TIck, Tick, Tick

    

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (I Cor. 5:19-20)

Hey Gang:  William Koenig began his weekly commentary, a few weeks ago, on the rapid progression of the United States toward the precipice this week with these words: "End-Time Clock Moves Another Tick".   His statement brought back memories of the cold-war days when a group of people, who were up to speed on world affairs, set what was termed the "Dooms Day Clock".   I recall at one time it was within five seconds of no longer sounding the alarm but declared the reality that you best have your house in order for the Day of Salvation is coming to a close. 

Koenig began his epistle with a plea to respond to Anne Graham Lotz's Prayer initiative, Mayday, Mayday, to pray fervently for our nation.  He wrote, "In these days of desperation and confusion, hopelessness, when mountains are collapsing, nations are warring, people are rioting, the earth is quaking, and the enemy is threatening, it's time to cry out to the Lord...NOW?”   The prayer initiative has since passed by us, but it is never too late to cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy for the tragic direction our nations has taken.

 Her challenge, to all those who love the Lord and this nation was to pray, for nine days between Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost; these have been biblically and traditionally been days of prayer and fasting for an outpouring of God's Spirit.  The time has passed and perhaps you did not know or give that one hour a day to seeking God's mercy and forgiveness for the gross sins of our nation.  But how fantastic our God is, He does not place time limits on our prayer life.  

It has been said that our President is very concerned about his legacy and has placed all of his eggs in the Iran Nuclear Agreement to repair a very damaged foreign policy.   But I would suggest this morning that he has a far greater problem than what the world thinks of him as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world.  He, like every one of us, will stand before the judgment seat of God and answer the question, "What did you do with My Son Jesus? And there will be no teleprompters around.

How very sad that our President became recognized as the gay and lesbian rights champion when he endorsed same-sex marriage.   In a recent Newsweek magazine article he was nicknamed "The first pro-gay president.  He is the first president to use the term "transgender" in a speech, to name transgender political appointees and to prohibit job bias against transgender government workers.

Also included in this week's Koenig report that should not get your feet to dancing, "Girl Scouts of America Allows Boys Who Identify as Girls to Join Troops; Opponent Says Policy is "Slap in the Face to Christian Parents.

If that does not get your attention perhaps this one will, "Our President has called for an end to psychiatric therapies that seek to change the sexual orientation of gay, lesbian and transgender youth.

And last but not least, "Robert Gates, president of the Boy Scouts of America, urged members to lift the decade-old ban on openly gay adult troop leaders sooner than later" during a speech at the organization's national meeting in Atlanta.

Now can you understand why Bill Koenig's title to this week’s report was " End-Time Clock Moves Another Tick".

It is a little late to respond to Anne Graham Lotz's challenge to pray for nine consecutive days for one hour a day for our nation, but it is never too late to pray for our nation with this in mind: "If My people who are called My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chron. 7:14).

 Blessings,

 Gramps

Lighten Up!

"Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.   This expression, "Yet once more", denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to god as acceptable servicer with reverence and awe: For our God is a fire" (Hebrew 12:26-29).

Hey Gang:  I came across this 'Quote of the month" that rang my bell.  "With hurricanes, record snow falls and freezing temperatures, first out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms  tearing up the country from one end to the other, and with the threat of bird flu, Ebola, and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"   Now ain't that the truth?

As I was seeking a word from the Lord this morning on where He would have me go, He whispered in my ear and said, "Lighten Up". Many of your friends and neighbors, including you, are wound to tight.   Now ain't that the truth? 

We spend far too much of our lives tied in huge knots worrying about things that we cannot control.  As one elderly pastor once declared, "There are two days I do not worry about, yesterday, because it is too late to do anything about the creeping alligators, and tomorrow, who have not shown their colors yet so you do not have a clue from where the darts will come.”

As exulted ruler of Eagle Village I never, never, never completed a day as dictated by my daily planner.  With a barn full of highly-wired teen-agers that were under my care because they had demonstrated their need for someone to teach them what boundaries were, I did not have  a clue what challenges I would face, even before the day had a good start.

If I did not get up early, before the troops were getting out of the rack and beginning their day, and refill my batteries by spending time alone with the Lord and filling my batteries with the Word,  I soon found  that I was firing from the hip with an underpowered  gun.  

I learned very early, in my tenure of working with young folks with hurting chest-cavities that God sent across my path, that I needed to out gun the powers of Satan that had a grasp on many of the kid’s lives.  I learned that, if I beat him to the punch by finding that one positive thing that I could build a relationship on when the alligators began nipping at their heels, I could cut him (Satan) off at the pass. 

When a new youngster came into my life, I did not look at the case file to find out what he or she did wrong.  As a matter of fact I did not break the seal on the case file until I had found that one on which thing that I could build a relationship.  Why? Because I also learned early that we spend far too much time dealing the clinkers in our lives and not enough smelling the posies that God provides for us each day.

Soooo, my young friends, if the rubber-hits-the-road today, and in all probability it will, take a minute or wo and do as God told Habakkuk to do, “Look around you and see what I am doing.”  If you are fortunate to have a clinker free day, thank Him who made that possible and share the good news with someone who is going through deep waters.

Blessings,

Gramps

Jubilee Two

“You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.  You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month, as the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land” (Lev. 25:8-9).

Hey Gang:  I pray you have a deeper understanding of the Feasts, the meaning of each one, and it has instilled in you a deep desire to do some digging on your own and see what the Holy Spirit is saying to you.  And now it is time to return to the Year of Jubilee with this background in place.

