Peace – Light from the Word

But God Will Receive Me

YAHSHUA said, Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him Who has sent Me, has everlasting life; he does not come before the judgment, but he passes from death to life (John 5:24). Passing from death to life is surely being transported from hell to the eternal home with YAHSHUA our Savior. In this natural world, we are very much preoccupied with things of no eternal value in a way that we become distracted from our most important future. It is this promise that keeps us free from fear of death. Our transitory and fleeting existence on this earth is but a dream that came and went in the course of the night. Death, therefore, is just a transition from earth to our eternal abode, called heaven. The process is painless and fast, depending where we are going. Paul said, But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; but to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake (Phil. 1:23-24). When we are attached to our heavenly home, nothing in this world should prioritize our mind, as YAHSHUA told to the disciples, 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 (John 14:1-2). The hope that He is preparing us a place in heaven is reason good enough to shift our attention and priority to it. The thief cried while facing death, Lord, remember me when you come into kingly glory! And YAHSHUA answered him, Truly, I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23:42-43). Today, we can cry to Him in repentance and He will change our destiny from death to life.

It is important for us to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God. For it is not through the natural birth, but through the spiritual birth that we are connected to the promise of eternal life. YAHSHUA said, What is born of flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit… You must be born anew! (John 3: 6-7). This gift was given to us when at the cross YAHSHUA bought us with His precious blood. There, He reconciled us to the Father. As He was purchasing us from the power of Satan, He cried, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Ps. 22:1). He suffered the pain of hell for us all who received His redemption. With that, He gave up His life and died. That was just the beginning of something of eternal value- men’s reconciliation to God. That’s when heaven’s door was opened for those whosoever will. A beautiful gift was presented to the world, sealed with YAHSHUA’S precious blood. That’s why at the end of our journey we can say, “God will receive me.” It is as the psalmist said, As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness; I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You] (Ps. 17:15). Imagine that! The future so beautiful, complete with joy, peace, not mentioning the breath-taking place itself. Just thinking about seeing YAHSHUA of Whom we heard so much; seeing His scarred hands and feet- the proof of the price He paid to purchase us, will give us strength to go through fires life brings us. Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! (Rom. 8:17). The certainty of knowing where we are going after this life, is the reason why we are not afraid of death. The transfer of God’s saints to heaven is very precious in the sight of the Lord (Ps. 116:15). But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me (Ps. 49:15). How can a holy God care for such sinner as we are? What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Ps.8:4) These are David’s words acknowledging God’s excellent name and power over the world. In a humble attitude, he uttered these words for the world to know, which have lasted and will last forever.

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Stuck Emotions, What Are They?

“Emotion is a complex experience of consciousness, bodily sensation, and behavior that reflects the personal significance of a thing, an event, or a state of affairs. It is a strong feeling, often accompanied by a physical reaction. Aristotle defined emotions as “all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgements, and that are also attended by pain or pleasure.” (Britannica).

When God created man, He created him with body, soul and spirit. The soul dictates man’s doings. It is a word for the intellect, the will and emotion. Without the soul, man would be without action. Emotions are feelings; they can be happy or sad depending on circumstances. So, emotions are affected by positive or negative circumstances. They are expressed through tears, especially in women. It is the part of the soul and it affects the organs of the body. When we cannot let go of past emotions, we hold them in the organs, weakening them with diseases. One thing that many of us hold onto is bitterness with unforgiveness. The emotion that expresses anger gets stuck in the liver, if not dealt with. The Bible tells us, “Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your anger- do not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27). A child, when traumatized in the atmosphere of abuse against him, will without a doubt, suffer the emotional consequences of stuck emotion through his life. This will constitute an open door to the devil, who prows over us to destroy us. As a matter of fact, the mind is a battlefield most fought for, since it is through it that Satan has access to its control. Peter said, Be well balanced, be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour (I Peter 5:8).

