God’s Perfect Plan of Salvation

God’s plan of salvation is according to His foreknowledge, the setting apart by the Holy Spirit for obedience and for the sprinkling with the blood of YAHSHUA MESSIAH, His Son (I Peter 1:1-3).

God’s plan of salvation was put in place at the time of the fall of men (Gen. 3:15): And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head under foot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. Satan’s seed is the antichrist who will rise to be an absolute leader for a short period of time of seven years. The woman’s Offspring is YAHSHUA, Who came to die to save mankind from hell and the power of sin. He will come back and will reign over the entire world with power and majesty.  God’s plan of salvation is a team effort: We read in I Peter 1:1-3 that God the Father chose and foreknew; the HOLY SPIRIT consecrated and sanctified for obedience to YAHSHUA; and YAHSHUA sprinkled us with His blood.

How To Be An Overcomer

(I Peter 5: 10; James 4:7; Psalm 92)

The suffering of the believer is not something that happens by accident, neither it is to be regarded as in vain. But it requires a personal search of the heart to be allied in the right position with God, so to understand the perfect will of God in that situation. The sufferings of the believer in YAHSHUA caused by persecution are without a question, the most honorable way of suffering. He so confirmed by saying, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account. Be glad and supremely joyful for your reward is great, for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5: 10-12).

Teach Us To Number Our Days

(Palm 90)

Moses, the man of God, was well acquainted with life’s brevity. Although he lived long, he saw many young fall dead in the desert through God’s wrath expressed in judgment against his people. Psalm 90 is a psalm that expresses Moses feelings from his experiences while wandering through the desert, leading his people to the Promised Land. In this psalm, he shows the intimacy he had with God by the freedom of expression directed to God. We can also see this in other instances when he pleaded for his people. The desire of Moses’s heart was for him to understand the span of life time on earth, in order to acquire a heart of wisdom. Knowing and understanding the fragility and shortness of life we can pray with Moses, “So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom” (Vs. 11,12). The span of one’s life when filled with sin is rather short and unfulfilled. We read this in Ecclesiastes 7:17: be not wicked overmuch or willfully, neither be foolish -why should you die before your time? How many lives have gone before their time because of their wickedness and foolishness?  A life that lives to satisfy pleasures of the flesh is a life that does not consider its fragility and its uncertainty of existence; it is a foolish life. To live for the moment carries a weight of consequences for eternity. The fragility of this life is worthy considering in order to gain a heart of wisdom. A heart that understands the limited time span given to it to pump life is a heart that prays like the psalmist, O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Surely every man walks to and fro- like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness he is in turmoil; each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them (Ps. 39:4-6).

Chosen To Salvation

(I Thessalonians 5:1-11)

Children of light, children of the day, so are we who have been born again! Here, Paul opens our eyes to understand why we are not going to suffer Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, that is: We belong to the day…for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord YAHSHUA the Messiah (vs. 8-9). Chosen to salvation, we are destined to share in God’s protection and deliverance from His wrath which is coming upon the wicked people. This is an uplifting hope we carry with us in the midst of a stormy world. God will regard those who love Him and reward them with deliverance from His wrath. In his Psalms David prayed asking God to make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, at the time of His judgments: Gather me not with sinners, he prayed, and sweep me not away, nor my life with bloodthirsty men (Ps. 26:9); drag me not away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace with their neighbors, but malice and mischief are in their hearts (28:3). God has a special place of refuge for His saints, for He is consistent in what He is and how he acts. Examples are seen in the lives of Noah and Lot in the times of God’s judgments that came to the earth.  For those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, they shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1). There is no other more secure place than that of “under the shadow of the Almighty.”  The Bible promises those who do so that no evil will befall them, nor any plague or calamity will come near their tent, for He will give His angels charge over them to accompany and defend and preserve them in all their ways; they shall bear them up on their hands, lest they dash their foot against a stone.. (Ps. 91:9-12). That’s a promise for God’s saints in His purpose and will for them.

