Tag: Word

Great American Prophet

“YHWH your Elohim will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of YHWH your Elohim in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let us not hear again the voice of YHWH our Elohim, nor let us see this great fire anymore, lest we die.’ And YHWH said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which he speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which YHWH has not spoken?’ — When a prophet speaks in the name of YHWH, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which YHWH has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:15-22

It’s election season again in America and the prophets are out in full force with their, “Thus says the Lord,” prophetic word. i am not calling out any by name but instead giving insight as to what the Word says and how to interpret or see who is a false prophet or one who speaks presumptuously, after eating his ham sandwich he purchased from the deli on the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 18:22 says, “When a prophet speaks in the name of YHWH, if that thing does NOT happen or come to pass, that is the thing which YHWH has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” There are a lot folks who are still following and promoting some of the ‘Great American Prophets’ which pretty much got every aspect of the 2020 election wrong. Yet, folks still cling to every word and are hopeful still about more ‘prophetic words’ that again have yet to come to pass.

The Word says to test: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from Elohim, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

We are called to be like Bereans: “These were more fair-minded than the Thessalonians, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11

i don’t know for sure but it seems to me that if YHWH were going to speak to a prophet today, He would do so using His name and not a translated title. He says He is not the Elohim of confusion. He isn’t going to contradict Himself, He isn’t going to mislead His prophets, He isn’t a liar. Yahoshua came in the name of YHWH and was rejected. He warned that others would come in their own name and be received. There is power in the Name of YHWH Elohim (For more on what’s in a name click here).

What causes so many to remain loyal to modern day ‘prophets’? The word is clear about the way to recognize a false prophet. It is also clear of the warnings. For further study here are some verses you can look up on how to spot, and the warnings about listening to, false prophets.

Jeremiah 14:14
Jeremiah 29:8-9
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
2 Peter 2:1-3
2 Timothy 4:3-4
Add more in the comments:

As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way MORE AND MORE like MESSIAH, who is the head of His body, the church.” Ephesians 4:14-15

Be watchful, be like those in Berea, study to show yourself approved.

You are loved,
cj

A Kind Word

“Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Peter 3:10

One can learn a lot, when there is nothing to do but learn. One can observe a lot, when there is nothing to do but observe. One can grow a lot, when there is nothing to do but grow. The problem is that we like to fill our lives with fillers; Inconsequential things, that suck the life and time out of our day. i had roughly sixty days where there was quite literally nothing to do but learn, observe, and grow, and i took full advantage. Even now i am in a season in which i am taking every opportunity to learn from the Word, from others, from life. i am taking every opportunity to be observant of others so that i can be attentive and i am taking every chance to allow for growth both mentally and spiritually.

During my sixty day hiatus, in a cell built for one, filled with two, doing time, i spent most of it learning to be more attentive. The CO’s (correction officers) were not regarded well especially if there was a perceived weakness or an experience to exploit. Females were gawked at and taunted for being, well, female; “Say that with your chest out!” If it was a male CO most of the ridicule came based on appearance, especially if that appearance was that of a 15 year old boy, dubbed a middle schooler or a rugrat. These were of course the G rated terms used. Even other CO’s would ridicule each other, some more harshly than others, based on these same characteristics.

There is a point in Yahoshua’s early ministry when His own family didn’t believe in Him. John records it this way, “So His brothers said to Him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works You are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.’ For NOT even His brothers believed in Him.” (John 7:3-5)

Have you ever been in a situation where people didn’t believe in you or didn’t have faith that you were able to get the job done? It is never easy to work in that type of environment. Now make that environment one filled with men or women doing time and suddenly the atmosphere changes. One afternoon the guys were being especially, umm how should i say, demeaning to a young guard who in all honesty looked like he was 15 years old. When my particular group was let out for our free time i made it a point to walk over to the CO and say, “Don’t listen to these knuckleheads, if i were your dad, i would be extremely proud of you.” His response overwhelmed me, “Thank you” pause, a shine in the eye, “for that.” Without realizing it, the young CO lifted his shoulders, used a hand to press out his shirt from his chest to his waist, with a new spark in his eye.

i was constantly thinking of Paul while he was imprisoned. How did he act. In Acts 16, He and Silas were praying and singing hymns to Elohim, when there was an earthquake that made a way of escape. However, neither Paul nor Silas, or anyone for that matter took advantage. When the jailer saw that it appeared all had escaped, he was about to take his own life. When Paul yelled out, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” Now there was no earthquake, no opportunity for escape, but i still thought in that moment that young man needed an encouraging word.

