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.

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.

Pages: 12

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).

Pages: 12

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).

Pages: 12

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.

Pages: 12

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.

Pages: 12

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.

Pages: 12

Reconciled by Means of The Cross

In the days of Adam and Eve, when sin entered the world, men and nature suffered the separation from God. Men lost their relationship with Him, and found themselves under condemnation, deserving God’s judgment. But God, in His long-suffering, reached out to them by providing a way for their reconciliation with God. After many years, when the wickedness of men reached to the sky, God sent judgments to the world, saving just a few, who had not defiled themselves against God. His promise of long ago to redeem them, came in the fulfillment of time, when God sent His Son to the world to be the sacrificial Lamb to erase their sins through forgiveness. It started while He was being nailed to the cross; He prayed forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him; it continued when the thief acknowledged YAHSHUA, as the Son of God, asking to be remembered when YAHSHUA entered heaven. He promised him saying, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” When He uttered these words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” A cry expressing the extent of His agony, when facing hell in our place. It was then that He released forgiveness to the entire world, reconciling men to God. It was then that He had accomplished that for what He had come to do in fulfillment of Scripture. He said, IT IS FINISHED! Men were now reconciled with God!

Cursed is everyone, who is hung on the tree, (Gal. 3:13). YAHSHUA became a curse for us in the process of reconciliating the world to Himself and to the Father. He broke the chains that held us subjected to the power of sin, in order to reconcile us to God. There is nothing better than to walk in freedom from condemnation; peace that emanates from being forgiven. We owe all to our Lord, and Savior, YAHSHUA our Messiah. Just think, where would we have been without His grace and mercy? Without His love and forgiveness? The book of Lamentations declares: “It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassion fails not; they are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). Paul writes to the Ephesians saying, “May blessing be to the God and Father of our Lord YAHSHUA Messiah, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm: He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, blameless in His sight; He adopted us as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah in accordance with the purpose of His will; In Him we have redemption through His blood in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor; in Him we also were made [God’s] heritage and we obtained an inheritance; in Him we have who have heard the Word of Truth of our salvation and have believed, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit, guaranteeing of our inheritance” (Eph.1).

Pages: 12

Until I Acknowledged My Sin

Sin is a trap ready to hold man enslaved to its power. Embedded in the soul and DNA of men, even before birth, when he was being created, it became part of man’s behavior, because he lost God’s image, when he inherited the sins of iniquity, which are carried from generation to generation. Psalm 51 says, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. “The DNA, as an organic chemical of complex molecular structure, codes genetic information for the transmission of inherited traits.” It is complex, because it is God’s signature. It registers God’s deep wisdom and knowledge men can never figure it out scientifically on their argument to support evolution. Years of trying to carry on their belief in evolution, men get stuck on the theory, without proof. Complex as man is in his formation, created in the image of God Himself, according to Elliott’s commentary, “the verb created indicates, first, that man shows that he was never a development or evolution, but he is without a doubt, the most perfect work of the creative energy, and he is different from the animals and he is an organized body, indicating the rejoicing of the Deity at the completion of God’s purpose.” So, man is not only flesh and blood and skeleton; he is much more than that. He is spirit- the eternal part, he is soul the part that defines who he is. And body, the physical and visible part. Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1:27)

Created in perfect harmony with the Creator’s plan, without sin, pure and blameless, living in a perfect and peaceful environment nested in a beautiful garden, the Garden of Eden. We have no idea of the length of time men lived in that perfect environment, before they sinned, but we do know that it came to an end at the time they sinned. David, the man after God’s heart, found himself in gross sinful behavior, when he committed the sin of adultery and homicide. Victim of the consequences of his sinful behavior, King David suffered spiritually, mentally and emotionally and physically. Continuing living his life as if nothing had happened, it came a time when he was stricken by God. He said, When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long; for day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer (Ps. 32:3-4). King David was suffering from arthritis and kidney problems. He was pressured to do what was right in order to restore his relationship with God, once enjoyed. Diseases are for most part, a result of sin in our life, expressed through our mental and physical experiences. We pray for healing, but continue committing the very sin that has brought us diseases. Prayers are not answered, at that time, but it will be, when we acknowledge our sins before God with repentance to receive forgiveness. King David took this route and enjoyed forgiveness through the healing of his mental and physical ailments. Acknowledgment of sins with repentance is the key to open heaven. As King David prayed, “Have mercy upon me O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness, blot out my transgressions; wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make ne 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 Your judgment” (Ps. 51). Until he acknowledged his sin before God, King David carried the weight of his non-confessed sin’s guilt. The spirit of guilt is without a doubt, a tormenting spirit. It can either lead us to repentance, or remorse. In the case of Judas, and Peter in relationship with the betrayal and denial of YAHSHUA, one suffered remorse and committed suicide; Peter repented and was forgiven and restored.