Point One:  IN VERY BOLD PRINT – THERE IS A JUBILEE COMING VERY SOON.  As we mentioned before the Shemitah year ends on September 13, which is also Elul 29 on the Jewish calendar.  So fact number one: a repeat from Jubilee One that you need to tuck away in your hard drives, this Shemitah Year ends on Elul 29 and Jubilee begins on the next day which is Tishrei 1 which is also Rosh Hashanah which begins the Jewish New Year of 5776. 

Point two:  Jubilee is a Sabbath.  As Evangelist Dan Goodwin wrote in his book God’s Final Jubilee, we are not under the Sabbath in the New Testament Age.  It was meant to be a shadow of the coming of Christ and our resting in Him for salvation.  In Colossians 2:16-17 we read, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ”.

There are several Sabbaths in the Bible.   There is the seventh day Sabbath, which is a Sabbath for man: It is a day of rest from all his labors.  The Sabbath is a picture of resting in Christ for our salvation.  Keeping the Sabbath according to Old Testament rules would cause rebellion in the streets today.  No, traveling, no cooking, no using all the modern devices that fill our homes. 

In Israel, today, the Sabbath is still honored by most.  It is a neat experience to stand on the eighth floor of the Hilton Hotel and watch the city of Jerusalem shut down on Friday afternoon.  The rich Jews move into the hotels where they continue to enjoy the modern conveniences that are available to them.  The elevators are programmed to stop at every floor, so as to not have to violate the Sabbath law – work to push a button, as also with telephones that can be answered without picking them up.  Foreigners prepare and serve the food.

The seventh year is a Sabbath for the land which was God’s plan for restoring the land.  The purpose was two- fold, first to have enough faith in God that He would supply their needs, even if they did not sink one shovel into the ground.  The second was to allow the land to rest and replenish itself.  Fertilizers were not available in that time and the animal waste insufficient to meet the grounds needs.  

The 49^th year is a Sabbath called the Jubilee.  Every seventh day is a Sabbath for men to rest.  Every seventh year was a Sabbath for the land to rest.  Every 49^th year was a Jubilee.  Not only was it a rest for the land, but it was a proclamation of liberty throughout the land.  Several things happened at the Jubilee. (This is a bit confusing from Goodwin.  Scripture says year after 7^th Sabbath = 50^th year).

1.        All property went back to the original owner on the Jubilee (Lev. 25:13).  Purpose to keep the land in the possession of the original 12 tribes as appointed under Joshua.  As mentioned before the Trumpet is sounded and the year of Jubilee begins which also happens to be the Day of Atonement.  (Lev. 25:9).  But it is also believed by most prophecies gurus that Jesus will come back on the Day of Atonement and put down the Antichrist and liberate  the earth (Read Revelation 19:11-16).

2.       All debt was forgiven on the Jubilee.  The purpose, to give all men a fresh start.  Wow, would that be awesome to wake up tomorrow morning and see all of your debt stamped ‘paid in full’.  Un-fortunately it has been proven that for many, debt is a way of life and being debt free would give them the motivation to hit the credit card route once again.

3.       All bond servants (slaves) were set free on the Jubilee.  If you had gone into debt and sold yourself as a bond slave to pay your debt, you and your family would go free at the Jubilee. This was God’s plan.  This is what Chapter 5 of Revelation is all about.  Christ, the Kinsman Redeemer, and will redeem the earth during the Tribulation.

Soooo, good folks, a very quick summary.  I close with Pastor Goodwill’s summary because I cannot improve on it:  “Christ paid our sin debt on Passover.  He lay in the grave during Unleavened Bread proving there was no leaven or sin in His body.  Christ rose victorious over death and the grave on Feast of First Fruits.  On Pentecost He empowered the church to go out and till the ground, plant, water, and get a crop in the ground.  At the end of 2000 year church age He comes back on Feast of Trumpets to reap the harvest of souls at what we call the rapture. 

At the end of seven years, the end of the Tribulation, we come back with the Bridegroom to end the Battle of Armageddon.  Christ stands on the Mount of Olives in fulfillment of the sixth feast, the Day of Atonement which happens in a Jubilee year. Satan is cast into the bottomless pit and the Kingdom Age begins on the seventh feast which is Feast of Tabernacles.  God and man will “dwell together”.  Yes, the clouds are gathering - but I peeked!  And in the end, those who love the Lord with all their hearts, WIN!  Hallelujah!  Amen and Amen!

Blessings,

Gramps 

News You Will Not Read About on National Press

Occasionally we will put a special blog on a Saturday.  I will try to mention it on Friday's blog - but neglected to do so yesterday.  We try to put these on a week a head.   

News You Will Not Read About on National Press

Iran’s president goes on TV to tell his nation Iran got everything it wanted from nuclear deal and much more. by joelcrosenberg

Item 1:  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is publicly boasting how Iran got everything it wanted from the deal and much, much more.

Here are excerpts of a televised speech he delivered to the nation on July 14th:

·         "Our objective was to have the nuclear program and have sanctions lifted.

·         "At first they wanted us to have 100 centrifuges; now we will have 6,000.

·         "They wanted restrictions of 25 years; now it's 8.

·         "First they said we could only have IR1 centrifuges, now we can have IR6, 7 and 8, advanced centrifuges.

·         "[At first they said our] heavy water plant at Arak had to be dismantled; but now it will remain with heavy water under conditions.

·         "[At first they said the nuclear facility at] Fordo had to be closed; now we will have 1,000 centrifuges there....

·         "In future days when UNSC comes with new resolution, all 6 of their previous resolutions will be lifted....

