The uncertainties of life are measured by lost opportunities, in many cases. They come to us in ways we do not realize at first, until it is gone. “I wish I had known it” is the regret of many of us at the perception of the reality. Opportunities, present themselves as chances to perform a task at a good time with possibilities to advance to better things. It is life’s one time, not realized, chance. YAHSHUA, seeing the spiritual condition of Jerusalem wept over it exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes, for a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank about you and surround you and shut you in on every side, and they will dahs you down to the ground, your [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ] (Luke 19:42-44). Those days were the days when God was showing favor to the nation; they were days when the prophecy of Isaiah 61 was being fulfilled. That was the passage YAHSHUA read in the synagogue, when it was handed to Him the scroll of the book of Isaiah. He read verses 1 and 2: The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed, to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord… And He began to speak to them: Today the Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing (Luke 4:17-19, 21). So great was the incredulity of the Jewish nation, that at the end of YAHSHUA’S teaching, they tried to kill Him by trying to hurl Him headlong down. Israel rejected YAHSHUA’S messages, they ignored the signs and wonders He performed among them; they handled Him to Rome to be crucified, at their request, even though, the death by crucifixion was not practiced by their Law. Isaiah’s prophecy Who has believed our message? was then fulfilled. At the ultimate opportunity presented to them to repent, they rejected and shouted, Away with Him! Crucify Him! Let His blood be on us and on our children! (Matt. 27:25b). Israel put themselves under condemnation of God’s judgment and suffered the consequences for having rejected His Son and ignored their opportunity to be saved.
Author: Jacinta da Cruz Rodgers
I have been committed to teaching the truth of the Word of God beginning with Trans World Radio on Bonaire, N.A and Swaziland, Africa (1969-1980), then through churches in the United States in both English and Portuguese and then through ministry in Israel (2005-2006). This ministry continues through local Bible studies and outreach to the world via the internet.
I have written a book about my life from that of an orphan in Brazil to missionary in 5 countries. You can find out more on the "Book" page of our blog site.
When the Holiness of God Touched Mount Sinai
The Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai on the third month after they had left Egypt. God came down to that mount to covenant with them at that time. That was a covenant that separated them for Himself as a nation of priests unto Him. A covenant that differentiated them from the other nations. But Israel did not get attune with God’s plan and continued aloof from it in spite of all the supernatural signs and wonders they witnessed. To start with, when they were between the Red Sea and the Egyptian’s army, who had come against them, He caused a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land; and the waters were divided. When the Egyptians recognized that the Lord God was fighting in favor of Israel, they tried to flee, when the waters closed on them (Exodus 14). Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land, while the Egyptians were taken in and drowned. The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Arriving at Mount Sinai, Israel did not have a clue of what was going to happen. While they encamped before the mountain, Moses went up to God, and the Lord called him out of the mountain and spoke to him giving him a message to give to the people. It was a covenant He was establishing with them. He said, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among the above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites (Exodus 19:1-6). The Lord told Moses to sanctify the people for two days and then wash their clothes and on the third day the nation was to meet Him.
The Sin of Unfaithfulness
(Ezekiel 14:13-20; Jeremiah 15:1)
The word Unfaifulness denotes a feeling of offense toward relationships of all kinds, including relationship with God; it also affects other aspects of life as in the work place. Unfaithfulness is like a sword piercing the soul; it is a betrayal of one’s confidence, in the case of relationships. The sin of Unfaifulness is the sin of transgression or trespass. The Webster dictionary defines transgression- trespasses as to go beyond the limits of what is considered right and moral. When God betrothed Israel in Mount Sinai, He betrothed her in faithfulness; that was a covenant of marriage between them. But right after the betroth, Israel committed the sin of unfaithfulness through idolatry. Israel, after four hundred years in Egypt, lost the sense of their true God, the God of their fathers and followed the Egyptian gods. The Mount Sinai experience, when God came to covenant with them, was of no importance to them, so it seems, in spite of thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled (Ex. 19:16) It started with Moses’ brother, Aaron, when God called Moses up to give him the tables of stone, with the law and the commandments which He had written for Moses to teach (Ex.24:12). That was the covenant in writing. But when the people saw that Moses had been gone a while, they decided to go the way of unfaithfulness and committed idolatry. They gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Aaron agreed to the idea saying, Take the gold rings from the ears of you wives, your sons, and daughters and bring them to me; so they did and Aaron fashioned the gold with a graving tool and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord; and they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play (Ex.32:1-6).