YAHSHUA

YAHSHUA is the seed of eternal life that had to die in order for Him to see His spiritual offspring through the travail of His soul; He is the source of men’s eternal salvation and there is none other in heaven or earth that has been given the power to save.  By one single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy. Therefore, there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin; now with purified hearts and sprinkled from a guilty conscience, let’s seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess our acknowledgement of it; for He Who promised is reliable and faithful to His word (Heb. 10). In His death, He carried our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses and distresses), He carried our sorrows and pains.  His Father shone on Him our guilt and iniquity and considered Him the guilty one deserving of the cross in our instead. Yet we turned away from Him; we like sheep rejected His leading and followed our own way. But He took all upon Himself as if He deserved, in submission without a word coming from His mouth; just like a lamb led to the slaughter. He was taken away by oppression and unjustly judged; He was cut off out the land of the living, He was stricken to His death- yes for the transgressions of us all. He was assigned with the wicked, as if He were one of them, although He was innocent and pure of all sins; He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53). How can we escape the eternal punishment, if we continue rejecting Him? The Word of God says, If we go on deliberately and willing sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for sins; [there is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God] (Heb. 10: 26, 27). The love of our YAHWEH extends to all men, apart from race and color. His love is unconditional and infinite; it is available at all times with opportunities for all to receive His Son. However, opportunity we have only now. Tomorrow it might not be available.

God’s Perfect Plan of Salvation

After the fall of men God’s plan of salvation surfaced when He told Adam and Eve that His Son was going to strike the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). What does this mean to us? It means victory over Satan and over death, when YAHSHUA took upon Himself our sins and carried them to the cross and there God disarmed the principalities and power that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it (the cross) (Col. 2:15). We read in 1 Peter 1:1 the involvement of the trinity in the plan of men’s salvation in its several aspects: God the Father chose and foreknew us; the HOLY SPIRIT consecrated and sanctified us for obedience to YAHSHUA; and YAHSHUA sprinkled us with His blood. The meaning of His blood being sprinkled on us is the process of cleansing us from our sins followed by sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Glorification is the next step of the process at the consummation of our salvation. This proves that God is three in One taking individual part in our salvation. It is a beautiful picture of God’s harmonious and perfect salvation.

When YAHSHUA Saw It, He Was Indignant

(Mark 10: 13-16)

What was the reason for YAHSHUA’S indignation at that time? Why did He get so upset? What was so important to Him? It was against the disciples who were prohibiting the parents from bringing their children to be blessed by Him.  It was in defense of the children’s right to be blessed, as it was the Jewish custom. We read in Mark ten that “they kept bringing young children to Him (YAHSHUA) that He might touch them (but) the disciples were reproving them [for it]. Although YAHSHUA was surrounded by so many people, by so much noise, even those interruptions did not keep Him from noticing the disciples’ reaction against the children’s coming to Him to be blessed. And when He saw what was happening, He took a stand against such behavior and said, Allow the children to come to Me – do not forbid or prevent or hinder them- for such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive and accept and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child positively does not enter it at all; and taking them [one by one] in His arms He invoked a blessing, placing His hands upon them(Mark 10:14-16).  When YAHSHUA stood to defend the children, He valued them with the standard which an adult must take in order to enter the kingdom of God. The example of a child’s humbleness is essential for a person to receive salvation.   

No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper

It is well known about weapons in the spiritual realm ready to be used against the believer. It is a reality we must realize every time we are struck by temptations.  The armor of God is given us to put on and keep it on, for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the powers against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere (Ephesians 6:12). That’s the only way we will be able to resist and stand our ground on the evil days.  Wicked forces are real; and they are under the control of Satan. These are fallen angels called demons. Peter warns us to be well balanced, be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of ours the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are appointed to our brotherhood throughout the world (I Peter 5:8-9). We can resist the weapon formed against us by prayer.  Prayer is a very important part of God’s armor to fight Satan’s weapon coming against us. Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (Ephesians 6:18). Praying constantly in the language of the Spirit, imploring God with enduring faith and persistence, with intercession for those of the God’s family, until our prayers reach the throne of our Lord.

Hanna, A Woman of Faith

A virtuous woman who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls (Proverbs 31).

Hanna was one of the wives of Elkanah from Ephraim; Peninnah, the other wife, had children, but Hanna was childless. This weighted heavily in her heart. Every year they would go up to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh. Hanna deeply in her sorrow would go pray to the Lord for a child. She made a vow to the Lord saying, Lord of Hosts if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut (I Sam. 1). So it was that the Lord heard her prayer and she became the mother of Samuel. As she vowed to the Lord, she gave him back to Him and Samuel grew in the temple serving the Lord all his life. He became a prophet and judge in Israel; the Lord let none of his words fall to the ground; and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord (I Sa.3:19-21).

Signs of the Times

Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away; for, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land; the fig tree puts forth and ripens her green figs and the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance; The time of the singing has come! (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)