Month: November 2020

The Supernatural Diet

(Daniel 1)

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it… and the king told Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring in some of the children of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility… Among these were of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Dan. 1:1,3,6).

King Nebuchadnezzar offered these young men the opportunity to be educated in the Babylon’s culture and language for three years to serve in the king’s palace. Their diet was to be daily from the portion of the king’s own rich and dainty food and of the wine which he drank (vs. 4-5). That probably would have been very attractive and an adventurous experience to the eyes of some other young men who had been taken captive, considering the treatment they were going to have as slaves.  But not in the eyes of these young men. Their determination to follow God and His laws in that strange land of cultural differences, stood firm before all. When approached by the chief eunuch with the idea, Daniel courageously spoke for the four of them expressing their heart’s determination not to defile themselves by eating the portion of the king’s rich foods. He requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8).  Meanwhile, God was working in the heart of the eunuch to show favor toward them. Although, he expressed fear in the outcome of Daniel’s decision, he gave him permission to try the diet of vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of that period of time, the chief of eunuchs perceived that they looked better and had taken more flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s rich dainties (Vs. 15). The supernatural happened, because of their choice to obey God and not to depart from His laws. God then came to their aid and proved to all that He is the sustainer of life. It was not the vegetables and the water that sustained them, but it was God’s doing. The result was obvious and no one could deny the fact. Although their identities were lost in the change of their names, seemly their faith was challenged when brain washed in that period of three years, still they held on to the things they had learned back in their country and nothing would erase that from them.

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Discerning the Times and Signs of the End

(Matthew 24: 36-42; 25: 1-13; II Timothy 3:1-4)

We do live in a time frame of the beginning of the end of times- in the days of Noah. Evil has prevailed and taken that which is right to be wrong and vice-versa. The eyes see, but in disbelief. Many keep hoping for things to change, tomorrow will be better, they say, but the reality of the matter is tomorrow will reflect the closeness to the end. What will tomorrow bring for certain?  According to Paul perilous times of great stress and trouble. (Hard to deal with and hard to bear.)  People who are lovers of self, lovers of money, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane (II Tim. 3:1-5). The list continues, as we have seen and experienced such behaviors in our time frame. This is the sign of the times. It was predicted before by our Lord, and others. We are witnessing prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes. The word of the Lord says that without vision, people perish. Knowledge not understood or received, leads the people to nowhere. It is like blindness. We see, feel, but not perceive until too late, as in the days of Noah, when they finally understood, the waters were covering them.

The believer in YAHSHUA is without reason to perish in ignorance. The word of God has been given; It is everywhere without one looking for. The Lord’s command for us is to watch, to pray and to wait for Him. His coming is certain, but the time is uncertain. The important issue here is to be ready. Readiness will only happen if we are knowledgeable. Much is happening that is keeping our attention away from what is very important; in fear, we try to fight the Lord’s battle, when our position is to pray and give all our cares to Him. The Lord of hosts is powerful; He is in the business of making history.  He calls us to pray, to arise to battle, and to arise to see His face. Never forgetting the mark we must aim at. It is time for preparedness, not time for fear. He told the disciples, Keep awake and watch at all times, praying that you may have the full strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).  Paul said, We belong to the day, therefore let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith, love and a helmet the hope of salvation (I Thess. 5:8).  In these evil days, it seems that there is no difference between a Christian and non-Christian in their reactions to the present storm taking the world and in particular, America. Fear has taken many by surprise, for not standing their ground. Ignorance, the mother of defeat, has controlled their minds. The grounds where they are standing at are quick sand. It won’t be long before they disappear in their unbelief of the truth. Our God has equipped us for these evil days with two important parts of the armor: the breastplate of faith and love- the protector of the heart, and the helmet the hope of salvation- the protector of the mind. Fear veils the spiritual eyes and causes us blindness, and the inability to see and experience the beauty of God’s goodness and faithfulness in joy and peace. The Bible assures us that we are citizens of the state which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await the Lord YAHSHUA the Savior ( Phil. 3:20). Our concern, then, should be on the heavenly things, our mind should be concentrating on readiness to meet our Savior, for it is the ultimate hope we have while in this earth.

