On April 3, 2013 I awakened from a dream in which I was walking down a city street. A large office building was to my left with concrete stairs extending up to it. As I looked at the building, a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair and wearing a grey button down shirt and glasses, came out of the building. Two policemen walked up to him and placed him under arrest for abusing his daughter. The man looked completely innocent and totally bewildered by what they were accusing him of as he tried to reason with them, telling them that he had never hurt her. He was so sincere that I believed that he must be telling the truth and that there had to be some mistake. The Father spoke to my spirit and told me that it didn't matter what it looked like to me or how innocent the man appeared to be, there was blood on his hands. (Isaiah 1. YHVH speaking to His people. His leaders. Note verse 15. Even the things they did right had become detestable to Him because of their sin. And what is sin? 1 John 3:4) His admonishment was so firm that I looked at the man's hands fully expecting to see blood on them; there was none. As the officers walked down the steps to my left with the man in their custody, they told him a court would decide. His fate was in the hands of a judge.
As I prayed about the dream, two revelations came. The first was that this man represented shepherds who are supposed to care for the church as Messiah would care for her and although it looks like they are innocent of any wrongdoing, the Father sees blood on their hands. Judgment comes from His left side.
Through faith in Yeshua, having been grafted into the vine, we are Abraham's seed. YHVH knew that He could call upon him to be the father of a great nation because He knew that Abraham would hear, obey and follow Him. Genesis 26:5
"Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."
He kept all of it. Because of these things, we read in James 2:23
"And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."
We see Messiah make a similar statement when speaking to His disciples in John 15:14-15:
"14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
Even the disciples had to follow the commandments as He followed them in order to be His friends. And this was the message that they continued to proclaim after Messiah returned to heaven and was seated at His Father's right hand. In fact, Paul tells us in Galatians 1:6-9:
"6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
We speak about the great apostasy as though it is only applies to the day in which we are living, but in truth, the validity of the gospel began to be perverted in the apostles time! For example, Gnosticism, which is very much alive today and includes the worship of angels, was present back then. Furthermore, we see Peter's warning in 2 Peter 3:16-17 not to be swayed by people who twist Paul's words to their own destruction and therefore become lawless. The Greek word is anomia and it means: lawlessness, iniquity, disobedience, sin. To be destitute of the Mosaic law by being ignorant of it, violating it, or being contemptuous of it.
Paul taught that when a person comes to YHVH through faith in Messiah, that person enters the Abrahamic (faith) covenant. If we claim to be an heir of Messiah, adopted into the family of YHVH through faith in His atoning blood, to be grafted into the olive tree with Abraham as our patriarch, shouldn't we be living in like manner? It was written of Messiah:
"3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought to himself also so to walk, even as he walked." John 2:3-6
So in going back to the dream, we know that the prince of the air is always on the prowl to steal, kill and destroy. Are we so naive as to think that Christianity couldn't be messed with? Through the centuries, false doctrines and traditions of men have permeated teachings in seminaries and have been taught as biblical truth within churches. The girl, a representation of the church, the ekklesia, trusted her father, as congregants trust their leaders to proclaim, instruct, and live that which comes directly from the Scriptures. The clergy are expected to see its truth and to divide it properly; to protect the people from false doctrines; and to lead them to the Messiah, teaching them to live as He did, in obedience to the Torah, so that they may find in Him the words of life that both convicts and encourages them to reject their sin, turn from it, and follow Him on the ancient pathway. A pathway that is narrow and few find it. Yet it is secure and true in its destination. What can the people do when their leaders reject the pathway that leads to life? They become as sheep without shepherds; weak with malnourishment, led astray and vulnerable to the attacks of wolves.
It isn't unusual for the Father to prepare me days or even weeks in advance for a coming message that He wants me to write on this blog so please hear the heaviness of my heart in what I am about to write.
Men and women of YHVH, haven't you had enough of what you have seen taking place within your churches? Aren't your stomachs yet full and ready to wretch? You recall the man representing the shepherd in the dream emerged from a business. He wore glasses, yet he could not see his guilt. His hair was the color of salt and pepper, the mixture of truth and counterfeit. Is that what has happened? You wonder at the mess around you, perhaps not realizing that the blatant carnality you witness has come, not only from the deceitfulness of men's hearts and our propensity to sin waxing worse and worse, but from rejecting His instructions given in the first five Books of the Bible that teach us how to get along with others and approach YHVH; instead viewing it as being done away with and nailed to the cross, and rather than finding out what the apostle Paul truly meant by those words, because you know how to find out the truth and are therefore without excuse, you continue on in your ways and wonder why your people aren't growing in love and obedience to the Father and Son. You say that you follow the commands in the spirit of the law and that the letter has been replaced, but that is biblical heresy. For the flow of His Spirit within your churches is quenched and ultimately removed when the anchor of His commandments, His statutes and His laws are ignored.