Proverbs 15:1 — “A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” And Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of building up, that it may minister grace to the hearers.” A kind word or a gentle spirit can change the spirit of most every environment. You can effect the atmosphere of a situation with the power of speech. James warns of its power in chapter three of his book. i know for a fact that i have used the power of the tongue wrongly, for that i am sorrowful. However, each day, moment, conversation, is a new opportunity to use the power of speech to speak a kind word.

May we all become observant in ways that we become aware of those around us and then choose to use the power of speech to speak a kind word, changing the atmosphere of our environment for good.

You are loved,
cj

He is Coming.

It’s faint, in the distance, the group falls silent. How far, is hard to tell. Yet, it is distinct like the sound of one walking a trail in a thick forest. The sound brings with it a feeling, and it inspires the senses. A smell of pine in the air along with falls crisp morning. Even in the house one feels as if their very souls were as dew settling on the grass. It is both comforting and alarming. Sitting around the table a hush has fallen as they search each others eye’s and yet look past them. It’s hard to think about. It’s wonderful, yet it is also unknown. Silence is broken as one musters up the strength, in a quiet breath, just slightly above a whisper, “He’s coming.”

This is not a new scene. It has played out before. Once in a garden, once in a stable, and now. The feeling of what is to come has been here before and all along. He walked in the garden and we hid in our shame. Later, He was birthed in a stable covered in blood. Then a man He would hang on a tree, bloody, bearing no shame of His own but ours, willingly. He approaches again, to settle accounts, who has enough to pay the debt? No one. Yet, no one need pay anything. The debt has already been paid. Only receive it by faith through repentance. Time whispers, “He’s coming.”

As the foot steps grow louder, you can feel the earth shake with anticipation as it longs for restoration. Nature shifts, the waves roar, the storms rage, but man misses His approach, consumed by self, what must we do? Surely we must do something. Nature becomes humanities focus even while nature whispers, “He’s coming.”

The noise is deafening. It is hard to think clearly. Life consumes, the destroyer wages war on the soul of humanity, whom the destroyer hates, with distraction after distraction. The destroyer knows how, having studied the likeness of He who is coming, the destroyer lays out traps as only the destroyer can do. The destroyers time is running out, with every footstep heard, the noise doesn’t deaden the sound for the destroyer knows all too well his fate. The destroyer hesitant to acknowledge, whispers, “He’s coming.”

Most are unprepared. Many are without understanding. Lost in their perceived reality, devoid of the impending doom. Few have enough oil to get through the night. Night is coming. Do you have enough oil for your lamp? Go and buy oil without money. Put out the distractions from your mind. Sit in silence. Be still. Listen. Get ready. Every soul willingly or unwillingly, whispers, “He’s coming.”

He is coming.

You are loved,

cj

Labor Day Special

“. . . holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Messiah I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:16

There are a few head scratching things about a Labor Day Special. The very idea of it is to draw in business, increasing sales; “come in today for ‘Unbelievable Labor Day Specials!’” However, who is it that is going to help you? A Laborer. What is Labor Day anyway? According to the History Channel, and i take extreme liberty in paraphrasing, (read more about Labor Day here) it is a day to celebrate the laborer. Yet we have decided the best way to celebrate is to have sales that require laborers to labor on Labor Day. We have a lot of weird things in our culture like this, “Black Friday” the day after Thanksgiving just to name another. Mostly people buying things for the sake of a sale. We are a consumer driven society, we want things and we will go out of our way to buy them on sale.

Lately, i have been noticing a few more empty shelves. In some instances i am noticing lots of shelves filled with the same product, seemingly because there is an abundance of one and a lack of another. So to keep the appearance of looking stocked, they just put out what they have. Have you been hearing any rumblings of an impending food shortage? According to Business Insider, “Zoom out and it’s clear: A food crisis is unfolding around the world, with prices shooting up everywhere.”

