AMOS 3 and AMOS 4 – and weather God speaks

Posted on May 5, 2020 by ez3728

TITLE NOT A TYPO: I purposely used WEATHER as opposed to WHETHER in the title of this writing, as it pertains to our country, our time, and our God. Quippy.

COVERED BEFORE: A good deal of this topic has been covered before in this blog.
COVERED BEFORE: The critical 400th anniversary of our nation’s first covenant, before our crashing into the year 2020, covered before (likely-manufactured) corona-virus, sheltering in place and governmental over-extension “for our safety”, before armed protests in state capitals, required registering of church-goers in Kansas, church closures while abortion clinics remain open, arrests of people congregating, the escalating troubles worldwide, accusations and exposures of corruption and highest-level conspiracies throughout our land and our world, daily-increasing threats of war and global economic collapse. Covered before, but good to cover now as a reminder, lest we get caught up in the noise and the waves and overlook our call on earth, as the people of God, now.

The God of heaven and earth is not restricted to a “still, small voice” although that is often how He may choose to speak. It’s actually quite polite and supernaturally gentle, and is intended to take us to the place of seeking Him out, quieting things down around us, to hear Him. Excellent. I love it when I am personally in that place. But there’s other places, other times, other voices of the same one and only God.

PROOF-TEXT RE GOD-VOICES OTHER THAN STILL & SMALL:
Psalms 29:1-10
1 Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.

THAT SAID – let’s particularly recognize that we, America, are indeed a covenant nation, our first covenant being 1620 (happy exact 400th anniversary). The Mayflower Compact. Something to read from this site, posted Sept 16, 2018:
https://ez3728.com/?p=1154

God, via the prophet Amos (as well as elsewhere) has kindly modeled to us how He desires intimacy with covenant people – compatibility through holiness:
Amos 3:
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

So let’s consider all of Amos 3 and 4 – it’s a blast of revelation as to who God is and how He will escalate the conversation until someone may listen and respond:
Amos 3:1 – 4:13
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
(HERE’S THE SPECIALNESS OF COVENANT, INTIMATE “KNOWING”)
2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
(AND THE ACCOMPANYING ACCOUNTABILITY OF BEING COVENANT-KNOWN)
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
(V3 NOW MAKES GOOD SENSE – HE’S HOLY AND REQUIRES US HOLY TO WALK IN INTIMACY)
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
(NOTHING, ZERO, “JUST HAPPENS” – SO ESPECIALLY DO NOT IGNORE ANY OF GOD’S ACTIVITY)
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?
7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken!
Who can but prophesy?
Punishment of Israel’s Sins
9 “Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the oppressed within her.
10 For they do not know to do right,’
Says the LORD,
‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’ ”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the LORD:
“As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15 I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house;
The houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the LORD.

THE TROUBLES OF DISOBEDIENT COVENANT-ISRAEL ESCALATED AS THEIR DEFIANCE OF HIS CORRECTION ESCALATED:
1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”
2 The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will be cast into Harmon,”
Says the LORD.
(EVEN THE “HOLY PLACES” DON’T WORK WHEN THE PEOPLE PLAY CHURCH, AND REMAIN UNHOLY)
4 “Come to Bethel and transgress,
At Gilgal multiply transgression;
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord GOD.
(SOME EXAMPLES AS TO HOW GOD THEREFORE DETERMINED IT NECESSARY TO SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE, TO GET THEIR ATTENTION AND RESPONSE)
A. FAMINE
6 “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities.
And lack of bread in all your places;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the LORD.
B. WEATHER
7 “I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the LORD.
C. PESTILENCE AND PLAGUES
9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the LORD.
10 “I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt;
Your young men I killed with a sword,
Along with your captive horses;
I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the LORD.
D. DESTRUCTION FROM HEAVEN, WITH A REMNANT LEFT
11 “I overthrew some of you,
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;
BUT THEY STILL WOULD NOT RETURN TO HIM IN REPENTANCE
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the LORD.
12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold,
He who forms mountains,
And creates the wind,
Who declares to man what his thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
Who treads the high places of the earth—
The LORD God of hosts is His name.

It ought to be expected that some popular prophets likely garnered great popularity and acceptance by (falsely) proclaiming the good mood of God at times when God was clearly not in a good mood. Research: Jer 28:17, Ezek 11:13, Jer 23. Ezek 13. 1 Kings 22:5-10. Hananiah and Pelatiah don’t quite get their publishing contracts for prophetic-writing inclusions in the scriptures.

Another voice the Lord has always sought to utilize is the voice of His People.
Believers, Churches and Synagogues failing to recognize and proclaim, in love but in clarity and in the fear of the Lord, that our covenant-God is quite actively (and biblically) dealing with our nation in these days, are in large part contributing to the escalation of His voice. Our lives as living letters (“epistles” – 1 Cor 3:3) requires this much of us. We are to speak on His behalf
Ezek 3. Col 1:28.

BACK TO NOW: Making believe we are not at war with several nations right now, and ignoring the civil unrest within our country, blowing off plagues and/or denying pestilence as stuff that is “simply happening”, or failing to address the fact that we are in global economic crisis, let’s for a moment simply consider our own WEATHER PATTERNS. It is May 5, 2020:
Scorching heat in the southwest with millions forced to shelter in place.
Simultaneously there’s arctic weather, with snow and freezing, predicted for the east coast this weekend. In May.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/northeast-arctic-blast-snow-mothers-day-weekend-southwest-record-heat-weather

BUT WAIT! We’re in New Testament Times!! Without any doubt.
Is there any correlation between recorded Old Testament happenings and New Testament life? Of course there is.

Those under the blood of Calvary are under the blood of Calvary. But the vast majority of the world, and the vast majority of our nation, refuse that coverage.

1 Corinthians 10:6-11
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

all scripture NKJV

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Revelation(s), Sin, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Sleeping with Hagar…

Posted on May 1, 2020 by ez3728

….The jeopardy of trying to “help God” by our logical thoughts and actions.

After receiving a profound word and promise (including a word of promise but also a word of warning to the entire world) Abram thought seriously enough, and responded wisely enough, of God’s appearance and promise that he up and moved himself and all of his people and all of his belongings to a land he did not know. Abram is the father of faith, and in this writing, for our admonition, he represents all people of faith – people still quite susceptible to being quite human.

THE WORD AND THE WARNING TO THE WORLD:
Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse (ARAR) him who curses (QALAL) you; (actually: “I will curse those who don’t esteem you as highly as I do”)
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

Two verses later Abram receives this confirmation word from the Lord re his descendants:
Genesis 12:7
7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

BIG PROBLEM: Abram and Sarai were old, and childless. Abram was 75. He didn’t have any descendants.