Time to Keep Silent, For the Days Are Evil
(Micah 7; Amos 5:13)
What constitutes evil days, if they weren’t for mankind? When God created the world, He created a beautiful world for man to enjoy and take care of it. There was no presence of evil anywhere, all were in harmony with the Creator. The animals weren’t violent toward one another and they did not eat one another. Peace was the harmony that kept them together, heard in a bird song. Music filled the air of that garden- the garden of Eden with happiness and innocence. It was the world God created. I can’t tell how long did the world of yesterday enjoyed perfection in every side, neither can I tell you how long it was before our parents messed it up by doubting God’s word and falling into temptation. That must have been one dark day in the lives of Adam and Eve, which changed the destiny of the world and theirs too. The door was then opened for evil to permeate the garden and take control of the lives of men and animals. They no longer behaved peacefully toward one another. The sweet fragrance of love and peace vanished and the world started to experience evil, hate, jealousy instead. As a matter of fact, the first-born son of Eve, committed the first homicide. From there, it went from bad to worse, until God destroyed the yesterday’s world by means of water in the days of Noah. Those were truly evil days!
The psalmist cried to God, Help, Lord! For principled and godly people are here no more; faithfulness and the faithful vanish from among the sons of men. To his neighbor each one speaks words without use or worth of truth; with flattering lips and double heart they speak (Psa. 12:1-2); and Isaiah prophesized, The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and merciful and devout men are taken away, with no one considering that the uncompromisingly upright and godly person is taken away from the calamity and evil to come (Isaiah 57:1); Micah echoes by saying, the godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; each hunts his brother with a net; both their hands are put forth and are upon what is evil to do it diligently; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire. Thus, they twist between them; the best of them is like a brier; the most upright or the straightest is like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even of [God’s] judgment and your punishment, has come; now shall be their perplexity and confusion. Trust not in a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Keep the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom…But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me (Micah 7:2-5,7). Therefore, he who is prudent will keep silence in such a time, for it is an evil time (Amos 5:13).
Strongholds of the Mind
(II Cor. 10:3-6)
For though we walk in the flesh we are not serving as soldiers according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful in God for the tearing down of strongholds, tearing down reasonings, even every high thing being lifted up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every though in obedience to Messiah, and being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience would be achieved (II Cor. 10:3-6).
A stronghold is defined as false statements Satan establishes in our mind. They control and direct our mind to believe his lies. After a while they become reality. The Word of God confirms this in Proverbs 23:7. It says, For as man thinks in his heart so is he (Prov. 23:7). As someone said, “To think on what we believe, in time we will become.”
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “The brain, the most important part of the body as the command center for the nervous system, receives input from the sensory organs and sends output to the muscles. It is the main organ of the human central nervous system. It is the most complex part of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, and initiator of body movement and controller of behavior.” It is no wonder Satan goes after this important part of the body. He knows that if he can control man’s mind, he has control of his body. Of course that started at the Garden of Eden. He planted doubt in the mind of Eve and she believed. From that time on, men became slaves to Satan’s lies and fear took control of his emotions, and our trend of thoughts became open to Satan. He has taken every opportunity to control and torment the mind of man. The evidence of Satan’s control of the mind is seen in the way we behave, in the decisions we make. Many times our decisions are based on fear. In no way those decisions are directed by God, for the Word says, For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but love and sound mind (I Tim 1:7) and in another passage it says There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (I John 4:18).
The first step to free yourself from the control of Satan is to accept the sacrifice YAHSHUA made for you. His sacrifice was the purchase of your salvation and deliverance from the enemy I Peter 1:19, 23: But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Messiah, like that of a [sacrificial ] lamb without blemish or spot; you have been regenerated not from a mortal origin, but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God; ( 2) Acknowledge your sins, repent and renounce them I John 1:9: If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness; (3) study the Word of God II Tim. 2:15-16: Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing the Word of Truth; but avoid all empty talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. (4) Accept God’s forgiveness Psalm 103:1,3-4: Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us; (5) give the Holy Spirit complete control of your mind Romans 12: 2: Stop being conformed to this age, but you must from the inside continually be changed into another form, by the renovation of your mind, to prove what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God for you (6) hold onto the truth of God’s Word; (John 8:32: and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free; (7) be ready to go to the battlefield dressed with the full armor of God Ephesians 6: 10: From now on, you must right away become strong in the Lord and in the power of His strength; you must continually be clothed with the full armor of God to enable you to stand against the strategies of the devil; (8) offer Him sacrifice of praises; worship Him in spirit and in truth John 4:23-24: In fact an appointed time is coming and is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such as these who worship Him; god is Spirit, and it is necessary for those who worship Him to worship in spirit and in truth; (9) walk in God’s love and forgiveness I John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and he who loves is begotten of God and is coming to know and understand God; Psalm 139: 23-24: Search me O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting; (10) submit to God, then resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
The Sending Out of the Twelve Apostles
(Luke 9)
Luke chapter nine reports a beautiful picture of what YAHSHUA’S church should have been: powerful with authority over all demons and sickness. It took only a word from YAHSHUA, for demons to submit to Him. In His presence, they did not have a chance. And that’s the way it should have been for YAHSHUA’S church. Equipping the apostles with His power, they were sent out to preach the kingdom of God, a very important mission- the establishing of YAHSHUA’ S church. The time had come when He saw fit to send His apostles out with the important message of salvation. He gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and to announce and preach the kingdom of God and to bring healing. (Luke 9:1-2). He didn’t send them empty of power and authority to face a spiritual battle. Power and authority are two things we must have to battle against the spiritual forces. Human power is not sufficient to overcome the “present darkness, and the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere.”
