Mount Moriah

When people talk about the Holy City of Jerusalem, frequently the name Mount Moriah is mentioned including confusion as to where Mount Moriah is located. Is Mount Moriah part of the Temple Mount, is Mount Moriah part of all of Jerusalem or is Mount Moriah a mountain peak in the Jerusalem area? Our message this week is important and appropriate since it is just prior to our remembering and celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, True Son Of The One True God.

Jerusalem actually is built on Mount Moriah. When people travel to Jerusalem, they say they are "Going Up To Jerusalem." Jerusalem is on the top of a mountain - Mount Moriah. Moriah comes from two Hebrew words - Ra'ah which means "Revealed" and Yah which means "Name of God." As a result, Moriah means "Revealed of God."

The natural question now is - what of God was revealed on Mount Moriah? God Himself was revealed as He came to Moriah in the form of man to take away our sins and take our judgment upon Himself. Isaiah 53:3-5 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."

Why is knowing about Mount Moriah important? It revealed our God as a God of Love, The Greatest Love we will ever know. Our God performed the most important act of history on Mount Moriah so we can receive salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. This period of Lent let each of us approach our God of Love with reverent and thankful hearts and share the love story of Mount Moriah with our Jewish friends and acquaintances. Bless His Holy Name!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank  

Is War Close For Israel?

The following were part of news headlines coming out of Israel recently:

   Satellite surveillance finds Iranian missile base in Syria

Israel prepares for war in the north

Unofficial poll shows Arabs would back Israel in war against Iran

Iran to host festival celebrating Israel's demise

Israeli defense official warns Iran is playing with fire

Israeli ground forces to play a bigger roll in next war

Iranian official threatens to level Tel Aviv to the ground

Israeli Defense Forces simulate war in Lebanon

amid tensions with Iran and Hezbollah

All of these headlines have a similar theme - war appears imminent for Israel and if so, which will it be? The Word of God illustrates that Israel will fight at least three more wars - The Psalm 83 War, The Battle of Gog and Magog and the Battle of Armageddon. It appears we can immediately eliminate The Battle of Armageddon since this occurs at the end of the Tribulation Period. Most prophetic scholars believe the Tribulation Period is still an event in the future.

We also can probably eliminate The Psalm 83 War since verse 5 talks about Israeli's enemies forming a confederacy against Israel. Contrarily, recent news headlines actually show Israel working together with surrounding Arab countries to combat the common threat of Iran.

As a result and after observing the above news headlines, the threat of Iranian and Russian ground forces and missiles in Syria lay the ground work for an impending Battle of Gog and Magog. This battle is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and shows Russia and Iran plus a coalition of nations invading Israel. Could this war happen any day and is Israel prepared?

We who love and support Israel instinctively know our role in the above possible scenario and that is to Pray, Pray, and Pray Some More! Let me suggest a way to make our prayers more effective - pray to the actual Hebrew name of God, Yehovah. I recently read a book authored by Les Lawrence, founder of Elisha Vision Ministries, entitled "The Hebrew God Who Has No Name." The name for God Yehovah appears 6,828 times in the Hebrew Old Testament but it has been translated as Lord. This translation also takes place in the New Testament.

To Be Most Effective,

Let Us All Start Praying To Our God Yehovah!

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

Frank  

The Miracle Of Israel

"Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?" Isaiah 66:8. This verse raises the question - can a country be born in one day? The answer is a bold YES when our Lord God causes this to happen! Israel was indeed born in one day - May 15, 1948 - exactly 70 years ago this Spring.

The British occupation forces of Palestine were so exhausted with the struggle that they turned over the "Palestinian Problem" to the United Nations. As a result, the UN Resolution partitioned the land and allowed the Jewish people to reestablish the nation and Jewish people around the world celebrated. United States President, Harry Truman, officially recognized the new state of Israel and the U.S.S.R eager to make sure the British never returned to the Middle East also recognized Israel as a nation. Indeed, This Was A Miracle Of God!