THREE CHAPTERS OF WARFARE-VICTORY LATER:
Genesis 15:1-2
1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
MEANWHILE ABRAM REMEMBERED THE UNFULFILLED “DESCENDANTS” PROMISE(S) AND QUESTIONS GOD:
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

ABRAM’S SOLUTION TO GOD’S PROMISE AMIDST THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF THE NATURAL (THE GUY IS 75 YEARS OLD):
Genesis 15:3-6
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

BUT GOD WAS INTENT ON HIS BLESSING AND ON HIS FULFILLMENT OF HIS WORD, HIS WAY:
4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one (not even naming Eliezer) shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”

AND GOD’S GOODNESS OVERRIDES THE POTENTIAL FOR FRUSTRATION WITH ABRAM TRYING TO SOLVE THINGS BY HIMSELF:
5 Then He (God) brought him (Abram) outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
(Yea Abraham!)

ONE CHAPTER FORWARD – NOW IT’S SARAI’S TURN TO IMPROVISE – AND SARAI’S IMPROV EVEN ADDRESSES THE PROMISE OF GEN 15:4 (that the lineage would be from Abram’s own body. His seed):
Genesis 16:1-6
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.
2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
(WHAT A GUY, THAT ABRAM. HE SLEEPS WITH HAGAR – FOR HIS WIFE’S SAKE, AND TO HELP GOD FULFILL GOD’S OWN PLAN. Hmmmm.)
IMMEDIATE TROUBLE:
4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me.”
6 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.

THE LORD DOES GO ON TO VISIT HAGAR AND HER SON, TO BE NAMED ISHMAEL. The kindness of the Lord is even extended towards this failed attempt by Abram and Sarai (and Hagar) to make things happen.

HOWEVER: FROM ISHMAEL WAS TO SPRING THE ARAB NATION, THE BIRTHPLACE OF ISLAM, A MONSTROUS AND PRIMARY COMPONENT OF THE INCREASINGLY HOSTILE NEMESIS OF ISRAEL, TO THIS DAY. And we find that Ishmael later aligns with sell-out Esau to become Edom, and the plot thickens and the pot boils even to this very day, as we can still look forward in the prophetic scriptures to see the forthcoming conflicts and battles that will take place prior to the conclusion of this age, with these specific people-groups playing a huge role in the theodrama.

BACK TO OUR GENESIS STORY: THEN WHAT?
God in His great mercy is still intent on fulfilling HIS word to Abram and Sarai.
Genesis 17
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” (NO NOT THAT!)
19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

Great promise. Great God. Great story. But why write about it now, in these trying times?
ANS: (One man’s opinion here, at EZ3728) We are living in times of intense scriptural fulfillment (every jot and tittle), and the word of the Lord is understandably alive and active, along with the Psalm 2 nations raging, the bubbling prophecies concerning the Lord’s imminent return in Isaiah, Zechariah, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Matt 24 and elsewhere. We are clearly not living in boring times, saints.

By His Spirit, by by His word, by the supernatural, and even by the natural, our God is speaking to His people. Joel told us (and Peter confirmed) there would be great outpourings of prophetic activity in these times. Signs, wonders, visions, dreams.
When God moves, we are called to move.
When He speaks, we are called to believe and to respond.
And by His word being in us, we are called to be equipped to discern what is of Him and what is not. What is in line with His personality and plans, and what is not.

But (please don’t miss this) – we are not called to make things happen unless and until we know it is the Lord. And in fact this brief study is a poster-child representation as to how bad things can get when we determine to accomplish the will of God our way instead of His way, whether we logically or physically or even “spiritually” go about solving things our way.
The fulfillment must be the work of the Lord.
Those who wait for Him succeed.
There’s a flip-side to that truth.

The good intention/suggestion of Abram for Eliezer to fulfill the role of Abram’s blessed descendant was fortunately shut down by God Himself (Gen 15:2-3)
But then Sarai even brings some spirituality into her suggestion-for-fulfillment, recognizing the descendants were to be from Abram’s own body. And with Abram’s cooperation, the result was/remains quite a spiritual disaster.

Our God-of-the-impossible often purposely sets up the impossible for Him to be glorified. It is the bible storyline. It tests the saints, it startles the unbelieving world, it maximizes our God’s glory.

Our God-graced stubborn and holy willingness to wait on the Lord and to not manufacture (make things happen) by our own good intent, or plan, or panic, or purpose, will assure us success.

The weapons of our warfare are ready for the great spiritual battle, to pull down strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
AND WHEN DO THE STRONGHOLDS COME DOWN:
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Romans 8:5-6
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:14-23
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Expect the work of the Spirit in your life. Posture yourself for spiritual understanding. Pray in the Spirit. Live in the Spirit. Obey the Spirit. See the glory of God revealed in you, for you, through you.

All scripture NKJV

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, Bless, Blessed, Blessing, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Israel, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophets, Revelation(s), Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Are the prophets (and the church) standing upon and proclaiming the whole message?

Posted on April 15, 2020 by ez3728

Numbers 11:29
29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” – so let’s include all of us, as anointed, Joel2, Acts2 believers, in this question, at the same time recognizing there are clearly those in the body of Christ with specific and particular prophetic callings, or with other valuable leadership-of-any-kind callings. THAT SAID:

Paul stated this of his own calling (and tells us in 1 Cor 11:1 to imitate him as he imitated Christ):
Acts 20:26-27
26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

Might Paul the rabbi been reflecting on Ezekiel 3:18-20 and Ezekiel 33:7-12?
And re: the New Testament and our call to warn:
Colossians 1:28
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

AND WHY PREACH TO EVERY MAN?
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Meanwhile, prophets in both testaments, often discovered that people would rather hear smooth, kind and gentle words of encouragement, rather than what the Lord might want and need and call us to say (always in love). EX: Balaam. Hananiah.

You can search this site for an article titled “Untempered Mortar”. Here is the biblical gist of the writing:
Ezekiel 13:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ ”
3 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts.
5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.
6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”
8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar—
11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.
12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”

And this is not confined to the older writings of the Jewish scriptures. Jesus our Lord, as well as Peter and Paul spoke forward of similar deceptions coming forth to deceive and distract, particularly towards the conclusion of this age:

Jesus used one example of false prophecy (“here’s Jesus”) to disclose the end-time appearance of false prophets prior to His appearance:
Mark 13:19-23
19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.
22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

ALL THIS TO SAY:
The message of hope to the world has to be the whole word of God. We’re called to proclaim and declare in love the whole message. That is our firm foundation. And that is our accountability to the Lord who calls us to speak it all.

I am, not surprisingly, hearing and seeing many optimistic words of encouragement both to the saved and unsaved, that contain three legs of the pictured table. It doesn’t work. Nor is it particularly timely in days like these. Nor will it stand up.

BTW: If you’ve been hurt or damaged by anger-delivered hell-fire and damnation messages you’ve heard earlier in your lives, I apologize on behalf of the Kingdom of God. Sorry. Really. Now can we move on? The time is particularly short right now. In fact, the times in which we are living are the times the Lord has clearly spoken about. First-time absolutely global troubling. Impacting the entire. Raging nations everywhere.

