The Miracle of Israel

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Isaiah 41:14

Despised though you are, O Israel, don't be afraid, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer.

NLT

The continued existence of the Nation of Israel is a miracle of God.  This fact demonstrates that God remains true to his promises and that no matter how dire the circumstances become or how often we disobey God, He remains true to the promises He makes to His people.  In fact, the rock of the stability of the promises of God contained in His Word, the Bible, are the only thing of stability we have to hold on to in this chaotic world. 

As I have written earlier, the world’s hatred of Israel began with God’s promise of a savior in Genesis 3:15.  Once it became clear that this promised savior or Messiah would be Jewish (Genesis 12:3) Satan embarked on a strategy to eliminate the Jewish race.  The first attempt came while the Jews were in Egypt. 

The Pharaoh that allowed the Jews to come to Egypt in order to escape the ravages of famine had died and a ruthless pharaoh with no love for the Jews replaced him.  This pharaoh feared the Jews might become so numerous in the land that they may someday turn on the Egyptians and join their enemies.  To solve this dilemma, pharaoh concocts a two-fold scheme by first subjecting the Jews to brutal slavery.  He then issues an edict ordering all male Hebrew children thrown into the Nile to drown (Exodus 1).  However, once again, God intervenes and He spares one male child, Moses who later leads the Jews out of Egypt after a series of plagues from God force Pharaoh to let them go. 

Once again, however, the Jews are threatened with extinction during the time of Esther.  Esther, one of the Jewish exiles has become Queen.  At the same time, Haman formulates a plot to eliminate the Jews.  However, God intervenes once again by miraculously granting Esther favor with the king allowing Esther to unveil Haman’s plot thereby saving the Nation of Israel (Esther 1-10).

Even after the birth of Jesus, Satan once again tries to eliminate the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15 when Herod orders the murder of all children 2 years old and younger born in Bethlehem.  However, we once again see God miraculously delivering Jesus by coming to Joseph in a dream and telling him to go to Egypt, thus escaping Herod’s genocide (Matthew 2:13). 

These examples clearly show us that the hand of God was truly on ancient Israel.  However, has God replaced Israel with the Church?  The answer is no for as I have written in my previous postings, we have already seen how to believe in replacement theology is to believe God can go back on His promises.  We can also see examples of God’s miraculous intervention in modern Israel as well.

On May 14, 1948, the British Mandate over Palestine expired.  On that same day the Jewish People’s Council gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum and approved a proclamation establishing the State of Israel.  (1)   In one day, the land of Israel returned to the Jewish people in fulfillment of Isaiah 66:1-8.  However, even though the single day transference was peaceful, the peace would be short lived. 

The day after the establishment of the State of Israel, five Arab Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the nation.  (2)  The army of Israel was outnumbered 60 to 1 and yet with the help of God, who never slumbers, prevailed (Psalm 121:4).  (3)

Again in 1967, in what history refers to as the Six Day War, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria once again attacked Israel.  However, this time Israel was prepared and in a preemptive strike within 24 hours, completely destroyed the Egyptian Air Force.  When in Israel in 2008, my guide, who fought in the Six Day War told of how the war was essentially over in six hours.  The remainder of the six days was spent in clean up. 

The only way a small and greatly outnumbered nation like Israel can achieve military victories like this is through the intervention of a merciful and gracious God.   A merciful God who even though the Jews rejected His son, still remains true to his promises.  This should give us all hope for we too can depend on the promises of God, no matter how grievous our sins are. 

The most significant result of the Israeli victory in the Six Day War was that the Old City of Jerusalem returned to Jewish control.  This is a fulfillment of Luke 21:24 and signaled a transition period in biblical history, a transition away from the time of the Gentiles and back to Israel. 

This, however, does not mean Gentiles are no longer part of God’s plan for just as God remains true to His promises to Israel, he will remain true to his promises to His Church.  In fact, not only did the Jews reestablish control of Jerusalem but also in 1967, the Holy Spirit began to pour out on the Church in what many have called the Jesus movement.  (3)   This movement remains strong today and many churches, including the one my family and me attend, came out of this movement and continue to thrive. 

Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, in his book ‘A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days’ cites the biblical transition from the time of the Gentiles to Israel as the sixth reason we know the last days are upon us.  (3)   The question we must each ask ourselves is, are we ready. 