Our Lord God, when establishing the Abrahamic Covenant said to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, "I will make you into a great nation . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." In establishing the Abrahamic Covenant our Lord God was laying the ground work for the establishment of Israel as a nation and also that this nation will be a blessing to the whole world. When we study the history of Israel, this prophetic word becomes very evident and books have been written validating these blessings.

The following are just two current examples of Israel reaching out to bless others even their enemies. The Israeli Defense Forces recently announced their Unit 8200, similar to the United States NSA, stopped an ISIS attempt to blow up a civilian plane traveling from Australia to Abu Dubai. The terrorist planned to kill all passengers through an explosive device in a suitcase. It is important to note this event shows an Israeli unit preventing an attack on the official airlines of the United Arab Emirates. Our next example shows a man from Gaza  crossing into Israel after being shot by Hamas forces. Soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces did not hesitate to provide emergency medical treatment. An Israeli Major General said, "This was purely a humanitarian issue."

The founding of the nation of Israel was a miracle performed by our Lord God who also spoke through Abraham that this nation will be a blessing to the whole world. As God's people, we are extremely blessed to be witnesses of God's Word materializing in the past and the present. Bless His Holy Name!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Each Day,

Frank 

The Lord's Strong Right Hand

During the last two weeks there has been two events along Israel's borders that has their leaders very concerned. An Israeli Air Force fighter jet was shot down by Iranian and Syrian forces over Northern Galilee. This plane was part of a retaliatory strike force into Syria after an Iranian drone had entered Israeli airspace. Israeli fighters entered Syria to destroy the Command Center that launched the drone. Following was an entire day of Israeli air attacks in which four Iranian and eight Syrian bases were hit.

Along Israel's Southern border with Gaza, a terrorist bomb wounded four Israeli soldiers on patrol, two of the soldiers were seriously injured. Israel holds the terror group Hamas totally responsible and the Israeli Air Force struck 18 facilities belonging to the terror group. Tensions are high in Israel because of having a direct confrontation with Iran who has repeatedly threatened to totally destroy Israel.  

This raises an important question for all who love and support Israel, how can we pray most effectively during this tense time? When we look at the history of Israel, we find they have never lost a war because of our Mighty God intervening on their behalf. I have learned over the last 36 years that a very effective way to pray is to recite God's Word back to Him and then ask Him to act in a similar manner. 

Notice that the title for our message this week is, "The Lord's Strong Right Hand." There are numerous examples in the Torah and the Book Of Psalms showing God's Strong Right Hand defeating the enemies of His People. Shortly after our Lord God brought the Israelis through the Red Sea, He then caused the Egyptians to drown. God's People then wrote a song to their Lord saying:

"Your Right Hand, O Lord, Has Become Glorious In Power,

Your Right Hand, O Lord, Has Dashed The Enemy In Pieces"

Exodus 15:6

"You Stretched Out Your Right Hand;

The Earth Swallowed Them"

Exodus 15:12

The book of Psalms also refers to God's Right Hand protecting His People:

"You Have Also Given Me The Shield Of Your Salvation;

Your Right Hand Has Held Me Up,

Your Gentleness Has Made Me Great"

Psalm 18:35

"Now I Know That The Lord Saves His Anointed;

He Will Answer Him From His Holy Heaven

With The Saving Strength Of His Right Hand"

Psalm 20:6

"Your Hand Will Find All Your Enemies;

Your Right Hand Will Find Those Who Hate You"

Psalm 21:8

During this tense time in Israel, we can be those strong intercessors asking for God's Strong Right Hand to defeat Israel's enemies. Nothing is too difficult for our God!

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

Frank   

"All Israel Will Be Saved"

Our messages during the last month has centered on Israel and the Jewish people searching for their Messiah. We learned there is a spiritual awakening currently happening in Israel but still the majority of God's Covenant People do not know Jesus as their Messiah. We also learned that  our Lord God has placed His Covenant People into "A Stupor" illustrated in Romans 11:7 because of their disobedience and unbelief. We also stressed this is only a temporary situation and our Lord God has a plan!