Anything short of the whole gospel is actually no gospel. Needless to say – but I’ll say it – each and every time we might speak to any person the entire sotry-of-God cannot and likely ought not be proclaimed. But the over-arching message of truth coming forth from the saints has to be the whole message. And the teachers, prophets and preachers called to proclaim the gospel publicly are particularly accountable to this truth. The message of the whole scroll.

Isaiah is considered by many to be THE most fully prophetic book of the Old Testament with the most through revelation of the times prior to the return of our Messiah (not just the first appearance, but the second).
Here’s excerpts from the final chapter.
Isaiah 66
1 Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the LORD.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

(BIRTH OF ISRAEL HAD TO OCCUR BEFORE THE END OF THE CHAPTER COULD ACTIVATE. Check that box)
7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
11 That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”
12 For thus says the LORD:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

The Reign and Indignation of God
14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
And your bones shall flourish like grass;
The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants,
And His indignation to His enemies.
15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire
And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by His sword
The LORD will judge all flesh;
And the slain of the LORD shall be many.

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.

22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.
24 “And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Jesus, Peter, Paul, loving the lost, all began their ministries with the same word:
Repent. That is the doorway and hope for salvation, to wholeness for any and all.

The saints of the Lord are called into the place of understanding, as much as possible, the whole plan of God for these days so that we might minister to the lost world in the fullness of the message, and that we ourselves might allow the Lord to work the fullness of His refinement work in all of us – equipped and prepared for the promised great exploits.

But a gospel message of “hope and restoration and better days ahead” without a sincere and loving call to repentance is not a gospel message. Like the table, it will not withstand the upcoming storms, nor will it suffice to keep men’s hearts from failing for fear. Rebuild, Restore, Renew, are all good thoughts and visions. But change and true salvation must include Repent.

(all scriptures NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, End Times Related, Everything, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Peace, Prophecy, Repentance, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

God Of Time: Passover & Easter. Lamb & Crucifixion. And 2020.

Posted on April 8, 2020 by ez3728

I have spoken/written/taught/studied so many times about the topics of Time and God’s Timing, I was certain I’d find good past notes to quickly post. Alas, there’s hundreds of pages of notes and writings to digitally wade through – and I did not find what I was looking for. I am of the mind the Lord desires some fresh bread, hence a new writing of topics addressed earlier, but now addressed – for the now.

As aged-Jacob leaned on his staff and pronounced the individual 12-sons blessings, his word to the tribe of Issachar contained some corrective admonishments. For our purposes, let’s focus on the “tribal logo”, “coat of arms” or “mascot” (if you will):
Genesis 49:14
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,

FAST FORWARD to the days of anointed-David fleeing from crazed-King Saul (more on him later). God was personally calling special people to join up with David to turn the kingdom over to him. Below we can see the calling, and importantly for this writing we can learn of the Issachar tribe’s unique anointing (most critical during critical times):

THE GOD-CALLING – 1 Chronicles 12:23
23 Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD:

THE SPECIFIC ANOINTING OF ISSACHAR – 1 Chronicles 12:32
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;

FAST FORWARD TO THE TIMES OF MESSIAH’S FIRST APPEARANCE
Part of Jesus’ obedience was based upon the timing of heaven
Matthew 26:18-19
18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

MEANWHILE THOSE DESPISING Y’SHUA/JESUS HAD DIFFERENT PLANS and specifically did not want Jesus crucified during the Jerusalem-packed pilgrimage holiday of Passover (because it was a pilgrimage holiday and Jerusalem would therefore be filled with the greatest gathering of eye-witnesses – the crucifixion and resurrection was intended by God to go viral):
Mark 14:1-2
1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.
2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

THE ZECHARIAH 9 PROPHECY (IN THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES) GETS FULFILLED (check that one off) – Matthew 21:1-2
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.

Matthew 21:4-8 (reciting the promise to the Jewish people and to all others who would believe – Zechariah 9:9):
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

And our Lord rides into Jerusalem, at the perfect and God-ordained time to present Himself as the once-for-all Passover sacrifice. He is riding the tribal logo/mascot/coat of arms of the tribe of Issachar. Timing arguably may not be Everything, but it is right up there when it comes to getting things right, aligned with the clock of heaven. Co-Ordinated Incidences.

SOLOMON SAID IT THIS WAY:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: ……………….
….. then Solomon proceeds to lay out a laundry-list of contradictory actions and issues to show us the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
We are called to walked in the Spirit – Spirit-led, Spirit-held-back, Spirit-obedient. It is from that place of holy communication and holy obedience that we will be successful in our God’s plans, and only that place.

BACK TO SAUL (a sad model of failure).
Saul (soon to be replaced by David) had been instructed by the prophet Samuel to wait for Samuel to arrive for a religious sacrifice. And Saul failed out of fear and decided to offer the sacrifice himself.
1 Samuel 13:8-12
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled (King James Version says “I forced myself”), and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

ALL THAT TO SAY: The very most critical nature of the times in which we are living warrant and even demand our alignment with both the purposes and the timings of God, and by His grace and by His Spirit, in that alignment and timing we can accomplish the great exploits spoken of in the book of Daniel – written for us as one huge revelation re how the conclusion of this age unfolds. Failed King Saul did not accidentally just “slip up”. He had to force himself into disobedience. And it was disastrous.

Our Lord has us here (as uncle Mordecai told niece Esther during the Purim events chronicle) “for such a time as this”. God’s grace was, is, always will be sufficient. He promises to pour out His Spirit in these final days, and that promised outpouring means (see below) we can know and understand His will, IF we will posture ourselves to hear His voice and not harden our hearts to His truth.

Be found in Him. That is where His blessing will overtake you, unimpeded by circumstances in the world. And to that point, a word of encouragement for us all: Troubles on earth do not delay God moving and/or accomplishing His purposes in the world, or in your life. The prophet Haggai actually confirms to us that the troubling/shaking work prior to His return IS His purpose (Hag 2). It will result in the greatest harvest of souls, ever. And we get to participate!

We are here to glorify Him in these days.

Rest in that. It is the good place.
Happy Passover. Happy Easter.

Ephesians 5:8-21
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Walk in Wisdom
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

(all scripture NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, Blessed, Blessing, End Times Related, Everything, Fear of the Lord, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus, New Testament, Openness, Peace, Personal Relationship, Prayer, Prophecy, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Tough Days. WANTED: Tough Prophets with Tender Hearts

Posted on April 1, 2020 by ez3728

The International Bible Society website offers us a concise explanation of the circumstances surrounding the times of Ezekiel. The underlines are mine, so that you don’t miss some specific points. Some of my comments appear as notations, in certain parentheticals.
https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-ezekiel/

BACKGROUND
Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire that had once conquered the Syro-Palestinian area and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel (which fell to the Assyrians in 722–721 b.c.) began to crumble under the blows of a resurgent Babylon. In 612 the great Assyrian city of Nineveh fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. (EZ: SO WE SEE ONE EMPIRE FALL AND ANOTHER EMERGE – BABYLON GOES DOWN. ASSYRIA RISES UP. BABYLON HAD EARLIER CONQUERED THE 10 NORTHERN TRIBES OF ISRAEL)

Three years later, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched north to assist the Assyrians and to try to reassert Egypt’s age-old influence over Canaan and Aram (Syria). (EZ: IT IS THAT KIND OF ARMIES-PASSING-THROUGH-ISRAEL THAT THE LORD SOMETIMES USED TO CHASTISE AND DISCIPLINE HIS PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN WARRING NATIONS HAD OTHER CONFLICTS ON THEIR MINDS – ref: Ezek 29:20).

