Our present age is marked by anomie, lawlessness, deception, unconscionable treason, political propaganda and disinformation (i.e., socialized violence), and a Nietzschean “transmutation of values” which has inspired the present “postmodern” wasteland of narcissistic evil and moral amnesia… The foretold divine judgment is drawing close and soon the nations will be brought together in conflagration and self-immolation….

In light of our “place” on the divine timeline, the dispensations of God, we must stress the importance and value the life of the authentic individual, that is, the person of faith who is marked by moral courage and integrity that transcends the indoctrination and “scripted stupor” inculcated by mass media and its relentless propaganda…. It is as common as a coin of the realm to see the schemes of various unwitting “change agents” fabricating problems for their unknown reasons, in order to foment the social order according the divine agenda of judgment. Indeed this is the age of engineered terror, the antithesis of which is not some nebulous “freedom” as suggested from the princes of this world, but rather a new form of slavery unlike anything before seen on this earth. It behooves us not to look to the usual suspects — and never to forget the complicity of the unthinking public in Nazi Germany…

Find comfort, friend of Yeshua. Of this evil world it is written, “Why do the people rage and the nations devise schemes that will fail? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Messiah saying, ‘Let us tear off the shackles of their yoke, and throw off their ropes from us!’ But the enthroned LORD laughs at their insolence and holds them in derision, until the appointed hour when He will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury” (Psalm 2:1-5). Amen, amen! καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν – “This is the victory that overcomes this world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

The LORD God Almighty will surely break the pride of the “kings of the earth” with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel, and the shattering will be so complete that among its fragments not a shard will be found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern (Psalm 2:9; Isa. 30:14). For from His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty (Rev. 19:15).

“As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, breaking them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:34-35). “And the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed … and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44). One day the edifice of man’s godless pride will come crashing down, and there will be no trace left of its rubble… The day and the hour draws near.

The prophet Isaiah foresaw the glory of the Coming Kingdom: “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD (הַר־יְהוָה), to the house of the God of Jacob (בֵּית אֱלהֵי יַעֲקב), that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:2-4; see also Jer. 3:17, Micah 4:1, etc.).

Before this glorious time of the Millennial Kingdom, however, the great “Day of the LORD” will come – a time of worldwide, catastrophic judgment that will befall the kings and princes of this world… “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near and hastening quickly; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man will cry loud there” (Zeph. 1:14).

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• Zeph 1:14a Hebrew page (pdf)

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In light of all this, we must be be careful not to cling to this world or be “disheartened when the desolation of the wicked comes” (1 John 2:15; Prov. 3:25). The kingdom of man is at war with the kingdom of God, and whoever wishes to be a “friend” of this evil world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4). Regarding this doomed world the LORD speaks thus to His children: “Come out of the midst of her and be ye separate, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.” This call to be separate may be more difficult for those who live in the midst of present-day “Babylon” than in other places of the world, because in Babylon it is far too easy to coddle the flesh and to avoid taking a costly stand for the truth… However, the reign of Babylon is spreading like a cancer throughout the world, consolidating power, and soon it will demand complete allegiance of all who dwell upon the earth. During that time of tribulation, all the peoples of the world will be forced to chose whether to accept the “mark of the beast” (i.e., citizenship in world order) or to face persecution, etc. We must not fear man or his devices, for the LORD will protect and strengthen His people.

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• Psalm 29:11 Hebrew Page (pdf)

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I have been feeling a bit uncertain and bewildered lately — not regarding the truth of the LORD and his promises — but rather about how we are to live our faith in the midst of the techno-fascist postmodern wasteland that marks our world today…. Maybe you can relate? It seems as if the judgments of God are increasingly falling upon the world system, and the godless world-spirit is hardening for its last stand.  In this connection note how the world economies are being strategically undermined and systematically devalued to create a new global currency (based on a digital “credit” scheme), and how political forces seek a “coerced unity” under the banner of a global health “mandates” designed to catalog our biochemistry and DNA for the controlling powers…  Note further how weak-mindedness, heartlessness, anarchy and despair are defining characteristics of the postmodern soul… Propaganda and cognitive dissonance are the “warp and woof” of the godless mass media monopoly that suppresses free speech, discounts questions that question the “science” used to justify political oppression, and that otherwise “cancels” those might dare to think clearly without following the scripted “group think” of the day.

These are prophetic times, to be sure, and God is in the midst of this whirlwind. We are not to live in dread as those with no hope. Nevertheless we must pray with fervor and ask our Lord for wisdom and grace for such a time as this… Keep the Lord first in your heart and trust that he will protect and guide your ways, chaverim. Chazak – take courage! The time draws near; keep the oil in your lamps. God has promised never to leave nor forsake you: he loves you and will deliver you from evil… “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding (ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν) shall guard your hearts and minds in Yeshua the true King of Glory (Phil. 4:6-7). Amen.

 

Hebrew Lesson:
Isaiah 26:3 Hebrew reading

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• Isa. 26:3 Hebrew page (pdf)

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Yeshua likened His relationship with his followers in terms using the metaphor of a vine and its branches: “I am the true Vine (הַגֶּפֶן הָאֲמִתִּית), and you are the branches” (see John 15:1-5). We derive our identity, life and strength from being made part of His life… The purpose of the branch is to be a conduit of the life of the vine. Vine branches by themselves are of little value, apart from the manifestation of fruit; they cannot be used for building things and otherwise are regarded as bramble (Ezek. 15:2-4). Notice further that the vine branch cannot bear good fruit while it remains on the ground: it must “climb” upward and be elevated. And if you look closely at a vine, it is often difficult to see where the vine ends and the branches begin.