One of the things i enjoy is watching prepper channels on YouTube. Most of them have cool, innovative, solutions for general crisis and natural disasters that would make life easier during a difficult time. However, if you are a student of history one thing you should know is that in times of war and in times of famine, food becomes incredibly valuable. In Germany in the lead up to extreme Jewish persecution the government came and confiscated food. During the occupation of Eastern Europe food rationing was a big part of how they controlled the citizenry. Of course one would say, that wouldn’t happen here, and to a degree one would be right. However, food is a powerful tool. When a population is hungry and they are told a certain group is hoarding food, it sorta creates a different dynamic. In a crisis certain things are enacted, water rationing, rolling blackouts, so if one hopes to be a survivalist, you will need to understand each facet with all the moving parts. Think you are safe because you own your own land or grow your own food . . . Just look at this article by The Western Journal.

Here is my point, i certainly do not want to discourage anyone from preparing for disaster or crisis, especially given the times in which we live. However, do so quietly. No fan-far. Fly under the radar the best you can. But now for this advice, and this advice is free, yet, it may just be the most valuable piece of advice i can give. It comes from Revelation 3:16-22.

“SO, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘Rich I am, and I am made rich, and need none at all,’ and do not know that you are wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you become rich; and white garments, so that you become dressed, so that the shame of your nakedness might not be shown; and anoint your eyes with ointment, so that you see. As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent. See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

You are loved,

cj

You seek the impossible!

Be encouraged; seek unity; love one another; These three statements are becoming increasingly difficult to live. Yet, throughout the New Testament we are told to live this way. How are we to be encouraged when looking at the direction of this world, unless one chooses to live in ignorance? How is one to seek unity when every issue is so divisive? How are we to love one another in such a fractured world? i don’t pretend to know all the answers but let me at least point us in a direction to explore.

Be encouraged. There’s a war, rumors of wars, violence of every kind, inflation at never before seen levels, pandemics, a food shortage brewing, and the list could continue. So how exactly is one to “be encouraged?” Here are a few verses to ponder. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “For Elohim did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Adonai Yahshua ha’Mashiah, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort (encourage) each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” Here is one that i find personally encouraging, Luke 21:28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Seek unity. We are being divided by, race, gender identity, social economic classes, political affiliation, vaccine status, pro this or anti that, and the absolute vitriol that comes from certain sides is frightening as it is full of unseen hypocrisy by those spewing it. Yet, let us consider these words. Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Is this calling us to compromise? Not at all! Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Elohim’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Later in this passage it says; “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” (Romans 12:18). This brings us to . . .

Love one another. How do you love someone who seemingly hates you? How do you show love to one who uses you or is evil? The Romans passage continues (12:19-21) “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of Elohim, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says YWHW. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Colossians 3:12-14 puts it this way; “Therefore, as chosen ones of Elohim, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against another, indeed as Messiah forgave you so also should you forgive.”

There is one point i feel needs to be made. When talking about unity, or love, or encouraging one another, in the context of the Church it is done to and for the unity of the Body of Believers. It is through our love for fellow believers of the WAY, that we achieve unity in the Body of Messiah and are able to truly encourage one another. It is in this genuine fellowship that those that are not of the WAY see us as a light on a hill, set apart, different. And in that we hope for the opportunity to share the Gospel of our Messiah Yahshua. Yes, we love everyone. Yes, we encourage, and yes we seek to live in unity with all, however, not at the expense of our commitment to holiness found in Yahshua ha’Mashiah.

Therefore, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25

You are loved,

cj

Be aware, be kind, be giving, love

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our Elohim and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James‬ 1:27

If there is one thing that has always been in the forefront of my faith it is to take care of those in distress. i won’t list the times here as this isn’t about ringing my own bell just simply that even with all i can point to i still feel as if i need to do more. The other day i was talking with some folks and as we talked life and such we got on the subject of foster care. i have done foster care several times and it is an incredible opportunity to show the love of Elohim.

Even if you are unable to take in children, you can support those that do or as i discussed with this couple; Most of these kids when taken from home to home pile all their belongings in trash bags. What if the next time you replace your luggage you take a suitcase down to the foster care center and donate it to a child. Instead of them feeling as if all their worth is garbage they can have some sort of dignity.

