"I Will Fear No Evil" Psalm 23:4

A short time ago Iranian rockets and drones were in the air on their way to Israel. We believe many people throughout the world were concerned for our Jewish friends who live in Israel. As we now know, these rockets and drones never reached the land of Israel! We believe our Almighty God prevented this attack! Hallelujah!

Please notice the title for this message is "I Will Fear No Evil." Each day we spend time on the computer observing Jewish men and women at the Western Wall. Every one of them has the Word of God in their hands and are either reciting portions of it or praising God in song. This is always a very special blessing as we begin our day.

Many people worldwide are concerned and even some are fearful as we observe the hate filled demonstrators at their colleges. In most cases, this hatred is leveled towards Israel and also the Jewish students. We desire to intercede for God's protection, please join us as we pray portions of the following Psalms:

Psalm 23 {Vs. 1-4}

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." 

Psalm 83 {Vs. 1-4, 13, 16}

"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! 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.' O my God, make them like the whirling dust . . . fill their faces with shame."   

Blessing,

Frank 

   

     

God Is In Control

This past weekend in Israel proved without a doubt that indeed "God Is In Control." Iran for the first time in history determined that they were going to invade Israel. Probably, the leaders of Iran believed they could destroy Israel with the invasion of drones and missiles headed towards Israel Saturday night. However, our mighty and powerful God had other plans. Bless His Holy Name.

News reports all over the world showed in detail this attack headed toward Israel and suddenly it ended. It was interesting to listen to the same news reports trying to explain why this attack suddenly stopped right at the border of Israel. Many reports said the drones and missiles were too old to complete this nighttime attack. Other reports said Iran changed their minds. However, we believe "God Is In Control" and He stopped this attack on Israel exactly at their border. Hallelujah And Praise The Lord!

We do not know how those on the ground in Israel were responding during this failed attack. However, this we know, everyday Israelis recite and sing the Psalms as a way of honoring and worshiping Jehovah God. As an example, let us study the 23rd Psalm and worship with the Jewish People.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever."

Blessings,

Frank

  

"The Truth Shall Make You Free" John 8:32

Many college students today are very loudly proclaiming that the land "From The River To The Sea" should be destroyed and all the people living on that land should be destroyed also. They actually believe that this is the solution to have Jews and Arabs living safely beside each other. When the truth was presented to them, they were surprised and somewhat embarrassed. The truth is that 7 million Jews and 2 million Arabs would be eliminated in the "From The River To The Sea" scenario.

Well, what is the truth concerning the land referred to as Israel? Jehovah God was establishing the Abrahamic Covenant in the 15th Chapter of Genesis and said to Abraham, "To your descendants I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates." When you look at a map of the Middle East, this land given by God to Abraham and his descendants does indeed include almost the whole current Middle East. This Is The Truth!

We could end this message now because we have validated the truth about Jehovah God's original plan for the land in the Middle East. However, there are numerous other references in Genesis about God's original intent for this land as follows:

Genesis 13:14,15 - "And The Lord said to Abram . . . Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are . . . For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever."

Genesis 17:8 - "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan."

Genesis 22:19 - "In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants . . . And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies."

Genesis 26:3 - "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands."

Yes, The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Blessings,

Frank

  

      

Christ Appears To Mary Magdalene

"But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her 'woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.' Now when he had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, 'Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' {which means teacher}. Matthew 20:11-16

We feel the above story about Mary not knowing Jesus when He first appeared to her after His Resurrection from the tomb is also a very important part of the Easter story. It is possible that Jesus appears to us and speaks numerous times each day and we do not realize it. How can we be more aware of His presence in our lives every day? Here are a few suggestions: Continuous Prayer, Studying His Word, Looking For His Presence In Every Situation and Loving People As Jesus Loves Them.

Psalm 138 shows how much God Loves us and answers all our prayers:

Vs. 1 - "I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You."

Vs. 2 - "I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name."

Vs. 3 - "In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul."

Vs. 4 - "All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, when they hear the words of Your mouth."

Vs. 5 - "Yes, they shall sing of the ways of The Lord, for great is the glory of The Lord."

He Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed!

Frank

        

  

The Land Of Israel - Part 1

Genesis 12:2 says, "I will make you into a great nation." This verse is describing Jehovah God talking with Abraham who was representing the Jewish People. Our Lord was about to describe how He will give His Covenant People the Land Of Israel.

The exact size of this land is described in Genesis 15:18 which says, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." This land would cover almost the whole Middle East. Of course, this is a future event! Currently, Israel appears to be shrinking with the events in Gaza, the Northern Borders being attacked by Hezbullah and Arabs claiming portions of Judea and Samaria. The Jews living in Israel need our prayers!

Psalm 72 Is Entitled "The Reign Of The Messiah"

Vs. 8 - "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River to the end of the earth."

Vs. 9 - "Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him and His enemies will lick the dust."

Vs. 10 - "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the king of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts."

Vs. 11 - "Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him."

Vs. 12 - "For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also and him who has no helper."

Vs. 13 - "He will spare the poor and needy and will save the souls of the needy."

Vs. 14 - "He will redeem their life from oppression and violence and precious shall be their blood in His sight."

Vs. 17 - "His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed."

Vs. 18 - "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things!"

Vs. 19 - "And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory."

Blessings,

Frank   

 

Returning To A Home At War

Our message this week will be different as it will revolve around a quote from the Bridges For Peace newsletter. Bridges For Peace is a ministry that exists to promote positive relationships between Jews and Christians.

The quote is as follows: "Why would someone move to a country at war? In fact, why would someone pack up their life in a prosperous, safe country like the United States or France and relocate to a country facing an evil enemy on the battlefield? There's more though. What would motivate someone to start over in a country at war that recently had its sovereign border breached by a genocidal terrorist army who massacred over 1,200 people, wounded nearly 5,000 and kidnapped 250 more, only to drag them back to their terror enclave to torture, rape and starve them? Yet during the first ten months of 2023 and throughout three subsequent months of war, 46,687 people from over 37 countries did just that. If you have not yet guessed it, I'm speaking about immigration to Israel." The author of this article is Rev. Peter Fast, International CEO of Bridges For Peace. 

Let Us Pray Psalm 122, "Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem."

Vs. 1 - "I was glad when they said to me, 'let us go into the house of The Lord.'"

Vs. 2 - "Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!"

Vs. 3 - "Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together."

Vs. 4 - "Where the tribes go up, the tribes of The Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of The Lord."

Vs. 5 - "For thrones are set there for judgement, the thrones of the house of David."

Vs. 6 - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper who love you."

Vs. 7 - "Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces."

Vs. 8 - "For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will say, 'Peace be within you.'"

Vs. 9 - "Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good."

Blessings,

Frank  

  

"Do Not Be Haughty"

In our most recent message, we clarified the meaning of Romans 11:11 which states that salvation has come to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealously. Our attitude in carrying out this assignment from God is very important as clarified in Romans 11:20 that says, "Do not be haughty."

Romans 11:17 describes Israel as an "Olive Tree" and that some of the branches have been broken off through unbelief and that Gentiles who are described as a "Wild Olive Tree" have been grafted in. {Romans 11:11} However, "Saved Gentiles" must be very careful about their attitude. Romans 11:20-21 says, "Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either."

Very Important! Romans 11:23 also says, "And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." Let us remember at this point that Romans 11:26 says, "All Israel will be saved." 

In our support of Israel and the Jewish People, we should proclaim Romans 11:26 every day in addition to Psalm 149 as follows:

Vs. 1 - "Praise The Lord! Sing to The Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints."

Vs. 2 - "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King."

Vs. 3 - "Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp."

Vs. 4 - "For The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation."

Blessings,

Frank 

 

      

Israel's Rejection

Romans 11 is a chapter explaining why Jehovah God has temporarily rejected His Covenant People, The Jews, regarding their receiving Jesus Christ as their Savoir and Messiah. It also explains that this is a temporary situation because Romans 11:26 says, "All Israel will be saved."

Why would a loving and caring God reject His Covenant People? Many Biblical Scholars believe it is because of disobedience and some believe it is because many Jews believe The Law is righteousness.