Good emotions are essential for the construction of a good and strong character. The Bible encourages us to be kind, compassionate, loving, forgiving. While our Lord YAHSHUA was being crucified, He prayed forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him. The emotion that reflects the Lord in our life is love, for love forgives and overlooks an offense. In love we develop positive thoughts that guide us to positive emotions. Paul said, For the rest, brethren, 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 anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things (Phil. 4:8). The main reason for stuck emotions is unforgiveness and self-pettiness. Learning how to let go and let God take vengeance on those who offended us, is a good way to let go of them. Stuck emotions are doors for the devil to control our thoughts. Cain expressed jealousy toward his brother and in anger, he killed him. He held unto the fact that his offering was not accepted by the Lord, but his brother’s was. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why do look sad and depressed? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Gen. 4:6-7). Stuck emotion in the life of Esau against his brother, Jacob, almost caused him to kill him. To this day, stuck emotions of anger and jealousy have governed his descendants as well as in Ismael’s the half-brother of Isaac and in Esau Jacob’s twin brother. For this reason, the Middle East is a place empty of peace. Only when the Prince of Peace -YASHHUA comes will He bring peace to all.

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To Him Who Is About To Faint

The world parties while the sufferings increase; indifference that causes blindness toward compassion, expresses itself in obvious manners seen in the victims of circumstances. This is seen in one of the parables of YAHSHUA to answer a lawyer’s question,” Who is my neighbor.” A neighbor is anyone we encounter in the path of life. There is such a warm feeling in the word neighbor in its meaning. It connects all of us to forget ourselves in order to help, to serve, and to love those who are in difficulties, including foreigners. The behavior of a neighbor should be one that does not measure sacrifice to help one in need, no matter who the person is, even our enemy. Be it psychologically, financially or in any other way we are faced with, compelling us to help. Leaving our comfortable zone, interrupting our schedule to extend a hand is to be a “Good neighbor.” For the believer in YAHSHUA, it is imperative to perform actions of a good neighbor to fulfill the command of our Lord, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The church of Christ is to be the lighthouse, beaming its light to save one from perishing in the storm of suffering. The beams of light are expressions of the love of YAHSHUA sent out through us into the world lost in sin, and perishing, chained to its power. Proverbs 24:11-12 commands us “to deliver those who are drawn away to death, and those who totter to the slaughter, to hold them back. If you [profess ignorance and] say, Behold, we did not know this, does not He Who weighs and ponders the heart perceive and consider it? And He Who guards your life, does not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?” This is a solemn warning not to be ignored.

The Patriarch Job was found in a miserable situation, when his friends became accusers instead of comforters. They separated themselves from him, when treating him as worthy of the circumstances brought to his life, even when not his fault. It is easier for us to act this way than to invest our time with those in need. However, we forget that tomorrow we could be found in their situations and in need of help from them, for no one is exempt from sufferings life brings. The Bible tells us to strive to save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others, take pity with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality (Jude 23). The world is filled with such people today. Taken by addictions, which controls the mind causing the loss of self- identity, losing the core of whom they are, becoming more like animals than humans, yes, probably guilty of wrong choices made in their life time. The odor they project for not having had baths and their outlook appearances, separates them from society. They are treated as leprous, when in fact, their mental estate requires a little compassion to position them back to human standards. After all, that’s what they are. YAHSHUA died for them, too. If He, being God incarnate, lowered Himself as to become human in order to reach out to sinners, why is it that we can’t have the heart of God to touch another human with His love? God’s love is to be passed on, like a river that overflows to its tributaries. “To him who is about to faint and despair, kindness is due from his friends, lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14). Ignoring to help one in need, touches the heart of God. Solomon wrote, “He who oppresses the poor, reproaches, mocks and insults his Maker, but he who is kind and merciful to the needy honors God” (Prov. 14:31). Our response to the needy – positive or negative, connects us to the very presence of God. Our Lord was often criticized by the religious men of His days for being with those forsaken by society. In Mark 2:15-17, as we read the report of YAHSHUA eating with sinners, that is, the tax collectors: “And as YAHSHUA, together with His disciples, sat at table in his house, (Levi’s) many tax collectors and persons with sin were dinning with Him, for there were many who walked the same road; and the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? When YAHSHUA heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners.” Israel’s religious authorities often separated themselves from the rest of the people, for they considered themselves holier than the rest, when as a matter of fact, YAHSHUA defined them as whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matt.23).

