Things are heating up - in more ways than one! Temperatures are the highest they've been all summer and there is no sign that it's going to get cooler any time soon. That isn't the subject of this post though.
Since my dream of a week or so ago the end has been on my mind a lot. Things are coming into perspective and although I already knew we were close I didn't realize just how close we are to the end of it all. I've thought a lot about Noah. Yes, the Noah of Noah's Ark renown. I'm beginning to understand what it was like for him and his family during the time just before the flood. Heartbreaking is the word that keeps coming to my mind.
Why heartbreaking? Well. Think about it. Noah was hundreds of years old during that time. He had many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, etc. Here he was being obedient to YHWH and building this huge boat where there was no water, no lakes, no ocean. All of the people around him must have thought him absolutely crazy.
I'm sure he told them to repent and follow YHWH and they would be saved from the coming destruction. Just like some of us tell others today. No one listened. Just as no one is listening today. I'm sure he felt many emotions just like we do today. Frustration, sadness, anger and more. Why wouldn't they listen? Why aren't they listening today?
Then they entered the Ark. There was no rain in sight. No water. I'm sure he was called crazy and worse. I expect there as much laughter at their expense.
Then the rains started and the water gushing from the earth. Now instead of laughter and jeering there were cries for help. Cries from people they knew and loved. People they tried to warn but who wouldn't listen. I expect that inside that ark the tears were flowing.
Today there is once again a coming destruction. The Word tells us that it will be like as in the days of Noah. Today it has come. No one listens to the words of those saying repent and walk in YHWH's ways before it's too late. Today we are at that moment that the ark has been built and now we are just waiting for YHWH to tell us to get on and He will shut the door. The door protecting us from His wrath upon the earth and the people who did not repent and who did not follow Him and His ways.
If you are not following YHWH and His ways I beg you to reconsider one more time. Please heed this warning that the time is come and to wait any longer is to wait too long. I'm sure in Noah's time many repented after the doors were closed and the rains came but it was too late to save them. They perished in those rising waters.
I don't want even one of you to perish. Not one. I pray that you heed this message. There is great evil to come upon this earth a very short time from now. It is greater than you can even imagine. Unless Messiah comes back all will perish.
Please repent and come onto the ark of His Word. Embrace His ways and live for Him.
******
Showing posts with label Messiah Yeshua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Messiah Yeshua. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
Why Do Believers Celebrate Pagan Holidays?
Our family used to say that Halloween was our favorite holiday. We worked for a month to decorate our yard with homemade tombstones and even a homemade coffin. We had spooky sounds, lights, skulls and blood everywhere. We won the neighborhood award for the best decorations. People would come from other neighborhoods to see our yard every night. We dressed up and gave out loads of candy.
Then something happened. We accepted Yeshua/Jesus as our Savior and over some time He convicted us that we should not have anything to do with Halloween any more.
Halloween, all hallows eve, ghosts, goblins, witches, werewolves, blood, skulls, skeletons, death, evil, fear and more. Just looking at these things in the light of Yeshua Messiah’s Holy Light, and comparing these things to Him, made us realize that there is nothing in this so called celebration that we should have anything to do with.
I have written several posts about how the Church in general has adopted so many pagan celebrations. I’ve heard it said by other believers that we’ve turned them into something good so they are OK now. Halloween is fun, the children dress up and get candy and it’s just a good time. Even churches have gotten in on it with fall celebrations and selling pumpkins to be made into jack-o-lanterns as a fundraiser. Some even say that with candy they give out tracts and so they are using it to witness to others.
We used to do the same – doing our own version of turning something evil into something Holy. Problem is only He can make something Holy – we can’t. We were not being a good witness by keeping the same holiday that unbelievers were keeping. We were doing exactly what the world was doing. Exactly what He tells us not to do. We are to be in the world but not of the world. If we are doing what everyone else does then how are we His set-apart people?
As I’ve said so many times before, this is exactly what the Israelites used to do before Messiah came. They used to take pagan Ba’al celebrations and put a godly spin on them and still worship Yehoveh through these celebrations. He did not accept that and when they didn’t stop He judged them and sent them into captivity. It is not that they stopped worshiping Him it is that they were using pagan celebrations to do so. It was unacceptable to Him.