It’s not just here but i try to be aware of my friends, especially those that are single mothers. What do they need? Money to help their kids play sports? A bill that is due and you can see their stress? i will often donate to support their children’s sports or pay a bill for them. These aren’t huge but they are helpful. It doesn’t require a lot just awareness. Be aware of those around you. i don’t always give but what i do is seek the Holy Spirits direction and remain open to His leading.

i just want to encourage you in these days of uncertainty, inflation is on the rise, and the cost of living is a giant stress. Those in need now are really going to feel the stress before some of us do . . . Be aware, be kind, be giving, love those around you the best you can. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our Elohim and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself untainted by the world.”

You are loved,

cj

Flee from idolatry

“And YWHW spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the poeple of Israel and say to them, I am YWHW your Elohim. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow My rules and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am YWHW your Elohim. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My rules, if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am YWHW.’” Leviticus 18:1-5

“These are the laws and the statutes that you shall be careful to do in the land that YWHW Elohim of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship YWHW your Elohim in that way. But you shall seek the place that YWHW your Elohim will choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His habitation there.” Deuteronomy 12:1-5

Have we as a church allowed the influences of the world to creep in on the things of YWHW our Elohim? Have we, as Israel, forgotten that our Elohim is jealous for us? i fear that as we embrace the traditions of man over the appointed Feasts of our Adonai, we are in a way doing as Israel did time and time again. We don’t possess the land, so i am not calling for violence or to take the measures outlined in the verses above. However, in a spiritual sense, i am saying, that we need to purge these things from our life as to not blend man’s tradition with Elohim’s statutes or His Feasts.

YWHW our Elohim is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As He revealed Himself through Yahshua, He didn’t somehow condone idolatry. He didn’t say, it was now okay to worship anyway we see fit. What He did do is affirm our need for a Saviour and dependance on the Holy Spirit in our lives. We cannot serve two masters. We are still to flee idolatry. We should be growing closer to YWHW our Elohim through Yahshua by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and forming our worship of Him through His instruction. How we worship matters, it has always mattered, and it will matter when we see Him, shouldn’t we then focus our attention on the ways He has outlined for us?

You are loved,

cj

Why Passover Matters More Than Easter

Why Passover Matters More Than Easter

“Now, therefore, fear YHWH, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. Serve YHWH, And if it seems evil to you to serve YHWH,, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH,.” Joshua 24:14-15

This is my yearly appeal to you, out of love, walk away from Easter and all of its pagan roots. We know it to be true that Yahoshua (Jesus) fulfilled the Passover. John the Baptist declared on the river’s edge, “Behold, the Lamb of Elohim! Who takes away the sin of the world!” Yahoshua is the final Passover Lamb. We should be honoring that and not the combination of a pagan festival mixed in. The richness of the Feast of Elohim that tears the vale and covers us in righteousness. It cleanses us from our sin. It is all that we should be remembering this time of year. For it is the Feast at the head of the year.

In Emperor Constantine’s letter to “all those not present at the council”. Following the Council of Nicea he wrote how it would be better to separate from Jewish custom. He called out the Jews for killing Yahoshua and in many instances called for antisemitism. For instance, he wrote, “We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews.”

He goes on to say, “They do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two Passovers in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the Passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people [the Jews]. Besides, consider well, that in such an important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought not to be any division. Our Savior has left us only one festal day of our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired[to establish] only one Catholic Church.”

The question of whether or not Constantine truly converted to Christianity or not has been debated for centuries. However, we do know for a fact that rather than adhere strictly to Christian tradition and belief; for the sake of the unity of the empire, he combined the festal days of paganism and Christianity. His disdain for the Jews as represented in his letter, and his lack of judgment in establishing a new religion where we see the combination of paganism and Christianity should certainly call into question our adherence to these traditions.

“When Adonai your Elohim cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? —that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship Adonai your Elohim in that way, for every abominable thing that Adonai hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” Deuteronomy 12:29-32

i want to make a clarification here about Constantine’s reference to two Passover’s. Clearly he was unaware and sadly none of the scholars of his day enlightened him. In Numbers 9 we read of some men who were ceremonially unclean and therefore unable to bring the sacrifice of Passover. They inquired of Moses and Aaron on what to do. YHWH, told Moses to give this instruction: Numbers 9:10-11 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, if any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to YHWH,. In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. . .”