·         "Honorable Iranian nationals, all sanctions, including on missiles, will be lifted on days of implementation. Not suspended, lifted!

·         "Today is the end of oppressive sanctions. The chain of sanctions is broken....

·         "Today people in Lebanon and Palestine are happy because Zionists have tried to block this deal but failed....

·         "Oh great nation of Iran this is the beginning of a new movement,

·          

·         I tell you! "These remarks were reported via Twitter by Thomas Erdbrink, the New York Times' correspondent in Tehran.

Item 2:  Sunni Arab leaders aghast at Iran deal, Saudis publicly blast it as “worse than the U.S. deal with North Korea” and warn deal will wreak havoc in the Middle East.  So says Joel Rosenberg. 

Egyptian, Jordanian, and Gulf leaders are privately stunned and angered by the recent moves of the Obama administration, especially with regards to Iran, yet they have also been cautious in their public comments.  The Saudis have been more verbal and have been quietly working with the Sunni leadership of Pakistan to potentially buy nuclear warheads from the Pakistanies if the world community didn’t find a way to cut off Iran’s pathway to the Bomb.  

I draw your attention to Zechariah’s words “Now this will be the plague with which he Lord will strike all he peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth”.  (Zech. 14:12).  My aunt, a nurse in the South Pacific when the WWII ended, was dispatched with her medical team to care for the survivers of the atom bomb devastation said this is a perfect description of what she found.  The skin had literally melted off the bones of the people.  

And now for the good news. ”The Lord said “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.  I will indicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight” (Ezek. 22b – 23.

And now for the promise of the day “I, the Lord have spoken and I will do it” (v. 36).

Blessings,

Gramps

Fall Feasts

 “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wicked-ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:7).  

Hey Gang:  Have you noticed that the world seems to be coming unglued?  If you know the bride of my youth, you know she is a compulsive reader.  She consumes books and marks the parts I should read, which opens many avenues for me that would otherwise stay closed for books of more than ten pages without pictures is a challenge for me. 

One of her favorite writers is Ken Gire, who I would classify as a ‘Wordsmith’.  I had just finished reading Bill Koenig’s weekly update as a Whitehouse reporter, and happened to notice Ken’s book. I  flipped it open and happened to come upon his prayer, following a very moving introduction to his book The Weathering Grace of God.

He prayed, ”Dear Lord, I believe You are a sovereign God, Creator of the heavens and the earth.  I believe You are ruler of the universe and Lord of the landscape of my life.  However small a parcel of ground that is within Your universe, it is still within Your universe, and still under Your watchful eye.  I believe You know what happens there, and that You care what happens there, especially in times of upheaval.  I believe You are good and work all this for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.  I believe You are all-powerful, and that You make everything beautiful in its time.  All these things, I believe, Lord, Help my unbelief.”

I think I will put that prayer on a three by five card and keep it in my shirt pocket, close at hand, for I sense there are very dark clouds gathering on the horizon. 

In the last morning message we briefly looked at the spring Feast of Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Pentecost; this morning we are going to briefly look at the fall feasts which take place in the Biblical seventh month, the month of Tishri. (late September or early October on our solar calendar).

The first Fall Feast is Trumpets.  The Jews call it Rosh Hashanah.  It falls on the new moon which is the first day of their month.  It is also their New Year’s Day.  This Feast will be fulfilled when the Trumpet sounds and God’s family is called up to meet Him in the sky.  Will it happen on that exact day – we shall see but changes in the calendar over the years has added some confusion as to the exact moment this will happen.  Just know that it is going to happen. Folks!

Many feel that seven years later Jesus will return on the Feast of Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to end the battle of Armageddon, put away the Antichrist and many believe that is when the Jews will accept Him as Messiah.  Can you say “Whoopie” to that?    The neat part of this Feast is we are part of it and will return with the King of kings and Lord of lords who will subdue slue foot and all his minions.  What a glorious day that will be!

Five days later is the seventh feast, the Feast of Tabernacles.  Many feel that Jesus will fulfill  this Feast by the setting up of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of the 1000 year reign we call the millennium.   

Pastor Godwin wraps up his teaching on the Feasts with this closing statement: “Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits are God’s plan to redeem man and get back this fellowship.  Pentecost is Christ empowering the church to go out and get people saved, which brings in more folks to fellowhip with God. The Feast of trumpets is the great harvest of souls.  It is in the fall and harvest time.  It is the Bridegroom coming for His bride.  We then have a seven-day wedding celebration in Heaven, while the Tribulation is going on down here on earth.  Then we come back with the Bridegroom riding His White horse on the Feast of Atonement and He set up the 1000 year Kingdom Age where we will live and reign with the Lord.”

Soooo, my friends and neighbors, I pray your understanding of the Feasts of the Lord is more clear now than when we started.  One last point before we close this segment, it was required of all Jewish men to return to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles each year.  It has been our prayer to return to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles this year but thus far God has not said yes.  But this we know, one day we will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with Jesus in the New Jerusalem! 

Blessings,

Gramps

The Spring Feasts

“Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:7)   Oh, Father, how we need this in our world today.

Hey Gang:  Poll after poll after poll continues to show the absolute depression that has set into so many of the hearts of the people of our land.  Unfortunately, this seems to be more true of the more mature folks in our country.  But then again they, like I, remember those days when the roof was still very secure and everything that was considered ‘the anchors of our nation’ were so secure that they never could come unglued.  

If someone were to give you a choice between a scrumptious piece of Grandma’s favorite cherry pie, piled high with whipped cream and a big fat cheery on top or a piece of grungy maggot filled pie, which would you take?  That may sound like a pretty dumb question, but is that not what many, even many in the church, even many who say they are born-again Believers and committed to Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of lords, are locked into. 