At Megiddo, King Josiah of Judah, who may have been an ally of Babylon as King Hezekiah had been, attempted to intercept the Egyptian forces but was crushed, losing his life in the battle (see 2Ki 23:29–30;2Ch 35:20–24).
Jehoahaz, a son of Josiah, ruled Judah for only three months, after which Neco installed Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, as his royal vassal in Jerusalem (609 b.c.). In 605 the Babylonians overwhelmed the Egyptian army at Carchemish (see Jer 46:2), then pressed south as far as the Philistine plain. In the same year, Nebuchadnezzar was elevated to the Babylonian throne and Jehoiakim shifted allegiance to him. When a few years later the Egyptian and Babylonian forces met in a standoff battle, Jehoiakim rebelled against his new overlord.

Nebuchadnezzar soon responded by sending a force against Jerusalem, subduing it in 597 b.c. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews (see 2Ki 24:14), including Ezekiel (EZ: EXPLAINING HOW EZEKIEL WAS ALREADY IN EARLY-JUDAIC EXILE WHILE JERUSALEM REMAINED POPULATED BY JEWISH PEOPLE), were exiled to Babylon, where they joined those who had been exiled in Jehoiakim’s “third year” (see Da 1:1 and note). Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in Jerusalem, but within five or six years he too rebelled. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588, and in July, 586, the walls were breached and the city plundered. On Aug. 14, 586, the city and temple were burned.

Under Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, Babylon dominated the international scene until it was crushed by Cyrus the Persian in 539 b.c. The reign of the house of David came to an end; the kingdom of Judah ceased to be an independent nation; Jerusalem and the Lord’s temple lay in ruins.

ALL THIS TO SAY: God holds His people, always, to obedience and compliance. His covenant with men and with nations is taken most seriously by covenant-keeping God.
He told His people in the book of Amos:
Amos 3:1-3
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (AND v3 EXPLAINS WHY CORRECTIVE-PUNISHMENT IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED, FOR RE-ALIGNMENT BACK TO HOLY INTIMACY):
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Part of the accountability of people with whom the Lord has entered covenant is based upon His rightful desire and requirement for such people to “walk together” with Him. And He is holy. That has not gone out of style in the New Testament days. It is why Peter reminds us of the admonition:
“Be holy for I am holy”. (1 Peter 1:16)

The argument: “lighten up, we’re in New Testament days” does not stand up to the truth of scripture. It’s ironic that teachers wanting to paint all covenants of the Old Testament as being worn out and gone (citing Heb 8:13 which is intended to address the Mosaic ordinances), fail to embrace simultaneous truths written by that same author, who tells us:
Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

ALL THAT TO SAY: I am of the mind that what is occurring on earth right now, March, 2020, is more than a “forced Sabbath” (though it is), and more than a wakeup call (though it better be) and more than a “conspiracy theory” (which arguably is everything that rages against our Lord’s plans, if you want to get biblically technical – Ps 2).
The nations are raging and proclaiming lies, always, and at all times. Anything taught or proclaimed that contradicts the entire word of God is fake news.
Whether outside or, worse yet, inside of church or synagogue, we would all do well to address His sovereignty over all things, good and bad. Isa 45:7. That sovereignty includes His determination that man would have a free will. But the outcomes of free will, whether exercised that will is exercised in obedience or disobedience, is His to control. Below is Daniel’s chapter 9 prayer. It reveals much.

We appear to be in the most serious of times, times demanding our attention as well as our response. In many ways the outcome is contingent upon our response, individually as well as corporately. In other ways, we have been told the outcome of the divine story, and we will not reverse that – although we can have huge say:
(a) as to the outcome of our own salvation, and
(b) in offering salvation to as many as will come to our Lord.

THIS WRITING: Critical to the deliverance of any word from God, whether of comfort and encouragement, or warning, to anyone, is the heart of the delivering party. Ezekiel said some tough things – as did Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Amos, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Zechariah, etc. – which explains why those “tough-things-prophets” are so infrequently taught, in textual fullness, in the church. The PROMISES in each of those books are often latched onto, highlighted and preached, but the fullness of those prophetic messages, including WARNINGS and recounts of OUTCOMES are typically left covered up and unaddressed. Sad/typically/dangerously, many church leaders would rather leave the tough stuff in the Old Testament.

But Paul told us in 1 Cor 10 that the whole book was written for our admonition, and purposely cited some startling biblical accounts to confirm what he meant. 1 Peter 1 tells us the Old Testament was written for the New Testament saint. Our Lord (Matt 24) pointed to the book of Daniel as key to our succeeding through the very toughest of days when the abomination that causes desolation (chapters 11 and 12) appears in the (yet to be rebuilt) temple.

THE PROPHET’S HEART: Precious about Ezekiel is his plea to God once divine slaughter was initiated in Jerusalem. Ezekiel was not looking to be affirmed by the activation of the tough words he had been instructed to proclaim. His heart was one of intercession and crying for mercy:

Ezekiel 9:8
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

This same heart of mercy is evident in Daniel and in Jeremiah:
Daniel 9:3-19
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Jeremiah 9:1
1 Oh, that my head were waters,
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!

I believe the Lord, in these days, is watching and evaluating the response of His people, His prophets, His prayer warriors, His intercessors, His watchmen on His walls. How do we address the message He is speaking to us, and also through us? And how will we respond, as His children, and also as His examples?

Tough times also means some tough revelations will be presented by the Lord to the messengers of God – and as always He is requiring that we speak all of His words, tough or not, always in love.

(all scripture NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, Blessing, End Times Related, Everything, Faith, Fear of the Lord, Free Will, God's Word, Hearing God, Holiness, Holy Speech, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Revelation(s), Salvation, Sin, Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

As promised: A Link to prior teachings and notes, and some third party resources re these times

Posted on March 25, 2020 by ez3728

As some have requested and as I recently promised, I have uploaded a bunch of files that can serve as a resource – writings and some articles pertaining to my opinion regarding current situations on earth, as per the Lord’s plans and timing.

THE LINK:
https://ln2.sync.com/dl/0d9a68ba0/5hrbdzjs-bxk3p5g2-8maqe7sq-rqy5nwwc
THE PASSWORD:
EZ372801

I continue to be learning and pressing in to the Lord, so just like legal documents, I will say: In the event anything appears to conflict w other writings within this folder, more current writings are intended to supersede earlier writings – simply because I am on my journey, as you are on yours.

Some of the docs are live docs.
Some are pdfs
Powerpoints provide graphical support materials so you can see pics and specific scriptures used when many/most of these were publicly presented/taught.

