part.

After the trials have burned away fear,
All that's left is the joy, of Him we hold dear.

Through Christ's suffering, we became heirs.
In this same joy, as His, a great authority we bear!

No need to shrink back, from love's imperative call!
With love, from Christ Jesus, we inherit it all!

So ask all the questions, and cry all the tears,
So as to cherish the meaning, branded by fire, of love most sincere!

A Heritage of Ashes

I was thinking to offer you some sympathy.
Your eyes held a memory of agony.
You've made up your mind, it's plain to see.
Apparently, anger has it's own legacy.

Information and wisdom are not the same.
Our passions are also, mixed into the game.
I am sure that the truth, was your only aim.
When you came to realize, you were not to blame.

The hurt child within you is on a campaign
to put an end to the evil, by force restrain
access, to the scene, of heart's bloodstain,
some vestige of innocence, to retain.

Can't you see that the anger, that you contain
is the very same one, of which you complain?
Auditory evidence of your disdain,
used against others, for personal gain.

The anger that rallies, to our self defense
is made the reason, a blanket license.
If you decline to spread the offense,
(those who are fearful, by love convince)

You'll not let rage, be the torch you pass on.
Why bestow on others, the same victim-hood obsession?
Satisfying is, the new day's dawn,
When all of the vitriol and anguish is gone.

Christian Anger Management

Satan is real. Evil is real. The realities of spiritual warfare dictate that there will be collateral damage. There will be no eternal gains without temporary losses. One weapon which the devil distorts to his use is our own anger. Evil seeks to provoke us. In anger, there is no discretion or discernment, only vulnerability to manipulation. Evil will drive us to "defend" ourselves. James 1:20 " for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." Rage is a "stronghold" of evil. Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

Ironically, anger is a gift from God, to mobilize strength and energy and to banish fear. It helps us to get things done. How do we deny the thief who would steal our victory? How do we wrest control from a cunning enemy who seeks control? How can we change the focus from reactive to proactive?

Obviously, we must have faith and love first. 1 John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." As I have said before, love is our motivation. (1 Corinthians 13)  A little sidebar here: Love is a two edged sword. The more love, the more hurt. The more hurt, the more anger. Love is not just the feel good, warm fuzzy. Love is subverting our own interests, in favor of another, even if they do not return the favor.

So, because of love, our own soul becomes the battleground. How is it that we can retain clarity, sanity even, in the face of provocation? First, remember that we are not here to advance our own interests, but the will of the Lord.  Romans 12:21 "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Second, He has given us a couple strategies to overcome by. One is to keep our conscience clean with our brother. If we cannot work out our differences, then we must stay away. Love draws the line so a brother cannot condemn himself by abusing us. Two, and most important, we snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by thanking God for the very thing causing challenge. We pronounce a blessing over our spiritual growth, in essence saying, "Thank you, Lord, for this wisdom I am about to receive!" Tell satan to leave by reminding him he has no authority over you. Remind him Who has declared you innocent!

Father, Forgive Them

I was very  moved by something the avowed atheist, Christopher Hitchens, said during a live debate that I witnessed. Mr. Hitchens had initially challenged the audience to find one thing that christians do, that he, as an unbeliever, did not or could not, also do. When no one seemed willing to give an answer, he provided the answer, himself. Mr. Hitchens was incensed by Jesus' plea to God, while on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." It seemed that Mr. Hitchens thought forgiveness, without penalty, was wrong.

I believe Mr. Hitchens was right on target as to the difference between those who believe and those who don't. Jesus said, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:15) When experiencing anger, it is easy to mistake our power to extract justice. Our grasp of the wisdom of God, of humility and gentleness, disappears. Our trust in God's goodness and absolute power goes with it. Forgiveness is a test of our belief.

We can choose to believe the lie of our circumstances or we can set a purpose as a guard over our heart and will, to follow our God and to do His will. Either this pain and trauma, as an agency of evil, will rule over us, or God will. We can hold onto the debts owed us, or choose to be healed and restored. We can choose to invest ourselves, our hearts, and our thoughts, into the One who banishes our brokenness. In the cherishing of grudges, we are not plugged into the power of the Almighty. If it's only excuses for why we don't trust Him, then we reject His greatest gifts. And the satisfaction gained from Him is so much more gratifying than anything else.

Here is Freedom

No one can hold my past over me.
I've been given a new identity.
In the ugliness of pride, I couldn't see,
I was working against God, as His enemy.

My true nature, when revealed,
Was the extremity of the battlefield.
He uses even my mess, when I yield.
By His fiery Spirit, I now am sealed.

His call is for the weary and worn.
The veil to the holy of holies, has been torn
to rejoice in His presence, as one reborn
So His children will, no longer mourn.