We are doing the same thing when we take on pagan holidays and attempt to turn them into something fun and good and we call them all sorts of things to make us feel better about doing it.
Take a moment and Google the origin of Halloween. It dates back over 2000 years to the Celts bringing back ghosts and spirits of the dead. They would contact them to get predictions on what the next year would be like. November 1st was their new year and they believed that the night before the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead were blurred so that the Druids, the Celtic priests, could more easily be in contact with these sprirts.
The Word of Yehoveh tells us that to try and contact the dead is against His Word. Ghosts and spirits are Satan’s evil demons. He is constantly working to pull us his way and away from Yehoveh God. He does it through seemingly innocent ways. He doesn’t stand there and say, hey I’m Satan and I want you to come and follow me and leave God. He says, oh isn’t that a cute little princess costume. Let’s do Halloween and go trick or treating. One more step in his direction. A slippery slope.
To even try to mix what is Holy and Righteous with this evil and call it fun and harmless is just plain deceptive. Whatever name is put on it, however it is described, its roots are evil and that evil cannot be changed into good. There is no place in His Word where His people have been able to do that. Holy is Holy and evil is evil and they cannot mix.
In these end of days just before He returns to earth to claim His own it is critical that believers live their day to day lives in a Holy manner in all things. He was very clear that many who think they are His will be told “I don’t know you” when He comes back. When we constantly do what is right in our own sight instead of following what is in His Word then why would He choose us to be with Him for all eternity? He wants true followers, not just those who mouth the right words. As His Word says, we shall know them by their fruit.
He is coming back. He is coming back soon. We are in the end of the end of days. The world as it has been is crumbling apart. Are you ready? Are you living your life as if He is soon to be here? Are you showing others around you that you are just the same as they are or are you different? Are you different enough to be noticed? Perhaps different enough to be persecuted for how you are living your life? If you aren’t, then perhaps now is the time to make some changes. Repent of the pagan ways you have adopted into your life and ask Him to forgive you. Start living your life Holy for Him. It will mean a difference for all eternity.
Then something happened. We accepted Yeshua/Jesus as our Savior and over some time He convicted us that we should not have anything to do with Halloween any more.
Halloween, all hallows eve, ghosts, goblins, witches, werewolves, blood, skulls, skeletons, death, evil, fear and more. Just looking at these things in the light of Yeshua Messiah’s Holy Light, and comparing these things to Him, made us realize that there is nothing in this so called celebration that we should have anything to do with.
I have written several posts about how the Church in general has adopted so many pagan celebrations. I’ve heard it said by other believers that we’ve turned them into something good so they are OK now. Halloween is fun, the children dress up and get candy and it’s just a good time. Even churches have gotten in on it with fall celebrations and selling pumpkins to be made into jack-o-lanterns as a fundraiser. Some even say that with candy they give out tracts and so they are using it to witness to others.
We used to do the same – doing our own version of turning something evil into something Holy. Problem is only He can make something Holy – we can’t. We were not being a good witness by keeping the same holiday that unbelievers were keeping. We were doing exactly what the world was doing. Exactly what He tells us not to do. We are to be in the world but not of the world. If we are doing what everyone else does then how are we His set-apart people?
As I’ve said so many times before, this is exactly what the Israelites used to do before Messiah came. They used to take pagan Ba’al celebrations and put a godly spin on them and still worship Yehoveh through these celebrations. He did not accept that and when they didn’t stop He judged them and sent them into captivity. It is not that they stopped worshiping Him it is that they were using pagan celebrations to do so. It was unacceptable to Him.
We are doing the same thing when we take on pagan holidays and attempt to turn them into something fun and good and we call them all sorts of things to make us feel better about doing it.
Take a moment and Google the origin of Halloween. It dates back over 2000 years to the Celts bringing back ghosts and spirits of the dead. They would contact them to get predictions on what the next year would be like. November 1st was their new year and they believed that the night before the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead were blurred so that the Druids, the Celtic priests, could more easily be in contact with these sprirts.
