Jesus - Our High Priest

Hebrews 8:1 says, "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying; we have such a High Priest, 'Who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens.'" We are starting a new series entitled Jesus - Our High Priest taken from Hebrews Chapters 8, 9, 10. Please notice Hebrews 8:1 says, "We have such a High Priest." When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He became the High Priest of all those who know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus also sat down on His Throne at the right hand of God Almighty. No priest in the line of Aaron ever had a chair in the Tabernacle where they could sit down because they were too busy with their priestly duties. Jesus sat down because His task on earth was finished. Jesus declared from the cross just before He died "It Is Finished." Hallelujah!

Jesus, as our High Priest from Heaven is "A Minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which The Lord erected and not man." The Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem were man-made. Conversely, Jesus ministers in a Tabernacle in Heaven that He created.

Most importantly, we who know Jesus as our Savior now have total access to our Heavenly Father. The Tabernacle of the Old Testament was composed of an outer court where animal sacrifices took place; the Holy Place where Priests performed their duties and the Holy of Holies where Jehovah God was present. Only the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year before God to ask for atonement for the sins of the people.

However, the moment that Jesus died on the cross, the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn apart. In effect, at that moment Jesus became our High Priest and we now can come boldly before the Throne of God at any moment with our Worship, Prayers and Requests. Jehovah God desires to be our Intimate friend.

Thank You Jesus For Becoming Our High Priest!      

Blessings,

Frank 

The Land Of Israel - Part Ten

This will be the final message in our series about The Land Of Israel and it will show our Lord Jesus Christ gaining control of the whole world. 

We have learned in the last message that the Anti-Christ at the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period gathers armies from around the world to invade and destroy Jerusalem. However, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords suddenly appears in the sky and destroys all the enemies of Israel in a single moment. Revelation 19:11,15 says, "Then I saw Heaven opened and behold, a white horse and He who sat on him was called Faithful and True . . . now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron."

The defeat of all the enemies of Israel ushers in the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ over the whole world from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:2-3 says, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come and let us go up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of The Lord from Jerusalem."

There will be total peace on the earth and nations will travel to Jerusalem to learn of the ways of Jehovah God who will also be their Judge. Zechariah 14:16 says, "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations who came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship The King, The Lord of Hosts, and to keep The Feast of Tabernacles." Also, all the Saints of God in Heaven at the start of the 1,000 years will reign with Christ. {Revelation 20:6}

The Land of Israel and specifically the current Jerusalem will be the location of The New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2,3 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.'"

We trust you have been blessed by our series on The Land of Israel and it has been an educational process for all.

Blessings,

Frank  

    

 

The Land Of Israel - Part Nine

We are in the closing stages of studying the Land Of Israel as we look at its future when the next major event will be the seven-years known as the Tribulation Period.

Shortly after Jesus gathers all those who know Him as Lord and Savior, the Anti-Christ will be identified. He will come as a Deceiver as identified in the First Seal in Revelation 6:2. The Anti-Christ's forms of deception in the first three and a half years are as follows: 

He Temporarily Brings Peace To The Earth

He Allows The Jewish Temple To Be Rebuilt

He Appears To Be The Jewish Messiah

He Temporarily Develops A Peace Agreement With Israel

At the end of the first three and a half years, the Anti-Christ reveals his true intentions toward Israel and the Jewish People. His goal is to destroy both of them. He starts by shutting down all daily worship activities in the Temple and declares "I Am God." The last three and a half years of the Tribulation period are extremely difficult and challenging for the Jewish People.

However, Jehovah God has not forgotten His Covenant People! He seals 144,000 Jewish men selecting 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel protecting them from all harm. Also, Revelation 14:4,5 says, "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes . . . for they are without fault before the Throne of God." 

Revelation 11 describes the "Two Witnesses." Verses 3 and 5 says, "And I will give power to My two witnesses and they will prophesy . . . and if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth." These two witnesses illustrate how God has not forgotten Israel and illustrates the power of God because they are able to perform miracles.

Our next message will show our Lord God defeating the enemies of Israel and establishing the one-thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ. Stay Tuned.

Blessings,

Frank 

  

 

 

The Land Of Israel - Part Eight

This message is the first of a number of messages looking at the Future Of The Land Of Israel. Between now and when Jesus physically returns to earth, Israel will take part in three wars.

Psalm 83 in verses 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.'" This is a very clear indication that the enemies of Israel are working together to destroy Israel. Verse 6 actually identifies some of these nations to include Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

The Battle of Gog and Magog will be an invasion of the Mountains of Israel and it is believed it will take place before the seven year Tribulation Period. Our Lord God talks to Gog, who is believed to be the leader of Russia in Ezekiel 38:15-16 saying, "Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you . . . You will come up against My People Israel like a cloud." Gog will lead a coalition of nations surrounding Israel in an attempt to destroy Israel. However, Jehovah God responds to this invasion saying in verses 21 and 23, "I will call for a sword against Gog . . . Thus I will Magnify Myself and Sanctify Myself."

The final battle for Israel happens at the end of the Tribulation Period and is called The Battle of Armageddon. However, this battle centers on Jerusalem but will happen throughout Israel. Armies from around the world will gather in the Valley of Megiddo which is Armageddon in Hebrew. Once again, Jehovah God intervenes and wins this final battle for Israel but also for all the peoples of the earth. {Zechariah 14:3}

What A Mighty God We Serve!

