The King Who Left His Kingdom
The imagery of Yom Kippur is the end time judgment, when God will separate the sheep from the goats. Also it is the imagery of a righteous Judge who will open the books of each of our lives. The question will be is your name written in the Book of Life? The Fall Feasts are […]
The Thirteen Attributes Of God
The story begins in Exodus 34:1-5 when God called Moses to the top of Mt Sinai. “ The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then […]
The Kingdom
When we speak of the Kingdom, so often we think of it in imaginary thinking. It is a concept that just does not seem real to us and yet the Kingdom is right before us. We want to look at the Kingdom so that we can make it a part of our lives right here […]
What has Happened to Virtues
According to wikipedia a virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards: doing what is right and avoiding what is […]
Running toward the Goal
It is important for everyone to have goals. Philippians 3:14 tells us this, “So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Messiah Yeshua to the life above.” When we set goals in our lives then we must do just that, run straight toward the goal […]
The Day Of Atonement
Most people do not understand the meaning behind Yom Kippur, otherwise known as the Day of Atonement. If we understood it clearly, I think people would see why it is so important to keep this Biblical Feast Day. So let’s take a closer look at the Day of Atonement, because like all of God’s Biblical […]
Cutting the Time
In Matthew 24, Yeshua speaks to us about the last days. Like the book of Revelation, it is very cryptic at times. We see here in Matthew 24:21-22, Yeshua tells us this, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever […]
All in the Family
Today there are so many voices speaking to us, from TV, social media, family and friends. Who do you believe? Who do you trust? Most people will go the way that will suit their lifestyle. Yeshua had some people following Him one day, and they did not like what He had to say. Let’s take […]
To Follow A Star
Do we have what it takes to be Don Quixote? You may say what does Don Quixote have to do with being a Christian? In the movie the man from La Mancha, the aged Alonso Quixano pictured himself as a warrior knight dressed in full armor riding on a horse throughout the land calling himself […]
Who Made You Judge?
We want to look at what the Bible tells us about judging. You hear it all the time, that you should not judge, but what does that really mean?
Are You a Servant?
In Mark 10 we find a strange request from two of Yeshua's disciples. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, ask to be granted the right to sit on either side of Yeshua when He comes into His glory. Now that seems a bit forward, don't you think? Yeshua tells us to be humble in heart. So the question is, are you a servant? Do you have a servant's heart?
Can You Learn to Prophesy?
So what is prophecy and who is a prophet? We want to take a closer look into this and see if you can learn how to prophesy and be a prophet.
The Man of Grief
As we celebrate the birth of Yeshua (Jesus), we want to look at who Yeshua is. Isaiah speaks to us about the man of grief and sorrow. We want to take a closer look at this passage in Isaiah 53, because we as believers don't meditate enough on this thought about Yeshua (Jesus) as a man who went about with grief and sorrow . . . or is this passage talking about someone else?
The Planted Seed
Everyone should have a spiritual garden. Yeshua/Jesus tells us that we need to bear fruit, and much fruit at that. So we are going to take a closer look at this subject to determine if we are keeping the commandment to bear fruit.
The Rewards of the Righteous
The Psalms tell us a lot about God's character and also how He deals with mankind. Who He is and what He requires of us are important for us to know: how else can we serve Him? We are going to look at Psalm 18, especially verses 24-26, which tells us how God will reward our righteousness by our godly living.
Can a Believer Fall from Grace?
I remember many years ago the debate was about whether we are once saved always saved: true or false? Those on the one side said, No! If you are truly saved you can not fall from grace. The other side said, Yes, you can! We want to look into this closer and see, according to Scripture, which side was correct.
What is Holiness, Part 2
We found three clues in part one. We are now going to continue in searching for clues.
The Man of Lawlessness
In our December 2017 newsletter, "A Fall from Righteousness" we looked at what Paul had to say about the end times. We saw that people will become lawless against God's commandments and the laws of the land. We want to continue with that thought and take a closer look at the man who is called the man of lawlessness.
Where Did the Blood Go?
Ask any believer and he will tell you that he is saved by grace through faith; and that not of himself, it is a free gift of God; and not as a result of works, that he should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though this may be true, I ask, what happened to the blood and the cross and sin? Should this not be our first response?
