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.

Those Who Are People of Faith Are Blessed

Faith is the substance, the proof, the certainty, the conviction of reality of things not seen. It was by faith that the patriarchs were sustained and served the Lord. Faith walks on water, it moves mountains, no matter the size. It brought life to lifeless bodies as in their resurrection from the dead. Few have experienced the reality of faith that way. Although not manifested often, it happens to those people of faith. It goes to the extreme between death and life and conquers the physical death. Although, death will come to all when life comes to its end. Faith smiles at any problem with confidence of its strength, for those who are people of faith are truly blessed with the reality of things they hoped and prayed for. In faith. Arise and shine, the Lord tells us even in times of trouble, because the victory has been won, when on the cross YAHSHUA declared, It is finished! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (I Cor. 15:55). This is a song of victory echoed through eternity from the time YAHSHUA fought it with His own life.

What does the word of God says concerning faith in relationship to Him? “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Without faith man is alienated from God, for it is by faith that he can come near to God, for whoever comes near to Him must believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Many of us are guilty of that and as a result, we live a life without experiencing God’s blessings that come from exercising faith. Faith in action is like walking on water facing the storm raging against us without fear and anxiety, because we have been made perfect in the love of God and are protected from these tormenting spirits. Where there is fear, faith is non-existent in one’s life in whatever circumstance we are facing. Fear does not bring us blessings, but torment according to the Bible: There is no fear in love, but full- grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror. For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (I John 4:18).

Today’s people of faith are those who have little of this world and yet are content with what they have, for they are spiritually blessed with peace, joy, hope – a hope based on the promise from God Himself. They have what the world is looking for, but are empty of it, for these blessings are not found in riches, but in faith that springs up from the love of YAHSHUA shed on the cross, when He gave up His life to give the world life, although rejected by the majority. YAHSHUA offered us peace, the peace that emanates from Him, not from the world, from the things that the world offers. He said, Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also…Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14: 1-3,27).

The secret for peace in the heart of man is found in the belief and practices of God’s word. The strength of faith clears the mind and establishes peace in times of trouble we all face. When we embrace fear instead of faith, the consequences are detrimental to the physical body. God has never promised us an easy life, but He promised to be with us. He said, In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer! For I have overcome the world (John16:31b). Paul said, Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds (Phil. 4:6-7). What does anxiety do to a troubled heart? Separates it from faith and from the blessing of peace. YAHSHUA said, Do not worry, but instead, seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So, do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own sufficient for each day is its own trouble. We are not to take our burdens on ourself, but cast the whole of your care on Him, for He cares for you (Matt. 6:25-34; I Pet. 5:7).

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Friends Who Would Not Give Up

The word friendship is a warm word, connecting the world together in a bond of peace, for it overlooks an offense and forgives it. The blessing that a friend brings is noticeable in times of one’s trials. Solomon said, “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17). This is a good definition of friendship. The harmony existent in friendship makes one secure and confident in one another. The foundation of the love existent in friendship comes from the unselfish heart; a heart that knows how to deny self to reach out to a friend no matter what the circumstance. David and Jonathan were good examples of good friends. We see it when Jonathan risked his own life to save David’s in time when his father wanted to kill him. He had no jealousy toward him knowing that David was to be the future king after his father’s death and not he. Even in its imperfection, friendship offers much good to those who have friends. In the report of Luke 5:18-10, there is a perfect example of friends helping their paralyzed friend to get to YAHSHUA for healing. Guided by faith, they lifted their friend up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles in front of YAHSHUA. This was an amazing act of courage compelled by compassion. Those men overlooked the possible danger ahead of them and the damage they were causing to someone’s roof, if that was the case. Faith took them to the Healer even if they had to break through a roof. The Bible tells us that when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him with his stretcher through the tiles into the midst, in front of YAHSHUA (Luke 5:18-19).