As I closed the last morning message I used he example of my cataract surgery that removed the film and allowed my eyes to see all the wonderful things that God created for me to see much more clearly.  The same is true for the Word of God. It is chucked full of wonderful promises of what He has prepared for me, if I plug my electrical system into His power supply and let Him do the driving.

Truth:  God wants to dwell with man.  He has always wanted to dwell with man and one day soon it will be so.  That is the story of Feast of Tabernacles the seventh Feast.  The word Tabernacle means to ‘dwell with’.  We have prayed diligently for an opportunity to return to Israel for the Feast of Tabernacles, but the answer, up to this point, has been “NO”.  But one day I will attend a Feast of Tabernacles Celebration when all whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are invited to the Marriage of the Lamb Feast.

As I mentioned in the last message I will be seeking Dan Goodwin’s help in laying a clear foundation for the true meaning of the feasts. The Seven Feasts are the key that unlocks the door to prophecy.  They are God’s prophetic calendar.  They take place within the first seven months of the Jewish year from Nisan to Tishri. 

Keep in mind the dates of these Feast vary on our calendar; they are set on the Jewish/Biblical Calendar which is a Lunar/Solar Calendar based on both the sun and moon.  The first Feast of the year is Passover.  Christ went to the cross and died as the Passover lamb.  He paid our sin debt dying on the full moon of Passover, the 14^th of Nisan.  He lay in the grave as the second Feast, Feast of Unleavened Bread began, proving that there was no leaven or sin in His body.

On the Feast of First Fruits, Christ rose from the grave, victorious over sin and death.  On the  Feast of Pentecost, the fourth Feast, Christ, through the Holy Spirit ,empowered the Church (Acts 2) to sow the seed of the Word of God to prepare a bride for Jesus Chest,  Each of these four Feasts were fulfilled right to the day!

Soooo, in the next morning message we will look at the three fall Feasts.  I pray that you are gaining an excitement of what God is doing, even in this day when it seems the skies are getting darker by the moment.  Please remember to pray for our Nation.  Oregon announced today that they will pass a law that allows fifteen year olds to have sex-change surgery.  How much longer do you think God will tolerate our total disobedience to His Word?

Blessings,

Gramps

Jubilee

“You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.  You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. (Lev. 25:8-9)  Please read the entire chapter to get a clear picture of the Jubilee as designed by God.  

Hey Gang: Since I began my love affair with the Apple of God’s eye”, I have tried to learn as much as is rapidly, possible with my limited brain, about God’s chosen land and people.  I have diligently read all the material I can get my hands on about the Feast Days of the Lord; more recently about the Mystery of Shemitah through the writing and words of Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. I made a promise to myself to seek God’s guidance and understanding of the true meaning of Jubilee.

And, praise God, I was led to a book by Evangelist Dan Goodwin that has been on my stack of “to read books” for more than a year titled God’s Final Jubilee. Seems I finally found a writer that explains things in a way my previously mentioned limited brain understands.  I love to read the red renditions of the Bible because Jesus was a wonderful teacher- for those of us who need word pictures drawn clearly to open the windows of understanding in our hearts and minds.  

As you know, I recently completed four Gramps Morning Messages on Shemitah,  but since doing so I have since felt that there is one more step that has to be added to complete the subject,  that being the Jubilee.  In reality, Jubilee is not a separate issue in this writer’s mind, but a continuation, and even a conclusion, to understanding the Shemitah Mystery.  But, being very subject to taking side trips, in my speaking and preparation for speaking and writing, I tend to take many rabbit trails and, this study has been no exception.

Now, before I forget and go down one of those rabbit trails, let me give you the setting for what I hope to cover in this and following morning messages.  As you know, from the previous Shemitah-focused messages, we are currently in a Shemitah Year that will end on September 13 of this year which is also Elul 29 on the Jewish/Biblical Calendar.    So, fact number one that you need to tuck away in your hard drives, is the Shemitah Year ends on Elul 29 and the Year of Jubilee begins on the next day which is Tishrei 1 and is also Rosh Hashanah, which begins their New Year of 5776, with the blowing of the Trumphets.

Time for a quick rabbit trip:  In the Scripture for today I mentioned it would be good to study the entire 25^th chapter of Leviticus which sets the table of understanding for God is trying to get into our heads.  Example:  In the first seven verses of the chapter Moses explains the Sabbath of the land.  One can readily see that the focus seems to be on the seventh day or the Sabbath. 

In Genesis One, God created everything – (I wonder what He did in His spare time?) Those seven days represent seven thousand years of history.  The world will go for six thousand years and then rest for a thousand years, which we know as the Millennium in which God will dwell with man.  This has been His plan from the very beginning and, I believe with all my heart, we are rapidly approaching that day when He will say “enough” and implement the final chapter of His eternal plan for creation.

Sooooo, I am rapidly running out of space. Let me close this segment of Jubilee by introducing you to tomorrow’s segment, which I will title ‘An Introduction to the Seven Feasts of the Lord’.  When I read Dan’s descriptions of the Feasts, it was like what happened when I recently went through cataract surgery.  Not only could a see better but everything was brighter.  The flowers were beautiful, the sky was more blue, Wow, what a difference.  When I read these descriptions of the Feasts the blinders were removed and I gained a wider and deeper understanding of their meanings His word are so very clear I will not tamper with them but will do much quoting from his book.

Blessings.

Gramps

Are You A Member of the Radical Right?

