This is a blog concerned with the Coming and Return of Jesus, or (in Hebrew) Yehoshua the Messiah. The Bible teaches that before the Messiah Y'shua returns, one will rule in His place, and be worshiped by this One-World System (Dan. 9:26-27). We are on the threshold of his appearance, as well as the true Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace). Scripture also tells us a Great Deception will take the World before the true Messiah's Return.
Many prophetic events are seeming to converge in September of 2015. Are all of these pointers out there seemingly pointing to this date coincidence, or disinfo? Or is something really big about to happen in this world as we know it?
This article tells about a family engaging in sharing the Creators love in a way most don't conceive, yet they put it into practice in their lives with people living around them. This series would be a great, fun, educational resource for kids.
I was recently sitting in my living room, when, after getting a refill on my coffee, noticed a magazine from the Seminary of which I am an alumni. As I was looking through it, I saw a promotional ad that caught my attention. The ad was speaking about Sunday Morning Church being the most segregated place in America.
"Lifeway Research found recently that Sunday morning remains one of the most segregated hours in American life - and most worshipers like it that way." (Southern Seminary. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Spring 2015, Vol. 83, No. 2. c. 2015. p. 25) [italics mine]
First of all, the tendency for Churches (and seminaries) in America to run to polling companies to find opinion results about the state of the Church as the visible representation of the Kingdom of God on earth inherently (and theologically, especially for Calvinists) has all kinds of problems. But as one who has been blessed with being able serve overseas among different cultures and people groups, when we talk about the church being "too racially segregated," I think we are missing the issue.
It's not really a racist problem. As my wife puts it, "It's a comfort problem." I agree. People go to church where they are comfortable. That's also why there is such a divide between younger people today and older, more "traditional" churchgoers. The cultural divide between younger generations and our, say grandparents generation, is, sadly, huge. But it's a condition of the society and era of which we are in.
It's the same between White and African-American Peoples. Most White Americans live in a different culture from African Americans. You see this in how people name their children, how they address one another, their cuisines, their cultural stereotypes (types of cars preferred, fashion). Typically, African Americans are more flamboyant and charismatic in their interactions with one another, their vocal abilities using a greater range in their talk, worship being more expressive, and their cultural conceptions are in general different from White Americans. Whites Americans typically are more conservative in their greetings, conversations, and a White pastor typically uses less vocal range giving their sermons.
These descriptions do not apply in every situation, but generally they are true of the population. This illlustrates how the situation goes deeper than just the color of the skin. We don't hear about White churches and Chinese churches being integrated enough, or White Churches and Korean churches, or about African-American churches and Mexican churches, though these populations are no more or no less segregated than any other racial groups are. Now there are certain churches in areas with diverse populations, who have diverse congregations. That is great! I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but should that be the goal of the Church? Or reproducing Biblical followers of Christ, within their own cultures and geographical areas?
It is not a problem with skin color, or race. It goes deeper. The divide occurs in the cultural, worldview level. African-Americans perceive the world differently, and therefore perceive Biblical application differently from White Americans. They also in general, prefer their worship service culturally consistent with their ethnic background. The same is true with every ethnic group.
This is why missionaries, when traveling to other cultures, undergo, and have to work through, not just jet-lag, but also cultural shock! When migrant groups move to America, those cultures do not just disappear, or assimilate, as much as society, or social media would have you believe. They remain, though inevitably adapt to dwelling in a different environment. But as the cultural, perceptional differences persist, so does the comfort preferences.
Because America was considered the "melting pot" for so long, we assume that our cultures have all just melted and blended together. To some extent they have influenced one another, but they still remain just as distinct as the peoples who hold them, and most often, don't want to give them up, because that would mean giving up who they are. And that involves a lot of pride and feelings of emotional attachment. People do not want to give that up.
So what is the solution to the problem? Should we all take on the characteristics of the majority group in the area in which we live, so we can all attend church together? Or should we remain true to our identity (and culture is a major part of your identity!) and seek to serve one another in love, and through these ministry opportunities, form relationships, and join in worshiping our King together.
In this article, Bob O'dell, co-founder of Root Source, offers a refreshing and optimistic insight on the Blood Moon Phenomenon.