In looking back over the past week, it doesn't surprise me that the Father brought this dream to my remembrance a year and a half after the fact, because last night at sunset, according to the first crescent of the moon, began Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashannah the Feast of Trumpets. On this day, on HIS calendar, judgment is pronounced over the people, and according to the Scriptures in James 3:1, the stricter judgment falls on teachers. This message, though firm, is really another expression of His great love and mercy being extended to you, because there is yet time to repent before the books are sealed in ten days on Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement.
Whether you honor His Feast Days or not doesn't make them any less relevant to Him. Most Christian teachers would agree that the fall Feast Days are shadows of things to come, if you hold to that belief and believe that you are grafted into Israel, then one day the last trumpet (shofar) will sound and the books will be sealed forever. Do you really want to take the chance and wait until then?
"7 For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptable and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." Malachi 2:7-9
The second part of the dream's revelation extends to all of us. Each person will be judged according to their own deeds. It is time to repent and walk in ways that are pleasing to Him.
The book of Daniel tells us in chapter 12,"4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." All of us are without excuse. The information is available. Relativism is a lie and biblical truth is still there for those who will seek for it. Please, it is time to humble ourselves and repent before our Mighty Elohim!
Scriptures and additional references in order that they appear:
"17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked form his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." Ezekiel 3:17-19
Gnosticism
"15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
"37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not." John 10:37
"19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." John 5:19
"48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me; he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12:48-50
"13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had commited abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. 16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for you souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17 Also I sat watchem over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. 18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19 Hear, O earth: behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it." Jeremiah 6:13-19
"13 Enter ye at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because straight is the gate; and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14
All of Ezekiel chapter 34
"36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Matthew 9:36
"11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the world catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:11-16
"34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say to you, That every idle word that men speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:34-36
"13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:13-15
" 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrightous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7
" 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord; and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive." Jeremiah 29:13-14
www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Rosh_Hashannah/rosh_hashannah.html
www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/yom_kippur.html
* I am adding this on January 20, 2015. http://womanassigned.blogspot.com/2015/01/dream-and-word-from-lord-january-19-2015.html?m=1
Friday, September 26, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Saving Christmas?
It is coming up on nine months ago. December 24th was the date. Evening descended quietly at our home as I put the finishing touches on the last post in a series that I had written on the topic of Christmas. The posts went into detail about the origins of the holiday, the truth about St. Nicolas, and the decision that each of us must make about what we will do concerning the pagan holiday that most of us in Christendom have wholeheartedly embraced. Anyone with a good set of encyclopedias or access to the Internet can find out the facts easily enough, so we are truly left with no excuse. Other than perhaps we don't want to research it because if we did, we would have to make a choice.
Barna Research Group findings from 2009 contained the following quote.
"The problem facing the Christian church is not that people lack a complete set of beliefs; the problem is that they have a full slate of beliefs in mind, which they think are consistent with biblical teachings, and they are neither open to being proven wrong nor to learning new insights."
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
There was another aspect of the posts that was the most important detail of all. It was how the Father, according to the Scriptures, views our pagan holidays. And that was the part that brought me the greatest amount of sadness. It still does.
All of this was brought to the forefront of my thinking again when I received an e-mail last week that contained the following video clip from youtube.
One wonders if part of Kirk Cameron's premise for this movie would be that he is trying to save Christmas from progressive atheists who, in part, would rather replace the greeting "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays". However, the truth of the matter is, that even though some people don't like the word Christmas, atheists around the world celebrate it. I am convinced that if the holiday was truly God-given, most atheists wouldn't have anything to do with it. Leviticus 23 bears this out. His Feast Days are ignored by most of the world.
If an effort of the movie includes trying to sway the opinion of the general public, including schools, to allow the singing of hymns and the setting up of nativity scenes on government property, we need to remember that the "powers that be" have declared this to be a post-Christian nation and they are not backing down.
However it was this last premise that I clearly picked up from the trailer that states what the real message of this movie is, and it is a premise that has been supported by subsequent reviews. The message of the movie is trying to convince believers that regardless of what they may have heard from a few of their friends or family members, there isn't anything wrong with the holiday and that everyone should enjoy all of its fun traditions; and in that respect, Mr. Cameron has not only the support of Christian laity but also the resounding approval of church leaders all over the world. It is that characteristic of the movie that made me sick at heart.
Personally, I think that Kirk Cameron is a sincere man who is trying to do what he thinks is right. Since this all goes much deeper than one man, in essence, it has little to do with him. Those of you who know me and read this blog know that I tend to cut to the heart of a matter pretty quickly. So it is the heart of the matter that caused me to sit down before the computer this morning.
The practice of the pagan holiday that came to be known as Christmas was well established for approximately two thousand years before the birth of the Messiah and it has absolutely nothing to do with Him! Roman Emperor Constantine and Pope Julius in 349 AD saw it as a way to blend the pagan practices of winter solstice and the birthdays of the sun gods, including Tammuz - the first to be called Baal - with the followers of The Way. All that was essentially changed were the names. For believers to think that Christmas is about Christ, is a lie, no matter who tells us it isn't, how much reverence we give to it, or how good it makes us feel to participate in its traditions.