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Arise My Bride to Pray, to Battle, and to See My Face

I will put on God’s whole armor, that I may be able successfully to stand up against the strategies and the deceits of the devil,

FOR I AM NOT WRESTLING WITH FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE DESPOTISMS, AGAINST THE POWERS, AGAINST THE WORLD RULERS OF THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, AGAINST THE SPIRIT FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY SPHERE.

I DECLARE THAT

I will resist and stand my ground on these evil days, with God’s full armor on, I will stand with my belt of truth around my loins and the breastplate of integrity; I will stand in readiness to face the enemy with my feet shod; I will lift up the shield of saving faith, quenching all the flaming missiles of the wicked one,  with faith that overcomes the world and its power; I will stand with my mind, my thoughts protected with the helmet of salvation, and no one can take it away from me; I will stand with the sword of the Spirit- the Word of God, which is alive and full of power, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow- the deepest  parts of nature, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart; praying on every occasion, in every season in the Spirit with all manner of prayer and entreaty; to that end I will keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints- my brothers and sisters in Christ, for my prayers avail much in the sight of God;  it is my divine and powerful weapon to demolish strongholds.

I DECLARE THAT

God is my war club, my weapon for battle; with Him I will shatter nations, and destroy kingdoms; I have been given authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt me; I am the bride of Christ- His church built on the Rock that is YAHSHUA and the gates of hell shall not prevail against me. Therefore, I say, No weapon that is formed against me will prosper; and every tongue that accuses me in judgement, God will condemn; this is my heritage and vindication from the Lord; The Lord my God is the One Who fights for me, I will not fear the enemy; I will not fear, but will stand firm and confident to see the salvation of the Lord. I will lift my rod of confidence in the Lord and He will drown the plans of the enemy against my family, my president, and my country. I will wait for the Lord and He will renew my strength; I shall mount up with wings like eagles; I shall run and not be weary, I shall walk and not faint; If God is for me, who [can be] against me? Because I have made the Lord my refuge and the Most High my dwelling place, there shall be no evil befall me, nor any plague or calamity come near my tent, for God will give His angels charge over me to accompany and defend and preserve me in all my ways, they shall bear me up on their hands lest I dash my foot against a stone; I shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and serpent shall I trample underfoot. You, O God will push down our enemies and in your Name we shall tread them under who rise up against us.

PRAYER

O Lord, we and our nation have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. O Lord, to us and our nation belong confusion and shame of face, because we have rebelled against You. O Lord, according to all Your righteousness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from us, Your people; listen to and heed the prayer of Your servants and their supplications and for Your sake cause Your face to shine upon us; O my God, incline Your ear and hear, for we do not present our supplications before You, for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness; O Lord hear! O Lord forgive! O Lord give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your people are called by Your name. (Prayer of Daniel)

You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Israel (America). Rise up, O Lord! Let your enemies be scattered. And let those who hate you flee before You. Oh, that You would rend the heavens and that You would come down, that the mountains might quake and flow down at Your presence! Will You restrain Yourself, O Lord? Will You keep silent and not command our deliverance but humble and afflict us exceedingly? Rise up O Lord! Let not man prevail; put your enemies in fear, that they may know that they are just men. Have mercy upon us and be gracious to us, O Lord; do not stand off, O Lord do not hide in times of trouble, for we are Your people. You are our King forever; spare your people from the hands of wicked people. Shine forth O King of all nations! Let Your glory flow on us, Your people. It is time O Lord, it is time to vindicate Your name, Your reputation, Your acts of righteousness. You command, and it will happen. Rend to our enemies a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands; pursue them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on the earth, and in this nation, as it is done in heaven! Show us Your favor O Lord, and bless us with Your victory to the glory and honor of You, Father.

VICTORY AND PRAISES

I stand with my feet shod in the presence of my enemies, my head anointed with Oil, singing praises to my King, YAHSHUA my Messiah! Who is like You, O Lord? Who is like You? Amazing in all creation, eternity covers You outside of the frame of time. It is good and delightful thing to give thanks to You, O Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night; You have changed my weeping for Your joy! My morning has arrived. My sorrow You have turned into dancing; You have clothed me with joy of victory, and my soul sings praises to You my God; I will give thanks to you forever! You calmed the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still; You saved my life from the schemes of the enemy; I sing a song of victory in Your presence, O Lord, for You have triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider you have thrown into the (Red) sea! Bless the Lord O my soul, bless His holy name; bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of all His benefits; bless the Lord O my soul!