Feel free to utilize any/all of these. They are the Lord’s not mine, unless they are proven incorrect, in which case they are mine!

The 3-week teaching on the books of 1 Peter and 2 Peter of course are broader than just end-times matters, but because that theme is so interwoven into both those books I’ve decided to include them in their entirety.

The David M. Rogers writing is particularly heady, but I believe invaluable it getting an understanding of the Restrainer mystery in Thessalonians. Those writings were a confirmation to me of the personal revelation I received from the Lord that became “The Main Event” writing that is available on the www.ez3728.com website – search for it via SUBJECT, typing in its name.

I wrote (in the prior post):
STAY TUNED FOR TEACHING NOTES: I am also gathering my notes from many teachings – some of which have not been posted on ez3728 before, including the 8-week 2018 Daniel class. Those include pics and scriptures in powerpoint format as well as word doc text – so that can be thoroughly dug into. Feel free to utilize, any/all any way you like. Please know that the writings are my personal teaching notes, and therefore HAVE NOT been perfectly and thoroughly proof-edited. Also, there may well be some specific mentions of events and people at church etc. They are what they are. If your name happens to be in any notes, sorry in advance. They are literally my notes to myself for the classes.
Blessings.

Posted in Anointing, End Times Related, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Movement of God, New Testament, Obedience, Old Testament, Repentance, Revelation(s), Salvation, Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God, Worship | Leave a comment

All that’s happening. All the questions. And shut-in or locked out, we finally find ourselves with time to wonder.

Posted on March 22, 2020 by ez3728

QUESTIONS: With so much happening, right now on a day to day basis, I am (like many, I’d presume) receiving emails, texts, phone calls, etc. – getting lots of questions, and inquiries re how I feel about things, what I’ve written, taught on, spoken to individual folks, believers or not yet believers, in the past. I am asked about what others are currently preaching, teaching, and prophesying.

WHAT I AM NOT: First and foremost – Please know I do not consider myself an expert, or the official clearing house for conditions on earth. The EZ3728 website says: “One Man’s Opinion”.

WHAT I BELIEVE: I am fully convinced Jesus (Y’Shua) is the one and only Messiah for both the Jew and non-Jew. I’ve had way too many experiences, dreams, revelations and other wild “co-ordinated incidences” (CoIncidences) in my own life to think otherwise. A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. Way too much has occurred and in fact is occurring each and every day right now, for me to deny God is alive, well, on the move, acting according to scriptural outline, and just like anyone else who has experienced what I experienced 47 years ago (re: “whosoever will…..”), I know for certain His is in me, in my life.

MY EXPERIENCE AND MY HEALTHY FEAR: I am one man who, by God’s great grace, responded nearly 5 decades ago to His dramatic interruption and call upon my life, and further by His grace, I’ve pressed into deeply studying His word. I happily admit to that addiction. Still, I do not fancy myself an expert, but I can say I know God, I fear Him appropriately and I tremble at His word, and I am committed to challenge myself each time I speak, teach or write anything that represents Him or His Kingdom, or His plans. I am highly accountable to God as a teacher. James said it this way:
James 3:1
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment….

LEARNING, AND ALWAYS TESTING THE WORD: I continue to learn as the Lord teaches me. I trust HIS revelation and HIS personal teaching, impeccably. I would be denying His good work to deny that He has revealed a good amount me, and I am most thankful. Meanwhile, what I learn, hear or read FROM OTHERS I weigh carefully and prayerfully against the word of God, because at the end of the day only His word will stand. That actually clarifies so much, so often.

WANTING TO RESPOND TO INQUIRIES: All the above is written to say that I’ve pondered how to respond to this barrage of questions and comments in some kind of orderly manner, as I cannot spend hours texting lengthy scriptural opinions, or (worse yet!) answers to deep theological questions in a word-game app Chat box. No kidding, really. As I can, and especially as I am led, I respond when and wherever I am able. At the same time (as Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5) I want to redeem the time, because the days are evil, and I don’t believe the will of the Lord, for me, is to backtrack time and again answering or speaking things quickly that I’ve been able to puts to words in the past, often via deeper study and in proper context.

EZ3728 – ONE RESOURCE: Below is a brief list of writings on the www.ez3728.com WEBSITE that can all be easily located by title. All of these pertain to the times at the end of the age, the conditions on earth, what the scriptures tell us, etc. There’s likely more writings on EZ3728 that include pertinent information and relate to these wild though foretold times, but this is my personal primary list. The Facebook Page EZ3728 is a very handy resource, and it contains links to audio teachings as well. But the actual WEBSITE provides two handy-dandy search components. One is WORD SEARCH, and the other provides a search function by CATEGORY via a pull-down menu offering topics like Apocalypse, Fear of the Lord, End Times Related.

HOW TO SEARCH THIS RESOURCE: If you scroll up, on the right side of this page you will see a box called: WORD SEARCH. If you wanted to read the article (in the list below): “Main Event”, type in either or both those words. Or use the WORD search box.

STAY TUNED FOR TEACHING NOTES: I am also gathering my notes from many teachings – some of which have not been posted on ez3728 before, including the 8-week 2018 Daniel class. Those include pics and scriptures in powerpoint format as well as word doc text – so that can be thoroughly dug into. Feel free to utilize, any/all any way you like. Please know that the writings are my personal teaching notes, and therefore HAVE NOT been perfectly and thoroughly proof-edited. Also, there may well be some specific mentions of events and people at church etc. They are what they are. If your name happens to be in any notes, sorry in advance. They are literally my notes to myself for the classes.

I pray some of this blesses you all.

THERE’S ONE PERFECT TEACHER WHO IS 100% ACCURATE AND HAS PERFECT DOCTRINE: Please know that the only perfect Teacher is our great God and our Lord Jesus who wants to teach us by His spirit. And because He presents Himself as jealous (Deut 4:24 and many other places), I firmly believe there are revelations and understanding that He personally reserves for Himself alone to reveal to you alone). So read and study anything I’ve written or spoken, or what anyone else has written or spoken, but know that the fullness of your learning experience will come firsthand when you dig dig dig into the Word, with God, yourself. Also know that small groups are great places for bible discussion and revelation. I happened to have married a woman who also loves the Word of God. I cannot begin to tell you how blessed I am to have her as my study/discussion partner.

Another thing to realize is that human teachers must keep learning (and not one of them will ever exhaust the treasure chest of God’s revelation in His Word). My second time at teaching a Daniel series required that I made adjustments to some opinions and conclusions I had arrived at during my first teaching series of Daniel. I am still learning, along with you. So what I’ve written in the past, I’ve written in the past. On one hand I am amazed when I look back and see what the Lord showed me earlier. On the other hand, as He might show me new things, I will speak and teach as I am taught and as I move forward.

I know one thing for certain: Every doctrine that is accurate must and will coordinate with the entire word of God, every jot and tittle. If someone has taught you anything that does not align with the entire word of God, it needs to be humbly and carefully and thoroughly questioned, and if it still fails the test, it needs to be adjusted or discarded. The word of God is “Echad” – whole and complete and never in contradiction with itself. Man’s doctrines, regardless of good (or worse) intent, will always collide with the Word of God. It is divinely intended.