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Covenanting with Peace (part 2)

World wars constitute fear, hatred, anxiety, worry, and envy in man’s heart. A seed was planted many years ago at the first garden – the Garden of Eden, when the serpent, the father of all these mental and emotional feelings, deceived and misguided Eve. Then and there was first a garden of peace, where God Himself would “walk in the cool of the day.” Peace reigned there, because there was no sin in that first garden that God had planted for Adam after He created Him. However, from the time that sin entered the garden, peace no longer secured it. The air was now filled with Satan’s dominion; the heart of Adam and Eve leaned toward him, for he became their lord. Their first child, Cain inherited the spirt of hatred, causing him to commit the first homicide. Cain’s heart was filled with jealousy and pride, all in the family of hatred, a force that controlled his emotion to cause him to express it by taking an innocent life. The tendency for evil prevailed in his life and in the lives of his descendants. Isolated from the rest of the world, Cain lived a lonely life. The absence of peace in his life opened the way for other spirits to master him. So, it was that the seed of hatred, with its roots, deepened and spread its wings to the entire world.

What really caused the first and second world wars? Wasn’t it the same reason why Cain killed his brother? The first world war begun after the assignation of Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand. The second seemly was the continuation of the first world war. The reasons behind were fascism, Nazism, aggression. (Wikipedia) The world is trying to be united as one in order to bring peace. But the motive behind is not really peace but control of the masses. In the beginning after God created man, His plan was for them to multiply and scatter abroad. One World Order is a plan contrary to God’s plan, as it were in the days after the flood, when they tried to build a city and a tower to reach the sky, not to be scattered over the whole earth (Gen. 11). That seemed to be a good idea in the sense of togetherness as one people. But that was not in line with the Lord God’s plan. The spirit of rebellion will never bring peace into the hearts of men. Any time men behave and act according to their own hearts, disregarding the holy and sovereign God, there will never be peace for them, for the Bible says, there will not be peace for the wicked, says the Lord. Because men lost the image of God, they can never have peace in themselves apart from God, Who is Peace. When sin entered their hearts, The image of God was removed from them. God’s perfect creation was tainted and separated from Him. Hatred, envy, jealousy and the rest of evil feelings made their homes in the soul of men, where the enemy took control. Under Satan’s control, men became God’s enemy by disobeying Him. If the source of peace is not God’s source, men are doomed to torment.

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Covenanting with Peace

A covenant is an agreement between two parties; binding both parties in the fulfillment of their agreement in order for it to be valid. In marriage, the agreement “Until death us part” is confirmed by a ring. The world will know by noticing the ring on our finger that we belong to someone as a husband or wife united by covenanting with each other. In the case of unfaithfulness, the covenant is broken; therefore, no longer the other party is obligated to hold unto it. In this covenant, God said, “Two shall be one flesh.” So, we see the pain that divorce causes goes intrinsically into the soul of the family for years to come, specially of the children, whose hurt cannot be healed, because they were part of the marriage covenant, as “in one flesh.” Marriage covenant kept them secure, binding them together in the strength of that covenant that God established. God expressively shows His displeasure about divorce saying, “And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears and with weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand, yet, you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet, she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows] And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore, take heed to yourselves, and no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth” (Mal. 2:13-15). Divorce breaks the peace that the covenant provided, which is the glue that keeps the family together, glowing His will on earth as it is in heaven. It leaves God out, resulting in confusion of understanding of His purpose from generation to generation.

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Salt, a Mineral with a Spiritual Application

Salt is an essential mineral for the body; it is essential for sustaining the hydration levels of the body and it is vital in order to maintain the electrolyte balance -sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium. These minerals help maintain the balance of fluids. When we sweat, we lose water and electrolyte. The importance of salt in our body is extremely important for the body to function properly. It cures iron deficiency, treatment of diabetes control, muscle cramps; it improves circulation health and it determines the blood pressure of the body and has an impact on cardiovascular health; salt if essential for sustaining the hydration levels of the body; it is extremely vital to maintain the electrolyte balance for the smooth functioning of the organs (Organic facts). The minerals found in electrolytes are, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The misinformation concerning salt has led us to go the direction of dehydration of the cells. Certain diseases are the results of low sodium. The body craves salt when there is a need for it. One can die of heart attack or stroke for lack of minerals. Salt is a mineral; and as a mineral it has its place and function in our body. There are several kinds of salt, as Himalaya salt, Celtic salt, table salt, sea salt, black salt. The body cannot function without the essential for life- salt. The benefits of salt in the body are many. It is a reason for concerning when we are told not to eat salt. The problem of imbalance of minerals in the body will lead it to many diseases in relationship with the circulation, kidneys and heart.