I've posted some clips of his article below. The full article can be read by clicking the link above.
So what about the Shemittah year predictions from Jonathan Cahn? Well, so be it, but we ask in response, does the fact that Blood Moons and Shemittah are coinciding on the very same year mean for sure that the impact of these events must be exactly the same? And is God so one-dimensional that he is all about judgment all the time? Hello! Redemption anyone?
The Shemittah work by Jonathan Cahn is quite good, and likely signals some level of judgment. But it seems to us that the Blood Moons and a Solar Eclipse at the North Pole are a very different phenomena. One could easily imagine there could be two very different storylines happening simultaneously.
If the Shemittah is about judgment, then why can’t the simultaneously occurring Blood Moons be about redemption! The God I have fallen in love with is the One who lives to bring us all to redemption much more than he desires to bring us all to the judgment we deserve! “For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.” [emphasis mine]
My beliefs in the redemptive nature of the Blood Moons are detailed partially in lessons 4, and then in lesson 5 and 6 of the free Blood Moons series I recorded for Root Source in the last few weeks. I say ‘detailed partially’ because my first goal is not to convince anyone of what I believe, but rather give viewers the tools to make up their own minds about all the theories. I’d rather you learn to ask really good questions, even of my views, than to simply accept my views!
Now what about the call to prayer? Mark Biltz and I, while having somewhat different views of the meaning of the Blood Moons, agree in principle that God loves Israel and will care for her. As such I am honored to join with him in his call to prayer for the peace of Jerusalem on Saturday April 4th, at 11:58AM GMT, 7:58AM Eastern, 6:58AM Central, 4:58AM Pacific, to pray for 4 minutes and 44 seconds while the moon is totally engulfed in the earth’s shadow.
Praying Psalms 122 for the peace of Jerusalem, as we are exhorted to do by King David himself, is a biblical, unifying prayer that all Christians and Jews can pray.
But why are we taking such a not-so-dire approach to this lunar eclipse, when the Jewish sages have said that lunar eclipses are a bad omen for Israel? Because they also give a concluding remark in that very same paragraph of tractate 29a, that is overlooked by everyone it seems:
“But when Israel fulfills the will of the Omnipresent, they need have no fear of all these [omens] as it is said, “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.”
So dear Christian friend, please consider whether you believe Israel is, overall, in the will of God right now? If you say yes, then perhaps God is telling us that they will be quite safe in His hands! But believing even that does not mean that there is no reason for prayer! Indeed we should all join in with King David and pray for the peace of Jerusalem this Saturday morning at a local time that you can find right here.
When there is peace in Jerusalem, there will be an increased measure of peace in the world. Therefore, this prayer is a prayer for the ‘world’. In fact, given that this prayer was authored in the heart of God, before it was authored by Kind David, we can even say that it is in fact ‘universal’ in nature.
A cynical mainstream media may even make fun of us for praying for the peace of Jerusalem during a less-than-five-minutes lunar eclipse. But, some of us really do believe that any time spent praying for the peace in Jerusalem is time well-spent. Those who might demean this action will suffer in return no ill will from me, nor, I hope, “from us”, yet they should be wary of standing in any way against the welfare of Israel, or they might find themselves in opposition to someone much more powerful – and I don’t mean even the mighty, ancient King David, but the Almighty Ancient of Days.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/35203/saturdays-blood-moon-the-mainstream-media-and-a-call-to-prayer-opinion/#ElwQK0aHubRcdwR0.99
A mystic rabbi living in southern Israel is urging all Jews to pray and repent as the third Blood Moon of a tetrad cycle approaches.
Rabbi Amram Vaknin, who similarly predicted the events of the Gaza flotilla and the Carmel forest fire in 2010, and Operations Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014), warns that Israel is facing great judgment and potential danger at this time.
One of Rabbi Vaknin’s students, Gil Nachman, spoke to Breaking Israel News and, quoting the sage, explained that the numeric value of the Hebrew word for blood, dam, which is 44, alludes to the 44th president of the United States.