YHVH through the prophets expressed throughout Scripture that He would not share His glory with another and that we were not to worship Him as the pagans worshiped their gods, in idolatry. Ironically enough, Christmas wasn't even allowed in this country until the 1800's because of that reason and because of the debauchery that surrounded the celebrations. Although the roots go all the way back to Babylon, the Christmas tradition has only been in our midst, so-to-speak, for less than a couple of hundred years but its grip is tight. So much so that when believers try to shed light on the matter that is based on biblical commands and historical evidence, they are the ones who are either laughed at, scorned and pitied, or worse yet shunned and called heretics.
Saving Christmas? From where I sit, it still looks very much alive.
For further contemplation:
Deuteronomy 12:28-32
Isaiah 28:9-13
Jeremiah 16:19
Matthew 15:8-9
Ephesians 5:5-17
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
2 Peter 3
Revelation 22:18-19
The Berean: John 4:23-24
I welcome you to read the posts I put up last December which include biblical as well as historical references. Of course these posts are just a representation of the evidence that is available to all who would humble themselves and pray to be open to the truth of the Bible as well as that of history, and then look for it. Finding out the truth isn't easy to deal with. But ...when did He promise it would be?
"Ho Ho Ho!" An Introduction
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Beginning - Part 1
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Impostor - Part 2
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Choice - Part 3
Barna Research Group findings from 2009 contained the following quote.
"The problem facing the Christian church is not that people lack a complete set of beliefs; the problem is that they have a full slate of beliefs in mind, which they think are consistent with biblical teachings, and they are neither open to being proven wrong nor to learning new insights."
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
There was another aspect of the posts that was the most important detail of all. It was how the Father, according to the Scriptures, views our pagan holidays. And that was the part that brought me the greatest amount of sadness. It still does.
All of this was brought to the forefront of my thinking again when I received an e-mail last week that contained the following video clip from youtube.
One wonders if part of Kirk Cameron's premise for this movie would be that he is trying to save Christmas from progressive atheists who, in part, would rather replace the greeting "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays". However, the truth of the matter is, that even though some people don't like the word Christmas, atheists around the world celebrate it. I am convinced that if the holiday was truly God-given, most atheists wouldn't have anything to do with it. Leviticus 23 bears this out. His Feast Days are ignored by most of the world.
If an effort of the movie includes trying to sway the opinion of the general public, including schools, to allow the singing of hymns and the setting up of nativity scenes on government property, we need to remember that the "powers that be" have declared this to be a post-Christian nation and they are not backing down.
However it was this last premise that I clearly picked up from the trailer that states what the real message of this movie is, and it is a premise that has been supported by subsequent reviews. The message of the movie is trying to convince believers that regardless of what they may have heard from a few of their friends or family members, there isn't anything wrong with the holiday and that everyone should enjoy all of its fun traditions; and in that respect, Mr. Cameron has not only the support of Christian laity but also the resounding approval of church leaders all over the world. It is that characteristic of the movie that made me sick at heart.
Personally, I think that Kirk Cameron is a sincere man who is trying to do what he thinks is right. Since this all goes much deeper than one man, in essence, it has little to do with him. Those of you who know me and read this blog know that I tend to cut to the heart of a matter pretty quickly. So it is the heart of the matter that caused me to sit down before the computer this morning.
The practice of the pagan holiday that came to be known as Christmas was well established for approximately two thousand years before the birth of the Messiah and it has absolutely nothing to do with Him! Roman Emperor Constantine and Pope Julius in 349 AD saw it as a way to blend the pagan practices of winter solstice and the birthdays of the sun gods, including Tammuz - the first to be called Baal - with the followers of The Way. All that was essentially changed were the names. For believers to think that Christmas is about Christ, is a lie, no matter who tells us it isn't, how much reverence we give to it, or how good it makes us feel to participate in its traditions.
YHVH through the prophets expressed throughout Scripture that He would not share His glory with another and that we were not to worship Him as the pagans worshiped their gods, in idolatry. Ironically enough, Christmas wasn't even allowed in this country until the 1800's because of that reason and because of the debauchery that surrounded the celebrations. Although the roots go all the way back to Babylon, the Christmas tradition has only been in our midst, so-to-speak, for less than a couple of hundred years but its grip is tight. So much so that when believers try to shed light on the matter that is based on biblical commands and historical evidence, they are the ones who are either laughed at, scorned and pitied, or worse yet shunned and called heretics.
Saving Christmas? From where I sit, it still looks very much alive.
For further contemplation:
Deuteronomy 12:28-32
Isaiah 28:9-13
Jeremiah 16:19
Matthew 15:8-9
Ephesians 5:5-17
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
2 Peter 3
Revelation 22:18-19
The Berean: John 4:23-24
I welcome you to read the posts I put up last December which include biblical as well as historical references. Of course these posts are just a representation of the evidence that is available to all who would humble themselves and pray to be open to the truth of the Bible as well as that of history, and then look for it. Finding out the truth isn't easy to deal with. But ...when did He promise it would be?
"Ho Ho Ho!" An Introduction
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Beginning - Part 1
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Impostor - Part 2
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Choice - Part 3
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