Why Do The Nations Rage?

Psalm 2:1 says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?" We certainly live in a time when the nations are raging! Why is this happening and why is it happening now? This will be the theme for this message taken from Psalms 2 and 83.

Most Bible Scholars agree we are living in the End Times. 2Timothy 3:1-4 says, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." We should not be surprised, these are End Times Prophetic Events taking place!

Psalms 2 and 83 illustrate that God's people will be the focus of persecution. Psalm 2:2-3 says, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against The Lord and against His anointed, saying 'let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.'" Psalm 83:2-4 says, "For behold, your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against your sheltered ones. They have said, 'come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'"

Now For The Good News - God Is Still On His Throne And Is In Control And Will Bring Victory To All His People! Notice how God reacts to the nations raging in Psalm 2:4-5, "He who sits in the Heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision, then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure." Jehovah God laughs and brings the enemies of His people into distress! God Is In Control!

Psalm 83:15-18 shows how God reacts to the prayers of His people. He will "pursue their enemies, frighten them, fill their faces with shame, confound them, dismay them and cause them to perish." God Is In Control!

Yes, these are difficult and challenging times. However, God's people should not  be alarmed or dismayed. Psalms 2 and 83 Illustrate God Is In Control And Will Take Care Of His People. Bless His Holy Name!

May The Lord Bless And Keep You In His Care Today And Everyday,

Frank      

God Is Our Refuge And Strength

Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Everyone needs a fortress or a place of refuge when the storms of life come knocking at our doors. Martin Luther, who initiated the Reformation in the church, authored a worshiping hymn entitled "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." What is a fortress or a refuge? It could best be described as a stronghold or a shelter inside a wall to keep out the enemy.

Psalm 46:1 also says God is "A Very Present Help In Trouble." His help most frequently is a spiritual presence that defeats our enemies. However, at times it is a physical presence when God sends angels for our defense. We will look at a few examples of how God was a "Refuge and Strength" for the Israelites in the past, present and will be in the future. 

Shortly after the Israelites were released by Pharaoh out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. Realizing they could not cross the Red Sea, they also noticed the Egyptian Army was approaching them from the rear. Moses said, "Do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of The Lord." God then said to Moses, "Lift up your rod" and  God divided the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross to the other side. 

God Was Their Refuge And Strength, A Present Help In Trouble!

Let us now look at present day Israel who is surrounded by enemies. A terror group Hezbollah is located in Lebanon north of Israel, another terror group Hamas is to the south and the Palestinian Liberation Organization is located in Ramallah near Hebron. All have the same focus of destroying Israel. However, since Israel was founded in 1948, they have never lost a war! The Israel military forces reports enemy missiles headed for Tel Aviv are miraculously  diverted off their course. 

God Is Their Refuge And Strength, A Present Help In Trouble! 

Let us now look at the future of Israel. At the end of the Tribulation Period, the Anti-Christ will assemble the largest army in history to destroy Israel. However, Jesus Christ physically appears in the skies on a white horse and strikes down these armies with a sharp sword coming out of His mouth. 

God Is Their Refuge And Strength, A Present Help In Trouble!

Psalm 46 closes in verse 11 that says, "The Lord of Hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge." Psalm 46 is not only for Israel but also for all who call on The Name Of Jesus As Lord And Savior!

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You In His Care This Day,

Frank 

Praise For Dramatic Deliverance

For  Zion's Sake Ministry is approaching the completion of eight years of sharing Jehovah God's message each week of love and support for Israel and that His Son Jesus Christ Is The Only True Savior Of The World. We are blessed and humbled to report that 40,240 people have received these messages in 20 countries. For Zion's Ministry functions on the basis of four scriptures: John 3:16, Genesis 12:3, Psalm 122:6 and Isaiah 62:1,6. Bless His Holy Name!

With the start of our ninth year of messages, we are beginning a new season based on the Book Of Psalms. What are the Psalms? The Book of Psalms is actually a Book of Worshiping God and Praising Him for who He is, what He has done and what He will do. When the Jewish people gather in their Synagogues, homes or at the Western Wall, they frequently are singing or reciting Psalms. Sometime this worship is accompanied by stringed instruments. This is why Psalms is called Sepher Tehilim, The Book Of Praises.