A Fall from Righteousness
Paul paints a picture of the last days. Our question is this: are we in the last days? In the last days, there will be difficulty. It seems as though all throughout history there has been difficulty of all sort, but Paul mentions some things in 2 Timothy as proof of the end times.
Vessels of Honor
2 Timothy 2:20-21 tells us, "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." We want to take a look at what it takes to be vessels of honor.
What is Holiness, Part 1
We as Christians speak about holiness, and yet many of us do not know what holiness is. We do not know what it looks like. I think that without an understanding of what true holiness is it is hard to understand that it has disappeared. So we are going to do some detective work to find clues that will lead us to true holiness.
The Abundant Life: The Abundant Life, Part 1
This month we want to look at the Abundant Life. Many TV Pastors and Evangelists speak of the abundant life as financial prosperity. In some small way this could be true, but when Yeshua (Jesus) said "I have come to give life, and that life abundantly" (John 10:10), I don't think He was thinking in a financial way, for He also speaks of how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). So what was the Messiah speaking about? Let's take a closer look because I think we all want life abundantly: or do we?
The Abundant Life: The Abundant Life, Part 2
In our last newsletter we saw that the Tabernacle represents the abundant life in God. We are going to continue our journey where we left off in the Holy Place and continue on into the Holy of Holies. We want to remember that even though the Tabernacle does not exist any longer, the heavenly Tabernacle does.
The New Covenant
A very popular dogma of the church is that we are now under a new covenant. Because of Jesus (Yeshua) we no longer need to keep the old covenant; it is obsolete and does not apply to Christians. We want to take a closer look at this and see if it is really true.
Today it is more important to be politically correct instead of being morally correct. What has happened to the church of the living God, the body of Messiah? Have we lost our courage or have we lost our convictions? Maybe we have lost our faith!
The Ten Commandments, Part 2: The Final Six
In our last newsletter, we took a closer look at the first four commandments. These next six have to do with our relationship with our fellow man. So we want to look at the remaining six commandments to see if they are needed for today's society.
Are These the Days of Elijah?
We want to see if we are in the days of Elijah or if they are yet to come; but first let's look at the prophet Elijah to see who is this Elijah that is coming back.
Elementary Teachings, Part 1: Repentance, Faith and Immersion
In this newsletter we want to take a closer look at 1 Corinthians 3. Paul addresses several important issues in the congregation at that time, and I think that they are still important issues today.
Elementary Teachings, Part 2: Laying on of Hands, Resurrection, and the Final Judgment
Last month we started looking at 1 Corinthians 3. We began laying a foundation by looking at the elementary principles of Hebrews 6:1-2. We looked at repentance from dead works, faith toward God, and instructions about washings. Now we want to begin by looking at the laying on of hands.
Elementary Teachings, Part 3: United on the Foundation
We have been studying, the last several newsletters, at 1 Corinthians 3. Now that we have laid that foundation, we want to build upon it and continue looking at this chapter in 1 Corinthians on foundational living.
The Abundant Life: The Abundant Life, Part 1
This month we want to look at the Abundant Life. Many TV Pastors and Evangelists speak of the abundant life as financial prosperity. In some small way this could be true, but when Yeshua (Jesus) said "I have come to give life, and that life abundantly" (John 10:10), I don't think He was thinking in a financial way, for He also speaks of how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). So what was the Messiah speaking about? Let's take a closer look because I think we all want life abundantly: or do we?
The Abundant Life: The Abundant Life, Part 2
In our last newsletter we saw that the Tabernacle represents the abundant life in God. We are going to continue our journey where we left off in the Holy Place and continue on into the Holy of Holies. We want to remember that even though the Tabernacle does not exist any longer, the heavenly Tabernacle does.
Moses Songs, Part 1: The First Redemption
Music was, and still is, a very important part of worship. We want to take a closer look at the song of Moses to see why the redeemed in Revelation would sing this particular song. But which song of Moses did they sing, for Scripture records two different songs? Let's look at both of them.
Moses Songs, Part 2: Another Song of Moses?
The Bible tells us that Moses wrote the 90th Psalm; and the rule of thumb is that if the next Psalm does not tell us who wrote it, then chances are it was the person who wrote the previous one. This is the case with Psalm 91. Let's see if this Psalm could have been written by Moses.
Preparing For Yeshua’s Return
The Gospels tell us about the second coming of Yeshua. They record Yeshua's own words, "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven," Luke 21:11. Are God's warnings going unnoticed?