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 tells of a future event where many will mysteriously disappear.  Most of us remember the turmoil the United States and the world fell into after the attacks on 9/11.  Imagine the turmoil when thousands, possibly millions disappear.  In fact soon after this event, the world will fall into a time of great tribulation or trouble. 

However, those that disappear will be in the presence of the Lord and escape this chaotic time on the earth.  In other words, a smart person wants to be among those that disappear.  To be among that group, please pray with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

If you prayed that prayer, you are now counted among those that will escape the time of great tribulation on the earth and instead spend that time with the Lord.  However, God does not want us to keep this a secret and wants us to share it with others.  In fact, the most unselfish act a person can do is share the Gospel and take someone with them when the Lord comes for his people. 

Next Saturday we will begin looking at what we can each do to usher in God’s Kingdom. 

1. Israel Ministry of Froeign Affairs. Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel. www.mfa.gov.il. [Online] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 14, 1948. [Cited: June 23, 2015.] http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/declaration%20of%20establishment%20of%20state%20of%20israel.aspx.

2. Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Israel's War of Independence (1947-1949). www.mfa.gov.il. [Online] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [Cited: June 23, 2015.] http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/israels%20war%20of%20independence%20-%201947%20-%201949.aspx.

3. Bernis, Jonathan. A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. Bloomington MN 55438 : Chosen Books, 2013.

Deliver Us from Evil

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

NKJV

On Wednesday last week, a half-crazed lunatic, believing that because the skin tone of someone was darker than his had to be taken out, cut the lives of nine precious souls short at a church in Charleston South Carolina.  Since the nine victims, including two of their pastors, were at a Bible study on a Wednesday night, most of us assume they were believers and now live in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, never again to suffer at the hands of this murderous destructive world again.  However, we must continue to pray for those left behind for they too are victims.  Most importantly, we must especially continue to pray for them after the media hype ends and they move on to the next story.

As we discover more about the shooter in Charleston, we are beginning to see what occurs when a soul that does not have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit is deceived by the lies of the enemy.  The initial reports from survivors of the shooting told of how the shooter told the pastor that, “You rape our women and are taking over our country,” Obviously a racial slur referencing the election of the nation’s first black President.  (1)

In addition to these witness reports of statements made by the shooter at the scene, we now have his manifesto where he even expressed his desire to turn every Jew blue.  In his rant, the shooter also lamented that there was no ‘real KKK to help him’ and that he had no choice but to act.  (2)   These are the words of a deranged mind, a mind deceived by the lies of a society under the control of the thief of John10:10.

We have also learned that drugs may have contributed to the derangement of the shooters mind.  The shooter was recently arrested on a drug charge for the suspected use of SSRI drugs.  These drugs have been tied numerous cases of mass murder and suicide.  (3)  Drugs and alcohol are tools of the thief for they reduce or even eliminate any inhibitions or conscience an individual may have assisting them in carrying out the thief’s desire to kill, steal, and destroy. 

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are asked to pray for deliverance from evil.  Jesus included this in his teaching because he knew we would be living in a world dominated by evil (Matthew 6:13).  I therefore urge everyone to pray for God’s protection and deliverance from evil as we live for Jesus in this evil world.  However, Jesus also reminds us to be of good cheer, for He has overcame the evil one (John16:33). 

We both grieve and rejoice for the victims of the shooting in Charlotte.  We grieve for the loss of life and the families that now must deal with the reality of what happened.  However, we also rejoice knowing that the victims are now in the presence of the Lord and never again will have to endure the pain of this evil world. 

The shooting in Charlotte also reminds of the uncertainty of life.  Those attending the Bible study on Wednesday went expecting to learn and be encouraged by the Word of God but instead came face to face with the raw and destructive evil of this world.  Fortunately for the victims of the shooting they had a certainty of where they would go when they died.  However, many of you reading this may not have that certainty.  I therefore want to extend an invitation for you to have that certainty by praying with me

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life (Romans 10:9-10).

If you prayed that prayer you now have the assurance that should something tragic happen to you, you will spend eternity with God in Heaven (John 3:16). 

I also want to speak to anyone reading this that has hatred in their heart towards anyone or any group of people.  God created all men and women.  We are uniquely created (Psalms 139:14) which includes the fact that we have different skin tones.  However, God does not look at the outward appearance but looks inside at someone’s heart (Hebrews 4:12). 