The joy is real, not pretend.
With my shame, I no longer contend.
My death, it no more portends.
He holds onto me, without end.

With the surety He provides,
I can only glory, to be at His side.
There is nothing now, that can divide
me from the security of where I reside.

Forever you will find me here
extolling what I find most dear.
I'm hoping I can make it clear
Why He is the only Worthy One, whom I revere!

The Chains That Bind

Isn't this where freedom's found?
Where my heart roams the open road?
What is wrong with having it my way?
When uncertainty of circumstance explodes?

A proud spirit cannot surrender,
Is unbending till the end,
Subsuming the feeling of kindness,
Regardless of what life sends.

When contemplating rules for life,
I thought to fly in an endless sky,
Permit no limits in my universe.
Satisfaction is my reason why.

The harder I run, the less I achieve.
I have found my goal elusive.
Freedom has no name in the void.
Tight is the fabric of what I give.

That leaden sky is only my anger,
Reflected beck at me.
When I am the god of all I survey,
The fruitation of selfishness is slavery.

So of my own crafting
are these chains that bind.
In the effort to become, what I admire,
Blessed freedom is left far behind.

The Ingathering

Don't wish for me home. Here is far better than dreams.
The world could never satisfy, substantive though it seemed.
What will you do, now that you're so far behind?
I have prayed for you always, safety in His love, to find.
You still have the time, to change the outcome,
Lay hold of the promises, given to some.
The ones that He knew, before they were born,
Who'll have no one but Him: Treated with scorn.
In the departure, I've been called up to heaven,
To the foot of the throne, with the rest of the seven.
Where I experience His glory, with the great, joyful throng.
Our voices are lifted in a thunderous victory song.
The assembly is gathered to receive recompense
For the seeds that we've scattered, and tended since
The first time we knelt, bankrupt, at His feet.
We will now share, the authority of His seat.
It would give me great joy if you would join our company
In the gaze of the great Redeemer, finally, true love to see.

Here's What I See

Trust me, please. This is not what you want. Have you seen the horrors happening in the world today? It's going to get far worse, and very soon, too.

The muslims are working themselves into a rage. All out war will soon break out. America will be a casualty of this violence. The new attack will make 9-11 look like a Sunday school picnic.

It's really crazy how everywhere in the world, people are just going on as if everything is normal. Very few seem to care. They seem strangely blind. They are only into superstition. So many earthquakes, violent storms, volcanoes, rivers turning red, huge numbers of animals dying for no reason, will  not be enough to warn them. Now is the time to escape, before God's judgement descends on this earth. The cup of iniquity is almost full. Lack of repentance and unbelief are the sins which God will judge.

Islam is the great whore who rides the beast. The wine of her adulteries is the petroleum oil of her wealth. The Assyrian who comes from the area of Turkey and Iraq will be the beast. Once God removes His church, the beast will make a 7 year treaty with Israel. All hell will break loose.

Ask the Question

James 1  ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  

When the demons of questions are harassing me, I need answers. I know that the Lord brings me to the crisis point on purpose, because He wants me to ask Him for the gift He has for me, his gift of understanding. You can be sure, that when I ask, I am expecting answers on a level so profound, that it will hit like a payload of rocks. By rocks, I mean rocks like Him. He is THE Rock: Bedrock: Security: Peace. Direct your questions to Him and wait. The answers will come, for it is not really answers that we need, but the proof of His presence.

The two questions I had recently were two sides of the same coin. First, what would be the purpose of allowing a believer to sin? To experience great distress because of that sin? The Lord allows a believer to sin so he can learn what is and is not expedient. He allows them failings so they can experience grace more deeply. This leaves no room for pride. The realization comes of how inadequate are our own efforts on our own behalf. Only HIS mercy saves us. One who has failed cannot look down on another who has also failed. Sympathy and support come naturally. The good news of deliverance is shared in humbleness. It brings awareness of just how unlimited is God's power in compassion, that He could bring all who trust in Him, home. A humbled brother cannot assist satan in accusing the other brethren. On what base could he stand but on Christ?

The other question is, why would any believer want to use the Word of God as a weapon against his spiritual kin? As a cudgel to bludgeon them to the point of shame? What could be the motivation of he who feels called to condemn those who have been forever justified? It stems from pride, a defense mechanism! Their prison is the anger of unforgiveness, these powerful people (in the flesh) who have been hurt.  They have lost sight of the fact that the only merit that they possess is God's mercy!  A freed slave has no grounds from which to feel superior or judge another's freedom. He has lost sight of the fact that what God has freed, no one else can condemn again.