 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted an ground in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length an height and depth and know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”  (Eph. 3:16-19).

Somewhere along the line I picked up a description of a ‘Red Neck’ that I feel is very appropriate for Believers for this very hour.  If you believe that Believers in our nation are not going to be confronted and even persecuted for their commitment to the Lord, you had best get your head out of the sand the fill your dome of intellect with the Word of God.  It is not a time to take off the Armor of God and place it in the closet until another day.   An old country preacher once made the statement than when we have God’s armor on and the head place in place, Satan cannot tell us from Jesus. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Confession time:  In the past two months I have struggled, as I have never struggled in the previous 700 plus morning messages sent before, as I have I the past month or since announcing the ‘prophecy blog’.  But this is nothing new.  Throughout the years when we were developing the Village our family was always the ‘guinny pig’ and bore the attack of the enemy to stop any new idea in its track. 

 But Jesus made it very clear that, if you are going to follow Him as Lord, you are not going to have a walk-through- the-park.   In the past decade the media, in a degrading way, refers to those who walk with the Lord as the ‘Religious Right’.  But in today’s media the ‘Religious Right’ is now referred to as the “Radical Right”.    I proudly accept that moniker.

If believing God intended human kind to practice monogamy with the holy bonds of a committed “for better or for worse” marriage union, then I, with honor, wear the badge of the “Radical Right” proudly.

If believing that the punishment of criminals is, in the first instance for the protection of society and that those who, with premeditation, take a life must, in turn, have their lives taken, then I, with honor, wear the badge of the “Radical Right” proudly.

If believing the American Founding Fathers said what they meant and meant what they said when they wrote the Constitution, intending that it be interpreted normally and literally, then I, with honor, wear the badge of the “Radical Right” proudly.

If believing that men and women are to live by the sweat of their brows and that hard work is to be rewarded, and laziness unrewarded and a stigma, then, I will honor, wear the badge of the “Radical Right” proudly. 

If believing in the concept of separation of Church and State, but understanding that the context in which it was made was intended to keep the State from interfering in the religious freedom of its citizens and never to keep the Bible out of government, then I, with honor, wear the bade of the “Radical Right” proudly.

If loving God, rejecting idolatry, not taking the name of the Lord in vain, observing one day in seven for special religious purpose, honoring parents, not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, not bearing false witness, and not coveting are characteristic of the “Radical Right” then I, proudly stand with honor with the “Religious Right.”

Sooooo,  Someone along the line said, “If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything.”  Truth!  Take a moment or two and look around. One does not have to be a super-brain child to see with wide-angle vision “somethin’s fixen’ to happen.  One cannot make gay marriage the law of the land, glorify homosexuality, kill 57 million babies, and turn their back of the ‘Apple of God’s Eye, Israel, and not expect to see the shaking process promised in Hebrews, intensify.  

Yesterday as I was bringing a load of wood from the neighbor, the tractor sent me a message loud and clear, I need water!   By the time I reached home it was sending up a steady stream of steam.  I wonder if there is not some steam coming out the nostrils of our God. 

Blessings,

Gramps

Have You Ever Been Frustrated? I Mean Really Frustrated?

"Now the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus" (Rom. 15:15).

Hey Gang:   I have learned, in the past  month (April-May) that when I  have filled out my daily plan and then something happens that prevents me from completing page one so as to get to page two, it can lead to anxiety and then to depression.  Let me explain!

When the snows were knee deep in the yard I was satisfied to do the mundane things to fill the day, knowing that when the snow was gone I would need to spend a week or two to get the yard cleaned up and ready for a new crop of grass.

So, I patiently waited for the temperature to go up and the ground to dry. That was a couple months ago and I am still (May-June) not so patiently waiting for the water to sink in to the land or evaporate.  Now I wish I could tell you I have used utmost patience, while waiting for nature to takes its course, but that would be an untruth.    

You see, I have a new neighbor, an Air Force brother, who decided to harvest some of the more mature trees on his property.   He thought there might be as many as twenty-five or thirty; in reality, it turned out there was closer to seventy to eighty!   

Since this was an especially cold winter, I had used every stick of wood I had cut last year to keep the house warm and wondered where I would find the eleven cord or more that I would need for next winter.  Well, God knew the problem and, through some mutual cooperation, we made a land sale that benefited both of us.  In the midst of the swap, He learned I have a wood furnace and do a lot of black- pot cooking and offered the tops of the trees to me.

Wow, awesome.  But have you ever considered how much cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking is required to remove the tops from more than eighty trees?  As I look out my office window, while writing this, I see tree tops lying all over the property- but there is a problem - the ground is soggy wet, I am having problems with my tractor and the weather man has been less than cooperative.

Now, add to that, I am an extremely task-oriented person and not to finish what I have scheduled, in my daily planner, is almost beyond my endurance.  My wife has learned, in our 57 years of marriage, that she must warn me that dinner is nearly ready- so that I can complete the task I am working on;  to quit in the middle of an assignment is like agony and pain.

Soooo, getting back to the subject at hand, it rained again yesterday, which supplied all the puddles and car tracks with water once again. So, I took a deep breath and put the chain saw away for another day or week, depending on how soon the sun and wind dries the ground.  But I close this with a wee bit of good news, I repeated to myself and old Dutch adage: "If there ain't no tomorrow it won't matter no how".  I will keep you advised, if I meant what I said.  I will admit I have been doing a lot of research on patience lately.

Blessings,  

Gramps  

PS July 11 Check out the woodpile!  God is faithful.  We also need to be diligent! This is only a dent in what there is to do - but enough for this winter.  Have enough work for reat of summer, next year and burning brush in winter!