YAHSHUA sent His apostles out with important instructions to follow, besides equipping them with power and authority over demons and diseases. He told them, Do not take anything for your journey- neither walking stick, nor wallet, nor food of any kind, nor money and do not have two undergarments; and whatever house you enter, stay until you go away; and wherever they do not receive and accept and welcome you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet, as a testimony against them (Luke 9:3-5). The apostles were to be in complete dependence on God. No, they did not have to go from place to place raising support before their journey, as we do before going to a mission field. Under YAHSHUA’S instructions, they departed; they went from village to village, preaching the Gospel and restoring the afflicted to health everywhere (Luke 9:6). They accomplished the task before them beautifully, and blessed all who opened their doors to them. Upon their return, they reported to YAHSHUA all that they had done; YAHSHUA, hearing the report, He took them and withdrew into privacy near a town called Bethsaida (Luke 9: 10-11). What does this tell us? It is in the strength and in the power of God that His ministers are to serve Him. Self-sufficiency is the work of the flesh and that does not compete with God’s sufficiency in us. There is a need for us to return to Him in order to be restored, away from the noise of the world; away from technologies’ noises. They for sure distract us from hearing God’s voice. Only being in the presence of our Lord, will we be restored spiritually and mentally and physically. At His departure from earth, He commissioned the apostles to Go into all the world and preach the good news; Go and make disciples of all the nations, (He said) baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days, to the very end (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20). That was the beginning of a new era. He laid down the foundation of His church and entrusted it to His apostles to carry on the task of spreading the Gospel, and to teach the nations to obey His word. Out of that, His church was built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Messiah YAHSHUA Himself the chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20).
A New Era Is Coming Our Way
There is a promise out there that “The Best Is Yet to Come.” We have been waiting for it to be implemented for two years now in this chaotic world of lies and deceit. They say, It is almost here, feeding false hope to all who believed them. This promise seems vague and undecided concerning the time when it will be reality, because it is based on numbers and signs seemly from the New Age religion. The question remains, what is it about? False peace. A peace that will be dissipated in a very short time of its existence, when destruction will take the world by surprise (I Thess. 5). The new government promises prosperity for all, debts forgiven, health for all, free energy, money for all and love for all. It is wrapped up in the belief, among many others, that we all will become gods. Hugging a tree, as the object of worship, and earth is called “Mother Earth.” I am referring to the new spirituality, or New Age religion, which is rooted in eastern mysticism. It is obvious to see that several of their beliefs have bled into Christian churches, as these, for example: (1) thinking positively with faith, we will get from God anything we desire. (2) Follow your heart, because our emotions indicate truth and direction (3) we are gods because we are children of God; we can get anything we desire, for we are divine in nature (4) we can become one with God through being without sin, and not by faith alone. (5) there are many spiritual paths to God and heaven. (From Daily She pursues website).
