Matthew 24:6-8 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
With everything happening in Israel, I’m often asked what I think will happen with the latest political situation in the holy land. Right now, we're getting ready to have the 5th election in the past 4 years. And, it may very well turn out to be another stalemate, as there appears to be no way to form a coalition according to the latest polls.
But the situation in Israel is typical of what’s happening all across the world. Within many nations around the world – Great Britain, France, China, India, Iran, Chile, Bolivia, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and even the United States, internal crises are either brewing or have already exploded into varying degrees of violence, armed conflict and/or civil war.
In the Olivet discourse recorded in Matthew 24, Yeshua prophesied that "... nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." The word "nation" in Greek is the word "ethnos", from which we get the English word "ethnic". All of this polarization and ethnic warfare which the media feed upon and incite is the work of the enemy as he stirs up the sinful nature of men.
Israeli politics are as vulnerable to this as any other nation since we are not yet under the loving and just authority of our true King. Yet, of course, we do need a government; but just maybe, the Lord is speaking to our nation through this political impasse; maybe He wants to remind us that, on our own, we are hopelessly doomed to conflicts and strife, and that we need to look to Heaven for His prophesied reign.
So, of course, we pray for the Lord's will in our political situation; but as we remember who we are, sons and daughters of the Most High from every tribe, nation and tongue we must resolve NOT to participate in the spirit of division, conflict, strife, violence, and hatred that is proliferating across the globe.
Our mandate as a kingdom of priests is to pray and let the world be blown away by our love. Crisis is everywhere, but the Chinese character for this word "crisis" also means "opportunity". Our opportunity in all this crisis is to stand out, stand apart and demonstrate faith, hope, and love which the Holy Spirit gives us through Yeshua. Amen?
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Tonight begins the Biblical feast of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) throughout the world! Roughly 2500 years ago, there was a special Sukkot celebration in Jerusalem. The people of Israel were exiled and dispersed all across the Babylonian empire. Later, they were given the right to return and start construction on the 2nd temple of Israel. Nehemiah 8 speaks of the special celebration that happened at that time. We read how Ezra taught the people out of the book of the law and how they responded in weeping and repentance before the God of Israel.
As I’ve been writing about the "great awakenings" that took place over the past few days. I believe we could be witnessing such a move of God.
In laymen’s terms, the difference between a ‘revival’ and an ‘awakening’ is simply that moves of God transcend denominations and sects. While various ‘denominations’ have revivals at times, an ‘awakening’ shakes the body of Christ across denominational boundaries in spite of their differences.
In the early 1700s, the western world including the United States, was being swept under the influence of a philosophical and cultural movement known as the Age of Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason. At this critical time in history, the First Great Awakening was birthed by the Lord in the American colonies of the “New World”. Led by preachers such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield, a spiritual renewal took place which became a unifiying cultural foundation for the American Revolutionary War, which began in the late 1770s.
For those who have been following us, we have been ‘re-deployed’ to the United States at this pivotal moment in history. For those who know me personally, my heart is for revival and for preparing the Bride of Messiah to meet her Creator.
The high priest of Ancient Israel wore a crown of pure gold on his head called a Nezer, which comes from the word “nazar”. This word "nazar" means to dedicate, consecrate and sacredly separate. The word “nazarite” comes from this root, and describes someone who has taken a vow to be separated from the world.
One of the more beautiful ceremonies of the Jewish faith is called “Tashlich”. Tashlich means to cast away. Every year between Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur, Jewish people around the world journey to a nearby river or stream and cast in bread crumbs as they confess their sins. As the bread crumbs are swept downstream soon to be out of sight, so they believe God will sweep away their sins.
Amazingly another year has passed and tomorrow night begins the feast of Yom Turah -- or Rosh Ha Shannah -- the Feast of Trumpets.