"Comfort, Yes, Comfort My People"

In these challenging and uneasy times, we feel a series of messages about Comfort that can come only from Jehovah God is appropriate and will bring encouragement to all of us. Notice in the title from Isaiah 40:1 that this Comfort from God is for all people since we all are His people. We believe The Lord desire for us to receive His Comfort everyday. There are five sections about various aspects of God's Comfort in Isaiah Chapters 40-45.

Isaiah 40:1-2 says, "Comfort, yes, Comfort My People!" says your God. "Speak Comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended." Jehovah God starts this message by saying He desires to Comfort all His people but then becomes more specific and singles out the people of Jerusalem. However, we need to understand that as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we now are all one in God's eyes. Ephesians 2:14 says about Jesus, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of division between us." Jew and Gentile are one in Christ.

Isaiah 40:2 says that God wants His people's Warfare to be ended. Jehovah God is already ending the Warfare of His people and will totally defeat His people's enemies in the future. The Corona Virus is an enemy to all people. Reports indicate that 100,000 people have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior even during the virus Warfare. God Is On The Move!

Long term, the day is coming when God through Jesus will defeat ALL the enemies of His people. {Revelation 19:11-21} Isaiah 40:10 says, "Behold, The Lord God shall come with a strong hand and His arm shall rule for Him." A similar reference is the birth of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6-7 that refer to Jesus as "Mighty God" and "His government will bring peace."

Be encouraged, God's People, He is in the process of bringing Comfort now even during a pandemic and will do so in the future. We pray that all will be Comforted by this new series of messages. Stay Tuned!

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

Frank  

A Wakeup Call?

For Zion's Sake Ministry recently announced that we will be starting a new series entitled "The Future of Israel." However, after prayer and listening to The Lord, we will delay the start of this series.

No matter where you live throughout the world, your life has been interrupted and changed recently. A pandemic known as Coronavirus has affected lives in 184 countries. Our daily physical lives have been changed but we raise the question for our message this week - has our spiritual lives also been changed?

Reports indicate this virus originated in China. However, exactly how it started has not been determined. Could this worldwide pandemic be a "Wakeup Call" for all people from a loving, caring and gracious God?

This We Know For Sure . . .

Our Lord God knows all about it

He is still ruling and reigning on His Throne

He will bring good out of the crisis

Possibly, the dramatic changes in our lives is giving us a preview of the seven year Tribulation Period. People have lost their lives, their businesses, their jobs and even the ability to freely worship God in a church setting. During the last three and a half years of the Tribulation Period, the Anti-Christ will rule the world and all of what is mentioned above will be happening. Born Again Christians will already be with The Lord in Heaven. Are you a Born Again Christian?

Additionally, if this is a "Wake Up Call" for the unsaved, could it also apply to those who attend church? Jehovah God's message to the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:16 says, "So then, because you are lukewarm, neither cold or hot, I will spew you out of My Mouth." Is God asking each one of us if we are lukewarm in our relationship with Him? Verse 19 says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

The most important question in a person's life is - Am I Saved? Do I know without a doubt that my sins are forgiven and that I will spend eternity in Heaven? If not, please pray this prayer with me:

Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, please forgive me of all of my sins known and unknown, come to live in my heart as my Lord and Savior and grant me Eternal Life. Thank you, Jesus. Amen and Amen! The Angels in Heaven are rejoicing with you.

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Everyday,

Frank       

"I Have Come To Do Your Will, O God"

Last week Christians all over the world celebrated Holy Week. They remembered the events of Holy Week, worshipped and thanked God for the results of these events. God's only Begotten Son Jesus Christ said in Hebrews 10:7, "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come - To do Your will, O God.'" The will of God that Jesus is referring to is the main reason He came to earth. This week we will analyze why God sent Jesus to earth to die on a cross.

When Jesus was celebrating Passover with His disciples just before His death on the cross He said to them, "For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28) Jesus was looking at the cup of wine that represented His blood that He was about to shed and said "This is the blood of a New Covenant." Christians and Jews who know Jesus as their Messiah thanked Jehovah God last week for initiating this New Blood Covenant through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bless His Holy Name!

Why is the establishing of this New Blood Covenant so important? Hebrews 10:16,17 says, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says The Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them, their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Once a person accepts Jesus as their Savior and Messiah, they receive the Holy Spirit who enables them to live lives pleasing to God. Additionally, verse 17 says their sins are forgiven. The broken body and shed blood of Jesus provides a path to having one's sins forgiven. Thank You Jesus!

In conclusion and most important Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Once a person, Jew or Gentile, acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God and that He died for them and was risen from the dead they are saved. Amen and Amen!

The observance of Holy Week is important as we thank Jehovah God for establishing the New Blood Covenant. May we suggest that all believers in Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah do this on a regular basis

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

Frank     

Israel Today - Part Five

We learned last week that Jehovah God has actually hidden the identity of Jesus as their Messiah from the Jewish People and that this is a temporary situation. Our desire is to end this series of messages with some uplifting news from God's Word - "All Israel Will Be Saved." (Romans 11:26) Hallelujah!