Some very popular teachings and doctrines that permeate the church (sadly, including much of the praying charismatic church) simply cannot hold up to study and scrutiny of several key addresses of scripture, including pretty much the whole book of Isaiah, or Zechariah, Obadiah, chapters 30-39 of Ezekiel, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, and more. Example: I marvel when people proclaim the “toughest times on earth” (Dan 12 and Matt 24) were fulfilled around 70 AD when Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed. Terrible as those times were, that doctrine of prophetic completion miserably fails the “whole-book” test when you read any of dozens of prophecies that tell you “immediately afterward” (the Lord returns) or following the trouble of those days the children of Israel will walk in peace and be lifted up as a nation. Really? That means getting dragged into Babylon with ropes and fishhooks was a glorifying occasion.

THE PRIORITY OF HIS APPEARANCE: Another point to note is that an end-times perspective, by any ministry, cannot be treated like an accessory to some other calling. There is great jeopardy in choosing an end-times stance so that a group has something to say about the return of our Lord, when/if they are asked. Our Lord’s return in flaming fire to judge the earth is more serious than a global heart attack. It is the conclusion of this age, friends. Currently, it is the divine elephant in the room, and ought not be avoided nor overlooked, diminished or discounted. Jesus referred to the religious leaders of His time as actors “hypocrites”) because they failed to address His first coming. How liable are we if we fail to address and respond to the signs of His second coming?

A WARNING AND ALSO A PROMISE OF HIS GREAT GRACE: As I’ve written many times, I contend God has purposely booby-trapped His precious word, so that the proud, the ones with religious agendas, the casual self-proclaimed teachers, the cynics and critics, can all blow themselves up failing to handling the whole word with the respect and dedication and sobriety it deserves and demands. At the same time, lest you be intimidated by the bible, our great God promises to fan the fires of revelation upon any and all who would open His word and sincerely press in to learning and understanding. He is that good. Ps 34: come my children I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And He will teach us way more than that. Bless God.

To get started, here’s a list of writings on this site that pertain to these troubling days, days I believe our great God has initiated to get the attention of all who dwell on the earth, as He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. And He knows that typically and most often it is trouble that motivates man to seek out God.
Psalms 78:34
34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

The list below is in chronological order, and not in order or preference. But if you ask preference, I’d read “National Accountability” first. Just sayin’. It was written 9/16/2018.

Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God 3/15/2020
Connecting Some Prophetic Dots 2/4/2020
Flies In The Prophetic Ointment 12/17/2019
An Act Of God 10/30/2019
The Main Event – the Restrainer and the Champion 7/1/2019
Has This Chapter Been Fulfilled Yet? 10/11/2018
National Accountability 9/16/2018
A Recent Message Re: Both Testaments 8/12/2018
Tapping Out 6/26/2018
You Shake My Nerves And You Rattle My Brains 11/7/2017
Trying To Remove God’s Teeth 9/8/2017
The Meek, And The End Of This Age 9/22/16
Jehovah Thorough 9/7/2016

PLEASE read the recent post re not passing over Passover. In all of our info as well as revelation seeking and study, let’s not fall into the sometimes neurotic trap of overlooking or missing the now-ness of the times, particularly let’s not miss out on our awareness and sensitivity to His Spirit leading.

Bless you all. And as the writer of the book of Revelation starts off: blessed are those who read and hear. Fully understanding all that is spoken, taught or read may be down the road of investment and study, but the big blessing begins simply by digging in.

BTW and FYI: “EZ3728” is a scripture address, Ezekiel 37:28. It is about Israel, God’s chosen people, and their land, His chosen Ground-Zero for the culmination of this age. It is His priority and He calls us into that understanding and alignment:
Ezekiel 37:28
28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”
Until His sanctuary is in their midst forevermore, the nations will not know of His purposes. But they will, then. And we are called to know that now.

Posted in Apocalypse, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, False Teachers, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus, Movement of God, Prophecy, Prophets, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Passover Forever – The Four Questions. The Fair Questions. Forever. For Now. For Our Benefit.

Posted on March 20, 2020 by ez3728

I’ve written before re the Leviticus 23 admonitions, encouragements, and heavenly warnings that specifically accompany some though not all of the Lev-23-listed Hebrew holidays. I am addressing the upcoming Passover, one of those holy-days where “forever”, “everlasting”, and “all generations” is emphatically cited.

Passover/First Fruits:
Leviticus 23:14
….it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
(ALSO) Exodus 12:14
So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.

FYI – OTHER “FOREVER” Holidays:
Yom Kippur/Day Of Atonement – Leviticus 23:30-31
Tabernacles/Sukkot – Leviticus 23:41

We would do well to recognize that the same (one and only) God who describes the crucifixion of our Savior as having been planned even earlier-than-time-itself (before the foundation of the world) also (in Lev 23) told us to observe those holidays forever, and knowing what He knew re the timing of the first appearance of Messiah and His crucifixion, did not time-limit those observances until the Mosaic covenant was to be fulfilled.
NT Proof-Text: In foretelling the work of satan via the antichrist, in John’s Revelation we are also told of WHEN the plan for salvation was formulated:
Revelation 13:8-9
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him (that is: the antichrist), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (v 9 is calling out to us to hear)

Let’s have ears to spiritually hear that God, speaking thousands of years earlier in Leviticus, already knew of the New Covenant that would be activated by the crucifixion work, and purposely told us that certain holidays ought to be observed FOREVER. Do the calendar math, Church. “Forever” includes now.

A good question for us might be: WHY those particular holidays? For this writing, let’s just address Passover, and particularly, the one upcoming this year, in these shaking and troublesome days. 2020 – four hundred years since the first covenant of our forefathers aboard the Mayflower. A most timely anniversary.

PASSOVER – the holiday meal and festival during which our Lord, as the ultimate Lamb, initiated Communion.
Passover is about remembrance.
Communion is about remembrance.
Both are about remembrance of events, and most importantly remembrance of a God who is:
A. Loving and offering forgiveness through repentance, and simultaneously
B. Mighty, righteous, working on behalf of His covenant people, and also judging wickedness on earth. (Ask the Egyptian army about God’s judgment. Fathers, husbands, sons and brothers can be found at the bottom of the Red Sea). This is the whole gospel story.
Jer 9:23-24 confirms the activity and personality of our God, for your reference, and tells us we can rejoice in knowing and understanding Him, in His fullness.

The Jewish Passover tradition of asking questions (classically referred to as The Four Questions) commences with a blanket question: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” is a very Fair question because the traditions of the Passover meal happen to prescribe some unusual observances: what is eaten, how people recline to eat, how the meal takes its course, a prophetic “search” for a pierced and striped middle, broken and unleavened piece of bread, an extra table setting for Elijah who is to come (read the last few verses of Malachi if you will).