If you have hatred in your heart and prayed to receive Jesus into your life, ask the Holy Spirit which now dwells in your heart to remove the hatred and replace it with the love of God.  If you did not pray, I encourage you to please scroll back up, pray, and then ask God to remove the hatred. 

The shooting in Charlotte was tragic and unfortunately, since we still live in a world dominated by evil and the thief whose desire is to kill, steal, and destroy, there will most likely be more tragedies.  However, as individuals we can ask Jesus to replace any hatred in our lives with his love, protecting us from the thief’s deceptive and destructive lies.  We can also know that with Jesus in our lives, we have eternity with God to look forward to no matter what happens in our lives.  I encourage you to let this give you strength during these troubling times. 

1. Raf Sanchez, Peter Foster. 'You rape our women and are taking over our country,' Charleston church gunman told black victims. www.telegraph.co.uk. [Online] The Telegraph, June 18, 2015. [Cited: Junne 20, 2015.] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11684957/You-rape-our-women-and-are-taking-over-our-country-Charleston-church-gunman-told-black-victims.html.

2. Corcoran, Kieran. Revealed: Dylann Roof named Charleston as his target in twisted online 'manifesto' where he rants that black people are 'stupid and violent' and how he wanted to turn every Jew BLUE for 24 hours . www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] Daily Mail, June 20, 2015. [Cited: June 20, 2015.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3132670/Dylann-Roof-manifesto-Killer-unveils-Charleston-target-church-massacre-calls-black-people-stupid-violent-complains-s-no-real-KKK-help-him.html.

3. Watson, Steve. Charleston Shooter Recently Faced Drug Charges. www.infowars.com. [Online] Alex Jones Infowars.com, June 18, 2015. [Cited: June 20, 2015.] http://www.infowars.com/charleston-shooter-recently-faced-drug-charges/.

Rising Messianic Expectation in Israel

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Zechariah 12:10

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

NKJV

Last Saturday we looked at the rumblings of Messianic revival occurring among the Jewish people.  In conjunction to these rumblings of revival, there is an increasing Messianic expectation amongst the Jewish People.  It is this increasing Messianic expectation that Rabbi Jonathan Bernis cites as the fifth reason we know the last days are near. 

The nation of Israel is prominent in the news today but most of the news coverage revolves around the conflict between Israel and radical Islamists surrounding them.  However, another controversy is occurring among the Jewish People revolving around Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri who died in 2006.  (1)   Most of those reading this have most likely not heard of Rabbi Kaduri so let us take a moment to look at what is behind the controversy.

Rabbi Kaduri was a highly regarded Sephardic Rabbi.  He was so popular that sources say 200,000 to 300,000 people came to his funeral.  He was 108 when he died.  (1)

Two years prior to his death, Rabbi Kaduri began teaching that the world would encounter a series of disasters.  When asked how he knew this, he said the Messiah had told him.  Rabbi Kaduri refused to tell when, where, and how his conversation with the Messiah occurred and said he would reveal the name of Messiah when the time was right.  (1)

Rabbi Kaduri had reportedly written the name of Messiah on a small piece of paper and told people to read the name on the paper one year after his death.  In 2007, when the contents of the paper were revealed it contained a sentence of six words the first letters of which spelled out the name Yeshua, the Hebrew name for Jesus.  (1)   This revelation has started a Messianic expectation and controversy amongst the Jewish people. 

Some Jewish scholars believe the note is a forgery.  This of course sounds similar to the controversy started by Jewish leaders after the resurrection of Jesus that His followers had stolen His body.  However, just as after the resurrection of Jesus, the revelation has caused many Jews to consider the possibility that Jesus is indeed Messiah.  The teachings of Rabbi Kaduri were well respected among many as evidenced by how many people attended his funeral so we have to believe many would take his revelation of the name of Messiah and explore scripture to find out more about the coming of Messiah. 

One of the greatest advantages we have today is the ability to look at Messianic prophecies in hindsight.  However prior to the coming of Yeshua the first time, people could only look at these prophecies with foresight.  When we look more closely at Messianic prophecies, we notice a contradiction.  Some prophecies speak of Messiah as a suffering servant (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22) while others speak of a conquering Messiah (Zechariah 14:1-8). 