When YAHSHUA saw their faith, He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you (Luke 5:20). YAHSHUA saw beyond the physical condition of this man. He saw the root cause of his problem. For him to receive his physical healing, his spiritual condition, had to be dealt with first. So, it was that this man left the place spiritually and physically healed at the words of YAHSHUA, “I say to you, arise, pick up your stretcher and go to your own house. instantly [the man] stood up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went away to the house, recognizing and praising and thanking God” (Luke 5: 24-25). That was the day of his freedom, not only physical, but spiritual; a day of celebration in recognition and acknowledgment of the Son of God by all who witnessed the miracle. as we read, “And overwhelming astonishment and ecstasy seized them all, and they recognized and praised and tanked God and they were filled with and controlled by reverential fear and kept saying, We have seen wonderful and strange and incredible and unthinkable things today!” (Luke 5:26) The healing of that paralyzed man caused great awakening in the lives of all those present. The deed of friends toward one friend, resulted in more than his physical healing; it resulted also in the awakening of the crowd of Whom YAHSHUA was: the Messiah, the Son of God, Who was to come. As a result, a short- lived revival happened that day in the hearts of the people, although years later, the same crowd cried, Crucify Him, crucify Him!

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At the Right Place at the Right Time

A Samaritan woman had no idea that her day would finish the way it did, as she went as usual doing her task for that day. It was about noon when she had the most important encounter, which changed her life for eternity. A woman with a spiritual need, seeking and searching the truth about spiritual things, the Samaritan woman was thirsty for the water that would satisfy her eternally. She knew enough about the Law to understand some aspect of it and follow it to some extent, but not in its entirety, for she was bathed in idolatry mingled with the Law’s tradition. YAHSHUA met her at the heat of the day, when she came to fetch water, while He sat down to rest by the well. The Bible says that “It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria” on His way to Galilea from Judea. God’s plan for the Gentiles was being fulfilled in that ordinary day. It started with YAHSHUA asking her for a drink. The Samaritan woman presented Him a question which defined the separation between Jews and Samaritans, since the Jews had nothing to do with them. She asked, “How is it that You being a Jew ask me, a Samaritan woman for a drink?” The Samaritans were people of low class to the Jews due to their background origin.

The Samaritans occupied the country formerly belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The capital of the country was Samaria, formerly a large and splendid city. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2-11). These foreigners intermarried with the Israelite population that was still in and around Samaria. These “Samaritans” at first worshiped the idols of their own nations, but being troubled with lions, they supposed it was because they had not honored the God of that territory. A Jewish priest was therefore sent to them from Assyria to instruct them in the Jewish religion. They were instructed from the books of Moses, but still retained many of their idolatrous customs. The Samaritans embraced a religion that was a mixture of Judaism and idolatry (2 Kings 17:26-28). Because the Israelite inhabitants of Samaria had intermarried with the foreigners and adopted their idolatrous religion, Samaritans were universally despised by the Jews.” (GotQuestions.org)

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Consequently, We Regard No One From a Human Point of View

Paul, a devout Pharisee, was indeed a persecutor of those who followed YAHSHUA’S teachings, as he estimated Him from a human point of view. The outsiders of the Christian faith who persecute them, have no sight to see, neither understanding of the spiritual things to act and judge those for what they are in their faith in God, consequently, they persecute and kill them. They eliminate the Christians from the earth in their erroneous and prideful ways of estimating others for their faith. In Acts chapter eight and nine, we read a report concerning Paul’s persecution of the Christians of his days, where we read much hatred for them: And Saul was consenting to [Stephen’s] death. On that day, a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (vs. 1). Meanwhile, Saul still drawing his breath hard from the threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and requested of him letters to the synagogue at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way he might bring them bound to Jerusalem (9:1-2). The way that he regarded the Lord YAHSHUA as human and not as God’s Son was reflected on his treatment of the YAHSHUA’S disciples.

A child of God, he who has experienced the new birth in YAHSHUA, is a new creation, born of the Spirit and not of the flesh. YAHSHUA told Nicodemus, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not at My telling you, You must all be born anew (John 3:5-7). YAHSHUA clearly confirms the process of the new birth. Once we are born into the family of God, we are new creation; the old is gone, all is made new, said Paul. That is of great significance in the lives of those who have believed; theirs are the privileges of children of God; theirs are also the behavior that is required to reflect their position as children of God. And as such, they are to behave as God’s own chosen, who are purified and holy an well-beloved, tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling a lowly opinion of themselves, gentle ways, patience, gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has forgiven them; and above all these [put on] love and enfold themselves with the bond of perfectness (Col. 3). A child of God, united by the bond of love that emanates from YAHSHUA Himself, must not regard each other in terms of natural value standard, or from a purely human point of view, as those of the world do, blinded by it, for lacking spiritual discernment. We are knit together as one in our Lord YAHSHUA, Who is the head of the church- one church. We are one body and one Spirit- just as there is also one hope to the calling you received; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of Who is above all, pervading all and in all (Eph. 4:4-5). Paul says, We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] out to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; and not to please ourselves; let each one of us make it a practice to please his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, the reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me (Rom. 15:1-3).