The whole point of the anointed “weird meal” is to purposely incite questions – particularly from the young ones – as to why on earth is this meal so strange, so unique. Those are Four, Fair questions deserving faith-filled answers, to serve up new or revived measures faith to the participants. And we can all use fullness of faith in these times.

The admonition to observe Passover is for that blessing, for our remembrance, so that hearts do not fail WHEN (not IF) the people of God find themselves in the impossible. Welcome to 2020, church. Welcome to 2020, synagogue.

The church can choose to play the “we’re under grace” card if we like and ascribe Passover to the Jews, but I don’t believe it is to the benefit of the church. To our benefit is to understand that God has provided everything necessary for life, and faith, and success, and His provision includes admonition and invitation to intentional recounting of His former activity, including even the “politically incorrect” destruction of the wicked, so that an anointed recount might result in what is soberly taken into the spirits and minds of any and all who would hear.

Don’t miss the blessing of the Passover remembrance.
All these things that are occurring, right now, in these particular days and according to His calendar, is for His glory and also for our safety and success. His shaking work is to activate the harvest. THAT is the biblical storyline. These are prophesied in Daniel as being days of great exploits by one who knows their God.

Wednesday April 8 is the beginning of Passover this year.

How to observe Passover is not specifically line by line described in the scriptures, so don’t get hung up on that, nor intimidated by opinionated experts. There’s lots of Jewish tradition and much of it is very good, while some of it is folklore. The inclusion of the egg, for instance, on the Passover plate is thought by some to be a superstitious inclusion of a symbol of fertility, not unlike the Easter bunny. Find your way prayerfully through the seder event. You will be blessed. Egg or no egg, you’ll do quite fine. If more than four questions come up, address them. Enjoy the life of your Seder.

During the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 30) we’re told the lay folks offered the sacrifice because the priests didn’t quite have it together, and then they were so overwhelmed by the event they added an extra week of observance!. And King Josiah’s Passover celebration was thoroughly over the top as well (2 Chron 35) – so don’t panic over accuracy – rejoice in the holiday observance understanding God loves that observance and will breathe on your efforts.

If you research SEDER (“order”) or HAGGADAH (the book of telling of events), you will eventually reach the conclusion that the concept of “SEDER” (“order”) is sort of like the Italian dessert Tiramisu – each family has their own specific recipe. The anointed intent of the Seder is the remembrance and the retelling of the story of deliverance by our faithful God. We needn’t get hamstrung by rules that are not specified in the Lord’s word. Again, the enjoy the life of your Seder.

If you are a believer in Jesus/Y’shua, there’s lots of seder recommendations online that correspond to your faith and understanding.
If you are a Jew still unconvinced of Y’Shua’s Messiah position, I am so sorry about that and I recommend you’d simply pray and ask the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, your God, whether or not Y’Shua might just be your one and only Savior. And while you are it read Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12:10. Both of those good Jewish prophets spoke and continue to speak eternal truth. I’ll post the Zechariah verse for you:
Zechariah 12:10
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

(All scripture NKJV version)

One more BTW: I do not omit the middle letter “O” from “GOD” because that too is religious superstition. The commandment to not use the Lord’s name in vain is accurate, alive, and well. I am not using His name in vain. I am using it in reverence. Our God reigns.

Posted in Anointing, Blessing, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, Israel, Jesus, Obedience, Old Testament, Personal Relationship, Prophecy, Repentance, Revelation(s), Timing, Tribulation, Understanding & Knowing God, Word Of God | Leave a comment

Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God

Posted on March 15, 2020 by ez3728

Coronavirus and you

POSTED ON MARCH 14, 2020 BY AVNER BOSKEY

The coronavirus has now become a pandemic –

a “worldwide spread of a new disease” (www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/pandemic/en/ ).
“an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people” (www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/7/11-088815/en/#R2 )
“A true … pandemic occurs when almost simultaneous transmission takes place worldwide” (www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/7/11-088815/en/)

A pandemic does not mean that the situation is the worst possible one. It simply refers to the fact that the virus is spreading widely and quickly.

Facts, spin, denial and omniscience

People respond to this pandemic in very human ways. Usually, people acknowledge the verifiable events. Immediately after that, fierce arguments break out as to the real meaning of these events. The following points may be helpful here:

There is a difference between the amount of people tested and the amount of people who have the virus. Some educated guesses suggest that 20-27 times more people have the virus than will ever be tested

The news media usually zoom in on the number of people infected, but less often tell us how many people have recovered

Most people (over 90%) who test positive for the virus are recovering/ will recover with no long-term problems

Some people will die from the virus. The percentages will depend on advanced age, preexisting immunity system issues and available medical treatment. Numbers thrown around are based on averaging things out – 0.7% South Korea; 4.9% Wuhan region of China; 5% Iran

The stark realities of this pandemic are unsettling for many people. Reactions include declaring that huge conspiracies are at work, blaming supposedly deliberate plots by China, the CIA or Israel’s Mossad for the spread of the virus. Others deny that the pandemic is even a problem, and assert that the whole thing is a manipulative ruse by politicians attempting to shore up their own rule.

Only an omniscient God knows exactly how many people will be touched by this virus and to what extent. The Bible’s perspective is stunningly reflected in the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) rabbinic prayer ‘Unetana tokef’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unetanneh_Tokef) which declares that God is both good and sovereign in all these events:

It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seals, Who counts and Who calculates … All mankind will pass before You like a flock of sheep. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living. And You shall apportion the destinies of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict . . . – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning.

This Yom Kippur confession is powerfully true. And that same truth also applies regarding the ultimate destiny of each one of us. It’s worth remembering the reality that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained” (Acts 17:31). In light of that, we ruefully confess: “If You, O YHVH, should mark iniquities – O YHVH, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You might be feared!” (Ps. 130:4).

Messiah Yeshua’s soon return to Jerusalem will establish the fallen Tent of David over Israel and the nations. All His promises will be established for the Jewish people. His judgments on all the peoples of this planet will also be actualized: “ But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32).

Casting the first stone

When bad things happen, we want to know why. Who is guilty? Against whom do we point the finger? Two thoughts here:

Shi’ite Iraqi Islamic scholar Hadi Al-Modarresi, based in Qom, Iran, said on February 28, 2020 that the spread of coronavirus is undoubtedly an act of Allah’s divine punishment against China for their disrespect towards Muslims and Islam:

“It is obvious that the spread of this virus is an act of Allah. How do we know this? The spread of the coronavirus began in China, an ancient and vast country, the population of which makes up one seventh of humanity . . . The authorities in that country . . . laid siege to more than a million Muslims . . . Allah sent a disease upon them and this disease laid siege to 40 million [Chinese] . . . And there you have it, this disease spread . . . and it has scared humanity in its entirety” (www.memri.org/tv/qom-iraqi-scholar-hadi-modarresi-coronavirus-divine-punishment-chinese-mock-islam).

In early March, online sources reported that Hadi Al-Modarresi contracted coronavirus.

