Jeremiah 31

Last week's message addressed the question of whether the total eclipse was a prophetic event. Since distributing that message we have learned that one million people were saved world wide in connection with the total eclipse and pictures taken during the event showed white crosses over the total eclipse. Whether this was a prophetic event I do not know, but our Lord God used it for His Glory! Hallelujah! 

The timing of the return of Jesus Christ to earth was also addressed last week as Romans 11:11 was mentioned which says, "All Israel will be saved" at approximately the same time. Does the word "All" in this verse mean that every Jewish person living at that time will be saved? This has always been open for interpretation since all in Hebrew is not necessarily one hundred percent but a large number.

This also raises the question how will they be saved? Two verses in Zechariah answer this question. Zechariah 14:4 shows Jesus coming back to earth and is standing on the Mount of Olives. At the same time, Zechariah 12:10 illustrates this large group of God's Covenant People recognize Jesus as their Messiah and the one they have pierced. It is believed that this is their salvation moment whether it is one hundred percent of them or a large number.

Discussing the return of Jesus Christ to earth can be challenging to understand. As a result, our next three messages will be a study of Jeremiah 31 that revolves around God's Covenant People and their future recognition of Jesus as their Messiah. 

"At the same time," says The Lord, "I will be The God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people . . .  For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, arise, and let us go up to Zion, to The Lord our God . . . For thus says The Lord; sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nation; proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!'" Jeremiah 31:1,6,7.

Our Lord God declares to Israel that He Is Their God And They Are His People! Also, the day is coming when God's Covenant People will declare Let Us Go Up To Zion! They will sing with gladness and praise their God and say, "O Lord Save Your People, The Remnant Of Israel." Will this remnant be the large group of God's Covenant People to be saved?

Stay Tuned! Bless His Holy Name! 

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank

Prophetic Event?

Last Monday was the first total eclipse over the United States in 99 years. For those who witnessed this in certain areas of the United States, I am sure it was an event they will remember for the rest of their lives. I also found it very interesting that many people tried to turn this special event into a prophetic event. Some believe that following the total eclipse there will be 4o days of God's Judgement. Others believe that with the moon and the sun growing dark this is a sign of the soon return of Jesus Christ to earth.

We all need to be careful in trying to predict the timing of the return of Jesus to earth which God's Word calls The Day Of The Lord or In That Day. Only Our Lord God Almighty knows when His Son Jesus will return to earth!

There are signs indicating how close we might be to this extremely important event. Matthew 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-27 and Joel 3:14-15 all address various signs which will surround the return of Jesus to the earth. All mention the sun and the moon appearing dark or not giving light so you can see the prophetic interest in the total eclipse.

However, probably the key sign indicating when Jesus will return to earth was spoken by Jesus Himself when addressing the Pharisees and His Disciples in Matthew 23:37-39 that says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord!'"

In effect, Jesus was addressing His covenant people and showing them He will leave this earth but will return again when they call Him "Blessed" or recognize Him as their Messiah! Currently, the majority of God's covenant people cannot recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Why is this? Romans 11:8 says, "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day." 

This is a temporary situation! Romans 11:11 says, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles." Additionally, and most important, Romans 11:26 says, "And So All Israel Will Be Saved."

Once again, we see how vitality important it is for us as Born Again Christians should support, pray and bless Israel and the Jewish people. Pray specifically each day for more and more of them to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Every Day,

Frank 

"Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem"

The title verse from Psalm 122:6 is very familiar for all those who love and support Israel. Most commonly it is interpreted that we should pray for God's hand of protection over Israel and the Jewish people world wide. This certainly is a correct interpretation but I have learned the "Hebrew" interpretation is much broader. The Hebrew definition of peace in this verse encompasses all aspects of a Jewish person's life to include their moral, spiritual, emotional wellbeing in addition to their physical safety.

An intriguing headline in the news last week quoted Governor Eddie Calvo of Guam as his island country has become part of the nuclear threat from North Korea. Governor Calvo said, "Like Israel, we have had a lot of practice here."

Governor Calvo's comment was illustrating that Israel lives everyday with constant threats from enemies surrounding them and living in Israel. These constant threats have caused Israel to build a wall in Jerusalem to prevent Palestinian terrorists from entering Jerusalem from the West Bank. Also, an underground wall is now under construction along Israel's border with Gaza to prevent Hamas terrorists from entering Israel through tunnels. The Israeli military and police are always on high alert and plane passengers traveling to Israel are questioned thoroughly about their reason to visit Israel and their itineraries. 

