Open My Eyes,Lord

As I was contemplating the events of the day, namely the plane crash in New York (The News Media is now calling this The Miracle on the Hudson River), I sensed a stirring in my spirit.  I began asking, “what are You doing, Father? …What are You trying to show us?” 

Before giving a direct answer, please allow me to digress a bit.  It has been a couple of months since I have felt compelled to post to this blog.  Why?  It has been a while since we have filmed for the TV program (We have been running re-runs for several months now. Why?  For several months now I have not been allowed to share things the Holy Spirit has been whispering into my spirit.  Why not? 

I now believe I have at least a partial answer.  My Heavenly Father was saying to me, “Don’t miss the forest for the trees.”  He wants us to see a bigger picture and it is extremely easy to get bogged down by the details of life to the point that we will miss the beginnings of an incredible picture that He is starting to paint on the canvas of history.

Jeremiah 16:14,15 states: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;  But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

This passage could never have been fulfilled at any other time in history other than in the day in which we live.  YHVH God, the Creator of the universe is telling us that in this day He will cause His very reputation to be changed through the events that are happening and will happen around us.  Let me share with you how that reputation change has begun!

Reputation Change on a personal level:  In August I had a heart attack.  Why would a loving, caring God allow this to happen to me?  To teach me of His miraculous provision that I could have known no other way!  I have related the physical story in a previous post and here I will relate the provision side:  We had no health insurance in place to pay this $40,000 bill.  I will save all of the details for the sake of time and space.  Before we gave the Hospital a penny, the bill had been reduced to around $16,000!  We received a statement from the doctor for his portion that said, “Paid in Full”!

Could I have been spared a heart attack? How would I know of YHVH’s care in the MIDST of the trial.  Could He have arranged for 100% of the bill to be taken care of?  How would I be reminded of His promise to meet my DAILY needs?

Reputation Change on a National level:  The crash of US Airways flight 1549 is an event that our creator has allowed to give us an incredible object lesson.  I am not hinting that I think the passengers aboard were any more or less righteous than any one else.  Our Father just wanted to give us a taste of what kind of things He does THROUGH the circumstances.  We are going to see many more crashes in the world, from financial markets to total economies, from cities to countries, from individuals to armies.  We, as the Children of the Almighty, get to be partakers of His reputation-changing power and provision!

Reputation Change on the International Level:  As I was listening to a news story about the conflict in the Gaza strip concerning casualty reports the thought came to the forefront of my mind, “It sounds as if I am hearing a Bible story from the Old Testament! 1100+ enemy deaths to 6 or 7 Israeli deaths?  While I am not discounting that every one of those numbers represents a human life, those are the numbers of casualties that occur when the Almighty is on your side! I make no point here about the righteousness of Israel…just a reference to the promise of the Faithful One!

Well, my friends, we are in for a wild ride, the culmination of which is the return of Our Messiah.  Lift up your heads, your redemption draws near!

 

Shalom

In Pursuit of Truth

As we become seekers of truth in our walk with Messiah, at some point, a vital question will rear its head.  "How far do we go with this truth stuff.?"  Do true seekers of truth stop when they discover something that allows them a degree of comfort?  Are we willing to keep on seeking, moving past those areas that are appealing to our flesh, especially when it looks so spiritual.

If we are truly living in the last days, we must not neglect the warnings of Scripture concerning these times.  If we believe that we are somehow immune to these warnings because of the group to which we belong, we are truly deceived.  In fact, Scripture warns against those who would build a following solely on the message of "The day has drawn near." (See Luke 21:8).  This is the day when every spirit must be tried, when every "prophetic" word must be doubly scrutinized, when the words of the preachers must be weighed against Holy Writ.  This is the day when every man and woman of YHVH must learn to think for themselves, and trust the Living Word "Yeshua" in us. 

According to the prophet Daniel, knowledge will increase in the last days.  That increase of knowledge concerning Biblical times and customs has led to an explosion in the numbers of people embracing Messianic Judaism.  The problem is that people have simply traded one religious system for another.  Believers have been deceived into trading a Gregorian calendar for a Rabbinical one.  The modern Jewish calendar has its origins in the Babylonian captivity...the proof here being the very names of the months, every bit as pagan as the Gregorian calendar they were trying to get away from.  The Torah, that they say they follow, gives very specific instructions on when the months and years begin, and when the feasts are to be celebrated.  With the "increased knowledge" of NASA's calculators and biblical understanding of the "Abib" (ripening) of the barley harvest, there is no longer a doubt of when to celebrate these feasts.  My point here is NOT to be dogmatic concerning a calendar...but simply to say that if we are rejecting paganism in its entirety, it must include weeding it out in whatever system appeals to us.  Truth seekers must be willing to seek truth no matter where it (He) leads. 