WATCH: Rabbi Vaknin Calling for Jewish Repentance
Vaknin predicted that the 44th president would bring bloodshed (dam) to the Jewish people. It should be noted that the rabbi made this prediction before President Barack Obama’s election to office.
Vaknin believes that only 44 plus one, or 45, can counter the danger represented by the blood moons. This, he says, is Adam, or Man, which in this case refers to the Messiah.
The mystical sage Rabbi Amram Vaknin with his student Gil Nachman, praying for the Messiah at the Western Wall, April 1, 2015. (Photo: Yehudis Schamroth)
Rabbi Vaknin called for a day of prayer at the Western Wall this past Wednesday to encourage the arrival of the Messiah and the redemption of the Jewish people and the world.
According to their Facebook page, “In these critical times, Am Israel must join together to pray to Hashem to send us Mashiach Ben David!!!”
The repeated number four is also noteworthy, as in addition to the value of 44 and the four Blood Moons of the tetrad, this will be the shortest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting a mere four minutes, 44 seconds.
Rabbi Vaknin is not alone amongst Jews in associating the current tetrad with Jewish redemption. With the first and third Blood Moons in this current tetrad cycle coinciding with Passover, and the second and fourth with the Feast of Tabernacles, the connections to times of redemption run deep.
The Talmud states, “In [the Hebrew month of] Nisan our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, and in Nisan we will be redeemed.” Likewise, the Feast of the Tabernacles is associated in Jewish tradition with the battle of Gog and Magog, the final war that is said to precede the final redemption and arrival of the Messiah.
Moreover, this year in Israel is a Sabbatical, or shmitta, year, a time in which the land of Israel is commanded to be left fallow. Yahadoot.net notes a statement by the Sages in the Talmud which says, “In the sixth [year there will be] voices [of war], in the seventh [there will be] war, and at the end of the shmitta, the [Messiah] son of Jesse will arrive.” Although the Talmud never states in which seven-year cycle in history this will be fulfilled, the website suggested that thus far, our modern period fits the description.
The Blood Moon phenomenon has attracted much attention of late thanks to the efforts and solar discoveries by Root Source’s Bob O’Dell and Gidon Ariel. Not everyone is an agreement as to what the Blood Moons signify. According to O’Dell, “All the prior blood moon tetrads point to a pattern of blessing on the Jewish people. They are good news for the Jews. They are a great indicator of God’s love and commitment to the Jewish people to preserve them, and a warning to those who stand in opposition to Israel.”
A so-called “Blood Moon” is a total lunar eclipse, the nickname stemming from its stellar red color caused by the bending of the sun’s rays around the Earth.
When four occur in succession without a partial lunar eclipse between them, they are noted as a tetrad. These tetrads are fascinating on their own, but the current tetrad marks only the fourth time in five hundred years that all four Blood Moons of the tetrad fall on Jewish holidays.
Describing the Blood Moons in Hebrew, courtesy of v871.com
The Hebrew-language website yahadoot.net delves into the Jewish perspective on this celestial phenomenon. The Talmud discusses the significance of astronomical events in human history, stating that a solar eclipse is a warning to the nations, while a lunar eclipse signifies danger for the Jewish people, who are likened to the moon.
The Sages go on to explain that this is because God sits in judgment at those times, and human actions and choices are being weighed. It is a time when our mistakes may come back to haunt us.
Rabbi Vaknin adds his voice to other religious leaders calling on their followers to pray for peace and security in Israel. Christian leaders Mark Biltz and Bob O’Dell have organized a prayer gathering for Christians worldwide to pray during the 4 minutes and 44 seconds of the total lunar eclipse late Friday night.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/35128/shocking-passover-blood-moon-predictions-by-israeli-rabbi-jewish-world/#YpSPD2VoTO0PiiWm.99article distributed by Endview.
Now what about the call to prayer? Mark Biltz and I, while having somewhat different views of the meaning of the Blood Moons, agree in principle that God loves Israel and will care for her. As such I am honored to join with him in his call to prayer for the peace of Jerusalem on Saturday April 4th, at 11:58AM GMT, 7:58AM Eastern, 6:58AM Central, 4:58AM Pacific, to pray for 4 minutes and 44 seconds while the moon is totally engulfed in the earth’s shadow.
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