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Until the Full Number of Ingathering of Gentiles Has Come In

Abraham, a friend of God, was chosen for a sublime purpose denied to the rest of humankind. From the beginning of his life, Abraham was a man that walked with God. No, he was not an idolatrous as his family was according to history. In fact, “Abraham lived in Noah’s house thirty-nine years, and he knew the Lord from three years old; he went in the ways of the Lord until the day of his death” (Ancient book of Jasher, pg.20). From the time that our forefathers sinned, God had a plan to redeem the human race through His Son. The nation of Israel was born for this purpose and Abram’s offspring was the one chosen to bring the Holy Seed into the world. When God redeemed Jacob’s sons from the land of Egypt, and took them through the wilderness for forty years, when the journey would have been of just days, His purpose for them was to form a nation after His heart. Since the sons of Jacob were deeply intrenched in idolatry for having lived in that country for over four hundred years, they had forgotten the God of their father Abraham. Now, the Lord God was taking away the gods of Egypt from their hearts, by instructing them through the Law. In the third month after the Israelites left the land of Egypt, the same day, they came into the Wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 19). It was in that wilderness that the Lord covenanted with them, saying: I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (1) You shall not make yourself any graven image (2) you shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them (3) you shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain (4) earnestly remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (5) regard your father and mother, that your day may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you (6) you shall not commit murder (7) you shall not commit adultery (8) you shall not steal (9) you shall not witness falsely against your neighbor (10) you shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s (Exo. 20:1-17).

Israel was created and formed by the Lord God to be a light to the Gentile pagan nations. Israel was to shine God’s purpose of redemption to a Gentile world corrupt and confused with many gods. Israel was to be for God a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; these were the words Moses was to tell them (Exo. 19:6). A beautiful plan, which included God’s plan of salvation by sending His own Son to the world through the nation of Israel. God’s covenant with Abraham was solidified in YAHSHUA’S coming, death and resurrection. Abraham became the father of many nations: As it Is written, I have made you the father of many nations in the sight of God in Whom he believed. Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the non-existent things that as if they existed (Rom. 4:17) “And in your Seed (YAHSHUA) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice (Gen. 22:18). Abraham, God’s friend, so God called him, has no equal to him in his supreme calling. His name is on the list of heroes of the faith, defining him of strong faith, a vessel in God’s hand to fulfill His promise of a Redeemer (Heb. 11:8-11). Although, Abraham’s descendants were far from being that which God intended for them, he, was a righteous man, worthy of the calling for his faith sustained his belief in God’s promise through the covenant in Genesis 22. God honored his faith and reassured Isaac of His promise in His covenant to Abraham saying, I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and make your offspring numerous for my servant Abraham’s sake (Ge. 26:24).

But when YAHSHUA came to fulfill His promise to Abraham’s descendants, there was no place for Him in their hearts. He was rejected, and handled to the Gentile nation of Rome to be scourged and suffer the death of crucifixion according to their merciless ways. However, that’s when the Gentile nations were engrafted in God’s plan of salvation, mentioned as the mystery Paul referred to. In the space of time, as it was prophesized by Daniel 9:24-27, seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, were decreed upon Israel and upon the holy city to finish and put an end to transgression, to seal up and make full the measure of sin, to purge away and make expiation and reconciliation for sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet and to anoint a Holy of Holies in which the coming and death of their Messiah happened. Israel’s last week of years is yet to take place, when the time will come for God to deal with the nation by judgment through a period of tribulation of seven years, bringing them to repentance and their restoration, according to Zechariah 13:8-9: And in that land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive; and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them, I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.