If There Was Ever A Time......

"When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice.   For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you, not destroy you nor forget the covenant with our fathers which He swore to them" (Deut. 4:30-31).

Hey Gang:  If there was ever a time, when it was imperative that we have all of the tools of our defense mechanisms spit and polished, it is now.  It is a time when absolutes have been placed in the 'good is bad file', and we have entered that period referred to as the "eat, drink and be merry time for tomorrow we die”, and anything that gets in that way is of the 'very old school'.

I read a very soul- searching article by Charles Chandler in The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Magazine, Decision, titled "Thy Word is Truth".   He listed five lies that have consumed the world and how God's truth trumps over them.  One does not have to be an authority on the Word of God to know that the father of lies, Satan, the accuser of God from the beginning of time, knows his days are short and is doing all in his power to take as make folks to the Lake of Fire with him.   It seems one of the most common question we hear today was one that he posed to Eve in the garden, "Did God really say that? 

Do you agree that the world is in all-out rebellion to God's Word, either by rebellion or eliminating those portions you do not like to believe or adhere to?  They form false gods in order to accommodate their  fleshly desires. 

Charles went on to identify five lies much of the world believes with a rebuttal from God's word.  

Lie Number One:  There is no definitive moral authority.  God's truth:  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Read also Joshua 1:8 and 2 Peter 1:3-4.

Lie Number Two:  If it feels good, I can do it.  God's truth:  "All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weights the spirits" (Pro. 16:2).  Read also Mark 7:21-23; Romans 3:10-12; Deut. 28:15.

Lie Number Three:  We are free to redefine marriage as we want.  God's truth:  "Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He bought her to the man.  And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Gen. 2:222-24).  Read also Matt. 19:4-6; I Cor. 7:1-2; Heb. 13:4.

Lie Number Four:  Homosexuality is good and should be celebrated.  God's truth:  "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.  It is an abomination."  (Lev. 20:13)  "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both 0f them have committed an abomination." (Lev. 20:13).  Read also Rom. 1:26-28; I Cor. 6:9-10.

Lie Number Five:  It's my body; I can do what I want with it.  God's truth:  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  Do glorify God in your body." (I Cor. 6:19-20).  Read also Rom. 12:1.

Soooo, I repeat from where I began with the question: Has there ever been a time when we need to make sure our armor and tools of our defense are spit polished, as it is now? 

Blessings,

Gramps

PS  This blog was written in March and you can see what has happened since!

Three Months To??? Are You Prepared?

“When My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will HEAL THEIR LAND” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Hey Gang:  Oops!  I said in an earlier morning message it would be my last on Shemitah, but there has been so much that has come across my computer in the past several days that must be shared, so please give me a reprieve from moving on and sharing one last  morning message on the subject.  I do not apologize for going back on my word, for I do not believe there is a more important subject for today’s Believers than what God has done in the past and what I sincerely believe gives us insight into what He will do in the future. 

With the coming climax to the end of the Shemitah year on September 13, it seems our government is no longer sauntering down the path of defiance to the will of God, but has pushed the pedal to the metal in defiance Jehovah God. Two weeks ago it was a decision by the Supreme Court (I do not find them supreme in any way) that Americans born in Jerusalem cannot list “Israel” on their passports as their country of birth.  Why?  Because Jerusalem remains part of a ‘dispute territory’ and such a move might provoke Muslims to violence, and we certainly do not want to upset the Muslims.

So, the passports should list place of birth as Israel, but not include the eternal city of Jerusalem.  Of course the Palestinian Authority was ecstatic about this decision for it created yet another dark cloud over God’s chosen land and God’s chosen people.   It seems most of the nations of the world stand ready with hammers to drive yet another nail into the Israel coffin.  What they do not realize is they are really driving those nails into their own coffins!

Mark Biltz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries and author of Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs.” (a good read for this day and age) said, “One might get the idea that the decision to say Jerusalem is not a part of Israel might be the straw that broke our nation’s back in the eyes of God”. 

There are three Jews on the Supreme Court, (Elana Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer), who voted against saying Jerusalem was a part of Israel, because they were afraid of the giants’ in the political arena around the world.  Which means their heritage was overcome with fear.  There are also six Catholics on the court, which means there are no evangelical Christians who are protecting the rights of the Christian Believers of our land.

Biltz pointed out: “It is interesting to note the Torah reading for the weekend in every Synagogue in the world, when this decision was passed down, happed to be “Shelach”.  This is a very short story about the spies who brought the bad report, making a false judgment call, because they feared the giants in the land.  God told them Israel was theirs for the taking, and it was a horrible disaster resulting in having to wander for 40 years in the desert.”    They traded God’s promise that He would provide a way for them to conquer the land of milk and honey for forty years in the desert of Zin.” 

As we enter the last quarter of the Shemitah year and rapidly close in on the final day of this Shemitah year (September 13), keep in mind on September 14, the Jewish New Year will also begin which is the Year of Jubilee, which occurs every fifty years following seven sabbatical years.

Also mark on your calendar that on September 28^th, the fourth series of blood moons which will coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles.  It will be clearly visible in Israel and is called “the super moon” since it will be as close to the earth as the moon ever gets.  Is this not an exciting time to be alive and see God moving and shaking?   Jesus said, “Listen up gang when these things begin to happen it times to get your life in order for your redemption is coming like a freight train”. (Hainley Rendition of Luke 21:28).