We will start this new season of messages by studying Psalm 30 that is referred to as "Praise For Dramatic Deliverance." Psalm 30:1-3 says, "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You have healed me, O Lord, You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit." The first five words of the Psalm show proper honor and respect for our God. Whether we come before God to Worship Him, pray or ask for forgiveness, we should always show proper respect for who He is - King Of Kings and Lord Of Lords!

It is believed that Psalm 30 was written by King David and the remainder of verses one to three are remembering how God delivered the Israelites from the oppression of slavery in Egypt. Notice the following expression of thanks and praise to God:

You Lifted Me Up

My Foes Are Defeated

You Healed Me

You Protected My Soul

You Kept Me Alive

This Psalm ends by illustrating in verse 11 that Jehovah God "Turned mourning into dancing." No matter what trial or tribulation we might face in this world, God is always with us every step of the way and will deliver us and bring us to a better place! Hallelujah!

We also can learn from this Psalm that it started Praising God and ended Praising God - "O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You In His Peace,

Frank

Jesus Christ - The Lord And King Of All

Our message this week will study how Jehovah God ends His Holy Book in Revelation Chapter 22. Verses 6-21 are called "The Conclusion" of God's Holy Book. Notice verse 6 saying, "Then he said to me, 'these words are faithful and true.'" God is saying through Jesus, who sends an angel to speak to John, that all the words of the Book of Revelation are "Faithful and True." They are God - Breathed as is the entire Bible.

Verse 6 also says that the Book of Revelation illustrates events that must take place shortly. The last book of the Bible outlines all end-time events starting with The Tribulation Period and ending with The New Jerusalem descending. Jehovah God desires for us to study and understand this important book. Revelation 22:7 says, "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book" and Revelation 1:3 says, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the word of this prophecy."

Revelation is also a critically important book because it proclaims continually that Jesus Christ is Lord and King of all. Revelation 22:13 shows Jesus saying, "I am The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End, The First and The Last." Jesus is The First and The Last meaning He is Lord and King of all from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. Hallelujah!

This Proclamation Is Confirmed Many Times  In Revelation Chapter 1:

Jesus Is Ruler Over The Kings Of The Earth, Verse 5

He Is Alpha And Omega, The Beginning And The End, Verse 8

He Is Alpha And Omega, The First And The Last, Verse 11

He Is The First And The Last, Verse 17

He Lives, Was Dead And Will Live Forevermore, Verse 18

Notice how Jehovah God ends His Holy Book in Revelation 22:18-19 that says, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part from the Book of Life, from the Holy City and from the things which are written in this book."

Everyone should show proper respect for God's Holy Book! 

Frank   

     

The New Jerusalem

When the 1,000 year reign of Christ is ended, a new God ordained event will take place that will change the earth for Eternity. The title for Revelation 21 is "The New Jerusalem Descends."

Revelation 21:2-5 says, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from Heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.' And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'"

The description in Revelation 21 of The New Jerusalem Descending is a miracle of God, second only to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In effect, Jehovah God is causing Heaven to come to earth with the center to be located at current day Jerusalem. This is why it is called "The New Jerusalem." Verse 3 says that the Tabernacle of God will be with men and He will dwell with them while verse 4 says there will be no more tears, death, sorrow or pain. Hallelujah! Indeed, Heaven Will Come To Earth!

Revelation 21:11-27 describes The New Jerusalem. Following are just a few glorious descriptions:

It has the Glory of God, Verse 11 

1,400 miles wide, 1,400 miles long, 1,400 miles high, Verse 16

The city is pure gold, Verse 18

The foundations are precious stones, Verse 19

The twelve gates are pearls, Verse 21

The Glory of God provides the light, Verse 23

There is no night, Verse 25

How shall "ALL SAVED" people of the world live in the city of the New Jerusalem? John 14:1-3 shows Jesus saying, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's House are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

The Redeemed of The Lord, all who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will live in a personal mansion in The New Jerusalem! Look Forward To Meeting You There!

Frank