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Set a Guard, O Lord Before My Lips

The mouth is the avenue from which the heart expresses itself with the help of the mind. As the car is for accident, so the mouth is for pain it causes to one who is the victim of it. The seed of hatred or other negative emotions are many times planted deeply into the soul of man through words that proceed from the mouth. Words are so powerful that can destroy one’s life in a short time. Not only mentally, but also physically, for it is a cause for bitterness and unforgiveness to lodge in the heart. The body, being one connected part, shares in all the results of whatever happens in its emotional as well as the physical members. A child, who constant listens to negative words, pressuring him\her down to conform to the attitude of his parents, will grow insecure and not able to perform to his potential abilities. His future is disturbed with emotional woes. The world around him is a globe empty of love, because the tongue guided his present into his failed future. When the psalmist prayed, Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips (Ps.141:3), he knew first-hand about the consequences of one’s tongue. He himself had suffered much at the tongue of his enemies.

James had these to say concerning the tongue: For we all have stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech, he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. If we set bits in the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about; likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines; even so, the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! And the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth being itself ignited by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius. But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison; with it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness! (James 3:2-9). The more that we move the tongue, the more that we sin against God and against one another. However, there is peace in keeping the tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit of the Lord, for His presence within us accomplishes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness (Gal. 5:22). Where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there will be no room for anything contrary to Him, for the presence of God’s Holy Spirit controls us, filling the mind with good things, not allowing the tongue to express bullies against one another. Paul recommended us to think whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things (Phil. 4:8). Even in the midst of anger, we are not to take vengeance with words, but let our speech be gracious, seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6a), for we are to represent our heavenly Father’s love. The Patriarch Job said, I purposed in my heart not to sin with my mouth (job 31:30-40).

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There Is No Answer From God

When God is silent in response to our prayers, while He Himself encourages us to call on Him in our struggles, it is because either He is acting in His sovereignty, performing that which is best for us, or He is sanctifying us, or calling our attention to hidden sins. The Psalmist wrote, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Ps. 66:18). That is, guilty of known sin but continuing practicing it. In order for peace to reign in our troubled heart and our relationship to be restored with God, it is necessary to test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord; to lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, acknowledging that we have transgressed and rebelled against Him (Lam. 3) confessing our sins to be forgiven. A heart that is repentant, the Lord will not forsake it, said David. If that is the reason why God remains silent to our prayers, that will be a good start. A church that embraces false teachings, has separated itself from God and have alienated itself from receiving His blessings in having their prayers answered. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, not His ear dull with deafness that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2).

We blame God for not answering our prayers; for this reason, many deny His existence, disregarding their sinful life-style as a result of God’s silence to their prayers. The holiness of our God does not mingle with sin; there is no relationship with Him if we choose the world’s life-style, instead of observing His commandments. God is not a robot to do things we want Him to do, the way we want Him to do. In this world there are many gods people chose to worship. But none of them is the true supreme GOD, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, Eternal and Infinite, All- Powerful, All -Knowing, etc. etc. When we try to approach Him, we must do it realizing that His presence is holy ground. Enter His presence in awe of Him in humbleness and adoration, shoes off in submission to what He has to say. His love will embrace you, bringing you close to Him, for He is a Father to those who love Him. YAHSHUA said, “What man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If you then evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!” (Matt.7:9-11). When telling the disciples the parable of the widow, YAHSHUA concluded by saying, “And will not God defend and protect and avenge His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf? I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily…” (Luke 18: 1-8). In our suffering, He will rock our cradle until the storm passes by, provided that we are walking with Him. God’s silence does not mean He has given us a deaf ear; No, to the contrary, He is closer to us, but He must do what it takes to sanctify us. The process of sanctification is slow, otherwise, we would not be able to endure it. The secret of contentment is submission to His will. When God is silent, that will be the time to be still before Him until He directs us to the next step in our walking with Him. The Prophet Habakkuk said, “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (2:20).

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YAHSHUA Torn Down Wall of Religions to Convey Compassion Toward Sinners

The spirit of religion permeates far and widely everywhere there is man. Self-righteousness is the down fall of their faith, for their critical attitudes. There is no mercy in their ways of judgment when they speak against those of different ways of believing. YAHSHUA condemned such people with a parable He told His disciples about two men who went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: “God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men, swindlers, adulteress- or even like this tax collector here… but the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, , be favorable to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am! I tell you, this man went down to his home justified, rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14). Religion is a wall that separates and destroys the faith of many. It is in another word, tradition. It establishes the do’s and don’ts not found in the word of God, as if in the time of the Law. Christians go as far as only to consider one translation of the Bible to be right, not knowing the true background history of that version. Tradition is good in some ways, when it comes to family’s customs. It connects us to our long- gone forefathers, keeping alive the family tradition, that which made them unique. The spirit of religion is the spirit of self-righteousness. There is great difference between the true religion and that of self-righteousness. The true religion is shown through action of love; it does not judge ones weak in the faith, it does not elevate self, but submit to the authority of YAHSHUA, Who is the source of man’s righteousness. “True religion is that pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world” (James 1:27). It is nothing to do with the outlook and pretension to be that which we are not.