Soooo, please listen to this old man, it does not matter if you understand or don’t understand all there it  to  know about Shemitah and Blood Moon, but know this - in 1973 “Oil Stocks took a deep hit resulting in many lost fortunes. In 1980 a hard recession hit our country resulting in economic woes.  In 1987 the Stock Market crashed and in 1994 the Bond Market crashed.  In 2001 and 2008 the stock market crashed and the news is filled daily that we are on the very edge of another financial crash in our country.  

Hey man, there ain’t nothing I can do about it!  Wrong! Dead wrong!  True the government does not seem bent on doing anything about it; they still spend money they do not have, they continue to try and remove God from every facet of our lives, and we ain’t seen nothing yet. We are still mass murdering a million babies a year, we are fixen’ to throw Israel under the bus, and most recently the top lawyers in our country - that make laws by decree instead of Judicial prudence- said we need to make gay marriage part of the law of the land.  Are we not throwing buckets full of gasoline on our sin? 

 What can we do?  WE can do what God said we should do when our nation begins to slip into the mire and muck of this world.  We can turn the heat up on the devil by placing 2 Chronicles 7:14 on our refrigerator doors, the rear view mirror of our cars, and on the bathroom mirrors as a reminder to be in constant prayer for our Nation.  

Blessings,

Gramps

Can It Happen Here?

"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it: but I found no one" (Ezek.22:30).

Hey Gang:  "Overcome by the darkness, this young Grant High School student decided she would end her life at the end of the school day."  A story repeated far too often in this nation of affluence.  I recently read the results of the study done by the Barna Research Group that gave a report on the religious leaning of the millennial generation, a report that went far beyond the frightening, to the absolute terrifying. 

I wish I could say I disagree with the results of their studies but after fifty years of working with troubled young people I can only nod in agreement.  And I do so with a sad heart.  While working in a detention home in California with hard core young men I did a survey of my own. One of the questions I asked more than a thousand young people was, “Have you even considered trying a different path than you have chosen for yourself.”    I will never forget the blank stares that I received back, when I ask that question.

My follow up question was always received with a hint of hope in their eyes: “If there was another way, would you take it?”  The next question often brought tears to some very hard eyes that just did not allow tears to be part of their emotions.   Next question, “If I could give you one thing that would fill your heart with happiness, contentment and joy, what would it be?”  The answers were nearly often unanimous - to have my mom and dad and my brothers and sisters together in a home that was free of anger and pain.

I do not know the circumstances that lead this young Grant High School student to make a horrendous decision that she could not longer bare to live in this world, but, as she reached the end of the school day and was about the grisly task of ending her life, she took a detour and went to an on-campus Christian Club. There she heard the story of a Savior that was being taught to 150 other Grant High School students.     

After hearing the stirring message, and I emphasize the word 'stirring', she ran to the front weeping and ask the one who presented the story of Jesus to pray for her.   Alan, the teacher, shares God’s message and the Gospel each week through Campus Christian clubs and reaches about 2,500 hundred student at 15 schools in the Los Angeles area.  He said, “Kids have been saved from drugs, violence, sexual sin and the biggest of all defeat mechanism of the evil one - hopelessness.

When asked how this began, Alan related the following story: "A watershed moment came when opposing gangs put down their weapons and met each other in the gym for prayer, along with 400 other students who had gathered to hear a heart -felt and compelling message.  The Holy Spirit came into the room and the kids just broke down weeping.”

He said it was absolutely nuts.  "I've never seen anything like this before in my life; it was 'out of sight' to see so many kids responding to Jesus.”   

Sooo, as I read this story, and confess I have read it many times for it is a desire of my heart to see such a thing happen here in my community, I asked myself, “Can it happen here.”  Yes, no question.  But are there people who will commit to vowing, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?"  Then I said, "Here am I, Send Me" (Isa, 6:8).  How about you, are you ready to stand in the gap for the young people in your neighborhood?  Are you ready to do something really significant for the Lord?    Can I put you down as a warrior who is ready to "Stand in the gap for Jesus?

Blessings, 

Gramps 

What IsThe Shemitah, continued

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:25-28).

Hey gang:  I know I sometimes sound repetitious with my “I read, or I have heard, and I have seen,” but I want you to know that everything you read on these printed pages has been carefully studied by yours truly to make sure there are two or more witnesses that agree with what is being said.  This question was recently asked, in a meeting of several prophecy guru’s: “What is the most impacting sign of the times, today?”  After each had stated their preferences it was his turn to expound and he simply said, “Convergence”. 

“Convergence, what in the world does that mean?” Was the follow up question?  He said there were so many things happening so fast that one cannot pick out one sign and build their house around it.   Jesus warned us that we should keep an open mind and look at all the prophecies of the Word. When all of these things come together, know the days are short; we should have our armor shined and in place, our lamps filled with oil, stay prayed up to the second and keep our swords (Bible) close at hand and open.  Keep this in mind my friends and neighbors, you could wake up tomorrow in the heavenlies. 

I pray you have a better understanding of what the Mystery of Shemitah is after reading my first two instalments.  I want to begin the wrap up the Shemitah subject by clarifying a point I might have left dangling in the last blog.  Yes, the Elul 29 date that is rapidly approaching falls on Sunday September 13, but does that mean the sky will crash on that day?  Only God can answer that question.    He is by no means locked into our calendars.  But God has a history of passing judgment and we can look at His historical record and see that He tends to do things the same and the Shemitah is a good example of that.

This we know, when a country that was once a Christian nation decides, one day, to elect a leader that is bent on taking the nation down a one-way path to perdition - toward secularism and other ungodly “isms” - the nations influence and standing in the world will soon dissipate.  One does not have to be super intelligence to realize we are well down that path a long way and daily move closer to the edge of the precipice. 