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 1: I Have Loved You
The Book of Malachi is a series of dialogues between God and His people. We want to present God's statements so we can answer them in regard to our own lives today. We also are going to compare Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, with Revelation, the last book in the New Testament to see if God's message is the same to the church as it was to the temple-goer.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 2: Judgment of Idolatry
The people in Malachi's day complained against God and even turned from Him. We also saw in the message to the churches that nothing was new over the years: the people still sinned against God and followed idols and corruption filled their assemblies. So we want to continue looking at these two books and we want to examine our own lives to see if we too have fallen into any of these ways and maybe even into idolatry.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 3: Final Outcome
We are going to look at the last few verses of Malachi and Revelation to see what will be the outcome of the behavior on the part of God's people in both of these two books.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 4: Message to the Churches
We now want to look at the end time church, the church today, and we want to see what the message is to today's church and who the messenger is to give this message. To find the message to today's church, the assembly of believers, we need to look at the Scriptures that tell us about the end times.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 5: The History of the Church
We so often think of church as just the building: "We are going to church today." But the "church" is actually not a building of brick and mortar, but it is a sanctuary of people built upon the Word of God.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 6: The End Times Church
We want to continue our study on the one true church and its end time message. We want to begin in Revelation after the message to the first century church.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 7: Joel is a Harbinger of the Day of the Lord
The Book of Joel is a harbinger to the coming Day of the Lord. So let's take a closer look and let's see if we can find any warnings that we need to be aware of today.
Malachi vs Revelation, Part 8: America: Will It Repent?
For many years, I have heard preachers say that the church will be raptured before the wrath of God comes upon the earth because God has not destined us to wrath. What I never understood about that was why have other Christians suffered throughout the history of the church? It seems to be a Westernized teaching, and especially an American teaching. But is this true, that God's people should never suffer?
Messiah and the Jewish Wedding, Part 1: Preparing for the Wedding Day
We want to look at the ancient Jewish marriage customs to understand what we, the Bride, need to do to prepare for our Bridegroom Yeshua's coming. In this newsletter we will look at the betrothal.
Messiah and the Jewish Wedding, Part 2: Waiting for the Bridegroom
In our last newsletter, we looked at the ancient Hebrew marriage customs and how they relate to us as the Bride of Yeshua. We ended with the Bride and Groom betrothed and each going back to their parents to live till all was ready for the marriage ceremony.This time of separation is where we are today as we wait for the return of our Bridegroom. We are going to take a closer look at this time that we are in, waiting for our Bridegroom's return.
What Will He Find?
In this newsletter we want to look at what Yeshua said about His second coming and what we need to do to be prepared. "When the Master comes back what will He find?"
The Season of Repentance
The Fall Feasts of Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Feast of Atonement), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) all represent the second coming of Yeshua. The months between the Spring feasts and the Fall feasts is the time we are in now.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount was one of five sermons of Yeshua, each one corresponding to one of the books of Torah. And so it was here that Yeshua began teaching His disciples. And so it is here that we want to take a closer look.
The Story of Esther
Purim is a lesser rated feast these days but one that should never be forgotten. So we are going to take a closer look at Purim to see the true meaning that should not be forgotten.
He Will Be Great
"He will be great, and He will be called the Son of the Most High." It is this, the greatness of Messiah, that we are going to take a closer look at.
The Tabernacle and the Believer’s Prayer Life
The Tabernacle of God, or the Mishkan in Hebrew, was the dwelling place of God, or you can say God's house: the place where He lived. Since the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D there has not been another temple built. The sacrifices have come to an end, as have the priesthood and basically everything that the temple stood for; or have they? Let's take a closer look!
Law vs. Spirit
In this newsletter we want to look at the law versus the Spirit. To begin we have to understand what is meant by the law. So we are going to take a closer look at what is meant by the law and how it has an impact on our lives.
Yeshua Our Passover Lamb
In this newsletter we want to take a closer look at Yeshua, our Passover Lamb. But to understand Yeshua as the Passover Lamb, we must understand a little bit about Passover.
The Believer’s Calling
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1). We want to take a closer look at this verse and this chapter to understand what it is that Paul is saying.
Persecution, Part 1: Martyrdom of the Disciples
We want to take a closer look at a subject that most Christians do not like to talk about, and that is persecution and martyrdom.So we want to look at the history of persecution starting with the disciples.