In an effort to solve this apparent contradiction, ancient Rabbis taught of two Messiahs, one who was the “Son of David” and one who was “The Son of Joseph” or “Son of Ephraim.”  They taught that the “Son of David” would fulfill the Messianic prophecies regarding the conquering Messiah whereas the “Son of Joseph” would fulfill the prophecies regarding the suffering Messiah.  (2)   Since these teachers only had the benefit of foresight, we can understand how they might have come to this conclusion since the prophecies of the suffering Messiah end with his death. 

However, looking in hindsight today we know that Messiah is one person coming at two different times.  This is because we now know that Messiah did indeed die but also resurrected from the dead, thus conquering death, the penalty pronounced on all humanity in the Garden.  We also know Jesus will return a second time as the conquering Messiah. 

Yeshua fulfilled more than 300 prophecies from the Old Testament regarding the suffering Messiah.  The odds of one man fulfilling just 60 of these prophecies are one out of ten to the 895^th power.  On other words, the odds of someone other than Jesus being Messiah are virtually mathematically impossible. 

As many in the Jewish community debate the controversy over the note from Rabbi Kaduri, our prayer should be that they will realize the Messiah has already appeared as the suffering Messiah in the person of Jesus.  However, since Jesus arose from the dead and ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father, he is also the one who will return as the conquering Messiah.  As more and more Jewish people realize this truth, the nation as a whole will begin to turn to their Messiah and the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10, will find fulfillment. 

This means that the return of our Lord is closer at hand, something in which should make every believer rejoice and find comfort (1Thessalonians 4:18).  Therefore, we must continue to pray and work to bring about greater Messianic expectation and revival both among the Jews and Gentiles. 

1. Bernis, Jonathan. A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. Bloomington MN 55438 : Chosen Books, 2013.

2. Klett, Fred. The Two-Messiah Theory. www.chaim.org. [Online] [Cited: June 14, 2015.] http://www.chaim.org/2messiah.htm.

Speaking Out on Social Issues

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Corinthians 13:3

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

NKJV

Giving to satisfy the physical needs of the poor is something God calls us all to do.  In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus equates meeting the physical needs of those in need to feeding and clothing Himself.  However, in Mark 8:36 Jesus also reminds us that to gain the whole world and have all our material needs met and yet lose our souls is no profit at all.  It is therefore important for us as Christians not only to attend to the physical needs of the poor, but also to the spiritual needs of their souls. 

We live in a world that is increasingly turning against social norms and traditions that have their roots in the Word of God and adopting secular humanistic lifestyles based on a post modernistic philosophy that believes one is free to do whatever they believe is right.  This populist anything goes social theory permeates literature, film, and music in our society.  (1)  This social theory also permeates our educational system.  (2) 

This social theory believes that science and logic has the ability to answer any question or problem facing us.  However, as we look at some of the social issues of today that we as Christians are asked to accept and tolerate, we begin to see the failure of this new social order to answer tough questions leaving those believing in this new order with even more questions.

1)      Abortion – The anything goes society believes that sex is something two consenting adults should be permitted to engage in if they believe it is right.  However, this promiscuous lifestyle comes with the risk of pregnancy.  Post-modernism teaches people to use a condom or some other form of contraception to reduce the possibility of pregnancy.  In the event these fail, girls are taught to just have an abortion and the problem is solved.  What they fail to teach is that prolonged use of contraceptives carries increased risk of cancer in women.  This is because oral contraceptives contain synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which have been found to influence the growth of some cancers.  (3)  Abortion also carries risk for women, which is conveniently not taught.  Among those risks are risks of pelvic infection, blood clots in the uterus, heavy bleeding, perforation of the uterus wall, and infertility.  (4)  Even though pregnancy also has risks and complications, they are far less than the risks from abortion.  Women seeking an abortion are conveniently not told that they can give up their baby for adoption to parents wanting to raise the child and provide a good home for them. 

2)      Gay marriage – Genesis 2:24 tells us “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  (KJV)  Those in the gay community may argue that in the verse the term wife does not specify that the person is a woman.  However, in the context of this verse, there were only one man and woman on earth.  Adam was the first man created and from one of his ribs, God created Eve, the first woman.  Since all scripture must be interpreted in its context, the only correct contextual interpretation of this verse is that God intended his creation man and woman to join in marriage.  God also condemns the gay lifestyle in both the Old and New Testaments. 