The Word of Yehoveh tells us that to try and contact the dead is against His Word. Ghosts and spirits are Satan’s evil demons. He is constantly working to pull us his way and away from Yehoveh God. He does it through seemingly innocent ways. He doesn’t stand there and say, hey I’m Satan and I want you to come and follow me and leave God. He says, oh isn’t that a cute little princess costume. Let’s do Halloween and go trick or treating. One more step in his direction. A slippery slope.
To even try to mix what is Holy and Righteous with this evil and call it fun and harmless is just plain deceptive. Whatever name is put on it, however it is described, its roots are evil and that evil cannot be changed into good. There is no place in His Word where His people have been able to do that. Holy is Holy and evil is evil and they cannot mix.
In these end of days just before He returns to earth to claim His own it is critical that believers live their day to day lives in a Holy manner in all things. He was very clear that many who think they are His will be told “I don’t know you” when He comes back. When we constantly do what is right in our own sight instead of following what is in His Word then why would He choose us to be with Him for all eternity? He wants true followers, not just those who mouth the right words. As His Word says, we shall know them by their fruit.
He is coming back. He is coming back soon. We are in the end of the end of days. The world as it has been is crumbling apart. Are you ready? Are you living your life as if He is soon to be here? Are you showing others around you that you are just the same as they are or are you different? Are you different enough to be noticed? Perhaps different enough to be persecuted for how you are living your life? If you aren’t, then perhaps now is the time to make some changes. Repent of the pagan ways you have adopted into your life and ask Him to forgive you. Start living your life Holy for Him. It will mean a difference for all eternity.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Looby Loo!
Remember the game we used to play as children called Looby Loo? Put your left foot in, take your left foot out, put your whole self in, take your whole self out, etc. I believe that many Christians play this game with their faith. These past few days I've been re-evaluating my walk and realized that it is so easy to have one foot in and one foot out at the same time. This world is so challenging right now that we have our hands full just trying to manage and get through our days.
You want to please those around you; your family, your boss, your friends, your co-workers, etc. The question we rarely ask ourselves is are we pleasing Yehoveh God? Are we putting the way people think about us above what He thinks about us.
Over and over the past few days Yehoveh has put His Word in front of me with the answer. He has put people in my path with the answer. The answer is that I have been more concerned with what others think of me than I have with being obedient to Him. I have thought about and worried what they might think of me, how they might treat me, if they would like me anymore or even walk away from me if I stood up for truth. Would I lose business? Would I lose a friendship? Would I lose a close family member? Would I get ridiculed, laughed at, ignored, hated, called names, rejected? Would they remove me as a friend from Facebook - sad, but true.
I had one foot in with Yehoveh and the other one firmly in the world. This morning He led me to the first three chapters in Revelation. He made me realize that living that way leads to destruction. Those three chapters are written to His believing church. They were not written to the unbelievers of the world or even seekers. He was admonishing His people to step up and do right by Him, not right by the world. He also let them know quite frankly that if they didn't, the consequences would be severe. Eternity without Him.
Gasp! Yes - contrary to the popular belief that is taught in today's churches, you can walk away from Him. You have free will and can choose your eternity. Messiah Yeshua spoke about this very issue in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in Heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name? 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!"
He was not talking to unbelievers. Unbelievers don't do these things. He was talking to people who were doing things in His Holy name. Believers.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written in it! For the time is near!
In the time of John the word hear did not just mean to hear something, it was an action word. It meant that you had to DO something to show that you heard and understood. If you trust Yeshua/Jesus then hear and obey! If you have a foot in the world NOW is the time to pull it out and firmly stand on the Rock of Salvation. It's all or nothing - you can't have it both ways.
Joshua 24: 14-15 Therefore fear Yehoveh, and serve Him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yehoveh! 15 If it seems bad to you to serve Yehoveh, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living?
You want to please those around you; your family, your boss, your friends, your co-workers, etc. The question we rarely ask ourselves is are we pleasing Yehoveh God? Are we putting the way people think about us above what He thinks about us.
Over and over the past few days Yehoveh has put His Word in front of me with the answer. He has put people in my path with the answer. The answer is that I have been more concerned with what others think of me than I have with being obedient to Him. I have thought about and worried what they might think of me, how they might treat me, if they would like me anymore or even walk away from me if I stood up for truth. Would I lose business? Would I lose a friendship? Would I lose a close family member? Would I get ridiculed, laughed at, ignored, hated, called names, rejected? Would they remove me as a friend from Facebook - sad, but true.