Persecution, Part 2: Persecutions Throughout History
We have been looking at persecution and martyrdom, and we will continue to see that this has been a big part of the history of Christianity.
Persecution, Part 3: Expect Persecution
Yeshua warned His disciples that persecution would come. The question that we have to ask ourselves is, how did these people endure not only the persecution, but the pain and suffering and torture that led to their deaths?
Persecution, Part 4: David the Suffering Servant
All throughout the Psalms we read about the brokenness of David who for many years was isolated and lonely because of the persecution of King Saul. So we want to look at his writings in the Psalms to see how David made it through all those years of persecution from Saul.
True Light
December is probably the most joyful month of the year. Everyone is shopping and excited to gather with family and friends to celebrate the Holiday Season. But what is it that we are celebrating?
Holiness For the Believer, Part 1: Be Holy for I Am Holy
We want to look at a subject that is not talked enough about and that is holiness. Most people do not really know what holiness is. They do not understand the concept of it. Yet, as believers and God-fearers, we should all be walking in holiness.
Holiness For the Believer, Part 2: A Holy Offering
In our last newsletter, we looked at the subject of holiness, and to get a true picture of what holiness is in God's eyes, we began to study the text of Leviticus 19. We will continue examining this chapter.
Holiness, Part 1: Clearing Out the Temple
We want to look at a time in Yeshua's life that was considered very controversial. I suppose it was the most radical time in His life. It was when He overturned the tables of the money-changers in the Temple.
Holiness, Part 2: Idolatry of the Heart
Idolatry is a misunderstood concept; we just tend to think of a wooden image. Is this commandment done away with? I think it is for today even more so.
Holiness, Part 3: Carrying Your Cross
We have been looking at God's holiness in His people and in their place of worship. What we need is truth; it is the truth that will set us free, it is truth that will make us strong, and it is truth that will allow us to be blessed. We are going to be looking at what is missing in the lives of Christians today.
Holiness, Part 4: Preparing Our Hearts for Pentecost
God spoke to Moses and said, "You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and beauty." These garments were a picture of the dignity and beauty connected with serving God.
Priesthood, Part 1: The Garments of the Priesthood
God spoke to Moses and said, "You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and beauty." These garments were a picture of the dignity and beauty connected with serving God.
Priesthood, Part 2: Priests of Melchizedek
On Mt. Sinai, God said, "You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." When Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost, he was referring to what God spoke of on that first Pentecost, that those who would be in Messiah Yeshua would be the priesthood. But Yeshua was not a High Priest like Aaron, but as we see in the book of Hebrews, Yeshua is a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. So who is Melchizedek?
Priesthood, Part 3: Priestly Duties in the Outer Court
This newsletter we want to look at the duties of the priests. It is important for us to understand the tabernacle (which later became a permanent structure called the temple) and the priesthood so we, as believers in Yeshua, can understand how we are to live and how we are to worship.
Priesthood, Part 4: Priestly Duties in the Holy Place
After repentance and cleansing and sacrifice, we are now ready to enter into the next section of the Tabernacle: The Holy Place.
Priesthood, Part 5: The Incense of Prayer
We want to continue on our path of worship. As we leave the Table of Showbread, after we have feasted at God's table and our hearts are well-satisfied and we have drunk from the wells of salvation, cleansed and walking in the Light, now we can approach the Altar of Incense.
Priesthood, Part 6: The Holy of Holies
When we entered into the first veil or door of the Tabernacle/Temple, we entered with thanksgiving and praise, shouting and celebrating; but when we enter into the last veil, we enter in with silence.and awe.
The Second Coming, Part 1: Birth Pangs of Messiah
We want to begin a series looking at the second coming of Yeshua. We will begin by looking at Matthew 24-25, with the same narrative in Mark 13 which is considered to be the Eschatological Discourse.
The Second Coming, Part 2: Judgment is Coming
We began last newsletter to look at the end times and what Yeshua had to say about it. So how far into the end times are we?
The Second Coming, Part 3: Ready Yourself for the End
We now want to look at six parables in Matthew 25. Yeshua is not only telling His disciples that the time of His return would not be immediate, but these parables give us an important message.
The Second Coming, Part 4: Serving the King
We have a responsibility to do the Master's work and we need to do the good works that God has prepared for us to do. Now we want to look at the last three parables in Matthew 25.