How is our Lord God going to change this scenario and offer salvation to The Jews? 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."

Our Lord God works in mysterious ways! 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." Jehovah God has put The Jews in "A Stupor" so currently they cannot recognize Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. However, this is a temporary situation since Romans 11:26 says, "All Israel will be saved, as it is written 'the Deliverer will come out of Zion and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.'"

How can we as Gentiles, who know Jesus as Savior, "provoke them to jealously?" {Romans 11:11} 

We Can Love And Pray For Them!

Psalm 19:7-11

Vs. 7 - "The law of The Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of The Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

Vs. 8 - "The statutes of The Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandant of The Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."

Vs. 9 - "The fear of The Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgements of The Lord are true and righteous altogether."

Vs. 10 - "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

Vs. 11 - "Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward."

Blessings,

Frank 

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A Major Deception!

An event took place this week that could deceive many people. United States President Biden met with the leader of Jordan. They ended their meeting with a handshake agreeing that a portion of Judea would become a Palestinian State. This scene was an exercise in futility and will never take place because it does not coincide with God's Word!

What does The Word of God say concerning the land that God gave to His Covenant People? Genesis 15:18 shows God speaking to Abraham saying, "On the same day The Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.'"

God is saying to Abraham, who is representing the Jewish People, that He is giving to them almost the entire Middle East. Obviously, this has not taken place yet, but it illustrates that the decision between Biden and the leader of Jordan was a total waste of time and will never take place!

We who love the people and the land of Israel can ask for God's protection over both by praying Psalm 135 as follows:

Vs 1 - "Praise The Lord! Praise the name of The Lord; Praise Him, O you servants of The Lord!"

Vs. 2 - "You who stand in the house of The Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,"

Vs. 3 - "Praise The Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant."

Vs. 4 - "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for His special treasure."

Vs. 5 - "For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods."

Vs. 19 - "Bless The Lord, O house of Israel! Bless The Lord, O house of Aaron!"

Vs. 20 - "Bless The Lord, O house of Levi! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!"

Vs. 21 - "Blessed be The Lord out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise The Lord!"

Blessings,

Frank

Certainly Not!

We would think that either all or some of you are wondering about our title for this message. The proclamation we have used in the title is taken from Romans 11:11 that 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."

Romans 11 is a very important chapter explaining why temporarily Jehovah God has made it difficult for His Chosen People to recognize Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. Please notice 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."

Only two percent of the Jewish People know Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. Why Is this So? Many Bible Scholars believe it is because of their disobedience and their belief that righteousness comes through The Law. Fortunately, this is a temporary scenario since Romans 11:26 says, "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'"

We Can Pray Psalm 147 For The Jewish People: 

Vs. 1 - "Praise The Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is beautiful."

Vs. 2 - "The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel."

Vs. 3 - "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Vs. 4 - "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name."

Vs. 5 - "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."

Vs. 6 - "The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground."

Vs. 7 - "Sing to The Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God."

Blessings,

Frank     

Why Israel?

Like many people you have probably noticed that Israel is in the news almost every day. Why is this? Geographically, Israel is one of the smallest nations in the world about the same size as the state of New Jersey in America.

Genesis 12:2-3 illustrate God speaking to Abram, who was representing the Jewish People, saying, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Jehovah God chose the Jewish People to be "A Blessing To The People Of The World." Have they fulfilled this very important calling from God? Yes, with excellence! This is one of the primary reasons the forces of evil try to hinder this movement of "God's Goodness." Another primary reason is that Satan knows the Word of God and knows Jesus is physically coming back to Israel. {Zechariah 14:4}

Israel continually needs our prayers! Let us all pray together Psalm 125 repeating God's Word back to Him for its fulfillment:

V1 - "Those who trust in The Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abide forever."

V2 - "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so The Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever."

V3 - "For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity."

V4 - "Do good, O Lord, to those who are good. And to those who are upright in their hearts."

V5 - "As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!"

Blessings,

Frank  

     

Israeli Defense Forces

Psalm 2:1-6 says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 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."' "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: Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion."