MAY OUR LORD BE EXALTED FOREVER MORE! IN YAHSHUA’S NAME. AMEN!

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What Is Your Name?

(Genesis 27:18; 32:22-32)

We cannot count the many times we were asked this question; either verbally or in writing. A name identifies and defines a person. In biblical times Jewish’s names had meanings, in some cases as signs for God’s coming judgment, as it was the case of Isaiah’s children: Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of host, Who dwell in Mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18). And I approached the prophetess, and when she conceived and borne a son, the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher-Shalalhfash-Baz, for before the child knows how to say My father or my mother, the riches of Damascus shall be carried away before the king of Assyria (8:3-4).  Through behavior – good or bad, through fame and many other historical ways, a person is writing his name in the pages of history. So, a person’s name is judged by what is known of him.  When we hear the name Judas, automatically we think of the one who betrayed YAHSHUA. Judas’ name carries a bad and unfavorable reputation in our minds that has lasted thousands of years. However, the name Judas means “praise.” Hard to personalize this name as betrayer. Judas, by the evil act of betraying the Son of God, gave his name the synonymous with traitor.  A name that carried such beautiful meaning in the past, has suffered deep scars since that act. Scars that will never be erased from the minds of people.

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A Blind Man Who Would Not Give Up

(Mark 10: 46-52)

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside (Mark 10:46). It was a regular day for Bartimaeus that day when he, as his daily routine, sat by the road side to beg. His physical dark world impaired him to be part of society.

When he would have a job to provide for his family; it would have supported his social life with friends and family. It was a lonely life for Bartimaeus in his world, lacking the most basic thing of life- his eyesight. His song echoed in the ears of people a monotonous melody, which many had closed their ears to. In a repetitious melody and words, he would ask help for the poor blind man, using the pronoun on the third person. But that day his ears perked up when he heard noises from a crowd coming toward him. For a moment he stops his song, instead, he asked, what was happening? When he heard that it was YAHSHUA of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, YAHSHUA, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me (Mark 10:47). Remarkably, this poor blind man had knowledge of Whom YAHSHUA was, while Israel as a nation was left in the dark of their spiritual understanding concerning YAHSHUA, for their hearts were callous toward Him.  Bartimaeus, from the depth of his soul proclaimed YAHSHUA to be the Messiah- coming from the line of David, as it was prophesized. He must have learned from others about YAHSHUA’S work of miracles, miracles that marked and determined Him to be the promised Messiah. He did not have to see YAHSHUA to believe Him. That was the faith he had, that sprung a belief in his own healing. Nothing would stop him from shouting the prophetic words, “You, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me!”

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The Heart

The muscle where life happens

Bringing the red color through

The thing we call blood

Without it we would not do.

It pumps many gallons a day

The number I cannot say.

Designed to carry the weigh

Of life to one’s body night and day.

It expresses sorrow – emotion

But it is a pump, what do you say?

Someone can break it many times

Pumping it goes without pay.

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Who Has Believed Our Message?

(Isaiah 53)

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm (power) of the Lord been disclosed? (Isaiah 53:1). A question that has been echoed for thousands of years in the ears of mankind. The Prophet Isaiah uttered the message of the coming Savior in a far distant future, with descriptions of His sufferings, at the hands of wicked men. In the early days of the church, an Ethiopian was found reading the passage of Isaiah 53, without the understanding of Whom was that referring to. A Gentile with an enormous curiosity and desire to know and understand the question set in the beginning of the chapter, Who has believed our message? Of whom does the prophet speak? Himself or someone else? He asks the apostle Philip, who after been guided by an angel of the Lord to go to a certain place, there, he met that Ethiopian. Philip then asked him the question, do you understand what you are reading? To what he answered, How is it possible for me to do so unless, someone explains it to me?  He said, I beg of you, tell me about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or someone else? (Acts 8:26-34). After Philip explained the message he was reading, the eunuch believed it and was baptized. That was the message of love- a gift of salvation through God’s Son, Whom Philip knew personally and had witnessed Him agonizing at the garden before His trials, and death. 

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