What A Mighty God We Serve!

Angels Bow Before Him,

Heaven And Earth Adore Him,

What A Mighty God We Serve!

Blessings,

Frank

     

   

The Land Of Israel - Part Seven

In our last message we raised the question "What Would It Be Like To Live In Israel?" The most blessed part of living in Israel is wherever one might live could be a place where "Jesus Walked." Jesus was born in Bethlehem; He healed people and raised the dead in Judea and Samaria; was crucified and raised from the dead in Jerusalem. Also, He ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem residents and tourists can visit many Biblical Sites such as the Hill of Golgotha where Jesus died; the tomb where Jesus was laid after His death and from where He was Resurrected and the location of the Last Supper.

Geographically, Israel is a Miracle! A visitor to Israel in the early 1900's would have found desert and swamp land. Today, the swamp land has become beautiful towns and cities plus the desert is farmland. Fruits and vegetables produced by Israeli farms are desired around the world. Israel has become a global leader in the technology and medical fields. Jehovah God said in Genesis 12:2-3 that He will "Bless Israel" and this Miracle is evident every day. Bless His Holy Name! 

In addition to the joy and excitement of living or visiting the Holy Land, it is one of the most beautiful nations in the world. The Western Coast has beaches to compare with any other beaches. At the Northern tip is Mount Hermon with a breath-taking view and downhill skiing. The Sea of Galilee is located just south of Mount Hermon and one can see fishermen similar to the days of Jesus and can ride in boats patterned to the days of Jesus.

Last but certainly not least, Jerusalem is a beautiful city since most buildings are white made from Jerusalem Stone. Visitors and residents experience numerous languages and religious practices since residents of Jerusalem have moved there from around the world. One can visit the Western Wall believed to be the only wall remaining from the Jewish Temples. Additionally, on the Sabbath, visitors will notice Jewish families gathering throughout the city.

If you have not visited Israel, make it a priority! You Will Be Greatly Blessed And Will Desire To Return. The future of Israel messages will start next week.

Blessings,

Frank   

          

The Land Of Israel - Part Six

What type of life would we experience if we lived in Israel? When we started our study of the Land Of Israel, we stated we would look at Israel past, present and future. Present day Israel is now our focus.

Psalm 122:6 says, "Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem." Israel has been in a fight for its very existence since the day it was formed, May 15, 1948. Very few nations around the world support them. The world media criticizes them when they defend themselves. Israel is literally surrounded by enemies. Hezbullah is a terror group in Lebanon, Russia and Iran have troops in Syria plus Hamas controls Gaza firing rockets and missiles into Israel on a regular basis. Internally, terror attacks on Israeli citizens occur almost daily.

Israel is attacked verbally on a consistent basis by The United Nations. The U.N. General Assembly adopted 202 Resolutions criticizing countries of the world and Israel was the subject 81% of the time. Is the United Nations the correct name for this organization? Should it be called "Nations Against Israel?"

However, there has been a shift in the attitude of some of Israel's neighboring countries. When Donald Trump was President of the United States, he worked with Israel and established the Abraham Accords. This means Israel now has an alliance with four Arab countries - The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Tourists now travel between these countries and business ventures are in evidence.

All these countries realize they have a common enemy in Iran. Iran has been developing a nuclear weapon for many years and continually threatens to destroy Israel. One of Iran's military leaders recently said, "It is time for a ground war against Israel." Conversely, an Israeli military leader said, "Israel should attack Iran within a year."

Please pray Psalm 122:6 "Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem" on a daily basis and encourage others to join you in this prayer. Our next message will look at the joy, excitement and blessings of living in Israel. Stay Tuned.

Blessings,

Frank             

The Land Of Israel - Part Five

In our last message we learned exactly how the Nation of Israel was established. However, this act of Jehovah God was not accepted by all the countries surrounding Israel. In reality, the forming of Israel expanded the conflict over this plot of land that continues to the present day.

Our message today will outline the wars and their results that Israel has fought to protect their God-Given land:

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Immediately after Israel became a nation on May 5, 1948, five Arab States invaded Israel but this war to destroy Israel failed. In 1949, peace agreements were formed with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

The 1949 peace agreements failed because in 1951 Israeli bound shipping was blocked in the Suez Canal. After an eight-day conflict, Israeli Defense Forces captured the Suez Canal and the Sinai Peninsula.

On May 16, 1967, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia combined forces to invade Israel. On June 5, 1967, the entire Israeli Air Force in less than two hours destroyed 300 Egyptian aircraft ending this conflict.

During Yom Kippur 1973, which is Israel's Holiest Day, Egypt and Syria conducted a surprise attack against Israel. Syrian tanks totaled 1,400 plus there were 80,000 Egyptian troops. The battle lasted 16 days and Israel prevailed.

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Israel won each of these wars against over-whelming odds only with the help of The God of Israel. What A Mighty God We Serve! 

Most Muslim nations are committed to the elimination of Israel and the Jewish People. Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven over the current day Jerusalem. Israel will survive and be even larger than it is today.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Our next message will examine the Land of Israel today. Stay Tuned.

Blessings,

Frank