Messiah Yeshua raised the issue of individual responsibility in one of His comments on the collapse of a building in Jerusalem’s Shiloach neighborhood:

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Yeshua said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Shiloach fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5)

Yeshua tells us that we need to avoid haste in ascribing specific guilt to people who suffer tragedies. The fact is that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. None of us is righteous (see Psalm 14:1-3), and all of us are in need of repentance. The accurate reason for tragedies and judgments may not be available to us in the heat of the moment.

God’s wake-up weapons of discipline

Though many believers are not aware of it, the Bible does not mince words regarding God’s ability to bring judgment to a nation or even an entire planet (think Noah). Jeremiah, Ezekiel and John the Revelator refer to four weapons in YHVH’s hands – famine, wild beasts, the sword of war, and plagues – that He has used, does use and will use to speak to a deaf and rebellious world (see also 2 Samuel 24:13; 2 Kings 8:1; 2 Chronicles 20:9; Psalm 105:16; Jeremiah 5:12; 14:12, 15; 15:2; 21:7; 24:10; 27:8; 29:17-18; 34:17; 44:12-13; Ezekiel 5:12, 17; Revelation 6:8).

Then the word of YHVH came to me saying, “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast . . . Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live, declares YHVH God, they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. For thus says YHVH God, How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it” (Ezekiel 14:12-21)

A pandemic touches all the nations of this world. Whether it is specific sins that are the fulcrum, or simply the general attitude of the world that ignores God, His values and guidelines – we may not clearly know at this point. But there is no question that, like King David in 2 Samuel 24, we need to cry out to YHVH the God of Israel and ask Him to stay His hand, grant repentance and hold the plague back from people (2 Samuel 24:21).

David purchased the threshing floor of Jerusalem’s Jebusite mayor (the Ara’unah) “‘in order to build an altar to YHVH, that the plague may be held back from the people.’ . . . So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. David built there an altar to YHVH and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus YHVH was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel” (2 Samuel 24:21-25).

The voice of King David echoes down through the pages of history to us, and it should become ours as well. As 70,000 Jewish men, women and children were perishing, he cried out to YHVH and asked “But these sheep, what have they done?” (2 Samuel 24:15-17).

Intercession for the sins of our nations is of great urgency right now!

Racing against the chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17)

The Prophet Isaiah tells us that people respond to God’s judgments in two diametrically opposed ways:

“For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Though the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9-10).

The present pandemic challenges us to seek the face of God, to learn righteousness and to call out to Him for international mercy.

Some of us may feel that it is hard to keep up with all that is happening. Be encouraged that the God of Jacob is calling us to press onward to our upward calling in Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 3:12-14). Jeremiah’s challenge is ours as well: “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5).

How should we then pray?

Pray for God to have mercy on your nation and to reveal the areas of needful repentance
Pray for the saving of many lives and the healing of many who are sick
Pray for gifts of healing to increase on the earth through praying believers
Pray for the raising up of Ezekiel’s prophetic Jewish army

Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.

In Messiah Yeshua,

Avner Boskey

Posted in Everything | Leave a comment

The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth

Posted on March 4, 2020 by ez3728

“The whole truth and nothing but the truth”

Sgt. Joe Friday, TV’s “Dragnet” detective, asked and expected this of the folks he would interrogate (along with “Nothing but the facts”)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(1951_TV_series)

Our Lord expects nothing less than this of His anointed saints – that we speak the whole truth and would not bury any of His treasure in the ground – instead that we would steward, and speak, all that He has given us. All. One example:
Jeremiah 36:1-2
1 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 “Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day.

Isaiah 60 reveals darkness will cover the whole earth, and our response is not to hunker down in fear or denial, but instead to arise and shine because that is especially when light will be upon us:

Isa 60
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Verse 12 (12 being the hebraic number of judgment, btw) informs us those times will culminate in more than the sons and daughters coming from afar, or the wealth of the Gentiles coming into the Kingdom. It will involve judgment on earth:

12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

Tough truth, yet clearly part of the same prophecy, as well.

Further in this same prophecy, Isaiah proclaims our anointing to declare a list of divine purposes:

Isaiah 61:1-3
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Yay God!
The Divine decree for us to rise and shine (Isa 60:1) does not have us operating on our steam, but instead has us anointed for divine purpose by the Spirit of the Lord. Our responsibility (and opportunity, and invitation) is to press into that place of intimacy and anointing, to expect and embrace and respond to the anointing.

(BTW – we are not anointed as a reward, by heaven. We are anointed for the purposes of heaven, (v13) “that He may be glorified”.)

Years ago I listened to a young preacher declaring Isaiah 61:1-2, and as he was speaking clearly stumbling over: “…..and the day of vengeance of our God”.
It simply did not sit comfortably into his paradigm of “God is in a good mood all the time”.
Meanwhile that “day of vengeance” mention is actually a comfort to the ones walking in obedience, those turning the other cheek, those even suffering martyrdom for the sake of the gospel.

Vengeance is God’s just response to injustice.

But to the disobedient, God’s prophetic word of vengeance constitutes a strong warning that they would do well to repent and to flee from the wrath to come (Rev 6:17). True love, therefore, would include us loving people enough to proclaim what the Lord has told us to proclaim.

Our anointing is to speak and teach and preach the whole word. Comfort, joy, invitation to salvation, healing, and not to exclude or diminish the day of vengeance of our God. Anything less, is less.

Paul, the writer of “by grace you have been saved through faith “ (Eph 2:8), also reported that he: “warned every man“. In fact, Paul revealed: WE warn every man:

Colossians 1:28-29
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Colossians 1:29 (above) thus presents itself as a NT companion-verse to the beginning of Isa 61:
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach… (the whole planned conclusion of this age and all that the Lord says will transpire).

Our “whole truth and nothing but the truth” purpose, calling and message, particularly during the days of increasingly contrasting darkness (including troubles) covering the earth, even as light and the glory of God shines upon believers, wants and warrants to be “Echad”. Our message wants and needs to be complete, and whole, to glorify our God and to prepare the way for His return, which will include all that He told us that return will include.

Ignoring the prophetic warnings of the Lord to the people (both saint and sinner alike, btw) is failure on the part of the ones who are aware of all that Lord has called us to speak. Whether from the pulpit or in a personal conversation, fear of man, or “seeker-sensitivity” may well attempt to motivate us to dial-down the full message breathed from the mouth of God – the same God who desires that no man perish but that all come to the knowledge of the truth.

Our silence re this truth – like our silence re every holy truth, constitutes failure. By His Spirit, we are encouraged to know how to answer every man, and that assures us His Spirit will guide us into all truth, when and how and what to say.

Help us Lord. Happily, He does.

(all scripture NKJV)

Posted in Anointing, Apocalypse, End Times Related, Eternity, Everything, Faith, Fear of the Lord, God's Word, Hearing God, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Old Testament, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Revelation(s), Sin, Testing, Timing, Tribulation, Wisdom, Word Of God | Leave a comment

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Avner’s Excellent Post re the current pandemic, and God

Coronavirus and you

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