On with the Message…

As we learned in the last post “Prophet as Message” the world is moving towards the time known as The Great Tribulation.  Whether this event is near or far away does not matter because it is closer today than it was yesterday.  This period of time, also known as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble as prophesied in Jeremiah 30, will be a period of distress for the Jewish people and the Church that has never been seen since the beginning of time or will ever be seen again as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 21 and Matthew 24.  In fact, it is this Time of Jacob’s Trouble that will prompt Jesus to rescue the remnant of His people when he hears them cry out, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!” 

This prophet as message pattern becomes self-evident when others attempt to control the message by influencing the man.  Or they try to control the man to influence the message.  Regardless, those who have fallen in love with the cares of this life and what this life has to offer more than they love the LORD have a strong desire to make sure the message conforms to their own self-interest rather than hearing from the heart of God.  Enticement, manipulation, and intimidation are their preferred methods for carrying this out but, if these efforts fail, they are not averse to employing more sinister techniques that involve witchcraft. 

I can hear them in a dark room tossing their amulets and other lucky charms on the floor while waving their censors in anticipation of something or someone rising in their imaginations.  I myself have been placed under the influence of Kabbalah “love spells,” mind and body altering mysticism, and only God knows what else.  I can see how an eighteen-year-old Orthodox Jewish boy can be easily steered into fulfilling their first commandment “be fruitful and multiply” but this glorifies man not the LORD!  Religious people can easily pick on a boy born into their own culture but what about a man who has been given the Spirit without measure?  What about the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul?  Did the religious authorities employ their bag of divination tricks on these two?    

This scenario raises questions that the people of God must answer:  Do you love your spouse more than you love the LORD?  Do you love your children more than you love the LORD?  Do you love your country more than you love the LORD?  Do you love this life more than you love the LORD?  Of course, the LORD already knows the answers to these questions but being the LORD, he asks them anyway.  And the Lord Jesus Christ knows how to get his answers…    

Matthew 23:34-35

34 Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall all the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

This was the fate of the prince of prophets Yeshayahu (Isaiah) who legend says they sawed in half to silence him, also Zechariyah (Zechariah) who they slaughtered between the temple and the altar, and not to mention the LORD of Glory Himself Yahshua (Jesus) who they had crucified.  They provided their answers then just as they do today.  There is nothing new under the sun.

Despite their fallen condition, the Church is called to show them love and compassion not because of their humanistic achievements and excellence or their political, secular, and Zionistic state, but because they are beloved of God.  It is for this reason and this reason only that we make of ourselves a living sacrifice in our demonstration first and then, and only then, of our proclamation of the life of their Messiah…Yahshua HaMaschiach (Jesus the Messiah) of Israel.

My friends, On with the Message….