As Jonathan Cahn has said many times, it is very possible that nothing may happen on or near September 13 because we cannot put God in a box. But we can rest assured that unless there is third awakening in our nation and a return to God, we are going to feel God’s wrath.

But eventually, whether it’s in 2015 or 2016 or beyond, judgment is going to come.  We have heard much about the four lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses over a span of seventeen months, in accordance with the Biblical Feast days of Passover and Tabernacles.  The first solar eclipse was on March 20, the exact center point of the Shemitah year, and the second will be on Elul 29 or September 13, a date you might want to mark in bold letters on your calendar.

Also, keep in mind, 2016 could be more pivotal than 2015, if it is indeed the “Super Shemitah.”  This is how some describes as the “Year of Jubilee” which occurs once every seven Shemitah’s, in the 50^th year. 

Soooo, my friends, I pray I have given you enough to better understand what the Shemitah Mystery is all about.  I pray, too, that it sparked enough interest in you to do your own research and see what the Word says to you. (The word Shemitah is not in Scripture, it is a Hebrew word meaning nullification.  For your research read Leviticus 23:1-25 and Deuteronomy 15:1-15).

 There is always the danger, when studying Bible prophecy, that some teachers will go too far and set dates for various predictions.  But this should not prevent you from digging into Daniel, Revelation, Ezekiel and the other prophetic books of the Bible and heeding their warnings.

In closing I believe a great shaking is coming to this nation and to the world.  All the indicators would seem to be saying that shaking is going to come in the financial and economical areas of the world, but will not be are restricted to those areas.  It is a fabulous time to be on earth and see the mighty hand of God at work -but also a time when we must make sure our hearts are in tune with God and shining witnesses for Him.

Blessings,

Gramps

Just What IS the Shemitah? (Continued

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.  This is the manner of remission: he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lords remission has been proclaimed” (Deut. 15:1-2).

Hey Gang: After rereading yesterday’s ‘What’s Happening Man’ message I felt the need to expand on it this morning with this special additional blog.  As I mentioned, since Jonathan Cahn’s books, The Harbinger and the Mystery of the Shemitah came out, the interest in these two prophetic issues have become a focal point of many prophet gurus, pro and con. 

A side point:  I believe God is releasing the prophecies of Daniel that God said to seal up until, the last days (Daniel 12:9).   And I also believe we have seen the rise of anointed prophets who are telling it just like it is today. 

A point that I neglected to emphasize yesterday is that when God gives a precept, statute or commandment it is designed for our good.  Notice in the Scripture above: God designed the Shemitah year for the good of His children, but, how man handles His precepts, statutes and commandments is a horse of a different color. 

Keep in mind, as you walk your walk, that the Abrahamic Covenant given to Abraham thousands of years ago is still as much in effect as it was the day God gave it to him.  The promise states very clearly, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.  And in you all he families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).  In Paul’s words we find the same principle but stated in a more personal way “You are going to reap what you sow” (Gal. 6:7).

So, the principle of the Shemitah, as given to Ancient Israel.  God told Moses the Israelites were to observe a Sabbath year once every seven years- allowing the land to rest with no sowing or reaping, and  fellow Israelites were to be released from their debts.   Elul 29, the last day in the Hebrew/Biblical calendar became a super important date of nullification.  It was also a day of hope.

Remember, the Biblical Calendar is a solar-lunar calendar based on 29-30 day cycle with an extra month every so many years.  Since it is a lunar calendar the Festival Days are related to the phases of the moon.  Check the web for more information about the Biblical months as related to the calendar we use.

As long as the ancient Jewish nation followed the one true God, the Shemitah resulted in economic, spiritual and material blessings.  But the people also had the choice to abandon God’s ways and embraced pagan customs.  Now, before you push the Shemitah aside as an ancient Israelite custom and say we are in the New Testament era, be advised, when one traces the catastrophic things that have happened in our country, most have coincidentally or un-coincidently happened during Shemitah years. 

All of the economic downturns since WWII have coincided with the Shemitah, including the last two stock market crashes in September 2001 and September, 2008 both of which occurred on the fateful day of Elul 29.   The next Shemitah cycle reaches its climax on Elul 29 or September 13. 2015.   

Cahn also points out that the fall of Vietnam to the communists occurred in a Shemitah year.  The removal of prayer from the schools in the 1960s followed by the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion also occurred in the Shemitah year of 1973, which Cahn believes touched off a period of judgment.  The 90’s were  fairly quiet years, but the ominous pattern returned with the terrorist attacks and resulting record stock-market crash of September 2001 (on Elul 28), followed by another record crash exactly seven years later in September 2008, also on Elu. 29.

The next Elul 29 in a Shemitah year looms like a laser beam on September 13, 2015.  But it falls on a Sunday- which brings us to a very important point.  God makes up His own mind when He will hit the “go” button - trying to get the attention of a wayward nation and people. 

Sooo, my friends, before closing this epistle I want to clarify a point:  In preparing these prophecy centered blogs I use many sources but sources I have checked out thoroughly and am confident they are locked into God and His ways.   Jesus said the key to knowing whether a prophet is a true prophet of God is to see if their past prophecies have come true.  I also believe one of God’s neat signs of the times is that He has raised up a number of young men who are totally sold out to Christ and He is using them to bring hope to those who love Him as Lord.

I tell you this to say “Not much of what I am writing here is original with Kermit. 

The last part on Shemita will be on Monday.

Blessings,

Gramps