The uses of salt are many, too. It serves as a food preservative, seasoning of food; it makes it to taste delicious, for it enhances the taste of food. Without it, food would be tasteless. Insipid foods are not well tolerated. The digestion system is happier when there is salt in the food. Salt is also a cleaner and an odor controller. Salt can be medicinal in soar throats in case of colds. There are many other uses of salt, confirming the need for our consumption of salts. There are several types of salt: table salt- refined salt; kosher salt; sea salt evaporated from sea water; Black salt from volcanic rock, rich in a variety of minerals as in calcium, magnesium and iron; Celtic salt. Salts are a fountain of wellbeing inside out. It cleans and preserves. YAHSHUA said, You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltness be restores? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men (Matt. 5:13). He said that after teaching about the beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted; blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely satisfied; blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; blessed are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God; 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 in heaven is great (Matt. 5:3-12).

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Do Not I Fill Heaven and Earth?

(Jer. 23:24b)

Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there; if I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be light about me, even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Ps. 139:7-12). In the beginning, God. In the beginning of creation, God was there creating all that was created. When He spoke, things were created. “Let it be” and existence took place. The world was created in order of things as God planned. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they enjoyed the presence of the Lord in the cool of the day, as He walked in the garden. However, when they sinned, they tried to hide from His presence, ashamed of what they had just done; The relationship was then broken, but God’s presence was ever in the world He created. No place to run from Him as the psalmist so expressed and asked the question, Where could I go from Your Spirit?

As humans, we can never comprehend the omnipresence of God. He is everywhere at the same time. When reading the verse in Jeremiah 23:24b, I came to understand better how it is that God is everywhere: “He fills heaven and earth.” His presence is everywhere we go, or cannot go. It is God Who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22).

The world, in midst of chaos because of sin, still enjoys peace and physical order, because the heavens and earth are filled with God’s presence. It is the presence of the Lord that maintains order in the universe. Sitting above the circle of the earth, nothing escapes Him. The Patriarch Job said, He is Who spreads out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing; He holds the waters bound in His clouds and the cloud is not rent under them; He covers the face of His throne and spreads over it His cloud; He has placed an enclosing limit [the horizon] upon the waters at the boundary between light and darkness; the pillars of the heavens tremble and are astonished at His rebuke; He stills or stirs up the sea by His power, and by His understanding, He smites proud Rahab; by His breath the heavens are garnished; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent; yet, these are but the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force, the faintest whisper of His voice! Who dares contemplate or who can understand the thunders of His full magnificent power? (Job 26:7-14). These inspired words from the Holy Spirit to the Patriarch Job make us to realize how much do we lack in respect and the honor we due Him. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What fear means here is reverence; it is to regard Him as holy and honor His holy name. To fear men instead of God, it constitutes an offense to Him; God spoke to Isaiah and said, The Lord of hosts-regard Him as holy and honor His holy name; and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread (Isaiah 8:13).

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You Rule the Raging of the Sea

King Hezekiah of Judah, a righteous king before God, suffered two raging of the sea storms. In II Kings chapters eighteen to twenty, is the story of how Jerusalem was about to be conquered by the king of Assyria, a very powerful king, who God had used in the past to bring destruction of nations. King Hezekiah found himself at his mercy, when he declared his purpose to him through a letter saying, Behold, you have heard what the Assyrian kings have done to all lands, destroying them utterly, and shall you be delivered?… Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. He went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed: O Lord, the God of Israel, Who is enthroned above the cherubim. You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth; Lord, bow down You ear and hear; Lord, open You eyes and see; hear the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock, reproach, insult and defy the living God…Now therefore, O Lord, our God, I beseech You, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and understand that You, O Lord, are God alone (II Kings 19:14-16,19). This storm of tsunami proportion came to Hezekiah without any warning. Just imagine the devastation King Sennacherib would have caused to the city of Jerusalem, as it would have been in time of war! King Hezekiah’s heart sunk with fear, however, his faith in God led him to the path of deliverance, when he cried to Him. God heard him, and responded by causing chaos among his enemies; He said, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own country. While King Sennacherib was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword (II Kings 19:7, 37). Exactly as God told him. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? The Prophet Jeremiah asked the question (Jer. 10:7).