New Age has many dark sides we Christians must realize, even when they use the Bible for many of their references to support their plans. Yes, they know the Bible and use it to appropriate to their plan. They say if you do not believe their plan, you will be left behind, while those who believe it will ascend. There are five types of ascensions:
- Awakening of the mind
- Awakening of a new personality
- Awakening of spiritual energy
- Awakening of the soul
- Total wakening (enlightenment)
Prayer, the Key to Open Heaven’s Door (part 2)
YAHSHUA cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit; and at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27:50-51). Before the death of the Son of God no one, with the exception of the High Priest and once a year, could enter the Holy of Holies of the temple. The sanctuary of the temple was designated for the presence of the holiness of God alone. The High priest performed the duty of burning incense to atone his and the sins of the people by sprinkling the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the ark (Lev. 16:2). The Holy of Holies was separated by a veil to provide a barrier between God and man; between His holiness and the sinfulness of man. The tear of the veil or curtain is of great significance for all who profess to be a believer in YAHSHUA, for it provided access to all men to enter the presence of God, as the writer of Hebrews said, We have full confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of YAHSHUA…Let us all come forward and draw near with true hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith, having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water (Heb. 10:19-20, 22). When we pray, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groaning too deep for utterance (Rom. 8: 26). When we enter the presence of God, we do so with the help of the Holy Spirit. We enter heaven in the name of YAHSHUA by the power of His blood. We must be reminded every time we enter the presence of God, that that privilege cost His son’s life. When we pray in His name we are acknowledging His sacrifice for us and that it is only by His name that we can come to the presence of God. When we pray in YAHSHUA’S name, we are presenting all that He is. YAHSHUA said that the Father will grant whatever we ask in YAHSHUA’S name (John 15:16b; 16:23 b). But the believer must dwell in YAHSHUA and His words must remain and continue to live in his hearts for whatever he/she asks to be done or given them (John 15:7).
Prayer, the Key to Open Heaven’s Door (part 1)
David experienced the presence of God when he prayed. He, more than anyone we read about often sought the Lord, for his life was a life of trouble. Persecuted by King Saul until Saul died, he was a fugitive without means and position that entitled his deliverance from the king, the most powerful man in the country. But David was a king in God’s eyes waiting for the right time to be crowned so. He was also a fugitive from his son Absalom, who tried to take his throne. But David sought the Lord and called on His name. When we read his prayers in the book of Psalms it confirms that he had a relationship with God. When he committed sins of adultery and homicide he returned to God in repentance and grief of soul. He prayed, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin, for I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in You judgment… create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51). And again, I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide… then You forgave me the guilt and the iniquity of my sin (Psalm 32); I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry…He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40: 1, 3); my sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, such O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51: 17). When we admit our sins to Him, heaven acknowledges and forgiveness flows to us; when we praise Him angels join us in worship to God. David acknowledged the answers to his prayers, and it encouraged and helped others to know that God is faithful and He is a loving God.
Be Careful That No one Misleads You
(Matthew 24)
Deceitful time is upon us; We are floating in an ocean of lies, marked by masks, in order to hide truths, in the symbolism that expresses today’s life-style. The world’s media misleads the crowds to a precipice of no return. The news is false and in it there is no truth to guide us to knowledge of truth. The courts of law are corrupted; the innocent perish and the guilty is preserved to continue with the plan to deceive those who remain inert and indifferent to what is happening today right in front of their eyes, because of their unbelief. Meanwhile, the world spins on its axis, moving time to its final hours. The Bible has something to say to those who refuse to love the Truth in order that they may be saved. It is that God will send upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false (II Thess. 2:10b-11). What we experience today is truly the welcome the world is preparing for the lawless one, the father of lies, the devil himself, when he takes over this world. YAHSHUA expressly warned His disciples about false Messiahs and false prophets saying, Be careful that no one misleads you, for many will come in My name saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray…many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error (Matt. 24:1-12). Sadly, that is happening right now. “Be careful,” implies danger ahead. The ultimately results of falling into deceit is the loss of one’s life. Now is the time, the Bible says to embrace the truth; now is the time to secure yourself into the arms of YAHSHUA for protection and deliverance from all that is false, holding unto discernment – the way to safety.
The End Times Review channel through Telegram media has published part of a chapter from the book entitled, President Donald J. Trump, The Son of Man the Christ by Helgard Muller from South Africa. He refers to the verses 28-30 of Luke chapter 17, and appropriates them to President Donald J. Trump as if he were the son of man, the Christ, which is blasphemous in every way. YAHSHUA referred to Himself as the Son of Man when He, in His prophetic utterance, gave signs of the day when He will be revealed. The verses read: They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Then the book reads: “Make President Donald J. Trump great so that you can have eternal life and not perish (John 3:14-15)! For whosoever shall be ashamed of Jesus, the Son of God and of his words, of him shall President Donald J. Trump, the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his father’s, and of the holy angels (Luke 9:26). Trump is the “Great King” of God to rule the nations and the Jews (Psalm 45). For he is coming back America – and this time with great power and glory (Mark 13:26)! President Donald J. Trump, the son of Man (not Jesus, the Son of God) will smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treads the winepress (Jews-Exodus 34:13) of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, And Lord of Lords- (Revelation 19: 11-21). President Donald J. Trump is the King of Kings, And the Lord of Lords! The Son of Man Who Will Be Seen Seated in The Place Of Power At God’s Right Hand And Coming On The Clouds of Heaven!”
Light from the Word 