Pages: 12

By This I Know That You Are a Man of God

Actions speak louder than words. Do what I do; do not do what I say. If I tell you, I am a born-again Christian, but my actions deny the very essence of my faith, I am a hypocrite, and the Holy Spirit is not abiding in me. Look at what YAHSHUA called the Pharisees of His day. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders! You blind guides, you are like tombs that have been white-washed, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure; blind fools! These are just a few definitions extracted from Matthew chapter 23 where we find a host of definitions our Lord uttered against the Pharisees. This religious sect is alive and well in our churches today. Hypocrisy is evident in the life style one chooses to have. Some are performing miracles in the name of the prosperity gospel; they prophesize falsely to acquire fame. The gospel they preach is not the gospel from the Bible. However, time will confirm who they are. Woe are they, for condemnation has been pronounced by our Lord, YAHSHUA. “I never knew you; depart from Me.” He told the crowd, “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly, I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who act wickedly” (Matt. 7:22-23). YAHSHUA gives us a picture of someone active in the church. Their activities are those of prophesying, performing miracles, casting out demons. These are well received as from God. They performed these, but did not have a relationship with God. Their lives were instruments for their own gain. They own mansions, airplanes, fancy and expensive cars in the name of miracles, but their insides are filled with hypocrisies and love of money. A god they love more than the true God they presumably serve.

YAHSHUA entered the synagogue in Nazareth, where He had been brought up, as was His custom on the Sabbath day and He stood up to read…He opened the scroll and read Isaiah 61:1-2). He stood as the One Who had come to fulfill the Law and the prophets. He stood as a messenger of the word of God. He said to the people, Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing. But the people wondered about Him, saying, Is not this Joseph’s Son? That’s all they thought of Him. For this reason, they rejected His message in disbelief. YAHSHUA then responded, saying, “I say to you, no prophet is acceptable and welcome in his [own] town. But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed up for three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; and yet Elijah was not sent to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow” (Luke 4: 16-26). Here, we have the reason why Elijah was not sent to a widow in Israel. It was because of their unbelief. Naturally, they would have not believed him. Miracles happen when faith is present. God’s plan to save Elijah, rewarded the widow from Sidon, because she believed Elijah to be a man of God, sent to her by God. Before Elijah performed the miracle of bringing her son to life, she did everything Elijah told her to do, even giving him her last substance. That was faith in action, for she did not know for sure, but believed the words of Elijah, “Fear not, go and do as you said. But make me a little cake of first and bring it to me, and after ward prepare some for yourself and your son, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. She did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days” (I Kings 17:13-15). Her first step of faith opened heaven to bless her as Elijah, the man of God was blessed. In the death and resurrection of her son, she saw the glory of God shinning through His servant, Elijah, who faithfully served Him. It was no small thing to her when Elijah brought her son to life. As a widow, she needed her son to provide for her and was depended on him for everything else. He was to her strength and security for her future. The Lord God honored her faith and blessed her for it. YAHSHUA mentioned her to the crowd, who lacked faith in Him. He stood in the synagogue of Nazareth as the Son of God in all the miracles He performed before the eyes of all people. Yet, He was not believed to be the Messiah that was to come by His own, especially those of His town called Nazareth. In contrast, the prophet Elijah performed only one miracle, and that was sufficient for that widow to believe him to be a man of God: “By this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” This was her confession (I Kings 17:24).

Pages: 12

God Will Swallow Up Death

O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (I Cor. 15).

When our forefathers heeded to the voice of the enemy of their souls, death came to them as a curse and was carried out to all born of men. Disguising himself through a serpent, who was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made, (Gen. 3:1), he tempted Eve to doubt God’s reason for not letting them eat the fruit from the tree of the middle of the garden. He succeeded when Eve fell to his temptation. The seed of death entered into the world and from then on, humankind was subjected to condemnation of physical and eternal death, with Satan their master. However, in spite of all his power, Satan is resistible. James wrote, “Be subject to God, resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you” (4:7). God has provided us His spiritual armor in order for us to wrestle with Satan. In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul admonishes us to put on the armor of God, for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood but with Satan and his hosts. Satan manifests himself as an angel of light, changing his appearance in the auspice of good, when he is the prince of darkness, according to Scripture (Eph. 6). Satan is a liar, a deceiver, a tempter and an accuser of men. He was not happy when God created men; so, he became men’s enemy with the purpose to destroy them physically and eternally. His sting of death has taken many with him to hell, because men rejected God, choosing him, instead.

Satan was called the anointed guardian cherub. We read this in the Bible about him: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in gold, On the day that you were created they were prepared; You were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing, and I set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [like the paved work of gleaming sapphire stone upon which the God of Israel walked on Mount Sinai].” (Ezek. 28:13-14). What more did this angel want? He wanted to be God. In his pride, Satan rose against God and corrupted the beautiful garden God had created. Not only the garden, but the entire world. The Bible says, “All have sinned and became short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Separated from God and His mercy, goodness, and love, men were destined to eternal death, for there was none that had not sinned. Men’s heart is perverse and contrary to God’s laws. The Prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). The world in its entirety suffered the consequences of sin. It left a stain only YAHSHUA could wash away. The stain of physical and eternal death; nature was also subjected to decay as Paul so said in Romans chapter 8:19-22: “For even the whole creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known, for the creation was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, by by the will of Him Who so subjected it with the hope that nature itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. We know that the whole creation has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.”

Pages: 12