A message about nations raging and how the Israeli Defense Forces are responding is appropriate at this time. The events of October 7th have caused "The Nations To Rage." A good example was the thousands of demonstrators in New York City during the holidays and this could have been happening around the world!

How did the Israeli Defense Forces respond then and how are they responding today? First, please understand that almost every person in Israel, male and female, serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. Those not serving do whatever they can to support their military with great pride. There is a belief that the Israeli Defense Forces are the most efficient in the world.

A perfect example illustrates the IDF currently is dropping notes from airplanes announcing they are searching for and destroying Hamas in Northern Gaza. As a result, they give the citizens in Gaza a chance to go to Southern Gaza away from the conflict. Currently, the IDF has control of Northern Gaza but needs our continuing prayers. 

Blessings,

Frank

"From River To Sea"

Recently, there were thousands of people demonstrating and chanting "From River To Sea." What does this phrase mean and who were they that believed it was important to chant this phrase over and over again?

"From River To Sea" is calling for the total elimination of the State of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is critically important we understand exactly who was demonstrating and why they believed it was necessary?

Obviously, the demonstrators were students on break for the holidays and they were demonstrating in favor of the Palestinians who do not even exist! Arabs and Jews live in harmony all over Israel especially in the West Bank. These demonstrators were promoting a lie taught to them in our schools. We all need to pray for our schools every day!

Currently Anti-Semitism all around the world is being compared to the Holocaust. We need to pray God's Word into existence for His total protection and control over Israel. 

Psalm 115:9-12

Vs. 9   "O Israel, trust in The Lord; He is their help and their shield."

Vs. 10 "O house of Aaron, trust in The Lord; He is their help and their shield."

Vs. 11 "You who fear The Lord, trust in The Lord; He is their help and their shield."

Vs. 12 "The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron."

Blessings,

Frank

     

A House Divided

Luke 11:17 says, "A House Divided Against A House Falls." As we start this message, we need to ask ourselves the following question "Do you believe every word in the Bible is God-Breathed and applies to every second of our lives?" If we answered yes, then we witnessed Luke 11:17 happen recently in Israel resulting in dire consequences.

Just prior to the events of October 7 Israel was a "House Divided." There were in the streets of Jerusalem thousands of people marching and demonstrating over the issue of the authority of judges. Had judges become too powerful for the Government of Israel? As we observed this turmoil, we wondered is this really happening in Israel? Were the events of October 7, 2023, a result of Israel becoming "A House Divided?"

We cannot even attempt to answer this question. Only Jehovah God knows, He is the sovereign Lord over all situations! He knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. However, we can pray fervently that God will bring the Gaza situation to an end sooner rather than later. Our Lord God has won for Israel every war they have fought, this one will be no different, it is just a matter of how and when.

"The Lord Our Helper." {Psalm 54}

"Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them. Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to you; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble; and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies."

May each of us make sure God is our helper and that:

"OUR HOUSE IS NOT DIVIDED!"

Blessings,

Frank  

   

Sing Praises

Many people world-wide spend time the last week of a calendar year and the beginning of a new calendar year making resolutions about how they will make the new year a better year. This is a good process if resolutions are kept, however, most are not. 

Is there a more productive way to start the new year if it honors our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We who love and support Israel believe praying and reciting a Psalm in which Jehovah God is protecting Israel is a good place to start. Also, a Psalm that worships our Lord would seem appropriate.

We believe Psalm 47 entitled "The Lord Shall Subdue All Nations" is a proper Psalm to recite daily in support of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. Do they need Jehovah God to protect them? Yes, Most Certainly! Bible scholars are comparing worldly conditions now toward Jews as a second Holocaust!

Psalm 47

Vs. 1 "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"

Vs. 1 "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"

Vs. 2 "For The Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth."

Vs. 3 "He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet."

Vs. 4 "He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellences of Jacob whom He loves."

Vs. 5 "God has gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet."

Vs. 6 "Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!"

Vs. 7 "For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding."

Vs. 8 "God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne."

Vs. 9 "The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted."

Starting this new calendar, let us daily proclaim Psalm 47 Asking God To Protect Israel. You Will Be Blessed! {Genesis 12:3}

Blessings,

Frank