1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawfulfor me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

^{Romans 14:4} Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

A Personal Plea

Tears form a pressure inside of my chest,
The sorrow of my sin, and all the rest.
Why do my failings plague me so?
Any pride I possessed, has been brought low.
In humbleness, may I seek your face?
To find the peace of which, now, there is no trace?
The joyful calm of your elect?
Soul's security, in effect?
Release me, please, from my chains.
Consider me kindly, do not disdain,
The total misery of a broken soul,
Because, without Your mercy, I will never be whole.
Why must there be such awful fear?
The weight of guilt, which drives me here?
Understanding comes from the burden of pain.
Only through You, is redemption gained.
Lord, have compassion on my weakness!
I pursue You, and nothing less!
Instead, enfold me, in Your gentleness.
Assurances of, Your love, will bless!
Proclamations of my gratitude,
Will follow this,  my redemption interlude.
Enable me to leave my past behind!
The way, of Your praise and glory, find!
This struggle, is what has me, fully persuaded
Of the truth and the love, of all that You said.
Enjoying Your glory, forever my portion!
The greatest victory, possible, to be won!

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” Proverbs 16:6

We are commanded to bear fruit!

Do you call yourself a Christian? If you have true faith, then you know it goes beyond just knowledge. It's not just information. Faith changes us, inside. It reconfigures our outward behavior to reflect the trade of death and fear for life and love. As James said, "I will show you my faith by my works."

Jesus said we must "bear fruits meet for repentance." Salvation and works cannot be separated! Jesus said that the tree which does not bear fruit will be "cut down and cast into the fire."!

So what is fruit, exactly? It is a mechanism of reproduction. The Lord wishes the faith to spread, to be duplicated, in others. So the fruits of the spirit , in us, will be a witness, for us. We are to be an example of God's love so others will desire it. We are to be always ready with the reasons for our hope. We must be "that faithful and wise servant" who gives, to others, "food in due season.".            



“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? " Matt 24:45

Love vs Law (1 Corinthians 13)

In the lyrically titled "love chapter" of the Bible, some references seem obscure. What is "that which is perfect"? God is the one who is perfect, so that is who, but since this chapter is about love, then it must be referring to the love of God, His specific presence, as He IS love. What is Paul comparing it to, here? What is it that will be "done away with", in a similar manner to prophesy and knowledge?

When Yeshuah arrives, in person, "we will know as we are known."  Our knowledge will be complete, so there will be no more teachings. When we dwell with Him in the new Jerusalem, there will be no more prophesy, for He was it's goal. He is the Logos, the full revelation of the Father.

There is another reference in this section that will help us find what the identity of the "partial" is.  There is mention of "childish things". This same child scenario is mentioned in Galatians where the law is said to be a teacher. Children are always under tutors, learning how to act like adults.

The Torah is a shadow of His righteousness, a picture of His behavior. It talks of love, but cannot impart it. That is why the law cannot save us. It cannot instill anything in us but fear, because it was given down to condemn unlawfull behavior. That is why "the fear of the Lord" is only the beginning of wisdom, "because fear has to do with punishment."

When love has come, His love, it lights a fire of devotion far more compelling  than simple fear. His love is the perfect. Our gratitude makes us helpless against it and willingly so. We love, because He first loved us. All those actions required by law, now come naturally to those who have the spirit, the love of God, in us. He wants us properly and correctly motivated, so we will be totally dedicated to His good purposes. True Christians are, by definition, obeying the Torah, and observing the feasts and the Sabbath. For example, the Sabbath is His completed work on the cross! (What part of "it is
finished!" don't you understand?)

Just Before the Trumpet Sounds

A sudden flash of lighting, and ominous thunder roll,
Speaks the mighty voice of God, from ancient, dusty scroll!
Wake up, oh sleeper! Before the storm is here!
Looms on the horizon, the grip of crushing fear!
So self satisfied, is your dreaming slumber!
To be with, the transgressors, numbered!
Don't turn your face away!
If you take up the watch, you may
Stand before the Son of man,
Delivered! From the judgement which is at hand!
How broken is the tender heart!
Which contemplates the part
Contributed by the sinful soul
When he pays the toll,
Of his own destruction,
When the cure is, quite simply, the Son!
Destitute, by your own pride!
It keeps you from the Savior's side!
You can't see your nakedness.
It's willful ignorance, I guess.
How will you, the Unprepared
Be able to face, God's strong arm bared?
When strains free His grief and rage?
Tears of the saints, the sinner's wage?
A terrible mercy, is His judgement!
If it will open your heart, to the one he sent!
Soon will come the shofar blast!
The time is set! Soon will be past!
Afterwards comes that dark day!
The earth will convulse, it's moorings sway!
Don't stay here to meet the beast!
Instead, slip away, to the wedding feast!
The appointment made for hypocrites,
Can be avoided, if you humble yourself to Him, and submit!