The life of the branch becomes “entangled” in God’s love as it bears spiritual fruit from the sustenance of the True Vine (הַגֶּפֶן הָאֲמִתִּית). When we abide in, or are truly connected with, Yeshua as the Source of life, we bear the fragrance and sweet-smelling savor of heaven itself…

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Note that the expression “apart from me” (χωρὶς ἐμοῦ) means being in a state of separation from Yeshua, which is likened to spiritual death… It is the death of possibility, the absence of power to yield true good to the world, and so on. This is what is meant by “you can do nothing” (οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν), that is, you can do nothing of any lasting significance or worth… There is simply no true life apart from the Savior who is the Source of divine life. May you find your life and peace in Yeshua’s heart, friends.

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Matt. 11:28 Hebrew page (pdf)

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There is a gap between the “real” and the “ideal,” between our present sense of exile and our hope that one day we will be in our heavenly home; there is an inherent and ongoing dualism we experience as we sojourn through our days. On the one hand, if we make time to reflect on what is “real,” we will eventually encounter the “Parmenidean” realm of “being,” that is, the totality of sheer existence, the inescapable presence that surrounds and pervades any “thing” whatsoever: the “ground” of existence; the timeless sense of unity, perfection, and so on. The heart’s response to this awareness is humble acceptance – to surrender to all that is — in wonder over the miracle of consciousness and the sheer gift of life itself. The “real” is what “is” and that is a monolithic mystery…

On the other hand we encounter the everyday “Heraclitean” flux of life, the experience that all things flow (πάντα ῥεῖ ), and that we are all part of the endless river. The only “universal” is change itself, or the inscrutable process of becoming. The heart’s response is to engage life, to learn to swim, and to go with the flow, however, since everything is in process, fighting injustice and seeking good outcomes are essential, and therefore there is a duty to refuse to passively be carried away in the drift, indifferent to the suffering and needs of others. We seek stability within the ongoing flux by identifying “universals” or principles, and it becomes our responsibility to improve the world, to lessen suffering, and to hold to whatever ultimately “is” — the substance (or substratum) of everything, is good and worthy of our struggle…

Read more “Paradox and Suffering…”

From our Torah reading this week (i.e., Va’era) we read how Moses objected to serve as God’s emissary to the Pharaoh: “Behold, the children of Israel have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips!” (Exod. 6:12). Moses’ argument is that if his own people would not listen to him, for all the more reason the Pharaoh would not listen…. His statement “I have sealed lips” (אֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם) may be interpreted to mean that he would be regarded as without persuasive speech before Pharaoh, as an “uncircumcised” or unrefined person, or, more likely, that his lifelong speech impediment would be regarded as an offence before the niceties of Pharaoh’s audience.

In this connection the sages have commented regarding Moses’ great humility, saying that it was greater than even that of Abraham, for Abraham regarded himself as “dust and ashes” (עָפָר וָאֵפֶר) before the Lord (Gen. 18:27), whereas Moses regarded himself as “nothing at all” (i.e., ke’lum: כְּלוּם) – less than dust itself. When the Israelites later demanded bread from Moses and Aaron in the desert, Moses rhetorically asked “what are we?”, indicating that he regarded himself as utterly powerless apart from the will and agency of God.

Yet it is precisely this “nothingness” that made Moses a fit vessel to witness and declare the greatness of the Lord. William James wrote about “Zerrissenheit,” or the idea of being inwardly shattered within your heart. Moses understood his bankruptcy as a “failed Messiah” in Egypt as a young man; he walked as the living dead for 40 years in the desiccation of Midian before God raised him up in newness of life. And Moses continually experienced his own powerlessness and nothingness as he led the Israelites out of the death throes of Egypt.

Of Yeshua, who was with Israel in the desert (1 Cor. 10:4), it is said that “He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25), and that includes intercession for those regarded as dead on account of their own infirmities and sins, for those for whom all hope is lost, for those in extremis and who understand from the depths of depths that there is no life in them apart from the miracle of God who gives life to the dead. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Gal. 6:3); but if someone confesses truth and looks to God, new life can arise. The “uttermost,” the farthest extent, from the deepest pitch, in the vast expanse of stars that sweep across the cosmos, the furthest star, barely perceptible, is sustained by the mighty hand and outstretched arm of the Lord, our great deliverer. This is not a star consigned to outer darkness because of its lost estate or cast off because of proud defiance, no, this is a star that barely flickers in its self-effacement, as vulnerable as an unsteady flame ready to be extinguished.

Of our compassionate Savior it is written: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench” (Isa. 42:3). People conscious of their frailty and who have been crushed because of it are likened to “bruised reeds” of whom the loving Messiah shall attend. As it is written, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Indeed, He binds up the broken of heart and gives liberty to those in bondage (Isa. 61:1). “A smoking flax shall he not quench” likewise means that our Lord will not snuff out an unsteady flame ready to expire, but will tend to it with special oil to cause it to burn more brightly.

The Spirit of the LORD is always saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). God doesn’t need our religious acts of service, our worship, our prayers, or our approval; on the contrary, we desperately need Him… Prayer is a mirror of the heart, and we either come to God in our emptiness, our brokenness, and in real humility, or we are just playing religious games. Those who truly call upon the LORD understand their radical need for deliverance, inwardly confessing, “Woe is me, for I am ruined…” (Isa. 6:5).

The Savior seeks the “trampled and bruised,” the poor in spirit, and those crushed by the blows of this fallen world and offers them healing. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and therefore He is found in the midst of the leper colonies of the hurting, the forgotten, and the rejected. As a “man of sorrows” he understands the language of our pain (Isa. 53:3). He is the healer of the broken heart and the Savior of those who are crushed in spirit. Blessed be His Name forever… Amen.

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Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 34:18 reading (click):

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Psalm 34:18 Hebrew page (pdf)

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