The Old Testament condemnation occurs in Genesis 19:1-29.  Lot receives a visitation from two angels.  The men of the city see the angels enter Lots home and ask him to let them come out so they can have sex with them (Genesis 19:5).  In response to this, the angels remove Lot and his family from the city so they can escape the complete destruction God is going to bring.  This demonstrates both the righteousness and mercy of God.  His righteousness is demonstrated by the fact that the sin of homosexuality was so abhorrent to him he had no choice but to totally destroy a city where this practice was rampant.  However, it also demonstrates the mercy of God in that he removed the righteous from the city and would have even spared the city had there been 10 righteous people living there (Genesis 18:32). 

The New Testament condemnation occurs in Romans 1:26-27, which says, “That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.  Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other.  Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.”  (NLT)  This condemnation of sin is in the context of God’s anger at sin.  Starting in Verse 21, Paul teaches how sin began its hold on humanity when they began worshiping the creation instead of the creator and then its hold on people grows from there.  The condemnation of homosexuality is actually the high point of the growth of sin in humanity and is a result of God leaving man to the thoughts of a reprobate mind (Romans 1:26). 

In addition to scriptural condemnation, the gay lifestyle shortens a person’s lifespan by an average of 20 years due to increased exposure to deadly sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and other health risks associated with homosexuality.  (5)  Children raised in homosexual households also are at risk, in spite of studies showing they fare no worse than those raised in traditional households.  (6)  Perhaps one of the reasons the homosexual lifestyle places children at risk is that the homosexual lifestyle, according to Simon Fanschawe a Gay journalist, is a sewer, hardly an atmosphere in which to raise children.  (7) 

During election cycles, we will hear about how we must have concern for the children as well as people’s health and welfare.  Of course, the context of political discussions of these issues is usually education, school lunches, government sanctioned health care, and government welfare programs for the poor.  As Christians, however, we need to speak up about the damage the gay lifestyle presents to people’s health and the welfare of children raised in this decadent lifestyle. 

It is clear that the social issues of abortion and gay marriage have a negative impact on our society.  The post-modernism theory teaches that these are non-political issues and a matter of one’s own choice.  However, as Christians, called by God to share the Gospel, we cannot remain silent about these destructive lifestyles. 

Political experts will caution Christians that speaking up on these issues will cost conservatives an election.  My response to them is that elections are not the most important thing in my life.  The most important thing is spreading the Gospel which includes pointing out the damage sin can cause in people’s lives.  If the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants Christians the right to practice their religions, they must be allowed to speak out on social issues.  The choice is up to each individual whether to continue in their sinful lifestyles of accept the forgiveness of sin provided by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). 

If that costs conservatives an election, it only means we as Christians have a lot of work to do.

1. Kellner, Douglas. Postmodernism as Social Theory: Some Challenges and Problems. tcs.sagepub.com. [Online] Sage Journals, 1988. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://tcs.sagepub.com/content/5/2/239.extract.

2. Post Modern Psychology. Postmodernism and the Academic Disciplines. www.postmodernpsychology.com. [Online] [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.postmodernpsychology.com/main_topics/PM_and_academic_disciplines.htm.

3. National Cancer Institute. Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk. www.cancer.gov. [Online] National Cancer Institute. [Cited: ] 13. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet.

4. Kliebert, Kathy. Abortion & Pregnancy Risks. dhh.louisiana.gov. [Online] State of Louisiana. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/915/n/275.

5. Facts about Youth. Health Risks of the Homosexual Lifestyle. factsaboutyouth.com. [Online] Facts About Youth. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://factsaboutyouth.com/posts/health-risks-of-the-homosexual-lifestyle/.

6. PhD., Timothy J. Dailey. Homosexual Parenting: Placing children at risk. www.orthodoxytoday.org. [Online] OrthodoxyToday.org. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles/DaileyGayAdopt.php.

7. Chick Publications. Homosexual Journalist Admits, ‘Gay Lifestyle is a Sewer’ . www.chick.com. [Online] Chick Publications, November/December 2008. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://www.chick.com/bc/2008/lifestyle.asp.