But King Hezekiah became deadly ill in those days. The Prophet Isaiah came and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover (II Kings 20:1). After such great victory, King Hezekiah was facing with a challenge, the rage of the sea, once again. Still young, he pleaded with God for his life saying, I beseech You, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight. Hezekiah wept bitterly (II Kings 10:3). The word of the Lord came to Isaiah then saying, Turn back and tell Hezekiah, the Leader of My people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your [forefather]: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord; I will add to your life fifteen years and deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake. (II Kings 20:5-6). King Hezekiah was miraculously healed according to the words of the Lord God. These two times the raging sea arose against King Hezekiah, it did not accomplish its purpose, for the Lord God intervened through the prayers that went up to Him with sincere heart and in humbleness. Who is like our God? O Lord God of hosts, who is a mighty one like unto You, O Lord? And Your faithfulness is round about You; you rule the raging of the sea, when its waves arise, You still them. (Ps. 89:8-9).

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A Manger, a Crown of Thorns and a Cross

(Luke 2:7; Matt 27:29; John 19: 16-18)

But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:2).

The Manger

Before his death, Jacob prophesied of the tribe of Judah: The scepter of leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Gen. 49:10). This prophecy was fulfilled many years later in the birth of our Savior, YAHSHUA. In those days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman empire should be registered; all the people were going to be registered, each to his own town; Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David ( Luke 2:1-3). That happened close to the time for Mary’s delivery. And while they were there, the time came for her delivery, and she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Was YAHSHUA laid in a manger where all kinds of animals were feeding as tradition tells us? In Micah 4:8 the idea is refuted, for the prophet gives us the exact location where Messiah was to be born and the type of manger He would be laid on: And you, O Tower of the Flock, the hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, unto you the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem. Messiah was to be born at the “Tower of the Flock”. This was a watch tower used by the shepherds in ancient times for the protection of their flock from enemies and wild beasts. It was also the place where chosen ewes were brought to give birth to their young ones; after their babies were born, they were wrapped in swaddling clothes for their protection. These were special lambs, chosen for temple sacrifices. Only these lambs would be feeding in that place. It is without a doubt that God chose this place many years earlier for His Son to be born; a significant picture of what was to come in the person of His Son, the Lamb of God.

After His birth, the perfect Lamb of God was wrapped in swaddling clothes and was laid in a manger at the “Tower of the Flock.” John the Baptist declared: There is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29).

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The Upstairs Room

It was close to YAHSHUA’S last Passover, when He sent two of His disciples to a definite place to prepare it for His last Passover Super with them. He said, to them, go into the city, and a man carrying an [earthen] jar or pitcher of water will meet you; follow him. And whatever [house] he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples? And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready; there prepare for us (Mark 14:13-15). He had come to the end of His earthly ministry and needed a time alone with those called apostles to warn and to teach them and to prepare them for the ministry He was leaving behind for them to continue. That was the time and place when YAHSHUA, alone with His disciples, ministered to them by washing their feet; the time when He constituted the new covenant of His blood; the time when He gave a new commandment- to love one another as He loved them; that was the time and the place where He uttered His priestly prayer for them and for us. There were many disciples who followed Him, but He chose only twelve to be His messengers. These were the ones He explained the meaning of the parables to, who experienced a deep relationship with Him as His friends, who experienced the mount of transfiguration, and who witnessed His anguish at the Gethsemane Garden in the crucial moment of His decision. The last words from YAHSHUA to His disciples were printed in their hearts to change yesterdays and today’s world. Peter’s life was changed from a coward to a courageous outspoken man for the sake of the message he was given to tell; The doubtful Thomas died as a martyr in India for obedience to go and preach to all the world the message of salvation. John died on the Patmos Island, after they tried to kill him by putting him a caldron with boiling water. All died as martyrs for their Messiah. Nothing would stop these disciples from taking a stand for their Master, after the upper room experience.

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