I had one foot in with Yehoveh and the other one firmly in the world. This morning He led me to the first three chapters in Revelation. He made me realize that living that way leads to destruction. Those three chapters are written to His believing church. They were not written to the unbelievers of the world or even seekers. He was admonishing His people to step up and do right by Him, not right by the world. He also let them know quite frankly that if they didn't, the consequences would be severe. Eternity without Him.
Gasp! Yes - contrary to the popular belief that is taught in today's churches, you can walk away from Him. You have free will and can choose your eternity. Messiah Yeshua spoke about this very issue in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in Heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name? 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!"
He was not talking to unbelievers. Unbelievers don't do these things. He was talking to people who were doing things in His Holy name. Believers.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written in it! For the time is near!
In the time of John the word hear did not just mean to hear something, it was an action word. It meant that you had to DO something to show that you heard and understood. If you trust Yeshua/Jesus then hear and obey! If you have a foot in the world NOW is the time to pull it out and firmly stand on the Rock of Salvation. It's all or nothing - you can't have it both ways.
Joshua 24: 14-15 Therefore fear Yehoveh, and serve Him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yehoveh! 15 If it seems bad to you to serve Yehoveh, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living?
As for me and my household, we will serve Yehoveh!
Monday, July 20, 2009
What in the world are they thinking?
As I drove into work this morning the news played a clip from the new Harry Potter movie that is all the rage and breaking box office records. I switched channels. When I opened my Facebook page this morning a post jumped out at me from a Christian who went to church then to see the HP movie, which they said was very good. A heaviness came down upon me so great that I cried out to Almighty Yehovah to please come back and come back soon as I didn't know how much more of this I could take. When Christians embrace a movie so steeped in the occult for entertainment, surely He isn't long in His return.
Is it that they just do not know how Yehovah God feels about this subject? Or do they know and they don't care? I am no biblical expert but I do spend time reading the Word daily and even I have read the passages about the occult and what God did to even His own people Israel because they dabbled in it. The most famous account is of King Saul speaking with a medium and what the repurcussions of that encounter brought to him.
Are we obeying our Savior King when we do exactly the opposite of what He commands us to do when it comes to witchcraft and the occult? Many will say "I love Jesus". But what good is that when you don't do as He says? That would be like my child saying I love my mom and dad but goes on to defy what we say. All words and no obedience. As James states in his letter, faith without works is dead. When we profess that we are followers of Messiah Yeshua but then fail to follow His commands we are having faith without works, which isn't really faith at all.
I've heard all of the excuses for seeing movies like HP. "I can handle it". "I know it's fiction:. "It's just a movie". "It's not really that bad". Etc. If Messiah Yeshua were going to the movie with you, would you take Him to HP? I highly doubt it.
Not to mention what kind of example are they setting for those non-Christians who are watching them? When a Christian acts just like a non-Christian there really is no difference between them.
The apostacy is full upon the church these days.
Is it that they just do not know how Yehovah God feels about this subject? Or do they know and they don't care? I am no biblical expert but I do spend time reading the Word daily and even I have read the passages about the occult and what God did to even His own people Israel because they dabbled in it. The most famous account is of King Saul speaking with a medium and what the repurcussions of that encounter brought to him.
Are we obeying our Savior King when we do exactly the opposite of what He commands us to do when it comes to witchcraft and the occult? Many will say "I love Jesus". But what good is that when you don't do as He says? That would be like my child saying I love my mom and dad but goes on to defy what we say. All words and no obedience. As James states in his letter, faith without works is dead. When we profess that we are followers of Messiah Yeshua but then fail to follow His commands we are having faith without works, which isn't really faith at all.
I've heard all of the excuses for seeing movies like HP. "I can handle it". "I know it's fiction:. "It's just a movie". "It's not really that bad". Etc. If Messiah Yeshua were going to the movie with you, would you take Him to HP? I highly doubt it.
Not to mention what kind of example are they setting for those non-Christians who are watching them? When a Christian acts just like a non-Christian there really is no difference between them.
The apostacy is full upon the church these days.
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