Because our Messiah IS the Truth, I remind you it is not a system or denomination, or even a leader we seek to follow.  We must follow Him, no matter where He leads.  We are in the process of learning discernment, and hopefully coupling that together with wisdom.  If the promised Holy Spirit truly is our teacher, we can trust what He says, no matter how contrary that might be to what we hear from the pulpits.

Keep seeking and you will find!!

 

Shalom

Is It Real?

Time for a little gut-level honesty. Have you ever asked yourself, "Is this whole Christianity thing real?" Can we be assured of the Truth?

While the evidence I am about to present may be of little value to you personally, I can only continue to marvel at what it means to me.

About 3 weeks ago, I was at work as a general contractor on a residential construction site. I was giving an on-site update to the home owner who just happens to be a physician. We were in the lowest level of this split (4) level home. As we were discussing the progress of the construction, I began to feel a little dizzy and noticed some pressure beginning in my chest. I mentioned these symptoms to my client who immediately took the situation under control and asked me if I could climb up to the next level. I climbed up ( approx. 4 ft.) to the next level and looked for a place to sit down. Because the pressure in my chest was increasing, my client asked me to lie down and elevated my feet. She called 911 and requested ambulance service.

As the construction site is in Historical Downtown Boise, we were in the close proximity to several hospitals, one of which is St. Luke's, a facility known for its cardiovascular care. The paramedics arrived within a few short minutes and began their field procedures, including administering nitro glycerin. As they gave me a third dose of nitro, I suggested to the paramedic that since it wasn't working, perhaps it wasn't my heart that was causing the pain. By that time, I was hooked up to the EKG monitor and the paramedic announced, "I believe you are having a heart attack, we are going to St. Luke's code blue with lights and sirens."

Because of the intense pressure on my chest, the next series of events are a little fuzzy, to say the least. I recall the paramedics, and then the emergency room personnel telling me to keep my eyes open and "stay with them." By then the realization had hit me that I may be breathing my last. My vision was fading in and out, and I knew that I was on the edge of consciousness. The amazing thing to me, that even in that moment, there was NO fear. I was completely at peace.

Please understand this was not what I would call a "spiritual" moment, but it was extremely real. I was not having visions of the hereafter, or seeing Jesus with outstretched arms or any such thing. Honestly, the only conscious thought I was having was, "This really hurts, please make the pain stop!"

I recall the medical staff informing me that we were on our way to the Cath Lab, please keep my eyes open and stay with them. The fuzzy 'tunnel' vision with black edges continued. I have absolutely no idea of how long all of this was taking, and it seemed the elephant that was sitting on my chest was not going anywhere.

I was hearing bits and pieces of conversations the medical staff were having with each other, and them asking for responses from me. When they got to the blockage in my heart, the elephant decided to leave. I remember asking myself at this point, "Why was I not afraid." Other questions going through my semi-lucid mind were: "Why was I not concerned for my family?" Had I become so self- absorbed that I had lost sight of that which was most important to me? Why was I not concerned for Carol, my best friend and companion for 31 years? (We had planned to attend the "Chicago" concert that very evening to celebrate our 31st anniversary!). Why, especially at this time, did my thoughts not turn to my 6 kids (3 natural and their spouses) and our 8 grandkids? Was I just being selfish, or is there really something to this "Peace that passes ALL understanding"?

Several years ago, I was involved in an in-depth study of the scriptural concept of peace. When our Messiah said to His disciples, "My peace I give unto you." He was giving them authority to overcome the circumstances of life. The definition of 'PEACE' according to scripture is, "To destroy the authority that establishes chaos"! Certainly a heart attack would establish chaos! Not knowing how to handle the financial obligations that have come our way would establish chaos. I don't know how all of this will work out, but in the words of the Apostle, "I know in Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him, against that day!"

I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Paula Carvalho, for her professionalism and expertise in taking control of the situation. Also thanks to St. Luke's Hospital for their care at this critical time. Most of all, thanks to my loving Creator who has provided His Son, the Prince of Peace who gives of Himself that blessed characteristic that passes all understanding.

Shalom