Paul said, “As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him; but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions. Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master is mighty to support him and make him stand. Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. And so, each of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:1,4,10). Standing in one’s idea to be the only right one, independent from what the Word of God teaches, is certainly a spirit of religion, a man- made belief. YAHSHUA fought the religious Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes of His days on earth. He was strong in His definitions of whom they were- hypocrites, double-minded people, hiding their own identity by their self-righteousness, performing deeds of appearance of good, when their inner was full of foul smells. One certain day when scribes and Pharisees came to YAHSHUA complaining about His disciples for not washing their hands before eating. He then replied to them saying, “And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers?… So, for the sake of your tradition, you have set aside the Word of God… You pretenders! Admirable and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, “These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men” (Matt.15:3-30). With these words, YAHSHUA shone the bright light of truth, exposing whom they were. These blind guides were the authorities of the people in those days, leading the people to destruction. YAHSHUA uttered a series of woes to those religious authorities, condemning them to eternity.

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To Know God, Is To Be Known of Him

The desire of all who claim to be God’s children should be that of wanting to know Him; to know Him as Lord of our life, as we seek and acknowledge Him in every aspect of circumstance that we face. Walking with Him day by day in the newness of life in Him. The key word here is relationship, for it is in relationship that we are connected with our Lord in good times, and in bad times. Relationship binds us to Him, while empowering us with spiritual and physical strength. This should be our most important and determined purpose while here on this earth. Paul counted everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ YAHSHUA his Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him; perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly that was his determined purpose (Phil. 3). For this reason, he was empowered by God’s strength in his trials, which were many in his life time as God’s minister. Paul’s life is an example of someone’s determined purpose to know God. It shows in his bodily and emotional sufferings when persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, without losing focus of his desire to know God. Suffering persecution for the sake of the Gospel is a true sign that we are in relationship with God.

The misconception that we are exempt from trials and sufferings when we walk close to the Lord, is one that has caused confusion and weakness of faith, for we were called to be molded into the image of God’s Son (Rom. 8:29). That means, our old and sinful nature, which is the soul comprising of the intellect, the emotion, and the will must submit and conform itself to God’s nature. The molding process is hard and painful, for we were born in sin, carrying the weight of iniquity of our forefathers. For this reason, we tend to be evil and contrary to God’s nature, as He has said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). The Lord, often calls us to the still waters, a place where we can be alone with Him. It is a place where we are spiritually refreshed in His presence, for water speaks of the Holy Spirit. His comforting presence refreshes us, and leads us close to God, by convicting and shaping our nature to His nature. The closer we get to Him the more that we see ourselves for what we are. YAHSHUA said to His disciples when life was so busy for them without even the leisure to eat, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:30). That’s what we should do today in our busy life style, and not run away from His presence. YAHSHUA wants our friendship with Him, as He told the disciples, “You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do” (John 15:3,14). Friendship is strengthened by doing what is pleasing to a friend and vice-versa.

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Mountains with Past History and A Future

Mount Horeb, the mount of God. The Mount where God covenanted with Israel in the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land. In a terrifying and powerful manner of His holiness, God came down to the mount of Horeb or Mount Sinai. When He touched it, Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke and it quaked greatly (Ex. 19:18). The holiness of God shocked the earth, for it could not stand before His presence. Even Moses, who talked to Him face to face, was afraid of it. The seriousness of that event should have made a difference in the lives of the people of Israel as long as they lived. Reminding the people of their background history, the Lord God said to them, I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before or besides Me (Ex. 20:1). Enslaved for over four hundred years, the sons of Jacob had forgotten His God. They had followed instead, the gods of Egypt. For this reason, God came down in an expression so strong as to show them Him to be the only true God, holy and powerful. He came to break the chains of idolatry from their hearts. This was a firm and serious declaration, causing Israel to realize Who He was in the fullness and power of His holiness. God came down to covenant with them, calling them to holiness in the conditions of the covenant clearly and well expressed.

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