Concerning the idea that Passover or any of the Feast of Adonai are strictly Jewish, i present Leviticus 23:1-2 “Adonai spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, these are the appointed feasts of Adonai that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are MY appointed feasts.” Clearly they are HIS feasts, much like the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

Finally, let me close with this, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Messiah Yahoshua. And if you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:23) Passover this year begins at Sundown on Friday April 15, in line with Good Friday services, however, the tomb would not be discovered empty until Tuesday morning fulfilling the three days and three nights. Often Easter and Passover do not line up and occasionally are off by a months time. Although this year is very close in timing i will refuse to attend any church that is honoring Easter, hosting an egg hunt, or in any way mixing pagan tradition with this most Holy of Feasts, Passover.

You are loved,

cj

Focus People!

There is so much information out there in the world today. Every one of us carries endless information in our hands via our smartphones. Most of us have a Facebook or a Twitter or some sort of social media account. Those platforms are riddled with information. Some of the information is labeled, misinformation, and then some sort of fact-check is done on it with other information that is now misinformation and the original information is correct.

Have you been following the events in Ukraine? There is so much information coming out of there that it will have your head spinning. Many of the stories carried by the MSM have been false, for example, the Ghost of Kyiv was just a propaganda piece, as was the Snake Island heroes. Even the reasons for the invasion are sketchy at best. With all this misinformation and misdirection it is hard to know what to believe or even who to listen to for that matter.

There are a couple verses i am going to share here and all though they aren’t necessarily within full context they still hold some marit. “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4 For good measure here is another, Paul writes to Timothy, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7) We live in an iformation age and anyone with a smartphone has their fingertips on endless knowledge. Yet, we find ourselves almost dumber for having them.

Just today i was on my tablet scrolling through Facebook when i received a text from my oldest son who happens to be in Ecuador at the moment. So of course i stopped what i was doing to see what he said. After replying i then began to scroll Facebook on my phone. A few minutes go by and i look up and i have the same post open on both my phone and tablet, at least i am consistent. But that isn’t the point, i just shook my head and said how dumb is this!?!?! i will answer it for you, it is very dumb!

i was immediatly drawn to the passage i read this morning in my personal devotional time . . . “Coffee with Yahshua.” Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethern, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatevert things are of good repoet, if there is any virture and if there is anything praisworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the Elohim of peace will be with you.”

Be encouraged today, set your focus on the things above. Don’t fear what is happening in the world. Our Adonai is coming soon . . . look up! Meditate on His Word, seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will fall into place as He has planned.

You are loved,

cj

Elevator to Eternity

i read an article today about a girl who, for all that could be seen, was a happy, healthy, successful, accomplished, beautiful young lady, she died by suicide. She was just 22. i recently found out that a childhood friend died from a drug overdose in 2019, she was 45. Another childhood friend was found dead in her home last year, i don’t know the cause of death but i know that it was unexpected. There has been a rash of celebrity deaths, many of them were sudden all of them tragic. Sudden, unexpected, like a thief in the night, death lurks at all of our doors. No one knows when your ticket will be punched as you step out of this world and into the elevator to eternity.

Everyone expects to step into that elevator and hear the words, “Going up!” Sadly, far too many will hear the opposite. In a world of uncertainty, one can be certain about one thing, what you will hear when stepping into that elevator to eternity. Yahshua, said, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) His entire goal, His life mission, was to save a world standing in line for the down elevator. He made it possible for anyone to step over to the up elevator. He did this out of love; out of a desire to restore creation. Paul records it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “that is, that Elohim was in Messiah reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

So how does one switch lines from down to up? It isn’t complicated but it requires death, not physical, although we will all die eventually, this is a metaphorical death. Dying to the flesh, the desires of this world, and living new. Again Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” How does one become new?

Yahshua said in John 14:6 “Yahshua answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Earlier in John Yahshua said, “For Elohim so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For Elohim did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of Elohim’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18). We read in Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Yahshua is Lord,” and believe in your heart that Elohim raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” That’s it!

Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Yahshua is Adonai and you will be saved. In John 10:9-10 Yahshua said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” He doesn’t stop there however, He continues, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. . .” You see one never knows when their time on earth is up, sudden death, is around the corner, simply meaning we will all one day die. Where you spend eternity can be secured right now by simply calling out to Yahshua. Believing and confessing as stated above and with it comes the assurance of salvation. Of course with believing also comes a life change but that isn’t the first step, that is the journey. The pressing question today is, which line are you in?

You are loved,

cj