How and when will this happen? We will look first at the timing of this event. Romans 11:25 says, "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." The difficulty for Israel to see Jesus as their Messiah is referred to in this verse as a hardening and it will last until all Gentiles who will be saved have come into the Kingdom of God. This is believed to take place at the end of the Tribulation Period.

What will soften the hearts of Israel? The time is coming when Jehovah God will fight for Israel and defeat her enemies. Zechariah 12:2,3,9 says, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 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 surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it . . . it shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

At approximately the same time "All of Israel will be saved." How will this happen? Notice Zechariah 12:10 says, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on me whom they have pierced." Israel will realize Jesus is the one they have pierced and that He is their Messiah and Savior.

We serve a loving and caring God who desires for all people, Jews and Gentiles, to be saved. Again, the timing of this miraculous event is believed to be at the end of the Tribulation Period. Next week's message will start a new series entitled "The Future of Israel." Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank

Israel Today - Part Four

Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Last week's message talked about a cornerstone and a stumbling stone both laid by Jehovah God and both referring to Jesus. The above verse is the cornerstone message of how a person can receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and Messiah. This week's message will explain further why Jesus is a stumbling block for Israel.

A definition of a stumbling block would say it is something that prevents us from reaching a destination or a goal. Notice God says about Israel in Romans 10:21, "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people." Israel heard the Gospel Message revealing Jesus as their Messiah but because of disobedience chose not to accept this message.

Will Jehovah God ever stop reaching out to Israel? Romans 11:1-2 says, "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! . . . God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew." God has not rejected Israel - this is a temporary situation. Romans 11:5 says, "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace." In fact, some of the Jewish people world wide are being saved. However, the percentage of "Saved Jews" is still relatively low.

In conclusion, we will show why Israel still is unable to recognize and receive Jesus as their Messiah. 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 caused Israel to be unable to see Jesus as their Messiah. 

How and when will this change and how should "Saved Gentiles" respond? Stay Tuned!

We at For Zion's Sake Ministry are praying for people worldwide for God's Grace and Mercy to prevail during these difficult times. 

Psalm 103:1-4

Bless The Lord, O My soul;

And all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name!

Bless The Lord, O My Soul,

And forget not all His benefits;

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction.

Bless His Holy Name!

Frank 

    

Israel Today - Part Three

Our first two messages about Israel today have encouraged us to pray for:

Clarification of God's choice for Prime Minister of Israel

Proper reaction by God's people to President Trump's Peace Plan

Acceptance of the New Blood Covenant by the Jewish People

Our Israel Today Part Three message will center around the following verse that is stated numerous times in God's Word, "As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense.'" {Romans 9:33} 

We should also look at Isaiah 28:16 where The Lord says, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation." Jehovah God wrote both verses and He laid the stumbling stone and the cornerstone. He is getting our attention by talking about two stones - a stumbling stone and a cornerstone. What does this mean?

Jesus is the Stumbling Stone for the Jewish People. 1Peter 2:7-8 says about them, "Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling.'"Notice they are disobedient because they are speaking righteousness by works. Also, God refers to them as a "Stiff - Necked People." {2Chronicles 30:8}

Most important we all need to realize Jesus Christ is the "Cornerstone." The Gospel message of Jesus as the Savior of the world is all built on the Cornerstone of His death and resurrection and when we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth "Jesus Is Lord" we are saved. {Romans 9:10}

The fields are white for harvest for Israel so let us all pray fervently for their salvation!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank

Israel Today - Part Two

Last week's message started a new series revolving around what is currently happening in Israel with the purpose of helping us pray for Israel. It is important to clarify early on that when we refer to Israel this includes people living in the nation of Israel but also the Jewish People worldwide. We will focus our attention initially as to why a relatively small percentage of Jews have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and Messiah.

The last four verses of Romans 9 are entitled "Israel seeks righteousness by works." Romans 9:30-32 says,  "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith: but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith." Verse 32 is one of the key verses to understand  Israel's difficulty in accepting Jesus because they try to attain righteousness by keeping the law.

To understand even further we will look at Jeremiah 31:31,33, "Behold, the days are coming, says The Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah . . . But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says The Lord: 'I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts.'" What does this really mean? When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and Messiah, they receive the Holy Spirit to live in their heart. This sovereign act of God provides a new heart enabling them to live lives pleasing to God.

In conclusion, Jeremiah 31:34 says, "For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more." The new covenant, established by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, provides a way to have our sins forgiven. Even with having the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we are still human and sin. Now, we can humbly and sincerely confess our sins to God and they are forgiven. Bless His Holy Name!

As we pray for the Jewish people, ask Jehovah God to give them understanding to the truth of the New Covenant.

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

Frank