This week we will share God's plan and the story has a good ending. Notice that our title is "All Israel Will Be Saved." The title means either ALL or A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE of God's Covenant People will be saved when Jesus physically returns to Jerusalem.

How is all of this going to happen? Romans 11:26-27 says, "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" The sins of the Jewish people will be removed and this will happen when Jesus is recognized as their Lord and Savior and Messiah.

Zechariah 14 describes the Day Of The Lord in detail and this will happen at the end of the Tribulation Period. Jesus returns to Jerusalem to defeat the enemies of Jerusalem. (verse 3) At the end of this battle Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives. (verse 4) At that moment God's Covenant People will mourn for the one they have pierced recognizing and receiving Jesus as their Messiah. This mourning and the recognition of Jesus are illustrated in Zechariah 12:10.

Yes, All Of Israel Will Be Saved - This Is God's Plan!

Bless His Holy Name!

As Born Again Christians who love and support Israel, our mandate from our Lord God between now and when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives victoriously is to: 

Bless Israel - Genesis 12:3

Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem - Psalm 122:6

For Zion's Sake, Speak The Truth - Isaiah 62:1

Become A Watchman On The Wall For Jerusalem - Isaiah 62:6

May The Lord Richly Bless Your Ministry Unto Israel And The Jewish People,

Frank     

Israel's Rejection Not Total Or Final

Last week we raised the question - Has God Rejected His Covenant People? Romans 11:1 answers this question saying, "Certainly Not!" If God's current rejection is not total or final, how did the Jewish people arrive at this partial rejection by their God?

In Romans 10:21 our Lord God says, "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people." From the day that God created man and woman, He has desired an intimate and loving relationship with those He created. However, shortly after The Lord led His people miraculously through the Red Sea, they started murmuring and disobeying.

How has our Lord God responded? Romans 11:7 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." The vast majority of God's Covenant People cannot see who is their Messiah and cannot hear their Messiah's message. Before we lose heart over this challenging but important message, we should again look at Romans 11:1 and Romans 11:11 that present the same message - God Has Not Rejected His Covenant People - Their Current Situation Is Only Temporary!

How do Gentiles fit into this picture? Romans 11:11 continues by saying, "But through their fall, to provoke them to jealously, salvation has come to the Gentiles." Yes, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and their belief and confession, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Romans 11 continues to show clearly how Gentiles should relate to the Jewish people in this current situation:

Provoke Them To Jealousy - Verse 11

Do Not Boast - Verse 18

Do Not Be Haughty, But Fear - Verse 20

Continue In His Goodness - Verse 22

Again, this is not the end of the story. Our Lord God is still a loving, compassionate and caring God. He has not given up on His Covenant People! Stay Tuned!

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

Frank 

"You Shall Not See Me Again Until . . . "

Our theme scripture for this week is from Luke 13:35. Jesus is mourning over the people of Jerusalem and saying that He wanted to gather them under His wings but they were not willing. Jesus says in verse 35, "You will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" What exactly is Jesus saying? He is saying that His covenant people will not see Him again until they call Him "Blessed" upon recognizing Him as their Messiah.

Luke 13:35 is an extremely important verse in attempting to figure out when Jesus will return to earth. People tend to look at the "Signs Of The Times" trying to see how close we might be to the return of Jesus. This is important but might not be as important as the moment Jewish people receive Jesus as their Messiah and call Him "Blessed." Our recent messages mentioned about a spiritual awakening happening among the Jewish people but still the vast majority of them have not recognized Jesus as their Messiah.

Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus Is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." This is the true salvation message along with John 3:16. For a person to receive salvation they must believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God and God raised Him from the dead and then confess these truths with their mouth. This applies to both Jew and Gentile.

Why then has this been so difficult for God's covenant people? Romans 9:30-32 says, "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works." They have not sought a righteousness of faith but a righteousness of law and works.

The good news is This Is Not The End Of The Story. Romans 11:1 says, "I ask then, Did God reject His people? By no means!" Our Lord God is still in control and He has a plan for His covenant people. Stay Tuned!

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

Frank