Well, how do Israelis respond to living with the constant threat of their enemies? Overall, and this might surprise you, they respond with love and generosity to those who are hurting around them even their enemies. Through "Operation Good Neighbor" the Israeli Defense Forces have extended humanitarian aid to Syrians including medication, clothes, fuel and food. Since August, 2016 more than 110 aid operations of various kinds have been conducted.

Israel even reached out and granted political asylum to an Iranian journalist facing the death penalty. Neda Amin had the boldness to write a column for an Israeli media web-site. As a result, she was facing the death penalty for co-operating with Israel in Iran. Amin said, "I was in danger and the State of Israel saved me."

These examples illustrate how important it is for all of us to "Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem" each day for the total well being of all Israelis. Bless His Holy Name!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank 

"A Very Heavy Stone"

"And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples." Zechariah 12:3. The early part of this verse shows that our Lord God will make Jerusalem "A Very Heavy Stone" or a stumbling block or a bone of contention for all peoples. This will be a future event which will happen "On That Day" or around the time that Jesus physically comes back to earth. 

Before we go any further, I will make a very bold statement saying that this extraordinary event might be closer than we think. Let me explain! For the last two weeks,The Temple Mount and Jerusalem certainly has become "A Very Heavy Stone." Approximately two weeks ago Palestinian terrorists shot and killed two Israeli policemen on The Temple Mount. The Israeli government responded by closing The Temple Mount for one day and installed security cameras. This resulted in an extremely negative response from Palestinians who rioted in the streets of Jerusalem for many days. In reality, Iran encouraged these riots hoping they would develop into a much larger conflict. The Israeli government then re-opened The Temple Mount and removed the cameras.

The battle is over the sovereignty of The Temple Mount and Jerusalem. For the Palestinians the real battle is who controls Jerusalem. Many Palestinians still have not come to terms with Israel's right to exist and this is what the battle is really about. The Palestinians reacted to the shooting on The Temple Mount and the removing of the Israeli cameras as both victories and consider them first steps in eliminating any Israeli presence on The Temple Mount or Jerusalem.

Indeed, Jerusalem is becoming a "Very Heavy Stone." However, when we look at the remainder of Zechariah 12:3 and verses 8-9 we learn that Our Lord God wins the major battle for the Israelis over Jerusalem and The Temple Mount. Hallelujah!

"And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surly be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it . . . In that day The Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of The Lord before them . . . It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Zechariah 12:3, 8-9.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Each Day,

Frank

     

Jesus - Our High Priest

This past weekend I heard a story that really caught my attention and proved once again how blessed we are to be living under the New Blood Covenant with Jesus as our High Priest.

Picture if you will that you are hiking on the Sinai Peninsula and suddenly you notice thousands of neatly arranged tents housing thousands of people and right in the middle is a huge oblong looking edifice covered with curtains. You ask the first person you see about this gathering and especially about the huge structure. You learn that the thousands of people are God's People who were liberated by God from bondage in Egypt. They are traveling to claim Canaan as their God given land and the encampment you see is how they stop to rest.

Curious as you are about the huge curtain draped edifice, you ask detailed questions. Your acquaintance informs you, "This is the Tabernacle of God and He inhabits the back room which is called Holy of Holies." Now you are very interested and you ask, "May I go into the Holy of Holies and meet God?" The reply you receive startles you, "No, No, only the High Priest may go into the Holy Of Holies once a year to have the sins of the people atoned for."

The description of the Tabernacle is accurate even though portrayed in a story with fictional characters. The description of the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies once a year is also accurate and both are describing an Old Blood Covenant or Old Testament scenario. However, for those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we now live under the New Blood Covenant.

When we study Hebrews chapters 7 - 10, we learn Jesus, true Son of The True God, came physically to earth to establish a New Blood Covenant, become our High Priest, forgive us of our sins, grant us a way of salvation and eternal life plus opening a way to come directly to the Throne of God. Hallelujah!

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intersession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself." Hebrews 7:25-27.

I pray for all those who are still living under the Old Blood Covenant. There are 46 verses in the Old Testament identifying Jesus as your Messiah. Receive Him today as your Lord and Savior, ask Him to forgive you of all your sins and to grant you eternal life. Bless His Holy Name!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Each Day,

Frank